SPIRITUAL FREEDOM        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940



NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
JANUARY, 1940
No. 1
     "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8: 32.)

     To be free is the deepest desire of the human heart. For this men have labored and fought, suffered and died, through all the ages. Yet it has ever eluded their grasp. Progress has been made only at the cost of long and bitter struggle. It has been achieved by slow and uneven steps: by gaining a little here, and later on a little there. Over and over again, what was accomplished has apparently been lost, and could be regained only by further conflict and sacrifice.
     In our modern era the results have appeared to be more encouraging. Men thought they had at last discovered the secret of freedom. Believing that it lay in the conquest of the forces of nature, they concentrated all their energies on this task. Astonishing results were attained, by means of which natural freedom has been enlarged and extended with ever increasing rapidity. The advancement of knowledge, combined with the spread of education, has progressively loosened the bonds of ignorance. Inventive genius has multiplied things designed to reduce the drudgery of labor-things that minister to man's convenience, comfort, and enjoyment. The application of scientific laws has greatly alleviated human suffering. Education has made possible a greater degree of personal responsibility, which, through the orderly processes of law, has secured to the individual a larger measure of civil and political liberty.
     Yet it is doubtful whether any permanent results have been achieved. Our modern world, at the very height of its intellectual development, appears to be caught in a net of mysterious forces over which it has no control-forces that are relentlessly tightening about it, threatening to crush once more its hard-won freedom, and to wipe out every gain that has been made. Well may we ask: Is there, after all, such a thing as human freedom? Is it possible of attainment? Or have men been struggling toward a mirage that has lured them ever more deeply into a desert of helpless bondage from which there is no escape?
     This is, in fact, just what has happened, though it is not because there is no such thing as human freedom, but because men have not perceived the true essence of freedom. They have mistaken the appearance for the reality. They have supposed that it lay in the power of the human will to achieve its own desires. They have imagined that these desires could be increasingly satisfied by overcoming the forces of nature. Knowing that the desires of man's will are evil as well as good, they have believed nonetheless that the cause of evil was ignorance, and that, in the measure in which knowledge multiplied and intelligence increased, good desires would prevail.
     The very opposite is the case. The source of freedom is not in man's will, but in the will of God. It consists in being led by the Lord. It results, not from a conquest over natural forces outside of man, but by victory over the forces of evil within his own heart. The increase of natural knowledge, and the development of external intelligence alone, will not insure such a victory. These can be used for evil purposes as well as good. They serve to increase the power of the one as well as of the other. Man, by his own intelligence, cannot distinguish what is truly good from that which merely appears to him as good because it gives delight and satisfies his natural loves. The Lord alone knows what is truly good, and this good He can impart to man only so far as man will yield his mind to Divine leading. This is the only way that leads to freedom.
     Such is the clear import of the Lord's words in the eighth chapter of John. It is there recounted that He was teaching in the temple, and as He taught, many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews that believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'

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Thinking that He spake of external liberty, they said: 'We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest Thou then, Ye shall be free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin; and the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.'
     This is plain teaching. External freedom-the freedom to think and speak, and act as we please-is an illusion. Because it gives us delight, it creates the appearance that we are free. But the delight is an evil one, centered in self, destroying the freedom of others, subjecting them to our will, achieving its own satisfaction at their expense by a suppression and cruel domination that leaves human suffering in its path. And because this inordinate will to power must be checked by the merciful Providence of the Lord for the protection of others, it leads to inevitable punishment and retribution, to an ultimate frustration that makes man at last a slave to his own passions.
     The law of God is the law of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor. To act from the love of self-that is, to seek as the highest good the accomplishment of one's own will-this is the very essence of sin. And whosoever committeth sin "becomes the servant of sin." He may imagine that he is master of his own fate, and for a time he may enjoy success, and with it a sense of freedom, but only so long as his evil love may be used, in the Lord's Providence, to accomplish results that may be turned to a good end: only so long as be may unconsciously be a servant of the Divine will. But such a servant abideth not in the house forever." His love of self is insatiable. It must be placed in bonds, lest it injure and destroy the good. Such is the bondage of hell.
     The love of self, therefore, is the cause and origin of all slavery; but love to the Lord is the cause and origin of all true freedom. That which enables us to love the Lord is what is called innocence." Innocence is a willingness to be led. It is of two kinds-external and internal. External innocence is a willingness to be led by others in whom we have confidence. But internal innocence is a willingness to be led by the Lord alone. Every man at birth is endowed by the Lord with external innocence. It is a delight, which enables him to be taught and led, through infancy, childhood and youth, by parents and teachers.

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As he advances in age this delight decreases, and is successively replaced by the delight of self-leading.
     Yet this innocence of childhood-because within it the very delight of heaven lies concealed-provides the means and prepares the way for internal innocence. If the child is taught about the Lord, if he is led to know and love the Lord as his Heavenly Father, to have unquestioning faith in the teaching of the Word, then, although these things are not yet understood, although they are little more than words and phrases accepted on the authority of others, still they contain the seed of spiritual faith-the seed of internal innocence, that is, of delight in being led by the Lord. When adult age is reached, when the day of childish innocence is past, and man faces the responsibility of determining his own life, then, by means of that innocence a temple has been formed in his mind, where the Lord may appear to him directly and individually to teach him the way of life. And in that spiritual temple there will be ideas, affections-delights responsive to the Lord's teaching, impelling the man to accept and to believe.
     This first faith is the very sanctuary of man's freedom. Without it he would be carried along inevitably on the current of his own selfish loves and desires, knowing no other delight, and supposing that only thus could he be free. But external innocence has introduced him into the delight of being led. It has given him to feel the protection of a power outside of himself-a power that watches over him with tender care. It has given him a sense of his own weakness and ignorance, and his dependence upon this higher power. By this delight the Lord provides a balance for the delight of self-will and self- leading which is his by natural inheritance, and which has increased with the years until it can no longer be held in check by external restraints.
     Because of this balance, the Lord can give him the power and the freedom-as of himself-to choose the delight of innocence in preference to the delight of self-leading. If he makes this choice, then it is no longer a delight imposed from without one to which he has been compelled by the pressure of others. It requires him to follow no leading by other men, which is fallible and subject to error like himself. It is a delight that he has freely elected, in which there is the appearance of self-determination, and thus a sense of internal freedom.

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Yet it is a delight that impels him willingly to submit his mind and his heart to the Lord's leading, when he hears the teaching of His Word.
     This is the essence of a spiritual faith. But it is not yet a living religion. To everyone who comes in this way to believe on Him, the Lord says: If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The Jews to whom the Lord spoke these words had come to believe on Him. But their faith was a temporary state induced by the sphere of His presence and the power of His teaching. At the moment they saw the truth, and sincerely acknowledged it. But there were many things in their minds-things innocently accepted as true and deeply confirmed by established modes of thought, which were opposed to this truth. When the momentary state was passed, these accustomed ideas would return to attack their faith, to raise doubts concerning it. If they were to retain it: if it were to transform their lives; if it were to make them truly disciples of the Lord, these doubts must be met and overcome.
     For this they had not sufficient knowledge. They must seek further instruction. They must return to the Lord, and diligently search His Word for a Divine answer to their troubled questioning. They must persist in yielding up their thought to the Lord's leading, as against the temptation to trust in their own knowledge and intelligence. Before this has been done, they are not truly disciples. Though they might accept the Lord's teaching in part, they would gradually twist it into agreement with their own mistaken concepts, and thus falsify it. Wherefore the Lord said to them: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed."
     It appears to man as if this continuance in the Word is an intellectual struggle. It requires him to read, to study, and to reflect. But in essence it is a struggle to maintain and establish his faith, that is, his willingness to be led and taught by the Lord, as against the natural desire to rely upon his own will. Because, by means of it, love to the Lord is strengthened, and that love is a flame, which gives spiritual light to the mind, therefore it leads to an inner vision of the Truth-a deeper understanding of the Word. And with that understanding there comes a new responsibility.
     For the understanding of the truth points the way to a genuine religious life. It reveals the difference between this life and a merely moral or civil life.

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Moral and civil life may be used by the love of self to attain its own ends. They may be turned to the purposes of evil, even while the appearance of evil is removed from the external conduct. But a spiritual life is one that removes the love of self from the heart, from the inmost intention of the will, and sets up in its place the love of use and charity toward the neighbor. It takes away the delight of domination, and puts in its place a delight in use,-a deep regard for the freedom of others that makes a man find his own happiness in promoting the success and well-being of others. Wherefore the Lord says: " Ye shall know the truth, and, the truth shall make you free." For in love to the Lord, and in spiritual charity exercised in human life, lies the secret of all genuine freedom.
     All men know that the freedom of any social order depends upon the integrity of character, sincerity, honor, and justice of those who constitute it. They know that these virtues may be practised merely for the sake of self-interest, and that in this case freedom is insecure and transitory-in constant danger of being violated. But they do not know how this may be avoided. They regard self-interest as inevitable and universal because inherent in human nature. Any effort to eliminate this is regarded as visionary. Wherefore men seek to attain freedom by every means that will enable them still to accomplish their own will-by every means that leaves the love of self-undisturbed in the internal of man's mind. They seek it by amassing external knowledge; by conquering the forces of nature; by eliminating poverty: by setting up ideological systems of economic and political life, vainly trusting that, when ignorance and `want have been removed, selfishness will disappear of itself, spontaneously and without a struggle. But they refuse to face the spiritual conflict by which alone it can be overcome. They refuse to come to the Lord, that they might have life. They reject the teaching of His Word, which calls them to repentance of heart. They are unwilling to submit their minds to the discipline of truth. Because of this, they never undergo that internal compulsion of self by which alone evil can he destroyed at its source. Thus, even while they struggle vainly to escape the outward effects of evil, they keep its inner cause alive that it may destroy in the night that which they have toiled to build during the day.

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     This is the reason why a New Church must be established, in which there will be a spiritual faith and a living religion. To this end the Lord has come again to His temple. He has come in a rational revelation of His truth, wherein we may behold the presence and operation of His Infinite Love and Wisdom. All who see Him there, who hearken to His teaching and acknowledge its truth in heart and in faith, are among those who believe in Him. But if we would be His disciples indeed, we must "continue in His Word." We cannot rest satisfied with a formal profession of faith. We must earnestly endeavor to understand the truth as a spiritual way of life. We must accept its challenge, and through every temptation submit our own will to the Lord's leading-to the leading of His truth, by governing not only our speech and action, but also our inmost purpose and intention according to the Truth revealed. Only thus will the Church grow and wax strong in spirit-strong in the spirit (!)f love to the Lord and charity, that the way may be prepared for the final restoration of genuine freedom to the world. Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 61. John 8: 16-38. A. C. 1937:4, 5
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 534, 564, 593. Revised Liturgy, pages 450, 454, 455.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 59, 106.
SAVING OF SOULS 1940

SAVING OF SOULS              1940

     The Lord's Affection or Love when He was in the world was Divine, namely, toward the whole human race, which, by the union of His Human Essence with the Divine Essence, He wished to adjoin completely to Himself and to save to eternity . . . . Love such as the Lord's transcends all human understanding, and it is especially incredible to those who do not know what the celestial love is in which the angels are. Those angels, to save a soul from hell, make no account of death; yea, if they could, they would undergo hell for that soul. Hence it is the inmost of their joy to translate into heaven anyone rising from the dead. But they confess that this love is not at all from themselves, but everything of it from the Lord alone; yea, they are indignant if anyone thinks otherwise." (A. C. 2077.)

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PROFANITY 1940

PROFANITY       Rev. PHILIP N. ODHNER       1940

     A TALK TO CHILDREN.

     In our lesson from the Word you heard the very sad story of a young man who had to be punished because he used the name of the Lord in a curse. This young man was the son of an Israelitish woman, and they were traveling with the tribes of Israel in the wilderness on the way from Egypt to the Land of Canaan. And one day this young man fought with another young Israelite, and while he was fighting he cursed the other young man, and used the Lord's name in his curse.
     This was a very evil thing for the young man to do because the Lord had commanded the children of Israel never to profane His name, that is, never to mention His name together with what is evil. One of the Ten Commandments given by the Lord from Mount Sinai was: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him innocent that taketh His name in vain. And the Lord commanded that anyone who took His name in vain, that is, who used the Lord's name in cursing, or in lying, or in other evil ways, should be put to death.
     And so, when the Israelites heard the young man curse, they put him in ward, which is something like a prison, and waited until the Lord should tell Moses, their leader, what they should do. And the Lord told Moses that anyone who blasphemed the name of the Lord should be put to death. So the Israelites took the young man out of the camp and stoned him.
     Now we may wonder why a man should be put to death for this evil of profaning the name of the Lord. At this time men are not put to death for taking the name of the Lord in vain. But we must remember that the children of Israel had to act according to the way that things take place in the spiritual world.

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And in the spiritual world, if anyone profanes the name of the Lord, he becomes as one dead. For the Lord cannot he with anyone who profanes His name. And when the Lord is not present with a man, his spiritual life leaves him, and the man is like one dead.
     This was the reason why the Israelites had to put people to death who profaned the Lord's name. And to keep them from doing this terrible evil, the Israelites at last never used the Lords name at all, even when reading the Word. The Lord's name in their language was Yehowah, but whenever they had to speak of the Lord, they used the name Adonai in place of Yehowah, so that they might never profane that holy name. And even to this day the Jewish people will not say the name of the Lord, or Yehowah, but they use the name Adonai in its place, and Adonai means Master.
     Why is it such an evil thing to profane the name of the Lord? It does not seem to hurt anyone, as stealing or killing does. Why, then, is it so bad?
     To profane a thing means to mix what is good and true with what is evil and false. It is to mix what is holy with what is unholy. And to use the Lord's name in connection with anything evil, such as lies and curses, and other things that are not good, mixes up what is holy with what is unholy in the mind of the one who does it.
     If we use the Lord's name in an unholy way, then when we come to use it in a holy manner, all the evil things with which we have mixed it come back into our minds at the same time. If, for example, we were to say the word "blue" every time we were angry, the word "blue" would very soon come to mean anger, whether we wanted it to do so or not. In this way very many good words come to mean evil things, because in our minds they have been mentioned together with evil things. This is not a very serious thing with most words, but with the names of the Lord it is a very serious thing.
     The name of the Lord is that by which we know the Lord. And it stands for everything that we know about the Lord, just as any man's name brings to our mind whatever we know about that man. And the things we know about the Lord are the things by which the Lord leads us to heaven. And if we use the name of the Lord for evil things, then the very things that the Lord has given to make us good cause evils to enter into our minds. And when this happens, the Lord cannot bring us to heaven.

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This is why profaning the name of the Lord, or using His name in vain, is such a serious evil.
     The name of the Lord also means the whole of His Word. The Word is His name because every truth in the Word makes something of the Lord known to us. For it is said that the "Word was with God, and the Word was God." For this reason, not taking the Lord's name in vain means not to take anything from the Word and use it in a careless, evil or unholy manner. To do this takes away from the power of the Word to save men, and so it is a great evil.
     In every country in the world there are laws against insulting and slandering the names of men. You know how badly we feel when someone speaks evil of the name of a person we love. And if we love the Lord above all else, do we not feel badly when anyone uses His name or His Word in vain? We must certainly rebuke ourselves if we do so, and look to the Lord to help us get over that evil. And we also have a right to rebuke other men who abuse the Lord's name. That name is given to men for their salvation. And because the Lord loves men's salvation more than anything else, He commands that we should keep His name holy. And if we love Him, we will do so.
     The lot of those who profane is a very sad one in the other life, worse than most of those in hell. They have very little life left to them, and in the light of heaven they appear like skeletons and other horrid forms.
     Very often it seems like a light thing to swear, and to joke about holy things; but let us remember that this is very harmful, because it joins heaven and hell in us, and mixes what is good with what is bad, and it takes away from the power of the Lord to bring us to heaven. Let us be mindful of this, and remember what we say in the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be Thy name!

LESSON:     Leviticus 24: 10-16.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 549, 612. Revised Liturgy, pages 460, 461.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. C 5, C 11.

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CHARTER DAY ADDRESS 1940

       Rev. C. E. DOERING       1940

     (Delivered at the Service in the Cathedral, October 20, 1939.)

     As an introduction to this address, I wish to tell you of a conversation which I had last spring with a learned gentleman whom I met on his return from a series of lectures at a Western university. Our talk, at first, referred to the new educational movements in the University of Chicago and at St. John's College. He was rather critical of some of the changes that Hutchins was making in Chicago, but favorable to those at St. John's. And then he suddenly remarked that the country was full of academies and small colleges, all teaching the same things in the same way, and competing with one another, so that not one of them was making any progress; and that if our Academy was to make progress, it would have to get out of the rut, do something that was different from others; and to do this, it would have to specialize in some line, and do it better than the others. Specialization was the only road to progress in these days of keen competition.
     I told him that the Academy was a unique institution in the world. There was not another like it; it was not competing with others. It was not just another college,-one of a big crowd. It was specializing and doing what no other college in the world was doing.
     He looked at me rather quizzically, and asked: "What are you doing that is so different from others?
     I replied: " Besides instructing all our students in the New Church religion, which is different and distinct from all others, we propose to teach the sciences,-physical, biological, and social-in such a way that their truths will be basic to and confirmatory of the truths of Revelation; that nature is thus a manifestation of the Love and Wisdom of God and His attributes."
     After a brief pause he said: "All the Quaker colleges do that. They claim that God is manifested everywhere in nature. And besides, all colleges claim that they are teaching the truth."

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     This led to some discussion as to what truth is, but we got nowhere, as we had no common standard of authority. I do not know whether he agreed with the learned educator who, addressing a national association of teachers some years ago, urged upon his hearers that they teach their students in such a way as to develop their critical faculties and be skeptical: for they should accept nothing on authority, since there is nothing true but what they can prove for themselves to be true; there is no such thing as absolute truth.
     I mention these things to show the contrast between the point of view of the Academy and that of the learned of the world. The Academy began with the perception and the conviction that there is absolute and Divine Truth; that the Lord is that Truth, and that He has ever revealed that Truth, or accommodated His Truth to men's comprehension, and from the beginning of time has given them the power of seeing it.
     The first men saw that Truth in every object of the world; for nature was to them the Word of God, every form therein presenting to their minds something of the Lord, since it was a manifestation of the Love and Wisdom of God. When, in course of time, by directing their thoughts to the appearance, and not to what was represented by the appearance, they lost their perceptions of truth, then the Lord presented His truth in the spoken and written correspondential language of the men of that day; and for a time this served those who were in the love of truth and studied their Word from this love, so that they were able to see the Lord in the truth therein revealed, because their love was to see the truth in the representations. But again they lost the love of truth, and this Ancient Word became a sealed book. Then the Lord revealed His Divine Truth in another form. It was embodied in the History of the Jewish people, but in such a way that the essential truths for salvation were set forth in such plain language that all who wished could see. But when none wished to see, then the Lord Himself came into the world as the very Word Itself,-the Divine Truth in human form. From His own mouth He taught the truths concerning Himself and His kingdom, and the way to salvation; and by these truths the first Christian Church was established. Yet, shortly, these very truths were perverted by the denial of the Lord as God, or by making Him one of a tripersonal Godhead. The spiritual light of the early Christians faded and went out in the darkness of night.

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And then the Lord made His Second Coming in a Revelation given for the establishment of the New Church.

     II.

     We would note two things concerning the Revelations that have been given:
     1. Each Revelation of the Divine Truth is given in the clothing of the language of the day, and each Revelation is in language suited to the states and comprehension of the human mind of the time.
     2. Each Revelation contains an open declaration of the genuine doctrine of the former Revelation, which might have been seen if men had been willing, and had been in the love of truth for the sake of truth. And we might add that each Church, thus established on the genuine doctrine of the former Church, more openly revealed, had the power, if it had had the love, to enter more and more interiorly into the truths contained in their Revelation. But the love of truth waxed dim, and all chose to think from their senses rather than from Revelation. And then a new and final Revelation was made in the Writings, given to the world through Emanuel Swedenborg.
     The last of these works, which he saw through the press, was published in 1771. In 1877, the Academy of the New Church received a Charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This ultimated and made permanent a movement that required over a century of preparation in the New Church before it could become an actuality. There had to be preparation for it in this world and in the other, to lay the basis for it before the time could be ripe,- before men's minds were prepared to develop the Doctrines which are distinctive of the New Church.
     From the time that the Writings appeared in print, we find from the literature of the Church that there were men here and there who recognized in some way that the Writings were a Divine Revelation. Some called them the " Word," on a par with the four Gospels, but many held that they were only a commentary on the Word. There are also other doctrines distinctive of the New Church scattered throughout the literature of the Church, but the Church was not prepared to receive their teachings.

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It takes time before new ideas can be generally accepted. Before these doctrines could receive general recognition, the mind of the Church had to be prepared by the doctrine of genuine truth concerning the Lord, the life after death, and the way to salvation. And so we find New Churchmen both those who worked for distinctiveness and those who believed that the New Church was not to be a distinct body separate from the former Christian Church, teaching these genuine doctrines of truth, and proving them from the former Scriptures and by rational argument.
     These genuine doctrines had to be reaffirmed and established, because the Christian theology had destroyed all genuine knowledge of the Lord, of salvation, and of the life after death. One might say that the genuine doctrines, which had been openly proclaimed in the New Testament, and taught in the early Christian Church, had to be reaffirmed and reestablished in the minds of men before the New Church could make progress and develop the doctrines, which are distinctive of it. If a Church is to live, it must grow more and more in the perception of the truths contained in its Revelation and in the application of those truths to the uses of life. If it does not do this, it becomes static and retrogresses.
     But no sooner was the doctrine of genuine truth established than another falsity arose to menace the life of the nascent Church, by the teaching that the Lord did not make His Second Coming in and through the Writings, but was making it through the wonderful mechanical improvements of the age, and in the works of various uplift societies, by inflowing directly into the hearts of men and making them New Church.
     When the Church reached the stage when the life of it seemed to be threatened, then the Academy was founded. A number of men who were earnest students of the Writings, and who found that they were always in agreement upon the Doctrines when they met at Convention meetings, felt that something must be done to stem the tide of "permeation," that the Church might not be destroyed. And for a number of years, by conversation when they met, and by correspondence when meetings were impractical, they planned how they could best bring the Church to a realization of its state.

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     It must be remembered that the permeation party was in power, and controlled the periodicals of the Church, so that these men had little opportunity to bring their views before the New Church public. Their fundamental position was, that the Writings are the very Word of God, given for the establishment of the New Church; that they are Divinely inspired, and of Divine authority,-the only standard for the New Church to follow. In them the Lord appears in the glory of His Divine Human, and in them He speaks and teaches His Church; and what He there says is to be done. All thought of life and of action is to be formed from the teaching therein contained. Every thought, every statement, was to be submitted to examination by testing it with the teaching of the Writings; and whatever opposed that teaching was to be shunned.
     This was in the minds of the men who formed the Academy. It was the spirit that led them to band themselves together and organize it, to the end that, as an organization, there might be the means of proclaiming these principles to the Church, that it might be saved from its errors, and led into more interior truths.

     III.

     With the organization of the Academy, something new was born into the world. It was the first organization in the Church, which wholeheartedly acknowledged the Lord's presence in His Second Coming as the Law of the Church; that He, being acknowledged as Divine Law, must be obeyed, that the Church may be established. This was the purpose of their organization.
     To effect this, they first began the publication of a magazine,-WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH,-the first number of which treats almost altogether of the Advent of the Lord in the Writings. They were optimistic enough to think that, if they presented the teachings of the Writings concerning their Divine nature, it would be eagerly received by the Church. But the very reverse happened. The reviews and comments in the various New Church magazines were all adverse to the position taken in the Academy's publication.
     No, they could not expect to change the minds of the New Churchmen generally; and they saw, as some had seen for a long time, that for the reception of the doctrine that the Writings are the Word of the Lord to His New Church, new minds would have to be formed, which would be capable of receiving this teaching.

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And so, as a derivative of that central doctrine of the Divinity of the Writings, sprang the doctrine of New Church Education. For it became more and more evident that in New Church education is to be found the primary means for the real growth of the Church, since, without education, minds could not be trained to become leaders of New Church thought, nor laymen to be intelligent, rational receivers. And so the work of education was begun, first with a theological school, that young men might be prepared and qualified to carry on the work. Then a college was added, and gradually all the other schools, from kindergarten up.
     The development and work of all these various schools have been told you on many occasions, in testification of the fulfillment of the purposes enunciated in the Charter of the Academy. There is, however, one phase of the work, which has not received so much notice, and that is the development of the distinctive doctrines of the Church. For, from the acceptance and acknowledgment of the Writings as the Word of the Lord for His Church, new doctrines must be drawn from the Writings, and confirmed thereby, in order that the Church may enter more and more interiorly into the mysteries of faith.
     The need for this phase, however, was mentioned by the Rev. C. Th. Odhner in his Biography of Bishop Benade, published in NEW CHURCH LIFE in 1905. He there states:

     We may unhesitatingly proclaim Mr. Benade as the first scientific theologian of the New Church. . . . Not content with the mere reading of the Writings, book by book, or with the occasional minute study of special subjects, he undertook the analytical study of the Doctrines as a systematic whole. And thus by comparing innumerable particular passages with one another, and allowing these to marshal themselves under their own self-evident general heads, and then by comparing these generals with one another, he came, after years of tireless labor into a perception of those universals of genuine truth which rendered his mind so marvelously clear and rational, keen and sure, in recognizing that which would lead to the genuine and lasting good of the Lord's New Church.
     Chief among the Doctrines thus studied, analyzed, and constructed from the inexhaustible storehouse of the Writings, was the Doctrine of the Word. Connected with this was the Doctrine of the Glorification, the Science of Correspondences, and the subjects of Education. Order, the Priesthood, and the Church, with all the things therein involved. On all these subjects, he prepared textbooks, which unfortunately are now lost, having been burnt in a fire, but which, nevertheless, are preserved as to all essentials in the notebooks of his numerous students."

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     With Bishop Benade as leader, and with those associated with him, was begun that scientific study of the Writings, which has resulted in, the systematic formulation of the various doctrines of the Church as they have been so far developed. And on the principles of study begun by the founders, doctrines are to be more and more developed with each generation, if the Church is to grow.
     The founders of the Academy have left us a rich spiritual heritage, which is for us to use and to add to for the next generation. And this we can do, if we are imbued with the spirit that actuated the Academy. I say the " spirit of the Academy," for an institution has a spirit as an individual man has. That spirit is derived from the individuals, and yet is greater than the sum total of all together.
     What was that spirit? I verily believe that it was the affection of truth for its own sake; for it is that affection which gives the perception of it. It is that affection which gave birth to the Academy. It is that affection which is to animate all of us in our work. It is that affection which everyone who comes to the Academy must acquire, if he is to become a true Academician. It is the sacred flame that was kindled in the hearts of the founders, and that is to be enkindled in the hearts of everyone of you.
     You may become learned in the sciences; you may learn the languages; you may even learn the Doctrines, so as to be able to talk intelligently about them; but unless that sacred fire is enkindled within you, your stay within our walls will be fruitless. But the Lord will give you that affection which makes the spirit,-the love of truth for its own sake,-if you desire it and strive for it; for He gives us everything spiritual which we ask of Him. And if you have it,-if that sacred flame is enkindled in you,-then the knowledges that you have learned here, and continue to learn, will have life in them, will be fruitful, and you will perceive your greatest happiness in making use of them in establishing the New Church, signified in the Apocalypse by the New Jerusalem.

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ACADEMY AND ADULT EDUCATION 1940

ACADEMY AND ADULT EDUCATION       PHILIP Grant COOPER       1940

     (A Paper read at the Charter Day Banquet, October 21, 1939.)

     We have heard tonight that the Founders of the Academy foresaw and provided for the development of education "in all its forms" and wrote a statement to that effect into the Academy's Charter. It is my purpose to present a few thoughts upon one form of education, which has not been given a consideration proportionate to its importance, namely, the education of the adult. By this term I do not necessarily mean the education of those who have reached their legal majority; nor do I refer particularly to the problems relating to the normal education of those who are pursuing their high school and collegiate education in the Academy or elsewhere. I refer to a higher education which is adapted to promote the rational, and thus the spiritual, development of all adult members of the church who have completed that phase of their education which is necessary to prepare them for their places in society.
     For the present discussion, education may be classified as (1) religious education, or education in the truths of the Word, and (2) scientific education, or education in the truths of nature and of the world. In the present organization of the church, the religious education of the adult is provided by the priesthood, and this is as it should be. However, little provision is made for the continuing scientific education of the adult beyond the classes offered by the college, and yet this responsibility of the Academy must be recognized, if it is fully to perform its expressed intention of providing for education "in all its forms."
     Accordingly, it is my purpose to discuss, first, the importance of a scientific education for New Churchmen, not only during their high school and college days, but also throughout the remainder of their lives, with particular emphasis upon the relation of such an education to their regeneration; and, second, to discuss the part of the Academy in providing this form of education.

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     Before proceeding further, it will be well to define what is meant by the term " science," since we are considering adult education in the sciences. The following definition is taken directly from the work on Heaven and Hell: " By sciences are meant the various kinds of experimental knowledge, as physics, astronomy, chemistry, mechanics, geometry, anatomy, psychology, philosophy, the history of kingdoms, and also the criticism and languages of the learned world." (H. H. 353.)
     This definition can scarcely leave any room for doubt that scientifics include all that store of worldly knowledge which man, of his own initiative, is able to discover. It is in this wide general sense that the term is to be used throughout this discussion. The term is not used in its specific sense, which limits it to the technical sciences of chemistry, physics, and the like.
     Swedenborg states that knowledges of the natural sciences are the tools by means of which man learns to think, afterwards to understand what is good and true, and at length to grow wise; and that scientifics are the receptacles of truth and good, and that man is made spiritual by means of them. (A. C. 129.) Further it is said that the intelligent and wise in heaven are those who are learned in the doctrines from the Word and in the sciences or truths of nature, and who have applied their knowledge to the uses of life, while acknowledging the Divine, loving the Word, and living a spiritual-moral life.
     The manner in which natural truths may be the receptacles of spiritual truth may be seen by means of an example. Everyone will recognize from his own experience that he is best able to understand the meaning of fear, love, despair, and other emotions, when he has actually experienced them. So also do we visualize conditions in others, such as poverty, health, intelligence, and the like, in relation to our own similar conditions. In every case we base and measure mental concepts upon knowledges and experiences of our own. In a sense even our thoughts are limited by our experience; and to the extent that our experiences are varied, our ability to comprehend the experiences of others increases. So it is with our concept of spiritual ideas. We are taught that there is a correspondence between the knowledge of these correspondences that we are able to see as a faint glimmer the wonders of the spiritual world.

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     Again, we know that words are the medium through which thoughts are conveyed. In exactly the same manner our natural experiences are the medium through which our natural minds can grasp a concept of spiritual things. For example, we are given the instruction that influx is according to reception. While we may be able to accept this teaching in blind faith, we can only receive it as a truth when we make it our own, that is, when we understand it. This cart be done when we see in the world around us thousands of illustrations of the working of the same principle or law; when we realize that the influx of light and heat from the sun into every living thing upon the earth is also according to its mode of reception. Furthermore-and this is the important thing-the more interiorly we enter into the knowledge of the physical law of the influx of heat and light, the greater becomes our enlightenment as to the operation of the law of spiritual influx. This enlightenment, in turn, increases our ability to understand the physical law. Our progress is along two mutually dependent paths; consequently, the facilities for advancing along both paths simultaneously must be provided if real progress is to be made.
     An educational system designed to lead man in the life that leads to heaven includes, of course, instruction in doctrinals from the Word, and this throughout a man's life. But no educational system is complete which ignores either instruction from the Word or instruction in the things of nature. We are given a clear and emphatic statement to this effect in the work on heaven and Hell:
     In order that a man may become intelligent and wise, he must learn many things, not only those of heaven, but also those of the world; those which are of heaven from the Word and from the church, and those which are of the world from the sciences. So far as man learns these things and applies them to life, so far he becomes intelligent and wise; for so far the interior sight of his understanding and the interior affection of his will are perfected. The simple are those whose interiors are open, but not thus cultivated by spiritual, moral, civil, and natural truths. They perceive truths when they hear them, but they do not see them in themselves." (H. H. 351.)
     The process of our spiritual education, leading to our regeneration, is a continuous one.

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At no time may we say to ourselves, "Now I am regenerated." So also the process of our natural education should be a continuous one, and the two should progress side by side. Under our present system of education, there is a tendency to think that on the completion of our formal high school or college education, we have a sufficient store of knowledge to carry us through our journey in this world. This may be so with respect to the purely vocational knowledges, which have been accumulated. But the interrelation between our understanding of the wonders of the spiritual world and our understanding of the wonders of the natural world in which we now live is not fully recognized, and we make little effort to continue the education of our natural minds, so that we may better prepare ourselves for our ultimate regeneration.
     It is my conviction that it is every man's duty, in a small degree at least, to study and investigate the natural sciences in the light of the Writings, and this throughout his life. The greatest progress in this work will be made by a few, who will eventually establish a new science founded upon the Writings To a less extent this work will be done by others, but everyone must strive to the limit of his ability to obtain a store of the knowledges which open the way to the internal man, and which afterwards conjoin that man with the external according to use; for the rational is born through sciences and knowledges; not from them, but by the affection of the uses derived from them. (A. C. 3086.)
     In advocating a greater emphasis upon a continuing study of the natural sciences by the adult man of the church, supplementing his study of the Word, it is well to bear in mind a warning, which is clearly sounded in the Writings. We are taught that scientifics, that is, knowledges of the truths of nature, are not only the means of growing wise, but also the means of becoming insane: for by them the spiritual mind is either cultivated or destroyed. The mind is cultivated by scientifics to the extent that man has a good use for an end, and his mind is destroyed by scientifics to the extent that he rejects the Lord and attributes all things to nature, or acquires knowledges for the sake of his worldly position. (A. C. 4156.)
     The means of avoiding the path that leads to insanity is also revealed to us. For we read: " The beginning must not be from scientifics or matters of science, nor ought man to enter by them into the truths of faith, for scientifics with man take their origin from sensual things, and thus from the world, from which arise innumerable fallacies, but the beginning must be made from the truths of faith." (A. C. 6047.)

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     Having established the need and purpose of a continuing education in the truths of nature, along with man's education in the doctrines of the Church, what then is the part of the Academy in providing for such education?
     At a banquet in celebration of Founders' Day nearly forty years ago, Bishop W. F. Pendleton spoke on" The Future of the Academy," and stated that the primary and collegiate education which was then and is now, provided by the Academy are but steps in preparation for that higher education which is to come, and that "a higher education in the sphere and light of the Church is the supreme end for which the Academy exists, and that it is our duty to look forward to it, and gradually prepare for it, year by year, even though the fulfillment come not in this generation or the next."
     Bishop Pendleton then set forth three things which are necessary for the preparation of a New Church higher education: First, the field of modern science is to be explored; second, the sciences and philosophy of Swedenborg must be mastered; and third, the science of the Ancient Church must be restored. The sciences of the Ancient Church were: (1) the science of correspondence; (2) the science of representation; (3) the science of influx; (4) the science of degrees; (5) the science of the spiritual world; and (6) the science of God as a Man.
     Today, as forty years ago, the fulfillment of this goal stands as a challenge to every New Churchman. Some progress has been made but the immensity of the task should make us ever mindful to consolidate whatever advances have been made. As the generations come and go, the enthusiasm of the pioneers is apt to be lost. Those of the younger generation must keep the ship on the course set by those who preceded them. By recognizing that education has a far greater purpose than merely to provide the means of earning the daily bread and butter, we can renew the courage of the captain and crew who are sailing the ship through the stormy waters of indifference.
     This vast work, which has been set as the goal of the Academy, must be kept ever before us.

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We must reaffirm ourselves in the enthusiasm of those who have done their work before us, and, by adding our bit to theirs, advance the Church nearer to its ultimate goal. We must keep alive the work of the pioneers. And this can only be done by learning what they have done, and applying to our lives the knowledges gained thereby, thus keeping them available in turn for our children. Ours is a living religion, which requires application to life. And to the extent that the higher education of the Church is made available to everyone by means of the activities of the Academy, to that extent the Church as a whole will enter more interiorly into its uses.
DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE IN THE CHURCH 1940

DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE IN THE CHURCH       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1940

     One of the principles, to the faithful observance of which the General Church owes much of its strength, is that of distinct and distinctive social life within the Church. Recognizing the eminent rightness of the principle, having the vision and the affection of the uses it promotes and protects, and being fired with a determination that it shall be maintained, the General Church has gradually developed a concept and form of social life that are both unique. The banquet and the social supper in which the things of the Church are made the center of a social gathering, and which are closed by the pronouncing of the benediction, are peculiar to the New Church. And our conception of the other phases of social life is unique also, in that we attempt to center it in the homes of the Church, as well as in our social halls and rooms.
     Furthermore, while seeking to show our members the value of finding their social life in the Church, rather than in the world, we reserve that life strictly for them; exceptions being made at the discretion of pastors only in certain special cases. It might be thought that this social exclusiveness would lead to introversion and stagnation, that it would mean the end of all progress, but the interesting fact is that the General Church, which is the only body of the New Church that insists upon distinctive social life, is the only one that is steadily growing and progressing, in so far as growth and progress can be measured.

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     Our insistence upon social exclusiveness is not based upon any idea that we, personally, are better than the men and women of the world, or upon the fear that as individuals we would be contaminated by social contact with them. It is based upon the conviction, grounded in the plain teaching of the Writings, that as the New Church and the former Christian Church are entirely apart in the spiritual world, they cannot be together in anything on earth. It is based also upon the fear that the holy things of the Church might be defiled by exposure to spheres which are in fundamental opposition to them. The Church never uses anything solely as an instrument of exclusion, which would be entirely a negative use. Its purpose is always positive; and when it does exclude, the end is not exclusion, but protection. And so we believe in a distinct and distinctive social life not as an instrument of exclusion, but as a means of guarding and fostering the things of the Church: and because we are convinced from the Writings, also, that through it uses can be performed which are vital to the spiritual health and progress of the Church as a whole, and of its societies.
     Social life in the Church, when intelligently conceived and carried out, has several important uses. And, apart from its most obvious use of protecting the sphere of the Church from the sphere of the world, the first of these may he said to be the use of integration. A society of the Church may be one of two things. It may consist of a number of individuals who associate at stated times, but never surrender their individuality as far as is necessary to merge into a unit; or it may be a true society,-a larger man-a man in a higher degree, composed of a number of men in a lesser degree, a compact one whose unity is deeper than the assembling of its components.
     A real society is actually organized into the human form, the unity of which is the unity resulting from the co-operation of all the parts in the performance of complementary and interrelated uses, all of which regard one central use. So the formation of a true society of the Church calls for co-operative effort,-for that intelligent effort which is made only when, by an elevation of thought, the society is conceived interiorly as an entity, as a single form of use, an instrument in the hand of the Lord.

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The essential thing is, that the society be conceived as a form of use, and that self be subordinated to the use of which it is a form: for if the reverse is the case, if the society be conceived of from self, it will remain an external association of individualists, among whom there is no internal unity. Uses should ever rule men. Men should not presume to rule uses. And where there is a truly distinctive social life, that life will assist powerfully in welding the society into a unit-a single vessel of use.
     Related to this is another use,-that of serving as a training- experience for the men and women of the Church. Life in heaven is life in societies; and if we are to be able to live in angelic societies, we must learn to live harmoniously in societies in this world. Yet the Writings state that this is more difficult for the men of this earth than of any other, because they are so extremely individualistic. They are the most difficult of all to initiate into angelic choirs,-into concerted affection, thought, and action. Evidently, then, we need the training-experience that social life in the Church can afford.
     Life in societies is easy for angels, who love the neighbor as themselves; but for unregenerate or regenerating men, in whom the loves of self and the world are still active, it is more difficult. Social life is a graceful, harmonious, and gracious living with others, and this cannot be achieved without surrender of our native desire to have freedom to do exactly as we please. It requires not only that we shall place the common good above self, but also that we resist the tendency to see as the common good that which we personally desire. It requires consideration for others, thoughtfulness, courtesy, a truly charitable attitude towards their weaknesses. And it calls for a willingness to adapt one's self while insisting upon high standards. For there can be no social life where some insist that the rest must conform to their personal standards while refusing to deviate by a hairsbreadth. These are all difficult things, calling for the subjugation of the proprium. And a distinctive social life in the Church can be a valuable training ground for the acquisition of the virtues that will make life in heavenly societies possible after death.
     But if it is to serve these uses, our social life must rest upon a proper foundation. If we consider that the sphere of the world can be our sphere, we will realize that we do not keep the world out simply by excluding those people who are not members of the organized New Church, but may ourselves bring the sphere of the world into our social life, and thus make it New Church in name only.

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And the only way in which we can guard ourselves against that danger is to rest our social life upon a true basis.
     It is frequently said that friendship is the foundation of human association, and this is certainly true; but by friendship the New Churchman does not understand personal friendship, but a resultant of use, of a common looking to the uses of the Church and its societies by its members. This means, in effect, that we should seek to formulate from the Writings a concept of the use of our particular society, endeavor properly to appreciate that use, and then determine the attitude of the neighbor toward it. Of course, we cannot do this last in any absolute sense; but for the preservation of our freedom we are entitled to make conditional judgments based upon external appearances, without prejudice to the real internal states of another. And where we believe that his attitude is affirmative we are bound to extend our friendship, though where it seems to be negative, we can only withhold it.
     Friendship, thus understood, may therefore be regarded as the foundation of that social life which helps to form a group of individuals into a society. But the Writings advise that this friendship need not be intimate and personal, and suggest that it will probably be purer if it is not. Personal friendships, that is, friendships of love attached to the proprium of another, are relationships which exist among the unregenerate. They contrive a precarious existence only as long as proprial loves do not clash, which means, of course, that there are bitter personal antagonisms when they do clash. And, as long as they do survive, they are, like personal antagonisms, capricious, arbitrary, and unjust. Personal relations blind the eyes. Those who are favored can do no wrong, and those who are not can do nothing right. And if, in our society and church life, we would attempt to shun such relationships, and until we succeed would look in antagonisms for the disclosure of our own faults rather than of the unspeakable perfidy of the neighbor, then a friendship far deeper than that of personal charm, engagingness, and agreeableness would develop in the Church, and strengthen it.
     This, we believe, is the solution for many of our social problems. In any organized group in this world it is possible that there may be some to whom we feel, rightly or wrongly, that we cannot extend friendship.

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Even where we can, it is not required by charity that it should be given in equal measure to all. But we can at least see to it that our animosities towards other New Churchmen do not become ineradicable habits, can look to or for that which is of the Church in them, realizing that our individual conception of the Church is not the only valid one in the world, and that their states, like our own, are constantly changing. We can, and should, try to see the Church first and ourselves last; for evil affections active in one can call forth like affections in others. And rather than expose a society to an upsurge of evil, we can be prepared to consult its good first by sinking our own personality, which can he done without condoning evil in another. And in so far as these things are done-and social life is a means whereby they can be done-the society becomes more competent to its use.
     There is, however, one other problem upon which we would touch before leaving the subject, and that is the problem of the small group in which it appears difficult to develop a distinctive social life because of fewness of numbers. Admittedly there is a difficulty, especially in the case of the completely isolated, for whom the only alternative to contacts with the world is no outside contacts at all, with all the potential dangers of introversion and abnormality that may lurk in complete isolation. In all such cases we believe that intelligently controlled contacts with the world may not he harmful, provided they are looked upon as expedients, and that there is a sincere desire for social life within the Church, which would be ultimated if the opportunity were given. While this view is based upon the teaching that external friendships for the sake of various kinds of intercourse and uses are not harmful, it is recorded here only as a personal view, and with a plea that the subject be considered in relation to the whole doctrine of friendship, lest any distortion or false emphasis upon either side do violence to the truth. (T. C. R. 446-449.)
     While the smaller group does have external disadvantages with which to contend, it should be realized, also, that it has advantages for which it should be grateful. Social life in a large group may he so delightful externally that willing participation in it makes no demand upon affections for spiritual things. In the smaller group this is apt not to be the case. Externally the social life it can provide is often inferior to that which can be obtained in the world.

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Devotion to it calls for external sacrifices, calls for affection of it as a use contributory to the use of the society. And if the call is answered, the Lord can introduce spiritual delight into that life which could be given in no other way.
     A distinctive New Church social life, intelligently and affectionately conceived and supported, performs valuable uses, and is indispensable to the spiritual health and progress of a society or circle of the Church. Yet it cannot be forced. Its growth must be free, spontaneous, and gradual. And there is a sense in which as a result of education, the demand must precede the supply, if it is to succeed. Its provision is, indeed, a joint activity of the priesthood and the laity. By instruction, the laity must be given a vision of the uses which that life can perform, and there must then be with them an affection of those uses, and a determination to seek and support the means whereby they can be performed. For in that way there will be built up a social life that yields interior delights, and assists to form societies of the Church into single vessels of use in the Lords hands.
ELEVATION IN WORSHIP 1940

ELEVATION IN WORSHIP              1940

     "When man is in genuine worship, the Lord inflows into the goods and truths which are with him and elevates them to Himself, and with them the man. This elevation does not appear to a roan if he is not in the genuine affection of truth and good, and in the knowledge, acknowledgment and belief that all good comes from above from the Lord. That there is an influx of the Divine of the Lord into each and every thing of worship, has often been granted me to experience. For it has been granted me to perceive the influx itself, the calling forth of the truths which are with me, the application to the objects of prayer, the adjoined affection of good, and the elevation itself." (A. C. 10299.)

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CORRESPONDENCE 1940

CORRESPONDENCE       K. R. ALDEN       1940

     The fundamental idea involved in correspondence is that the spiritual acts upon the spiritual as the corresponding natural acts upon the natural.
     Take water as an example. What are the main uses of water? For all correspondence rests in use. Water cleanses man, and it slakes his thirst. Water corresponds to truth, which satisfies man's thirst for knowledge, and also cleanses his mind of falsity. Thus truth does for the mind what water does for the body.
     As another example, consider fire. Fire corresponds to love. Two important uses of fire are to heat our homes and cook our meals. Man's mind is his spiritual home, and a mind that is filled with love is a warm, comfortable and happy mind. The food of the mind is truth, and when truth is loved it is appropriated by the mind as well- cooked food is assimilated by the body. How easily a pupil learns a truth when we succeed in creating or arousing in him an affectionate interest in it!
     The two symbols combine in the boiler of a locomotive. Without fire the water in the boiler will not produce steam and thus power. If the boiler were empty, the fire would be equally powerless. But join them together, by subjecting the water to the influence of fire, and you get steam and its great power.
     It is the same with truth and love in the mind of man. When the truth is unloved and cold, it is powerless to affect either ourselves or others, and does not produce good works. Love also is powerless without truth to guide it, being merely sentimental. But when love and truth are united, they go forth in uses.
     All of this is true, because the spiritual acts upon the spiritual as the corresponding natural acts upon the natural.
                                   K. R. ALDEN.

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GLEANED FROM RECENT BOOKS 1940

GLEANED FROM RECENT BOOKS       DONALD F. ROSE       1940

     Swedenborg and Alchemy.

THE INTEGRATION OF THE PERSONALITY. By Carl G. Jung. New York: Farrar & Reinhart, 1939. Pp. 313, $3.00.

     An example of the confusions and inexactitudes of super-psychology may be found in Dr. Jung's comment on the case history of a lady whose disintegrated personality was expressed by bad dreams, amateur paintings and the use of "alchemistic symbols." As a postscript to his analysis, Dr. Jung says:

     I should mention the fact that my patient had been to some extent influenced by Swedenborgianism, which presents the world in the guise of the homo maximus. Being devoured by the serpent could mean being devoured by the anima mundi. Swedenborg was not a real alchemist, but he was influenced by the medieval philosophy of nature, and had at one time partially succumbed to a tragic invasion of the unconscious. I refer to the psychotic attack during his stay in London, for which there is unmistakable evidence in his own diary. I will not deny that Swedenborg's peculiar mental condition had an influence on the general conscious attitude of my patient. But anyone with a sufficient knowledge of Swedenborg's chief writings will know that it is very unlikely that he could have infected my patient with alchemistic philosophy, or that she could have reproduced it by cryptomnesia.


     An Imaginative Tale of the Life To Come.

AFTER THIS. By Ryland Kent. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1939. Pp. 245, $2.50.
     The first pages of After This describe an ocean liner traveling off the coast of China with a typically assorted passenger list. A sudden explosion sinks the ship, and all on board are drowned, which would end an ordinary book, but is only the beginning of this one.

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     The author pauses at this point for a kind of preface. "This book," he says, "is in support of no religious or occult doctrine or of any spiritualistic theory concerning 'the other world.' It is an imaginative tale, with-the author believes-some basis of fact in the spiritual values indicated. The type of 'matter' visualized in the experiences described is akin to that which people in ordinary life experience in the dream state."
     This may not be an auspicious introduction, from the New Churchman's point of view. " Such stuff as dreams are made on" is not the substance of the spiritual world. The preface is a poor excuse, indeed, for a vivid and exciting description of spiritual experiences which constantly invite comparison with the record of the Writings. After This is a tale of what happens in the world of spirits (the author's own name for it) to a collection of characters who are not yet ready for heaven or hell, though presumably on their way to one or the other. Many of its incidents might have been borrowed bodily from the Memorable Relations or the Spiritual Diary.
     Equally suspect of Swedenborgian inspiration are descriptions of vastations, though Mr. Kent does not call them by that name. So are the mechanics of his world of spirits, where thought with affection brings presence, where homes and palaces pattern after the minds of those who inhabit them, where God is seen only as a great light, and where newcomers must live and learn awhile before they find their way by spiritual gravitation to their own place and people. Of great interest to New Churchmen, too, must be his conception of the relation between the world of spirits and the natural world, and the influence of each on the other.
     So the New Church reader's immediate impulse is to claim Mr. Kent as a reader of the Writings who has made an engrossing story of what they teach about the world of spirits. But the author, writing to this reviewer, says: " I have never studied Swedenborg's writings, though I have always meant to. But you know what this life is, regardless of what may come after."
     The answer is that very few know what this life is, much less what comes after. The operation of spiritual laws and forces in the natural world may be plain enough to those with eyes to see, but not many are aware of them, nor even wish to be aware of them. Mr. Kent must have looked at this life with extraordinary clear vision to "imagine," as he puts it, what the next one should be like.

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The result is a convincing tale, free from fantasy, and surprisingly logical in its attempt to translate human character and behavior into another world.
     It is an added grace of After This that it is notably well written scholarly in its substance and reverent in its approach to a difficult theme. And, accepting Mr. Kent's word for it that he " never studied Swedenborg's writings." New Churchmen may find food for thought and theme for argument in the question as to how else he was able to write it.
SWEDENBORGIANA 1940

SWEDENBORGIANA              1940

     A NEW DOCUMENT.

     The Confiscated Copies of Conjugial Love.

     In various libraries in Sweden is preserved the correspondence of early members of the New Church in Sweden which throws much light on the early history of the Church, not only in that country, but also in England; for the correspondence includes letters from Hartley, Chastanier, and other members of the New Church in London. This correspondence has not been thoroughly examined, but I hope that such an examination will be made within a year or two.
     Meanwhile, I have received from Mr. Hugo K. Moran a copy of a letter, now preserved in the Eskilstuna Museum, which throws a little additional light on the fate of the copies of Conjugial Love which were confiscated by Bishop Filenius on their arrival in Norrkoping in 1769. The letter is written by Bishop C. J. Benzelius to Christian Johansen of Eskilstuna, and is an answer to a letter by the latter, a translation of which was printed in Tafel's Documents, volume III, p. 710. Let me first give Mr. Johansen's letter, a photostat copy of which is preserved in the Library of The Academy of the New Church:

Most Reverend Herr Doctor and Bishop:

     Our Pastor, Herr Magister Stahre, has brought me from Herr Doctor and Bishop a gracious greeting, and also the question as to whether I had any of the books of Herr Swedenborg which were confiscated in Norrkoping many years ago.

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     First, for the pleasant greetings I have the honor to give my most humble thanks, and, in respect to the writings inquired for, respectfully to give the following information.
     There were fifty copies of Herr Swedenborg's book De Amore Conjugiali which, during the Diet of 1769,* were confiscated in the custom house of the port at Norrkoping by the direction of Bishop Filenius. That they were well preserved by the officials at the warehouse, I know. But some time afterwards-if I remember aright, in 1780,-when a receiver of these writings came across a number of copies of the same book in a grocer's shop in Stockholm, where they were being used as wrapping paper, one guessed that they might possibly he the copies confiscated in Norrkoping, and that their being released was a consequence of Bishop Filenius's death.** The above receiver then bought a number of copies from the grocery, and let me have six of them in exchange for another and rarer book. These copies I have so employed that I have none to send away. But since I have another copy of the same book hound. I desired humbly to offer it for a place in Herr Doctor's and Bishop's collection. With this in view it follows herewith. At the same time I beg also to be excused, in that the book is somewhat injured on the first page. It was in this condition when I received it; and the autographed name which is signed on the title-page shows that a prominent and learned gentleman had formerly been its owner.***
     I take also the liberty of sending with it some copies of Herr Swedenborg's letters, together with an enclosure to the King, which may throw light on the circumstances connected with the confiscation of these books.****
     If it were proper, I would have had much to say concerning these writings, but under the enlightened eyes of Herr Doctor and Bishop, they speak well enough for themselves.
     I therefore ask only that, included in the high favor of Herr Doctor and Bishop, I may have the honor to continue with the deepest respect
     the most Reverend Herr Doctor's and Bishop's
          humblest servant
               Christian Johansen.
Eskilstuna,
     Nov. 1,1785

     * This Diet was held in Norrkoping.
     ** Bishop Filenius died June 2,1780.
     *** Who this learned gentleman was is not known. The copy of De Amore Conjugiali preserved among the Benzelius remains in Linkoping Diocesan Archives has the inscription Sam Alf 1786."
     **** The letter referred to, and also the enclosure, are given in Documents II, pp. 305 seq., and 373 seq. See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1938, pp. 410-413.

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     The new document, of which Mr. Moran has sent me a copy, is an answer to the above. It reads:

Highly honored Sir:

     For Swedenborg's book De Amore Conjugiali which was sent to me, I give due thanks. It was to me a great pleasure to receive it, as I have not formerly owned or seen this book.
     Swedenborg was my maternal uncle,* and therefore I have his writings. I have thought much of humbly requesting a decree setting them free, with the idea of sending them to foreign lands where they are in great demand and are well paid for.
     Therefore I first wrote to Norrkoping and asked a good friend to advise me as to whether the confiscated copies were still to be found there, and received the answer that a certain man, Johan Johansen of Eskilstuna, had had them fetched from the post office in Norrkoping.
     This is the reason why I requested Pastor Stahre to advise me on this matter.
     I remain, Min Herres
          C. J. Benzelius.

     The identity of the Johan Johansen here referred to is not known, but from Bishop Benzelius's letter it appears that, if the "guess" as to the source of the Stockholm grocer's copies was correct, these copies did not include all those that had been confiscated. Swedenborg had himself brought into the country thirty-eight copies, he- sides having previously sent five copies by post. Possibly it was some of these that found their way into the Stockholm grocery.
ALFRED ACTON.

     * C. J. Benzelius was the son of Eric Benzelius and Anna, Swedenborg's older sister.

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GOOD AND TRUTH AS MAN'S OWN 1940

GOOD AND TRUTH AS MAN'S OWN       Editor       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

     Published Monthly By

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

Editor     Rev. W. B. Caldwell, 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.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     It can be said of every regenerate man that he is his own truth and his own good, since the thought which is of his understanding is from truths, and the affection which is of his will is from goods. Whether you say, therefore, that a man is his own understanding and his own will, or that a man is his own truth and his own good, it is the same thing. The body is mere obedience, for it speaks what the man thinks from the understanding, and does what he wills from affection. Thus the body and those things mutually correspond to each other and make one, like an effect and its efficient cause. Taken together, they are the human.
     As it can be said of the regenerate man that he is his own truth and his own good, so it can he said of the Lord as Man that He is Truth Itself or Divine Truth, and Good Itself or Divine Good. . ." (A. E. 1071:2. See also A. C. 10298, 10367.)

     It is evident from statements like these in the Heavenly Doctrine that it is proper to speak of good and truth as man's own, distinct from the good and truth with other men, and also distinct from the Divine Good and Truth which belong to the Lord alone, from Whom is all the good and truth with men. In the Lord, Good and Truth are Divine and Infinite; with men they are human and finite. The Divine Good and Truth are present by adjunction with men as receptacles, producing all the good and truth which man feels as his own, and which are therefore called "his own good and truth."

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     From enlightened faith in Revelation the regenerate acknowledge that all the good of love and all the truth of faith with men are given by the Divine presence and influx. In this faith the celestial are confirmed in certain states of reflection in which they are actually given to perceive the influx from the Lord: and Swedenborg himself was given to perceive it. (D. P. 158; A. C. 10299:3.) In the normal course of life, however, angels and men are not conscious of the influx, but they enjoy a perfect sense of all things of their life as their own. For it is the Divine will that this should be so. But this sense of good and truth as man's own is taken away when he ascribes them to himself. Therefore he should not appropriate them to himself, and make them meritorious. (A. C. 10219; D. P. 320, etc.) For he then reflects upon his own glory and honor, even though he assume the appearance of faith and goodness. Such a man interiorly is his own evil and his own falsity.
Title Unspecified 1940

Title Unspecified       Editor       1940

     In a universal view, we may see that it was the end of Divine Love in the creation of the human race that men should have a perfect sense of life as their own. To this truth the Lord gave utterance in the world when He said, " Because I live, ye shall live also." " I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 14: 19; 10: 10.) Yet this gift of life is not given for the self-gratification of the individual, but for his delight in consociation with others, and in the unselfish performance of uses to them. Only in a life of use is there the full employment and the full enjoyment of the faculties and powers with which man has been endowed by His Creator.
     The love into which man was created was a likeness of the Divine Love, the essence of which is to give its all to others, that it may be conjoined with them, and bless them from itself. (D. P. 275, 276; T. C. R. 43.) This love could be fulfilled only in the creation of receptacles of itself-beings capable of knowing and loving God, and from Him loving their fellow men-beings endowed with the faculties of will and thought and their spiritual powers, ultimated in the speech and action of the body, that they may come forth in uses,- uses which are the goods that love wills, and which it brings forth in works by means of the truths of the understanding. And the man who becomes absorbed in a life of use among his fellow men, from a spiritual good of love according to the truths of faith, has a full sense of this life as his own, though in his heart he acknowledges that it is a gift from the Lord.

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     For, again, the ends of infinite Divine Love can be fulfilled only in the formation of a human society of innumerable angelic minds, each receptive of the Divine Life, and giving it forth to others in the uses of mutual love. So are we told that the Lord, in His glorification, formed His Human "to the idea of an infinite heaven." (S. D. 4845.)

     To the angels, therefore, is given a sense of individual power, not for their personal gratification in dominating others, but that they may have joy in giving forth to others and blessing them in the fullest measure of which they are capable. " Freely ye have received, freely give," the Lord said. (Matthew 10: 8.)
     In the exercise of this power the angels are supremely happy in the use of inspiring others to love the Lord and the neighbor, and in the use of aiding men in temptation, that they may be delivered from the evils of self love and gifted with heavenly love. Of this angelic power we read:

     "It is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord which has all power in the heavens. For the Lord in heaven is the Divine Truth united to Divine Good; so far as the angels are receptions of these, so far they are powers. Everyone also is his own truth and his own good, because everyone is of such a quality as is his understanding and will. And the understanding is of truth, because everything of it is from truths; and the will is of good, because everything of it is from goods; for whatever anyone understands he calls truth, and whatever he wills he calls good. Hence it is that everyone is his own truth and his own good. So far, therefore, as an angel is truth from the Divine and good from the Divine, so far he is a power, because so far the Lord is with him. And since no one is in similar or precisely the same good and truth as another, because in heaven, as in the world, there is perpetual variety, therefore one angel is not in the same power as another . . . ." (H. H. 231.)

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SWEDENBORG INVENTIONS 1940

SWEDENBORG INVENTIONS              1940

THE MECHANICAL INVENTIONS OF EMANUEL SWEDENBORG. Translated and Edited by Alfred Acton, MA., D.Th. Swedenborg Scientific Association, 1939, pp. 52; price sixty cents.

     I have been asked by the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE to review this little publication, and while it is somewhat unusual for a writer to review a work edited by himself, I accept the invitation with the greater readiness, inasmuch as it gives me the opportunity once more to express my indebtedness to Mr. Genzlinger for his work on the plates which illustrate this publication. Many of these plates, as originally published by Swedenborg himself, would cause the reader much puzzlement in his endeavor to follow the text. This, of course, is due to the faults of the original engraver-faults which are here corrected by Mr. Genzlinger.
     The Mechanical Inventions of Emanuel Swedenborg is unique among the publications of Swedenborg's works, for never before has Swedenborg been presented as an engineer and inventor, except in incidental references. Much has indeed been said about Swedenborg's inventions, but this has been based almost solely upon a list of inventions which he wrote out in one of his letters. This list comprises all that has been generally known concerning Swedenborg inventions; and, in the absence of further knowledge, fancy has played a large part in their description. In the little work now published, the reader has for the first time the opportunity of realizing the true nature and scope of Swedenborg's inventions, and while this knowledge will destroy some fanciful pictures of the inventions themselves, it will also serve to awaken a more just and balanced estimation of the Inventor.
     The work commences by quoting the list above referred to. Wherever possible, Swedenborg's publication, the Daedalus Hyperboreus, or else MS sources are then drawn upon to supply explanatory particulars. The MS sources are contained in Volume I of the Photolithograph Volumes of Swedenborg's MSS, and comprise descriptions and plans written by Swedenborg for his brother-in-law, and carefully preserved by the latter. I have often turned the pages of this photolithograph volume, and wondered what lay behind these sketches, and what a translation of the Swedish descriptions would reveal. The same feeling of baffled wonderment was aroused when reading the tantalizing entries in Hyde's Bibliography,-"New Siphon," "Lifting Weights," "Air Pump," "Sailing up Stream," "Screw Jack," "Crane." With the exception of the Flying Machine, Swedenborg's description and plan of which was translated by Professor C. Th. Odhner and his nephew, the present Doctor Hugo Lj. Odhner, and published in 1910, all these plans and descriptions, buried in the photolithographs, have been without meaning.
     But in the volume now published, the descriptions are brought forth from their Swedish hiding places, and the plans become illuminating illustrations. We get some idea of what Swedenborg meant by "a machine worked by fire"-though it was nothing in the way of a steam engine. We see the ingenuity displayed in the invention of a simple air pump, which would effectively do the work of the far more expensive air pumps which Swedenborg had seen in London.

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Equally simple is the device whereby a number of ships could be drawn up stream by one operation. The invention of a screw jack is seen to be an application of the transfer and increase of power by means of cog wheels, and when reading of this invention, one wonders if this application had ever before been applied to the lifting of weights. Particularly interesting is the description of the air gun. Swedenborg's description of this invention is now lost, but by a fortunate accident the plan of the machine itself was printed in a single copy of the Daedalus Hyperboreus for July, 1716, and a study of this plan has enabled Mr. Genzlinger to give an illuminating description.
     Despite diligent research, however, some of the fourteen inventions listed by Swedenborg remain tantalizing titles. Bishop Wilkins work gives some idea of what was meant by the underwater boat, but one is somewhat in the dark as to the "universal musical instrument whereby the most inexperienced player can produce all kinds of melodies, these being found marked on paper and in notes"; and one is wholly in the dark as to what is meant by "a mechanical method of delineating hours on any surface by means of fire," by a water clock, showing all the invisible bodies in the heavens," and by "a method of conjecturing the wills and affections of men's minds by means of analysis."
     Following the description of the listed Inventions, the work now published gives in chronological order all the other known inventions produced by Swedenborg's active mind. These include two ingenious shifting devices, whereby the buckets in use at mines can be raised and lowered without the stoppage of the hoisting machine. It may here be noted that, during his leisure hours at Brunsbo, the young Inventor seems to have occupied himself with the making of a small model of a machine using one of these devices, and he assures us that, in this model, "the operation was found to be the same as shown in the drawing." I wonder if any of my mechanically minded readers will be moved to amuse himself and interest others by the making of such a model of one or other of these inventions.
     There is also an invention where, by means of a glass marked with graduated lines, a rough but practical test can be made of the amount of any given metal contained in an alloy. Perhaps of greater interest is the machine for testing ship models, to ascertain their speed and other sailing qualities. So far as I know, this is the first device of its kind ever suggested for the improvement of shipbuilding; for the first use of ship models as tests seems to have been that which was made in England in 1866.
     For the rest, this little work appears in an attractive cover with excellent type and with finely reproduced plates.
                         ALFRED ACTON.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     NEW MOSTON,

     MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     This report is designed to epitomize the activities of the New Moston Circle from September, 1938, to the visit of Bishop de Charms in July, 1939. The first meeting covered by the report was held in September, 1938, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Dawson, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton being the visiting pastor. Service was held in the afternoon and a doctrinal meeting in the evening, when a paper was read by Mr. Acton. We were delighted on this occasion to welcome to our group Miss Roena Acton, who was holidaying in England, and to hear all the news of our good friends, Bishop and Mrs. Acton, for both of whom the members of the group entertain a warm affection, born during their visit here in the Autumn of 1937. The Acton family was further represented on this occasion by the Misses Ray and Yolande Briscoe, who travelled from Blackpool, and whose presence further heightened the pleasure of the gathering. It was arranged then, in an effort to broaden the sphere of our activities, to hold future meetings at the Cafe above Miss Whittaker's shop in Newton Heath, Manchester. A schedule of the projected monthly meetings was sent out later by Mr. Acton to each member of the group.
     The October meeting was the group's first introduction to the Rev. Victor J. Gladish as its alternate visiting pastor, although several of the members had previously met him at the British Assembly. Since then Mr. Gladish has visited us in alternate months, and we have come to appreciate very highly his studious mind, and the very thorough manner in which he elucidates various points of doctrine, both in class and in sermon. Mr. Acton and he have indeed been real pastors to us during their monthly visits throughout the year. The principles of the Academy and the ideals and customs of the General Church have been dealt with by both pastors. We have had a good average attendance throughout the year though it has been noted that the services have been better attended than the classes. Those members of the group whose distance from the place of meeting limits them to one attendance on each visit almost invariably choose the service.
     And so we pass from the regular monthly meetings to the special visit of June 20 and 21, 1939, on the first date of which was held our New Church Day celebration. This was the first visit of Mr. Acton to us following his journey to America and his marriage; and we were all delighted when we knew that Mrs. Acton was coming with him. We soon discovered that she was all that advance information presaged, and the members of the group feel privileged in regarding her as a friend, and having her regard them likewise.
     Our celebration commenced with supper, after which came several toasts and responses: "The Church," Mr. Percy Dawson; "The Priesthood." Rev. A. Wynne Acton; "New Church Day," Mr. Gerald W. Whittaker. You may be sure that we offered a toast to the health of the newly married pair; and we also took this opportunity to present to Mr. and Mrs. Acton a tangible token of our regard for them. And we were rewarded by speeches from them both. Everyone agreed that this gathering was one of the happiest social meetings we have held.

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     The long-looked-for visit of Bishop de Charms took place on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23. On Saturday evening a few friends gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson to meet the Bishop, and a general talk on doctrinal matters followed. It was deeply interesting and instructive to those present to have opened out to them several avenues of thought, which they had not previously explored, and when the visitors departed it was in pleasurable anticipation of the delights of the morrow.
     Sunday afternoon was devoted to a service of worship, and in the evening the Bishop gave a talk on plans for General Church extension work in this country. Both meetings were held in the Dawson home, the attendance being considerably augmented by General Church members from near and far. We were happy to welcome: Mrs. Briscoe from London, together with the Misses Irene and Beryl Briscoe, the latter on her vacation from Bryn Athyn; Mr. and Mrs. Victor Cooper and their two children from Warrington; and Mr. Kenneth Pryke from Wallasey. The sphere of the service and the ministrations of the Bishop were a keen delight to all present. Miss Irene Briscoe played the piano, and we now feel that we are getting much more accustomed to the General Church Liturgy. Tea was a happy occasion, for when a gathering is animated by one object-on this occasion a love of the Doctrines and plans for the advancement of the Church-natural shyness is forgotten and tongues rarely loosed add their quota to discussion.
     The writer was considerably interested in and helped by the reminiscences of her church life by Mrs. Briscoe, and hereby tenders grateful acknowledgment.
     The Bishop's plans for extension were fully set forth at the evening meeting, and the projected visit of the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen was eagerly anticipated. A general doctrinal discussion followed, and we are grateful to the Bishop for his ability to make even the most obtuse among us see clearly what had formerly been regarded as intricacies of doctrine, and which had sorely perplexed us. The time for the departure of our visitors arriving, a toast to the Church was honored and all joined in the singing of " Our Glorious Church." And then it was "Au retoir" to those friends whose love of the church was such that they cheerfully traveled long distances to greet their Bishop, to join in worship, and by their presence and sphere to help those who cherish the same regard for the Heavenly Doctrines.
     So ended the visit of the Bishop, but on Monday the writer was privileged to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, Geoffrey, and the Bishop on their journey to High Kilburn, where the Bishop was to visit Mrs. Jubb and Miss Shaw. The ninety-mile drive over the Yorkshire moors to York, and finally past Byland Abbey (ever associated in our thoughts with happy memories of Bishop Acton) to the lovely old village of High Kilburn, was a pleasant experience, and here we enjoyed the warm hospitality of friends whose sturdy New Churchmanship we had long known by experience. Here also we were glad to meet Mr. and Miss Mercer.
     Although the visit of the Bishop is now but a memory, it is a very cherished memory and often forms the subject of our conversations. We are eagerly looking forward to the time when it will be repeated.
     ANNIE COOP.

     JONKOPING, SWEDEN.

     At the time of writing there are chiefly two things to report, namely, the establishment of a society monthly periodical, and the change of our church hall.
     The first issue of the periodical has appeared this month (October). It is named Tro och Liv ("Faith and Life"), and its programme is essentially threefold: 1) The study and development of Doctrine; 2) The presentation of the principles, methods, and history of the General Church, and the translation of news articles from the various societies;

42


3) The promotion of New Church Education in home and school. Further, by a section for questions and answers, it aims to meet the needs and problems of individuals, as also the stimulation of individual thinking by encouraging communications from the readers. It is hoped that the periodical will serve to stimulate spiritual life among the society members and other readers, as well as bridge the gap between the isolated and the resident members.
     The move to another church hall was forced upon us by the entire rebuilding of the house in which our meeting room was. As it turned out, the change was to our advantage. The new place is even more centrally situated than the former one, comprises two rooms instead of one, has central heating, which the former room had not, has a nice and free entrance, and-best of all-is completely isolated from disturbing noises of any kind. The drawback is, that the larger room, which will be used for the services, is somewhat smaller than our former hall, yet so far quite large enough, since newcomers insist on being scarce. The rent is higher than before, but the increase will be paid by the former landlord until next October, as our contract with him will not expire until that time.
     The smaller hall will necessitate a change in the altar setting. So far, a three-stepped platform for the altar has been in use but to save space the two lower steps will have to be removed. Still, it is anticipated that the beauty of the altar set will not be minimized, since there is now a different proportionment.
     The other room will be used for doctrinal classes, meetings, socials, and the like and in the daytime, by society agreement, as the pastor's study. The latter use will evoke special congratulations from all other pastors with small children in the home.
     This month the society held its annual meeting, and at the same time celebrated the two-year anniversary of its establishment. Several new plans were discussed and agreed upon, and the outlook is for a busy year. Among these plans may be mentioned extended social life within the society, and systematic missionary activity in a social setting. But more about this in a later report, when some of these events will have taken place.
     E. S.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     Unaffected as yet by important events elsewhere, the Hurstville Society has completed another two months of normal life and, work. On Sunday evening, September 17, a special service and open meeting took the place of the usual doctrinal class, and the pastor delivered an address on "The Church and War" in which he attempted to deal with the issues facing the Church at this time. Otherwise there has been no departure from our ordinary uses. Services, doctrinal classes, and young people's classes have been held regularly. The series of evangelical sermons commenced in March was concluded in September with a discourse on Eternal Life," and at the evening service on the first Sunday in October the subject was the relation between disease and evil.
     It fell to the Young People's Club to inaugurate the new social policy of which we spoke in our last report, which it did by giving a party in the church ball on Wednesday, September 13.     There was a fine attendance of members to enjoy the many good things provided in the way of games, dances, and refreshments, and if this first party is indicative of future results we may expect to gain by our new approach to the question of organized social life.
     Another Parent-Teacher meeting was held on October 19. These meetings are certainly enjoyed by the parents who attend, and we believe that as far as they are concerned some use is performed; but the number of non-New Church parents who avail themselves of the opportunity to meet us socially and learn something about the Church is much smaller than we could wish.
     At the September meeting of the local Chapter of the Sons of the Academy, the pastor read a paper on "The Psychology of Fear," and at the October meeting every member present spoke for five minutes on a subject written on a slip of paper and drawn out of a hat just before he rose to his feet.

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These unprepared speeches were really very good, and we can recommend the experiment to those who would like occasional practice in the art of genuinely extemporaneous speaking.
     The quarterly Feast of Charity was held on Sunday, October 22, and, as last year, took the form of a question evening after the usual social supper. Fewer questions were submitted on this occasion, but quite a lot of ground was covered, and topics were introduced which might not come up for discussion in the ordinary way.
     The children's Fancy Dress Party was held on Monday, October 30. The teachers made the necessary arrangements, the children exercised their ingenuity on their costumes, and the result was a happy one. The real highlights of this period are reported below by other writers.
     W. C. H.

     A Wedding.

     Once again we have been treated to a wedding. These occasions are always full of rejoicing for us all, and this time the happy couple were Miss Beryl Valma Sykes and Mr. Lindthman Heldon. The marriage took place on Saturday afternoon, September 16, the pastor officiating. Even the weather contributed to make it a beautiful event. The church was artistically decorated with pink sweet peas and mauve wisteria, and the congregation included many relatives and friends of the bride and groom.
     While the march from Lohengrin was played, the bridal party entered. The bride looked very pretty in her dress of lace sheer over pink satin trimmed with pink rosebuds, and veil of cut tulle mounted on a coronet of orange blossoms. Her bouquet was of sweet peas and primroses. She was attended by her sister, Muriel, dressed in green, and two little nieces in long mauve dresses as flower girls. Mr. Sydney Heldon, brother of the groom, was best man.
     The ceremony was followed by a private reception at the home of one of the sisters of the bride. After a lovely wedding breakfast and social time, Beryl and Lin left us for their honeymoon, taking with them our very best wishes.
     E. H.

     Mr. Morse Honored.

     On October 12, practically the whole society gathered at a testimonial dinner to honor our Pastor Emeritus, the Rev. Richard Morse, this being the date of the twentieth anniversary of his ordination.
     The high regard in which Mr. Morse in particular and the clergy of our church in general are held by the members of the society was apparent in the glowing tributes paid to our guest and to the priesthood in speeches and toasts.
     Letters of greeting from Bishop de Charms, Rev. W. B. Caldwell. Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, and from ministers and leaders of the New Church in Australia, all expressing deep appreciation of the magnificent work accomplished by Mr. Morse, were received with vigorous applause.
     In replying to the toast to "Our Guests," Mr. Morse said that a testimonial relating to a minister of the New Church seemed to savor of something that does not belong to him. He had regarded it as a privilege and an honor from the Lord to serve in the office of the priesthood. Although not ordained until October 12, 1919, the stand taken by him for order in the Church here began in 1905. In the early stages of his ministry there was much uphill work, and there had been many discouragements; nevertheless he acknowledged gratefully the many blessings he had received at the Lord's hand, the greatest of which was the help of the lady, now his wife, who had remained steadfast in her loyalty to the Church during all those years. "I can leave this world," Mr. Morse concluded, "with the words-The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage."

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     The following is a summary of Mr. Henderson's speech in reply to the toast to "The Clergy." The priesthood is the first of the church, and its use is that for the sake of which all other uses exist. It may seem strange that the priesthood should itself draw attention to this statement, but any strangeness vanishes in the light of the teaching that dignity and honor should he paid to priests because of the holy things which they administer, but that those priests who are wise give the honor to the Lord. In honoring the priesthood we are not honoring men, but a use; and we honor the men according to their faithfulness in that use. The function of the priesthood is to present the Lord to the people, and all who desire that the Lord may be present will support the uses of the priesthood.
     OSSIAN HELDON.

     LONDON, ENGLAND.

     Michael Church.

     Looking back over the last few months, surely the predominant feeling must be one of gratitude for the blessings allowed us in the past year. Before war descended as a partial black-out of our church life, we were privileged to enjoy, unhampered by any external conditions, two major events. Had they been scheduled for a later date, it is impossible to imagine the fulfilment of either the Bishop's visit or the British Assembly, and our hearts must rejoice profoundly that both events were, under Providence, allowed. Happy indeed was Michael Church in being able to welcome Bishop de Charms on his Episcopal visit to England.
     On Sunday, July 16, the Bishop preached a moving sermon, the effect of which was to prepare our minds for the coming Assembly. Taking as his text Psalm 48: 2, 5, be delivered what will long he remembered as a sermon of beauty and inspiration. A reception in his honor was held on Tuesday evening. Toasts were brief, in order that the gathering might have full opportunity of hearing from the Bishop. Speaking of his pleasure at being able to visit us once again after so short an interval, Bishop de Charms touched on some of the uses performed by such episcopal visits, and the necessity for keeping in touch with a very wide diocese, one that embraces many nationalities and many types of mind. Thereafter he spoke of the more specific aim of his visit,-to discuss the best means whereby the wider uses of the Church in England might be developed, and to explain what he had in mind as to this project. We were reminded that the Lord alone turns our hearts as we turn our hearts to Him. And the address ended with an invocation that freedom and unity be maintained within the Church, and that within this freedom and unity we should, as individuals, give our cooperation.
     As a visitor doubly welcome as returning (if only on holiday) to his homeland was Mr. Fred Cooper, with his charming wife. We were delighted to hear him speak of his pleasurable emotions at renewing old associations and friendships. Thus concluded a happy evening after the singing of the familiar songs-with the expectant pleasure of meeting shortly at the Assembly in Colchester. As this event has already been reported, suffice it to say that this memorable occasion seemed to spread itself over other days and other places. Michael Church, on Sunday, August 20, found itself with an unusual complement of visitors, and a sphere prevailed such as was felt at the Assembly. After this beautiful service, enriched by the sermon of Bishop de Charms, we reluctantly bade him farewell, as he was to leave England that evening. May happier times soon admit of another visit!
     Of those who came to this country on holiday, we were glad to welcome the following visitors to Michael Church: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wells, Miss Jeannette Caldwell, Miss Ora and Miss Nancy Pendleton, Miss Florence Potts, Mrs. Edward Hyatt, and Miss Beryl Briscoe, all from Bryn Athyn; and Mr. and Mrs. Eric Ridgway from New Jersey.

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Mrs. Hyatt came amongst us as an old friend, and both she and Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway were of the congregation on the Sunday that war was announced, and when an Air Raid warning broke up the service at an untimely hour.

     War Conditions.

     Our friends abroad will be wondering as to the effects of the war upon the activities of the London Society. September indeed brought a sudden end to the hopes and enthusiasms apparent at the Assembly. Within a month from that date the war brought to Michael Church the realization that the old life might be in danger of extinction, certainly of curtailment, and that new problems would have to be faced squarely if essential uses were to continue. To this end our pastor held a special meeting after the morning service on October 8, this being the celebration of the Harvest Festival. In spite of the difficulties of traveling which wartime regulations impose on bus and train, a congregation of 43 gathered, and the Holy Supper was administered by Bishop Tilson to 33 persons. The beauty of the service, the singing of the Harvest Hymn during the offering of gifts, and the words addressed by our pastor brought a sphere of peace-not an apathetic, lulling peace, but a putting aside of external problems, and an eager desire to go forward in the church, as was manifestly present in the discussion at the meeting later.
     The lunch was a sort of indoor picnic, since we were uncertain as to the effect that the impending rationing might have upon the catering. But tongues wagged quite happily over tea and sandwiches whilst the war and blackout curtain problems were discussed. Then we gathered upstairs, and Mr. Acton addressed the meeting in a direct and timely call to consider the uses of the Church, that we might see in right proportion our uses to our Country. At such a time our love and support of the Church need not be weakened by the giving of loyal service in the nation's need. By serving the Church in steadiness we also serve our Country, and by continuing loyal and active as a group we form a center of influx from the other world.
     This vigorous appeal aroused warm response. Those who spoke were grateful for the very clear lead given by our pastor. And with the spiritual principles laid clearly before us, the discussion thereafter evolved round the practical methods of meeting the desire to carry on the society's uses under war conditions. As nearly all of our members live at a distance from the church, and are isolated from each other, contact is going to be difficult. Transport is not easy, petrol rationing limits the use of cars, and the necessity for being home before dark points to the advisability of very early meetings.
     Eventually it was decided to hold a picnic lunch after the service every 2d and 4th Sunday, to be followed by an address by the pastor. It was agreed that nothing should interfere with the continuance of regular Sun- day services. As some of the speakers voiced a desire for the study of somewhat topical subjects in the light of the Doctrines. Mr. Acton agreed to take some such subject on alternate Sundays.
     Here it may be noted that the eagerness for meeting every two or three weeks, rather than once a month as our pastor had first suggested, was accepted by him, but with a somewhat comical dubiousness. Evidently he feared that the enthusiastic response was too good to last; but since there is nothing like striking whilst the iron is hot, with a philosophic calm he took the meeting at its face value. The first of these meetings has already been held, and was voted by all a great success. Each member brings his or her own lunch packet-with the inevitable gas mask-and at two o'clock the serious programme commences.
     On this first occasion, Mr. Acton gave a talk on Freedom and Government, reading appropriate extracts from the Writings and commenting upon them.

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This provoked a good discussion on the merits and demerits of Democracy and Autocracy, as compared with the governments in the heavens. We broke off at the comfortable hour of four o'clock, in time to catch the none too frequent bus and train before dusk turned into the inky blackness of a wartime night-fall.
     Unavoidably we are now a rather smaller society. Some are away; we have but a few young men; Mr. Michael Waters is on active service in France; some children have been evacuated with their schools. Of the older people there are those who have to do Sunday duty. Out of these conditions, however, we may yet find a greater stimulus to keep alive the Church. As far as is possible, contact will he maintained amongst groups, although this, at the moment, seems to have distinct limitations. Above all, the situation affords an opportunity for individual and family reading such as is rarely offered, and this apparent isolation may bring many blessings within our reach, if we have the courage and desire to use them.


     TORONTO, CANADA.

     October and November have now become part of the past, but leave in their wake pleasant memories of their various happenings. Foremostly, at the beginning of October, over the Thanksgiving week-end, the Ontario District Assembly was held here in Toronto, attracting a large number of visitors, the majority, of course, being from Kitchener, although there were a few isolated members from scattered parts of Ontario. Presided over by Bishop Acton, the Sunday service, the sessions and the banquet once again proved to be inspiring and encouraging, particularly at a time when there was great need for spiritual enlightenment and reassurance, when war clouds could not but cast their shadow over all our thoughts.
     Halloween, in its customary way, proved, as it somehow always does, an excellent excuse for parties, particularly among the very young and not so young. The former group attended a merry party at the church, clad in costumes wonderful to behold. And on Saturday evening the Alpha Pi-the young people's club-gathered, likewise costumed, at the home of the president, Mr. Lawrence Izzard, to have their share of the traditional merriment.
     Not to be outdone by the young, their elders have turned out in good numbers to attend two socials at the church. The first, held on November 4, was a bridge, the proceeds of which were used to finance the purchase of costumes and instruments for a Rhythm Band, whose premire in December is awaited with great interest. The second, a social held on November 24, was just for fun," and what with games, bridge, dancing and refreshments, the forty-five present had plenty of it.
     The Community Property at Weston can now proceed with development as the title has at lest been declared clear. The official directors are: Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, Messrs. George Baker, Alec Craigie, C. Ray Brown, Albert Lewis and Robert E. E. Brown.
     Chatterbox," which for some years past has been published largely through the generosity of one subscriber, has now become the official organ of the Olivet Society, with Miss Vera Craigie continuing as its very able editor. The last three numbers have been compiled by various church groups, the Ladies' Circle, Alpha Pi and Forward-Sons respectively, an arrangement which has proved to be a novel means of producing the small periodical.
     The Ladies' Circle, in an effort to "do their bit" most effectively, have become part of a patriotic organization, comprised of groups of women from seven other churches in Parkdale. The purpose of the organization is to collaborate with the Red Cross Society in sewing and knitting for the fighting forces.
     Visitors seem to be flitting in and out of Toronto this Fall.

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Among them, we note Mrs. Timmins and the Zorns from Montreal; Mrs. Cronlund and Miss Betty, Miss Creda Glenn, Bishop and Mrs. Acton, Mr. and Mrs. Kesniel Acton from Bryn Athyn, and Miss Dorothy Rothermel from Florida. Lady Daniel, who has been visiting in England and Wales, has returned to this comparatively safe side of the Atlantic.
     M. S. P.

     GLENVIEW, ILL.

     A Reading Class.

     The weekly meetings for the reading of NEW CHURCH LIFE and other literature of the New Church are maintained. We began holding these meetings twenty years ago, with an attendance of seventeen persons. Now we have twelve to fourteen present each week, which is not so bad. The reading is done by Messrs. W. H. Junge, George G. Starkey. Sydney E. Lee, and the undersigned.
     It is rarely expected that a class of this kind will continue for as long as twenty years, but whenever there has been a suggestion of " closing down," the old stagers have immediately replied, "Keep it up!" These were the words used by Bishop W. F. Pendleton when I talked with him about it.
     In this class we have now read the contents of all the issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE from the beginning to the present time, and other collateral literature as well. We have greatly appreciated reading Bishop N. D. Pendleton's Selected Papers and Addresses.
     G. A. MCQUEEN.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     The first social of the season was a Masquerade Party held in the auditorium on November 17. The members of the society were the guests of several of the young married couple, and it was a successful and hilarious occasion. The best costumes and winners of the games and stunts were awarded lovely prizes.
     A special service was held in the church on the morning of Thanksgiving Day. The children formed a procession, singing and hearing offerings of fruit. The pastor gave a splendid seasonal address, and the choir sang a special selection a capella.
     E. R. D.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     With the coming of September, and before the society had settled down to normal routine, war was declared, and this brought nearly all of our activities to a standstill. The church building could be used only in the daytime until we had provided screens and curtains for blackouts. Mr. and Mrs. F. R. Cooper kindly offered the use of their home for the doctrinal elapses in which Words for the New Church is now being reviewed and explained by the pastor. Before the day school was allowed to open, an air-raid shelter had to be constructed on the grounds, but this was almost completed when Miss Muriel Gill returned from a visit to America, where she studied the work of students and teaching methods in the Academy.
     Our Harvest Festival was held on October 8, and the service was most impressive, the chancel being decorated with fruits and flowers. The pastor gave a very interesting address to the children, who made their offerings of flowers, etc at the altar.
     After the Sunday service on November 12, the members of the congregation were instructed what to do in case of an air raid alarm, the arrangements being in the capable hands of Mr. Owen Pryke. Several of our members are doing work of national service, but only one is on active duty-Mr. Eric Appleton in the Royal Air Force.
     Having successfully "blacked out" the church building, we have resumed social activities, the first being a social for the children on November 9. Two dances for the young people have been held. The first adult social came on November 23, when difficulties of travel at night kept some away, but those who came had a most enjoyable time.
                         E. M. B.

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ANNUAL COUNCILS 1940

ANNUAL COUNCILS              1940




     Announcements



     The Annual Meetings of the Councils of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., April 8-13, 1940.
MARTHA AND MARY 1940

MARTHA AND MARY       Rev. WILLARD D. PENDLETON       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
FEBRUARY, 1940
No. 2
     "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful: And Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10: 41, 42.)

     The sense of duty is an impelling force. Like a goad it drives us on to the performance of those obligations which life in the natural world involves. Nor can these obligations be denied, for human relationships rest upon them. We cannot serve the neighbor with good intentions. Unless our spiritual motives are ultimated in vocations, labors, and services, they have little claim to meaning. So it is that life in the world of men imposes many responsibilities upon us-responsibilities, which must be fulfilled if society is to endure. Our days are indeed cumbered with much serving. Like Martha. we believe that our share is over-great. Not that we resent our lot, but we are apt to feel that life involves too many complications.
     In one sense of the word this is true, for a highly organized social system entails a multitude of obligations. But the burden of our responsibilities does not lie in the time, which they demand. That which vexes the spirit is the anxiety arising therefrom. Unlike the angels we are not content with the present. In our hearts we fear for the future. Lacking an implicit trust in God's Providence, we give way to worry and concern. Ever with us is the haunting thought that we are inadequate to the task in hand. So our responsibilities become a weight-a burden, which is not easily borne.

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As they bear down upon us, we would that we might be rid of them. Yet we cannot, for our sense of duty will not permit.
     Whether we will or no, we must continue. Only the weak and the immature can cast aside an obligation once assumed. It is well that this is so, for the kingdom of heaven, even as the world of men is a kingdom of responsibilities; that is to say,-a state founded upon vocations, labors, and services. If these things are rejected, the kingdom of heaven is not forthcoming. But let us not think that the mere performance of duty is sufficient to salvation. Unless these same duties are seen as spiritual responsibilities, or, what is the same, as God-given uses, they are utterly meaningless. Even as the Lord said: "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful: And Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
     According to the Scriptural account, the Lord had entered the house of the sisters, and Martha, being a practical woman, had busied herself with preparing the feast. But Mary, apparently unaware of her responsibilities in this regard, sat at the Lords feet. "And Martha, being cumbered about much serving, came to Him and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." (Luke 10: 40.) In so speaking, Martha gave way to that feeling of resentment, which is the portion of those who feel that the greater burden is theirs. But the Lord, although He commended her diligence, rebuked her with the reminder that "one thing is needful," namely, the part that Mary had chosen.
     Like that other Mary who bore the Divine seed, the sister of Martha represents the affection of truth. It is this love, which in the beginning is the medium by which the Lord is born into that darkened world of the mind. Again, it is this love, which as it were, sits at the feet of Divine Truth, in order that it may receive the Word. Indeed, if it were not for the Mary within man, the Lord could not dwell with him. Apart from the affection of truth no mortal could be saved. This it is that cradles those celestial remains of innocence, which are implanted in childhood. This it is which, in later life, administers unto them in the highest sense of the word. To all appearances, Mary had cast the burden upon her sister, but hers was the highest use. While Martha busied herself about the house, Mary pondered upon every word which the Lord spake.

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     Like Martha, we must labor with the insistent problems of life. Of necessity we must devote most of our strength to the routine of daily existence. But "one thing is needful"-namely, those moments of spiritual repose when, like Mary, we sit at the feet of the Lord. Yet it is here that we all too frequently fail. With Martha we are inclined to resent this highest obligation. Our relation with the Lord is not as apparent as our relation to our neighbor, and the duties arising therefrom are less tangible. There is not the same impelling force.
     Now it is true that, in so far as we serve the neighbor, we serve the Lord. For He said: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Yet we forget that our relation with our neighbor is determined by our relation with the Lord. In our more or less unregenerate states an unselfish act is not possible. In all that we do the love of self is present, despoiling what would otherwise be a spiritual offering to our fellow men. Nor can our lives be free from this scourge except in so far as we approach the Lord in His Word -except in the degree that we cultivate a spiritual affection of truth. Even as the Lord said unto Martha, One thing is needful. And without it we labor in vain.
     We must seek the Lord of our own volition, and He is not to be found save in the Word. As little children we experience the utmost delight in those simple truths, which the Word in the letter inspires. This for two reasons:-firstly, because the child is closely associated with those celestial remains of innocence; secondly, because the infantile mind is not as yet scathed by the pride of self intelligence. But this state of willing reception cannot endure, for it does not properly belong to the child. It is a borrowed state-borrowed from the celestial and spiritual heavens. As man comes to maturity, he comes into his own, that is to say, into his rightful inheritance. This, being evil, is centered in self: and self instinctively resists all that opposes its future development.
     It is by means of an all-merciful Providence that the Lord meets this state of internal resistance. For the most part, man must assume those external obligations which society places upon him.

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The mark of Cain is upon him, and he must labor if he would exist. Moreover, the unregenerate man recognizes the possibilities arising from a performance of his daily task, for therein lies an opportunity for self aggrandizement. Worldly achievement is ever a strong incentive. But few are permitted to realize their personal ambitions. Such things are allowed only in so far as they do not disturb man's spiritual equilibrium. So Providence exercises a stern influence over our lives. Here we are disillusioned; there we are denied.
     In denial, however, man comes to some appreciation of the things, which belong to his peace. Human relationships begin to assume a certain spiritual significance. A sense of duty supplants the utterly selfish approach to life-that sense, which is founded upon regard for others. Yet regard for the neighbor is not the love of the neighbor; it is only the rudiment thereof. Nevertheless, here is something that is salvable, something, which gives promise of release from self. This is what is known in Scripture as the Martha state.
     In Martha we find a woman whose sense of obligation was limited to the administrations of natural functions. The Lord's presence in her house prompted that sense of duty, which is born of a recognition of the needs of others. In this she was justified; yea, more than justified. For such consideration is the seed of all spiritual development. It is not selfish; yet it is not free from the taint of self, as is evident from her resentment against Mary. But it is a beginning, and in itself salvable, for of such are the natural heavens composed. Here, in the lowest degree of the Lord's kingdom, dwell those who serve others with a willing heart, but who never attain a more interior concept of the obligations of life. If man would progress further, if he would build his spiritual abode upon a higher plane, one thing is needful, namely, that part which Mary had chosen for herself.
     In her apparent disregard of the burden placed upon the household by the Lord's unexpected visit, Mary seems at fault. In so far as we can judge from Scripture, she was in no wise concerned with Martha's plight. The fact that her sister was left alone to prepare for the Lord did not seem to touch her conscience. It was this that Martha resented. But Mary knew what Martha did not know,-that this was a spiritual opportunity, an occasion which demanded that she put aside worldly thoughts and considerations.

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Her Master had come, and the words which He spake were the words of eternal life. Her duty lay at His feet.
     Life being what it is, our minds for the most part are occupied with the problems of daily existence. This is as it should be; for in this manner we are protected from the selfish thoughts that idleness inspires. But the circle of human pursuits must be broken from time to time by moments of spiritual reflection. Of our own volition we must put aside all worldly thoughts and human cares, and seek a renewal of our relation with God. Only in this way can we find that perfection of life which is expressed in the words, "Thy will be done." The Lord's will cannot be done in full measure unless we know what it is that He wills. We must therefore approach Him in the spirit of worship through that Word which reveals His will, and which speaks to all generations. In this way alone can we arise above the Martha state to a living perception of our relation with the neighbor.
     In the early stages of regeneration this cannot be done except by means of compulsion. For, as we have noted, there is that internal resistance engendered by self. Like Israel of old, we must be compelled to observe the Sabbath, that is to say, those prescribed periods of rest from natural things. But this compulsion must come from one's self; or, better, it must be a sacrifice of self. While man is still in a non-regenerate state, an approach to the Lord has little claim to significance unless it involves the sacrifice of some natural desire. What do we offer when we read the Writings at our good pleasure? To what avail is worship, which has become a mere matter of personal convenience? True, we may not feel the need of such things. True, that as long as we acknowledge the Lord and have regard for the neighbor we will be saved. But salvation is one thing, and regeneration is another. The one grants admission into the natural heaven, the other involves the orderly sequence of spiritual progression, which results in the highest fulfillment of the use for which we were created.
     This Martha state, although it is not to be condemned, gives little promise of progressive development. Except we approach the Lord with desire, unless we cultivate those means for regeneration, which He has provided, we become, as it were, cases of arrested development.

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As New Church men and women, we know what our responsibilities are. We know that the day should not pass in which we do not seek the Lord in His Word. We know what our obligations are in regard to the maintenance of organized worship. Especially do we know the need of leading our children by our own diligence, as well as by the words that we speak. The greatest heritage we may give to our children is that sphere of worship, which comes only to those who cultivate the mind in which it is rooted. Sufficient knowledge is ours; what is lacking is the self-discipline which progress requires.
     But let us not think that worship is always a matter of self-insistence. This is true only of the Martha state. The time comes when man begins to feel some measure of joy in the performance of spiritual duties. That which was once a matter of compulsion becomes a source of increasing delight. That spiritual affection of truth, which was implanted in childhood, begins to burgeon within us, and the Mary state is close at hand. A responsibility becomes a privilege. A duty becomes a desire.
     Like conjugial love, the affection of spiritual truth "is so rare at this day that it is not known what it is, or scarcely that it is." The reason is obvious. Spiritual truth is not known outside of the Lord's New Church. In the world there are those who attain to the Martha state, and in the other world may be raised beyond, but here it is not possible for them. They acknowledge God and serve the neighbor, but their vision is restricted to the natural. In the New Church, however, the possibility is given. We may, if we will, sit at the feet of the Lord. Here on earth we may actually learn to love those Divine Truths which grant an ever extending spiritual horizon. Our vision is indeed blurred by spatial conceptions. And there are times when the light of the spiritual sun is beclouded by threatening states. Yet vivid perceptions are momentarily given. On occasions we may enjoy a glimpse of the things which belong to our peace. But this is not possible unless, like Mary, we become sensitive to the power of His Word. Amen.

LESSONS:     Deuteronomy 6. Luke 10: 25-42. Heaven and Hell 309-310.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 501, 603, 624. Revised Liturgy, pages 457, 496, 464.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 97, 98.

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TURNING WATER INTO WINE 1940

TURNING WATER INTO WINE        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940

     A TALK TO CHILDREN.

     Miracles are wonderful things which only the Lord can do. When the Lord was on earth He performed many miracles, about which we read in the Word. Perhaps we may think that the Lord could do such wonderful things only while He was in the world, and that they cannot happen any more. But the truth is that the Lord is performing miracles right before our eyes every day. We do not think of them as miracles, partly because we are so used to them that they no longer appear wonderful to us, but also because we do not see the Lord doing them. They seem to happen all by themselves.
     Now this is the very reason why the Lord came on earth and performed miracles such as are recorded in the Gospels. He wanted men to know that it is He alone who can do wonderful things, and that even the things which appear to happen of themselves are really done by the Lord. If we know this, then the more we learn about these things, the more we come to realize how wonderful they are, and the more we will love and worship the Lord.
     All the Lord's miracles have a heavenly meaning. If we know this meaning we can see that the Lord is still doing for us the same wonderful things He did for His disciples so long ago. Perhaps we can understand something of this from the very First Miracle.
     There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Lord was invited to be present together with His disciples, and with Mary His mother. It was a custom among the Jews to hold a feast in celebration of a marriage. At such a time they always served wine. It was, in fact, the part of hospitality to give the very best wine that the host could afford, and to provide enough, so that the guests might have all they wished. But here in Cana, when the feast was not yet over, they discovered that the wine was gone.

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If it were discovered by the guests that there was not enough wine, the host would feel very badly. It would be said that he was not hospitable.
     When Mary, the Lords mother, heard that there was no wine she was troubled. She did not want the guests to find it out. She felt sorry for the host. She knew of the wonderful things, which had happened at the time of the Lord's birth-of the Star that had appeared, of the angels who sang, of what Gabriel had said about Him. While He had not yet performed any miracles, she believed that He could do wonderful things. So now she spoke to Him about the fact that there was no wine, hoping that He might do something before the guests discovered it. But the Lord already knew that there was no wine. He knew that this had come to pass in order that He might perform a miracle, whereby He might show His power unto men. But He did not want to perform the miracle until the fact that there was no wine should be known. Wherefore He said to Mary: "Mine hour is not yet come." She said no more, but told the servants to do whatever the Lord might ask of them.
     Now there were standing near the entrance six water pots of stone-great, big jars at which the guests might wash their hands before sitting down to the feast. The Lord told the servants to fill the water pots to the brim with water, and when they had done so, He told them to pour out the water, and bear it to the governor of the feast. To the astonishment of the governor of the feast, it was a most delicious wine-much more delicious than that which had been provided by the bridegroom at the beginning of the feast-and he was astonished, for he knew not whence it came. But the servants knew, and they spread abroad the word among the guests.
     This was called the "beginning of miracles," because it was the first miracle the Lord performed publicly in the world. And it made His disciples believe in Him the more, and caused many to wonder who this might be that could do so marvelous a thing.
     All the miracles of the Lord have a wonderful meaning. The Lord not only performed them while He was in the world, but He continues to perform them now, for us. What does He do now that is the same as this miracle of turning water into wine?
     We all live on earth for a time, and then we die, and go into the other world. Our life on earth is a preparation for life in heaven. In many places in the Word, heaven is compared to a marriage, and especially to a marriage feast.

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The reason is that heaven is a state of happiness, and a marriage feast on earth is a time of great happiness. At a marriage everyone rejoices, and the angels draw near, and we feel-even on earth-something of the delight of heaven. Angels are happy because they can serve the Lord. It is in doing something that will be of use to others, and that will help to make others happy, that the angels find their delight. And this they cannot do unless they are wise. To be wise they must learn many things.
     You children would like to do great things when you grow up. You see grown-up people doing things that you would like to do, but they are things that you cannot do as yet, because you are not wise. You do not know how to do them. You must go to school. You must learn many things before you will be ready to do those things to which you look forward, and in which you will find happiness because they will he of service to others, and to the Lord. So you learn-a little every day passing on from one grade to another, until your school life is over, and you are ready to go out and do some work for society. You learn geography-about countries, mountains, rivers, climates, people, and what they do in different parts of the world. You learn history-about kings, and battles, and wars, and great events that happened in the past. All these things you must learn. They must be put into your minds, which are like vessels, to be filled with knowledges, even as the waterpots were filled with water.
     But think of this! When you go into the other world, what need will you have for geography? It is said that the angels know nothing at all about the countries or the places in this world. They do not need to know, because they are living in another world. And what need will you have for history? Kings who lived long ago, the battles they fought, and the things they did-of these things the angels care nothing at all. And yet you must learn these things, in order that you may become wise in heaven.
     The things that we learn in this world-about this world-are compared, in the Word, to water. But the things that will make us wise in heaven are compared to wine. And the wonderful thing is that if we love the Lord, if we follow Him, if we learn His Word, then, when we come into heaven, which is like a marriage feast, He will change all this water into wine with us.

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He will cause all those things that we have learned in this world to turn into things that will make us wise about the other world. We cannot do this. The Lord alone can do it. If we learn things in this world without loving the Lord, and without thinking of His Word,-that is, without inviting Him to be present at our marriage feast, to be with us when we come into the other world,-then will we find ourselves without wine, without wisdom, without any knowledge as to how to do those wonderful things that make the angels happy.
     We are required to do two things: first, to love the Lord and His Word, and to keep His Commandments; this is to invite Him to the wedding. And secondly, to learn all that we can, to fill our minds with knowledges which are of use to us, that we may do something of value to others in this world. Then, when we come into the other world, the Lord will turn the water of worldly knowledges into the wine of heavenly wisdom, that we may become angels of heaven, and serve Him gladly in His temple.

LESSONS:     John 2: 1-11.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pp. 454, 440, 423. Hymnal, Pp. 107, 83, 142.
HEAVENLY ATMOSPHERES 1940

HEAVENLY ATMOSPHERES              1940

     In heaven there are diamond-like atmospheres, which sparkle in their least forms as if from globules of diamond. There are atmospheres that resemble the glittering of all precious stones, and of transparent pearls radiating the most brilliant colors. There are atmospheres that flame as from gold, and from silver, and atmospheres as of flowers of various colors. Such atmospheres fill the heaven of infants. Indeed, there are atmospheres consisting as it were of sporting infants, in forms most minute and invisible, perceptible only to the inmost idea; from which forms infants derive the idea that everything around them is living, and that they are in the Lord's life, which affects their inmosts with felicity. (A. C. 1621.)

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LORD'S ANGELS 1940

LORD'S ANGELS       SYDNEY B. CHILDS       1940

     "Nothing else than the end in a man is regarded by the Lord. Whatever may be his thoughts and deeds-which vary in ways innumerable-provided the end is made good, they are all good; but if the end is evil, they are all evil. It is the end that reigns in everything a man thinks and does. The angels with a man, being the Lord's angels, rule nothing in the man but his ends; for when they rule these, they rule also his thoughts and actions, seeing that all these are of the end. The end with a man is his very life; and all things that he thinks and does have life from the end, because, as was said, they are of the end; and therefore such as is the end, such is the man's life. The end is nothing else than the love; for a man cannot have anything as an end except that which he loves." (A. C. 1317.)
     The word end clearly refers here to a man's inmost intention or purpose,-that which determines his ruling love. Whatever may be the appearance, it is manifest that, if the ruling love is evil, a man as to his inmost state is dwelling among the devils in hell. But if the ruling love is good, the man, whatever may be the appearance, is as to his inmost state dwelling in heaven.
     So long as his life endures on earth, a man is kept in an equilibrium, enabling him to choose heaven or hell. The Lord alone knows the character of the ruling love of any man. We are taught in the Writings that something as to the nature of one's ruling love is disclosed at times, particularly to the man who examines into his own intentions with the purpose of amending them.
In regard to our judgment of others, we are warned in the Scriptures: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7: 1.) In the Writings this warning is repeated just prior to the last Memorable Relation in Conjugial Love. (C. L. 531.) Thus we are given a Divine warning to guard against the judgment of the spiritual states of our neighbor.

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Yet this warning does not preclude the need of protecting ourselves and our cherished truths against those who might exert a detrimental influence on our lives and the uses of the Church. The Lord said to His disciples: " Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10: 16.)
     That warning is as urgent now as when it was spoken some nineteen centuries ago. Great nations of this earth are seeking through wars to annihilate each other. In these titanic conflicts the aggressors are fighting to aggrandize their own malignant "doctrine,"-a doctrine which has been disclosed plainly as one of conquest, destruction, persecution, and the enslavement of all who oppose or seek to thwart the dictator's dream of a personal triumph over the destinies of mankind.
     As New Churchmen, we may conclude that guilt and condemnation attach to any attack by an aggressor nation that seeks to promote a doctrine destructive of the natural and spiritual freedom of the individual-that seeks to inculcate Atheism-to replace the sanctity of liberty to worship God with the direful persuasion that the State and its self-chosen leader are the supreme arbiters in the affairs of man. They dictate that religion, conscience, and a spiritual life are but childish and contemptible aspirations. Thus we may conclude that there is a righteous war, as righteous today as was the conflict many thousands of years ago when David stood before the armies of Israel to fight single-handed the giant Goliath of the Philistines.
     Yet in this tragic state of affairs, which may lead to further untold destruction, pain, anxiety, and at least the threat of an end of what is termed "Christian civilization," we discern the miraculous workings and mercy of a Divine Providence. For against such diabolical persuasions and their manifestations of arrogant power, to thwart which no individual man could hope unaided to lift a finger, have arisen nations and armies to dispute the claim of those who would seek to conquer in the name of the infidel.
     We know from the Divine Revelation of the Lord in His Second Coming that the primary cause of war and the recurrence of wars is not, as is so commonly thought, merely economic maladjustment. The essential cause lies with the evils inherent in our human nature.

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A judgment of the false doctrines that strive to dominate the destinies of man in the spiritual world causes the armies of the Lord to fight, and continue to fight, against Satan and his crew for the salvation of man.
     What can we, fortunate enough to be citizens of a country not at war, contribute toward the good of mankind? "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psalm 127: 1.) We can, as individuals, contribute our part toward the common good. Each one of us can do his part, by so ordering his life that the Divine injunction, given by the angelic host at the time of our Lord's birth, may be kept alive today, as those words were living to the shepherds of old who came to kneel devoutly at the manger in Bethlehem, where, in a humble shrine prepared of God, an Infant lay.
     We are taught in the Writings that that Infant, while similar in bodily appearance to a human child, was as to the soul Divinely conceived, and that therefore the kneeling shepherds and wise men from the east were worshiping before the shrine of the God of all the universe.
     Prior to His crucifixion, the Lord said: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.' (John 15: 12, 17.) How significant are these words in the celebration of that yearly festival, in which the faithful of the Christian world celebrate the birth of the Lord as the Savior of mankind on Christmas day. On that day the exchange of gifts and of greetings is an ultimation of charity toward one another, in commemoration of the transcendent gift from God of a Savior of men. To "love one another" is possible only through a life dedicated to service of one another.
     But let us ask: Should this Divinely enjoined expression of charity, "on earth peace, good will toward men," be indulged in at only rare intervals of time, such as the celebration of the natal day of our Lord? Obviously no. Through the Lord's revelation in His Second Coming we learn interior truths concerning the doctrine of charity that in general it is ultimated through the performance of whatever uses may be adopted by the individual in his calling. The surgeon who operates to save a human life from a disease or injury that might cause death is ultimating charity towards his neighbor. The statesman who seeks justly to administer the laws of his country for the benefit of his fellow man is engaged in the works of charity.

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The soldier who engages in battle to defend his country's existence is surely performing a work of charity, providing he believes his country's cause is just. The priest who dedicates his life to the salvation of human souls, through preaching the Gospel and teaching the truths of Divine Revelation, is in the highest sense performing continual acts of charity toward his neighbor.
     In this New Year, and in all of the years to follow, amid times of earthly crisis, and amid times to come where peace may be vouchsafed by the only Giver of peace, let us humbly seek so to live that angelic spirits and angels may dwell with us. Let each of us seek to dedicate his life to a way of peace. In our efforts we shall be greatly strengthened, if we take every advantage of such beneficent gifts as the Almighty provides for our own good and our eternal welfare.
     For example, we can faithfully observe such opportunities as are available to attend and participate in the worship of the Lord at regular intervals. We can gladly sacrifice some purely material enjoyment, in order that the welfare of the New Church may come first. We may cherish, for ourselves and for our children, those aspirations and ends which lead not only to eternal life for ourselves but to a time when all men on this earth will kneel before the Shrine of their Creator in gratitude for His manifold and ever-present gifts. Thereby, in some measure, may be fulfilled the gladness of those immortal and sacred words, heard by the shepherds when the angelic host proclaimed: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
     Let us, through a devout approach to the Lord by daily reading of the Word and the Writings, and meditation upon them, deliberately seek consociation with and inspiration from the angelic hosts, in recognition of the sublime teaching that "the angels with a man being the Lord's angels, rule nothing in the man but his ends; for when they rule these, they rule also his thoughts and actions, seeing that all these are of the end." (A. C. 1317.)

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SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL-YEAR 1940

SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL-YEAR       WILFRED HOWARD       1940

     (At the Opening Exercises of the Academy Schools, September, 1939.)

     It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Academy, to welcome you to another year of school activity. I shall endeavor to be brief: for I am assured that you will measure what I have to say as much by its brevity as by the good advice it may contain. I have been urged by one member of the student body to make it short, but also to make it intelligible even to the freshman class. Yet I must avoid too great simplicity, that I may not offend the intellectual powers of the senior class and the college.
     Upon an occasion such as this, there are many subjects that one would like to discuss at some length. It is necessary, for example, that all students who attend these schools should know something of the nature and quality of this institution. Some of you are attending for the first time, and if your work in the coming year is to be successful it is desirable that you should know something about our traditions,-the things for which the Academy stands, and the reasons for them. Even those of us who have worked for many years in this institution and know its traditions well, find it necessary to refresh our spirit from time to time by a renewed contemplation of the things for which the Academy stands, in order that our work may progress, and that we may be reinspired to something of victorious attainment. I believe it will be of value to us at this time to consider how we can make the work of the schools for the coming year a success.
     Perhaps the greatest factor in the success of schoolwork is the presence of a spirit of cooperation between the student body and their teachers. Cooperation is simply a working together for a given end or object. The coach and the teamwork together for a victorious season on the football field. By working together with a spirit of willing obedience, victory is more likely to be attained.

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But a spirit of discontent, and a working at cross-purposes between coach and team, are almost certain to court disaster. So also with our schoolwork.
     It is necessary, therefore, that the teachers and the student body work together, if our schoolwork is to be successful. I know that many of you think that the students do all the work, and that the teachers simply hand it out. This may be the appearance, but you must remember that appearances are often deceptive.
     In order that there may be intelligent cooperation, there must always be a knowledge and understanding of the purposes or ends in view: and the more perfectly you understand the ends and purposes of the school, the more completely you will be able to cooperate with its work. And so there is a responsibility on your part to try to understand the nature of this school, each in his or her own way, and the spiritual quality of the things that it stands for, because it is primarily in this respect that it differs from other schools.
     If we study the history of education, and the various objects or ends for which schools have been created and endowed, we find that these ends or purposes are very diverse and often contradictory. One leading educator of the world tells us that a study of the principles of education shows that they are often at cross purposes, and that educators differ greatly as to the main purpose of schools. With some the main purpose is said to be mental discipline: with others it is useful and practical information; with others, again, it is breadth of social interest, and adjustment to the particular social environment in which men live; and so on.
     In contrast with these conflicting views, you will find that the aims and ends of New Church education have never been uncertain or confused. Briefly stated, they have been expressed as preparation for heaven, or for a life of usefulness in both worlds, which is almost the same thing. This, then, is what our education is for,- to prepare for a life of usefulness in this world and the next. And it is fairly certain that, if you are successfully prepared, and come to love a useful life in this world, you will continue the habit in the other. For the Writings tell us that the ruling loves and habits established in this world are continued in the next.
     We are taught that the essence of use is the love of serving others, and this by the development of the faculties we possess to their highest ability in the service of others.

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Your faculties of mind and body are the means which have been given to you for this service; and you will find that true happiness consists in using to the best of our ability whatever faculties the Lord has given us. In the degree that we use and develop these faculties, in that degree we can be said to be successful; for we are then preparing for a life of usefulness in both worlds.
     Such a development, spiritually considered, is the measure of cur success. This may or may not be measured by worldly standards. If, in your later life, your spiritual and natural success coincide, you are fortunate. If they do not, you are still fortunate, providing you have attained something of spiritual success. For in the possession of a success that is of spiritual value you have gained a treasure that has an eternal rather than a temporary significance. In this world, we may rightfully strive for both. But in the struggle for worldly success you will, in Providence, be constantly reminded that such a success is only of relative importance. It is not the end for which you were created. You will find that the man who is working hard at the thing he loves to do, especially if he is a New Churchman, and knows and understands the fundamental doctrines of the Church, does not worry over much as to a success that is viewed from worldly standards alone. He knows that the state of contentment and happiness, which always accompanies a busy and useful life, is a priceless treasure, which the pursuit of wealth and honors can never bring.
     Now what do we mean when we speak of our faculties? We mean the ability to do one thing better than another, or to do some things better than others. Occasionally we have students whose special faculties or abilities are very hard to determine, but that is because they have not yet been developed. For the Writings tell us that every man is born to do at least one thing, and to do that one thing well. In the doing of this one thing, in the performance of this use, whatever it may be, whether humble or exalted, lies his happiness, and, if you please, his success.
     It is, therefore, one of the highest uses of these schools, and of New Church education, to discover the individual faculties of the student, and to develop them, or at least to start him on the road to a rich and full development. This is not an easy task, and much depends upon you; for development depends upon the will to do, or the will to action.

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For the most part, you must discover your own faculties, and we must help to develop or educate them. This is what true education is-a drawing out and developing of those faculties that are within you.
     The failure to discover our individual faculties is unfortunate, but equally unfortunate is the assumption that we have abilities, which we do not really possess. Many a student, after a successful high school play, is mistakenly convinced that his histrionic abilities are such that only a stage career can satisfy his genius, and that Hollywood will be the loser if it fails to appreciate his talent. The unfortunate aspect of this state of mind is that it may take many years to get rid of such a false conception of our powers.
     We may well ask why it may not be an easy task to find and develop our faculties. It is hard to believe that we have all been endowed with special gifts or abilities, and yet find it difficult to discover what they are. The answer, I believe, lies in the fact that the will or power of development with most of us is very weak. We all suffer more or less from an inherent laziness. Very few men have developed to the highest degree the faculties or gifts which the Lord has given them. Those who have are called geniuses. Yet the genius of such men rests not so much in their special or marked abilities as in the will and determination to work unceasingly in the development of their gifts.
     This, then, is what we must all do-try to develop our gifts or abilities. Only by so doing can we properly perform the uses for which we were created. Only so can we be successful in this world and the next. Only so can we fully prepare for a life of usefulness in both worlds.
     I have said that most of us are lazy, and that most of us refuse to develop the faculties we possess. And the chief reason for this is that we are selfish; for selfishness and laziness are closely associated. We do not want to develop our faculties because we do not want to serve others. We would rather have others serve us. The love of serving others is a virtue that does not come easily to any of us. Yet the development of this love is one of the primary ends of New Church education, and a spiritual love of use can never be attained without it.
     It may be impossible, of course, in the span of a few years of school life, to develop your faculties to such an extent that you will be keenly aware of them.

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To many of you, your life's work will probably be just as visionary at the end of your stay here as when you started out as an ambitious freshman. But we shall hope to start you on the right road. By education you can be prepared for the full development that will follow in later years when you apply yourselves to your life's work.
     And much can be accomplished during this period of preparation. In the age of youth, good habits can be formed with relative ease, and your future happiness, and both your spiritual and natural success, depends largely on the formation of good habits.
     To establish such habits, much depends upon you. In your schoolwork we should have your full and complete cooperation. And this will be given if you will attentively study the various courses you take during your education here. If you will form the habit, not only of memorizing the materials of any given course, but of thinking about them and digesting them; if you will remember that the social life of the schools, although important, is not the prime reason for your being here; if you will have the courage always to rely upon your own work, however imperfect, rather than lean upon the work of others; if you will also remember that the development of the mind and character is more important in any work of education than merely accumulating credits; and, above all. if you will try to cultivate a love for the instruction in religion and philosophy that is given here, which means to think about it, to see as clearly as possible its application to your own life, and thus to absorb it and make it your own;-if you do these things, you will then acquire something which no other school can give you,-the beginnings of a true philosophy of life. Perhaps I should say that you will then be on the highroad to the development of a philosophy of life, the quality of which can be given by no other institution.
     To some of you who have attended other schools, this may sound like an extreme statement. Yet we should all be clear on this point. I think it will be clear, if we reflect for a moment upon the nature of the instruction that you receive here. All schools, and therefore all education, have for an end or purpose the training of the mind; and the tools or means for this training are truths or knowledges of various kinds.

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All of the facts of nature-the natural sciences, as we call them-train the natural and rational minds. But there is also another mind-the spiritual mind; and the facts that develop or train this mind are not found in nature, or in the natural sciences, but in the Divine Revelation contained in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Herein are contained the facts necessary to the training of the spiritual mind, and also the Divine Laws that govern both worlds. To us, these spiritual facts are as real as the facts of nature. And they are not only as important to know as are the facts and knowledges dealing with this world, but in many ways they are vastly more important. They are the fundamental laws that deal with the life of our mind or spirit. In training the spiritual mind, they train the man; and they train the man in the degree that, by loving them, he finally learns to obey them.
     The acquiring of knowledge, whether spiritual or natural, has obedience for its end or purpose. No scientist, engineer, or inventor can build a machine that violates or works in opposition to the laws of nature. And the scientist is well aware that he must know and understand nature's laws, in order that he may learn to obey them. He is therefore willing to spend many years in acquiring such knowledge, to the end that, by implicit obedience to such laws, his work may be successful.
     This evident truth on the plane of natural law is equally true in the realm of the spirit. To obey spiritual law, we must understand it, love it, and finally learn to act according to it. This process of acquiring a state of obedience is a long one. It is the road of regeneration, which we all must face.
     It is because men have refused to obey spiritual law that civilization to day is threatened with destruction. The war now raging in Europe, with all its attendant misery, is the direct outcome of the refusal on man's part to obey spiritual law.
     Many of you have heard it said that only the New Church can remake or save civilization. The reason for this faith is, that only in the Divine Revelation of the New Church have we been given a full and complete system of Divine Truth that mankind must learn to obey.
     Unhappiness, misery, and destruction always follow upon man's continued violation and opposition to Divine Law.

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At no time has it been more apparent than it is to-day that obedience to Divine Truth is the only hope of salvation for mankind.
     We cannot realize this truth without a growing sense of our responsibility, individually, and collectively as a school. To learn obedience-obedience to Divine Law-is the supreme end of all our work. But knowledge, and the development of the understanding, must proceed. It is the function of these schools to give you this knowledge. It is the function or duty of each one of us to apply this knowledge to our lives by obedience to the truths we learn. And this application of truth to life always involves a conflict-a constant warfare between right and wrong, good and evil. A spirit of militant opposition to evil is the best gift these schools can give you. And if, at the conclusion of this year's work, you have gained something of this spirit, then indeed will your work have been successful.
RADIO AND THE GENERAL CHURCH 1940

RADIO AND THE GENERAL CHURCH       GILBERT H. SMITH       1940

     The proposition is here made, seriously, that the General Church should set up its own radio station, thus augmenting printing with preaching. This suggestion may startle some, as the driver of an ancient car might be startled when a powerful modern machine slips by him.
     If you want to reach the greatest possible number of human ears with the voice, so as to give the greatest numbers a chance to hear what the New Church has to teach, it seems very evident that radio is the way. There seems no possible argument about it. There is an argument, however, and a very good one, to the effect that the best way to influence people is by the spoken word rather than the printed page. We have the Doctrine in print already; but we need to present it in speech also,-speech that can be heard beyond the limits of a few little houses of worship. We are accustomed to sending out our light upon a few feeble waves of air, instead of using the far-reaching waves of ether.
     I believe it is quite within the range of possibility for the General Church to operate its own station. The founders of the Academy, when it started, knew nothing of this modern and most wonderful means of imparting information.

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Neither did Swedenborg. But I imagine he would have rejoiced in it as an instrument by which we moderns have a great advantage over men of former times.
     Things that happen in Europe are known almost immediately in Asia and Lower California. And by turning a button I can hear a man speaking in London, even his breathing and the rattle of his manuscript. But the greatest marvel is that one man speaking can be heard at once by millions of people. Why should not the New Church make use of so powerful a means of propagating the Divine Truths of its Doctrine?
     It would cost too much? No, that is not an objection, we think. It would cost comparatively little, if there is really any value in it and if we could see the value.
     I am not suggesting that the services of worship in the Bryn Athyn Church or any other should be broadcast. That would seem something of a desecration. But I do believe that the broadcasting at other times, and regular times, of carefully prepared talks on doctrine and problems of life, as seen in the light of the Writings, would bring momentously good results. It should not be mixed up with the services of worship, but it should lead people to attend them.
     What a grand work this broadcasting would be for some of our older ministers! And how many people could be reached! In fact, all who cared to listen. Out of the multitudes we should be able to reach as many as there are in the Christian world who can be made New Churchmen. How many excellent people there are in the world whom we would like to gather into the New Church! There does not appear any better way of reaching them than the radio would afford. I am thinking especially of young people who might become indoctrinated, if only they had the chance to hear about the vital principles and truths of the New Church. I think we owe it to the world, if not to the New Church. to use the most effective means known to bring the Lord's New Church to their notice.
     Science has presented us with the means of communicating the truth to the whole world, infinitely superior to anything known when the Writings were written. Why should not the men of the New Church of our generation put it to use?
     GILBERT H. SMITH.
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

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SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS 1940

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS       Editor       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.


Published Monthly By

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

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, 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.


     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     Origins.

     It is revealed to us in the Heavenly Doctrine that the opening chapters of the book of Genesis picture in representative imagery three general states of the Most Ancient Church. The six days of creation, in the internal sense, involve the gradual development of primitive men through six stages of spiritual regeneration, even to the sabbath of the celestial state, pictured by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their seduction by the serpent, and their eating of the forbidden tree, represent the gradual decline from the celestial excellence of that Church which took place with later generations, even to its end at the Flood.
     The celestial state of wisdom from the Lord with the men of the Most Ancient Church is signified by their eating of the tree of life, and their being forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which would be wisdom from self and the world. To eat, spiritually, is to appropriate to one's self and make one's own. They were unwilling to appropriate their wisdom to themselves, but ascribed it all to God.

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But in process of time, men of that Church were beguiled by the serpent to eat of the forbidden tree that is, they were seduced by the body and its senses to think from the world and self, apart from the Divine leading and instruction. They had been in a state of innocence and obedience, as it were unconsciously so, like an infant, but now they awoke to a state of self- consciousness.
     Previous to this, they had known only good-the good of love to the Lord and mutual love,-and delighted in this good as the Lord's with them, being unwilling to ascribe any good to themselves. But succeeding generations of the men of the celestial church began to reflect upon their good, and to desire that it should be their own. "They affected a proprium, to such a degree as to love it." (A. C. 190.) They "listened to the voice of the serpent"-the inclination of self-love, desiring independence. And then their " eyes were opened," and they became aware of their good, apart from the acknowledgment that it was from God. At first this was but a turning to the delight of a lesser good (A. C. 200), but eventually there entered something of the opposite-the delight of evil,-and they then became "as God, knowing good and evil." It is this change of state with men of the Most Ancient Church which is described in the words of Genesis where the serpent said to the woman: "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil."
     By a Divine foresight, God knew what would be the result of this change of state, and yet He permitted it, which indicates that there was an end of good in the Divine permission. For the Lord can intend only what is good, and can permit only that which can be the means to a greater good than the evil permitted,-a greater good than the former good from which there was a departure. Man departs from the infantile good of ignorance, but by regeneration comes to the good of wisdom in adult years,-a superior good to the former. The most ancient man was permitted to recede from his good of ignorance, and to know also the opposite evil, to the end that he might experience a greater good by contrast, by rejecting the evil,-to the end that " his eyes might be opened, and that he might become as God, knowing good and evil." God knows good and evil because, from His Divine omniscience, He knows the states of all, both in heaven and in hell,-knows where good from Him is received, and also where the opposite evil rejects Him. (T. C. R. 62.)

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     As to the Divine purpose in permitting the most ancient men to know also what was evil, we read: " The field of the intellect in the first man, or Adam, was not so spacious, for he did not yet know what was evil and false. But to the end that his intellect might be rendered spacious, he was let into temptations, that thus he might also know what evil is, and thus be made more happy [by contrast]. But he succumbed. So now, at this day, by the knowledges of evil as well as good, man is introduced into a still happier paradise. The mind is reformed by the Lord, and created anew, by the knowledges of both truth and falsity, of good and evil." (W. E. II: 957.)
     It is to be understood, of course, in this teaching, that man attains the happier paradise by resisting and rejecting evil, thus strengthening and enhancing the good by contrast. This is the Divine end in permitting the knowledge of evil,-an end fulfilled in the wise angels of heaven, who know also what is evil, only to abhor it. And we view the operation of this Divine end in the earliest times of the race, in the change of state that came about in the decline of the Most Ancient Church.

     Reflection upon Self and the World.

     We have said that they awoke to a state of self-consciousness. For they became conscious of the world about them, and conscious of themselves, as not before. Previously they had had a large perception of the Divine life and leading, and saw the Divine Providence in the mirror of all creation. But they now began to have a conscious knowledge of the world, and a sense of self-living, self-power, together with a diminished sense of the Divine life and power. From creation, indeed, man had this sense of living as of himself, but at first the most ancients also perceived and acknowledged that they lived from God, and preferred this to any conscious reflection upon self. This was their " eating of the tree of life." When this perception began to fade, they were said to "eat of the forbidden tree,-to confirm the appearance as the whole truth when they knew, but denied, that God alone lives from Himself. This was to be ` as God, knowing both good and evil," and confirming the evil. For the truth is that God alone lives, wills, acts, and is wise from Himself.

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Men live, will, act, and are wise only from others, and supremely from God. To know this, and not to acknowledge it in heart and life, is to fall in temptation. When this was done in the Most Ancient Church, at first by a few, and later by many, they abused the change of state permitted them, rejecting the benefits of the "still happier paradise " which God made possible for them.
     And with this change of state as a beginning, there has developed in the human race upon this earth a self-consciousness a sense of human knowledge and power, which has unfolded gradually with discovery in science and with the exercise of power in the works of civilization. In both of these fields-investigation and discovery in the realm of nature, and application in works,-men have been permitted to exercise the human as of itself in continually increasing measure. And this has been productive of great uses, the chief of which has been the publishing and dissemination of the written Word. But during the long history of nations and churches, periodical judgments and checks upon this growth have been necessary, when this knowledge and power have been abused for purposes of self-gratification and dominion, and have become instruments of cruelty in the hands of the evil; when earthly and human power has built its tower of Babel, and mounted up even to the throne of God.
     In this gradual development of the race-consciousness upon this earth, we are able to view great good and great evil,-great good in the growth of the knowledge and works of civilization, with their natural blessings to mankind, as well as their benefits to the church great evils in the growth of human conceit and the perversion of human power.
     Spiritually regarded, the material works of men are neither good nor evil. With regenerating men they are the ultimations of spiritual uses,-a serving of God and the fellow man. But works themselves are merely temporal, changeable, perishable. Only the human affections active in their performance are imperishable, and may be either good or evil. In both cases, man is given the faculty of acting as of himself, conscious in his knowledge and his power. It is only from Revelation that he is given to know that all knowledge and all power is from God,-a gift to man, which he may gratefully acknowledge and rightfully employ, or selfishly deny and devote to evil ends.

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This choice was involved in the gift of self-consciousness to man, that the image of God might be with him for his eternal felicity, that he might enjoy a complete sense of individual knowledge and action, complete freedom to live his life according to his own will and understanding, to be "as God, having his eyes opened, knowing good and evil,"-exercising power in the complete appearance of originating it.
     We have noted that this was given of Providence to the earliest men, and in growing measure through the ages of history; for it is the Divine will to impart it ever more fully to the human race. And so the Lord came into the world to impart it more fully, to "give life more abundantly." He also said to His disciples, " Henceforth I call you not servants, for a servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends (free ones or loved ones); for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

     Use and Abuse of Reflection.

     Now this knowledge is given to every man when, like the race itself, he passes out of his infancy, out of the innocence of ignorance. It is given by instruction, and in fuller measure by the opening of his rational mind, when he begins to think in and from himself. Then his "eyes are opened," that he may become more and more conscious of the world and of himself,-a Divine gift to every man, that he may have the joy of living, with its sense of individual knowledge, understanding and power, that he may have the image and likeness of His Creator, may "be as God, knowing good and evil." And with this knowledge of both good and evil comes responsibility of choice, imparted to rational man by Revelation. "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil, in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments. . . Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." (Deut. 30: 15.)
     Man would not be really free if he were able to know and do only what is good, or if he were unable to know and do what is contrary to the Divine. During his natural life, every man enjoys a brief tenure of this freedom of choice between good and evil. He is here gifted with a state of heightened self-consciousness, with an opportunity to learn his real place in the cosmos, as a creature of God, an instrument of use.

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Here, and here only, he may learn to fulfill that destiny as a willing servant of God, or to reject his opportunity by remaining a slave to self. When he enters the spiritual world he leaves behind this faculty of choice. There he is either good or evil, according to the will he has formed in the world; and there his conscious world is of his own making, nor is he willing to change it. Not that he there loses all sense of individuality, being "absorbed into the infinite," losing his identity, as is falsely taught by some (Theosophists, and their Nirvana); for even the devils of hell can be made conscious of their state in the light of heaven and the angels also can be given to know their state, both their good and their quiescent evil. At times this is done. But for the most part neither devils nor angels reflect upon their own states. The angels are absorbed in uses, forgetful of self. The moment they reflect upon external things, apart from uses, their light of wisdom goes out. (S. D. 5177.)
     But while angels seldom reflect upon self, yet they enjoy a marvellous sense of individual freedom,-a sense of life, perception, and power as their own, and this in the degree of their acknowledgment that all things of their life are from the Lord. The devils have little of this sense of freedom, and much of a sense of bondage-abject dependence upon others for everything, because they desire all things for themselves. The angel has a large sense of the life of God, a diminished sense of his own proprium, as something subconscious only, reflected upon at times as something to be abhorred and rejected. But in that large sense of the Lord's life he has an exalted delight of being his own, because he loves to be the Lord's. This cannot but seem a paradox, a contradiction, when yet it is most true. As stated in our Doctrine, "The more closely man is conjoined to the Lord, the more distinctly he appears to himself to be his own, and the more evidently he notices that he is the Lord's." (D. P. 42, 158.)
     It is important that the man of the church at this day should well understand this angelic state, which is the true destiny of every man born, for which he is prepared only by making the proper choice in the life of regeneration. At this day in the world, with all but the most backward races, there is a heightened self-consciousness a sense of human attainment in knowledge and work, an exaltation of man, and with Christians the thought of the Lord as a mere man.

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For there is little of a real acknowledgment of the Divine origin of all light and ability with men, and of the truth that the virtues of the truly human are but a finite image of the Divine Human of the Lord.
     Man has been given to know himself, to know the universe, that this may be a blessing to him. But he may make it a curse. It becomes a blessing when self-reflection is attended with self-examination to search out sin, with a confession of complete unworthiness before God, and a prayer for mercy. It becomes a curse when self-reflection becomes a sense of human goodness, human greatness and power. Humble repentance rejects this, and opens in man a new spring of conscious life a new and angelic proprium, a growing consciousness of delight in humble service to God in uses to the neighbor. "He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that it may be made manifest that his deeds are wrought in God."
     The man of the church cannot permit himself to foster the pride of human accomplishment that is so common in this age, but will shun it as a theft of that which belongs to God only. We well know the sweetness of that which we do ourselves, of that which we know and think in ourselves, as something that is our own. It is of Providence that every man should have this instinct, should feel the delight of what is his own. It is also of Providence that men may know, if they will, the greater sweetness of a delight in what is the Lord's Own. And this comes to one who as it were loses himself in the stream of uses. The small part that individual man is given to perform in this great kingdom of use is provided by the Lord for the sake of his delight in serving others in that kingdom, in serving the Lord in concert with others. To enter wholeheartedly into these uses is to be delivered from the unhappy states of selfish reflection, with the many evils that attend it, and to be elevated into the peaceful stream of the Divine Providence, and into a measure of that trust in the Lord which reigned in the Golden Age, and which is to reign in the future ages of the Church of the New Jerusalem.
     "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." (Revelation 2: 7.)

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OBITUARIES 1940

OBITUARIES              1940

     ROBERT VON MOSCHZISKER.

     By the death of former Chief Justice Robert von Moschzisker at Philadelphia on November 21, 1939, the Advent Church lost a valued member who, with his family, was a devoted participant in its uses, and also an attendant at worship in Bryn Athyn. When he became a receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines, he brought to his study of the Writings that keenness and breadth of mind, and that deep sincerity, which were so abundantly manifested in his career at the bar and on the bench, and which were so much appreciated by his friends in the New Church.
     His father came to America from Poland, and Robert was born in Philadelphia March 6, 1870. He began the practice of law at an early age, becoming a Judge at 33, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at 39, serving in this capacity for the customary term, when he resumed his private practice. He had a lofty but liberal conception of the function of the law, and his judicial opinions made a significant contribution in the field of jurisprudence.
     The funeral service in the cathedral on November 23 was conducted by Bishop de Charms, and the large congregation included a distinguished gathering of the Pennsylvania judiciary and members of the bar, who came to pay tribute to their highly esteemed associate.
     In 1912. Robert von Moschzisker married Anne Macbeth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Macbeth, of the Pittsburgh Society, and she survives him, together with a son, Michael, and two daughters, Bertha and Kate (Mrs. Horace C. Disston).

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HAROLD THORPE CARSWELL. 1940

HAROLD THORPE CARSWELL.              1940

     Members of the General Church will hear with regret of the passing of Mr. Harold Carswell to the spiritual world on January 1, after a brief illness.
     Born in Boston, and receiving his early professional training under Ralph Adams Cram, noted ecclesiastical architect, Mr. Carswell came to Bryn Athyn in 1916, and for some years was a member of the staff of designers and architects engaged in the construction of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. More recently he has given of his talents to the architecture and interior adornment of many churches, among them the church of the Pittsburgh Society: he also created many beautiful homes.
     Mr. Carswell espoused the faith of the New Church and was baptized in 1919. He was a man of sincere piety, and will be remembered by his wide circle of friends as a genial and cultured gentleman, and a devoted husband and father. On May 18, 1921, he married Constance Burnham, who survives him, together with one son, Louis, and three daughters, Mary Alice, Elaine, and Drusilla, all of whom are receiving their education in the schools of the Academy.
     The funeral service in the cathedral on January 3 was conducted by Bishop de Charms in the presence of a large congregation which included many of Mr. Carswell's professional associates. In the course of his address, the Bishop paid tribute to our friends character and gifts in these words:
     "His use in this world was architectural design, and especially the construction of sacred buildings dedicated to the worship of God. This was his great love, and he spared no expense of time and thought and painstaking study in his desire to make each edifice a symbol of man's humble adoration of the Lord. His mind reached back across the ages to the simple faith of early Christianity, seeking to restore in his art that deep sincerity and genuineness which in a former age, gave it a power scarcely known in modern times. His appreciation of spiritual values in his work was felt by all who were associated with him, though it was not realized by many that the source of this deeper feeling lay in his knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine, and in the vision of the nearness and reality of the spiritual world which that knowledge imparted.

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In the designing and building of homes, the same regard for what is genuine, sincere and symbolic was ever apparent making his work unusually distinctive.
     Some might suppose that there is no need for the building art in the other life, where, as we are told, the homes of spirits and angels and the places of worship are not built by human hands as they are on earth, but are given gratis by the Divine Architect. But this is by no means the case. Our friend will find there an unlimited opportunity for the exercise of those talents with which he was so richly endowed. His love of representing in symbolic form the highest aspirations of the human heart, of setting forth to view in beauty and in harmony the eternal truth concerning God, and concerning every Divine provision for the redemption of the race and the salvation of the individual, which lies at the heart of all religion, will be as greatly needed there as it is on earth. But he will be conscious there, in a degree impossible during the life of the body, of the fact that this is effected, not by means of dead materials of stone and wood, but by building living structures in human minds. And further he will perceive that it is in very truth a Divine work performed by the Lord alone-a work in which man but serves as a finite instrument in the hand of God. And thus, while he enjoys every sense of creative effort, his highest delight will lie in the acknowledgment from the heart that everything good and true, everything beautiful and of genuine service in his work, is a gift of God, to whom alone belongs all the power and glory of His heavenly kingdom."
DR. WILLIAM COWLEY. 1940

DR. WILLIAM COWLEY.       HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1940

     In June, 1886, as the Academy "Saints" were converging upon Beach Haven and the Jersey Shore caravansary which Mr. John Pitcairn had chartered for the famous Decennial Celebration of the Academy, it was my privilege to meet at the Broad Street Station Philadelphia, certain guests who were to be helped on their way. Among these was a couple I had met at East Liberty-a striking couple-Dr. David Cowley, a solid looking, full-bearded man with family doctor and friend written all over him, accompanied by his wife-a singularly sweet-faced woman, with a curl or two over each shoulder and an ear-trumpet handy. On the same pilgrimage were their two older children,-William, already associated with his father as a Homeopathic physician, and Margaret who, then and later, gave much time and support to the work of the New Church schools in Pittsburgh.

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Henry Cowley, who became one of the best teachers we ever had, and David, long known as a pensioner of the Spanish American War, both now deceased, were then attending the Academy Schools.
     Dr. David Cowley, born in 1830, had been brought to Pittsburgh from County Down, near Belfast. Ireland, in his infancy had been educated in the schools of Allegheny City, and at the age of 16 had been baptized into the New Church by the Rev. David Powell, who on that occasion "preached so powerful a sermon on New Church Baptism that it helped the New Church society, begun in Pittsburgh in the year 1840, to develop what it has always had,-a very strong bent toward distinctiveness, and therefore toward solid growth." After studying medicine and surgery at the Homeopathic Medical College at Philadelphia (now Hahnemann) and at New York, he began the practice of medicine at Philadelphia in 1852, being acquainted with Dr. Hering and Dr. Neihardt, as well as with the New Church leaders there.
     In 1863 he returned to Pittsburgh, and in that epochal year of the Civil War was married to Miss Margaret Mowry, who ever aided and abetted him in his devotion to the Church and to his use. Here, in 1864, was born his eldest son, William, who eventually became his coworker and successor in the practice of Homeopathic medicine in East Liberty, Pa., and in the sustaining uses of the Church, especially the Church School, first at its small beginnings 90 Dennison Avenue, East End, later at the North Side Church under the Rev. John Whitehead; and after that faction moved to Sandusky and Parkhurst Sts., Dr. William continued with the Academy Church and School in Wallingford Street. And he lived to see and enjoy the beautiful new building in Le Roi Road.
     Since the death of his wife, the former Josephine Hutmacher of Cambria County, whom he married in 1897, and who used to taxi him on his rounds, "Doctor Will" had become increasingly helpless as to getting about, and for some time his brother David's devoted daughter, Margaret, had attended upon him, and was with him to the end.

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     As a physician, he was known for his thoroughness and particularity, not only as to each patient, but also as to each illness; for he kept careful records. Like Dr. Boggess,-his long time confrere in the work of keeping the people of the Pittsburgh Society on their feet, and raising their families-he had profited by the instruction of master prescribers; and these two were among the comparatively few who are able to use "high potencies" with discrimination and success. To all our families he was a household institution and intimate friend. He and his wife were fond of social life, and no church affair was complete without them.
     But perhaps the Doctor's most outstanding contribution was to the study and appreciation of Swedenborg's Philosophical Works. The Philosophy Club, for two generations the center of intellectual and social life among the men of the society, especially appreciated and enjoyed him. He never came in without a spontaneous outburst of his "theme song"-"Down on the Allegheny River," the refrain of which was: " Dr. Cowley he came late, but he didn't hesitate to read from the chapter on the Liver."
     He is survived by his sisters, Miss Margaret Cowley, of Bryn Athyn, and Mrs. E. J. Stebbing, of Washington, D. C., and his son, Malcolm, who, with his wife and child, reside at Gaylordsville, Connecticut. It was my privilege to officiate at his funeral, held on December 22 near his son's home, where he spent his last days. I was struck by the contrast of the two kinds of distinguished uses. Malcolm, writer and now literary editor of The New Republic, is widely known, and may he longer remembered than his dear, old father, who wrought upon the living but passing medium of human bodies, minds and hearts. Yet the latter work, while transient here, and perhaps soon forgotten, is of the very stuff with which the angels work, and which will only begin to burgeon and deepen when we are settled in the heavenly mansions where there is no reflection upon time.
     HOMER SYNNESTVEDT.

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VISIT TO THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST 1940

VISIT TO THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1940

     Last Summer, during July and August, Mr. Otho W. Heilman and I paid a visit to the members of the General Church scattered throughout Northwest Canada. In Mr. Heilman's Ford car, and equipped with a complete camping outfit, we left Toronto on the morning of Wednesday, July 5, and rode that day to Glenview, Illinois, where we stayed over night. On Thursday evening we arrived at Silver Lake, North St. Paul, Minnesota, where we were entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carpenter until Saturday morning. On Friday evening a service was held, and the Holy Supper was administered to four communicants.

     Manitoba.

     Early Sunday afternoon we arrived at Garson, Manitoba, 27 miles east of Winnipeg, where Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hamm live on a hundred-acre farm. Ben, a son of Mr. John Hamm of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, lived in Glenview for nine years, and has visited Bryn Athyn and Toronto. He inquired eagerly about the people of these places. His wife is Dora Groening, a Mennonite. They have two children, Doris Benedicity, aged five, and Melinda, aged eight months. A service was held at 4 p.m., after which I showed Doris Bible pictures, and gave her some. We camped that night on Ben's farm.
     On Monday we drove over three hundred miles to Roblin. Manitoba, where Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hiebert live. They have thirteen children, ranging in age from 6 to 27 years. Only the five youngest, Annie, Isabel, Evaline, Leora, and Florence. were living at home, and Annie has since passed into the other world. She was a cheerful, attractive girl of fifteen. Mr. Hiebert was away at work, but Annie piloted us to him, and then took us to see her sister Martha. Several days later, in Saskatoon, we met three other sisters, Mary (Mrs. John Dawling), Helen, and Elizabeth. We did not see William, Agnes, David, and Julius.
     The Hieberts urged us to accept the invitation to visit the Funks, who live at Cromerty, five miles west of Roblin, also to go to Buggy Creek, over forty miles north of Roblin, where, they said, were many New Church people. So we stopped at Jacob Funk's farm, and camped there two nights.

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Mr. And Mrs. Funk are not members of the General Church, but remember the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, for whom they have great respect and affection, as we found to be the case with all the people in the Canadian Northwest who knew Mr. Waelchli. The Funks have eleven children, six of whom, Jack, Henry, Jean, Edna, Annie, and Paul, live at home. Mr. Heilman and I had talks with the parents and classes with the children. We also met Jacob's brother, Pete, and his wife.
     On Tuesday afternoon we took Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Funk and two of the children to Calder, over the border in Saskatchewan, to visit the Henry Hiebert family. Henry is a brother of Jacob. He has nine children, seven of whom, Henry Ambrose, Alva Wayne, Amen Rosefield, Angelo Standforth, Amarantha Melita, Dorm Franklin, and Venette Rebecca, were baptized at a service held out of doors. Mr. Heilman and I also had classes with the children, and we left them some Bible pictures. The two oldest, Lillian and Gertrude, work at Yorkton, where we later visited them. Mr. Waelchli had baptized them. We had a very pleasant visit with this family, as also with the Funks. Henry and Jacob are earnest New Churchmen, eager for the ministrations of the Church.
     At Mr. Futik's urging we went to Baggy Creek, where there is a community of seventy-four New Church people, twenty-four adults and fifty children. Mr. and Mrs. Julius Hiebert are the patriarchs, and most of the children are their grandchildren. None of these people are members of the General Church, but many of the adults knew Mr. Waelchli, who had visited them. They had heard of our coming from Jacob Hiebert and greeted us cordially. Although we did not arrive until 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday, notice of a meeting at 7.30 p.m. was at once sent out, and we had a congregation of 44 in the school house, the largest attendance of our trip. I spoke about "The True Resistance to Evil," with applications to the general world-conditions and the responsibility of the New Church to meet them. Mr. Heilman then spoke about "Life after Death and Marriage." These people did not want to let us go. They had hoped we would stay several days. But we had to return to Cromerty with Mr. and Mrs. Funk, their two sons, and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Funk.
     In the Roblin district, within a radius of fifty miles, there are over one hundred New Church people, most of them ministered to by the General Convention, but only once or twice a year. The seventy children and young people certainly need all that the Church can give them. The Boggy Creek people expect to erect a small church building. As they will do most of the work themselves, this will cost little money.

     Saskatchewan.

     On Friday, July 14, we arrived at Rosthern, Saskatchewan, stopping on the way for an hour at the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfrid Klippenstein, who have two little children, Glen and Kent, the baby only a few weeks old. At Rosthen we camped on the lawn of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamm for five nights. Their two daughters, Adelaide and Justina, live with them. Their sons, John and Harold, work in the gold mines at South Porcupine, Ontario.

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Here also live Mr. and Mrs. John Beth, their daughter, Mrs. Anna Markwart, who has a child, and Hilda, and their son John. We had a doctrinal class on Saturday night; on Sunday morning a sermon and the Holy Supper; and three advertized lectures: Sunday night, "The New Church, its Origin and Doctrines" Monday night, "The Life After Death"; and Tuesday night, "Marriage." There were 20 at the Sunday service, including Mrs. Klippenstein of California Wilfrid and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Nichols (Wilfrid's sister), who staved for the afternoon. Mr. Heilman and I talked on many subjects, especially about the Church and New Church education, and I read several papers to the Hamm family. We also met the Rev. Mr. Peters, the Convention minister here, and had a three-hour's talk with him. We had intended going to Choiceland to visit Mr. William Kornelsen, but he wrote advising us against the 143-mile trip north because of the had roads, and said that he would try to meet with us at Rosthern, but he was unable to come.

     Alberta.

     On Wednesday, July 19, we left Rosthern for Edmonton, about 500 miles west. Arriving on Thursday night, we were hospitably entertained by Dr. and Mrs. C. J. Madill. Mrs. Madill was Vera Moran, formerly of Kitchener, and a niece of Mrs. Theodore Bellinger, of Bryn Athyn. On our return to Edmonton on Monday night, August 7, we paid them a second visit, and in their home met Mr. H. J. S. Robinson, and Major and Mrs. F. H. Norbury. Conference people from England but long resident in Canada. The Major knew Bishop Tilson and Bishop Acton when they lived in Liverpool many years ago, and seemed fairly familiar with many of the prominent New Church people of England and America. We had a long talk about the Church and the Doctrines. So far as these people knew, they are the only New Church people in Edmonton, but they had never made any effort to find others. This was their first meeting, but they planned to meet again and to advertise for other readers of the Writings in Edmonton and Alberta.
     On Saturday, July 22, we arrived at the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Johan Lemky, near Gorande Prairie, Alberta. John, Herbert and Arthur live with their parents on a farm of over a thousand acres. John attended the Academy Schools at Bryn Athyn. On Sunday we had a sermon, two confirmations (Herbert, and Katherine, now Mrs. Cyril Binks), and the Holy Supper was administered. The congregation of 18 included: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Mackey (Anna Lemky) and their child: Mr. and Mrs. Jean Gaboury (Mary Lemky) and their five children; Mr. and Mrs. Binks (Katherine Lemky) and their child; and Walter Lemky, whose wife was away. We had interesting talks in the afternoon and evening, and I had a class with the children, showing them Bible pictures and telling them something about the New Church. But so little can be done in one class, and in one day Another married son Edward, was unable to be present, because of the distance at which he lives, but we visited him later.

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     On Monday, July 24, we went to Sexsmith and stayed over night with the Mackeys, who took us over to the Gabourys, where we had supper and a good talk about the Church. These members of the Lemky family live from twenty to forty miles apart, and the roads are very bad after rains. We had arrived in that district after a four days' rain, during which seven inches had fallen; so we were hampered by bad roads. But we much enjoyed our visits with these people, and regretted that we could not stay longer in the district. Indeed, we felt the same at every place we visited.

     British Columbia.

     On Tuesday we pushed on into the Peace River District, arriving first at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where live Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Marshall Miller on a farm of about 1500 acres. Mrs. Miller was Viola Evens, a sister of Nelson and William Evens of Alberta, and of John Evens of Kitchener. She had been to Bryn Athyn, and treasures many happy recollections of the time. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were very hospitable, and their children, of whom four, Leona, Marjorie, Thelma, and Billy, were at home, were jolly companions. Edna and Clarence, the two oldest, were away, holding down jobs. We pitched our tent here, and made it our headquarters for a week. With the car free from luggage, we first visited the Erdman Heinrichs at Pouce Coupe. In fact, on our way to Dawson Creek we stopped at the Heinrichs and met some of the children-Betty. Fred, Stephen, Erdman, and Clarinda,-but John and Anna were away with their parents. Mrs. Heinrichs was Lena Hamm. On our second visit we met the whole family. Mr. Heilman and I had classes with the children on two days.
     From the Millers' farm w-e drove northwest to Progress, and surprised the Starkeys and Hawleys by arriving sooner than expected. Looking for the Starkeys, we met a Mr. and Mrs. Mudiman and their three children, Ruth. Joyce, and David. We had lunch with them, and a very pleasant visit. It was our first taste of canned moose meat. We gave them a brief account of the Heavenly Doctrines and of the New Church, and left some books to read. They know the Starkeys and Hawleys, and we hope they will become interested in the New Church. Mr. Heilman paid them two other visits.
     On Sunday a service was held at the Miller home. Mr. Miller brought the whole Heinrich family, and Mr. Heilman the Starkeys. There was an attendance of 26 at the service. The Holy Supper was administered, and the sacrament of Baptism was performed for three Heinrich children, Erdman, Stephen, and Clarinda, two Starkey children, Charles and John, and William Stanley Miller. But Stephanie, Alethe, and David Starkey must not be left out of this account.
     After a good chicken dinner, which we all had together, I had a class with the children, and I also read a paper to the adults. A social time and games followed, and some of the men tried to beat Mr. Heilman at checkers and chess! But the very pleasant day was ended all too soon by a threatening storm, which drove the Heinrichs and Starkeys home much earlier than they wanted to go.

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Mr. Miller returned safely that night, having had the shortest distance to go, though the biggest load; but the rain made Mr. Heilman's return impossible. Fortunately he was able to make the Hawleys' farm, and spent the night there. He returned to the Millers' about one o'clock the next day, and as the weather was still threatening, we quickly pulled up stakes, packed our car, and moved on to Progress, where we were to stay until Friday.
     We were reluctant to leave the hospitable Millers, but also wanted to visit the Starkeys and Hawleys. We had gone only a few miles, just over the divide, when the heavy rains marooned us on the road for five hours, and made our journey to Progress about the hardest of the whole trip. About ten o'clock that night, however, we arrived at the Hawleys, and there stayed until Friday. We had intended pitching our tent on the Starkeys' farm, so as to have a good visit with Healdon and Gladys (Brown) Starkey and their lovely children, but the danger of being marooned there for weeks was too great to risk. We could walk the three miles between the Hawleys and the Starkeys, but could not always drive over the roads. However, we visited the Starkeys on Wednesday and Thursday, spending most of each day and Wednesday evening with them. It was a real pleasure teaching their children, and talking with their parents about Toronto, Glenview, and Bryn Athyn, as well as about the Church and the Doctrines. We also very much enjoyed our visits with Mr. and Mrs. Hawley (Ted, and Laurina, a Doering from Kitchener). In their comfortable home we met Mrs. Steel (Jean), a young woman who became much interested in the Doctrines.

     Return Journey.

     Friday arrived all too soon. We had reached our farthest northwest point, and had to begin our homeward journey. On Saturday, August 5, we arrived again at the Johan Lemky farm in Alberta. Unloading the car, we drove Mrs. Lemky to visit Mr. and Mrs. Binks and Mr. and Mrs. Mackey. We had planned to hold a service on Sunday at the Edward Lemky farm, forty miles east, the Johan Lemkys and Mackeys to bring as much as their ears would carry; but the Lemky ear had broken down, and the Mackeys were prevented from making the trip. So early Sunday morning, Mr. Heilman and I, with John Lemky as guide and representative of the family, drove to the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lemky at Crooked Creek. After some adventures, real hard work, and a few other incidents which lack of space prevents telling, we finally arrived at Edward's house, in his wagon! There we had a service, a baptism (that of Loraine Winifred Lemky, aged 6), and the Holy Supper was administered. After a delicious dinner, which had been prepared for fifteen, we had to break off our all-too-short visit with these interesting people, in order that we might reach Edmonton, about 400 miles away, the next night.
     It was never the distance alone that made us pressed for time, but the distance over terrible roads. Late that night we arrived at Slave Lake, after driving over impossible roads, sometimes at two miles an hour! The next day we fared better, and with the pleasant company of Miss Charlotte Curtice, a young lady who had nursed in the hospital at High Prairie for a year, and wanted a lift to her home at Innisfail, and whom we hope we interested in the New Church, we arrived in Edmonton at six o'clock in time to enjoy a delicious dinner at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Madihl.

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     The next div we drove to High Rixer, and I spent three pleasant hours that evening with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gilbert (Annie Peppler from Kitehener aud Mr. Joe Hill, brother of the late Ed Hill of Kitchener.
     On Wednesday, August 9, Mr. Heilman took the car and went to Banif. I went from Calgary to Hanna, where I had an appointment with Mr. James Fuller of Endlang. Mr. Fuller had advised against our driving to Endlang, and said that, weather permitting, he would come to Hanna. But the rains prevented him, and we did not meet.
     Mr. Heilman picked me up at Hanna on Thursday, and that evening we arrived at Oyen, where live Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evens and their son, Norman, now in Bryn Athvn. Mr. and Mrs. William Evens live at Benton, about two miles from Nelson Evens. More accurately, their farms are two miles apart; for Oyen and Benton are villages or towns much farther apart. Both Nelson and William have large farms. William has ten children, but only Leslie (now in Bryn Athyn), William, Margaret. Theodore, and Beatrice were at home. Rita and Irene live in Bryn Athyn. Mabel worked about twenty miles away. We stayed with the Nelson Evens, who were very cordial and did everything to make us comfortable. William Evens and the children came over in the evening, and we talked until nearly midnight. On Friday we had a service and the Holy Supper, and Mabel was confirmed. I also had classes with the children, and Mr. Heilman had a long talk with the adults. The two families were together for the day and evening, and we had a very enjoyable time. Also, that night we witnessed a remarkable display of the northern lights.
     Again our visit was too short for ourselves and our hosts. In spite of persuasive arguments to remain longer, we had to continue our journey on Saturday morning to keep an appointment at Secretan. There we expected to find Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich Loeppky, old members of the General Church. But Mr. Loeppky had passed into the other world two years before. But we met Mrs. Loeppky and her sons and daughters and grandchildren.
     We had expected to find Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Loeppky at home, but as we did not arrive until about nine in the evening, they had given up waiting for us, and had gone to town. We sat in the car and waited for them until after midnight, when they returned and were surprised to see us. It was too late to pitch our tent. So Mr. Heilman slept in the car, and I in the school house. Early next morning, Mr. Julitis Loeppky notified as many of the public as he could of a meeting for 2.30 p.m. in the school house. Eleven adults and five children came. They listened to Mr. Heilman and me with very evident interest. The grandmother, Mrs. Heinrich Loeppky, is a member of the General Church. Later, by invitation, we visited several of the families in their homes. They live within a radius of five miles from the school house. The families we met were: Mrs. Heinrich Loeppky, who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Loeppky, with whom, also, Julius lives; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Loeppky, who have ten children;

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Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rempel; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rempel, who have nine children; and Mr. and Mrs. Record; in all, twelve adults and nineteen minors, though I believe some of those I call children are adults. I did not get their ages. All these people were very cordial, more especially after the meeting. We were sorry not to be able to spend several days with them.
     On Monday we visited Mrs. George Pagon at Davidson. She was Laura Schnarr of Kitchener, Dr. Robert Schnarr's sister. We met only two of her children, both adults.
     On Tuesday we arrived at Regina for our last appointment, which was with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Roschman. On Wednesday, August 16, we spent a very pleasant day with Mrs. Roschman, and Fred arrived in time for dinner and a long evening. Originally from Kitchener. Fred was another of the old Academy pupils we met on this long trip. Naturally we had much to talk about, he and his wife being interested in all they could hear about Bryn Athyn, Kitchener, and the growth of the General Church.
     Our work was finished. On Thursday we headed for Silver Lake, Minnesota, where we spent Friday night with the Carpenters. On Saturday at midnight we arrived at Glenview, gave an account of our trip on Sunday night, and left on Monday morning for the Geoffrey Childs' summer home north of Saginaw, and in the evening gave them an account of our experiences.
     We returned to Toronto on Tuesday, August 22, and Mr. Heilman left the same evening for Pittsburgh, arriving at his home in Bryn Athyn on Saturday, after a two months' absence and a trip of upwards of nine thousand miles.
     We had met 113 adults noel 92 minors, not all of them baptized. About half of the adults were members of the General Church. But all seemed delighted to see us and reluctant to have us depart. I believe that we left with all of them a better knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines, of the New Church, and of the General Church, than they previously had. We renewed some old friendships and made many new ones.
     Mr. Heilman is a fine traveling companion and an excellent missionary. He is able to get his message across clearly, probably because he always speaks from his heart. On our return journey to Toronto, talking the whole trip over, we agreed that it had been well worth-while, to ourselves and, we trust, to those whom we had visited. We agreed that someone should visit these people every year. We would like to go over the same trail again next year, and our experiences of 1939 would help us greatly in the work. Many of the people asked us to come again next year. But whether our isolated members in the Canadian Northwest are visited in 1940 or not, let us not forget them, for they need our leadership, instruction, and encouragement.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     BRYN ATHYN.

     The solemnities and joys of the Advent season were experienced by our members in full measure, and there were many public and private gatherings. The sphere of Christmas this year was marked by a sense of gratitude for our national security and peace, mingled with feelings of profound sympathy for our less fortunate brethren in other lands.
     The service in the cathedral on Sunday, December 17, proved to be a significant preparation for our Christmas observance. The congregational singing was in celebration of the Lord's Coming, and the sermon by the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen explained the text, "Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall He come forth Who is to be Ruler in Israel" (Micah 5: 2), bringing from the treasures of the Heavenly Doctrine many teachings on the deeper significance of the Advent.
     On Friday evening, December 22, at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn, old and young assembled in the hospitable atmosphere of the great hall at Glencairn for an evening of Christmas music. To the accompaniment of the Bryn Athyn Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Frank Bostock, all joined in singing the well-loved hymns. The Whittington Chorus contributed several beautiful choral numbers, and the school children sang very sweetly in a group. In addition, we were privileged to listen to many lovely selections on wind instruments played by an ensemble of five members of the Philadelphia Orchestra with sonority and perfection.
     The Quarterly Sacramental Service was held on Sunday, December 24, and in the afternoon the Children's Christmas Service was attended by nearly all in the society, including babes in arms-a congregation of 774 persons. The solemn procession of the children and their singing of the Christmas songs, the Bishop's address to them, and the special music by the Whittington Chorus, made of this an impressive and uplifting event. In the choir hall, after the service, the Nativity scenes were depicted in a number of beautiful Tableaux, which had been prepared under the direction of the Rev. Vincent Odhner.
     On Christmas Day, a special service for adults featured special music in celebration of the Advent, and Bishop Acton delivered a sermon on the text of Luke 1: 35, concerning the Holy Spirit which overshadowed the virgin mother, the discourse treating of the interior aspects of the Lord's conception, birth and glorification.
     Before the holidays, on December 21, the Elementary School staged a play in the Assembly Hall. It was entitled "Rumpelstilzkin," and two performances were given, the audiences being delighted with the charming atmosphere of childhood which pervaded the play.
     A Service of Praise on Sunday evening. December 31, marked the end of the year with appropriate music and a sermon by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner on the text of Habakkuk 3: 2,-"O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." The exposition emphasized the need of looking to the Lord in a peaceful elevation of the mind above the temporal conditions if the world, especially when going to Him in our reading of the Writings.

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     Toward midnight the members came together in the Assembly Hall to welcome the New Year. This was done in a varied program under the auspices of the Civic and Social Club, with much gaiety and dancing which lasted well into January First, 1940.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     The festivities of the joyous Christmas season began this year with the Tableaux presented on the evening of Sunday, December 17. The eagerness with which these pictures are received each year was evidenced by the large group of children and adults who came to see and sing with joyousness of spirit. Stories from the Old and New Testaments were simply but beautifully portrayed in living pictures, representing: Moses and the Tables of Stone; Elisha and Elijah; The Adoration of the Wise Men; The Wise Men and Herod; and the Nativity.
     The Christmas Day Service proved to be a fitting celebration of the Lord's Birth upon earth, and the simple chancel decoration with its inscription of "Peace on Earth" and "Glory to God" contained in essence the purpose for which we had assembled.
     The following Thursday, twenty children gathered for a Christmas Party at the church, and had a good time playing games and feasting on ice cream and biscuits, not to mention very large lollipops.
     As New Year's Eve came on a Sunday this year, there was no social event at the church, but the arrival of the New Year was celebrated by little groups of our members.
     The society was given quite a treat early in December, when a "theatre night " was presented by Mr. Archie Swan and assistants. The programme consisted of a very well acted play, entitled "Confession," the showing of the Longstaff marionettes in an excellent portrayal of Kipling's "The Cat who Walked Alone," and a monologue by Mr. Swan on " Scrooge." Carol singing by a group of young songsters in dainty gowns, and a group of songs by Mrs. Orchard, completed an excellent evening's entertainment, the proceeds of which were devoted to the uses of Theta Alpha.
                         M. S. P.

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     November 1, 1939-For two months, South Africa has been at war. Fortunately for us, we are far removed from the actual scene of the conflict, and the work of the society has not been interrupted, as it has been with the societies in England. So far, only one member of the Durban Society has been called to active service-Mr. Horace Braby, a Second Lieutenant in the South African Air Force-and he is stationed in Durban. Our thoughts are with him for success and the very best of luck.
     We know that war is a permission of Providence, the purpose of which is that the evils of men may conic forth and be seen, and not remain hidden behind the shell of purely natural good. It is our prayer that by this war we may be led to see the evils, not only of our worldly enemies, but especially those of our spiritual enemies, who endeavor to rule in our hearts.
     At a special meeting of the Durban Society on August 9, the Revised Liturgy was discussed, and it was unanimously agreed to adopt it for our worship. It will probably be some time before it is actually put into use, as the present rate of exchange is decidedly not in our favor.
     Mrs. Kenneth Ridgway and family arrived in Durban on September 12. It is delightful to have them with us again after their long absence in America, and we hope they will be very happy here. On the following evening, after doctrinal class Mr. Odhner extended to Mrs. Ridgway a warm and affectionate welcome tin behalf of the society. Mrs. Ridgway then responded, thanking the members for their warm welcome, and saying how glad she was to be with us again.

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She went on to tell us about many of our friends over seas, which was most interesting and delightful.
     Outstanding among the events of the last three months was a Buffet Banquet given at the Hall by the Durban Chapter of the Sons of the Academy, to which the members of the society were invited. Small tables were arranged around the room, and after all had helped themselves to the supper which had been laid upon a large table in the middle, they found congenial places at the small tables.
     Mr. Elphick, as toastmaster, first proposed a toast to the "Church," saying: "In this world, the highest and most universal neighbor, next to heaven and the Lord, is the Church. We therefore toast the New Church, which is the New Dispensation of the Lord's government, prophesied in the Scriptures and openly revealed to men in the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem." Following the toast to the Church and one to the King, Mr. Elphick introduced the speaker of the evening, Mr. Melville Ridgway, President of the Durban Chapter of the Sons of the Academy. His paper on "Womanhood" was an inspiring and excellent treatment of the subject, and brought many to their feet who thanked the speaker and also emphasized many of the outstanding points in the paper and contributed other thoughts on the subject. Other toasts followed, and one to Mrs. Kenneth Ridgway was proposed, and she responded very readily by singing several songs. The evening ended in a happy sphere, and all agreed that it was a success and a credit to the Sons.
     Mr. Elphick conducted the Children's and Adult services on Sunday, October 21, Mr. and Mrs. Odhner being in Bulwer on Mission work. Our pastor has recently concluded a very interesting series of Wednesday evening classes on the "Principles of the Academy."
     Mrs. Lowe entertained the women of the society at a tea at her home, in honor of Mrs. Rouillard who is a visitor from Mauritius.
     Mrs. Mildred Rogers left on Saturday, September 30, for a six months' visit with Mr. and Mrs. Richards in the Free State. She will he missed by all, not only for her friendship, but for her great interest and activity in all things of the Church. We will look forward to her return.
     On Friday, October 27, an educational Bioscope evening was held in the Hall for the benefit of the school children, under the auspices of the Theta Alpha chapter, and Mr. W. Schuurman is to be thanked for the cooperation accorded Theta Alpha on that occasion.
     Mr. and Mrs. Schuurman are being congratulated on the birth of a daughter, born October 26, 1939.
                         B. R. F.

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     The bazaar held by Sharon Church early in November was a greater success than expected, the fancy work, baked goods and turkey supper yielding a handsome profit.
     In that month, also, Mr. Rich inaugurated a Mens' Assembly, the object of which is to study such subjects as the Principles of the Academy, Swedenborg's Philosophical Works, articles from New Church Life, and such others as may he of interest. It was agreed not to have a meeting in December, but we are looking forward to the one in January.
     Church services, Friday suppers, doctrinal classes and the Young People's Class continue to be well attended.
     Christmas was celebrated on Sunday morning, December 24, with a combined adult and children's service, the discourse bringing out how the cold and darkness of the night in which the Lord was born corresponded to the evil and falsity from which He came to save men. A completely new Representation of the Nativity was placed at the side of the chancel, and delighted everyone. A special feature of the celebration was the presentation of a Scholarship Card and Stamp to each child. From under a Christmas tree each also received a red cellophane stocking full of fruit and candy and a paper party-cap.

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     At the buffet lunch which followed the service, the engagement of Miss Joan Dennis to Mr. Roland Anderson was announced.
     On Sunday, January 7, the Rev. Morley Rich will exchange pulpits with the Rev. Gilbert Smith, who will administer the Holy Supper at Sharon Church.
     D. M. F.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     During the month of December the pastor gave a series of three informative and appropriate doctrinal classes on the subject of the Messianic Prophecies.
     The Day School Christmas party was held in Miss Jennie Gaskill's apartment on Saturday afternoon, December 23. This was a delightful occasion, and gave the children an opportunity to exchange gifts.
     The Holy Supper was administered on Sunday, December 24. In the afternoon, the Children's Festival began with a special service in the church, at the conclusion of which all adjourned to view the three tableaux depicting Nativity scenes, again under the able direction of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jansen. The "gifts committee" concentrated upon a victrola for use in the school and a small remembrance to each child. The buildings were tastefully and seasonally decorated.
     A new departure was a group of carolers, consisting of the choir and those who wished to join them in singing. On Christmas eve this group traveled among the homes of the society, and it was delightful to listeners and singers alike. A service of worship was held in the church on the morning of Christmas Day.
     Many enjoyed the Holiday Dance on December 29, sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Marlin W. Heilman, Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Lindsay, and Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Horigan. Miss Eleanor Ebert's dancing class was invited, and their lightheartedness added much to the enjoyment of the affair for all.
     We were happy to have the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt with us during the holidays. He conducted services on December 31 and January 7.
     It was with pleasure that the Pittsburgh Chapter of Theta Alpha welcomed Miss Margaret Bostock, president of Theta Alpha. She met the members of the Chapter at a tea given at the home of the Misses Jean and Madeline Horigan on January 7.
     Theta Alpha's plans for the 1940 General Assembly were discussed, and are now under way. We sincerely hope that many will attend the Assembly.
     In the passing of Dr. William Cowley we have parted from a good friend and devoted member of many years. We would express also our high regard and esteem for Mr. Harold Thorpe Carswell, and our sympathy for Mrs. Carswell and the family in their bereavement. His talented part in the designing and construction of our church and school buildings will always be gratefully remembered.
     E. R. D.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.
     
     Our Christmas service was heldon Sunday, December 17, on the occasion of a regular visit of our pastor, the Rev. Norman Reuter. It was devoted mainly to the children, and served to prolong the festive season for them. They showed their appreciation by turning out in full force and taking part enthusiastically, both in the service itself, and in the exercises, which followed. A committee had been given charge of providing and preparing the meal, and this proved to be a big improvement over the usual family-picnic-basket affair to which we had become accustomed. The tables were appropriately decorated and formed a square around a Christmas tree, under which were many fancy packages, which later proved to be gifts for the children, with an extra one from the group to our pastor. The luncheon was paid for by a small assessment upon each adult member, and this also provided help to wash the dishes afterwards, leading some of us to wonder why this plan had not been thought of before.

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The excellent work of an energetic committee of our ladies must also he mentioned, as having much to do with the success of this undertaking. We thank you, ladies!
     A special and highly pleasing feature of our Christmas service was the baptism of Mr. Leo Robert Bradin. This young man has been a regular attendant at our services for a long time, and we had been hoping to have him take the step, which would bring him more closely into association with us. We sincerely trust that his coming into the church will mean as much to him in satisfaction and happiness as his addition to our group means to us. Brother Leo, we salute you!
     Mr. and Mrs. William F. Cook have issued invitations to the marriage of their daughter, Freda May, to Mr. Leo Robert Bradin. The wedding will take place on Saturday. February tenth, at 8:30 p.m. The Rev. Norman Reuter will come to Detroit to officiate, and will remain over Sunday for a service.
     We are more than pleased to announce that Freda and Leo are to establish their home in Detroit, and will continue to be active and very popular members of our group. Already we hear of their plans for entertaining the group in their own home, to which event we shall all look forward with the greatest pleasure.
     W. W. W.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     November and December have been busy months with us: Friday Suppers-School Committee Meetings-Pastor's Council and Board of Finance meetings-Women's Guild-Sons of the Academy-Mr. Rich's weekly Young People's Classes-Mr. G. A. McQueen's "Life" meetings-all are in full swing.
     At the December Sons' meeting, Warren Reuter and Russell Stevens reviewed the data they had received from Bryn Athyn in connection with the Boys' Club, which, under the able management of Mr. Harry Walter, has been so useful. It b our intention to form such a club in Glenview.
     The Park lake has afforded perfect skating during the last two weeks- without an ounce of snow to be cleared away
     The Christmas season-as always-was a time of rejoicing and merriment. On December 23, Mrs. Alvin Nelson repeated her delightful custom of opening her home to all who wish to come and sing Christmas carols. The large rooms were crowded to overflowing, and, after a good sing, refreshments were served, consisting of Christmas cookies and toffee. On Christmas Eve some fifty carolers strolled around the Park, singing at the various homes-a custom we all appreciate so much.
     The Christmas service was, if possible, more impressive than ever. The Representation, which fills the stage of our parish hall, was beautiful. Counting the babies, there were 275 in the congregation among them being many visitors.
     The children had a Christmas Party on December 30, and were entertained with two plays by the young people. Many children received Sons of the Academy Savings Stamps as Christmas presents, and this seems to have had the effect of bringing to their minds the "realness" of New Church education.
The New Year's Party was another delightful occasion. After a service of singing by the choir and appropriate readings by the pastor, we adjourned to the parish hall to partake of a buffet supper, followed by dancing and other forms of amusement.
     On Sunday, January 7, our pastor officiated at Sharon Church, Chicago, and the Rev. Morley Rich conducted our service, preaching a sermon on Prayer and Thanksgiving."
     No report would be complete without one or two quotations from the sermons we are privileged to hear every Sunday. The first is from a discourse on the text, "And they shall know that I am Jehovah thy God who brought thee out from the land of Egypt." (Exodus 29: 46.)

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     Let us not be so deeply engrossed in the things of the world-not even in matters of businesess-that our minds cannot dwell without embarrassment upon those objects of thought which only the light of heaven can reveal." "There is a time to go down into Egypt, and a time to come up out of it again, and to enter into the Holy Land-a time to go down in childhood and youth, and a time to come up when adult life is reached. But because this coming out of Egypt is attended with some effort and some hardship, many prefer to remain there, or to return to that land after having come some way out of it."
     From the sermon of December 31, the text of which was, "In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." we quote:
     "But the baptism of John represented obedience, first to the fundamental and introductory truths of the Word-which is to believe in the Lord as the sole Divinity, and to fight against all covetousness and avarice, and all things unclean which enter the thought of the natural mind and cause delight there. May the Lord grant that we may succeed in this, and so dispose our external lives that the kingdom of heaven may be at hand, and that our internal minds may he inspired by that second baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. Grant that we may he inspired to the works of an internal repentance, and never be false to the truth of our Heavenly Doctrine! There is no finer hope than this for the coming year. The happiness of the kingdom of heaven, which is at hand, depends upon the way in which we ultimate in outward life the truth we know from the Word. It is our highest privilege to help in the promotion of the kingdom of heaven in the natural world."
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     KITCHENER, ONT.

     Our Christmas program began with the showing of Tableaux on Sunday evening, December 17. There were eight scenes with choir singing during some of the numbers.
     The Christmas Festival Service was held on Sunday evening, December 24. The chancel looked lovely with evergreens and plants, and on either side of the chancel were placed Representations of the Christmas Story. This service, though especially arranged for the children, is always a most enjoyable one for us all. At the close of the service the children were presented with packages of nuts and fruit.
     A service was held on Christmas morning in celebration of the Lord's Advent, and was both beautiful and impressive. The Sacrament of the Holy Supper was administered on Sunday, December 31.
     In the evening we gathered to speed the departing year and welcome the New Year. The early part of the evening was informal, but we had the pleasure of hearing some very fine orchestral music, A buffet lunch was served shortly after eleven, so that by midnight we were ready to usher in the New Year, and this was done quite noisily. Following this we danced until after three in the morning.
     We hear rumors of quite a few happy gatherings and parties during the holiday season, and the young folks were glad to get in some skating on the school rink.
     D. K.

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ALL THE YEAR ROUND 1940

ALL THE YEAR ROUND              1940




     Announcements



     VOLUME VII, the 1940 Edition of Daily Readings from the Word and the Writings. Pocket size, 398 pages, printed on Bible paper, cloth binding, 60 cents.
     The Academy Book Room,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.
WALK TO EMMAUS 1940

WALK TO EMMAUS       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
MARCH, 1940
No. 3
     AN EASTER TALK TO CHILDREN.

     Jesus had been crucified. His body had been laid in the tomb. And His disciples wept in sorrow. They were filled with sadness. All their hopes had died with Him, and they knew not what to do or what to think. The Lord had taught them wonderful things about Himself. He had told them that He was a King who would establish His heavenly kingdom on earth, that He was the Son of God who had come to save His people. And when the Lord had been falsely accused by evil men, and had been sentenced to death. His followers believed that this could not happen, that somehow He would save Himself from death, and would win a great victory over His enemies. Yet they saw Him led away to death, and knew that His body had been laid in the sepulchre, which had been sealed with a great stone and guarded by soldiers. So they were stunned to think that such things could have happened after all.
     When, therefore, on the first Easter morning, they heard the wonderful news that the Lord had risen, you would think that their sorrow would be turned into joy, but it was not so. Later on, when the Lord had actually appeared to them, and they saw with their own eyes that He was not dead, but alive for evermore, they were exceedingly glad. But at first the news seemed only to make matters worse.

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The disciples still thought that the body which had been laid in the tomb was the Lord. And when they heard that the tomb was empty, they thought that their Lord had been taken away, and they knew not where to find Him. They had forgotten the Lord's promise that He would rise again on the third day, because they did not understand it. And they were filled with despair. Yet life must go on, no matter how unhappy we may be. Sad as they were, the disciples could not spend all their time weeping. They had to rouse themselves and attend to the duties of everyday life.
     Now it came to pass, sometime during that first Easter Day, that two of the Lord's followers who were not of the Twelve Disciples set out on a journey. They left the city of Jerusalem to walk to a village called Emmaus, which was about eight miles away, and on that walk something very wonderful happened to them.
     As they walked along the road together, they naturally began to talk about the things that were uppermost in their minds-the dreadful things that had taken place since Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane. And as they were opening their hearts to each other, a stranger drew near and went with them. This stranger was the Lord Himself, risen from the dead and alive for evermore, but the two disciples did not know Him. The Lord asked them what they were talking about, and why they were so sad. And they, thinking that He must be a stranger who had not heard about the terrible things that had come to pass in Jerusalem, began to tell Him. And one of the two, whose name was Cleopas, told about the crucifixion of Jesus, and the news about the empty tomb, and about the end of all their hopes for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise.
     Very gently the Lord rebuked them for their unbelief. And then He explained to them all the things that had been written about Him by Moses and the prophets, showing them that the events which had made them so sad were not the end, but the beginning of new and better things, and that it was necessary that Christ should suffer death and burial, in order that He might rise again in glory, and be with them forever. The two disciples listened attentively, but they did not know that it was the Lord Himself who was telling them these things. They thought He was another man like themselves.

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     Now when the three came to the village of Emmaus, the Lord made as if He would go farther, but they urged Him to stay with them as it was evening. And the Lord did so. Then, as they sat together at meat, a wonderful thing happened. The Lord took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them-the very thing He had done before when feeding the multitude and at the Holy Supper. And the eyes of the two disciples were opened, and they knew Him. They knew Him for the very Lord they had believed to be dead. And suddenly He vanished from their sight. Then the two disciples remembered how their hearts had burned within them as He had talked with them on the journey. And the same hour they returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven disciples, who told them that the Lord was risen indeed, and had appeared to Simon.
     This story of what took place on the road to Emmaus on that first Easter Day is a parable, and tells about something that happens in the mind of everyone who loves the Lord and follows Him, and is taught by Him as a disciple. As children, you have in your minds a picture of the Lord whom you love with all your hearts, and you hope and believe that the Lord as you see Him will stay with you all your lives,-that He will build His kingdom in your hearts, and save you. But there will be times when this vision of the Lord will be taken away from you, and you will feel that He is not with you any more. That will not be because He has left you, but because you have left Him, by thinking and doing wrong things. It will seem to you that the Lord has disappeared, just as the sun is hidden by dark clouds, though you know that the sun is there all the time. So it was that wicked men put Jesus to death, and took Him away from His disciples. Yet they did not really take Him away; for He rose from the dead, and appeared to His disciples in His glory, and made Himself known to them as their living Savior. And so it will he with you, when the Lord seems to be taken away from you. He will come again, and you will see Him as before.
     And there is something more. If the Lord is to set up His kingdom in you, and save you, it will be necessary for you to learn more and more about Him, and then you will have another picture of Him in your minds, a better vision than ever before. You will go to His Word, and to His Heavenly Doctrine, seeking to find new things about the Lord you have known and loved, and there you will learn new ideas about Him; and if you follow Him in your life, He will manifest Himself to you in an ever more beautiful vision.

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     When, at times, it seems to you that your Lord has been taken away, and that you know not where to find Him, you must not give up in despair. The Lord will still be with you, even if you cannot see Him. He will seem to have gone away for a time e, but afterwards He will give you a new and better picture of Himself-one that will stay with you always and save you. And He will prepare you to see that picture without your knowing it. If you truly love Him, He will lead you to read and study His Word, and to learn from the teaching of the church. It will seem to you that you are teaching yourselves, or that you are being taught by other men; but it will really be the Lord who is teaching you.
     Then, when you have learned more and more truth about the Lord, and about His heavenly kingdom. He will lead you to do what the truth teaches. He will take of His own good and give it to you,-will break bread, and give it to you; and in the breaking of bread, in the doing of good from the Lord, He will be made known to you, as He was made known to the two disciples at Emmaus. You will see Him again, and know Him, and your hearts will be filled with gladness.
     And though He may again vanish from your sight, you will never forget that wonderful vision of the Lord which you have seen in the truth of His Word. It will stay with you always, and you will love the Lord so much that you will want to live the rest of your lives in such a way that you may come into heaven, where the angels always see the Lord before them.
LESSONS:     Luke 24: 1-35.
MUSIC:     Hymnal, pages 127-132. Revised Liturgy, pages 544-557.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. C 4, C 10.

101


GLORIFICATION AND REGENERATION 1940

GLORIFICATION AND REGENERATION       Rev. W. B. CALDWELL       1940

     "Power over the Nations."

     "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces; even as I received of my Father." (Revelation 2: 26, 27.)

     The message to the angel of the church in Thyatira, in its spiritual sense is addressed to the man of the New Church who is in faith from charity, and thence in good works, and also to the man who is in faith separate from charity and in evil works. (A. R. 124.) In the closing words of that message, which form our text, a promise is given that the man who overcomes evil, and abides in good. will be given a certain power,-power to "rule the nations with a rod of iron,"-a power given by the Lord even as He received of His Father-given in the life of regeneration as an image of the Lord's glorification.
     The words are spoken by "the Son of God, who hath His eves like unto a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass" (v. 18),-the Divine Human of the Lord, whose Divine Wisdom of His Divine Love is signified by the "eyes like unto a flame of fire." and whose Divine Natural Good is meant by the "feet like fine brass." (A. R. 49, 126.) The Divine Truth of that Good and its power are symbolized by the iron rod in the text. For brass signifies natural good, and iron natural truth.
     It is the Lord in His Divine Natural, which He glorified by combat and victory in the world, who here promises the regenerate man the power of the iron rod,-the power of truth from good in the natural, "even as He received of His Father." As the Lord, by glorification, put on a Divine Natural from the Divine in Himself, in which Divine Natural He has all power over hell, so He gifts the regenerate man with a new natural, born from the spiritual by victory in temptation, and endowed with power over the "nations" of evil in the natural man,-the power of the spiritual man over the natural with those who are in faith from charity and thence in good works,-power to "rule the nations with a rod of iron."

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     In the Word, "nations" represent goods, because each nation in the Ancient Church was in a specific form of good, which was distinct from that of other nations. But when those nations declined into evils, and when, as recorded in the Scriptures, they became the enemies of the Children of Israel, they represented the evils of hell attacking the spiritual church. As long as the Israelites were obedient to the Divine commands, they were given the victory over these enemies,-" power over the nations." For so the spiritual church has power in the world, and indeed sustains the human race as the heart and lungs sustain the body. So the spiritual in man has power over the natural, and sustains the natural. So the Divine of the Lord sustained Him in His combats against the hells of those ancient nations, and gave Him victory and all power in His Divine Human,-a power and virtue now imparted to the man of the church who "keeps His works unto the end," who overcometh in the Lord's name,- power over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron, even as I have received of my Father."
     The general truth here brought to view is, that man, by victory in spiritual temptation, and by perseverance in the new state of life thus acquired, is given power over his evils. In the peace that then ensues he has an aversion to evil, turning away from it instinctively, and without the effort that he must put forth in temptation combat. By that active resistance in combat the evils of the natural were subdued, scattered, dispersed, rendered powerless, like "the vessels of a potter broken in pieces." The man then enters into a state which is an image of the Lords own victory over the hells, when He glorified His Human, when He conquered all evil and made the Human Divine Good:-when, from the Divine in Himself, He put on the Divine Human by completely putting off the infirm human when, from the Divine Soul-the Father-He put on a Divine Body, -the Son; when, from the Divine Celestial and Spiritual, He put on the Divine Natural, in which He is omnipresent and omnipotent in heaven and on earth, administering all spiritual food and life to angels and men,-leading, teaching, and thus ruling in heaven and the church, and protecting angels and men from the power of hell by the might of His Divine victory.

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     This power the Lord took to Himself in His glorified Human by dissipating all the evils and falsities which He had from the mother, which was fully and finally accomplished after death upon the cross, when the residue of the infirm human was dissipated in the sepulchre, which we may compare with the vessel of a potter broken in pieces." (See A. E. 178: Ath. Cr. 161, 162; Doctrine of the Lord 16:6.)
     In the Prophets, the Lord Himself is compared to a Potter, and the human of man to the clay of the potter's vessel. "But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father: we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand." (Isaiah 64: 8.) With man, therefore, the death of the body is like the destruction of the potter's vessel, when the spirit is raised up. In a spiritual view, it is the breaking of the power of the proprium in the natural, by which man becomes spiritual. For in this sense the vessel of clay made by man is something artificial,-a fiction of the imagination, the conceit of self-intelligence, the falsity of evil;-these things of the proprium being "broken in pieces" in the course of the regenerate life, when the spiritual, with its true intelligence gains the victory over the false intelligence of the natural man.
     In a Divine sense, the breaking of the potter's vessel describes the Lord's putting off of the human taken from the mother, with its heritage of evil from the ancient nations-the complete extermination of everything evil and everything finite therefrom, and the putting on of the Divine Human from the Divine in Himself, the Father, The same is meant by the words of the Psalm: Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. . . . And I will give the nations for Thine inheritance, and Thou shalt crush them with a rod of iron Thou shalt break them in pieces as a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2: 7-9.) And in the words of our text, the reward of the Lord's victory-the power of His Divine Human-is promised the man who conquers in spiritual temptation: He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces; even as I received of my Father."

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     It is most important for the man of the New Church to know how the Lord "received of the Father," how He put on the Divine Human from the Divine in Himself, which is meant by "the Father"; how He put on the Divine Natural from the Divine Celestial and Spiritual or, what is the same, how the Divine Soul and Mind put on a Divine Body; and, how, in the process of glorification, the merely human and finite was altogether put off, and a Divine Human put on by the Divine of the Lord, thus that the Human was formed by and out of the Divine Itself, and from no other source-a Divine Human, possessing all the attributes of Divinity, being Infinite. Life Itself, Divine Substantial, Love Itself and Wisdom Itself, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent. For the Son was given to have life in Himself, even as the Father. (John 5: 26.) "All things that the Father hath are mine," He said. (John 16: 15.)
     This truth it is now given the man of the New Church to comprehend, that he may have interior ground of understanding for his acknowledgment of the Divinity of the Lord-a belief that is almost wholly lost in the Christian world, because men little comprehend how the Lord in the world put off all the material and finite human received from the mother, and put on a Divine Human from the Divine in Himself, the Father, on which account He is God even as to the Human. (L. 35.)
     This, then, is what is involved in the closing phrase of the text, even as I received of my Father." And the power therein promised to the man of the New Church is the omnipotent virtue of the Lord's presence in the Divine Human which He put on by glorification,-His power in the Divine Body then taken to Himself, the Divine Natural which He added or superinduced upon the Divine Celestial and Spiritual, which He had before the Advent (D. L. W. 221),-a power imparted to men by the presence of the glorified Human in the church, and its operation--the gift of the Holy Spirit-received by the regenerate in spiritual life, and thence in natural life. To him that overcometh will I give power, even as I received of my Father." As the Human had this power by union with the Divine, so man has spiritual power by conjunction with the Lord in His Divine Human. (A. R. 222.) For again He said: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." (Rev. 3: 21.)

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     Now the power of the "iron rod" which the Lord took to Himself in the Divine Natural is the power of Divine Natural Truth from Divine Celestial and Spiritual Truth. In an image with man it is the power of natural truth from celestial and spiritual truth; power in the animus and memory from the soul and mind within; the power of genuine natural science from spiritual intelligence and wisdom, a power that inflows from the spiritual mind into the natural,-the power to think and will spiritually, to speak and act naturally in correspondence,-a power to conquer and govern the nations of evil in the natural man, and to set in order the goods and truths there. It is the power of the spiritual sense of the Word in the natural sense of the Word, and in all man's natural thought and knowledge-the power of spiritual and natural rationality together. (A. R. 148.) This, we are told, is what is meant by the iron rod" in the text. Not natural power separate from spiritual power, but natural power from spiritual, with the man of the spiritual church.
     And since this power is now revealed and imparted by the Lord at His Second Coming in His glorified Human, it is communicated by the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, wherein Divine Celestial and Spiritual Truth are given rationally, and Divine Natural Truth naturally in the confirmations from the Letter of the Word and all natural truth. Wherefore, in the Apocalypse, this power is ascribed to the "man child born of the woman," who signifies "truth conceived in the spiritual man and born in the natural, thus the doctrine of the New Church convincing (conquering) by means of truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, and at the same time by rational truths from natural light," on which account it is said that the " man child shall tend (pasture) all nations with a rod of iron." (See A. R. 543, 544.) Moreover, a like thing is said of "Him who sat upon the white horse," by whom is represented the spiritual sense of the Word. Of Him it is said that " out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron." (Rev. 19: 15.)
     And so the "man child" and He that "sat upon the white horse" are one and the same,-the Lord Himself in His Divine Human, Celestial, Spiritual and Natural, manifested at His Second Coming in the power and glory of the internal sense of the Word, revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

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And this power among men, which is to "rule all nations with a rod of iron" is the power of spiritual truth of doctrine rationally seen and loved in the spiritual man, and confirmed in the natural man by the Letter of the Word and all natural truth and experience. It is spiritual truth conceived in the rational and born in the natural, perceived interiorly and confirmed exteriorly,-brought forth in natural thought, knowledge, and act. For all power whatsoever is in ultimates from interiors, thus in the natural from the spiritual with man.
     With the Lord Himself it was all power in the Divine glorified Body, to assume and glorify which He came into the world, that thereafter He might impart it to men in the measure of their reception. It is a power which, after His Second Coming, is to spread abroad in the world and to take hold of all nations, uniting them as no other force can,-the power of the spiritual church, wherein the Lord Himself is received in spiritual faith and love, and thence in natural wisdom and work,-natural power from spiritual, which will first reign in the hearts and minds of men, and thus conquer all nations with the inner force of love and light, against which the powers of evil shall avail nothing, "when the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. 11: 15.)
     Ruling with a rod of iron suggests a government of binding law or material force, which indeed is necessary in dealing with the evil in both worlds, who must be held in bonds by the omnipotence of the Divine Truth, lest they injure the good. But the Divine government in heaven is not by restraint and compulsion, but by influx, inspiration leading and instruction. In this connection, let us note that, while it is said in our text that the man who overcometh is to rule the nations with a rod of iron, it is said of the " man child that he will "feed, or pasture, all nations with a rod of iron." And herein lies a truth of wisdom, which in brief is this that he who feeds also rules; he who sustains also has power; he who provides also governs. The Divine government is the Divine Providence.
     The iron rod, as a symbol of power, may be likened to the kings sceptre, and this in an earlier pastoral form of society was represented by the shepherd's rod and staff. And a shepherd not only protects, leads, and thus governs the sheep, but also pastures and feeds them. In the Word, both functions are ascribed to the rod, as where the prophet said: "O Lord, feed Thy people with Thy rod, the flock of Thine heritage." (Micah 7: 14.)

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And in the Psalm, treating of the Lord as the Shepherd, it is said, "I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies,"-Divine Truth from the Lord sustaining man and protecting him in the presence of his spiritual enemies.
     That man may be protected against evil, he must be sustained by the Lord with spiritual nourishment from the Word, and thus provided with power to resist evil and do good. He must be taught and instructed from the Word, and thus spiritually nourished; and if he would receive power from this instruction, he must think and do the truth, and, as of himself, resist and combat evil. The truth spiritually received must be brought forth in natural act and work, especially in the work of repentance, in actual resistance to evil, that he may gain power over his evil, and receive good from the Lord; that the spiritual man may not only sustain, feed, strengthen, and impart life to the natural, but also rule over it, being the master, and not the servant.
     This, with the individual man, is the power of the iron rod which is to rule over the nations of evil,-a power provided by the Lord alone through spiritual influx and nourishment, and by man's voluntary acceptance. The Lord instructs and leads man by the Word, and thus sustains and governs him, but man in freedom determines how he is to be governed-as a slave if he remains in evil, as a free man if he conquers his evil. For then he is gifted with a new freedom and power by the Lord, to rule as of himself over the evils of his natural with a rod of iron. "To him that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces; even as I received of my Father." Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 63. Matthew 28. A. R. 820.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 536, 612, 659. Revised Liturgy, pages 450, 460, 500; 544-557.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 110, 119.

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WOMANHOOD 1940

WOMANHOOD       R. MELVILLE RIDGWAY       1940

     (Delivered at a meeting of the local chapter of the Sons of the Academy, Durban, Natal, South Africa. 1939.)

     We have chosen this subject as one of especial importance to the men of the New Church, and one in which assuredly we have a deep and affectionate interest.
     It is considered fitting and useful, when gathered together so often, that we should devote our time occasionally to the deliberation of subjects pertaining to our blessings. Tonight, therefore, the one chosen is the nature and value of our women for surely they are rightly numbered among the blessings conferred upon us by the Lord, however modest we may feel in boldly proclaiming it, or perhaps I may say, shy in letting go our true feelings.
     We do not aspire to set forth in this paper any truth which is not generally known in the church, and we only make a small attempt to remind ourselves of the Divine Truths which are taught in the Writings, lest we forget, and to stress the important use which our women serve, and the part they play in our lives, in the hope that we may fully realize what we owe to genuine New Church women.
     The Writings reveal the glorious state of the conjugial,-that ideal for which all regenerating men must strive, and to attain which an essential is a knowledge of the Divine Truths wherein we are taught how to order our lives and control our thoughts, and thus gain a spiritual vision of the heavenly and true state of marriage, whereby, even in this life, we may be rewarded by an inward perception of the relationship of man and woman, husband and wife. Only in this way can we have a genuine appreciation of our women for we owe them much.
     The most complimentary and exalted term we can apply to the other sex is "Woman" or "True Woman." And she is blessed who truly merits that name: for it implies all that is good, pure and honorable in her sex.

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Thus it applies to every woman who lives according to the truths given her by our Lord, whether she be in her use as spinster, wife or mother.
     To all right thinking men the terms woman, wife and mother will always be sacred. To those of the New Church, however, being blessed with the revealed doctrines of conjugial love, these terms involve a depth of arcana whereby they may gain a perception of truth which can uplift them from the merely natural to the spiritual plane, yea, even to the celestial plane,-to the heavenly realms where husbands and wives live in the blissfulness of conjugial love.
     Woman is the mother of all. Mother gave us birth; she tended us from infanthood, fed us, watched over us by day and night, fed our infantile minds by reading to us stories from the Word, nursed us through our indispositions, corrected and chastised us when we did wrong, pleaded with us to shun our childish evils, applauded us when we did what was right. She was our constant companion, to whom we could turn in our little troubles. Her influence has been indelibly impressed upon our minds and memory. A good mother thus faithfully performs that exalted use for which the Lord intended her. She is a true instrument in the hands of a merciful and loving God.
     And all these duties performed by the natural mother are spiritually performed by the church, our spiritual mother-by the affection of truth, from which we obtain love, protection, spiritual healing, and even chastisement. For is not truth a two-edged sword that will hurt the falsities in us? More interior truth, however, is given to the New Church in the Writings; and from the Divine Revelation there given we can gain a further and deeper perception of the spiritual significance of womanhood, wife and mother, and can be elevated thereby far above the natural truth.
     A distinction between "mother" and "woman" is taught in the Writings. In A. C. 3583, we are told that "mother" signifies the affection of spiritual truth, because the church is the mother, and is so called from truth and its affection. And in A. C. 4257 and 5686, we learn that the affection of truth is what makes the church in man. It follows, therefore, that by "mother" is meant the church.

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     As bearing upon the signification of "mother" and "woman," hear the teaching given in C. L. 119, where we read:
     "'There was standing at the cross of Jesus His mother: and Jesus, seeing His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! And He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother! Wherefore from that hour the disciple took her unto his own.' (John 19: 25-27.) By this is meant that the Lord did not acknowledge Mary as mother, but the church; wherefore He calls her woman, and the disciple's mother. The reason why the Lord called her the mother of this disciple, or of John, was that John represented the church as to the goods of charity, which are the church in very effect; and therefore it is said that he took her unto his own."
     A "woman" signifies what is a man's own or his proprium: and we are taught that in Genesis 2: 22, where it is said that God builded the rib into a woman, it signified the man's proprium vivified by the Lord. (A. C. 151.) Again, "That what is a man's own is signified by woman, may be known from the fact that it was the woman who was beguiled; for nothing ever beguiles man but what is his own, or, what is the same, the love of self and the world." (A. C. 152.)
     The Writings further reveal the relative and complementary states of husband and wife in heaven. No Christian denomination can offer to man such beautiful, comforting and encouraging spiritual truths concerning this spiritual relationship. If a man who truly loves his wife has a genuine desire in a repentant state for reformation and regeneration, and consequently seeks the truth concerning the marriage state in heaven, and the necessary preparation for that state in this life, he will find abundant instruction in the Heavenly Doctrines to guide him whither he would wish to go. He will have any former erroneous ideas of the marriage state dispelled. The common idea that, on the death of the natural body of either of the married partners, there is an inevitable and eternal separation, will be replaced by the blessed truth that he and his wife may, in the name of the Lord, so order their lives on earth, by the conjunction of good and truth, that they can enjoy heavenly happiness to a considerable extent in this life, and thereafter in the other life continue to live together as married partners to eternity, becoming more and more united in soul, the more they live in the delight of heavenly uses,-uses which they love, and which are provided for them by the Lord.

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They will no longer be twain, but one flesh. They progress in perfection to eternity, complementary to each other. For are we not taught that the husband is the wisdom of the wife's love, and the wife the love of the husband's wisdom?
     In this heavenly state, husbands and wives together correspond in the highest sense to the Oneness in our Lord-the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. They represent the relationship of the Lord and His Church, and are also a form of the marriage of good and truth in the individual man who regenerates. Love and wisdom are the spiritual offspring of the marriage of good and truth. (C. L. 44:9.) From the marriages of angels in the heavens are generated spiritual offspring, which are those of love and wisdom or good and truth. (C. L. 65.)
     We are also given a true conception of the resurrection. Instead of a sordid belief that we lie in the grave until the day of the Last Judgment, in a moldy and worm-eaten material body-a truly horrible idea,-we are taught that we rise almost immediately after the death of the material body, which is only the casting off of the old garments, and that we then live in a more substantial body, and in a more substantial and infinitely more beautiful world. This is indeed the refreshing truth, and how much more comforting to married partners who desire to share eternal happiness together! It is no myth or idle superstition. It is in verity the only life-the life for which we are created in the Divine purpose of the Lord, and for which it is the Lord's will that we should strive.
     In Conjugial Love, no. 218, an interesting comparison is made between the intelligence of men and women. Attention is drawn to the fact that the intelligence of women, in itself, is modest, refined, pacific, yielding, gentle, and tender; and that the intelligence of men, in itself, is grave, harsh, unyielding, bold, and fond of license. That the natures of women and men differ, is very plain, and can be observed from the body, the countenance, the tone of voice, the speech, the bearing and manners of each. The bodies of men are hard; women's are soft in skin and flesh. This number is very interesting, and contains various comparisons, but time precludes me from citing more of them here.
     Special attention is drawn to the teaching in the Writings concerning the respective functions in life of husband and wife.

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These should be well noted, as they form an important basis upon which the spiritual truth rests. If the world to-day were in an orderly state, these functions would doubtless be observed and allocated in accordance with the Divine Order. We read in C. L. 175:
     "The wife cannot enter into the proper duties of the man, nor the man, on the other hand, into the proper duties of the wife, because they differ as wisdom and its love, or thought and its affection or understanding and its will. In the proper duties of men, the understanding, thought, and wisdom, act the chief part; but in the proper duties of wives the will, affection, and love act the chief part. From these the wife performs her duties, and from those the man performs his. Their duties are therefore different in their nature, but yet conjunctive in a successive series. It is believed by many that women can perform the duties of men, if only they are initiated into them in the same manner as boys, from their earliest age. They can come into the exercise of them, but not into the judgment on which the right performance of duties inwardly depends. For this reason, those women who are initiated into the duties of men are bound in matters of judgment to consult with men; and then, if they are free to choose, they elect that which is favorable to their own love."
     It should be noted, however, that when we are taught that the wife is the love of the husband's wisdom, and the husband the wisdom of the wife's love, this must not be understood to mean that only the husband has wisdom, and only the wife has affection or love, but that these are only relatively their characteristics as complementary to one another in their proper significance as representing the unity of love and wisdom. We have a similar distinction in the significance in the organisms of the human body, whether that of the male or female, wherein they also signify respectively love and wisdom. It is submitted, therefore, that a wife may have profound wisdom, and a husband may have deep affection, but the one predominates, or should predominate, in its proper place in each partner.
     We could discourse for hours on the felicities and bliss of conjugial love, but as this is impracticable, through lack of time, let it suffice to observe that this blessing may be conferred by the Lord upon all who genuinely desire it in their hearts, who turn to the great truths of Divine Revelation, and pray to our Lord for strength really to live them.

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     Men should have a correct and proper perspective as regards those of the other sex, and should realize the exalted plane which good women should occupy in their minds, their thoughts and understandings. Unfortunately, many married partners, lacking a knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines, have an erroneous idea of the relationship of husband and wife. Let me submit a few observations on the attitude of married partners, as governing their daily lives and consociations with one another within and without the home.
     All married partners, particularly those who embrace the Heavenly Doctrines of the Church, should endeavor to guard and protect the correspondential relationship which should properly exist between them, and treasure it with a jealousy, zeal, and love for the conjugial, and thus gain for them that conjunction of their souls which represents the uniting of love and wisdom with them. In the end they will assuredly be rewarded with the Lord's greatest gift to husband and wife. The endeavor must be whole-hearted, and accompanied by love to the Lord and love to the neighbor; for who can expect to attain to a happy spiritual life without this? Failure to observe the truths by living them, both on the part of the husband and wife, will assuredly result in mutual antagonism, discord and unhappiness.
     Let us remember, however, that the goal cannot be gained in a day, a month, or a year, but the gaining of it will take a lifetime. Nor should we be discouraged by reverses and setbacks. If the desire for good is genuine, and failure is followed by heartfelt repentance, with a sure hope and trust in the Lord's power to save. He will grant the blessings we seek. Is it not His will and purpose that it should be so?
     We, who would be New Churchmen, know that a true wife will love the wisdom of her husband, and that it will constitute her life and her delight: for she knows that through that love she will be conjoined with him. The true husband will have a similar delight in being the wisdom of that love, and in nourishing his wife with the spiritual food of the Divine Truth supplied to him by the Lord, and which he must live. A deprivation of that wisdom and life for the wife to love, and which would be spiritual starvation to her, will certainly result in the non-conjunction of souls, with its dire consequences.

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     The love of a true wife is not the love of the husband for himself, or the love of his proprium, for that indeed would be a blind and spurious love. No, the wife will love her husband in proportion and according to the quality of his wisdom and life. This brings us men to a stern realization of our spiritual duty to our wives, if we wish to keep them to eternity.
     Conjugial love, we are told, enters into married partners by influx from the Lord through the wife, and it is interesting to note that the love of children is with the mother. (C. L. 284.) The sphere of the love of infants principally affects the female sex; mothers and fathers are affected through their infants.
     It is submitted that there are many women, mothers and wives, (if we are capable of judging), who are in the love of the Divine Truths, who are making heroic endeavors to maintain that high standard set them in those wonderful Doctrines of the Church; but are they getting real co-operation from their husbands? Some are, no doubt; perhaps others are not.
     Wives are, or should be, truly the helpmates of men, and vice versa. Hear what is written in the Doctrine:
     "Conjugial love resides with chaste wives; but still their love depends on their husbands. The reason is, that wives are born loves; and hence it is innate in them to will to be one with their husbands; and from this thought of their will they continue to suckle their love. Wherefore, to recede from the endeavor of uniting themselves with their husbands, would be to recede from themselves. It is otherwise with husbands who are not born loves, but recipients of that love from their wives; and therefore, in proportion as they receive it, in the same proportion the wives enter with their love; but in proportion as they do not receive it, in the same proportion the wives stand outside with their love, and wait. This is the case with chaste wives; it is otherwise with unchaste ones. From these considerations it is manifest that conjugial love resides with the wives, but that their love depends on their husbands." (C. L. 216.)
     Now let us put a plain and straightforward personal question to ourselves:-Are we, as husbands, and according to the teachings of the New Church, doing our part?

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Or are we depriving our wives of the spiritual nourishment which is their right, by evincing apathy towards the true things of life, refusing or neglecting to seek and obtain that wisdom from the Lord which is so freely offered by Him, which is so essential to the lives of our wives, and of which they are in need and wish to love? This question can only be answered in the recesses of our individual consciences, after genuine self-examination. Truly do we owe a deep debt of gratitude to the women, wives and mothers in the church who are in the love of living in the truth, and who are performing their duties in the church. And the men who can respond in the name of the Lord are indeed blessed.
     We, of the Sons of the Academy, organized, as we are, primarily in the interests of New Church education, might well make a special effort to establish in the hearts and minds of the children and young persons of the church a sacred regard and respect for those of the opposite sex. A careful and tactful approach, however, is necessary. At a fitting age the young should be taught the truth concerning the relations of the sexes, and the necessity of clean and wholesome thoughts should be impressed upon them. It is well for them to realize the sacredness of sex relationship.
     This instruction is obviously a necessity today, when we note the daily increasing number of girls who are being launched into the business and commercial world, where they have to work with and come into contact with boys and men of all classes and of various characters. Girls are often lacking that adequate moral and spiritual education which is so essential as a barrier for their protection. In this worldly business life it will often be found to be true that "familiarity breeds contempt." To parents this adage stands out boldly and alarmingly when they pause to consider the conditions existing in the business world today.
     Let it be conceded, however, that bad conditions are not always to be found. Yet the risk appertaining to girls who go into business can be materially minimized by right training. The members of the Sons of the Academy can, and most probably are, giving this matter considerable thought and attention. And I believe we are fostering every effort to inculcate our boys with that gallantry and protective instinct towards the opposite sex which is so essential, if we are to bring about a clean and morally wholesome consociation of our boys and girls.

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     How grateful we shall be if, assisted by the support of the Sons and under the guidance of the Lord, we find that our boys in the church are turning out to be spiritual as well as natural gentlemen, and that they become the protectors of the honor and safety of their sisters and girl friends, whether in or outside the Church. It can only do good to instruct them. Let them learn that the Divine purpose of God, in creating man and woman for marriage and the consequent procreation of children, is the formation of a heaven from the human race.
     The great use which parents and teachers are called upon to perform is to see to it that they hand on to their children, according to their successive ages and states, that which the Lord has given them, namely, the revealed Truths of the Second Advent. Such efforts cannot but receive the Lord's blessing.
     Example, we are told, is better than precept. By our example, shown particularly to our own children, we can assuredly influence their young and tender minds, either for good or for evil. As a result, their combats against evil will either be easy or very hard.
     How vitally essential is it for a father, by his example in life, to manifest a love and reverential respect for his wife, and a good father's love and respect for his daughters. He will do this, not only because they are his wife and daughters, but also on account of their being women and potential women, and thus on account of their spiritual significance and use. Can anyone doubt the beneficial effects of such an example upon the sons of the family?
     In conclusion, we quote from the Memorable Relation in which Swedenborg was in conversation with a conjugial pair in heaven, and made the observation: "You two are one." The man angel answered: "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 of the breast,-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 my 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." (C. L. 75:5)
     Friends, this blessed state is the one for which we are created, and we cannot attain to it without womanhood.

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Let us therefore value and revere our women, wives and mothers. They were created to be valued and revered. Woman is God's blessing to man, and man is likewise His blessing to woman. They are co-equal, and no love of dominion should be allowed to enter their minds.
PRECEPTS FOR ANGELS 1940

PRECEPTS FOR ANGELS       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1940

     It is stated in the Arcana Celestia that the Ten Commandments, given from Mount Sinai, signify and contain "truths Divine for those in the heavens and for those in the world." (A. C. 8861.) In the True Christian Religion, and elsewhere in the Writings, these Commandments are explained as to their meaning in the natural sense, in the spiritual sense, and in the celestial sense, in order to amplify the doctrine of life for the New Church. But in the Arcana, which had a different purpose, and which treated of the giving of the Commandments in their historical context, there is merely an opening of the internal sense. For the Arcana-the first of the Writings, the title of which reads, Heavenly Arcana . . . Unfolded,-was written as a preparation for the Last Judgment, which was soon to occur in the spiritual world.
     Spiritual judgment comes only after spiritual truth comes to light nakedly, in rational form. Judgment is delayed so long as truth is wrapped up in symbolic forms and only manifests itself in hints and prophetic allusions. From time to time there had been other judgments in the spiritual world. There was such a judgment when the Lord, while on earth, opened the Scriptures and drew out from them His doctrine of charity and faith, in the clear light of which the hypocrisy of the self-seeking literalistic obedience of the Jews was shown up, and the spirits of the ancient magical hells were reduced to impotence.
     Yet the Lord foretold a further, and a final, judgment to come,-a judgment when He would come in glory, to heal the nations with the leaves of the tree of life, and to rule them with a rod of iron; a time when the power of rational truth would be conjoined with the power of natural truth, and the natural sense of the Word would become translucent, glorified by spiritual truths in rational form.

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This would be a judgment which would be conclusive, because the doctrine of heaven would be given for the perpetual use of mankind given for a perpetual judgment upon men's states.
     This doctrine of heaven, or, what is the same, the internal sense of the Word, was revealed in rational language, or as naked truth adapted or accommodated to the apprehension of man's natural understanding. So far as man receives this truth Divine by the understanding, there commences in him a judgment, a spiritual crisis, an ordering of the forces of good and truth against the rebellious hordes of man's evil affections and false persuasions. And, since the mind of man is actually operating within the range of the spiritual world, this battle is perceptible in the world of spirits, and helps to maintain a continual judgment there.
     The Ten Commandments, promulgated by the Lord Himself "out of fire which burned even to the heart of heaven" "with darkness, clouds and thick darkness " (Deut. 4: 11), consist mainly of prohibitions of certain symbolic acts,-acts against the majesty of God and against the rights of fellow men; acts such as idolatry, blasphemy and irreverence, and such as killing, theft, adultery and false witness. Every nation on earth has similar prohibitions, which are necessary for the protection of human society. Every people, by civil laws, forbids acts which it regards as hurtful. And wherever there is a religion there are certain acts, which are outlawed or tabooed because they are regarded as an offense to God and to those who worship Him.
     We call these acts "symbolic" or "representative." Indeed, all actions are only representations of a frame of mind, of so-me inner desire, spirit, or disposition. The acts prohibited in the Decalogue were selected because they are such that all men can recognize them as symbolic of evil. They are the common ultimates, the ugly forms which evil creates, and by which wickedness and hatred are expressed. Yet the avoidance of these acts does not necessarily mean that the man who shuns them is purified in spirit. Acts of piety, and a moral life, can be assumed for the sake of self-righteousness and reputation, as was the case with the Pharisees.

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     Now it is a law of the Divine Providence that so long as the men of the church on earth can see the acts forbidden of God as symbols of evil, and can see the acts which their Divine law requires to be done as symbols of good, so long even a simple obedience to such external commands will bring about an interior conjunction with heaven. This is the reason why the Lord Himself spoke the Ten Precepts with a living voice, and why, at the end of these precepts, He added, "Thou shalt not covet," that is, thou shalt not in heart desire to do evil, thou shalt not even in spirit commit these evils. This was the reason why the Lord, at His Advent, came "not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them"-fill them with a new spirit of charity and faith. He did not even urge His disciples to discontinue their customs of religious worship. He confirmed the Ten Commandments as essentials of salvation, but He broadened the scope of each commandment to include in its prohibition all that was contrary to the spirit of love and charity.
     So also it was at the time of His Second Advent, when the codes of Christian morality had become a cloak for selfishness and the lust for power and gain. In the Heavenly Doctrine the Lord does but confirm the natural sense of the Ten Precepts, in all their moral implications. Yet He makes plain that every pious and good act is only the symbol which must contain its significant internal of love and of charity; that it is according to this internal that the act is seen from the spiritual world, and is to be judged; that it is in the spirit of man that his regeneration can alone be effected. Without this new internal, there can be nothing new in the New Church, except a set of variant customs, a traditional mode of speech, and a separate ecclesiastical establishment.
     The Lord comes first to judge; for only by judgment can there be salvation. And the judgment occurs by the opening of the internal sense of the Word; indeed, by the revelation of the "rules of life" by which the angels live.

     II.

     The Arcana makes clear "that the Commandments of the Decalogue are rules of life, both for those who are in the world and for those who are in heaven; the sense of the letter, or the external sense, for those who are in the world, and the spiritual or internal sense for those who are in heaven. . . " (A. C. 8899.)

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And yet the avowed object of this chapter of the Arcana is to reveal the spiritual sense also to men. The intention so to do is clearly stated at the outset in so many words: "What . . . the Commandments . . . are in the spiritual sense, that is, what they are in the heavens will be seen in what follows." (A. C. 8862e.)
     Summarizing the teachings of the Arcana, we find that the well- known Ten Precepts contain the following rules of internal life for the angels:

     1.     The Lord as to His Divine Human reigns universally in all and everything of good and truth, and liberates from hell. Truths must not he thought of from any other source than from Him; not from self-intelligence, nor from any semblances of the created things which are from the Divine, whether such as are seen in spiritual light or in natural and sensual lumen - If worship is paid to them, the Divine is rejected, and falsity and evil will continually multiply; while mercy and happiness will be forever to those who receive the goods of love and the truths of faith.
     2.     Profanations of good and of truth cannot be remitted.
     3.     The marriage of good and truth, from the conjunction of the Divine Human with the heavens, must be perpetually in the thought, and is not to be profaned. By the combats of regeneration all things of the internal and external man are vivified and blest with peace and the good of love, beyond violation.
     4.     A love of good and truth, or a love for the Lord and His kingdom in heaven, brings Divine influx eternally.
     5.     Spiritual life is not to be taken away from anyone; nor is faith and charity to be extinguished; nor is the neighbor to be held in hatred.
     6.     Those things which are of the doctrine of faith and of charity are not to be perverted; the Word, therefore, is not to be applied to confirm evils and falsities; nor are the laws of order to be inverted.
     7.     Spiritual goods-knowledge, faith, charity-are not to be taken away from anyone; and those things which belong to the Lord are not to be attributed to self.
     8.     Good is not to be called evil, nor truth falsity; neither is evil to be called good, or falsity truth.
     9, 10. One must beware of the loves of self and of the world, lest the evils which pass through the thought become of the will, and so come forth; and lest harm should befall the goods and truths of faith, both the affections of spiritual truth and good and the affections of natural truth and good.

     Such are the general spiritual contents of the Ten Commandments. These are the general spiritual truths Divine, which serve as the common "rules of life" for the angels of heaven.

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The Word of God, as it exists written in heaven, is the same Word which we have on earth; yet in it there is nothing of the earthly and corporeal things mentioned in the literal sense; no names of persons or places, no specific symbolic acts, no numbers, no objects of nature; but instead of these, generals of spiritual truth written in the language of heavenly thought,-generals which the simple understand simply, but within which the wise see profound vistas of interior truths.
     There is a popular preconception that "in heaven all are inspired and led of God," and that there is no more need of instruction. But the Writings show to the contrary that " every angel, like every man, thinks truth and does good as if from himself, and this, according to the state of the angel, is mixed and not pure." All there are instructed, "not immediately from God, but mediately through others." (C. L. 207:4.) Hence there is need also for the Word, for precepts, for preaching and doctrine from the Word. There must be continual refreshment of the mind from new, yea, daily, reading of Divine Revelation-the only source of wisdom, and of the rules of angelic life.

     III.

     It is indicated in the Heavenly Doctrine that, when a good spirit first arrives in the world of spirits, he has access to the Word as he saw it on earth. He reads its natural sense, and thinks of natural persons and places. There is a use in this. For through the natural sense, and through its representative truths and correspondential goods, there is extended over him a secret protection from angelic societies which cannot-at least as yet-openly approach him without precipitating him into judgments for which he is not ready. (A. E. 816:3, 832:2; De Verbo 55.)
     But when this spirit, in his later development, comes to think by means of spiritual ideas, he sees no more the literal sense of the Word. His attention cannot be detained by the personal elements, but his mind grasps directly the moral states that are spoken of,- the doctrinal implications which are the internal burden of the historical sense, And if he progresses still further, into the state of the spiritual angels, his eye and his mind alike come to see in the Word a continuous series of spiritual truths utterly remote from the sense of the correspondential letter, though resting upon its every jot and tittle.

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     When man on earth reverently reads the Word in its literal sense, whether historical or prophetical, the angels of heaven who are with him are in the perception and vivid sight of the internal sense, which consists of truths Divine accommodated to reception by the angels, even as the sense of the letter is adapted to reception by men. One sense is for men; the other sense is for angels!
     How is it possible, then, for the Arcana to claim to reveal the spiritual sense in human words, and thus to lay bare what the Divine Commandments are in the heavens?
     If we believe that this is impossible, or contrary to Divine intention, we are mistaken. The full statement of the doctrine is, that "the external sense, or the sense of the letter, is for those who are in the world, but the internal sense for those who are in heaven, and also for those who are in the world, so far as they are at the same time in heaven, that is, so far as they are in charity and faith (A. C. 8912e.) "And therefore both senses, external as well as internal, are for those who . . . are in goods of life according to the truths of doctrine." (A. C. 8899.)
     There is nothing mystical or paradoxical about this provision. The inner purpose of all Revelation has been the giving of the spirit of the Word. And the words which the Lord speaks, "they are spirit, and they are life "! So far as a man is in the desire for good and in the affection of truth, so far his mind is introduced into angelic associations, and is given light to recognize something of the inner purpose of the Word, which is to convey the doctrine of love and charity-or the truths of life and salvation. Such truths of salvation have always been present and obvious in the literal sense of the Word, even in the Old Testament, as in the Ten Precepts. And wherever these truths of salvation stand out nakedly in the letter, something of the spiritual sense,-the doctrine of heaven,-is apparent to all who desire to see and obey; that is, to all whose understandings are at the time elevated into heaven and its light, away from the sensual light of self-love and the lusts of the world.
     But it is one thing to see certain general truths of salvation, thus something of the doctrine of love and charity as taught in the natural sense, as here in the Ten Commandments, and it is another thing to see the internal sense as such-to know it as it is now disclosed in the Writings, in its own series.

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     Without a knowledge of the internal sense, the man who piously reads the Word in its natural sense, seeking the Lord's guidance, imbues his mind with remains" of spiritual good and truth, which are stored up for use in the future life, so that when he enters the spiritual state of heaven, he also enters without further instruction into the use of spiritual ideas from these remains," and into a wisdom which he did not know that he interiorly possessed. For in the world the things of the unknown spiritual meaning of what he read in the Word was felt only as an influx of holiness, or as an affection,-an affection for the things which he read, even though he did not clearly understand.

     IV.

     But now the "Heavenly Secrets" of the Word lie unfolded! The "rules" of angelic life are revealed! The spiritual sense, long unknown except in glimpses, is now given to men. Certain "summaries" of that internal sense, prepared by Swedenborg in a state of Divine inspiration, were-he testifies-compared with the Word as it is in heaven, and were found to conform with it. (S. S. 97.)
     The internal sense of the Word is revealed in the Writings in the precise language of reason. In them stands forth, before the human mind, the heavenly Word, sometimes in summaries, sometimes in the form of organized doctrine. Within their terse summaries, the Writings contain an inexhaustible wisdom, which men and angels can never drain, any more than the Word as it is in the heavens can be exhausted, since it springs from the mind of God. Their "doctrinals are truths continuous from the Lord" (T. C. R. 508), and not of human devisings. Even as the Old and New Testaments are revelations of the Spiritual Word as it first stood forth in the heavens (A. E. 1073f), so the Writings are a new disclosure of that same Word, yet in a different form, for a different purpose, and for a different state.
     The Writings were not given to displace the uses of the Old and New Testaments. It is plain, instead, that they stand as a nexus, a bond, between the Word, which is in heaven, and the Word on earth.

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As such, they partake of something of the qualities of both. Their explanation of the internal sense, according to their own testimony, are not couched "in a sense merely natural, in which the spiritual sense lies concealed." " The Word in the letter must (indeed) be natural; . . . otherwise the Word would not serve the heavens for a basis, nor the church as a means for its conjunction with heaven " (A. E. 1061.) But the explanations given in the Writings are contrasted with such a " sense merely natural," and instead are said to be " a natural sense from the spiritual," which is called "the internal, also the spiritual-natural, sense." (Ibid.)
     No earthly language, however inspired, can convey to the understanding of man all the profound things of perception, wisdom, and love-"arcana within arcana in manifold series" (A. C. 8920e)- which the angels of the superior heavens draw from their Word. Neither can all the ineffable distinctions which must express the subtle changes of state that make up the mental life of angels, all the tenderness that moves their hearts, enter into the idea of any man. Even as men on earth fail to transmit to others the real fruit of the wisdom of their inner experience! Indeed, the Doctrine shows that the Revelator was often baffled by his inability to convey to natural minds his experiences while in a purely spiritual state such as that of the angels.
     Yet, in terms of abstractions and rational ideas, all the heavens could be described and contrasted. For in the course of his life every man sees the inner relations of his experiences in terms of general abstract ideas, such as those of justice, courage, love, intelligence. And in such terms even the generals of angelic life can be described. Thus can we know from the Writings the "rules of life " which are the soul and kernel of the Commandments. We can know those truths Divine which are seen in heaven as safeguarding angelic life and happiness, as the outer limits beyond which the love and charity of heaven are impossible.
     To the angels, every truth is a commandment,-a law which must be acknowledged in mind and life, lest the evil of the proprium break forth to destroy their usefulness, and thus the happiness of others. And these angelic rules of life are now given to men also. No longer is it sufficient to regard the shunning of the symbolic acts, forbidden in the natural sense of the Ten Precepts, as the issues upon which the battle of life depends.

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The struggle between good and evil has been openly transferred to a higher plane, where evils are judged according to the harm they do, not to the body, but to the spirit, of the neighbor. By a revelation of the arcana of the spiritual world, it is now possible to become intelligent and wise in spiritual things also, and to see naked truths,-the very truths of spiritual doctrine which become the occasion for judgment to spirits after death.
     The rules of life for angels thus become the open means by which men on earth can examine and judge-not others, indeed, but themselves-through the recurrent spiritual judgments of repentance. This is possible only to "those who are in the goods of life according to the truths of doctrine," who are in the desire to live according to truths of heaven, and who, through the mercy of the Lord, are like the angels in this respect, that they know these truths from Revelation.
     To others, the battle issues of life are involved in the obscuring veils of a confusing symbolism of acts, good and evil. Children, and the simple,-in the order of Providence,-dwell in the realm of symbolic acts. But so do we all-in states not yet reached by spiritual truth. So do we all, as far as spiritual illustration evades us while we are living on earth, where the real problems of life are to see the truth behind the shadows, to discern the glory behind the clouds of worldly distresses, to find the eternal uses within our menial earthly tasks-the end within the act.
     We need commandments against idolatry, disrespect, theft and lying-commandments which are holy ultimates, within which all the inner issues of human and angelic life are involved. We need to fall back upon these fundaments of truth Divine whenever our ignorance and our uncertainties manifest themselves; knowing that the Lord in His mercy, although freely revealing the rules of angelic life to rational sight, yet can open before us the full realization of the meaning and application of such interior truths only so far as we are ready to place ourselves voluntarily in the light of its searching scrutiny; and remembering, in worshipful humility, the significant preface to the Ten Commandments, which are for all in heaven and on earth: "And God spake all these words, saying . . ."

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NOTES AND REVIEWS. 1940

NOTES AND REVIEWS.       E. E. IUNGERICH       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

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

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscription, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     BOOKS RECEIVED.

Outline Notes concerning The Agreement and Differences between the General Church and the Hague Position. By Rev. F. W. Elphick. Published by the Author at Alpha, Ladybrand, O. F. S., South Africa, August, 1939. Octavo, 55 pages.
     As stated in the Preface, these outline notes are "the result of a request by the Ministers and Leaders of the General Church Mission in South Africa to have the two sides of the recent controversy presented to them." The notes are based upon, and are supplementary to, lectures given by Mr. Elphick at the various Mission Stations. As we learn further from the November, 1939, number of the Mission magazine, Tlhahiso, many of the Ministers of the Mission had received letters and literature from the new organization called 'The Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma,' and as a result of this influx of literature into Native South Africa, the Superintendent of the Mission was asked to explain the new developments. Accordingly, lectures have been given, with ample opportunity for free discussion and further study." (Page 67.)

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     In the booklet before us, Mr. Elphick has presented an eminently fair and impartial comparison of the doctrinal positions involved, and his treatment should be of decided use in clarifying the issues for anyone in the Church who may wish to study the subject.

     THE RATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN DUTCH.

De Redelijke Psychologie. By Emanuel Swedenborg. The Hague: Swedenborg Genootschap, Nassauplein 29, 1939. Pp. 318, dark blue cloth, price 4 1/2 guldens.

     This first philosophical work of Swedenborg to appear in Dutch is reprinted from DE HEMELSCHE LEER, where it was published in installments. The translation follows the suggestion by Bishop Acton, that the first six pages of the Latin edition are draft pages of The Fibre, and should be replaced by the Treatise on Sensation, to conform to the author's evident intention.
     As to the translation itself, beyond the fact that the reader who persists in the effort can make out Swedenborg's meaning fairly well, no fair reviewer can honestly commend it. It is certainly unfit to present to any student of psychology in the hope that his interest might be awakened and later lead him to dip into the theological works. I showed it to a scholar in the Dutch language who is reading Heaven and Hell with appreciation, and asked him to read aloud the short chapter XXII. But after a few lines he laid the book down, saying that anyone reading such an illiterate production would corrupt and distort all appreciation of a good Dutch literary style. The reason for this is the jargon of Dutch words manufactured in the effort to incorporate Latin roots into the Dutch translation, and to follow the Latin word-order.
     There are also glaring errors in the rendering of Latin words. Thus, in chapter XXIII, carcer, which means both a prison and also a starting point, is rendered Kerker (prison house), and we are regaled with the statement, contained also in the English translation of the Rational Psychology: "The cortical gland is the last boundary, and the first prison house whence the actions spring forth." Although a few human beings may begin their upward career from a jail, this may not be said of the fibres in the brain!

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     The Cochlea (slakkenhuisje) of the internal ear is translated slakken (snails), and so we read: " The ear is provided with eardrums, windows, cylinders, snails, hammers, and other instruments." Snails in the ear.
     Not to be outdone by the ear in its interest in zoology, the nose also claims our attention; for in chapter XLV we are told that there are "swallow nests" (zwaluwnestjes). It wouldn't therefore have been surprising, when the brain proper was treated, to find there were "bats in its belfry."
     Now the Swedenborg Genootschap is not lacking in men well versed in Latin and Dutch, and capable of producing creditable and scholarly work. The fault seems to be that they desire to create a new Dutch language. But whatever the fault, there can be no doubt about its fruit,-the appearance of the philosophy of Swedenborg in a dress that will distress Dutch scholars, and will be largely unintelligible to the average Dutch reader.
          E. E. IUNGERICH.
PERPETUALLY PRESENT 1940

PERPETUALLY PRESENT              1940

     Those things with a man which have been impressed by faith and charity, or which a man wholly believes and loves, are perpetually in his thought and will; for he thinks them and wills them even when he is in ideas and business about other things, and supposes that they are not then present in his mind; for they are there among other things which constitute the mind's quality. That this is so, is manifestly evident from the spiritual sphere, which is round about a spirit or angel; for which he approaches, it is instantly known from that sphere in what faith and in what charity he is, as well as many other things which he has at heart, even though he is then thinking nothing about them. Such things are what constitute the life of the mind of every one, and keep themselves perpetually there. These observations might be illustrated by very many things with man, as from the various reflections, affections, and actions impressed from infancy, which are constantly present and rule, even though he is thinking nothing manifestly about it. The case is the same with love towards the neighbor, with love to God, with the love of good and truth, and with faith; they who are in these things will them and think them perpetually, because they are within, and being within, they are said to be universally reigning." (A. C. 8067.)

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LETTER FROM BRAZIL 1940

LETTER FROM BRAZIL       HENRY LEONARDOS       1940

     Erecting a Temple at Rio de Janeiro.

Right Rev. George de Charms,
Bryn Athyn.

My dear Bishop:
     May the Lord bless you and keep you!
     I take pleasure in writing to inform you of the progress of our beloved Church in Brazil, and also to give you some news of the New Jerusalemites of Rio de Janeiro.
     After a long and persistent struggle, we purchased a plot of land for the construction of the Temple of the New Church, a filial church of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
     Fourteen years have passed since your predecessor, the Right Reverend Bishop N. D. Pendleton, sent to Rio our devoted and dear Pastor Eldred E. Iungerich, to organize and inaugurate our Religious Society, "The New Jerusalem," of which you, my dear Bishop, are today our Chief and Guide. Since that time, in rented halls and houses, I and the Pastor Joao de Mendonca Lima, with the exception of two months, when we went to England to receive the sacerdotal investiture and ordination, every Sunday and holiday unite the members of the Church for the celebration of the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the two pastors alternating in conducting services.
     Upon the termination of the construction of the House of our Lord, it is the desire of all your Brethren in Brazil that you consecrate the new Temple of the Lord, and I am asked by them to transmit to you this great request. We know very well that, owing to the enormous amount of work that you have with our societies all over the world, it is not easy for you to come to so distant lands, but we, similar to the countries in Europe and Africa, hope to have this happiness one day. We shall wait for this visit as long as is necessary, but we do hope it will not be very long delayed, not only because of our ardent desire to see our beloved Bishop, but also to have our Temple definitely consecrated by you.

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[Photo of Rev. Henry Leonardos.]

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     Until you have made this consecration, we shall celebrate the worship in the centre of the nave in the House of the Lord, with the same ritual at present held in the Hall of Rua Sao Pedro 14: that is, we shall open the Word at the beginning of the Religious Service, and we shall close it at the end of the Service, keeping it in the Repository placed on the same level as the baptism font and the pulpit of the Preacher. When you consecrate the Temple, the Word will be kept permanently open, at the altar of the Holiest part, where the faithful go to kneel only when they participate of the Lord's Supper.
     Thus, when the Word is open, the Lord will be forever present in His holy Temple, and the earth will be silent before Him.
     Hopefully, therefore, we shall await your arrival: and your presence will gladden the hearts of your Brethren here, and be an encouragement for the members of our Society to endeavor more and more to serve God and His Church.
     Our invitation also includes Mrs. de Charms, who I am sure would not like to be separated from her husband; and I expect she would be interested to see one more beautiful city of the globe, a city which some tourists call "Marvellous." My wife saw Mrs. de Charms in London, and always remembers her. And my daughter (Mrs. Silva Lima) remembers the many kindnesses shown to her in Bryn Athyn.
     My present life in Rio is very simple. I divide it into three parts, the largest part being devoted to the study of the Scripture of the New Church. The rest of the time I am occupied with my work in the Consulate General of Peru, and with the administration of my farm, Ponte do Paraiso, which is situated in the Municipio of Vassouras, in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The Consulate General, in spite of being important, does not give me much work, owing to the help of my secretary and of the Consul, my substitute. My farm, which is mixed, (raising of cattle, horses, pigs and poultry; corn, rice and bean plantations; and fruit trees) tires me, but it is only a physical tiredness which keeps me healthy.
     Until the beginning of this year, I was President of the Polish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, but in March I resigned. I was re-elected many times to this important post, but I resigned because I preferred to devote myself to the Church and my farm.

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The Chamber of Commerce took up very much of my time, as Poland at that time had extensive relations with Brazil, because of the numerous Polish colonies in the Southern States of Brazil. Twice the Polish Government invited me to visit Poland as a guest of the State. As I did not accept, I was decorated with the Gorand Order of the Restoration of Poland (Commander of Polonia Restituta); and my son-in-law, Captain Silva Lima (whom you met in Bryn Athyn), with the Order of Merit, because he also served Poland as treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce.
     I send you by separate post a photo of Pastor Mendonca Lima in the uniform of a General. He was decorated with the Goran Cruz,-the highest degree of the order of the King of Italy,-and Commander of Military Merit of Brazil.
     I also enclose a photo of General Miguel de Castro Ayres, who belongs to the active Brazilian Army, and who is one of our good and active Brethren of the New Church.
     Two years ago, Pastor Mendonca Lima was promoted to General of the Brigade, but since the end of 1930 he has not had a post of command in the Army, and is always in administrative posts, which are usually undertaken by civilians. At that time he held the post of Colonel-in-Chief of the 2nd Military Region in the State of Sao Paulo, and then he became Secretary of Public Works of the same State, where he administrated excellently in that important State of the Union. Thereafter he was invited successively by President Vargas to hold the Federal Posts of Director General of Posts and Telegraphs, Director of the Central Railway of Brazil, and finally, since November, 1937, he has held the post of Minister of Public Works, and is one of the most brilliant of the Ministers of President Vargas. In the posts which he has held he has always brought about modifications and ideas, some already achieved and others about to be achieved.
     These important posts take up very much of Pastor Mendonca Lima's time, but never made him forget our Church and sacerdotalism, and he works alternatively with me. The sermons, which he preaches, are very much liked by the followers for the profoundness of his teaching, for the clarity of his explanations, and for his gift as a speaker; and, therefore, on the Sundays when he preaches, the perfect comprehension of the Word in its spiritual meaning becomes known to the hearers.

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[Photos of REV. JOAO DE MENDONCA LIMA and GENERAL MIGUEL DE CASTRO AYRES.]

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     The Religious Services, which we hold, are based on those held in Bryn Athyn, with a liturgical ritual identical with yours. The greater part of our sermons are extracted from the Sermons published in NEW CHURCH LIFE and in WEEKLY SERMONS. When they are exclusively our own, Pastor Lima and I base them entirely on the full explanations given us by the Writings, so that the spiritual meaning of the Word may be clearly understood.
     We consider it our duty to follow closely the rules of the Academy,-that irradiant font of light among men, given by the Spiritual Light of Truth.
     The purchase of the ground and construction of the Temple of the New Church, which we hope will be finished by March, 1940, is for all the members of the Church in Rio de Janeiro a corresponding affirmation of the external consolidation and projection of our Church on Brazilian land. And, therefore, it is for us a reason of great joy,-a joy that I know will be shared by you and all our brothers in Bryn Athyn and other parts of the world.
     Our temple is plain, but very expressive in its simplicity. Its style is not taken from the Catholic and other temples. This House, as I mentioned at the beginning of this letter, is the result of a long and persevering struggle. It is being built on the side of a hill in a new district of the city near to the business center, and, therefore, of easy access to all members of the Church. As the ground here is very expensive, the buildings are nearly all-rich private houses.
     Incorporated in the structure, under the foundation stone, we placed a copy of the Word; a copy of the Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem; an act signed by the members of the New Church present during this ceremony; and the latest edition of NEW CHURCH LIFE. On the corner stone of the temple we had carved in Greek letters: "For it had been founded upon a Rock." I would have liked to have carved over the front door the words "Nunc Licet," but I shall not do this without your approval. We would also like to have a bronze bell in the steeple, but this will not be done without your permission.
     I take the liberty of sending a copy of this letter to Pastor Eldred Iungerich, because I know that he is very interested in the Church in Rio, and this news from Brazil will please him very much.

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The name of Pastor Iungerich, as well as the names of John Pitcairn and N. D. Pendleton, are closely connected with the history of the Church in Rio de Janeiro, as also will be connected the name of Bishop George de Charms, who will, we are sure, agree to the great request which we make.
     HENRY LEONARDOS.

Rio de Janeiro,

November 22, 1939.
MAN A RECEPTACLE 1940

MAN A RECEPTACLE       J. S. PRYKE       1940

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     The contribution from the pen of Dr. Iungerich which appears in the December number of the LIFE under the heading of "Man a Receptacle " is of intense interest to me, as, I imagine, it is to many of my fellow New Churchmen. It is a valuable piece of spiritual philosophy, ably stated.
     I assume that the simple-minded layman would be reasonably correct in setting forth the position thus:-
     a) Man, even thinking and willing man, is nothing more than a receptacle, everything reaching him from his Creator.
     b) That Creator has provided him with a countless number of receptive vessels, each being designed for some specific use; amongst them vessels receptive of wisdom, which, however, comes to him as truth.
     c) This wisdom or truth itself being infinite, and the receiving vessel finite, it follows that even the most recondite and interior mortal can only state his own conception of that truth, such statement at its highest being limited, inadequate and faulty.
     d) So then, man must always guard against idolizing his own wisdom (see the direct teaching in Conjugial Love), and ever strive towards the liberation of his apperceptions from error and obscurity,-an endless task.
     We laud the infinite truth, being the Lord Himself with humanity; but while we are profoundly grateful to those who assist our understandings, we neither venerate them nor their works.

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     Truth is Divine, boundless and unchanging, but the perceptions of man are restricted and imperfect. Thus it is that the loving, all-wise Father has provided for His children a revelation, static in form indeed, but embodying all goodness and wisdom, and being its own doctrine, while at the same time He leaves each individual free to derive from it whatever accords with his own personal quality.
     But having said this much, there is left over a little uncertainty as to whether I have drawn the proper deduction from Dr. Iungerich's last paragraph. Surely all truth is Divine, yea, is the Lord, and man's perceptibility of this profound law comes to him upon the plane of his human knowledge married to the desire of using it.
     Let me add that this last point is raised quite apart from argumentation, and simply in the desire for purity of doctrinal concept and clarity of exegesis.
     Believe me
          Very sincerely yours,
               J. S. PRYKE.
27 Broadway, Northampton, England.
January 8. 1940.
"EVIL GOODS." 1940

"EVIL GOODS."       Editor       1940

     In the above-mentioned article, p. 565, appears this statement: "The Lord, by means of the allurements of the loves of honor, fame, and gain, and by the goods of fear and punishment, induces the infernals to perform some useful work, and so to enter as to a least part into His kingdom of uses. . . ." The phrase "goods of fear and punishment" should read "goods of fear and punishment." In calling attention to our misreading of his handwriting Dr. Iungerich states: Undoubtedly fear and punishment are a good thing to restrain the internals, and we may therefore speak not only of 'evil uses,' but also of 'evil goods.'"
     It seems quite proper to speak of the external goods done by' anyone from the fear of punishment as the "goods of fear and punishment." In this connection we may recall the statement that " many in the Christian world who are in natural good have inherited from their parents the goods of the love of evil and falsity." (A. C. 3469:3)-EDITOR.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     NORWAY.

     During November I again visited Oslo, and delivered lectures there on the 9th and 10th of that month, the subjects being: (1) As in the days of Noe, . . . so shall also the coming of the Son of man be " (Matt. 24:37); (2) "The Bow in the Cloud, and the Sign of the Son of man in Heaven" The attendance was exactly the same at each lecture, namely, 85 persons, and books were sold to the value of Kr. 70:- (about $18.00).
     On the following day, Saturday, a group of specially invited people met in the home of Mr. Ragnar and Miss Anna Boyesen, where we used to meet, and I spoke to them about the causes of war in the spiritual world. About 20 were present-those who are the most active, and used to read on Sundays the sermons which I sent them from Stockholm.
     Earlier in the afternoon I baptized Mr. Eyvinel Boyesen. Jr., and his sister, Mrs. Helga Skaarberg.
     The following day, Sunday, a public service was held, with the administration of the Holy Supper. Afterwards I officiated at the first New Church wedding in Norway-the marriage of Mr. Eyvind Boyesen and Miss Randi Hoidal.
     GUSTAF BAECKSTROM.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     The record of the last two months in 1939 is an account of many and varied activities, culminating in yet another joyous celebration of the Lord's First Advent. For the greater part of this period we were engaged in our regular uses, most of which we lay down for a while at the end of the year. In the society doctrinal class a series on the general doctrine of the Word was followed by two addresses on the new Liturgy. At the monthly evening services in November and December addresses were given on "Seeking the Kingdom of God" (Matt. 6:33) and The Fear of the Lord. (Ps. 5: 7.) In December, the Ladies' Guild and the Young People's Class and Club rounded off another year of successful meetings, and in the same month the fortnightly class for those who have come to the Church recently, as well as the Sunday School teachers study circle, concluded their activities for the year.
     Two interesting innovations were the main features of our work in November. The local Chapter of the Sons of the Academy had decided that, instead of holding an ordinary meeting in that month, which marks the end of its year, it would give a banquet to which the ladies and the non- New Church parents of children in the Sunday School would he invited. The banquet was held on Sunday, the 19th, and was, we believe, an unqualified success. Chapter members had prepared a creditable meal, and an interesting program was ably handled by Mr. Sydney Heldon. Chapter Secretary, whose explanatory remarks as toastmaster were amplified in an excellent speech from his brother. Ossian, the President of the Chapter. Papers on Mythology and Astronomy in the New Church School were given by Mr. Norman Heldon and the Pastor, respectively; the aim of the evening being to give some conception of the distinctive methods of teaching open to the Academy. Toasts, songs, and discussion completed an evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by the thirty friends who were present.
     On the following Saturday, the Sons entertained the Sunday School children at a picnic held in the grounds of the residence of the Rev. Richard and Mrs. Morse.

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In the course of the afternoon, Mr. Ossian Heldon gave a brief but interesting talk on the Academy Schools and the Sons of the Academy to which the children listened very attentively At the end of the month, members of the society were entertained by the Ladies' Guild at a very enjoyable party held in the church ball.
     It fell to the Ladies' Guild this year to hold the first Christmas party of the season, which they did on December 14. This always enjoyable little function was the last meeting until the end of the summer and was preceded by the last meeting of the doctrinal class which is held under the auspices of the Guild. Preparatory services were held on December 17th and on Christmas Eye, the subjects of the pastor's sermons on these Sundays being, "The Purpose of the Advent and Why the Lord was Born on our Earth."
     During the week between these two Sundays the children's and adults' Christmas parties were held, the former on Monday, the 18th, the latter on the following Thursday. Both functions were arranged along the usual lines, and the hard work put in by those responsible for them ensured their success and gave to those who attended a very happy time. The children's party began with a series of tableaux, but arranged this year in a different way. In the past, each tableau has been preceded by the singing of a hymn and the reading of an appropriate selection from the Word. This year's tableaux, which were in the form of a little play without words, were accompanied by recorded music, and followed each other without any intervals. The effort was in the nature of an experiment, and the result seemed to show that we have here a form that can be further developed.
     Christmas Eve was chosen as the day for the children's service. For several weeks the children had practiced the music under Mrs. Fletcher's direction, and the result of this training was evident in the singing. The pastor's address to the children was on "The Star in the East," and Mrs. Henderson had prepared an appropriate and beautiful Representation which was shown to the children as they left the church.
     The short service on Christmas morning, always an impressive and joyful one, brought most of our members to church to praise the Lord for His mercy in coming to deliver His people. The address was on "Shepherds Abiding in the Field," and dealt with the Lord's mercy in raising up a remnant through whom the connection between heaven and earth might be continued until He could come.
     In his sermon on the last Sunday in the year the pastor dealt with the difference between trust in Divine Providence and fatalism, showing that while the fatalist regards all things as preordained, the man of the church should believe that the quality of the things provided for, or permitted to him, is determined by his use or abuse of his freedom.
     W. C. H.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     In celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday, the pupils of the Day School, the first-year high school students, the kindergarten and a few guests were entertained at a banquet on Monday' evening, January 29, by the local chapter of Theta Alpha. Robert Stein was a capable toastmaster, introducing the speeches and songs which made an interesting and entertaining program.
     The same event was commemorated by the society at a special Friday supper on February 2, when Mr. Quentin Ebert read a paper especially written for us by Bishop Acton, and our pastor discussed Swedenborg's versatility, showing boxy his natural uses built up the planes which made it possible for him to fulfill his spiritual uses. Songs, and the discussion of General Assembly plans, closed an enjoyable evening.

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     The members of the local chapter of the Sons of the Academy were entertained by the Rev. Willard Pendleton on February 7, for the purpose of meeting the "international" president of the organization, Mr. Richard Kintner, of Bryn Athyn.
     Following the Friday supper on February 9, the pastor began a new series of doctrinal classes in which he will deal with the Doctrine of the Human Mind.

     Death of Mrs. Lindsay.

     After a long illness, Mrs. Helen Pitcairn Lindsay passed to the spiritual world on January 24, her husband, Samuel Stewart Lindsay, having preceded her on December 18, 1938. A Memorial Service was held on January 27 in the church, the chancel being banked with beautiful flowers. Mr. Earl Collins played the organ, and a vocal quartet sang some of Mrs. Lindsay's favorite hymns. We shall all greatly miss her dynamic personality. The pastor paid tribute to her character in his address, from which we quote:
     "We call to mind an active woman who gave of herself in all the responsibilities which Providence placed upon her, and this without any thought of personal reward. Hers was a sense of duty of which few are capable-a sense founded upon the living conviction that every spiritual blessing involves definite obligations, and that salvation depends upon their faithful performance.
     "She endeavored to live according to her faith that life on earth is a preparation for a kingdom of spiritual uses. Nor was she one to rationalize upon the meaning of the term 'use.' In all the responsibilities of life she adhered to the teaching that every spiritual use is vested in some ultimate act-in some labor, work, or service. We note as characteristic that, in so far as she was concerned, there was no task too humble or too menial. She was not one to reflect upon her own convenience or comfort. It was this quality of intense devotion to duty, coupled with her deep affection for the Church, that commanded our unqualified respect.
     "To some of us she was a mother, to the rest of us a good friend and loyal New Church woman. In this society, and widely in the General Church, she will long be remembered, and as long as her memory endures something of her sphere will prevail,-a sphere of loyal devotion to the Lord's Church upon earth. In this she leaves behind her a great heritage,-a heritage intimately associated with that left by her husband. Indeed, to think of the one is to think of the other, so closely were they conjoined in their affection for the Church. And so, we think of Samuel S. Lindsay and his wife, not as we would think of two distinct personalities, but as we visualize two spiritual beings united in that love which endures to everlasting life.'"
     E. R. D.

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     Swedenborg's Birthday was celebrated by Sharon Church with a banquet on Friday, January 26. Red and white decorations added to the festive spirit. The Rev. Morley Rich presented the paper of the evening, entitled "Emanuel Swedenborg-The Man, the Mission, and the Message."
     His opening statement was that Emanuel Swedenborg was a witness of the Second Coming of the Lord," and he followed it with a consideration of the two things we always take into account in judging of the authority and accuracy of a writer,-the character of the man, and the quality of his writing. In the ease of Swedenborg, his life is one of the most fully documented in history. We like to believe that this was the working of Divine Providence. In respect to the quality of what Swedenborg wrote we have thirty volumes to dissect and analyze, that we may determine its logic and consistency. His life, previous to the time his spiritual eyes were opened, was nothing but a preparation for his mission-a training to observe keenly and record accurately the phenomena of the spiritual world.

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"Let us pay tribute to the birthday of this 'servant of the Lord'; let us render living gratitude for the Divine teachings he was permitted to bring, by living according to those teachings." The paper was appreciatively received and commented upon by those present.
     At the meeting of the Men's Assembly. Monday, January 29. Dr. Farrington gave a very instructive talk on the formulation of the Principles of the Academy. He had brought an album of the photographs he had taken of the buildings and activities of the early days, and it was passed around as he talked, adding much to a most enjoyable meeting.
     On Saturday evening. February 3, the ladies promoted a social party which will long be remembered. So many young people were present that a program of games, spelling bees and dancing lasted into the "wee hours."
     We have recently lost the earthly presence of two members who have been affiliated with Sharon Church since its inception in 1903.

     Mrs. Henry J. Jasmer.

     On Friday. January 12, the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith officiated at the funeral service for Mrs. Jasmer (nee Lillian Lindh), and spoke of her faithful adherence to the New Church from her youth, and of the affection in which she was held by her friends in Chicago and Glenview. "She had always manifested a lively and lovely spirit; she was a woman of charm, of an affectionate nature and generous disposition. She had a taste for the finer things of life, and was ever a lover of music, possessing a sweet voice." Mrs. Jasmer leaves a devoted husband, her son Norman, his wife Olga, and their infant son, her grandchild.

     Mrs. John W. Marelius.

     At the ripe old age of eighty-two, Mrs. Marelius (nee Emma Josephine Blid) passed to the other life on January 12. She was a charter member of Sharon Church, and a most faithful participant in the uses of the New Church in this city from its early days. The Rev. Morley Rich gave expression to our esteem in his funeral address, from which we quote:
     "When an elderly woman leaves this world, we have special delight in reflecting upon that beautiful passage of the Writings which describes the way in which women who have died in old age return to the flower of their youth in the other life. We perceive boxy right and true this is when we remember that innocence and charity characterize youth, and when we observe this youthful spirit in those who are aged and infirm. But the innocence and charity of old age are genuine, and have been achieved through years of trial and self-discipline. It is not easy to gain that innocence and charity in the present state of the human race. But what peace it must bring to those who attain it! And what is more fitting and rational than that the outward form of those who are in it should assume an appearance in harmony with it, in that world where there is no time where human souls live to eternity and where it is a law that the external of everyone are in harmony with their internals?
     In addition to her living a life of usefulness to her family and friends. Mrs. Marelius was a faithful member of the organized New Church, firmly attached in affection and thought to the truths of the Lord's Second Coming. Because of this attachment, she, together with her husband, Dr. John W. Marelius, who preceded her to the other life by some fifteen years, must often have felt delight in the fact that their five daughters also came actively into the Church.
     One of the qualities that distinguished her, especially in her later years, was a benevolent, modest serenity. Seldom, if ever, would she allow herself to be disturbed or annoyed by trifling things. She seemed to have an inner equilibrium, a balance not easily upset.

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And some measure of this serenity was surely gained from her reading of the Word and the Heavenly Doctrines, which gave her a certainty as to the other life, a faith in her eventual reunition with her husband, and a peace in the thought of the Lord's care which descended into her affection for the Twenty-third Psalm, and gave her much joy when it was repeated or sung."
     D. M. F.

     WASHINGTON, D. C.

     We are faced with a problem in New Church education. Of the 12 children in the Washington Society. 3 are of kindergarten age, and 4 range in age from 7 to 12. For several years, Dr. Acton has given instruction to these older ones on the Saturday afternoons of his monthly visits, but he has emphasized the necessity of doing more than this. One year ago a Sunday School was inaugurated. During the service of worship, and while the sermon is being delivered, a class of seven Children receives religious instruction in another room, Mr. Rowland Tumble being the teacher appointed by the pastor.
     Three years ago, Mrs. Trimble established in her home a little school under the direction of the Calvert School's home study department. To her own children she has recently added a third pupil, James Boatman, aged 8. The Sunday School sessions between pastoral visits will be discontinued, and a Saturday session for religious instruction at the Trimble home will be substituted. The weekend session will have as a special pupil, Suzanne Grant, age 7. By this change we hope for a decided increase in the scope, regularity and effectiveness of our work.
     Two years ago, the Men's Club of the Washington Society of the General Convention invited the Rev. Karl R, Alden to give his lecture on Swedenborg's Preparation as a Revelator. A report of this and the ensuing discussion appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE for May. 1938. Six months later, the Men's Clubs of the Baltimore and Washington Societies of the General Convention, with the cooperation of Mr. Trimble, had a joint meeting at a hotel near Laurel, Maryland. That there is an element in Convention which is appreciative of the work of the General Church and the Academy, and disposed to make friendly overtures, is evident from the fact that, since last October, four of our doctrinal classes have been attended by five or more members of the Washington group, who came especially to hear Dr. Acton. But they also came when Dr. White- head took Dr. Acton's place in December. One of the men sent in his subscription to NEW CHURCH LIFE and another expressed surprise at our circumstances, and said to Dr. Acton: Why do you meet in a private home, when we have a fine church that we could share with you?
     Our January doctrinal class was attended by 8 members of the General Church and 8 members of the General Convention. When these visitors first came, it happened that Dr. Acton began a series of classes on "Conjugial Love." Mellowed by the wisdom of age, his enlightening presentation of the spiritual side of marriage evidently gave them an insight into the real spirit of Academy ideals, for they have returned regularly, missing only one class in tour.
     R. T.

     JONKOPING, SWEDEN.

     As we learn from letters to the Bishop, the pastoral duties of the Rev. Erik Sandstrom in this society were interrupted early in December by his being called for service in the Swedish Army. After a few weeks, however, he was able to return home for a time, arriving two days before Christmas. This made it possible for the society to hold both the Christmas and New Year's Services in the usual way.
     Under authorization from the Bishop, the pastor officiated at the dedication of the society's new hall of worship, the ceremony being performed at the Midnight Service on December 31 as the first act of the New Year.

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All present felt the significance of the dedication, its spiritual aspect having been previously explained by the pastor.
     In the Army. Mr. Sandstrom's service is that of military pastor in one of the hospital departments of his regiment. And it has been arranged that he is to conduct certain courses of study for the soldiers-a teaching opportunity which he welcomes as something allied to his ministerial profession.

     WYOMING, OHIO.

     The Rev. Bjorn Boyesen has gone to Wyoming, Ohio, to assist the Rev. Norman H. Reuter. Visiting Pastor, until the Council Meetings in April. War conditions in England have made it inadvisable to begin the uses there to which Mr. Boyesen was called.

     ROCKFORD, ILL.

     In the year that has passed since the organization of the Rockford Circle, services of worship and doctrinal classes have been held every month, with the exception of two months in the Summer.
     Services are held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Axel Eklund, the sun-porch in the front of the house serving as a convenient and fitting chancel. An altar and a lectern have now been constructed, and the ladies have made cloths for both. Miss Myrtle Hedberg plays the piano for the services, and two or three times we have enjoyed the additional music of Mr. Jesse Stevens with his violin, together with some moral support in the singing on the part of several Glenview choir-members who made the trip for that special purpose.
     Mrs. Eklund has introduced the pleasant custom of serving light refreshments after the services, during which we discuss topics of interest to everyone. Questions on the subject of the sermon or on the readings are asked. We also discuss the physical arrangements for meetings, and for improving the worship and the classes.
     On the following Monday morning I sometimes call upon people known to the group who are interested in the Doctrines. In the afternoon (a new project), a group of ladies who are interested in the Doctrines-friends of the ladies in the group,-gather at Mrs. Eklund's home for a dessert-luncheon, after which I give them a talk on a fundamental doctrine of the Church. We have discussed in this manner the character and credibility of Swedenborg, the life after death, and similar topics. There has been quite a lively reaction, with many questions on such subjects as baptism, death-bed repentance, the world of spirits, and so on.
     On Monday evening we have a social supper at the home of one of the families in the group, followed by a doctrinal class. On these occasions we have dealt with "Moral Principles and the Life of Religion"; the truth that "Man Can Now See the Divine Human of the Lord"; and a talk on "Friendship."
     Nine adult members of the General Church and three children compose the nucleus of the Circle, and there are several interested friends who come quite regularly to the services and classes.
     MORLEY D. RICH.

     THE HAGUE, HOLLAND.

     Christmas time in our group went by quietly, owing to the terrible conditions prevailing in Europe during this Feast of Peace. But while these cast a shadow over every happy occasion, we realize that in times of darkness the church and its light of doctrine must be a haven of rest for our thoughts. And in our hearts is a prayer that the Lord may keep our little country from the horrors of war.
     At the service on Christmas Day, Dr. Iungerich's address dealt with the meaning of the words, "And they shall call His name Emmanuel," and treated of the Incarnation and the two Genealogies.

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The Holy Supper was administered to nine communicants. Many of our members were unable to attend on account of illness. In a little group like ours this immediately makes a difference. In the afternoon, Mrs. Engeltjes entertained the New Church friends. There was a gathering around the Christmas tree, with presents. We also found time to take some photographs, and everybody had a very nice time.
     During the month of November, the government of our society made a few changes in our Statutes, and these will be submitted to the Queen for Royal Consent. Since the alterations are of subordinate importance, we trust we shall receive this Consent without difficulty.
     Miss Vincent, who was baptized by Bishop de Charms last August, has been received as a member of the General Church. This was announced at the Friday evening class on December 8, and Miss Vincent then signed the society's roll of membership.
     Beginning with the January number of our periodical. De Nieuwe Bedeeling, the monthly issue will be increased from eight to twelve pages. Although costs have increased, we are hoping to be able to maintain this enlarged size.
     L. F.
ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS of the General Church of the New Jerusalem 1940

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS of the General Church of the New Jerusalem              1940




     Announcements




     BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 8-13, 1940.

     Program.

Monday, April 8.
     8.00     p. m.-Consistory.

Tuesday, April 9, to Friday, April 12.
     10.00     a. m. and 3.30 p. m.-Daily Sessions of the Council of the Clergy.

Friday, April 12.
     3.30     p. m.-Executive Committee.
     7.00     p. m. Friday Supper in the Assembly Hall, followed by
               Open Session of the Council of the Clergy.
               Address:     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt.
               Subject:     "What Makes A Living Church

Saturday, April 13.
     10.00     a. m.-Joint Council.
     3.30     p. m.-Joint Council (if needed).
     8.00     p. m.-Public Entertainment.

Sunday, April 14.
     11.00     a. m.-Divine Worship.
     9.30     a. m.-Children's Service.
SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY              1940

     Music to be Used.

HYMNS:     Nos. 17, 24, 34, 36, 37, 39, 44, 47, 49, 50, 53, 56.
CHANTS:     No. 29 and Te Dominum, page 380.
ANTHEMS:     Nos. 1, 5, 8, 9, 13.
GENERAL OFFICE: Fifth.
PSALMODY:     Psalm 48.
MAN BORN BLIND 1940

MAN BORN BLIND        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
APRIL, 1940
No. 4
     A TALK TO CHILDREN.

     Toward the end of His life the Lord abode for about two months in the city of Jerusalem. During the daytime He taught in the temple, and at night He retired to the Mount of Olives, probably to the little village of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived. During this time the chief priests and scribes were plotting to take His life. They sent spies to watch Him, who tried to catch Him in some act or saying for which He might be condemned and put to death. Yet they dared not openly accuse Him, fearing lest the multitudes who loved Him and believed in Him should rise up against them.
     One day, as the Lord was walking with His disciples through the streets of the city, they saw a poor blind beggar. He had been begging there for many years, and it was well known that he had been blind from birth. The disciples-thinking how terrible it must be to abide in total darkness, and never to see the beautiful things of the world around us-asked the Lord whose fault it was that this man had been born blind. It could not be a punishment for any sin of his own. Could it be that he was suffering because of some evil committed by his parents? This did not seem fair. Why should he suffer all his life for something he could not help? In answer, the Lord said to them, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the glory of God may be made manifest in him."

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     By this the Lord meant that the poor beggar had not been afflicted with blindness on account of any sin, but in order that he might perform a special use for the Lord,-a use that he could not otherwise have done. Everyone is born to do something of service to other men. Each has his own work to do, both on earth and in heaven. Here was a man who seemed unable to do any work because he was blind. He had to beg on the streets in order to get food to eat and garments to put on. Yet he was to perform a great use. By means of him the Lord was to do a miracle of Divine healing. The Lord was to make manifest His power, and thus bring many to believe on Him, to worship Him, and to keep His commandments, that they might come into heaven after death.
     It is often so. Those who appear to men to accomplish the least may, in the sight of heaven, perform an important work. It is not they who do it, but the Lord. No man can do anything from himself. But the Lord through men can do wonderful things, if only they will obey Him.
     Here was a man who had been born blind. It was unheard-of that anyone so born had ever been cured by a doctor or physician. But now the Lord spat on the ground, made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, saying unto him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam!" The man went and washed, in obedience to the Lord. He went, groping his way with a stick through the streets he had come to know so well. But he came back, seeing! For suddenly he received his sight. Think of the joy that must have come to him in beholding, for the first time, light and color, and form, flowers, birds, houses, people-all the wonderful things the Lord has made to delight our eyes. This joy was surely a reward for all his patient waiting in the darkness-a greater joy than anyone can possibly feel who has always seen these things.
     As he walked through the streets, looking about in wonder at this newfound world, people met him who for years had known him as a blind beggar. Great was their astonishment to see him walking without help. One said, "Is not this he that sat and begged? Another replied, "This is he." But some could not believe it, saying, "He is like him," and thinking that surely he must be someone else.

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But when they asked him, he said, I am he." They said "How were thine eyes opened?" And he told them what had been done for him. But he had never seen the Lord, and he could not tell them who it was that had done this miracle. He only knew that His name was Jesus.
     Puzzled and unable to understand, they brought him to the Pharisees, who were supposed to be learned, hoping that they might explain what had happened. But the Pharisees wanted only to accuse the Lord. They cared nothing about the poor blind man, but they questioned him closely, and when they found that the miracle had been performed on the Sabbath Day they were angry, proclaiming that one who did not keep the Sabbath could not be of God. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? So they asked the one who had been cured of blindness what he thought of the Lord, and he said, "He is a Prophet." And then, in spite of the Pharisees, many came to believe on the Lord.
     Now, of course, blindness is a terrible thing. Yet even when the eyes are blind the mind can see. You can all close your eyes and still see things in your mind. Even one who has been born blind-because he can hear, and taste, and smell, and touch-is able to think, and so to see with the mind. He is able to understand: and understanding is the sight of the spirit. Because of this, he will not be blind in the other world, but after death will behold all the beauties of heaven.
     There is, however, a kind of blindness that is far worse than that of the body-the kind that makes people unable to see the things of heaven. Those who go into the other world with this kind of blindness can never be cured. They come there among evil spirits, and abide in the darkness of hell, seeing in that darkness as bats and owls see in the night. If they are taken into heaven, where they are surrounded by beautiful things, they do not see these things at all, because their eves are blinded by the light of heaven's sun.
     Many who lived in the world at the time of the Lord's Coming suffered from this kind of blindness. They could see perfectly the things of the natural world, and they thought they were very learned and wise. Yet they were spiritually blind, and the Lord knew that when they came into the other world they would be unable to see the things of heaven. It was because they had forsaken Jehovah-had rejected His Word, and no longer knew the God who is to be loved and obeyed.

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The Lord knew that, unless the knowledge and the love of God should be restored, no one could be saved. This is the reason why He came into the world, teaching men that they must believe in Him and keep His Word.
     It was in order that they might know who He was that the Lord performed miracles. It was in order that many might be led to believe in Him, and thus receive their spiritual sight, that the Lord permitted this poor beggar to be born blind. For only by opening the eyes of this man-to the great wonder of all who had seen him begging-could He bring thousands of people to know and worship the Lord as God.
     Think how great a use it was that this blind beggar performed! How little it mattered, after all, that he should have suffered blindness for a few years during his life on earth, when by means of this the Lord was enabled to heal the spiritual blindness of many, and impart to countless generations following the eternal blessedness of heaven.
     He who was born blind is still doing this work. For every time we read this story in the Word it helps us to realize more fully the love and wisdom of the Lord; it helps us to obey His commandments, so that He may open our eyes also, that we may behold the things of heaven. Unless the Lord should do this for each one of us, we would remain forever spiritually blind. But in the measure that we come to know and love the Lord He can give us to see the glories of His heavenly kingdom.

LESSON:     John 9: 1-17.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pp. 454, 425, 502. Hymnal, pp. 178, 166, 96.

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POWER OF THE NEW CHURCH 1940

POWER OF THE NEW CHURCH       Rev. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD       1940

     "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
     "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
     Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you all the days, unto the consummation of the age." (Matthew 28: 18-20.)

     Herein was the beginning of the CC garden of God " for primitive Christians,-the giving of the final commission to the apostles in the sphere and authority of the glorified Divine Human. These were the men chosen to sow the seed in this new garden,-a few men of faith and courage who acknowledged their heavenly Father in the person of Jesus Christ, and so were able to receive His Spirit through His truth. It mattered not as to their ignorance of the interior things which they represented; it mattered not that their ideas of heaven were still translations of ideas of earthly power and wisdom; it mattered not that afterwards, in the other life, they were received, like others, only according to their life in this world. (H. H. 526.)
     Yet they were chosen from all the world,-a world filled with men of far greater external powers. learning and prestige,-to be "endowed with the Holy Spirit by the Lord," to "preach the Gospel through a great part of the world," and to promulgate the new Revelation by mouth and by writings. That they did this as of themselves, yet from the Lord-Peter teaching and writing in one way, James in another, John in another, and Paul in another, each according to his own intelligence;-is testimony to a deliberate choice and a positive common ordination. The Lord filled all these men with His Spirit, but each took thence according to the quality of his perception, and followed it up according to the quality of his power. (T. C. R. 154.)

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Their moral courage, their wonderful powers of address, and their various methods of instruction, whether practical or prophetic, were all chosen and selected by the Lord to carry His Divine Word into the actual founding and organization of a Church.
     This indeed was the beginning-the creation-of a new heaven and a new earth,-a new Church-by and through the instrumentalities ordained of God for the age until its consummation. The Lord was in the midst of these instruments wherever they gathered. And in these post-resurrection teachings of the Lord especially do we find confirmation of the statement made in A. C. 1, that "everywhere (in the Word) there are inward things that never appear in the outward ones, except a very few that the Lord revealed and explained to the Apostles." This is illustrated in various passages in John, for example, where the apostle reports the Lord as saying:
     "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may be with you forever, (even) the Spirit of truth. . . Ye know Him: for He abideth with you, and shall be in you. . . He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.
     "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all the truth, . . . and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you." (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:12-14.)
     Herein the glorified Divine Human is clearly indicated as the Creator and Sustainer of the Church even unto the end of the age, and beyond-into the Dawn of a Church that shall stand and fulfill all the laws and prophets ordained of God from the beginning of all time. Hence the apostles were to teach all nations to have faith in the resurrected Lord, and that He now has all power in heaven and in earth. (T. C. R. 175.)
     The power thus conveyed by this Apostolic Church can hardly be realized, save by a study of the Gospels and the writings of the early Christian Church. But it may also be somewhat known by the perception that still lingered, in God's mercy, for many centuries with many men who believed that, in some way, Jesus Christ was very God, by virtue, not of His miraculous birth, nor of His "atonement," nor even of His ascension, but because of His resurrection from that place of death from whence none other has returned.

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This was the view of Augustine, of most of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, even of Albertus Magnus, and of many of the mediaeval schoolmen.
     In general, men have underestimated, even if they have not despised and rejected, the Church of the first two centuries. In whatsoever degree early Christianity succeeded in stamping the world with the image of the Lord's life and teaching, this was done by the immediate and early apostles and disciples of the Lord, rather than by their successors. This is reflected in all that we know of the order and organization of the Church of the second century, in which the traditions and remembrances of the Lord's teaching and leading reigned with unchallenged power. It was the apostles and disciples who, armed with the Divine Power, had established the Church in Jerusalem, and throughout Palestine; in Samaria, the Phoenician and Philistine coasts, in Antioch and in Rome. And it was the power involved in their teaching and leadership which triumphed-through bitter persecution and martyrdom-even when the proud empire of the ancient Romans had gone down before the barbarian gentiles of the North. Indeed there was, with the early Christian Church, a power which the Church itself, in its externalizing processes, could not destroy.
     It will be observed that such relatively interior truths as were given to the apostles had been especially advanced in the post- resurrection teachings of the Lord, up to the final ascension. Especially during those forty days was the faith and life of the Apostolic Church filled with the Divine Spirit to the utmost capacity of its reception. No amount of reasoned criticism of the Gospels can even blur this fact. Indeed, all four Gospels bear witness to the truth that this final commission of the Divine Proceeding was given with all the majesty and power that have ever accompanied the words of God to man. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
     A Trinity? Yes-but of powers invested in One. "All power is given to Me"; and "Lo, I am with you all the days,"-thus speaking of Himself alone. In this way the apostles knew that the Trinity was in Him. (Doctrine of the Lord 46.) The Lord Jesus Christ was the object of their worship.

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To His life they gave their love. To His teaching they gave their all. This emphasis on simple and sincere obedience to the teaching and leading of the Lord, both in faith and life, was their special use;-as it will ever be of the first apostles and disciples in the early states of a genuine spiritual church.
     Since those early days, the Roman Catholic Church has buried its memory of the early experience of the Divine Power beneath its throne of temporal sovereignty, and has established palaces where once Christians met in humility and singleness of heart and mind to listen to the teachings of their Lord and sing praises to His name. And Protestantism has hidden the face of the Lord behind the figure and mind of Paul, who came after the apostles to profit by their work.
     But the ultimate denial of the Divinity and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, in after centuries, was not only from a spiritually dead Church; it was also from the deepening evils and shadows of a pagan world,-pagan, howsoever learned and progressive in natural truths and goods. For when men do not go to the Lord Himself,- and especially when they do not live according to His precepts,- then they are left by the Lord, according to their desires. Being left by the Lord, we are told, they become as pagans who have no religion. (A. R. 750.)
     That was and is increasingly the state of the world. Hence to such a pagan world Jesus Christ appears only as to His human essence, or natural man, standing in the gallery of the religions of mankind an astounding-nay, inexplicable, human figure;-standing at the door of the mind with a strange, lonely majesty that has ever disturbed the noblest pagan minds, from the days of Pilate to the greatest thinkers nearer to our own day. To such, Jesus Christ is still the greatest figure of all time; but, nevertheless, only a man,- with no more power than can be conceived or granted to a great and noble character who appeared, in some strange way, as the expression of all that was finest and best in the Semitic world,-the greatest of the Jewish race.
     Yet, against all this sphere of doubt and denial, the plain and unqualified claim is made of complete supernatural power: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

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The Lord here quotes a passage in Daniel (7: 14) which speaks of the One like the Son of man, to whom was given dominion and glory, and of whom it was said: CC His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." The Lord now came to tell the disciples that this had come true. And His sending out of the disciples was to show that the power He had showed throughout Galilee was to be equally great in all nations.
     Nevertheless, this power on earth was but the result of the Lord's power on high,-His Divine victory over all spiritual enemies, subjugated even to the deepest and lowest hell. This victory was so complete that a great division, of which our Lord frequently speaks, took place. The first were often made the last, the last the first. The spiritual Capernaum which had exalted itself to heaven was brought low; and those who had been imprisoned by the evil there were freed, as was shown representatively in that world by the graves opening and the saints arising in view of some of the disciples. Thus all power in heaven and in earth was His, and His forever.

     II.

     This is the Lord God the Saviour; and to the New Churchman no mystery attends the coming of His power. His words may now illumine the mind of man as nothing in the history of men has ever done. For His history is a path of light.
     This Power came-and comes-to the ultimate of its fulfillment because our Lord was the very Divine Wisdom, or the eternal Word, fulfilling itself in the life of the flesh. For although in His life among men we see toil, suffering,-all the characteristics of earthly life save sin-yet we see Divine Authority, power and peace making themselves more and more manifest until the solemn moment before the final trial, when He said: "And now I come to Thee."
     And though all hell was united in opposition to Him, and through its tools-an evil priesthood, a mad multitude and a brutal civil power,-was permitted to bring Him even to the last passion of the sense-life, a New Kingdom was born, and reigns at this day, though unknown and invisible to all but His disciples,-a Kingdom of God which comes with power to break the force of old dominions, and to establish a new reign over the heart and mind.

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The nature of this power is now revealed, and the mode of its reception by His disciples.
     The Writings of the New Church have now unrolled the meaning of this power,-a power which, when received by open hearts, is the preserver of souls from every peril and the cure of every spiritual disease. The Lord's power on earth can be received by His disciples in proportion as there is deliverance from evil through the Divine Truth revealed, and obedience to it in life. This power is sensed and revealed to man through the struggles of temptation in which the internal man, after being enlightened by spiritual truth, successfully wrestles with the natural man and its powers.
     The question as to why natural men seek power has ever engaged the minds of thinkers in all ages. But few have marked the deep gulf that is set between power for the sake of use and power for its own sake-power as an instrument, and power as an end. To seek power as a means of use to the neighbor, and to lust for power out of the love of self,-these two motives fall into distinct and separate categories. Men great and small, high and low, must have a sufficiency of power in order to perform use to the neighbor. Every government must have enough of sovereignty to protect and promote its own life and uses. Every individual must have enough of natural goods and truths to enable him to perform his duties and fulfill his abilities in use, whether they be lowly or eminent in degree. But the love of power for its own sake is self-worship in the deepest and lowest sense. For it arises from the hereditary desire of the natural man to insist on the sovereignty of the proprium, to emphasize the total independence of his own intelligence, to ascribe to himself the kingdom, and the power and the glory.
     History demonstrates that this love of the exercise of power by man, over men, is never so manifest as in the final stages of the consummation of an age. Then we see breaking out the use of unrestrained and brutal power over the neighbor, power to govern and command the possessions and the lives of others, power to invade the most sacred rights of others in their homes, their minds,-in all that spells freedom of orderly development for each unique personality and each unique people and race. And in this seizure of power over others, all degrees of subterfuge are used. The good of one's own nation above all others;-the good of one's special race above all other races;-even the persuasion, sometimes, that we are unselfishly rescuing others from tyranny, yet only in order to bring them under our own domain!

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The natural mind and unregenerate heart are infinitely subtle and resourceful in providing excuses for the invasion and subjugation of the uses of the neighbor, in order to bring him under our own sovereignty.
     Indeed, the more emotional this "will to power" may be, on the part of a man, or a society, or a nation--brushing aside even those laws of morality and civil order which experience has shown to be suitable boundaries for the performance of mutual use-the more ruthless and unbalanced is the result. In fact, the emotional dominion of unrestrained will, where the curbs of natural reason and orderly use have been ignored, ends inevitably in the wrecking of nations, in the destruction of all human uses, in the spread of a sphere of universal anarchy, and even in the overthrow of the means appointed for the ministrations of genuine religion. This is the spirit that ever seeks to seize the government of the State, and also the government of the Church,-the spirit of evil that seeks to exercise dominion, not for the sake of use, but for the sake of dominion,-for the love of rule for its own sake.
     Power over the neighbor, as an end in itself, is always evil, howsoever it may cloak itself for a time in the garb of doctrines of truth or leaderships of seeming good. Such cloaking appears sometimes as a permission of Providence; but it will be noted that it is only for a brief season. Sooner or later the mask is stripped off, and the face of tyranny is seen in the revealing course of Providence. It is not the will of Providence that tyrants should rule-for long!
     This desire to usurp all power, internal and external, over the neighbor is the ultimate temptation presented in this life. And it was so presented to the Lord in the wilderness, when He was taken to a high place, and shown and offered dominion over all the kingdoms of the earth. This is the supreme of all evil.
     Assuredly there is nothing in common between the kingdom of the unregenerate man and the Lord's Kingdom. The Lord's Kingdom signifies the gentle, uplifting dominion of spiritual truth. It is a power from within, and not from without. It comes not with observation. It is unattended by the proud pageantry and might of earthly power, whether that pride and power be of the body or the mind of man.

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It is a Kingdom constituted of, and based upon. Divine Truth. And its laws are the laws of heavenly order. And its citizens are those in whose minds the Divine Truth has been received in freedom and obeyed in life, in sincerity and charity.
     It seeks no hierarchy of ecclesiastical power over the souls of men. It but seeks a spiritual brotherhood of all those who would walk together, and would learn together boxy to understand truth and how to do good. Nor is it the mere intellectual possession of truth as a science, which makes us disciples, and subjects of the Lord's Kingdom. The Lord's power comes by means of the truth; and this truth forms our conscience. But it is only the medium by which power over evil is manifested and put forth. No knowledges, in themselves, as scientifics, have the power to overcome evil in ourselves, or in others;-not even the knowledges of the Church.
     Herein we have one reason why the most skilful rearrangement of the external order of society has not the power to destroy evil. The adaptation of environment, through scientific knowledge, may for a time baffle and hold at bay the destructive abilities of evil in society. It may drive the forces of evil to take cover until another day. It may even induce a strong appearance of durable reform. But it is not the real regeneration of man, nor of society. It is but the temporary cleansing of the cup and the platter-an external process, used in the mercy of Providence to prevent the ultimate destruction of all society,-even such a process as is permitted in the government of the hells.
     Ultimate power over evil comes only from its opposite good, and originates in the Lord as its source. The power of truth over evil originates in that affection for the truth, which the Lord inspires into the will, in order that His will may be done. It is a fact that this truth is first taught to man externally, either through the ministration of those whose duty it is to teach and lead-parents and priests,-or through his own readings in the Divine Word. But the affection for the truth, or that love in the will which gives the truth power, comes by an internal way. This power is inspired from the Lord by spiritual media into the will. It is this affection in the will, or the affection, which the Lord ever seeks to give man internally, that inclines him to yield obedience to the truth. And this is the true love of God, which passes all understanding.

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     It is the effort of this internal affection to become united to the truth perceived in the understanding, which gives it the power over evil.
     Thus the use of spiritual temptation is clear. The struggle between natural and spiritual powers in one's life opens the eyes of the soul. It fills the heart with Divine power, according to the willingness of our reception and the sincerity and strength of our purpose. There is no other way to deprive evil of its power. And no one else can do it for us. Indeed, we must beware of yielding our spiritual freedom to all those natural forces, which are only too willing to take over the task for purposes of their own.
     It is the very real love of the Divine Truth alone that renders us exquisitely sensible of our evils and their dominion. And it is this truth alone that sets us free.
     If the Church of the New Jerusalem is to descend with us, we must see the sign of the Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. That is, we must see and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ in His Word, and that this Word is from Him who is the Light of the world-a medium by which the brightness of spiritual truth is veiled and accommodated to our sight, but which grows clear and transparent as we rise in our state of affections, and are prepared to receive Him in the power of His Divine presence.
     To the world, indeed, this is the darkness of mysticism. To the New Churchman it is the sober fact of a returning spiritual sanity and vision. And though the consummation of this our own age is dark, and cold and wintry for the human spirit, as few ages in the history of the world have been, yet the gentiles who have been living in shadows are now on the threshold of a Great Light. For, as Jesus came and spake to His small band of disciples over nineteen centuries ago, so again He comes at this day, saying: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you all the days, unto the consummation of the age." Amen.

LESSONS:     Daniel 7: 1-14. Matthew 28. A. C. 6344.
MUSIC: Liturgy, pages 570, 612, 668, 758. Revised Liturgy, pages 426, 479,
568, 604.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 87, 88.

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NEW CHURCH EDUCATION 1940

NEW CHURCH EDUCATION       Rev. F. W. ELPHICK       1940

      (Delivered at Meetings of the Ministers and Teachers of the Native Mission of the General Church in South Africa.)

     In considering the subject of Education from the standpoint of the New Church, two conditions should be kept firmly in mind: 1) That the New Church in this world is in the day of small things; and 2) That New Church Education in this world is in the day of very small things. We note these two conditions because of the fact that, often, after the first joy in receiving the Doctrines of the New Church, a disappointment arises when it is seen that in external matters the organized New Church has little to show. It is not recognized by the intelligent men and women of learning in the world. When we first come to the light of the New Church, there is joy and gladness. We love to see things in a new light; we love to see life in a new light. All who have really accepted the New Church faith have passed through such a state. It is like a "first love " state. Happy, indeed, is the individual-especially if that individual be a responsible minister or teacher of the New Church-whose love for the truth, and for the application of truth to life, will continually revive and intensify that first love. For then disappointments, spiritual trials, and apparent failures-which are bound to come-will not dim the light and the love which the New Church religion may bequeath to men and women, even while they live on earth.
     The phrase "New Church Education" consists of two parts,- the noun part, and the adjective part. In this instance, "Education " is the noun, "New Church "the adjective which qualifies the noun. What, then, do we mean by the term "Education"?
     The word Education comes from Educate, or the Latin Educo, which means to lead forth, to lead out, to rear, to bring up. Education is the act of leading forth, leading out. In Dictionary phraseology, "Education is the act of educating, teaching, or training; the act or art of developing and cultivating the various physical, intellectual, esthetic, and moral faculties.

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It implies tuition, nurture, learning, erudition." Such is the general use of the term CC Education." But note further, "Education" has a 'restricted' meaning and a 'wider' meaning. In a restricted sense, education means the instruction given to children in the home, in the elementary school, in college (high school), and, as applied to adults, in a university. But in its wider meaning it implies the instruction, development and experience which comes to every man and every woman throughout life, so that it may be said that "education is life"-and, conversely, that "life is education." So much for the noun Education.
     Now to the adjective. What is meant by the phrase "New Church" in "New Church Education"? By this term we mean that there is a New Dispensation, which is of the Lord and from the Lord, descending from the New Heaven. It is especially described in the Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse, and is there described as "The New Jerusalem." For over seventeen hundred years, as measured in earthly time, the meaning of the vision seen by John has been hidden from men. It is now revealed in the Writings of the New Church, given through the instrumentality of Emanuel Swedenborg. Since the reception of these Writings is among a few, so the New Church on earth is as yet among a few. But there is a Divine promise that some day, in the good time of Providence, it will spread among many. And because this New Church is what it is, namely New, so it has a New Doctrine, a New Theology, a New Life, which implies a New Education,-an Education qualified by and infilled with the truth revealed to the New Church-hence "New Church" Education.
     What, it may here be asked, are the objectives of this New Church Education? What is it striving for? To be brief, we will place the objectives in summary form:

     1. The implantation of the acknowledgment of the One and only God, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is that God.
     2. The preservation of the Word in its literal form. For this Word is the very ultimate of Divine Truth in its holiness, fulness and power. To preserve it means to have a well implanted knowledge of it and reverence for it, since the Church is where the Word is read and understood in the light of revealed Doctrine, and used for the amendment of life.

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     3. The preservation of the Doctrines of the New Church. For these are a Divine Revelation given out of heaven for the use of man-a form of Divine Truth-the Word of God accommodated to the requirements of the rational mind, so that man may enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith.
     4. The preservation of the Conjugial, that is, the marriage of one man with one wife, the union of two in thought and will, in truth and good,-two who love to think and will, each as the other, and thus to become one man. This implies the education of future parents and future homes. The home is the seminary for the uses of life in this world among men,-for the church and for heaven. Education commences within its sacred walls, passes to and co-operates with the school, and these two agencies together lay the foundation for the education of life.
     5. New Church Education throughout the world possesses a twofold use,-education in a preparation for a life of use in this world, and education in preparation for a life of use in heaven. It implies the education of the natural mind, in order that a spiritual mind may later develop.
     6. New Church Education implies the training of the will as well as of the understanding. It means the preparation for the uses of society, of the country, as well as for the church. It means the education of a moral life, in order that a spiritual life may develop within and upon that moral life.

     Thus, in merest summary, we have outlined what is involved in the term "New Church Education." It is an education which, in its restricted sense, as applied to home, school, and university, is based upon a knowledge of, and an application of, the principles revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. In its wider sense, it is based upon a knowledge of the principles revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and their application to the who]e span of individual adult life.
     But we are here particularly interested in the problems of education in its restricted sense, as applied to school and college life, though it goes without saying that no one can escape the necessities and responsibilities of education in its wider meaning of life.

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Concentrating our attention upon the uses and needs of the school and the schoolteacher, what do we find? We find a question, which is very often placed before the ministers and teachers and also the members of the New Church. Hearing about the New Church and its all-embracing Doctrines, and feeling the enthusiasm which New Church folk have for their faith, the question is asked: "What is the difference between New Church education and the education offered by the world?" Or, it may be asked: "How can we teach geography, history, arithmetic, or hygiene in any new way?"
     Here we face practical issues, and they must be met with reasonable explanations. But here we must think deeply and analytically. It is because education, and especially primary and elementary education, in the minds of so many teachers and parents, is associated with these subjects-the usual curriculum of school boy and school girl life-that such questions will be placed before anyone supporting the new thing called New Church Education.
But to get at the matter, a counter question should be asked:
"Does the teaching and learning of geography, history, arithmetic and hygiene constitute the all of education in a primary or elementary school? A well-informed teacher and a reasonable parent will at once say No! And why "No"? Because it is instinctively felt that there are concerns in education of equal and even higher importance. The mind will immediately reach out to such attributes as honesty, obedience, reverence, respect, and cleanliness; and, what is more, will often state that those attributes should be in filled with the love and worship of God. So that, in visualizing the difference between New Church education and that offered by the world, the thought must not be merely confined to subject matter, for we see intuitively that it looks to higher matters-moral and spiritual.
     A second phase to be remembered is, that as New Church Doctrine directs the mature mind to such subjects as Creation, Providence, Permission, the Philosophy of End, Cause and Effect-matters of viewpoint for the youthful and more adult mind, too advanced for children-it comes about that the handling of history, geography and natural science from the principles revealed in the Doctrines of the New Church does not show itself until one reaches the higher standards (grades) of school, and then on to college and university.

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Hence we would suggest that if we are to see the problem involved in the question, "What is the difference between New Church education and that provided by the world? "it will be necessary to view education as applied to school life in two sections: (1) The Primary and Elementary. (2) The Higher and College, and even University Standards.
     As far as the New Church is concerned, its principles underlie both divisions. But in practice they are applied differently, and even manifest themselves differently to one who observes the different states of mind involved. We can explain better by concrete examples.
     Assume that we have a teacher in charge of the primary and elementary standards. And by a New Church teacher we mean one who is conversant with the Faith and Doctrine of the New Church; that such Faith, indeed, is his faith and her faith; believing absolutely that the Lord has made His Second Coming by revealing Himself in the Doctrines of the New Church, and that the life of charity consists in the shunning of all evil as sin against Him. In addition to this faith, the teacher is qualified to teach in school; is one who knows how to educate, how to draw forth, how to train the mental qualities of childhood; how to instruct in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history, and so forth. He or she will have to follow the curriculum prescribed by the Government of the country concerned. There will have to be learning, repetition, drill, and a continual nourishment of the children's affections for learning. Childish questions, often the most profound and difficult to answer, will be asked. Often such questions will refer to God, His Creation, His Bible, Why this, and Why that.
     Now note the difference: The New Church teacher will answer, accommodating his or her answer to suit the question and the child. In that answer, in the sphere of that answer, there will be no idea of God as a Trinity of Persons. If the question refers to another world, the answer will be certain, and may give a little detail as to children in the other world. If the question refers to the Bible, the sphere of the answer, whatever it may be, will be one of reverence, and a hint will be given that everything contains a beautiful meaning that will be more fully known when the child grows up. If it is a question of the sexes, the teacher will show the child or children how everything God has made is of a dual nature.

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Indeed, in the lower standards it is more the sphere, the attitude, the affection which the teacher can give that is of value in the children's up-bringing.
     We may ask: How many teachers in the world at large have a correct idea of the Trinity? How many are quite certain that there is another world? How many know how and why the Bible was written? The answer is, very few. The New Church Doctrines have come to educate such teachers.
     But note how we have departed from our subjects of geography, history, arithmetic! And why have we done this? Just because the questions asked by children in school will sooner or later come off the subject matter of the lesson, and get to the very questions we have given as examples. The New Church teacher can meet such questions in a New Church way. That is the difference.
     The ABC's, the multiplication table, the Exports and Imports of South Africa, the great chiefs of South Africa-Chaka, Dingaan and Moshesh-all these facts are the same in every Native School. Practice, Proportion, Fractions, Decimals are the same in every school in the world, including the New Church schools. Capes and bays, rivers and seas, mountains and valleys-these things are the same in all schools. So that, as far is primary and elementary education is concerned, the difference between the New Church education and that offered by the world is primarily in sphere and affection, though also in a background of knowledge and understanding with the teacher. The external subject matter is the same, whether it be a New Church school or a Government School.
     Now take the case of a teacher in the higher standards (grades) of the elementary school, or those of college (high school). Here, because the pupils are older, and their understandings more developed, there is greater opportunity for a contrast of views between those based on the Doctrines of the New Church and those of the modern world. Here we are faced with a very extensive part of our subject, and we can only give a hint or so of the treatment that can be given.
     Incidents in history will often confirm the doctrine that man cannot see Providence in things future, but only in things past. The growth and development of freedom since the time of the Last Judgment can be seen in the growth of nations since the year 1757.

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The love of rule from the love of self is responsible for the trouble which is in the world. The New Church teaches a love of rule from the love of use.
     In natural science, one must take account of the existence of three different "souls," as revealed to the New Church-the vegetable soul, the animal soul and the human soul,-the last named being immortal. And one soul cannot evolute into another. In fact, it is because Emanuel Swedenborg himself was a scientist and philosopher before he became a theologian that the New Church is able to correlate theology with the natural sciences. A great field is here open to the future New Church. For in higher education the sciences-natural and social-need to be rearranged, so that they may confirm the truth concerning God the Creator, God the Redeemer and God the Revelator.
     We may say, then, that in the higher standards it is possible to show a different viewpoint of such subjects as history, science and geography. The facts are the same in all schools; but in the New Church they are differently arranged. It is an external condition, which can be seen. But within this external, as in the elementary school, there is a different sphere, difficult to describe in words, but known to all those who have embraced the faith and life of the New Church.
     So when we are asked the question, "What is the difference between New Church education and that offered by the world?" it would seem that the answer is somewhere along the lines we have followed. It is a subtle distinction. Yet it is there. It can be found if we take the trouble to find it.
     In thus endeavoring to show what the New Education implies, there is another helpful point to remember. No doubt many of you as teachers have heard of the word "correlation." History and geography are correlated. That is, when people lived and how they lived are co-related with where they live. Science finds that chemistry and electricity are co-related, that chemistry and geology are co-related. So in the New Church, we find that Theology is co-related with every subject, sometimes less, sometimes more. Religion is, or should be, co-related with life. So in the school-life of a New Church school there is this co-ordinating of studies.
     Yet this must be done with discretion; for every subject needs its own time and thought.

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Here the minister and teacher, or teachers, may work hand in hand. Scripture Lesson and Doctrine for those whose states are ready are taken by the minister. It is his special subject, just as a teacher may specialize in any of the ordinary school subjects. It is therefore better that the minister take his subject. But if the teacher has a knowledge of the Doctrines, and has opportunity of bending the thought of the pupils in a New Church direction, let him or her do so. But care is to be taken that every lesson does not become a Scripture Lesson or a Doctrinal Class. For then time will be taken away from the routine work that must be done to obtain proficient scholars who will be able to perform uses in the world. On the other hand, there is the extreme position of the Sunday School-Bible and Religion for Sundays, but not for any other day! That is a wrong view. Religion is of the everyday life.
     Now for our concluding theme. Thus far we have largely dealt with subject matter-how it may be handled in both the lower and higher standards. But, as we noted in the objectives of New Church education, not only has the understanding to be trained, but also the will. This is the dual condition of all mankind. The New Church aim is that the will and understanding may be united in a marriage. All this is within the doctrine of reformation and regeneration. It is also in the doctrine of the relationship between good and truth.
     Nearly all of the qualities we have been considering have fallen on the side of the understanding,-the side of that capacity which imbibes truth. For on this side we have Faith, Viewpoint, Curriculum, Course of Study, Understanding, Scholarship, Intellect-a new way of seeing. These things of school life can be largely measured. Things of the understanding can be placed in writing, can be seen by teacher, seen by inspector, seen by parent. If the work is up to standard and good, it satisfies. The child is well educated.
     But think of the other side-the side of good, the side of the will. Here we find Charity, Affection, Obedience, Gratitude, Discipline, Morals, a new way of Perceiving. These we cannot so easily place on paper. They cannot so easily be marked and measured in children. Yet they are there, and in reality are the most essential qualities. They are also the hardest to train-just as every man and woman in adult life finds that it is the will, which is the hardest to control.

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Hence the need for teachers and ministers to note the training of the will.
     This, indeed, is the need of the world at the present time. The world, and education in the world, is ever looking to the cultivation of the intellect, to grasp of detail, retention of facts in the memory. But it is failing in God-fearing, self-disciplined, self-controlled wills. And in the New Church we learn that such discipline and such control are to be as if of one's self. Such a work is also in the hands of minister and teacher alike. They are spiritual physicians; yet mindful of the Lord's warning, "Physician heal thyself!" In such a capacity and use do they help the education of the younger generation.
     We see, therefore, that besides the provision for the equipment of learning, of memory training, of skill in matters of head, heart and hand, there must be the constant fight against lying, deceit, fraud, disobedience, disrespect, irreverence, the ill treatment of the weaker sex-all evils of the depraved will. For a spiritual life, a spiritual education, can never develop in an ultimate-in body, mind, and soul-swayed by selfish loves. To reform and regenerate the races and nations of the world, each individual must reform and regenerate himself-and as if of himself.
     How to do this has been revealed in the Divine Revelation of the New Church-the Heavenly Doctrines. An education-school education-based upon those Doctrines is one of the agencies by which mankind may be reformed and regenerated. Indeed, it is for the members of every race and nation members who accept the New Church Doctrines, to grow and develop in their own way, according to the leading of Providence. The principles of the New Church are universal, but their application varies according to time, place, custom, education, and spiritual state.
     On this occasion, among ministers and teachers of the Bantu race we have endeavored to point out briefly what New Church Education means. Note, too, has been made of the difficulty in explaining to others what this education is, and what it involves. It is different, because the New Church is different from any other Church existing in the world. And that education is new, because the New Church is New.

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     If, now, in conclusion, we regard the doctrine of Use in all subjects of school education; and if we premise the condition that Religion, as a subject, should be included in the everyday school time table; then, with these reservations, we can agree to a very large extent with the following story told by an Inspector:
     "Once, when I was inspecting a school, I asked this question of the head teacher: Where in your time table do you teach religion? 'We teach it all day long,' he answered. 'We teach it in arithmetic by accuracy. We teach it in language by learning to say what we mean. We teach it in history by humanity. We teach it in geography by breadth of mind. We teach it in handicraft by thoroughness. We teach it in astronomy by reverence. We teach it in the playground by fair play. We teach it by kindness to animals, by courtesy to servants, by good manners to one another, and by helpfulness in all things. We teach it by showing the young that we, their elders, are their friends and lovers.'"
CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1940

CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1940

     A New and Distinct Church Contemplated and Foretold in the Heavenly Doctrine.

     The purpose of this paper is to show plainly from the Writings that the Lord, who is supremely the Author of the Writings, willed the establishment of the Church of the New Jerusalem, and has taught plainly in the Writings the reasons for its establishment, the means by which this would be accomplished, its distinctiveness from the immediately preceding Church, and the names to be used by it.
     The necessity for such proof from the Writings arises from the misleading assertion, so often made even by members of the Church of the New Jerusalem, that Swedenborg did not establish a church. This is true. Nor did he formally resign from the Lutheran Church of Sweden, of which he was a member, and in which his father had been an eminent bishop. From these facts it has been repeatedly inferred that Swedenborg did not intend the establishment of a new church entirely distinct from the Christian Church.

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He is claimed to have intended that his theological writings should reform the Christian Church by correcting its doctrines and thereby purifying the life of its adherents.
     As an example of such claims, we read: "Swedenborg himself, as we have seen, made no effort whatever toward the founding of a church. He expected his doctrines to permeate gradually the old churches until a state of spiritual regeneration should be reached which would be the New Jerusalem. Toward this end he presented his theological works to all the bishops of the Church of England, and to all the Protestant members of the House of Lords. But the growth of the New Church came through other channels, and led to an entirely unforeseen development, a new ecclesiastical body." (The New Church in the New World, by Marguerite Beck Block, page 61.)
     The Writings contain much teaching, both general and particular, about the Lord's church on earth, its specific or distinctive forms and organizations, and the relations of these to one another. For our purpose it will be sufficient to quote here five comprehensive statements:
     That on this earth, since its creation, there have been four churches in general, one of which has succeeded another. . . . The first church, which is to be called the Most Ancient, existed before the flood, the consummation or end of which is described by the flood. Another church, which is to be called the Ancient, . . . was consummated and destroyed by idolatries. The third church was the Israelitish, begun at the promulgation of the Decalogue on Mount Sinai, . . . and consummated or ended by the profanation of the Word, the fulness of which was at the time when the Lord came into the world; wherefore Him who was the Word they crucified. The fourth church is the Christian, instituted by the Lord through the evangelists and the apostles." (T. C. R. 760.)
     "The last time of the Christian Church is the very night in which the former Churches have come to their end." (T. C. R. 761.) And because the present church in Christendom is the night, it follows that the morning is at hand, that is, the first of a new church." (T. C. R. 764.)
     "This church, which is called the Christian Church, has at this day come to its end.

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Therefore the arcana of heaven and the church are now revealed by the Lord to serve as doctrine of life and faith for a new church, which is meant by "the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse." (A. E. 670:4.)
     "This new truly Christian Church, which is being established at this day by the Lord, will endure to eternity. . . . It was foreseen from the creation of the world, and it will be the crown of the four previous churches, because it will have true faith and true charity. . . An invitation to the whole Christian world to enter this church, and an exhortation worthily to receive the Lord, who has Himself foretold that He would come into the world for the sake of this church and to it." (Coronis LII, LV.)

     These quotations faithfully represent the teaching of the context in which they occur, and of the Writings throughout, as every wide and careful reader of the Writings knows and will recognize. Their meaning is unmistakable. Doubtless one purpose of the repeated statements concerning the end of each of the four successive churches is to enable people now to understand in what respects the fourth or Christian Church is dead and finished, so that they may believe this, leave the dead church, and enter the fifth and crowning church, the Church of the New Jerusalem. Without such plain teaching, a new church could not have been established. Even having the clear doctrine, many of the first readers of the Writings, led by the Rev. John Clowes, who translated The Arcana Celestia, The True Christian Religion, and others of the Writings, and who was a most learned student of the Writings, opposed separation from the Established Church of England.
     The Last Judgment of 1757, which occurred in the world of spirits, marked the end, internally, of the Christian Church. The Lord instructed Swedenborg concerning this fact, as we can unmistakably know from many statements in the Arcana Celestia, which was published in eight volumes between the years 1749 and 1756. There we read:

     "By 'the new and holy Jerusalem' is signified the new church of the Lord which is at this day about to succeed the Christian Church. . . . All this makes clear the secret involved in the above words, namely, that by them are described the truths of that church which is to succeed the Christian Church existing at this day." (A. C. 8988:4.)

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"The subject here treated of (Rev. 21:19, 20) is the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, by which is meant a new church among the nations, after the present church in our European world has been vastated." (A. C. 9407:4.) "'The new Jerusalem' signifies the new church which will succeed our present church; for the book of the Apocalypse treats of the state of the church as it is now, even to its end; and then of the new church, which is the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven." (A. C. 9863:2.)

     The testimony of the Writings is even more explicit after the Last Judgment of 1757 than before it. Consider only the following five quotations:
     It is said, the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and thereby is meant the Doctrine for the New Church, which is now to be established by the Lord: for the old church is come to its end." (Doct. Lord, Preface, published 1763.) "'A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet,' signifies the Lord's new church in the heavens, which is the new heaven, and the Lord's new church about to be on earth, which is the new Jerusalem." (A. R. 533. pub. 1766.) "A man from the northern quarter . . . looked at me . . . and said, Are you he who wishes to seduce the world by establishing a new church, which you understand by the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God?" (C. L. 82.) "That by the new Jerusalem is meant a new church, which the Lord is now instituting." (T. C. R. 307e.) " From this new heaven the Lord Jehovih derives and produces a new church on earth, which is effected by a revelation of truths from His mouth, or from His Word, and by inspiration. . . . That the doctrine descended is because a church is a church from doctrine and according to it. . . . From these things it is manifest that the church on earth is derived and produced by the Lord through the angelic heaven." (Coronis 18.)

     Swedenborg's contemporaries plainly understood his writings to teach the establishment of a new church. In 1766, F. C. Oetinger wrote to Swedenborg: "Let this be sufficient, and may erroneous views like the above not deceive you in, and deprive you of, the hope of your new church." (Docu. II, p. 260.)

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     In his sixth letter to Dr. Beyer, 1767, Swedenborg wrote: "II. Query: How soon a New Church may be expected? Answer: The Lord is preparing at this time a new heaven of those who believe in Him, acknowledge Him as the true God of heaven and earth, and look to Him in their lives, which means to shun evil and do good; for from that heaven the new Jerusalem is to come down; see Rev. 21: 2. I daily see spirits and angels, from ten to twenty thousand, descending and ascending, and being set in order. By degrees, as that heaven is being formed, the New Church likewise begins and increases. The universities in Christendom are now first being instructed, whence will come new ministers; for the new heaven has no influence over the old clergy, who deem themselves too learned in the doctrine of justification by faith alone." (Docu. II, p. 261.) Again, in his eighth letter to Dr. Beyer, from Amsterdam, 1769, Swedenborg writes: "Here they often ask me about the New Church, when it will come. To which I answer, By degrees, in proportion as the doctrine of justification and imputation is extirpated, which perhaps will be brought about by this work. It is known that the Christian Church did not take its rise immediately after the ascension of Christ, but increased gradually, which is also understood by these words in the Revelation, And the woman flew into the desert, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent' (12: 14). The serpent or dragon is that doctrine." (Docu. II, p. 274.)
     Christopher Springer, in a letter to Abbe Pernety about Swedenborg, 1782, said: "It is certain that two or three weeks, and not two or three days before his decease, as his adversaries insinuate, I asked him when he believed that the New Jerusalem, or the New Church of God, would manifest itself, and whether this manifestation would take place in the four quarters of the world. His answer was that no mortal, and not even the celestial angels, could predict the time; that it was solely in the will of God. 'Read,' said he, 'the Book of Revelation 21: 2, and Zechariah 14: 19, and you will see there that the New Jerusalem will undoubtedly manifest itself to the whole earth.'" (Docu. II, p. 530.)
     In 1771, replying to a letter, Dr. Beyer wrote to Oetinger at great length about Swedenborg. Oetinger had asserted that `the prophecy of the New Jerusalem, which within two years was to have been fulfilled, is refuted by its non-accomplishment," and "that the interpretation of the Apocalypse seems to have been introduced in favor of a newly invented church."

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Dr. Beyer explains convincingly that Swedenborg promised the doctrine of the New Church, specifically the Brief Exposition and The True Christian Religion, in two years, not a newly established church, not an external organization of the church. Then Beyer continues: "I will leave it now to the judgment of candid minds, . . . whether they can regard the New Church, to which the whole Revelation of John refers, as a Swedenborgian invention, or not rather undoubtedly consider it a work of the finger of God and our Lord, and as a Church which is to be looked for with the most earnest desire." (Docu. III, p. 1052.)
     On April 30, 1771, from Amsterdam, in his 18th letter to Dr. Beyer, Swedenborg declared: "I am certain of this, that after the appearance of the book referred to (T. C. R.), the Lord our Saviour will operate both mediately and immediately towards the establishment throughout the whole of Christendom of a New Church based upon this 'Theology.' The New Heaven, out of which the New Jerusalem will descend, will very soon be completed (Rev. 21: 1-3)." (Docu. II, p. 383.)

     This evidence conclusively proves that Swedenborg knew that a New Church was to be established by the Lord by means of the Heavenly Doctrine revealed through his instrumentality,-a New Church that would be distinct from the Christian Church, that would supplant it as the Lord's only true Church on earth (what the Writings call the "Church Specific"), and that would grow and spread gradually, as the Christian Church had done. (See A. E. 732e.) In all the evidence there stands out clearly the fact that the actual beginning of this New Church would be of the Lord's provision at a time unknown to Swedenborg, and even to the angels.
     Swedenborg knew there would be such a church, but not when it would have organic form on earth, nor in what country it would first appear. He knew that it was not his mission to collect members for it, or in any way to organize it. If he had done so, the establishment of the church would have been a human work. The Lord Himself as the Spirit of Truth, the long-promised Comforter, by means of the new revelation of Divine Truth, moved the hearts of those men who received and accepted the revelation for what it claimed to be,-moved them to gather together in His name, to acknowledge Him in His Second Coming, and to acknowledge His Church as descending out of heaven to them.

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In this manner the New Church, from its beginning, was truly an internal church. For the internal acknowledgment of the Divine Truth clothed itself in a new external form,-a new ecclesia. Swedenborg knew well that this was to be. He knew also that it had been Divinely foreseen from the beginning of creation. Since no fruit ever can surpass the limits of its seed, we should be convinced that nothing less than the internal acknowledgment of truth, which is no other than the self-evidencing reason of love, was the seed of the Church of the New Jerusalem,-the crown of all former churches, and an eternal church.
     The Writings do not give the name of this new and crowning church as "The Church of the New Jerusalem." But they repeatedly state this New Church is called the "New Jerusalem." One statement is even more specific: "For like reasons the Word has been opened interiorly at this day, and still more interior Divine Truths have been revealed therefrom for the use of a new church that will be called the New Jerusalem." (A. E. 948:2.) The Writings more frequently call it simply, "The New Church," the context always showing clearly that it there means the Lord's own Church which is to succeed the consummated Christian Church. Doubtless for these reasons, from the beginning of its organization, men adopted the generic names, "Church of the New Jerusalem" and "New Church." Certainly the use of both names is completely justified by the Writings, and "Church of the New Jerusalem" is more self-explanatory than "New Church."
     We are assured by Divine Revelation, therefore, that the Church we all love, and to which we look as our Spiritual Mother, is not of any man's devising or institution, and has not been named by any man. It is the Lord's own true Church, His Bride and Wife, descending from Him alone out of heaven, instituted by Him, named by Him, and by Him provided for the redemption and salvation of all men who will receive it and enter its gates to live in peace and happiness within its walls.

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USES, GREAT AND SMALL 1940

USES, GREAT AND SMALL       H. W. BULTHUIS       1940

     (Translated from the Dutch by the Rev. E. E. Iungerich.)

     The created universe manifests not only God's infinite Love and Wisdom, but also His infinite Order which is their containant, and which we call His Kingdom of Uses. Without these Uses, the currents of His Love and Wisdom could not maintain the universe in existence, just as the heat and light of the sun could not affect the earth if there were not an atmosphere to contain and transmit them, or just as the affections of a man's will and the thoughts of his understanding would be unknown to others if there were no words and deeds to express them.
     Love, wisdom and use are in the relation of end, cause and effect. And we may say most generally that the Lord, together with the souls of men, is in the sphere of love or of ends, that the spiritual world or the plane of man's mind is in the sphere of wisdom or of causes, and that the natural world or the plane of man's body is in the sphere of effects. In reality, Love, Wisdom and Use exist on all three planes, and are the Lord's Own there. Men are merely receptacles thereof, and were created to the end that the Lord might have beings whom, upon their receiving these currents, He loves, is conjoined with and renders happy to eternity.
     Because of this trinity of essentials in the Lord, there are three degrees in the spiritual world-the world of man's spirit or mind-which degrees we call, respectively, celestial, spiritual, and natural. In like manner, there are three degrees in the kingdoms on earth, which we call animal, vegetable, and mineral. These degrees are termed discrete, because each, though varying in itself from what is less perfect to that which is more perfect, can never merge with the degree above it, which it must constantly serve by the uses it performs.
     As to the three degrees of the world of man's mind or spirit, in respect to which he is immediately bound to the Lord, and so maintained in existence to eternity, it is equally true that each degree serves the one above it by the uses it performs, but can never merge with it.

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Their interrelationship, respectively, is as that of an effect to the cause above it, and then of that cause to the end above itself. Although a man, as to his spirit, may attain not only to a regeneration of the natural degree of his mind, but also have an opening of the spiritual degree above it, and perhaps finally an opening of the highest or celestial degree, still he can never, while living on earth, be conscious of any such progression. All that he can be conscious of is the means, which the Lord furnishes him for this development, and of the obstacles which infernal loves interpose to prevent its achievement. These he must recognize by repeated self-examinations, and then overcome by brave combats in temptation, waged as if from himself, but with a prayer to the Lord for aid, and with the acknowledgment that the power to win through does not come from himself, but from the Lord.
     With regard to the three discrete degrees of the mind with a regenerated man, the following points should be noted as to the love, the wisdom, and the use in each case.
     On the natural plane, the love is one of a simple obedience to the Lord's commandments, the wisdom is an acquaintance with knowledges from the Word, and the use is the faithful performance of the works of his calling. On the spiritual plane, this love has risen to a love of promoting the best interests of his neighbors, the wisdom has acquired an intelligence which views, beside his own efforts, the systematic interrelation of himself with others, and his use has become a striving to preserve this kingdom of uses. On the celestial plane, the love has become that of furthering the Lord's ends, his wisdom has become a perception of the Lord's presence in all matters with which he must concern himself, and his use, the spontaneous doing every moment of work that is for the Lord. The Writings call this "the love of doing uses," in contradistinction to the lower spiritual plane, where there is merely "the love of uses."
     From all that we have said, it will now be evident that the order of God's entire universe depends upon the continual performance of uses of service on every degree and by every subject of every kingdom, whether these subjects be men who live to eternity, or subjects of the lower kingdoms which last but a short time and then disintegrate into fragments that enter into new subjects.

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The "many mansions" of which the Lord spoke (John 14: 2) refer to numberless societies of beings arranged according to their uses, such an arrangement being not unlike that of the various members and organs in a human body.
     Uses, therefore, were a necessary consequence of God's creation of the universe; and uses must look to serving others, and regard oneself only so far as it may be necessary to prepare oneself for service to others. And as uses are the effects of the Lord's love and will to make others happy who are conjoined to Him by participation in His order, it follows that no one can find any lasting happiness except in the willing performance of a use. Moreover, such beings not only serve others by their uses, but also thereby impart their own happiness, augmenting the happiness of those whom they serve.
     But those who refuse to perform uses on earth are like the servant who hid his talent in the earth, and are among the unhappy in the other world. Such are there submitted to punishments, not as a penalty for past misconduct and unfaithfulness, but as a means of compelling them to perform a use, in which they are less unhappy than when they are idle. All who, during their life in the world, have not shunned their evils except for outward reasons, and have performed uses only for earthly rewards, cannot receive as a reward in the other life that happiness which comes from loving to perform a use for its own sake.
     Because the end of the Lord's love in creating the world was to bring into existence an angelic heaven in which everyone would be happy from the joy of performing a use to others, we can understand how all uses regard as well the up building of man as to body and mind. As a foundation, man must have a healthy body, and within this develop a rational and God-fearing mind, above both of which is the soul whose inborn love of a use is thus freed from any distorting influences arising from an unsubdued body or a misdirected mind. Therefore the uses that contribute to the preparation of the man to fulfill his destiny regard the care of his body', that it may be in health, and to the education of the mind, that it may be rational, and to a religious life that will make both receptacles of those spiritual things which are given by the Lord through the soul.

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     Now, since the Lord rules the hells as well as the heavens, we may also speak of the uses performed by the hells and by evil men on earth as "evil uses." In correspondence therewith are the evil uses of poisonous and injurious effects springing from subjects in the three kingdoms of nature. These are all called "evil," because evil beings only enjoy doing evil, and therefore readily employ injurious things for the accomplishment of evil ends. Nevertheless they are called "uses." because the evil beings are thereby tied in to the Lord's order, and thus to His Kingdom of Uses; and also because the Lord turns all things to good, even the evil things which the wicked intend to do; for He turns them not only into a good thing for them, but also for those against whom they intended their evil.
     The fact that the Lord turns into good what evil men intend for evil, is evidence of the truth that no good, thus no use, comes from any man, but solely from the Lord by means of the man. With everyone who has kept the commandments, and who has thereby subdued his proprium, the Lord performs His great and important uses, which are pure from beginning to end, and at no point become perverted into evil uses which the Lord must counteract, in order that good may be produced thence. In such uses men are said to be "great in the kingdom of heaven." But with everyone who despises the Lord's commandments, and allows the self-love of his proprium to rule, the Lord can perform only small or vile uses. Such are said to be "least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19.)
PHILISTINES 1940

PHILISTINES              1940

     "In the Ancient Church, and afterwards, they were called 'Philistines' who devoted little study to life, but much to doctrine, and who in process of time rejected the things which are of life, and acknowledged as the essential of the church the things that are of faith, which they separated from life; consequently who regarded as nothing the doctrinals of charity, which in the Ancient Church were the all of doctrine, and thus obliterated them, and instead thereof vaunted the doctrinals of faith, and placed the whole of religion in them." (A. C. 3412.)

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NOTES AND REVIEWS. 1940

NOTES AND REVIEWS.              1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

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

Editor     Rev. W. B. Caldwell, 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.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
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     LINCOLN AND THE WRITINGS.

     There is considerable testimony to the effect that Abraham Lincoln was at one time a reader of the Writings of Swedenborg, copies of which were given to him by the New Churchmen with whom he was associated during his sojourn in Springfield, Illinois. Evidence of this fact has been furnished by the Rev. J. R. Hibbard, who visited Springfield in 1843 while on a horseback missionary journey through Illinois, and was introduced to Mr. Lincoln. His record of the occasion is contained in his "Reminiscences of a Pioneer," published in the NEW JERUSALEM MESSENGER for 1884, page 67, and reads as follows:
     At Springfield we remained for a week or more to rest after our long and fatiguing journey. Here I first met that remarkable man, Abraham Lincoln.
     The Fourth of July occurred during the week after our arrival, and was celebrated by a " barbecue" and Sunday School festival. Mr. Lincoln was the orator of the day. The adult population from far and near assembled in the ball of the House of Representatives where the oration was to be given. The Hon. I. S. Britton, State Superintendent of common schools, and the most prominent New Churchman in Springfield, and an intimate friend of Mr. Lincoln, accompanied me.

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     We arrived early at the hall, and found Mr. Lincoln in one of the anterooms, and after an introduction we remained in conversation until the time arrived for the exercises to commence. After prayer by a clergyman present, Mr. Lincoln rose, set his chair before him, his hand upon the back of it, unconsciously raised his right leg over the chair-back, set his foot in the chair and began to speak. He soon changed his position and stood erect. He appeared to me at first to be embarrassed by the magnitude of his subject, and the greatness of the thoughts that came to him. But I soon forgot his awkward manner, and became entirely absorbed in the subject, "Our Country and Its Destiny," of which the day we were then celebrating was the beginning and the promise. I have heard many Fourth of July orations, but never one that so deeply interested me. After the address, all formed in procession and marched a half mile to a grove where the children of all the Sunday Schools in the vicinity were gathered with their teachers. Here several short addresses were made to the children, and among others Mr. Lincoln was asked to address them and did so. The other addresses were tame compared with his. I was astonished at the man. I had never seen nor heard of him until that morning. He was then unknown to fame. But his address to those three hundred children, if it had been printed and published as delivered, would have made his name immortal in the admiration and love of parents and children.
     Mr. Lincoln was not a member of any of the various sects or Churches. A very few knew why. He was a religious man, a very conscientious man, and his conscience was formed by the Ten Commandments and the Word of God, which, in private, he read much. His views concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as God manifest, concerning the Sacred Scriptures and the life they teach, concerning the moral government of the universe and the civil government of nations, the humanity of man and the duty of rulers to protect and preserve the principles of humanity wherever found, in the highest or in the lowest, were largely formed and influenced by the writings of Swedenborg, furnished to him by his friend, Mr. I. S. Britton, about the year 1842 or 1843. The time has passed when the knowledge of this will disturb the feelings of any, and it may he well, and is due to history, that it should be preserved.

     The above testimony by the Rev. J. R. Hibbard has not before appeared in full in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE, although brief quotations from it have been made, notably in 1915, when the subject was treated in a number of articles. To assemble the evidence, pro and con, all of these should be read,-pages 72, 201, 214, 264. As Abraham Lincoln never became an avowed receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines, so far as we know, the extent to which be was influenced by his reading of the Writings must remain a matter of conjecture. Without exaggerating the possibilities in this matter, we may find delight in the fact that he knew of the Writings and the New Church.

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          TWO KINDS OF PERMEATION.

     The following articles, which appeared in THE NEW AGE (Australia) for October and November, 1939, have special reference to the influence of ideas from the Writings upon the minds of Christians,-a form of permeation which is real enough. But there are many in the organized New Church who believe in another kind which is of doubtful reality,-an influence upon men's minds quite apart from their having any knowledge of the Writings or of the truths of the Heavenly Doctrines,-a distillation of spiritual dew which is supposed to be reviving Christianity, bringing about the "New Age" and the descent of the New Jerusalem among those who know nothing about the Writings.
     While there is undoubtedly an influence, or an influx, which is an effect of the Last Judgment, manifested in a freer state in matters of faith, we must hold that this but prepares the remnant who can receive the Lord in His Second Coming, and that the New Church can only be established in the minds of those who, in that freer state, actually receive the truths revealed in the Writings in faith and the life of regeneration.

     "PERMEATION" AND THE NEW CHURCH.

     BY CLARENCE HOTSON.

     All who love the organized New Church are concerned about the decline in membership suffered in recent years. Why has a movement, which in its first century grew steadily, in the last fifty years declined in numbers both absolutely, and even more markedly in proportion to the general increase in population?
     One hundred years ago the New Church in England and America challenged attention by the originality, boldness and novelty of its doctrinal position, contrasting sharply with the Vicarious Atonement theology then stressed. It was vigorously assailed by the orthodox, and ably defended by its leaders. In 1855, Emerson said: "Of all Christian sects, this is at present the most vital and aggressive." In 1872 he noted that Swedenborg's doctrines had modified the beliefs of men of all churches and of men of no church.
     Certainly the doctrines Swedenborg first taught have greatly influenced Christian thinking.

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Consider the many gift books we have distributed to Protestant ministers and theological students. Consider the fact that Elizabeth Stuart Phelps' novel, The Gates Ajar, which seventy years ago revolutionized popular conceptions of heaven and the life after death, owed its ideas to Swedenborg's Heaven and Hell.
     What has this permeation done to the New Church? So far from building up the New Church body, this permeation has almost destroyed it. Has the New Church, by publishing Swedenborg's Writings, forced the older bodies to drop the horrible theology of Calvin? If so, it has benefited them greatly, and its reward is: To have its children stolen by the bodies benefited! The more effectively the Writings of Swedenborg operate to change the beliefs of Christendom, the less distinctive does the New Church body itself appear, and the less attractive in contrast to older, more popular and prosperous denominations.
     In the face of the manifold advantages which membership in the better-known denominations confers, the New Church must emphasize its own distinctiveness, the superlative value of its special message, if only as a matter of mere self-preservation. For who would not rather attend a Sunday service in a beautiful church building, with a numerous and respectable congregation, and hear a splendid organist and choir, and a well-trained and well-paid preacher who is an artist in the pulpit, rather than attend the service of a little Swedenborgian Society, which tries feebly to do the same things the larger denomination does well, unless there is some vital difference, made plain to all who come?
     Yet whereas the older religious bodies have become more "Swedenborgian" without admitting it, the largest New Church bodies have become less so, and seem proud of the fact. We seem ashamed of Swedenborg and his Writings. We find evidence of the Second Coming of Christ in such things as radio, submarines, and airplanes; anywhere, in fact, except in the publication and spread of the Evangel of the New Church, the Writings of Swedenborg. We try vainly to compete with larger, richer, and better-known churches on their own ground, emphasizing what we have in common with them, instead of constantly directing attention to the Divine Revelation for the New Church, as the new Evangel for a new age of religion.

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Teaching our children that, whereas books of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the Writings of Swedenborg are the opinions of the man Swedenborg, is laboriously conditioning and preparing them for later membership in the Church of England or the Episcopal Church.
     In service and preaching, the usual New Church Society would impress an outsider as being quite an ordinary Christian denomination, with little to distinguish it from others. At a time when cults which do not even pretend to be Christian are growing all around us, and when the great historic denominations of Christendom vie with each other in dispensing with as much theology as possible, we continue to call our own special sacred books "theological works," as if they were mere commentaries on the Christian Scriptures. We try, oh, so hard, to be just a nice little Christian sect, even if we are dying in the attempt!
     A church is lost if it does not have a constant reinforcement of young and energetic men in the ministry, and of young and energetic lay workers. How can the New Church appeal to the minds, affections, and imaginations of the young? How can it enlist their zeal and enthusiasm? Not, I am certain, by regarding the Writings as the works of the man Swedenborg, in direct disregard of his own warning that they are not his works, but the Lord's; that they are Divinely inspired in every word and every syllable. To reserve our reverence chiefly for Jewish and Christian sacred books, and to regard the special sacred literature of the New Church as in any way inferior to these, is to commit suicide as a church organization, and to incur merited death. What authority can the Writings have, except Divine authority? How, if they have Divine authority, can they have any status lower than has any other Divine Revelation in written form?
     An old and faithful member of Convention told me about a recent spiritual experience he had after long pondering on what is wrong with the New Church. The answer came to bins as if by Divine revelation: "Swedenborg" When he had puzzled over that for some time, the additional insight came like a flash: "Because in the Writings it is not Swedenborg who speaks to us, but the Lord." When we unreservedly ascribe to their Divine source the Divinely inspired Writings of Swedenborg, and accept the full logical consequence of this ascription, the New Church body will recover from its present paralysis, will be as distinctive in contrast to the Christian denominations as it was a century ago.

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The prevailing negative attitude toward the Writings, in present conditions, spells decline and death. Power can come only from faith, not from doubt and disbelief. Yet the New Church at present seems more afraid of faith than of indifference.
     I am well aware that many noble and respected New Churchmen will not agree with my conclusion, but it is verily my increasing conviction that the Writings will be read and studied in the measure that they are believed in as a Divine Revelation for the present and all future time. New and wonderful insights into their meaning and application will come when they are read with the faith that Divine Revelation from the Lord Himself for the New Church can be received from them, and only from or through them.
     To be sure, with this attitude the New Church can no longer pass for a nice little Christian sect, quite harmless, and slowly dying without protest, smothered by its own deference to general Christian ideas. It will be fighting for its life, not as a Christian sect, but as a new world religion, that knows it must conquer or die. When the alternatives are weighed, there is no doubt what the choice of all true New Church people will be.

     PERMEATION.

To the EDITOR.

     Dear Sir-Your correspondent, Clarence Hotson, asks, "Why has a movement, which in its first century grew steadily, in the last 50 years declined in numbers both absolutely, and even more markedly in proportion to the general increase in population? " The answer is obvious to any intelligent New Churchman. In the beginning of that movement there were deep and sound thinkers who were able to discriminate between what was of Swedenborg and what was of the holy Word of the Lord in Swedenborg's Writings. The postulation that the mere words Swedenborg employed to reveal the spiritual sense of the inspired portions of the Bible were equally as much inspired and holy as the words of the Lord from the vocal organs of the prophets would have been abhorrent to the early scholars of the New Church, as it surely is to the sound thinkers of our Church today. This, and other heresies that have insidiously crept into the New Church since its inception, is the reason why the New Church has so much declined in numbers. For what man in his right senses, searching for Truth, would accept such a blasphemous postulation?

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Swedenborg's Writings are not infallible. But he would be a stupid New Churchman who exposed the mistakes he discovers therein. Yet this has been done by some scholars of the New Church, especially in America-the home of strange inventions in religious teachings. This is not a reflection on those exceptionally intelligent clergy of the American New Church, from whom I am told we get the highest watermark in religious dissertations.
     For the edification of some of your readers, permit me to quote from one of the pioneers of the New Church concerning the true nature of Swedenborg's inspiration, compared with the inspiration of the Lord's prophets. The Rev. Augustus Clissold, MA., treating of the opening of Swedenborg's interiors to perceive the interior sense of the Word, and to explain it to others by a true method of interpretation, said:
     "This opening of his interiors was effected by an inspiration from within, which consisted in an influx of Divine light into the rational powers of his mind, called by him `illustration,' whereby he was enabled to explain rationally to others the interior truths of the Holy Word in their celestial, spiritual and natural senses. This was a higher personal inspiration than was communicated to the prophets, because what they wrote they did not understand. On the other hand, what the prophets wrote respectively as part of the Word of God, and as such Divine, was of far higher inspiration than anything Swedenborg wrote. We must always distinguish between the inspiration of the writer and the inspiration of the thing written. They are by no means the same, though very generally confounded. The inspiration of Swedenborg was an inspiration of him only as an interpreter."
     Will the reader please note that last sentence?
     Now Mr. Hotson admits, with Emerson, that Swedenborg's doctrines have modified the beliefs of men of all churches, and of men of no church. "Certainly," says he, "the doctrines Swedenborg first taught have greatly influenced Christian thinking." Of course they have. The writer has been reading in the public Press for many years the sermons preached by the orthodox clergy, and never have I seen any reference to Calvin's doctrines. There are, of course, the usual irrational prayers to a nonentity with no ears to hear, no eyes to see, and no mouth to speak, " for the sake of Jesus Christ," Who is the only one living God. But the churches, seeking to be united as one body, say they will he prepared to reconsider their doctrines.
     Yet Mr. Hotson asks, "What has this permeation done to the New Church?" and then answers his own question with a strange piece of had logic: "So far from building up the New Church body, this permeation has almost destroyed it." Does not the Lord tell us that the more we give of His holy treasures, the more we receive by permeating them among others? It is not permeation that has almost destroyed the New Church, but just what I have stated in the foregoing remarks.
     Yours truly,
          "SPECTATOR."
     [From The New Age, November, 1939.]

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OBITUARY 1940

OBITUARY       Rev. T. S. HARRIS       1940

     The passing of the Rev. Thomas Stark Harris has removed to the spiritual world one who was actively engaged in the ministerial uses of the New Church for nearly forty years. Since he retired from the pastorate at Arbutus, Maryland, in 1934, he has been living with his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Francis Frost at Westfield, N. J., where he departed this life on February 19, in his eighty-third year.
     Born at Stark's Corner, Ontario, in 1858, early home influences inspired a delight in the Word of God which led him eventually into the Methodist ministry. In 1887, at Lansdowne, Ontario, he married Eva Maria Bradley, who preceded him to the spiritual world in 1937. They are survived by one son, Emery, and three daughters, Bessie (Mrs. Leonard K. Behlert), Elsie (Mrs. Francis L. Frost), and Eva (Mrs. James W. Stockham).
     In November, 1908, Mr. Harris came from Abington, Mass., to pay his first visit to Bryn Athyn, where he addressed the Philadelphia District Assembly and was enthusiastically welcomed. (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1909, p. 116.) At that time, also, he was received by the Bishop as a member of the Council of the Clergy of the General Church (Ibid. p. 35), and during the ensuing thirty years he took an active part in its deliberations. His last address to the Council, in 1938, on the subject of "Spiritual Influx," was published in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1938, p. 344. And in that journal, from 1919 to 1931, we find many articles and sermons from his pen. A paper on "Intoning " (1927) serves to recall his gift in that art; for he intoned in an impressive manner when conducting a service.
     His description of "How I was Brought to the Light" (1929) gives a vivid and dramatic account of his gradual reception of the teachings of the New Church. At the age of twenty-four, while attending the Theological College of the Methodist Church in Ontario, he first heard Swedenborg's name mentioned, and this led him to read the Writings.

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After he had been ordained into the ministry of the Methodist Church, Swedenborgian ideas began to appear in his sermons. This did not pass unnoticed, but he was not immediately "disciplined " by the Methodist authorities. And, on the advice of the Rev. Edwin Gould, Montreal, he took a correspondence course in Theology with Professor Frost of the New Church Theological School, Cambridge, Mass. "Thus it came to pass," he writes, "that while preaching from a Methodist pulpit, I was at the same time a student of a New Church Theological School, and this with the entire sanction of those in authority over me!
     This continued for a year. He resigned the Methodist ministry in June, 1895, and attended the Theological School in Cambridge. In 1897, he was baptized into the Faith of the New Church and ordained, his first charge being at Providence, R. I. In 1901, he became pastor at Abington, Mass., and while there a copy of NEW CHURCH LIFE sent him by the Rev. W. L. Gladish was the means of leading him to a belief in the Academy views. In 1908 he joined the General Church, continuing as pastor in Abington until 1915, when he accepted a call to Arbutus, Maryland. Here he remained for nineteen years, but visited the circles in Abington and in Meriden, Conn., during the Summer months.
     At the funeral service in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, the Rev. Elmo Acton spoke of Mr. Harris as one who had given his life to the service of his fellow men:
     "He followed the truth as he saw it, wherever it led, willingly giving up much of the comforts of the world, that he might perform a genuine use to his fellow men. His use was a high one,-that of keeping alive with men the knowledge of spiritual life, and thereby leading them to good. He preached fearlessly what he saw to be true, never compromising with principle, but being ready to abide the consequences. This led him out of the Methodist Church into the General Convention, and finally to the General Church, of which he has ever been a faithful and loyal priest. We think of him, therefore, as a lover of truth. To the end of his life he was an honest searcher for truth. It was remarkable to find in one so old a mind that was ever searching for more light. It should be an inspiration to us all to try to acquire a like love of truth, and a willingness to lay down our lives for it.

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Mr. Harris once said that he disliked more than all else to be inconsistent, because in inconsistency there must be something of falsity. Thus he feared to do injury to the truth."

     MR. CONRAD HOWARD.

     The General Church in England lost a valued member with the passing of Mr. Conrad Arthur Howard on January 7,1940, his death being the result of a fall the day before. Born February 7, 1888, his age was 51 years and 11 months. He is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son; also by his father, Mr. Horace Howard, of Colchester, and his brother, Mr. Wilfred Howard, of Bryn Athyn.
     As we learn from "The Monthly News Letter," Mr. Howard received his early education in the Academy School at Burton Road, London. As a young man he went to America, but upon the outbreak of the World War he returned to England and served with the British forces, chiefly in Mesopotamia. In 1923, he married Miss Bertha Motum, of Colchester. They lived first at East Grinstead, then at Guildford, and finally at Saint Alban's in Hertfordshire.
     His vocation was that of an artist in the designing of stained glass windows. His coming to America in 1913 was for the purpose of initiating such work in the construction of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, where four windows designed by him may be seen, three in the little chapel.
     Mr. and Mrs. Howard always tried to move nearer to a New Church society, but finding this impossible, they made every effort to maintain the church in their home. No one who has visited them can question their success in accomplishing this aim.
     In the funeral address, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton paid tribute to him in these words: "We cannot think of Mr. Howard without recalling his passionate and undivided love of the Heavenly Doctrine. His sincerity and earnestness deeply impressed all who met him. And it was ever his zealous endeavor to enter more fully into an understanding of this Divine Teaching, that it might form his life anew on every plane. His singleness of purpose will be an inspiration to everyone who knew him."

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     In March, after eight weeks of a mid-western Winter, some of it severe, we now hear each morning in the Park the cheery whistles of that bright red bird, the cardinal-harbinger of Spring.
     Always the first meeting of note in the New Year is the celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday. In preparation for this, at the Friday supper on January 26, our pastor spoke on "Swedenborg and the World," from which we quote a significant paragraph:
     "It was Thomas Carlyle who described the appearing of Swedenborg and his claim upon the attention of the world, and who described him in three words: 'A man beautiful, lovable, tragical to me.' He was beautiful in character, because of the great purpose that inspired him throughout life-to find and promote the truth. He was lovable, because of the unassuming and faithful way in which he did his work. And tragical, because of the great indifference that men showed to the unparalleled greatness of the things he was to present to an unappreciative world."
     This year, instead of the usual banquet, we held a reception on Saturday evening, January 27. Members of Sharon Church and of the Rockford Circle were present, and a very happy, informal sphere was apparent. Mr. Jesse Stevens played two selections on his violin, accompanied on the piano by his daughter Sylvia, and this was followed by a quadrille executed by eight of the young people. Toasts, songs, and speeches by the Revs. Gilbert Smith and Willis Gladish and Mr. Win. Junge, Jr. were most interesting. The formal part of the evening was concluded by the reading of a paper by the Rev. Morley Rich-one of those presentations which makes one feel that, after all, there's plenty of room for improvement in the lives of-let's say-all of us. The inevitable refreshments arrived and disappeared, and dancing ended the program.
     A celebration for the school children was held on Monday, January 29, the states of all grades being adequately provided for by our pastor and the teaching staff. Here's a bird's-eye view of the program: Dancing by kindergarten-Swedish fairy tale-Play-Poems-reading of compositions-musical numbers-songs-and a 3-layer birthday cake.
     On February 15, the school held a joint celebration of Washington's and Lincoln's Birthdays, and were shown a four-reel film of the Life of Washington.
     Miss Lois Nelson is now conducting a Sunday School, and also a Craft Class of 21 girls.
     On Sunday, February 25, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Kuhn and their baby were baptized into the New Church. Their decision to take this step is a matter of rejoicing to us all. During the year or more that they have been with us, they have taken a serious interest in all of the meetings of the Immanuel Church. And now, from being newcomers, we think of them as being quite one of us, and a valued addition to our society.
     Sleigh rides-dances-card parties-miscellaneous meetings of a more or less serious nature-all these happenings tend to make our lives very busy-and very enjoyable.
     Sermons and Friday Supper papers continue with-may I say-delightfully relentless regularity.

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What would we do without them? They are the heart and lungs of our existence. In a recent sermon our pastor said:
     "The law of use is the law of heaven; and if that law is loved, obedience to it can be cultivated. And the cultivation of it will be worship itself, and bring its own degree of happiness. Let us make this law the center of our living-the object of being of use. Let it be the standard by which we judge of all things."
     "This is the one unifying principle for successful and happy living-the holy principle of use; asking of the Lord that all our faculties and talents may be used in the accomplishment of some service to the general good, that all our lives may be subordinated to it, and that there may be a gradual increase of the love of use in our hearts."
     For what is it that the Lord requires of us? Is it not to encourage us to keep our minds upon the things of the other life-its realities, its marvels, its laws of love and use-within all our work and labor in this life?
     H. P. McQ.

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS.

     General Faculty.

     At the monthly meetings of the General Faculty during the present school-year, papers on the following subjects have been presented and discussed:
     "The General Principles of Swedenborg's Philosophy," by the Rev. Dr. Hugo Lj. Odhner. (October)
     "A Visit to the Canadian Northwest," by Prof. Otho W. Heilman, with special reference to the possibilities of Academy students from General Church families in that district. (November)
     "The Question in Relation to Teaching," by Mrs. Besse E. Smith, who dealt with the use of questions in education. (December)
     "Habitability of the Planets," by Mr. Edward F. Allen, treating of the findings of science in this matter. (January)
     "What Shall we Teach about Democracy?" by the Rev. Dr. William Whitehead. (February)
     "The Movement for New Church Education in New England," by the Rev. Dr. C. E. Doering, who described the establishment of New Church schools in New England a century ago, and their discontinuance after a brief career of usefulness. (March)

     Founders' Day.

     On Sunday evening. January 14, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn gave a supper in celebration of Academy Founders' Day in the great ball at Glencairn, appropriately decorated for the occasion with class banners of all the years. Those associated with the work of the Academy, past and present, formed the large company that sat down to the delicious repast. In song and toast the Founders and the early days were honored, and Mr. Edward H. Davis, as toastmaster, introduced the speakers who dealt with various phases of the interesting subject of " Unity and Variety " in its relation to the Academy and the New Church. Those who spoke on this topic were: Mr. Randolph W. Childs, Bishop Alfred Acton, and Mr. Stanley F. Ebert. Mr. Pitcairn called attention to the mottos and symbolism introduced in the construction of the great hall, as significative of the dedication of this home to the faith and life of the New Church.

     Swedenborg's Birthday.

     The students of the higher schools of the Academy gathered in the Assembly Hall to honor Swedenborg's Birthday, and the formal program was under the supervision of the Theological School, with Mr. Martin Pryke as master of ceremonies. Excellent speeches, interspersed with songs, were made by the theological students, who dealt with subjects connected with the Gothenburg Trial, as follows: "Reception of the Doctrines up to the time of the Trial," Mr. Ormond Odhner, "The Gothenburg Trial," by Mr. Julian Kendig; "Reception of the Doctrines during the years immediately following the Trial," Mr. Harold Cranch.

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     A buffet supper and informal dancing brought to a close a very successful celebration.

     Lincoln's Birthday.

     At the conclusion of the chapel worship on February 12, students of the higher schools were privileged to hear a fine address in honor of Abraham Lincoln, delivered by Mr. Raymond Pitcairn, who dealt with his career in an informative and entertaining manner, with many comments from a New Church viewpoint.
     Introducing the speaker, Dr. Doering read the Rev. J. R. Hibbard's account of his meeting Mr. Lincoln at Springfield. Illinois, in 1843, which account is published on page 178 of our present issue.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     A party attended by eighteen children was held at the church on January 26 to commemorate the birth of Emanuel Swedenborg. After an hour of fun and games came the "party proper, as far as the guests were concerned, when they sat down to an appetizing meal. Such a party would not be complete without its question box, or rather "question pie," and this one was stuffed with lollipops as rewards for correct answers. Forty questions in regard to Swedenborg's life and works were "popped" by Mr. Gyllenhaal and readily answered by the children, who enjoyed the occasion, as did the members of Theta Alpha in preparing it for them.
     At the Wednesday supper following January 29 the adult celebration took place, when a goodly number gathered at the festive tables and partook of a delicious meal. Then the forty questions used at the children's party were directed at their elders- minus rewards of lollipops! No record of comparative scores was kept, but it was noticeable that those who had attended the children's party, or the parents of children present, scored the most points. After this quiz, Mr. Gyllenhaal read to us the two Memorials, which Swedenborg had presented to the House of Nobles. The possible application of these memorials to present-day conditions attracted the immediate attention of all present.
     Commencing with the first Sunday in February, the Revised Liturgy has been used in our services, and the indications are that it will be found useful and beautiful.
     Our little Day School has once again experienced a "change-over" of teachers, and Mrs. Frank Longstaff, Jr., who has so ably held the teaching reins since last September, has found it necessary to relinquish them to Miss Korene Schnarr, who has come from Kitchener to carry on this excellent use.
     The ladies of the society continue to meet once a week for the Red Cross work, and to do their day's sewing at the sewing machine. In addition, they have been attending teas and sales of home-cooking given for the purpose of raising funds; not to mention knitting socks, gloves, etc., at home.
     The Big Dance of the year was held on February 29, this taking the place of the New Year's Eve Party. Arranged and "run off" by the members of Alpha Pi, it was acclaimed a success by all present.
     M. S. P.

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     The Rev. Philip N. Odhner, who went to South Africa four years ago to become pastor of the Durban Society and Assistant Superintendent of the Native Mission, has been granted leave of absence to make it possible for him to attend the Annual Council Meetings of the General Church, to be held at Bryn Athyn, April 8-13. Mrs. Odhner and their family of three children will accompany him on the journey.

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     ARBUTUS, MARYLAND.

     In the last news report from this place, published in your April, 1939, issue, we were able to record a very encouraging pick-up in the interest and attendance, both at the doctrinal classes (Laurel included) and the Sunday worship here.
     The painting and renovating of the chapel, and the rebuilding of the organ were a decided help. In this connection, however, we are obliged to mention that our sweet-toned bell (not made by Paul Revere, as we stated I was blown down in a storm. On the other hand, further improvements have been made in the chapel, and the lattice work has been restored. Most noticeable of all, the front entrance and path have been restored, and the entire lot regraded and seeded with new grass. The same has happened to the attractive house next door, formerly the home of Pastor Harris and his family, and the whole property has a changed appearance.
     During the past year the quarterly services and classes have been maintained, except that the Arbutus members celebrated the 19th of June by attending the service conducted by Bishop Acton in Washington.
     For the recent Palm Sunday Service, on March 17, several former members drove down from Bryn Athyn, making an enlarged congregation, with fourteen communicants at the Holy Supper.
     According to our custom, the people wait after the service until the pastor joins them for a discussion of plans. This time I spoke of the intensified importance of keeping the sacred fire burning, to the end that each individual may be able to lift up his eyes to see the transfigured Lord face to face, confessing His omnipotence, especially when drawing near to Him in worship. Those who live in the strong and populous centers of the church may not realize the surpassing importance of holding our outposts, especially the groups residing in the large cities, where not a few of our own descendants live scattered about-a condition of far less effectiveness, so far as the church is concerned. Yet it is solely by holding such groups that our church can hope to survive in the spiritual wilderness in which we live today.
     Our hope and interest just now are focused upon the Philadelphia District Assembly, to be held in Bryn Athyn on May 4th and 5th. If anyone reading these lines has not received an invitation, please send the name and address without delay, and you will receive one.

     A Memorial Service.

     On Saturday evening, March 16, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Gunther in Arbutus, a service was held in memory of our former pastor, the Rev. Thomas Stark Harris, and the funeral address delivered in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton was read. After the service, those present remained until a late hour, and discussed lovingly and informally many things about the devoted character and work of Mr. and Mrs. Harris. It was like a living visit with them.
     HOMER SYNNESTVEDT.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     Mrs. David M. Reedy, nee Ida F. Hunter, who passed into the spiritual world at San Diego, California, on March 2 in her 79th year, was a resident of Pittsburgh for fifty-six years, and a member of the Pittsburgh Society from its early days. She was a sister of the late Mrs. Samuel Faulkner, mother of Mrs. Charles H. Ebert (Nellie Faulkner), and of the Messrs. Walter, Wallace and Roy Faulkner.
     For the past fifteen years, Mrs. Reedy has resided on the Pacific Coast, where she took an active part in the uses of the Society of the General Convention at San Diego.
     E. R. D.

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SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940




     Announcements



     The members and friends of the General Church are invited to attend the Seventeenth General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, to be held, at the invitation of the Pittsburgh Society, on the grounds of the Shady Side Academy, Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, from Wednesday, June 26, to Sunday, June 30, 1940. The Program will be published in the May issue of New Church Life.
          GEORGE DR CHARMS,
     Bishop of the General Church.
PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 1940

PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY              1940

     The members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are invited to attend the Philadelphia District Assembly, which will be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, 1940.

     Program.

     Saturday, May 4 at 3 p.m.-Session of the Assembly. Discussion on:
"Uses to the Church performed by the Individual." Introduced by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton.

4 p.m.-Address on "The Descent of Heaven." by Bishop Alfred Acton.
7 p.m.-Assembly Banquet. Toastmaster: Mr. Philip G. Cooper.

     Sunday, May 5, 11 a. m.-Divine Worship, followed by the Administration of the Holy Supper.


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FORGIVENESS OF DEBTS 1940

FORGIVENESS OF DEBTS       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
MAY, 1940
No. 5
     The Lord's Prayer as recorded in Matthew enjoins men to pray: "And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." (6:12.) In Luke this is rendered: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us." (11: 4.) In both versions the acknowledgment is made that we can be forgiven by the Lord only after we have forgiven others. But in the Luke version this forgiveness of others is portrayed as having become habitual, and thus more thorough; for it is being applied to "every one that is indebted to us." As a result, a yet deeper purification can then be effected with the penitent who prays to be forgiven, since it reaches not only to a forgiving of our debts, but also to the remission of our sins.
     It will be noted besides that a man goes no further with others than to forgive debts, whereas the Lord not only forgives debts, but may also forgive sins. A man can discover sins only with himself, and not with others, since he can know nothing about their spiritual states, and is forbidden to make a judgment about them. But God, who judgeth the heart and the reins," is able to see sins and to forgive, that is, to withhold a man from them when his state is such as to permit it. For this withholding is the nature of the remission of sins after repentance. (A. C. 9448.)
     Sins, moreover, are interior obstacles between a man and his God. It is his individual responsibility to have them removed.

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Our concern does not extend to this with the neighbor, but only to the removal of the debts that prevent the interchange of love between us.
     Debts, duties and obligations involve not only acts towards others but the attitude of mind with which they are discharged; for it is this to which the discerning look, and to which the Lord looks. The more vital debts concern the faithful performance of one's specific use, be he a priest, a judge, a merchant, or in some other career of service. "These are done from charity by those who are in charity" (T. C. R. 429), and then have a spiritual essence. Less vital debts are the domestic obligations of the members of a household and even of a society, which they owe to one another; and in the third place comes the paying of tributes and taxes. "The spiritual pay these from good will, because they are collected for the preservation of their country, and for its protection and that of the church, and for the officials and the governors, to whom salaries and stipends are to be paid from the public treasury. And therefore they to whom their country and also the church are the neighbor discharge them from a spontaneous and favorable will, and repute it as an iniquity to cheat and frustrate." They would be ashamed to act "from a reluctant and repugnant will." (T. C. R. 430.)
     Such a spiritual essence within deeds extends them beyond the individual to whom they are done. It lifts them above the limitations of space and time, and turns them into eternal services that extend to the Lord as the response made by man, inviting the Lord's presence with him. This the Lord testified when He said: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25: 40.)
     The debts for which we ask forgiveness are, most ultimately, the things we should not have done,-things contrary to the duties to be rendered in our functions and in our domestic and civic relationships. We ask for forgiveness when we regret such behavior, and desire the Lord's help in correcting them in the future. But the prayer for forgiveness does not end here, nor with those who have not sensed that they have transgressed or failed in their duty, but continues and becomes more earnest as they long to have a spiritual essence in their deeds. For they say in their hearts at all times: "We are unprofitable servants; we have only done that which was our duty to do." (Luke 17: 10.) They desire that their deeds may come from hearts that shun evils as sins against God, and thus from Him who alone can impart a spiritual essence.

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     Then, for the first time, we face the imperative necessity of forgiving the debts of others towards us, if we would have the Lord forgive us our own debts, and our yet deeper sins. Our reluctance to do this arouses a fear that we shall remain hopelessly unforgiven. It matters little that we have lived a pious life, kneeling devoutly in prayer, and reading the Word with a becoming sense of mental elevation. For we now note that we had thought ourselves superior to others who had omitted these things, that we have been severely critical of them where our tastes or viewpoints differed, or have felt justified in breaking off relations with them when they had offended us. But we begin now to realize that no deeds can be acceptable to the Lord when accompanied by feelings of contempt, of criticism, and of active dislike or hostility towards others.
     We may recall the indignation of the fellow-servants of him who had maltreated his own debtor after their master had compassionately forgiven him a much larger debt (Matt. 18: 31): that Peter had been told to forgive his brother, not seven times, but seventy times seven (Matt. 18: 22), which means that forgiveness is not only a duty, but should be a matter of charity; and also that the Lord had said, If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matt. 5: 23, 24.) For the ability to put oneself in another's place is the beginning of charity. This brings us to the point of asking ourselves whether we are to continue judging of others solely from our point of view, and from the way our feelings are affected by them. Are we not to consider their viewpoints, the possible motives in their actions, and the feelings by which they are affected?
     The reason our sins, and even our debts, cannot be forgiven unless we will to forgive those of others, is because no one can be an image and likeness of God, and so a suitable co-worker in the order created by Him, unless he is animated to some degree by God's love and wisdom. For God created men to the end that He might be conjoined to them by love, and make them happy in the uses which He prepares them to perform.

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     Now the Lord operates not only singly with each man, but also collectively with men in groups, and finally with all together and He also operates both externally and internally with each and all. Therefore one who would be forgiven, or who would have a spiritual essence in his deeds, and thereby receive and be conjoined to the Lord by love, must approach Him both inwardly by himself and outwardly as He comes through others; thus not by isolated devotions alone, but in group activities in which others have a share.
     Love consists in this, that one's own be another's, and that one feel his delight as a delight in oneself. This is loving. But to feel one's own delight in the other, and not his own in oneself, is not to love, but to love oneself. . . . It does not seem that to love one's own, that is, oneself in another, disjoins, when yet it disjoins so much, that in the measure one had thus loved another, so far he afterwards hates him; for that conjunction is loosed of itself successively, and the love then becomes hatred in a similar degree." (D. L. W. 47.)
     Loving oneself in another, and loving him only so far as he espouses our ideas, and does what delights us, and gives us a sense of satisfaction, is merely the extension of the love of self to other selves such as we are. It is such a love that tyrants and those in the selfish love of dominion have. In order to love another according to his quality, that is, according to the good that is in him we should love his freedom and the goods to which he freely applies himself, irrespective of whether these are the most delightful to us or not. To make our love for him conditional upon his doing the things that are delightful to us is like binding him to act only in one way, when yet his best interests, which we should love as much as our own, require that he be left free to choose what may best secure them.
     The Lord's attitude towards men is our supreme example in this matter. While it is stated that the Lord does not dwell in the proprium of men, but in His Own with them, this Own is not to be taken in the sense that there are some permanent Divine Goods or Divine Truths with such men, for these would be Himself, and to love these with men would be to love Himself, thus a selfish love of which the Lord is incapable. Dwelling in His Own with them is the Divine equivalent of what a man is commanded to do when he loves his neighbor, not according to his person, but according to the quality of the good with him.

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This quality is perfected in the measure that he lives according to the truths of Revelation, and acknowledges them to be from heaven and of the Lord, thus the Lords Own, and not from man. His assurance that he tries to do this, and our conviction that this is so, formed from what we can see, make him an object worthy of the love of those who in like manner are trying to live according to a Divine standard.
     All loves based upon things inferior to this standard will eventually cease, or turn into hatreds. It is the Lord who established this Divine standard, and He loves infinitely according to it. But the objects of His love are not Divine, else He would be loving other Divine Beings, or Himself in them, which would be a purely selfish love. "As concerns God,' we read, "to love and be loved in return cannot take place in others in whom there is anything of the Infinite, or anything of the essence and life of love in itself, or anything of the Divine. For if there were in them anything of the Infinite, or of the essence and life of love in itself. He would not be loved by others, but would love Himself; for the Infinite or the Divine is one. If this were in others, it would be Himself, and He would be the love of self, not a whit of which is possible in God: for this is altogether opposite to the Divine Essence. It must therefore take place in others in whom there is nothing of the Divine in Itself. That this takes place in things created by the Divine will be seen below." (D. L. W. 49.).
     Natural creation is the mirror of spiritual creation or regeneration; and regeneration provides the mind of a man with the created or finite vessels in which the conjunction of the Lord with him can take place. Yet the Lord loves all men, not only those who receive His Divine gifts of "pounds" and talents from the Word, and cooperate with Him, so that He may create out of them finite receptacles of His love in their minds, but even those who eternally refuse to allow Him to do this. For He loves all men, and perpetually wills to give them all that is His Own, and to feel their delights in the uses they perform as His Own delight. He has accordingly given to every man to feel as his own all that he freely does, and to feel a delight in acting as of himself with regard to the Lords Divine gifts. These finite delights He gathers together into a one: and even the delights of the infernals, whom He controls to the end that they may perform useful services.

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He turns from evil into good, so that they may be grouped in a single form, and be seen together as constituting one man. For the Lord to eternity sees all beings whom He has created and will yet create as a Gorand Man. This does not mean that He sees a reflection of Himself, like Narcissus who became enraptured with his image in a pool, but that He sees those whom He created so as to love, to be one with, and to render happy with His gifts, thus those to whom He would give His all, and whose delights, after being brought into order, He feels in Himself.
     Men who spurn the Divine Love, who will have in themselves none of the Lord's delight in the creating of finite regenerated structures in their minds, oppose Him and regard Him as an enemy. But this does not modify His love for them, but only His conjunction. which remains external and not internal. His love for them has in it mercy, compassion, and a desire to forgive. There is in it no feeling that they are contemptible and inferior, no desire to condemn their shortcomings, no will to regard them as enemies who are to be separated. His sentiments were voiced when, under the supreme temptation to believe that all His own had turned against Him, He cried out: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!
     Yet, by this supreme temptation, the Lord's Human, which was aware of all the offences of those for whom He pleaded, was united to the Divine Love, with its inmost compassion for all men. So is it by analogy with us. The forgiveness of the debts of others towards us, even when we are aware of all the things in them that irritate us is the needed preliminary to our being forgiven ourselves, to our ability to offer to the Lord a mind in which we may be conjoined inwardly to Him. In so forgiving others, we are not condoning actions of theirs which are inconsistent with the Divine standard, but simply forgetting them as unimportant matters out of keeping with what we hope are their noble aims. If they do not really cherish these aims and become enemies to God and man, even then the Lord loves them, and has commanded His followers to do likewise. Just as we are not to love the person, but the quality of his good, so when he lacks such a good. we are not to hate the person, but the influx from hell that has overpowered him. When the person has thus been separated from the infernal influx, and our opposition is to the influx alone, the Lord who subjugated that influx when on earth can subjugate it again in us.

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This is what we can then ask Him to do, when we pray, "Forgive us our debts, forgive us our sins," providing we are "forgiving our debtors, forgiving everyone that is indebted to us," by dissociating in our minds their persons, and the evil influxes affecting them, from their capacities for useful service.
CONJUNCTION WITH THE LORD BY THE HOLY SUPPER 1940

CONJUNCTION WITH THE LORD BY THE HOLY SUPPER        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940

     "And in this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." (Isaiah 25: 6.)
     The Lord's love goes out perpetually with infinite fullness to all men: nor is it withdrawn from anyone, not even for an instant. Out of His Infinity the Lord wills to impart to man blessings ever new,- delights in ever increasing measure to eternity. But only those who return His love can receive and enjoy its blessings. However deep a love may be on the part of one, if it is not returned-if it meets with no response in the mind of the other-there can be no conjunction between them. And without conjunction no interchange of gifts is possible.
     Man has indeed no power in himself to love the Lord yet the Lord gives him this power-insinuating it so secretly that it appears to be his own; and this to the end that conjunction may be effected. To the same end the Lord reveals Himself, in order that He may be known. For we cannot love one whom we do not know. Having thus provided the necessary means, the Lord invites man to conjunction with Himself. But He does not compel. Love must be free and spontaneous. If it is not free, it dies. For this reason in order that he may be conjoined with the Lord, man must accept the Divine invitation freely, of his own choice, knowing that he has power to refuse it, if he will. He must approach the Lord willingly, on his own initiative, saying in his heart, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob." (Isaiah 2: 3.)

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Only thus can he receive the blessings of heaven. Such is the meaning of our text: "And in this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things. a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined."
     As understood by the Jews, the " mountain " referred to was Mount Zion, on the summit of which was the temple, and on its slopes the city of Jerusalem. Here alone could sacred feasts be celebrated by sacrifices and burnt offerings unto the Lord. All the people from every part of the land-were commanded to attend such a feast at least once a year, in that city "whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord." (Psalm 122: 4.) It was necessary-in a church based entirely upon external representations-that there should be but a single mountain in all the world on which such feasts might be held, in order to symbolize the truth that there is only one love by means of which Divine blessings may be received.
     With the Jews, the Lord was present locally by means of the tables of the Covenant enshrined in the temple. To go up to Mount Zion therefore, was to approach Him, seeking His guidance and protection, acknowledging His government, confessing faith in Him and love to Him. When they freely gave this evidence of loyal allegiance to their Divine King, the Lord opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings upon His people. There, with joy and thanksgiving, they partook of the sanctified feasts, receiving-together with the physical nourishment-a renewal of their faith, an increase of mutual friendship and confidence that strengthened their national unity, and a new determination to be faithful to the law of Jehovah.
     But when the Lord came into the world He abrogated the representatives of Jewish worship. He opened the minds of men to see in the ancient Scriptures a deeper meaning. He taught them that God is not a local Deity abiding in any specific place, but is everywhere present, pressing to be received. Wherever He is known wherever His love is received and returned by man, there is the mountain of His holiness. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things."

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"When," therefore, "the Lord knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father,' He met with His disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem to observe the established ritual of a sacred feast, saying, as they sat down together, "With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer." And having blessed the bread and the wine. He gave it to them, saving, "This do in remembrance of me."
     By this act He removed the representation from Mount Zion as a place, and established in its stead the love to Him which had brought them together for the feast. Those who had followed Him through the years of His ministry, beholding His miracles and listening to His teaching had forsaken all for love of Him. And as He spake to them of His approaching crucifixion, preparing them to meet the supreme test of their faith: when, to all appearance, He was to be taken from them, their hearts were deeply touched, and for the moment they were lifted up in spirit into that love which is the very mount of God. By that love their minds were filled with a new light. Therefore, when the Lord said to them. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father," His disciples said unto Him. "Lo, now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee: by this we believe that Thou camest forth from God." (John 16: 28-30.)
     For the first time they perceived the true Divinity of Jesus Christ, and their love of Him became one with their adoration of God. He became for them the sole object of worship. Thus with them, and at this moment, the Christian Church was founded. The invisible Jehovah, in fulfillment of prophecy, had come into the world that He might be seen of men. And now for the first time was His identity revealed, and His disciples knew Him to be Jehovah, their God. Henceforth all conjunction with God was to be by means of love to Him. This now was to be the only "mountain" of Divine blessing. In this mountain there was first given, at the Last Supper, spiritual communion with God communion with Him in that Divine Human which He had assumed at His advent into the world.
     In the Christian Church, therefore, the reenactment of the Last Supper as a ritual of worship supplanted the sacred feasts on Mount Zion as an ultimate representation of conjunction with the Lord.

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The Holy Supper was instituted in place of all the ancient sacrifices. In essence it is a free approach to the Lord-a confession of faith in Him, a testimony of love to Him, and thus an ascent into the mountain of His holiness. In outward appearance it is indeed nothing but a representative act. It is a gesture of the body-a physical approach to the altar as a place where the special presence of the Lord is acknowledged. In this it is not unlike the ascent of the Jews to Mount Zion. But there is this notable difference. With the Jews the mere observance of the form, apart from any understanding of its meaning, was sufficient to open communication with heaven and impart thence the blessing of Divine protection. But the power and efficacy of the Holy Supper lies in its formal observance only in the degree that this is a sign and a testification of love to the Lord.
     For this reason, as the Christian Church declined; as the idea of God has been falsified until the sole Divinity of Jesus Christ is no longer seen; as many have returned to the worship of an invisible God, regarding Jesus Christ as no more than a wise and noble man as the Church has forsaken its first love, and fallen prey to worldly ambitions, to greed for wealth and earthly power:-the Holy Supper has ceased to serve as a means of conjunction with the Lord. It now brings influx, not from heaven itself, but from imaginary heavens which have grown up in the world of spirits. With the simple it is still a holy Sacrament, preserving the remains of childhood, maintaining a gentile faith, and keeping open the way to ultimate salvation. But even with these it cannot bring conjunction with the Lord, because He is no longer known.
     This is the reason why it was necessary for the Lord to come again to reveal His Glorified Human, and on this Revelation to establish a New Church. It was necessary that He should make Himself known as in very truth the only God of heaven and earth, that the return of love to God on the part of men might not be focused upon the crucified Christ, nor addressed to an invisible and unknown being, but directed to Him as an Infinite Divine Man, whose love and wisdom are embodied in the risen Lord Jesus Christ made visible to us in the Truth of the opened Word. Only the truth of the Heavenly Doctrine can make the Lord thus visible. This alone can enable us to understand how the human taken on in the world was glorified and made altogether one with the Infinite Father above the heavens.

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Only thus can we see that to love God is to love the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom alone God stands forth to our finite view.
     And it is to love, not merely the person, but the Infinite qualities of God-His Love and His Wisdom as manifested in the Revelation of His Second Coming. To love God is to live the truth of His opened Word. Where this is acknowledged from the heart, and nowhere else, can a free return of love to God bring conjunction with the Lord and consociation with the angels. This love is now the "mountain" of Divine blessing of which the Holy Supper in the New Church is to be the representative sign and testification. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined."
     The ascent of this mountain is not merely a physical approach to the altar, and the ritualistic partaking of the Sacrament. The power of this ultimate act depends upon what has preceded it. It depends upon a spiritual vision of the Lord in the Writings, and upon a sincere endeavor to know and understand the truth there revealed. It depends upon a daily effort to live according to this truth-to shun in thought and intention as well as in outward act, the evils that are opposed to it. It is this that gives testimony to a genuine love of the Lord that makes that love actual and living with us. It is this that makes us realize our own spiritual weakness, how little we know of heaven's truth how continually we fail in our efforts to apply it to the practical conditions of our lives, and how greatly we need help and guidance from the Lord. When, by the combat of temptation, we have been brought into this state, then indeed does our approach to the Holy Supper become an ascent into the mountain of God. Then is the way opened by the Sacrament for the reception of Divine blessings, and by means of the sanctified elements the Lord can feed our souls with the "bread that cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world." Then does it become for us a "feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the less well refined."
     By "fat things" are meant the spiritual delights of use toward the neighbor. By love to the Lord we are lifted out of ourselves. Our thoughts are removed from the accomplishment of our own desires and personal ambitions, and we are inspired with the love of serving others, apart from all considerations of merit or reward.

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And when we contemplate our uses from this love we receive light to understand truly our relations to our neighbor. We see how to act from genuine charity how to apply the truth of religion in such a way as to benefit others. This, because considerations of self-interest that have blinded us to the truth are removed, and our vision is purified from the fallacies and appearances by which it had been distorted. This new vision of truth is what is meant by the "feast of wines on the lees." Within this delight in the unselfish service of others here on earth, there lies concealed the joy and blessedness of heaven-the delight of eternal use to the Lord and to His kingdom, which is meant by the "fat things full of marrow." And within the understanding of external truth there lies the perception of Divine verities concerning the Lord, concerning His mercy and His Providence, concerning the Infinite qualities of His love and wisdom, which is meant by the "wines on the lees well refined." These are the blessings that may be received when we approach the Lord in the true " mountain of His holiness." And for the sake of these the Holy Supper has been instituted.
     It is to be remembered, however, that the Lord imparts these blessings secretly, in order that we may enjoy a full possession of them as our own. He gives them, not by an open influx of truth, but only by a stirring of our affections, which we perceive as a sphere of holiness. We are not to be self-conscious, therefore, with reference to their reception when we approach the Holy Supper. It is enough for us to do the works of repentance, to strive in temptation against our proprial tendencies, to search the Word for guidance, and endeavor to live according to its teachings day by day, in preparation for the Sacrament. It is enough that we approach the Lord's table in humility of spirit, with prayer for help, together with a glad acknowledgment of His mercy and thanksgiving for His protection. It is enough that, in partaking of the elements, we direct our thoughts to Him, in love and worship. For this is to ascend into the mountain of the Lord, that He, in the secret ways of His own infinite wisdom, may feed us and lift us up forever." Amen.

LESSSONS:     John 16: 15-30. A. C. 3735.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pp. 451, 572, 357. Psalmody, p. 10.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 80, 109.

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TALK TO CHILDREN 1940

TALK TO CHILDREN       Rev. PHILIP N. ODHNER       1940

     COVETING THE GOODS OF OTHERS.

     You have heard the very sad story about Naboth and his vineyard. He lived in Jezreel, the city where Ahab, the King of Israel, dwelt in his palace. Naboth's vineyard was near the kings palace, and the king wanted it for a garden. So the king went to Naboth, and asked him to give him the vineyard and he offered to give him a better one in return or to pay him money for it.
     But Naboth knew that the Word of the Lord had forbidden the people of Israel to sell to others what they had inherited from their fathers. The land, which the Lord had given to, the people He wanted them to keep in their own families so that each of the Tribes of Israel might have its own place in the Land of Canaan. Naboth knew this law of the Lord, and he said to King Ahab, " The Lord forbid it to me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."
     When King Ahab heard this, he was angry and grew sick with envy, and went to bed and would not eat, because he coveted Naboth's vineyard so much. And Jezebel his queen came and asked him what was the matter. And he told her about Naboth, who would not sell his vineyard. And Jezebel said she would get it for him.
     Now Ahab was a wicked king. He did not worship the Lord, but he allowed the priests of Baal to come into Israel. And Jezebel the queen was even more wicked than he. And Jezebel wrote letters to the elders and the noblemen of the city of Jezreel, and asked them to proclaim a fast, and to get two evil persons to bear false witness against Naboth, saying that they had heard him blaspheme God and the king. And the elders and the nobles did what Jezebel asked them to do. They proclaimed a fast, and they set poor Naboth on high among the people, and the two false witnesses accused him of speaking ill of God and the king.

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As a punishment for this, they carried Naboth out of the city, and stoned him to death.
     And then Jezebel went to Ahab, and told him that Naboth was dead, and that he could now take the vineyard for nothing. So Ahab arose and went to the vineyard to take possession of it. But as he entered the vineyard, the prophet Elijah met him; for the Lord had sent him to meet Ahab. And Elijah told Ahab, "Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? Because of the evil you have done, you and your family will be destroyed in the place where Naboth was slain." And this came to pass, for Ahab's son, who was king after him, was slain in Naboth's vineyard, and the whole family of Ahab was destroyed, because they were so evil.
     Now this sad story shows what terrible evils come from coveting the property or goods belonging to others, desiring things that other people possess. So great is this evil, that the Lord has given two of the Ten Commandments forbidding it: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." And just why this coveting is so evil is plain from the story of Naboth's vineyard. Because King Ahab desired that vineyard, and did not curb that desire in any way, he and his wife broke two other commandments. They bore false witness against Naboth and they had him killed. And then they stole his property.
     It is a very common thing for us to want what someone else has. Indeed, many times we want a thing just because others have it; and if they didn't have it, we would not care for it. That is what we mean by coveting what belongs to the neighbor.
     Now this desire to have what belongs to others seems to be a very harmless and little thing at first. But if we allow it to grow, and do not try to remove it from our minds, it makes us willing to do all kinds of other evils, as was the case with Ahab and Jezebel. And it not only leads us to other evils, but it is very bad in itself. It means that we are not satisfied with what the Lord has given to us, and it means that we do not love our neighbors, and that we are willing to take from them what the Lord has given them.
     The Lord has made each one of us in a different way.

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He has given us different kinds of things,-different minds, different bodies, and different clothing and houses and money. And the reason the Lord has done this is because He wants each of us to receive something different from the gifts He gives to all men, something of His Love and His Wisdom that is different from that received by other men. He has given each of us an inheritance, something that is our own from Him, just as He gave to each of the tribes of Israel an inheritance in the land which they should keep and not sell. And the Word of the Lord says that we should be content with our lot that we should not wish to give up what He has given us, or want what He has given to others. Rather should we be grateful for what the Lord has given us, and make the best possible use of it, doing the most we can for other people with it.
     Just as soon as we want what other people have we begin to think that what the Lord has given us is too little, and that it is not as good as it ought to be. And not only do we begin to hate the neighbor who has what we want, but we sin against the Lord by thinking that He does not know what is best for us to have, and by not making the best possible use of what He has given us.
     There are many times in our lives when we must think about the Lord's commandment that we should not covet what is our neighbors. When we are very little children we may want the toys of another child, and leave our own to take theirs away from them. And when we grow up we may find ourselves envying others what they possess. We may even want to take away their freedom and to rule over them. Their property and their freedom belongs to them, and is very precious to them, and the Lord has given these things to them, and it is evil for us to want to deprive them of what the Lord has given them.
     The Lord wants us to keep our inheritance, and to do the best with what He has given us, even as Naboth did with the vineyard, which he had inherited from his fathers. And the Lord does not want us to be discontent with what we have, or to take from others what He has given them. We should always remember that we sin against the Lord and against man when we covet anything that is our neighbor's.
LESSONS:     I Kings 21: 1-20.
MUSIC:     Hymnal, pages 97, 107. Revised Liturgy, pages 421, 439.

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LORD'S TWO ADVENTS 1940

LORD'S TWO ADVENTS       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1940

     A STUDY

     When the firstborn, celestial church receded from its pristine integrity, and earth ceased to be imparadised, the Lord fore-announced his coming into the world. Even before the church had finally departed from its Eden-state, the first prophecy of the advent was delivered. Thus the Lord came, as it were, prophetically, immediately after the Fall of mankind. Had He not done so, the doctrine is, and had not the entire process of His glorification been represented before the angels in the Word, and in the rituals of the Jewish Church, it would have been necessary for Him to come into the world immediately after the Fall. But on the side of the heavens, that representation stayed the need: and on the side of men, because of the prophecy, the faith of love in a Divine Man about to come was adequate for salvation. (A. C. 2034e, 2523.)
     Later, when that medium of conjunction was in imminent danger of failure, and when Divine good and truth in ultimates were no longer to be found on the earth, the prophecy was fulfilled. Thus the Lord came in the fullness of time. He was born into the world of woman, in the way of all men, with the notable exception that human paternal seed was lacking, and His Soul from the Father was Divine. This was His First Advent, in it He was at first both Divine and human, very God and imperfect man: partaking, on the one hand, of Divinity, and, on the other, of human infirmity. But the Divine, which interpenetrated every part of the human, was destined to increase, and the merely human to decrease. The human was successively put off, both as to the mind part and the body derived from the mother, and a Human was put on from the Father; so that in the end He became wholly Divine, even to the ultimates of flesh and bones. This rejection of the world's materia in which He came, and assumption of the Divine Substantial from the Father, was His glorification.

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     While that First Advent was still in progress, the Lord foresaw that the Christian Church which He had come to establish would also decline from its nascent innocence, and would fall, even as Adam. Consequently, while yet on earth, He predicted a Second Coming, which would be effected in the consummation of the age. The parallel teaching is not given, but by an informative reference to the preceding doctrine-a process which has the sanction of the Writings-we may believe that, but for the prophecy which made possible for men the faith of love in the Lord who was to come anew, and but for the representation before the angels of the entire process of the Last Judgment and the Second Advent in the Apocalypse, it would have been necessary for the Lord to come immediately after the fall of the Christian Church, which is stated in the Writings to have taken place at the end of the Apostolic Age. Again the Lord came, as it were, prophetically, and came actually in the fullness of time. He came when obscurantism had so veiled the Word that men could no longer see the truth He had revealed at His First Coming. He came not into the world in a body of flesh and blood, but into the realm of human minds in a body of yet higher formation, but still both Divine and human in the beginning. And this was His Second Advent.
     In each instance, the advent was a forth standing of God, a clarification of what had become obscure, by an unfolding of the interior truths implicit in the former Word. This ever carries the condition that revelation shall be withheld until the state of the human race is such that its being given will not involve certain death through immediate rejection or profanation. Hence the staving of the Lord's two advents until they could no longer be delayed. The arrestment did not jeopardize the salvation of men, since the prophecies provided them with an object of faith and love. And the representation protected the angels against the anxiety and grief, which would have taken them out of their heavenly state, if their general knowledge that the race on earth was heading for destruction had not been balanced by the assurance that its downward career would yet be checked.
     The two advents thus accomplished, while sharply distinguished in time and as to process, cohere into a unified whole as to purpose and mode. They stand together as preparation and fulfillment, and only when so conceived may they be rightly understood.

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The First Advent was no more than the acquisition of an essential but temporary objective. Alone, it would have been incomplete, the symbol of a purpose but half achieved. The Second Advent was the end of all revelation yet it could not have been effected without the First which it now explains.
     There are two reasons why this is so. The Lord had no need to glorify the Human for Himself. He did so for the sake of men, that He might eventually present the Human before them as visible God-Man with whom they might have conjunction. Evidently, therefore, it was necessary that He should first assume the Human, and then glorify it, before He could so present it in and as a new revelation; and this could be accomplished in no other way than by birth into the world of a virgin. So while the end of the First Advent was the glorification of the Human from the Father, the end of that glorification process was the presentation of the Human in a new and final revelation. This being so, it may be a matter of wonder that the prophecy of the Second Advent was given on the basis of the Christian Church's certain failure. The reason is, that if the Church had remained in its first integrity, the Second Advent, while still necessary, would have been otherwise than it was. It was necessary, also, that men should have the First Advent revelation as the only means of preparing their minds to understand rationally the more interior Second Advent revelation. This is illustrated by the fact that there was need for spirits from our earth to visit the earths in the starry heaven, and to preach there the gospel of the First Advent,-with all the imperfections accruing to it from human misinterpretations,-before the spirits of those earths could understand the new evangel which Swedenborg was to bring to them. So we may see that the Lord's two advents form a unity in which the Second Advent rests on the First, and the First derives its deepest significance from the Second.
     Seventeen centuries separated these advents in time, and they are equally distinct as to process; for one was accomplished through a tangible, physical birth, the other through a birth intangible and supraphysical. Yet were they most interiorly one as to purpose and means. The states of angels, spirits, and men before each advent were very similar, though there were notable differences also.

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In each instance there had been an abnormal development of evil over good, which could no longer be tolerated because it was destroying equilibrium. The evil possessed the world of spirits and threatened the ultimates of heaven. The integrity of the heavens was therefore in danger. Simple good spirits had to be withdrawn from the infesting spheres, which pervaded the intermediate state, and preserved in the Lower Earth. And men on earth were deprived of light from heaven by the imaginary heavens that supervened. In each instance, therefore, the purpose of the advent was to restore equilibrium by effecting a redemption: and this by performing a judgment to break the dominant power of evil, and then by reorganizing what remained. Thus the purpose of each advent was to subdue the hells, purge the world of spirits by dispersing the imaginary heavens, reorder the heavens, form a new heaven, and establish a new church on earth. This was redemption. So the two advents were indeed one as to purpose. They were one also as to mode. For while the actual process differed, the mode of redemption in each instance was the revelation of Divine Truth, the supreme truth that Jesus Christ is God-Man in the Divine Human.

     II.

     Clearly, then, the Lord's two advents should be approached through the medium of a comparative study. Yet, in his attempt so to approach them, the student is at once confronted with a major problem. It is said, concerning the First Advent, that the Lord came into the world to redeem men and to glorify the Human. In connection with the Second Advent the parallel teaching is given only as to redemption. Yet a redemptive sequence ever implies a glorification series. In regard to the First Advent, that series is plainly taught in the Writings: but in regard to the Second Advent it is not, and must lie deeper in the arcana given. Our problem is, therefore: What is the glorification series in the Second Advent? At the close of this study we propose to offer a solution that seems to be in accord with our doctrine.
     Our conviction that this series exists, and our conception of the doctrine with which it is to be identified, rest upon certain universal principles stated in the Writings. The Lord always comes in and as the Divine Truth.

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His advent, therefore, is revelation; and while revelation is an opening and unfolding, it is also a reveiling. For revelation is Divine Truth proceeding, and the proceeding of truth in its going forth from God always veils itself in accommodation to human states. In the First Advent the Divine Truth, descending through the heavens, assumed veilings drawn from the material substances in the body and blood of a woman. In the Second Advent, the Divine Doctrine descending out of heaven from God as an organized city of truth assumed veilings of a higher order drawn from the substances in the mind of a man. This was the involution, and in each instance it was accomplished through a virgin conception and birth.
     But what shall we say of the evolution that was also implied? For each advent involved both involution and evolution. In the First Advent, this dual process was Divine generation and re-generation, Divine conception of a virgin, and glorification of the Father. These terms were then applicable to the Human. By the former process the Divine Truth became inbound in a material vestment. By the latter it put off that vestment, and became Divine Good, and one with the Father. The Second Advent implied a parallel process of involution and evolution. The former was the formulation of the spiritual and celestial concepts revealed to Swedenborg by the Lord alone, and not by any angel, into the natural-rational thought-forms in which they are presented in the Writings. The doctrine was revealed to Swedenborg in the spiritual world, and therefore in a form incomprehensible to men on earth. It was necessary that it be veiled in accommodation, and this accommodation was the involution of the Heavenly Doctrine.
     But what shall we say now of its evolution? The term cannot be applicable to the Divine Human in Itself; for what has once been glorified in itself cannot be so glorified again. By His departure out of the world, the Lord became one with the Father, and by no process could He become any more one with the Father than He then was; for that union was absolute and unqualified. But the term can be applied to man's sight of the Divine Human in the Writings: and we believe that the successive stages by which the Divine Human within the Writings is revealed to the regenerating is the analogue of glorification in the Second Advent series of the doctrine.

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In other words, we believe that the Human is glorified in the Second Advent when the men of the New Church see it with the eyes of spiritual love and faith by virtue of their reception of the Holy Spirit.
     To make our meaning as clear as possible, we would expatiate on a parallel, which further fuses the Lord's two advents into a coherent series. In each instance it was truth that prevailed over the hells and accomplished the purposes of the advent. It was essentially the supreme truth of all doctrine that prevailed-the truth that Jesus Christ is God-Man in lasts as in firsts, and is equally one with the Father as to both the Divine and the Human. It was this truth, which prevailed at both advents, but with a difference. At the First Advent the Lord prevailed by becoming that truth. Concerning that advent, it is said in the Writings that the Lord successively made His Human the Divine Truth, and then united it with the Divine Good. And what that means is simply this. By coming into the world as Jesus Christ, by making the Divine in Himself Human, and the Human Divine, He became the truth that Jesus Christ is God-Man and in so becoming He prevailed over the hells. Thus also did He fulfill the Word; for the truth He became is the inner burden of Scripture from beginning to end.
     At that time no other means would have sufficed. The Divine could have destroyed the hells, but it could not subjugate them: for subjugation could be effected only through the way of temptation, and there is no plane in the Divine, which can be tempted. There was nothing in the Divine to furnish a plane of admission for the hells. Therefore the Lord condescended to be born into the world in the way of all men. By birth of the virgin He assumed as a temporary vestment a material body, and as a plane for admission of temptation an infirm natural on which was impressed the malforms of the maternal ancestral inheritance. When admitted by Him, the hells could fight against the Lord through that natural, and this with the certainty of defeat, but with the assurance also that they would not be utterly destroyed. By means of the combats thus induced the Lord accomplished a simultaneous process of putting off and putting on. As He overcame the hells in every temptation, He put off that of the maternal human which had been the means of attack, and put on in its stead something from the Father which was His own Divine Soul. This process was so extended that with its completion He had overcome the totality of evil, had subjugated all the hells, and dispersed all the imaginary heavens.

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He had admitted temptations also from the proprium of the angels, and His victories therein were the basis for His reordering of the heavens. With the completion of the process, also, He had fully put off the merely human. He had made His Human Divine by putting on the fullness of the Divine Truth, and He had made the Divine Human by becoming the Divine Good. In so doing He became God-Man. Thus did He subjugate the hells, purge the world of spirits, reorder the heavens, form a new heaven and establish a new church, by becoming the truth that Jesus Christ is God-Man.
     Yet at first He was both Divine and human. This was necessary, not only that He might become wholly Divine and one with the Father, but also that the freedom of men on earth might be preserved. For reasons of providence He came into the world in such a way as not to compel belief. In outward aspect, therefore, He was no more than a man like unto any other man. Only a few who loved and followed Him and obeyed His teaching could see His Divinity, could perceive with inner sight the Divine within the merely human veilings: and this perception was not immediate, but of long, arduous, and painful formation, involving a radical change from their original sight of Him. The majority saw only the merely human, and even they differed in evaluating His life and work. Some said that He was a "good man." Others that He "had a devil."
     When we turn to the Second Advent we find many striking parallels, and some notable differences. We speak of the latter first. In this advent also, it was the same truth that prevailed, but in a different manner. The truth that Jesus Christ is God-Man is the supreme truth of doctrine. On it depends the entire doctrine of the human form. It is the source of all law and of all order; it is the supreme truth that holds the heavens in interconnection, sustains the human race, and holds the hells in subjection. As the Lord, by glorification, had become that truth in the Human, it was not necessary, and was indeed impossible, that He should become it again. All that was necessary was that He should reveal it anew, and compel the evil to acknowledge it. Furthermore, it was not necessary that the Lord should again subjugate the hells by engaging them in combat through a second temptation sequence: for He who once obtains power over the hells retains it for all time.

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And, lastly, the need for the judgment, a need that determined its mode, was different from that which obtained at the time of the First Advent. Prior to the incarnation, the influx of light into human minds was through the celestial kingdom. The continuance of that influx rested, therefore, upon the integrity of the heavens, which had been placed in jeopardy by the encroachment of the evil on their ultimates. After the glorification of the Human, this function was taken from the celestial, and became a function of the Human. This is the deep meaning of the prophecy, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come." (Genesis 49: 10.)
     Man's capacity to receive spiritual light no longer depended upon the integrity of the heavens. But it did depend upon his clear and uninterrupted sight of Jesus Christ as sole God, both as to His Divinity and as to His Human. Just this was what had been taken away from the men of the Christian Church by the creeds and dogmas of their theologians. The Church had confirmed the appearance in the Scripture of a separation between God and Christ, and had taught that, as to His Divinity, He was one of three Divine Persons. And, having made God three, it proceeded to make the Lord two; for it drew a fatal distinction between His Divine and His Human natures. Consequently, the truth was lost, and its failure again gave evil the ascendancy. It was because the supreme doctrine was hidden that evil again possessed the world of spirits, provided the subjugated hells with an extension by influx, led to the formation again of imaginary heavens, produced a similar attack upon the ultimates of heaven, and obstructed the light that should have reached men on earth.
     The conditions were apparently similar at each advent, but their causes were different; for which reason they were met in different ways. At the first advent the need was, that the Lord should put Himself into the power of assuming the function of the celestial, which required the assumption and glorification of a Human from the Father. At the second advent, the need was only that He should reveal Himself plainly as what He became by that assumption and glorification. The first called for an incarnation, the second for the bringing forth of a Divine Doctrine which should set forth the supreme doctrine of God-Man.

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This it was that came forth at the time of the Last Judgment and effected that judgment, and this it was which, in its descent to earth, became the sacred Writings of the New Church.
     The doctrine is a Divine Doctrine. We stand squarely upon the belief that the Writings themselves are the Divine Doctrine of the church, and this whether men know of or believe in them or not. Nevertheless, we believe that in Them Divine Truth is veiled, and this both of necessity and for the freedom of men. The Divine Truth revealed through Swedenborg had to be veiled in the thought- forms with which his mind had been furnished through half a lifetime of preparation, every least detail of which was under the direct auspices of the Lord. The Divine Doctrine comes to us clothed in those human forms, some of which must perish at the first threshold of heaven. Consequently, while those Writings contain the Divine Human of the Lord, and are a revelation of the spiritual sense of the Word, they are not, and cannot be, the naked spiritual sense as it exists with the angels. They come to us, as all revelation has come, as a Word in a letter, having within it all the interior degrees of Divine Truth. Consequently, men are free to estimate those Writings as they will. To external sight they are human, devoid of that miraculous perfection which would compel the faith of men. Only the eyes of love and faith can see the Divinity within those human veilings, can see the infinite wisdom and feel the infinite love of God within the doctrine, and so can see the Lord within its pages in all the glory of His unity with the Father. Others do not see beyond the human veiling, and even then differ in the estimates they form some regarding the Writings as human, but good and useful, and others condemning them as the ravings of a madman. Only to the few who love the Lord, and follow Him by doing His will, is the spiritual vision of Himself given. Until we have that sight, our saying that the Lord is indeed present in the Writings is but the dictum of historical faith. He is there, but we see Him not. Therefore is He not there for us. We do but think in terms of the faith in which we have been educated from youth.
     So it is that we speak of a glorification series in the Second Advent. The Divine Human is indeed given to us in the Writings, and it enters our minds in what we receive from those Writings, but does so veiled; for the truth ever veils itself first in human minds in appearances drawn from the things of proprium.

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But as the man of the church follows on in the regeneration, those veilings will successively be put off, until at last he sees the Lord as God-Man. as the soul of every truth in the doctrine. This seeing will not reverse the doctrine, but will be a new light which will render pellucid all that was opaque before, and give new life.
ON WORSHIP OF THE LORD AS A MAN 1940

ON WORSHIP OF THE LORD AS A MAN       RICHARD R. GLADISH       1940

     There are two apparently connate forces urgent in the mind of man-on the one hand, to worship what is faultless and therefore superhuman; on the other, to love and seek conjunction with what is visibly and palpably human. It is the apparent conflict of these impulses, which tends to confuse man, and to hide the Lord from his eyes; and it is the solving of the riddle they present which alone discloses the Divine Human as Glorified Man, as Human God, the only proper object of universal worship, love, and service.
     Instinct with us is the urge to adore, to look above us to that which is robed in the mystery of infinity; yet our life's experience makes it hard for us to envision a man-being without the frailties and limitations of mankind or one in finite form who transcends finition's boundaries. And still there unfolds within us as our lives unfold, the Divinely-implanted, half-conscious conviction that there is an answer to the paradox, and that the seeking which is the life of each of us will be accomplished when that answer is found.
     The Writings affirm that there is an influx into the souls of men that there is a God and that He is in human form Significant of this is a habit of our thinking. We seek heroes to admire; where we bestow love, we would bestow also the gloss of perfection; we want to make paragons of those we love. And yet our heroes our beloved, are always human. "Love is blind" because it is a part of our lives to seek absolute virtue, and that in a visible, human being. (Note the derivation of the word virtue, from vir, man.) And so we search for perfection-beauty of countenance, symmetry of body, nobleness of mind, and all-comforting love.

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     The harmony of the created universe, ranging from that universe of flesh and blood, the human body, to the majestic sweep of the galaxies in their cosmic courses, is to us a thing of order and beauty because it is in the human form, because it mirrors the Lord, and because there is that within us which can declare what is worthy of awe and admiration (although this is capable of perversion). Yet we cannot worship the "Infinite Goodness" to which Benjamin Franklin addressed his matinal prayer; we cannot honestly adore omniscience or omnipotence as unmaterialized forces, any more than we can bow down before magnetism or pray to electricity. Neither can we find lasting satisfactions in the worship of a fellow man. Imperfections and limitations, beheld, banish adoration. Only when the beauty and order of the two-perfect love and faultless truth-are incorporated in one who is visible in human form can there be found the fully satisfactory object of our worship and adoration. Leadership, Justice, Mercy-we need these with a cosmic need, as mighty as the ocean's need for a shore, as the eagle's for the air, of substance for form.
     In the theological speculations of this New Church, too often do we wander, it sometimes seems to me, from the simple truths: that God is a Man more beautiful than the most comely person ever seen in fleshly body more noble in mind than any angel, more loving, understanding and forgiving than any mortal who has dried another's tears or cheered a downcast heart with sympathy and comprehending. Added to this, it is He against whom all our sins are committed. Our hates and fears are attacks on His Love; our errors and crimes are blunders, which would impair His order: and yet for all our sins-how grievous they are we cannot know-His forgiveness is absolute. He washes them away, if we but cease to love them, and learn to receive His cleansing truth, His all-healing love.
     As we grow in understanding-and the Word and charity are the means-of that which is human in creation: of ourselves, of our neighbor, and, indeed, of stocks and stones, of animals and plants,-reflectors of a human creation,-we grow, too, in understanding of the Divine Human, that is to say, the Lord. For He is the prototype, the one true human; and every faltered step our understandings take discloses some new facet of His infinite Being. And it is in a human, visible form that we must glimpse Him.

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     He is the Child born in Bethlehem, continually re-born to us as we live and grow from state to higher state, from lowly to higher life. He is the lawgiver, taking upon His shoulders the governance of His heavenly kingdom, releasing the celestial angels from their intermediary offices to come to us-a personal God. He is the royal King, whose Word, given afresh in the Writings, orders and disposes all things in heaven and on earth. He is the "man of sorrows, acquainted with grief," who takes upon Himself the burden we cannot bear, who liberates the bound and disperses the evil captors, who rends the veil of darkness over men's minds, that they may see God, and be free to worship Him. He is, finally, the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, revealed in His Second Coming uplifted and glorified, ever to draw nearer to man until He is seen by him even in the flesh and bones of nature, and His works in the operations of law on every plane.
     RICHARD R. GLADISH.
WAY TO HEAVEN 1940

WAY TO HEAVEN       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1940

     Some are led to believe that a spiritual life, or a life that leads to heaven, is difficult. This they think because they have been told that it is necessary for one to renounce the world, and to remove from oneself the lusts of the flesh. This is what they think of when they think of living spiritually. They think they must reject worldly things, which are chiefly wealth and position. They think they must be continually meditating about God, heaven, and salvation, and must devote much of their time to prayer, and to the reading of the Word and books of religion. This is the only idea they have of what it means to renounce the world, and to live in the spirit, and not in the flesh.
     By much experience and conversation with angels, Swedenborg learned that it is not so at all, and indeed that they who live in such a manner take upon themselves a sorrowful life, which is by no means receptive of heavenly joy. But if a man is to receive the life of heaven, it is necessary to live in the world, and to enter into business and employments; for spiritual life is received only by means of moral and civil life. In no other way can spiritual life be formed with anyone. In this way only can he be prepared for heaven.

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For to live an internal life, and not an external one at the same time, would be like dwelling in a house without a foundation, which would fall." (H. H. 528.)
     This means that everyone should take his responsible place in the uses of life on the moral plane, and also on the civil plane. He cannot become a spiritual man without taking his place in life as it is.
     Life in the world, according to the formation of human society and political economy, is the only true basis for spiritual living. If this formation and this economy be analyzed, it will be found to be threefold. There is spiritual life, moral life, and civil life. There are men who live a civil life, that is, according to civil law, and yet not a moral or a spiritual life. And there are some who live a civil and a moral life, but not yet a spiritual one. On the other hand there are some who live a civil life and a moral life, and at the same time a spiritual life. It is these who live the life of heaven; but the others live a life of the world, which is separated from the life of heaven.
     It must be clear, therefore, that spiritual life is not separate from natural life, is not divorced from life in the world, but is united with it as the soul is united with the body. In other words, our moral and civil life should be the activity and the expression of our spiritual life. For it is spiritual life to will that which is good, and it is of moral and civil life to act well. And if the acting well is absent, then spiritual life is only a matter of thought and speech, and it will eventually vanish away.
     What our Doctrine means by moral life we may interpret to mean social responsibility and honorable dealing in general. And what is meant by civil life may be interpreted to mean all legal responsibility, or conformity with the laws of the country. These two are the basis upon which spiritual life must rest, and by means of which it is to develop.
     Now everyone is initiated from childhood into civil and moral life, that is, into social and legal responsibilities and order. Everyone is instructed early in life in the requirements of social and legal life. Almost everyone is taught how to act outwardly with sincerity and justice, and for his own sake wishes to be considered honest and dependable. He wants others to think well of him, and wants to appear as a person of real sincerity and honor.

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And everyone, the bad as well as the good, is able to create such an impression. if he wishes to do so.
     The only thing that makes a spiritual man different from others is that he believes in the Divine, and lives a life of outward integrity, not merely because civil and moral law demand it, but because it is according to Divine law. This is the sole difference. He lives a life of sincerity and justice because he regards the Lord and Divine law, and not merely because social customs and civil laws demand it. Because he thinks of Divine things when he follows a course of action, he communicates with the angels of heaven, and is conjoined with them in spirit. And in this way his spiritual mind is opened. He is adopted and led by the Lord, although he himself is not aware of it. Inwardly his life is altogether different from that of other men who do not believe in the Lord and do not recognize any Divine law. And this in spite of the fact that other people may appear to live just as good a life as he. Even the life of an evil man may appear to be just as good.
     Evil men may act sincerely and justly for the sake of themselves and worldly prosperity. But if they did not fear the consequences to themselves, no internal bond would restrain them from acting as they please and perpetrating every kind of injustice. This is made quite evident in the other life, where the fear of evil consequences to themselves is entirely removed, and they can do what they please. And there everyone who has had a regard for Divine law, when he is left to do entirely as he wishes, and all external restraints are removed continues to act with honor and wisdom, because he is conjoined with the angels of heaven, whose wisdom is communicated to him. He has an internal bond.
     Now the Ten Commandments contain a summary of all the laws of order for human life. In them there are the laws of spiritual life, the laws of moral life, and the laws of civil life. They contain the three kinds of laws for man,- spiritual, moral, and civil.
     The first three of the Commandments contain the laws of spiritual life, as we can see by examining them: Thou shalt worship no other God than the Lord; Thou shalt not take His name in vain; Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. In regard to these things man is left under no compulsion.

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He can keep them or not as he wishes.
     But the next four of the Commandments are laws of civil life. These a man is compelled to keep under the penalty of punishment by civil law. Hence they are laws of civil life. Honor thy father and thy mother; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery: and Thou shalt not steal. These are laws of civil life, as distinguished from the others, in their merely natural meaning.
     The remaining three of the Commandments are said to be, and they clearly appear to be, laws of moral life: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house: and Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor's. These three are moral laws.
     The two commandments against covetousness, which are one in meaning, are moral laws because they concern the internal attitude and intention, which civil laws cannot reach. And also they forbid an internal attitude toward all the things that are involved in the foregoing commandments. By them is meant that the evils forbidden in the preceding ones are not even to be entertained in the spirit. One must not do any of these things in his thought and intention, even when he does not do them in outward act. For we are told in our Doctrine that whatever one inwardly regards as being allowable, this he really does in his spirit, whether he does it outwardly or not.
     Let us recall this familiar passage from the Writings: " It is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as people believe. It is only necessary for one to think, when anything presents itself to him which he knows to be insincere and unjust, although he feels an inclination to it, that it ought not to be done because it is against the Divine precepts. If one makes himself accustomed so to think, he acquires the habit of thinking in this way, and then by degrees he is conjoined with heaven; and to that degree the higher degree of his mind is opened. He then sees what is insincere and unjust. And so far as he sees these evils, he can shake them off; for no evil can ever be shaken off until it is seen. Anyone can come into this state in his freedom of will: for who is there that cannot think in this manner? But when he has made a beginning, then the Lord revives all that is good with him, and causes him not only to see evils as evils but also not to will them, and at length to be averse to them.

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This is meant by the Lord's words, 'My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' (H. H. 533.)
     Yet the difficulty of thinking in this manner, and also of resisting evils, increases in the measure that one from his will commits them. It is the intentional doing of an evil thing that makes the difficulty of desisting greater. Becoming accustomed to doing them, one gets so that he does not see them, but comes to love them, and then to excuse them, saving that they are allowable and good. While it is easy to resist an evil when it first presents itself, and would be easy to overcome if attacked at its beginning, the oftener one commits it in act, the harder it becomes to resist it. Fortunate are they who learn to resist and reject evil things in their beginnings.
     Swedenborg spoke with many in the other life who on earth had lived secluded lives of piety and lofty meditations, or who had perhaps inflicted hardships upon themselves and deprived themselves of pleasures, thinking that they would thus live a more holy life, in giving up many pleasures and many ambitions for things of the world. Most of these live a sorrowful life in the other world. They have removed themselves from real charity: for the genuine life of charity can only be lived in the midst of the world. They cannot be associated with the angels, because the life of the angels is one of gladness from performing good deeds, which are the works of charity. They have lived withdrawn from worldly employments. And they are inspired with the idea of their own merit, secretly wishing to be regarded as holy men and as saints. But they are more cunning and deceitful than others.
     But these things are related to show that the life of heaven is not one withdrawn from the world, but in the world; that piety without charity does not lead to heaven; that charity consists in acting sincerely and honestly in every function, business, and work from an interior acknowledgement of Divine law. Such a life is not difficult; but a life of extreme piety is difficult, and it does not lead anyone to heaven.
     So it may be seen that we are intended to live in the world and engage in active duties and uses there. By doing this there is given the only true proving ground and basis for the development of a real spiritual life of charity.

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     A sanctimonious life is not required: a sorrowful and dejected attitude toward the world and its work is not desirable. But a life of active service amid the difficulties that are always present, with cheerfulness and a real regard for Divine things, is the heavenly ideal. This is the life that leads to heaven.
     How far we may have come along that way may be known to some extent if we stop to reflect what things we consider to be right and allowable, and especially if we consider what we would like to do if every restraint were removed, and we were free to do as we please, without let or hindrance. This is the great test that anyone can apply to himself, by which he may know whether it is well with him or not. The spiritual man would live a life of order and use, even if he felt entirely free to do otherwise.
     Yet, in spite of all this, a reasonable piety, a reasonable time devoted to spiritual meditations and reading, a reasonable habit of worship-these are in accord with the life of heaven. The spiritual man does not disregard the first three Commandments, which involve the worship of the Lord, a regard for the holy things of the church, which are meant by His name that is not to be taken in vain, and a regard for all that is meant by keeping the Sabbath holy. The demands of our usefulness in the world must be met, but the things of heaven must not be neglected. The first three Commandments are laws of spiritual life: the next four are laws of civil life' and the last three are laws of moral life, having to do with what one thinks and favors in his spirit and internal thought.
     But why do you suppose the Writings should deal so fully with those who hope to find their salvation in withdrawing themselves from the world to the cloister? Do not these things seem to us as being a little beside the point, or as having little to do with our modern life? Do we know of many people today who seek the spiritual life by withdrawing from the world and its business? Or by living a life of privation and religious meditation? No, we do not-not in the old way, when they sought sanctity by denying themselves the pleasures of natural life. Today the trend of things seems to be in quite a different direction, and there are comparatively few who really want to know how they may live a spiritual life. Most people do not interest themselves in it at all. They do not care to know what the spiritual life is.

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     As a general proposition, we may be sure that the things in the Writings are not for those who do not care to know, but are only for those who do care. And for those who want to know what they should do, and what they should think, the answer is given with great clearness, namely, that they can only gain the spiritual life and walk in the way to heaven by participation in the common uses of life, and not by withdrawing from them.
     Most businesses and employments, however, although there is the effort to make them appear to be conducted with honesty and fairness, thus in accordance with moral and civil law, are by common admission conducted from the prime motive of profit. For the most part, both individuals and corporations do their work chiefly for the sake of gain to themselves, although they would have it appear that they are mainly interested in the welfare of those whom they serve. But this kind of business and employment cannot be the basis of the development of spiritual life.
     How often do we hear it said that one is "not in business for his health"? Or How much is there in it for me? But our teaching makes clear-to those who want to know-that spiritual life is nevertheless for the sake of their spiritual health, if not for their natural gain, and that the true spiritual principle that should enter into their work or employment, if that work is to lead them to heaven, is first of all the consideration of how much benefit they can possibly confer upon others, and not how much they can make out of it for themselves.
     How much more likely one would be to succeed if, in choosing and prosecuting his work or employment, he would not make the first consideration the profit he can make out of it, but would consider as the matter of greatest importance how much he could do for the good of others! We believe that this principle would invariably be the means by which the Lord could lead a man from one point to another, until he fitted into his most suitable place in the world, and that business conducted from this simple principle and motive would be crowned with an unfailing success. At any rate, one's work in the world would certainly be the means of his spiritual health and promotion in the way to heaven.

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PURPOSE OF DIVINE REVELATION 1940

PURPOSE OF DIVINE REVELATION       Editor       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

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

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, 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.

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     The end and purpose of all Divine Revelation is to make God manifest, that He may be seen and known by men, that He may be acknowledged in faith and love, and served in worship and work, in order that He may be present and conjoined with all who so receive Him, and impart the mercies of salvation and the blessedness of eternal life. Since the will of Divine Love is the salvation of the human race, God has always made Himself known in Divine Revelation, which, in its essence, is the Divine Itself appearing, the Divine presenting Itself to the end that it may be received.
     This purpose is defeated with those who will not receive the Divine Love extended to them in Revelation, who prefer the worship of self to the worship of God, who reject the Divine when revealed to them, as did men when the Lord came into the world to manifest Himself before the very eyes of the body.
     In the Gospel, this Divine appearing is called the " Only-begotten Son of God" the "Word made flesh." whose glory men beheld, and who alone "setteth forth the Father to view" manifesting God-Man, the Divine Human, to men, thus fulfilling the prophecy, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." (Isaiah 40: 5.)

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     All flesh "-the universal human race-is to see the " glory of the Lord." Not the human race in one place only, or on one earth only, but on all earths, which the Creator has fashioned to be the habitation of mankind. Therefore we read:

     "The principal reason why it pleased the Lord to be born, and to assume the Human, on our earth, and not on another, was for the sake of the Word, that it might be written on our earth, and after it had been written, that it might be published throughout the earth; and after it had once been published, that it might be preserved for all posterity; and that thus it might be made manifest, even to all in the other life, that God had been made Man." (A. C. 9350-9351.)
     "Wherefore it pleased the Lord to be born here, and to make this manifest by means of the Word, in order that it might not only become known in this globe, but might also be made manifest to all in the universe who come into heaven, from whatever earth; for in heaven there is a communication of all. . . . And such things are presented to the angels in heaven, from whatever earth they may be, when the Word of our earth is read and preached." (A. C. 9356-9357.) Moreover, the spirits from our earth, possessing the knowledges of the Word, are able "to serve as ministers in the instruction of those who have not such knowledges from revelation." (S. D. 1531.)

     Revelation in Heaven.

     In heaven itself the Divine revealing is in the glory of spiritual light, illumining both the minds and the eyes of the angels. For this light is the Divine Truth of the Divine Good the Light of the Divine fire of Love, inflowing into the minds of the angels, enlightening them with the perception of truth from good, and at the same time creating external forms as natural images before their eves, corresponding to and representing their spiritual or mental perceptions. They see the glory of the Lord both within and without them. There the "pure in heart see God," and "ever behold the face of the Father who is in heaven."
     In the appearing of the sun or moon to the angels, in all the objects round about them, in the Word which they read or hear, they see representatives of the Divine things of the Lord-a manifestation of His Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in finite image and form. They perceive the truth, and they see the image. The Lord Himself also appears to them in Person, either in the sun of heaven, or among them in a Divine angelic form as a Divine Man. "When the Lord presents Himself as present in any society of heaven, He appears there according to the quality of the good in which the society is, thus not in the same manner in one society as in another; not that this difference is in the Lord, but in those who see Him from their own good, thus according to it.

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They are also affected at the sight of Him according to the quality of their love. Those who love Him inmostly are inmostly affected: those who love Him less are less affected. The evil, who are outside of heaven, are tortured at His presence. When the Lord appears in any society, He appears there as an Angel but He is distinguished from others by the Divine which shines through." (H. H. 55; see 121.)
     Such, in brief, are the modes of revelation in heaven, all of which are essentially a manifestation of the Lord Himself to the angels,-the Lord Himself in Essence and in Person, internally as to His Essence in the perception of the Divine Truth, externally as to His Person, and also under various representatives-all to the end that they may see Him, know Him, understand Him, and love Him-that they may approach Him in humble adoration, opening their hearts to the reception of the blessings of conjunction with Him, whereby they are gifted with all life and light and joy.
     For the inmost of Divine Revelation is the truth of love to the Lord, teaching how He is to be received and loved in return. And involved in this truth of love to the Lord is the truth of love to the neighbor-truth teaching how the neighbor is to be loved, that what is from the Lord with the neighbor may be loved; and how there is to be conjunction with the neighbor in doing unto him the good of heavenly love, the good of love to the Lord. Therefore, in the Divine Truth revealed to the angels by the Lord, there is both an enlightenment and perception in Divine things-a perception of the Divine Love toward the whole human race, a perception of the Divine Wisdom and Providence-and at the same time a perception of the truths of mutual love, of the life of charity; and from this inner perception a vision of uses to the neighbor in all the external forms of heaven. The angels also perceive in one another the image and likeness of God, for this is revealed to them in their perception of the Divine Truth inflowing from the Lord. Hence the teaching that "to love the neighbor is to love the truth of the Word" (H. H. 15), for this is to love the neighbor spiritually, according to his reception of the Lord's truth in life.

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     Revelation to the Church.

     In like manner all Divine Revelation upon earth is a manifesting of the Lord and His heavenly kingdom, a teaching of Divine Truths concerning the Lord Himself and concerning the life of heaven, concerning love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor-Divine Celestial Truth and Divine Spiritual Truth. These two, in a sum, are the burden of all the revelations that have been given to men upon the earth. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
     And as all revelations have come forth from the Lord through heaven, they have all taken a form similar to the forms of revelation in heaven, but accommodated to the thought of the man of the church. All revelation has manifested God Himself as a Divine Man, has taught His Divine attributes and qualities, and also has revealed the images of God that are seen in heaven-angelic forms of love and charity, and their corresponding environment. In all the forms of the Word there is Divine Doctrine spoken by the Lord Himself through the living voice of angels and prophets, and also the truth of heaven seen in vision by the mediating prophet; both, however, from the Lord. And these two in the Word given upon earth have always been clothed with such things as appear in the natural world, like the representative appearance in heaven, to the end that the Divine Truth might be adapted to the needs of men, and that they might be formed into a church,-an image of the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and thus prepared for eternal life. For this reason, all forms of the Word interiorly involve teaching concerning regeneration, and inmostly concerning the glorification of the Lord,-spiritual truth and celestial truth, which two also appear even in the letter.

     Progressive Revelation.

     Now as Divine Revelation, both in heaven and on earth, essentially is a manifestation of the Lord, that He may be seen and known received and loved; and as it is the Divine will and end to manifest Himself ever more fully to the human race, and to give of His Infinity in ever greater measure to finite men; it follows that Divine Revelation is given progressively, beginning in simplicity, and becoming more and more interior; and that there is such a progression with every individual who receives revelation, first in its literal form, afterwards in spirit and understanding and life-the individual who in the world advances from the simplicity of an infantile knowledge of the Lord to adult understanding, and who after death grows in reception of the Lord to eternity.

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     It follows, also, that there is such a progression with the race-man or man in the aggregate-with the church upon earth, and with the Gorand Man of heaven. Consequently, that Divine Revelation upon our earth, where it has been ultimated in written form, has been given progressively, beginning with that given to the Most Ancient Church, and advancing by degrees to the most excellent of all revelations, now provided for the New Church upon this earth, and through this Church for the spirits and inhabitants of other earths; thus not only for men in the natural world, but for men in the spiritual world.
     For it is a fact that both angels and men are now given to see and know the Lord in a fullness of light not before enjoyed by them, which could not be brought about except by successive revelations, more and more interior, and by an opening of the mind of the human race in both worlds, more and more interiorly. Even the angels of the heaven of the Most Ancient Church are now more fully enlightened by means of the revelation given to the New Church, and will continue to be more and more enlightened as the Heavenly Doctrine is received in greater measure by men.
     We have stated that Divine Revelation upon our earth has progressed from the beginning until the present time. This is the truth in an interior view. The outer view and appearance is that the giving of the Word in its various forms, from the time of the Most Ancient Church until the Advent of the Lord, involved a decline-a successively more exterior revealing of Divine Truth-and that after His coming, by the Gospel, and now by the Heavenly Doctrine, there is an ascent to higher and more interior forms of revelation. And this is true with respect to the outer forms of the Word, and with respect to the state of reception in the church upon earth. For we read:

     "Inmost Divine Truths were revealed to those who were of the Most Ancient Church, but more external Divine Truths to those who were of the Ancient Church, and extreme or ultimate truths to those who were of the Hebrew and Israelitish Church; but after the end of this Church, interior Divine Truths were revealed by the Lord for the Christian Church, and now still more interior truths for the Church to come.

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From this it is evident that there has been a progression of Divine Truth from inmosts to ultimates, thus from wisdom to mere ignorance, and that now there is taking place a progression thereof from ultimates to interiors, thus from ignorance again to wisdom." (A. E. 948.)

     It is true, therefore, that there has been a decline and an ascent in the forms of the Word revealed to men on this earth, because there was a decline and an ascent in the state of the church with men. But in a more interior and more universal view we may see that there has been a continual progression in the Lord's revealing of Himself to the heavens of this earth, and by this progression in the heavens a continual preparation for the giving of the last and most interior manifestation of the Lord in revelation.
     The forms of the Word given from most ancient times until the incarnation-oral revelation at first, next in the Ancient Word, and finally in the Hebrew Scriptures-were an evidence in the world of the Divine descent through the heavens, a successive coming of the Lord, a putting on of the Human in degrees, that He might make Himself visible on all planes of human apprehension, and finally even in the ultimate of nature, when He was born a man in the world. But we must bear in mind that during all this period-this descending series of revelations-the angels of the Most Ancient and Ancient Heavens were growing and increasing in their knowledge of the Lord, and thus progressing in the light of Divine Truth, which was given them by the Lord, not alone by influx and perception, but also by instruction from the forms of the Word revealed on earth, and only according to this reacting instruction from ultimates. With the Lord's coming, however, and the glorification of the Human in the world-the putting on of a Divine glorified Body, the Divine Natural-He took to Himself power to enlighten both angels and men as they had not been enlightened before, to enter from without immediately into all minds, to lead and teach them from Himself as the Word. This came after the vast judgment and renewal at the Second Coming, which affected the angels themselves, so that their sun then shone with sevenfold brilliance. (Isaiah 30: 26.)
     This power to enlighten is exercised by the Lord especially through the reading of the Scriptures and the Heavenly Doctrine by men on earth.

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He then enlightens from Himself, not only the mind of the man who reads and hears, but at the same time the minds of the angels. The Lord had this power immediately after His glorification, but the reception of its benefits by men could only be progressive. It was possible after the Advent, but its fulfillment could only come in a New Christian Church, when the New Heaven was formed from all good Christians, and added as an ultimate to the ancient heavens, and when a new Revelation, more interior than the Gospel, was ultimated in the world, wherein the veil of correspondence and parable is removed, that all may see the Lord in the glorious refulgent light of Divine Rational Truth, may see His Divine Essence in the spiritual glory of the Word, as they see His Divine Person in the natural glory of the Word. He said to His disciples: "These things have I spoken unto you in parables; but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in parables, but I shall show you plainly of the Father." (John 16: 25.) "When He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16: 13.)

     Revelation to the Rational of Man.

     At His Second Coming in the glory of the spiritual and celestial senses of the Word, the Lord fulfils the end and purpose of all former Divine Revelations-the making of Himself visible, the manifesting of the glory of His Infinite Divine to finite eyes-the eves of the rational understanding-and thus awakens spiritual and celestial love in men, that His Love revealed may be received and reciprocated by men.
     In the former Revelations,-the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures,-the Divine of the Lord was veiled and revealed in Divine Sensual and Natural Truth,-to the sensual and natural planes of the human mind; but in the Revelation of the Heavenly Doctrine the Divine is revealed openly and plainly in Divine Rational Truth to the rational of men. In this the Lord "tells us plainly of the Father"-manifests the Divine Human, beyond the veil before the holy of holies that was rent in twain when He arose in glory. For we read:

     "The lower things of the church are said to be from the Lord's Divine Natural and Sensual, not that these are lower in the Lord, for in the Lord and in His Divine Human all is infinite, but because it is so with man.

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For they who are sensual men grasp sensually those things which are in the Lord and from the Lord, and they who are natural grasp them naturally; but they who are celestial men, and thence truly rational, perceive interior things, and of them it is said that they are taught from the Lords Divine Rational." (A. C. 4715:2.)

     This final manifestation of the Divine glory in Divine Rational Truth is a revelation of the inmost and supreme sense of the Word, given to enlighten the inmost and supreme region of the human mind-a revelation to celestial understanding and perception,-the perception of the Divine Truth from love to the Lord-with those who can receive it. To these it is given to see the Lord face to face-to see the glory of the Divine Human in its Essence, as disclosed in Divine Celestial Truth. There is no deeper or higher truth, nor does it transcend the human understanding, though it can never be received in fulness by any one mind. Once received, it grows to eternity, not by the opening of a discrete degree, because there is no higher degree in the mind, but by the development of the rational on its own continuous plane; thus not by successive unveilings, but by increased power to receive,-a power that derives increase from a growth in rational good, in the reception of good from the Lord.
     The profound idea here involved is that the Lord, in His Divine glorified Body-the Divine Natural,-is able to enlighten the human mind more interiorly than before His advent into the world, to reveal Himself to men more interiorly than He could manifest Himself even to the men of the Most Ancient Church. For what is visible to man may be known, understood, and appropriated by him in the freedom of his heart's love, thus more interiorly than what is invisible or what appears to him only in representative image and form. And until the Lord came into the world He appeared to men only in a representative human of an angel, and only under types and figures, such as appear in the outer form of heaven and in the earthly paradise. He so revealed Himself to the Most Ancient Church, thus to their natural thought, together with a perception of His Divine, but not at the same time to their rational and spiritual thought. And so we are old that they were only a representative church, and in reality worshipped an invisible God. (T. C. R. 786.) They were not given to be in any other than natural light." (Inv. 52.) They saw "as through a glass darkly, and not face to face." This is further explained where we read:

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     "Until Jehovah put on the Natural Human by incarnation, He could not be conjoined to man as to the interiors of his spirit, and thus manifest there to man's perception His Divine things, which are celestial and spiritual. But after He assumed the Natural Human, and this glorified united to His Divine, and thus conjoined in Himself the Divine Celestial, Spiritual, and Natural into one, He could then by means of this (Human) conjoin Himself to man in the natural, yea, in the sensual, and at the same time to his spirit or mind in his rational, and thus enlighten man's natural lumen with heavenly light." (Coronis 51.) And it is also taught that by His Divine Natural the Lord enlightens the internal and external of man together, and not separately, in which case man is relatively in obscurity. (T. C. R. 109.)

     This, then, is the faculty which the men of this new age can now be given to enjoy above all former men, a faculty that is now enjoyed by the angels of the former churches in a measure before impossible,-to see the Lord Himself in Divine Natural Truth in the external man, and at the same time to see Him in Divine Celestial and Spiritual Truth in the rational light of the internal man-thus to see the Lord Himself without, and by perception from within-to know and receive the Divine Human of the Lord-His Divine in the spiritual sense of the Word, and His Human in the natural sense (Inv. 44),-to perceive His Essence and to know His Divine Form.
     And by this new manifestation of the glory of the visible Lord there is given a more intimate approach and conjunction with Him in spiritual love and light, with its fuller sense of human freedom, its supreme joy and blessedness, "Henceforth I call you not servants, for a servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15: 15.)
     When the momentous time arrived for the imparting of this gift to the human race, it was of the Divine Providence that one man should first be introduced into it, as a means of providing a revelation through which all the regenerate might thereafter be given to enjoy it,-to enjoy that conjunction of the rational and the natural in which both are in light from the Lord, in which there is a seeing of the Lord spiritually and naturally, which has been the appointed state of excellence for man and angel from the foundation of the world.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     KITCHENER, CANADA.

     Swedenborg's Birthday was celebrated by the children at a luncheon on Monday, January 20. Some of the children read papers dealing with different phases of Swedenborg's life. After the luncheon games were played.
     At the society banquet in the evening. Mr. Maurice Schnarr made a very able toastmaster. Toasts and songs were followed by a paper on
     The Infinite," presented by the Rev. Norbert Rogers. The remainder of the evening was devoted to dancing, with Mr. Maurice Schnarr carrying on in the capacity of Master of Ceremonies.
     At an evening service on Good Friday the Holy Supper was administered, and the children's service on Easter Sunday was marked by their floral offerings--a feature that was beautiful to see and delightful to the children. The season was also observed in a social way on Monday evening, when we enjoyed a delicious supper followed by cards.
     D. K.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     On Easter morning the children carried an offering of spring flowers at their service. The pastor spoke on "The Easter Miracle." The Holy Supper was administered at the adult service the same morning.
     The members and friends of the society were invited to the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Willard Pendleton on Tuesday evening. April 2, to hear a paper by Mr. Raymond Pitcairn on the subject of "Abraham Lincoln." And on Saturday evening. April 6, all were invited to a musicale at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Grote. Voluntary contributions were asked for the Church Music Fund.
     The society was pleased to welcome the Rev. and Mrs. Norman H. Reuter and Rev. Bjorn Boyesen as week-end guests en route to the Council Meetings in Bryn Athyn. On Sunday, April 7, Mr. Boyesen addressed the Children's Service, and Mr. Reuter preached a fine sermon at the adult service.
     We are looking forward to the presentation of "The Dawn of Hope" by the drama group directed by Mrs. Roy Jansen.
     E. R. D.

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     The baptism of Caryl Elsie, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene G. Betz, on Sunday, February 25, was the second baptism this winter-quite a record for our little society. The service was devoted to the subject of Baptism, and the sphere of innocence was very strong.
     On Saturday evening. March 16, we had another party which was enjoyed by everyone. Colorful decorations and fancy costumes added to the gayety, and the program of events was varied and ingenious. The Anderson brothers and Robert Riefstahl in the character of the "Gall Gulch Tune Twisters" entertained us with "mountain music" played on improvised instruments, and the appreciation of the audience was most sincerely expressed in its spontaneous peals of laughter. The big feature of the evening, however, was the unveiling of a "marvelous, super-colossal" electrical contraption which the society is buying to provide music for more dances.

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     For our Easter Service the chancel was adorned with lilies and hyacinths. In the sermon, on the subject of the Lord's Resurrection, our pastor spoke of how our merely natural ideas and love of the Lord, which are represented by the material body and blood of the son of Mary, must be rejected, in order that there may be resurrected with us a true and rational understanding and love of the Lord as the Son of God-as Law Itself. Order Itself, and Providence Itself, one with the Father. When our former concepts are seen to be inadequate, it seems that our former faith and charity also are likely to desert us. But the sorrow in our hearts is checked by the question addressed by rational truth, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" And when we turn ourselves, as did Mary. our spiritual eyes are opened and we recognize our Lord and Master. The veil of earthly appearances is removed, and we see our risen Lord.
     D. M. F.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     A Musical Variety Show was held in our assembly room on March 10, and was a very successful occasion. Mr. Jesse Stevens and others had prepared quite a program. Besides instrumental pieces by the school orchestra, we were entertained by a variety of stunts on the stage, not the least of them being the dancing (Russian style) by Mr. Archie Price. Dressed in a very long overcoat and a derby hat several times too large, Archie made quite a hit!
     Once a year-always in the Spring-the Sharon Church members of the Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy have invited the chapter to hold its March meeting in Chicago. This year, the usual good supper was in evidence, followed by a talk given us by Mr. Cleo Starkey.
     Our Palm Sunday service, March 17, was very impressive. Imagine some sixty children, dressed in cream-colored robes with red stoles, walking up the isle, singing and carrying flowers, which they presented to the priest at the altar. And this followed by recitations and songs and a sermon-all appropriate to the day. We love our Palm Sunday service.
     On Good Friday the Holy Supper service was held in the evening. The following Sunday at our Easter Service we had more singing by the children. The sermon and the lessons, and the singing by the choir, reminded me in a very beautiful way that "He is risen!"
     On March 18, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Junge celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. I wonder whether, in the entire history of the General Church, there has been a more lovable couple. They are an inspiration to us all.
     Let me cite a brief passage from a recent sermon by our pastor on the text of Revelation 3:12, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God."
     True worship is to enter with zeal into the business of the church. And the business of the church is, first of all, that the members enter into the ideas, the doctrines, the purposes, and the uses for which the New Church exists. By doing this, they may become what is spoken of in the text as 'pillars in the temple of my God.'
     We want worship in our daily lives, and not merely the piety of external worship. We want worship of the Lord in our homes-real worship there, even if not very formal; by which we mean the acknowledgment of the Lord there, by revering and reading the Word and the Writings, which represent His presence.
     We want a propriety of behavior in the home, and a real devotion to the uses for which homes are made and blest-the developing of young minds through a knowledge of the Lord and heavenly things, and the development of innocent hearts -homes in which the older ones look tenderly after the needs of the young, spiritual as well as natural, and younger minds look to older ones with confidence and trust."
     H. P. McQ.

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     Episcopal Visit to

     SOUTH AMERICA.

     During the Summer months, Bishop de Charms will pay a visit to the General Church Society at Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, where he will officiate at the dedication of the church building recently erected by the members of that society, as described in our March issue.
     He expects also to visit the General Church group at Georgetown. British Guiana, and to ordain the Rev. Henry Algernon, who for some years has been ministering as pastor of that society under authorization from the General Church.
     On this journey to South America the Bishop will be accompanied by Mrs. de Charms, Miss Guida Asplundh, Mr. Michael Pitcairn, and the Misses Karen and Bethel Pitcairn.
     Sailing Dates: By S. S. Uruguay from New York July 26, arriving at Rio de Janeiro August 7. Returning: By S. S. Uruguay from Rio de Janeiro August 21, arriving at Trinidad, W. I., August 28. Visit to Georgetown, British Guiana, returning to Trinidad in time to sail on S. S. Argentina September 11, arriving New York September 16.

     SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION.

     The 43d Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association will be held in the chapel of Benade Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Thursday evening, May 23, 1940, at 8.00 p.m. A review of the activities during the past year will be presented in the official Reports.
     An Address will be delivered by the Right Rev. George de Charms, who will speak on the subject of Swedenborg's Psychology.

     We learn from The New-Church Messenger of April 10 that the General Convention has distributed one hundred sets of Swedenborg's work entitled Three Transactions on the Cerebrum, translated by Dr. Alfred Acton and published by the Swedenborg Association with an accompanying Book of Plates about a year ago. A set of these valuable books has been placed in the libraries of this country's leading hospitals, medical schools and universities.

     AUSTRALIA.

     In The New Age for March we find photographs of the interior and exterior of the church building recently completed and dedicated by the "Sydney Society of The New Church in Australia." The means were provided by Mr. George Marchant. of Brisbane, who gave a considerable sum of money for the building of churches in both Sydney and Perth.
     The Service of Deelication took place on February 4, the Rev. R. H. Teed, pastor of the Melbourne Society, officiating. "Among the crowded congregation," we read, "it was pleasing to see the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson and a number of his flock, members of the Hurstville Society of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Very friendly relations prevail between the members of the two congregations in Sydney."

     PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY.

     The Members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are invited to attend the Philadelphia District Assembly, which will be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa.. Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5,1940.

     Program.

     Saturday, May 4 at 3.00 p. m.-Session of the Assembly. Discussion on
     "Uses to the Church performed by the Individual." Introduced by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton.
     4.00     p. m.-Address by Bishop Alfred Acton on the subject of "The Descent of Heaven."
     7.00     p. m.-Assembly Banquet. Mr. Philip G. Cooper. Toastmaster.
     Sunday, May 5, 11.00 a.m.-Divine Worship. followed by the Administration of the Holy Supper.

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     THE NEW CHURCH IN CHINA.

     In a letter appearing in the January issue of THE NEW AGE, Mr. James Wang Sum, of Hong Kong, discusses the progress of the New Church in China, and outlines some plans he has made for the coming year in promoting a reception of the Doctrines there. He has translated the New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine into Chinese, and hopes to see it in print soon. He would also like to establish a New Church Book Room, and invites the cooperation of New Churchmen everywhere. We were especially interested in his proposal looking to the "Establishment of a Chinese New Church School." Of this he writes:

     To some, the embodiment of this extra work in the Chinese New Church at this initiative stage is superfluous, if not extravagant. I do not propose to defend myself by suggesting that the establishment of a school by the Chinese New Church may lend assistance in various forms to future enthusiasm of New Church missionary work in China, but I would like to point out that my idea of a New Church school, first primary and then elementary, to be undertaken by the Chinese New Church at this stage of its own infancy, is based upon a passing remark of a certain Irish missionary of the Old Church, with whom I had the pleasure of living together for a year in British Malaya. The Irish priest, by way of his comment, remarked that must of the Catholic Missions, when entrusted with the management of children's education, would be able, in most cases, to produce the exact type of religious faith as that of theirs, and that in consequence people would give much credit to the Catholic activities.
     It is true that there are many Christian schools in China now, but they are all managed by people other than those of the Lord's New Church. A daily New Church school, where the doctrines of the New Church can be steadily instilled into the minds of Chinese youth during their boyhood, is something too valuable to be overlooked, now and in future.
     Dr. Ho Shih once declared that if every foreign nation were withdrawn from China to-morrow there would still he enemies within the nation deadly enough to destroy her. The Chinese philosopher enumerated those enemies as "Poverty, Disease and Ignorance." So deeply entrenched are those enemies that the warfare must not only he fought vigorously in the light of Swedenborg's teaching by this generation, but also by succeeding generations. Of all the forces that may be brought to bear upon the problem, it is safe to say that there are none with greater potentiality than those to be found in boys and girls to be trained with the New Church doctrines. A school to be established and maintained by the Chinese New Church will be of many immediate uses: It will make the New Church in China grow on more solid foundation in its numerous activities, and thus facilitate a permanent result of the Chinese New Church. Let us all pray for the materialization of this noble work.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1940

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       EDWARD F. ALLEN       1940




     Announcements



     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will be held in the chapel of Benade Hall. Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday, June 8, 1940, at 8.00 p. m. The public is cordially invited to attend.
     After opportunity has been given for the presentation and discussion of the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Academy, an Address will be delivered by Dr. Charles R. Pendleton.
     EDWARD F. ALLEN.
          Secretary.

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SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY              1940

     Program.

Tuesday, June 25.
     8.00     p.m.-Meeting of Teachers. Wednesday, June 26.
     10.00 a.m.-First Seasion of the Assembly. Opening Service.
               Address by the Right Rev. George de Charms.
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Corporation of the General Church.
     2.15     p.m.-Theta Alpha Business Meeting.
     9.00     p.m.-Reception and Dance. Thursday, June 27.
     10.00 a.m.-Second Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter.
               Subject: "The Extension Work of the General Church."
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Academy Finance Association.
     8.00     p.m.-Third Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton.
               Subject: "Influx."
     10.00 p.m.-Informal Dancing. Friday, June 28.
     10.00 a.m.-Fourth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. C. E. Doering.
               Subject: "The Academy."
     1.00     p.m.-Theta Alpha Luncheon.
     1.00     p.m.-Sons of the Academy Luncheon and Meeting.
     8.00     p.m.-Fifth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by Mr. Francis L. Frost.
               Subject: "Opportunity."
     10.00 p.m.-Informal Dancing.

Saturday, June 29.
     10.00 a.m.-Sixth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Right Rev. Alfred Acton.
               Subject: "The Spiritual World and the Natural."
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Executive Committee.
     2.15     p.m.-Theta Alpha Business Meeting (if needed).
     7.00     p.m.-Assembly Banquet.
               Toastmaster: Mr. Charles H. Ebert.
Sunday, June 3f1.
     11.00 a.m.-Divine Worship.
               Sermon: Rev. Gilbert H. Smith.
               Administration of the Holy Supper.

     Visitors are asked to bring their Liturgies.
FAITH ALONE 1940

FAITH ALONE       Rev. NORBERT H. ROGERS       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
JUNE, 1940
No. 6
     In the Economy of the Animal Kingdom we find a statement to the effect that, when terms have become familiar through their being frequently repeated, they tend to lose their meaning.
     If a person possesses an affection for truth in any degree, that is, if he is at all curious, it is obvious that upon meeting with a new term he will want to know its meaning. Succeeding encounters with that term will inscribe it more deeply in the memory, but at the same time curiosity as to its meaning will he dulled. Unless guarded against, this psychological phenomenon will be produced inevitably. For whereas at the beginning attention is paid to meaning, the mind gradually succumbs to the assumption that, since the meaning is already known, further investigation is unnecessary. Consequently, in regard to that term, the mind goes to sleep. When it is encountered, scarcely any attention is paid to it, nor is any serious thought aroused by it. The result of this mental attitude is that, although the term is remembered, and remembered well enough to be used correctly in speaking and writing, its meaning and its various implications are altogether forgotten.
     As an illustration, it is often more difficult to re-learn something that was once known than to learn something entirely new. In the former case, the attention must be consciously focused on the subject, and this is frequently achieved only under duress and after severe struggle. In the other case, the novelty of the subject attracts the attention, automatically, as it were.

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This is evidenced in the study of Latin syntax, a matter in which I am not a little experienced. Time and again I have found boys almost incapable of fixing in their minds the parts they were merely reviewing, while they could comprehend and remember with comparative ease the parts they were studying for the first time. To cite another example, the case of adults listening to a sermon is very pertinent. It is usually found Irmore difficult to pay strict attention to a sermon dealing with a familiar subject than to one whose subject matter is "different." It seems that hearing a familiar phrase closes the mind by arousing wandering thoughts.
     This matter of terms that have lost their meaning for us can be illustrated by a very common experience. It often happens that, when one is asked the meaning of a word he has used, he is at a loss, even though he may have used it correctly. Until that moment he had been confident of knowing its definition. Being questioned makes him realize that he was falsely confident. This realization should arouse his curiosity sufficiently to induce him to make some investigation. Unfortunately, it frequently happens that the curiosity is too slightly pricked to bring about any action. The word will be used as before, in spite of its being meaningless: or an ingenious compromise will be effected the meaning will be guessed at, and ascribed to the word: or else the word will be excluded from the vocabulary, since it conveys no meaning; and in time its very existence will be forgotten.
     Common words-words used daily in conversation-are frequently those, which have the least meaning to those who use them. This is also true in the case of doctrinal expressions or terms. Much has been said and written about truth. The word has been used continually in solving controversies and in elucidating doctrine-yet, unless thought is given to it, it is not easy to answer Pilate's question: "What is truth?" (John 18: 38.) So also with doctrine. The fundamental doctrines which have been taught us ever since we can remember-those which we have grown up knowing-are often the very ones about which we know the least, being those we have the most difficulty in explaining to others. Their familiarity makes them seem incomprehensible. Yet if the tendency to be inattentive is curbed, it will be found that they are essentially simple and easy to understand.

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And if the tendency to be satisfied with knowing the name of a doctrine is checked, the knowledge of its meaning will be retained.
     Since these remarks are intended to serve as a preface, we shall now turn to our subject, without further elaboration of the points we have touched upon.

     The subject of faith alone is not an unfamiliar one in the New Church. New Churchmen are truly unanimous in condemning the doctrine of justification by faith alone. For everyone, when receiving doctrinal instruction in the New Church, is taught definitely and repeatedly to regard it as an intolerable heresy. And it is vitally important that it be so regarded, and therefore shunned, if the New Church is to be firmly established among men. This fact we are taught variously, but plainly and frequently, throughout the Writings. Much space in the Writings is devoted to the consideration of this subject. And besides this, there are innumerable and wholly unfavorable allusions to it. This fact alone-that it is so often mentioned-leads us to the conclusion that faith alone is an important matter for the church to investigate from time to time.
     It would be superfluous to argue that faith alone should be condemned and exterminated wherever it appears in the church, since New Churchmen are already unanimous on this point. Of greater interest and profit is a consideration of the reasons why faith alone is condemned.

     From the Heavenly Doctrines.

     1. One of the most common teachings of the Writings is to the effect that faith alone, or faith separated from charity, is not faith. To quote some of these teachings:
     "If there is no love or charity from which the faith comes, there is no faith. Love and charity are what make faith holy." (A. C. 724.) He rejects charity, and makes the works of charity of no account, abiding only in the idea of faith, which is no faith without its essential, namely, charity." (A. C. 1017.) Faith separated from charity is no faith. Where there is no faith, there is no worship." (A. C. 1162.) "Faith without love is like light without heat, as is the light of winter when all things become torpid and die." (A. C. 7084.)

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"Faith separate from charity is not faith, because faith is the light of man's life, and charity is its heat; therefore the separation of charity from faith is like the separation of heat from light, when everything dies." (T. C. R. 367.) " There is no faith if there is no charity. It is supposed that faith exists so long as the doctrinal things of the church are believed, . . . and yet mere believing is not faith, but willing and doing what is believed is faith." (L. J. 36.) "They who have separated faith from love do not even know what faith is. . . . But faith is not only a knowledge and acknowledgment of all things which the doctrine of faith comprises, but it is especially an obedience to all things that the doctrine of faith teaches." (A. C. 36.) "They who have separated faith from charity must needs be in ignorance of truth." (F. 9.) Lastly, "Those in mere doctrinal things, and not in the good of life, cannot but be in persuasive faith, that is, in preconceived principles, false as well as true; consequently, they must be more stupid than others. But in so far as anyone is in the good of life, so far he is in intelligence, that is, in faith from the Lord." (A. C. 3427:4.)
     These are but a few of the passages, which teach that faith alone is no faith. And it is no faith for the simple reason that good and truth-the things, which make charity and faith-cannot, exist apart from each other. Truth must be vivified by good, for otherwise it would fall into a state of rigor mortis; and good must be determined by truth, or else it would be dissipated for want of a containing form.
     2. As a second reason why faith alone is to be shunned in the New Church, the following statement is cited: " All are reformed by faith united to charity, thus by the faith of charity, and no one by faith alone; for charity is the life of faith." (A. R. 405.) Reformation is a matter of life. The will of good must be present in the man's life, and must govern it. In order that a man may be reformed, he must be aware of the state of his life, so that he may rectify what is wrong with it. But this is not possible when faith alone is accepted: for we are told that "when a man embraces the belief that faith alone saves, he gives no further thought to the state of his life." (D. P. 265.)

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     In the life of regeneration, the will and the understanding are conjoined, and faith is a quality of the understanding, while charity is a quality of the will. These facts have an important bearing; for it is said that "the internal of the understanding does not conjoin itself with the internal of the will, but the internal of the will conjoins itself with the internal of the understanding, and makes the conjunction reciprocal; but this is done by the internal of the will, and not in the least by the internal of the understanding. This is the reason why the man cannot be reformed by means of faith alone, but only by means of the wills love, which makes a faith for itself." (D. P. 1368.)
     3. "Those who are in truths in which there is no good are equally in the belief of being accepted as are those who are in truths in which there is good, for they suppose that faith alone saves." (A. C. 4638:5.) But "it is a fallacy of the sense," we are told, to think "that man is saved by faith alone, and that faith can exist in one who has no charity." (A. C. 5084e.) For it is not faith that saves, but a life of charity with which faith acts as one." (D. P. 258.) And "faith can have a dwelling place nowhere else than in good, and if it has no dwelling place there, it must either become null or be conjoined with evil." (A. C. 6348.) "Faith is said to be damned when the things of faith are used to support falsities and evils; and when they support these, they pass over to their side, and become the means of confirming them." (A. C. 7766.) From this it is clear that "the heavenly kingdom cannot be given to those who are in faith without charity; for there can be no life in such a faith, when hatred, that is, hell, constitutes the life." (A. C. 1608:3.)
     In order that man may be saved, and accepted in heaven, he must have something in him that is receptive of life from the Lord, and which thus makes it possible for the Lord to be conjoined with him. "Only charity, or love and mercy, are what conjoin us with Him, and never faith without charity, for this is no faith, being mere knowledge, such as the infernal crew themselves may possess." (A. C. 379.) For faith without charity is hard and resistant, and rejects all influx from the Lord." (A. C. 8321.) Charity is that which saves, because charity is love towards the neighbor in which the Lord is present, since He is in all good" (A. C. 904), and because it is love that conjoins, but not faith.

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     4. " Faith alone," it is further said, " destroys the two essentials of the church, which are the acknowledgment of the Lord as the only God of heaven and earth, and that conjunction with Him is by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue." (A. R. 501.) "They who are in the falsities of doctrine concerning justification by faith alone reject these two essentials, holding them in contempt, dislike and aversion." (A. R. 509.) This obviously follows from the fact that faith alone and the two essentials of the church are diametrically opposed. In order that they may preserve the things they cherish, those who are in faith alone must discard and extinguish what is antagonistic, just as the man of the church must annihilate faith alone in order to preserve the essentials he holds dear.
     5. As a consequence of their destroying the two essentials of the church, they who are in faith alone cannot be enlightened in regard to spiritual matters, but are in ignorance. For "those who possess faith and charity know what is good, and can will to do it, but not those who are in faith separated from charity." (D. L. W. 216.) Again we read, " he who teaches faith, and not charity, is unable to notice the higher or interior things of the church, because he has nothing to guide him." (A. C. 4715.) " In consequence of holding this doctrine (that faith alone saves), they who hold it at last do not know what charity is, nor do they care for it; and finally they do not believe that there is such a thing, or that there is a heaven or a hell." (A. C. 4925.)
     6. Since faith alone is no faith, because it destroys the two essentials of the church, and since it deprives man of the knowledge of good, it is quite clear that where faith alone exists there is no church. For how can the church exist where there is no charity, seeing that "those who cherish evils, and at the same time think and talk about the truths of faith, are conjoined with the devil, and yet try to be with the Lord, which is an impossible condition." (A. C. 4766.)
     We are told further that faith is internal, and "is the working of the Lord alone through the charity in man." (A. C. 1162.) For this reason alone. "faith separated from charity is no faith." (Ibid.) And "where there is no faith, there is no worship, either internal or external. If there is any worship at all, it is corrupt worship." (Ibid.)

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For "faith separated from charity cannot sanctify or vivify worship; the essence and life of worship are absent." (A. C. 1175), and because "those who are in faith separated from charity are against the Lords Divine Human." (A. C. 4665.) It is no wonder, then, that they who have confirmed themselves in faith alone are in a damned state. (A. R. 416.)
     7. As has been indicated in several of the passages quoted before, he who is in faith alone is not merely lacking in the goods of charity, but is actually in evil as to life. This is plainly stated in the Apocalypse Revealed, where it is said that "those who are in faith alone . . . are in evils of life, because their religion is, that the law does not condemn them, provided they have faith that Christ took away its condemnation." (A. R. 524.) Yet the evils of life that are due to a belief in faith alone are of a secondary state. What is primary is, that faith alone is due to the evils of life. For it is taught that "those who are in this life of cupidities extinguish charity in themselves. . . Cupidities of evil extinguish the veriest truth of the church, on the extinction of which a means is devised which is called saving, namely, faith." (A. C. 4776.) Again, "They who have been in the evil of life . . . even reject truth." (A. C. 8313.) With "those who live in things contrary to charity, there cannot possib1y be any acknowledgment, but only persuasion. (A. C. 2261.) "The evil have no faith, since evil belongs to hell, and faith to heaven." (T. C. R. 382.)
     Concerning the origin of faith alone, it is said that, "as the human race began to will what is evil, to hate the neighbor, and to exercise revenges and cruelties, insomuch that the part of the mind which is called the will was altogether destroyed, men began to make a distinction between charity and faith, and at length they went so far as to say that they could be saved by faith alone." (A. C. 2231:2.) Since evil is thus the source from which faith alone springs, the logic of the corollary is clear, namely, that faith alone leads to evil.
     8. Faith alone is further described in the Writings as being the "doctrine of falsities." For the quality of everything is determined by the principle from which it springs. "When the principle is false, nothing but falsities can follow from it." (A. C. 1017.) This can be seen from the many false doctrinals present in those churches which have the doctrine of justification by faith alone as their leading tenet. Though Protestantism and Catholicism may seem to be fundamentally different, they yet agree essentially in the matter of justification by faith alone. (B. E. 17.)

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     We have attempted to present as briefly and clearly as possible the chief reasons why faith alone should be regarded as a heretical doctrine, destructive to the welfare of the church, and therefore to be snuffed out whenever and wherever it may appear in the church. But it is not sufficient to recognize the undiluted malignancy of this doctrine. Why do the Writings so repeatedly warn us against it? Our attention is so persistently drawn to the infernal quality of faith alone that we are forced to conclude that it is dangerous to forget it, even for a short time. It would seem that we must be constantly aware of it as a threat to the security of the church, lest in an unguarded moment it should insinuate itself and win a permanent place among the doctrines of the church.

     Downfall of the Churches.

     And this indeed seems to be the case. In the first place, the ease with which that doctrine can be confirmed indicates that it is an exceedingly subtle falsity, and therefore all the more dangerous. Even the Scriptures, which constantly warn against accepting the doctrine of faith alone, are not proof against its insidiousness. For the Letter of the Word, in itself, can be twisted about and made to confirm any preconceived opinion, so much so that it may even seem that false doctrinals are drawn from it, rather than read into it. This applies to the doctrine of faith alone, in spite of its being the falsity of falsities. Concerning this we read: "That by interpretations from the sense of the letter, the Word can be so explained as to favor anything, is very manifest from the fact that all kinds of doctrines, and even heresies, are thus confirmed; as, for instance, the dogma concerning faith separate is confirmed by these words of the Lord, 'Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3: 16)" (A. C. 4783.) And they who have confirmed themselves in that dogma from the Word "no longer attend to what the Lord so often said concerning love to Him, and concerning charity and good works." (Ibid.) Such passages are not only meaningless to them, but they are unconscious of their import when they read them.

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     The dangerous quality of faith alone can be further determined by a study of the decline and final vastation of each of the various churches that have preceded the New Church. It is revealed that the last state of a church is one of faith alone, and that "the Last Judgment takes place when the church is at its end; and the end of the church is when there is no faith because there is no charity." (L. J. 33.) But the first state of a church is wholly different, for there is then no thought of faith alone as saving. Among the many passages in the Writings that deal with the various states of the church, we find it taught, "when the church has been implanted in those with whom it actually exists, the good of charity is the firstborn of the external church, and charity itself is the firstborn of the internal church. When the church has not been implanted, and the man of the church can no longer be regenerated, it recedes successively from charity and turns to faith, being no longer studious of life, but of doctrine. . . . It then falls into falsities and evils, and becomes no church." (A. C. 3325:11.) "At the beginning of a church, charity is preached. In course of time, as charity and affection are obliterated in the heart, faith is preached; and at length, when there is no longer any charity, faith alone is preached, and this is said to be saving without works." (A. C. 4083.) And in the same vein: " Every church in the beginning is spiritual, for it begins from charity; but in course of time it turns from charity and faith, and then, from being an internal church, it becomes an external one; and when it becomes an external church, its end has come, since it then places everything in knowledge, and little or nothing in life." (L. J. 38.) And again: " The first state of decline is the state when there begins to be no faith because there is no charity." (A. C. 2354:2.) These passages clearly show how intimately faith alone is connected with the fall of a church. And this not merely in the case of one or two churches, but in the case of every church that has been established prior to the New Church.
     Although the separation of faith from charity may be said to be the cause of the actual fall of the various churches, it is not the first cause. This should be ascribed to the human tendency to take the line of least resistance, and to gratify the senses. It makes man unwilling to do good, since this requires effort, and leads him to neglect his spiritual needs. Because of this, every man, from his own nature, inclines to embrace the belief that faith alone saves." (D. P. 265.)

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     Typical of this, and of the manner in which faith alone introduces itself into a church and causes its deterioration, until there is no longer any charity left in it, are the facts revealed concerning the decline and fall of the Most Ancient Church, graphically portrayed in the stories of Adam and Eve and of Cain and Abel. (Genesis 3 and 4.)
     In those chapters, Adam represents the rational of man, while Eve represents the proprium, which in an orderly state is conjoined to the rational. The Garden of Eden represents the intelligence and wisdom proper to the man of the Most Ancient Church, and also the church itself. The various things, which made up the garden are the various perceptions, affections, and qualities which constituted the intelligence and wisdom of the men of that church. The "tree of lives " was love to the Lord, and also charity and the faith thence derived. It is to be noted that this tree was at first in the middle of the garden, because the church was at first ruled by love and charity. The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was faith derived from what is sensuous, or simply faith. This tree was at first on the outskirts of the garden, denoting that faith was a matter of little concern to the man of the Most Ancient Church.
     But, in spite of Divine warnings, the ideal state of the Most Ancient Church gradually waned. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil " as it were migrated to the middle of the garden, as men became more concerned with the things of faith. This migration was instigated and accomplished under the influence of the senses, signified by the "serpent." At first subtly, and in the end boldly, the senses led man to defy the Lord's command, and to partake of the forbidden fruit. That is to say, giving credence to the senses, rather than to revelation, was confirmed with them. Adam, or the rational, which has the power of making decisions, because it is that which can distinguish between good and evil, was not directly tempted. It was Eve, that is, the proprium, which was first approached and corrupted by the lure of the senses and the questionings it aroused. And the proprium, instead of conjoining itself willingly to the rational, resisted that conjunction, and finally reversed the order by causing the rational to be conjoined to it.

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The rational was thus debased. And having lowered itself to the plane of the proprium, it lost its former enlightenment, or, in the words of the story, man was "driven from the garden."
     Faith and charity were still present in the Most Ancient Church, but faith began to be recognized and acknowledged as a thing by itself. "Previously, the men of the Most Ancient Church had been as it were ignorant of what faith is, because they had a perception of all the things of faith. But when they began to make a distinct doctrine of faith, they took the things of which they had a perception, and reduced them into a doctrine, as if they had found out something new; and thus what was before inscribed on the heart became a mere matter of knowing." (A. C. 340.) Faith then became a matter of prime importance to the church, represented by Cain as the firstborn of Adam and Eve. Charity, or the doctrine of charity, necessarily became secondary, being as it were a younger brother to faith, as Abel was to Cain. In time, as the doctrine of faith became crystallized as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, there arose friction between the two doctrines. Both could no longer be present in the church. Cain hated Abel, and at length killed him. Thus was charity destroyed, and faith became, as it were, the undisputed heir of the Most Ancient Church.
     A succession of states similar to those we have just described in outline occurred in every church subsequently established. And here we cannot but stress the significant fact that the decline of every church was begun as unintentionally as that of the Most Ancient Church. Adam had no conscious desire to do evil, no conscious desire to separate faith from charity, no conscious desire to defy God. He merely neglected to heed strictly the Divine injunctions, and yielded to his proprial inclinations in a way, which he thought at the moment, would be beneficial. To put it in another way, the Most Ancient Church, as well as its successors, allowed itself to drift away from its first love into a state of faith alone.
     No church has fallen because of ignorance. Every church, through its Word, has been amply warned of the dangers that threatened it. Every church at its beginning was fully cognizant of the unhappy condition which the separation of faith from charity would bring about. Yet in every case the separation was effected, and the church suffered the dire consequences.

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     Although the New Church is said to be the last church that is to be established on the earth, being destined to endure to eternity, there is no reason to suppose that it will not be threatened by the same inimical forces that destroyed its predecessors. The church as a whole may not be destroyed, but the individual organizations by which the church is to be established, and those who constitute the organizations, can be affected and perish. And because the Writings contain so many clear teachings regarding faith alone, there is no reason to believe that it will not hold sway in the New Church. Other churches were also well-informed, yet they fell. It must be remembered that the human tendencies which permitted the establishment of faith alone in those churches are also innate in New Churchmen, insidiously encouraging them to separate faith from charity, because this is the path of least resistance, and most gratifying to the sensual of man.
     To suppress the rise of faith alone in the New Church, it is therefore inadequate merely to know that faith alone is of hell, and that harm is done to the church when faith is separated from charity. Nor is it sufficient to condemn unanimously the doctrine of justification by faith alone. This, too, was done in all the preceding churches. The quality of faith alone must be known. It must be recognized as a most subtle doctrine, which conceals itself in many different forms. It is capable of disguising itself completely, presenting an innocent appearance, so that it may insinuate itself into a living church, even when it is being sought out for destruction. That it may be recognized and properly- exterminated, the various guises under which it appears must be fully known. And that they may be avoided, the various ways by which faith is separated from charity must be studied and kept in mind. Above all, charity must be kept alive in the will and life. The meaning of what is taught in the Writings concerning faith alone will then be remembered. The faith of the New Church will not become persuasive, nor will its goods be profaned, if the truths and goods of the church are not only acknowledged and believed, but also willed and lived. (A. C. 9363, 4601.)

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PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST 1940

PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST       Rev. MORLEY D. RICH       1940

     "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways." (Luke 1: 76.)

     Zacharias, the venerable priest of the temple, thus spoke of his newborn son, John. In this verse, and throughout his spontaneous and prophetic annunciation,-in the long, rhythmic periods, in the marching majesty of the phrases, in the inspirational beauty of the imagery, in the affectionate quality of his recovered speech-we sense the atmosphere surrounding that long-expected event-the Advent of the Lord.
     John the Baptist was the herald of the coming of the Lord because he represented the letter of the Word, or its external sense,-the plain meaning of the Law and the Prophets as they are written in the Scriptures. The letter of the Word always "goes before the faces of the Lord," always precedes the Divine Truth, as a prophet,"-a teacher of the appearances of truth; and this in order to proclaim it to men, to prepare the way in men's minds and hearts for the reception of the internal sense, in which the Lord comes in glory.
     Since the literal sense of the Word is also Divine, and since the Lord Himself is The Prophet in the supreme sense, John also represents the Lord as to the lowest or Sensual plane of His Divine Human. For the Lord is the Word Itself; and the lowest or literal sense of the Word is one with the lowest or Sensual plane of His Divinity,-that to which the physical senses of man correspond.
     Every line and turn of John's appearance and character proclaim him as the representative of the letter of the Word. A wilderness prophet he was. Dressed in the most primitive garb, living on locusts and wild honey, he was not, indeed, "a man clothed in soft raiment." (Matt. 11: 8.)

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Rough, crude, courageous in ignorance, straightforward and simple, he paid no heed to the subtle sophistries of the educated and complex scribes and Pharisees: but, in answer to all their wily questions, he put forward the simple, unadorned message which it was his mission to give to the world. Unable, because of his simple nature, to grasp and controvert the subtle evils and falsities of his era, he could only " baptize with water unto repentance," knowing that it was only He Who was to follow him- whose shoe-latchet John was unworthy to loose-Who could conquer and order the hells, Who could "baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
     Such, in large part, is the letter of the Word,-rough and crude, defenseless by itself against those who wish to twist its meaning or overthrow its authority. It can only proclaim, in simple and straightforward language, the presence of the Lord. It cannot convince, by itself, the rational minds of men. In this age, it has no real power to aid man in the overcoming and subduing of evils in himself. In itself, it is hard, but brittle; rough, but interiorly weak; simple, without the profundity of true simplicity. All of this is true of the literal sense of the Word, when it appears without connection with the spiritual sense. And the same is also true of man's first state of repentance, of obedience to the literal commandments of God. It is then like iron in its native state.
     But when the Word is fulfilled by and infilled with the Divinity of the Lord, it becomes truly strong, and profound in simplicity. By the flame of the Holy Spirit, it becomes flexible like tempered steel, and strong. It becomes truly the plane where the Lord is most present, and where alone He speaks with man. For it is only when the Lord, with man, is in the literal sense as in a foundation, that this statement in the Writings becomes a truth with the man himself: "All strength and all power are in the ultimates of Divine Truth, thus in the sense of the letter of the Word (A. E. 593:3)
     Each renewal of this connection between the spiritual and the natural senses of the Word which man is given, each renewed vision of the internal sense in the external, thus constitutes a new birth of the Lord. For it was by birth and life in the world that the Lord fulfilled and infilled the literal sense of the Law and the Prophets. By the life of His senses, that is, by His physical actions and speech, the Lord literally fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, thus re-establishing the sole authority of the Scriptures, as differentiated from the authority of man-from the interpretations placed upon the letter of the Word by the scribes and Pharisees.

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And, by His subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human, the Lord infilled again the letter of the Word with its internal sense, with the glory and grace of His Divine presence.
     This does not mean that the literal sense stood alone by itself before this. In its essential being, it was still the containant and base of the Divine Truth. But it means that the Lord, by His life on earth, re-established its connection with the spiritual sense in the eyes of men, showing them once more the essential holiness and power of the letter. And so, by His birth in each man, the Lord renews his vision of the internal sense in the external.
     For this reason, we might say that the literal sense was filled with joy by the Lords birth in the world, because the light of its soul thereby once more shone through to men. This, indeed, is what is represented by the leaping in the womb of Elizabeth of the babe who was to be called John, when Mary approached, bearing within her the Light and Life of the world. The letter of the Word recognized the approach of its Light and Life even through the darkness, the wall, of a corrupt age. (A. E. 710:31.)
     The same rejoicing from the letter of the Word is also represented by the gladness of Zacharias, in whose chant of joy our text occurs. Similar also is the joy of Anna, the aged prophetess, and of Simeon; of the shepherds, and of Mary and Joseph. The salvation of Israel had come, and all these were of the simple remnant of the children of Israel who, in affectionate obedience to and belief in the letter of the Word, were deeply affected by that, which was to glorify and infinitely enhance the sense of the letter of that Word. All their deepest and fondest dreams, fostered by the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, were about to be realized. Their trust in the literal truth was being justified. And so their cup was full, even to running over.
     But, before the internal and external meaning of these prophecies could be fulfilled, before the Lord could, in His manhood, preach, teach and act the part He had ordained for Himself, a particular preparation was needed. And this preparation was accomplished by John, the " prophet of the Highest, who went before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways."

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The letter of the Word must once more be affirmed. Men must be re-called to repentance. The trustful, simple remnant in the Jewish Church-those who were still in some affection of the truth, and in some willingness to obey the Lord's commandments-were to be strengthened and reminded of their duty. Before the near approach of the Glory of Israel, they must be prepared, lest they be blinded by the light and consumed by the warmth of Truth and Love Itself. It is said in the Writings that, if it had not been for the preparation by John, all would have perished of their diseases, when the Lord Himself came to preach and teach. (A. E. 724:7, 8.)
     This is not so difficult to understand, if we reflect upon how the case is with ourselves. When we are presented with a truth which we see applies to us, we feel a sting, an implied criticism of our actions or thoughts which we do not like. "The truth hurts." Imagine our case, then, if we were given the full realization of our low estate without any preparation. We would become profaners; our spiritual life would be at an end: for such would be our reaction against the truth.

     II.

     First, then, we require a preparation, which consists in our learning very general truths from the literal sense of the Word, in repenting of our evils from these general truths, and in obeying the laws which they give. Then, indeed, the Lord gives, little by little, a full realization of the many particular truths, which lie within the generals. Each time, we are hurt in our pride, in our self-satisfaction, in our conceit. Each time there is a little further purification of our motives and intentions. Yet the process is so gradual that we are not destroyed by the full force of the truth.
     Such was the way in which the Lord came into the world. He could have revealed Himself, His Truth, immediately from heaven, but this would have destroyed His own purpose, which was the salvation of the human race. Such an appearance would have destroyed the freedom of reciprocation with men: and this, of course, would involve the destruction of the human race itself, since freedom of reciprocation is all that distinguishes man from the beast of the field.

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And so, because the Lord is not only Truth Itself, but also Love Itself, He came to the world gradually, preparing the way, the ground, most carefully for the reception of the seed of truth. First He sent John. Then He Himself came, but as a mere infant, born in inconspicuous surroundings. Afterwards He taught His disciples and others in parables. And it was not until the end of His earthly life that the Lord began to speak to them plainly. Finally, it was only after some seventeen centuries had passed that He revealed those things, which as He told the disciples, they could not bear at that time.
     Unless "the Word had become flesh, and dwelt among us," we could not have "beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." As we have seen, it is only by means of the letter of the Word that the spiritual sense can exist, can stand forth to the view of men; and the two senses together constitute the complete Word,-just as it was a union of glorified Flesh and Spirit that constituted the risen Lord. Hence, it is written: "After the Lord came into the world, representatives vanished; the interior reason of which was, that the Lord, in the world, put on also the Divine Natural, and from this He illustrates not only the internal spiritual man, but also the external natural; which two, if they are not illustrated at the same time, cause man, as it were, to be in the shade. But when both are illustrated at the same time, man is, as it were, in daylight . . ." (T. C. R. 109.)
     Thus the Lord, by coming into the world as a man among men, not only revealed the Spirit of Truth to men, but also renewed, reestablished and restored to their vision the Body of Divine Truth,- the literal sense of the Word-without which the Spirit of Truth cannot appear, cannot stand forth for all men to see. He restored to men, not only the ability to see and obey the spiritual sense of His commandments and parables, but also the very foundation upon which this sight and obedience depended, giving them once more the power to turn aside from their sinful ways, even while they live in the body. This was represented by His miracles of healing, whereby He broke the power of the hells, took away from devils and evil spirits the power to obsess the bodies of men, by which they controlled and directed the very physical of men in the pathways of sin.

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     So it is with each one of us. First, the Lord must send a John the Baptist. He must come to us through the general truths of the literal sense. He must first appear to us in the "flesh" of the plain commandments of His Word. It is only afterwards that He can appear to us in His Spirit, can show us plainly of the Father,- the spiritual sense.
     Yet, because the letter of the Word, like John, is crude and unadorned, simple and uncomplex, because it cannot be defended, and hence our adult faith in it cannot be secured, therefore the spiritual, rational sense, which it contains, must also be known to us. And it is this sense which the Lord came, not only once, but twice, to reveal and establish. Without this sense, no one can defend the literal sense successfully against the attacks of atheists, or against the questionings of his own mind. This, indeed, was the reason why the Christian Church was unable to defend the authority of the Bible against its foes, and against the questions of its own members. And so that blind belief in the authority of the literal sense, because it had within it no knowledge of the internal sense, went down to defeat in the face of those who, from a negative attitude, asked such awkward questions as, "Is this Divine? Can God, Who has infinite wisdom, speak so? Where and whence is its holiness, unless from superstition, and thence persuasion? " (T. C. R. 189.)
     It is this spiritual sense to which alone we can turn when, awakened as to our rational minds; we begin to question our own actions and speech. We begin by obeying without question the rules, which are taught us as right by our parents and teachers. But with the opening of our rational minds in adulthood, these will no longer suffice for us. We begin to question, to ask ourselves why we should do this and do that, why we should be useful, why we should be decent, law-abiding citizens, why we should live according to the moral code of the world around us, or what benefits we derive from attending and supporting a church.
     These are questions, which the literal sense of the Word alone cannot answer, before which that sense is futile and impotent. They are questions, indeed, as to the literal sense of the Word in ourselves, as to the external things which we do and say, as to the customs and habits of mind and body with which we have been imbued from childhood-reflections from the literal sense of the Decalogue and the Law and the Prophets.

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     This awakening is the first sign of hope with us-the beginning of our thought from ourselves, and not from others. And it can lead us to the truth, if, by our questions, we are really striving, with earnest desire, to find the truth. Gradually, through a lifetime of reading and reflection upon, of obedience to, the internal sense, which alone can answer us, these problems are solved, one by one. Little by little, we are allowed to penetrate into the mysteries of faith, into the real reasons for a correct moral and civil life in the world. This is the way in which the Lord prepares us. This is the way in which He gives us the seed of truth, which flowers slowly, but surely, in the wilderness of our minds and hearts. This is the way in which He is born with us, appears in fleshly garments at first, then teaches us in parables, and finally speaks to us plainly of the Father,-brings us into the spiritual sense itself in heaven.
     And thus, from the mere obedience of childhood, from the simple joy of a child in doing what it is told, in obeying the Lord's commandments, in doing good to our companions,-the state of joy represented by that of the shepherds and Simeon and Anna, John and Mary and Joseph-from this state we progress to the wise joy of the angels, knowing not only what we should do, but also the most interior reasons why we should do it.
     Then, indeed, will the letter of the Word appear luminous to us. Then, truly, will we rejoice in the letter of the Word in ourselves,- in the orderly externals of our actions and speech, seeing in them the manifestation of the life of heaven, of the work of the Lord's hands, seeing in the letter of the Word itself the living Spirit of God. Then will we realize that "the prophet of the Highest has gone before the Lord, to prepare His ways" in us. And then we shall rejoice with the angels who sang, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men." Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 40. Luke 1: 57-80. A. E. 593 or H. H. 310.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 504, 624, 638. Revised Liturgy, pages 456, 464, 466.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 12, 76.

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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1940

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS       Various       1940

     BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 9 TO 13, 1940.

     COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY.

     The Forty-third regular Annual Meeting of the Council of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem was held in the Council Hall of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral-Church, April 9 to April 12, 1940, Bishop George de Charms presiding. Besides the Bishop of the General Church and Bishop Alfred Acton, there were present seventeen members of the Second Degree of the Priesthood, four members of the First Degree, and two Authorized Candidates, namely: The Rev. Messrs. Elmo C. Acton, Karl R. Alden, Wm. B. Caldwell, Emil R. Cronlund, L. W. T. David, Charles F. Doering, Alan Gill (Kitchener, Ontario), Willis L. Gladish (Glenview), Frederick E. Gyllenhaal (Toronto, Ontario), Hugo Lj. Odhner, Philip N. Odhner (Durban, Natal), Willard D. Pendleton (Pittsburgh), Norman H. Reuter (Wyoming, Ohio), Gilbert H. Smith (Glenview), Homer Synnestvedt, Fred E. Waelchli, William Whitehead; Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, Raymond G. Cranch, Morley D. Rich (Chicago), Norbert H. Rogers (Kitchener, Ontario); and Messrs. Ormond de C. Odhner and Martin Pryke (a total attendance of twenty-five).
     Following the meeting of the Bishop's Consistory on Monday, April 8, the Council held four regular morning sessions, two afternoon sessions, a special conference on Pastoral Problems, a Public Session, and a joint session with the Executive Committee (see the Minutes of the Joint Council in this issue).
     At the first session of the Council, the Bishop announced the resignation of the Rev. William Whitehead as Secretary of the Council of the Clergy, and the appointment to this office of the Rev. L. W. T. David. Dr. Whitehead had faithfully served in this capacity for twelve years.

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     First in order at the morning sessions was consideration of such annual reports as are customarily presented to the Council. The following papers were presented and fully discussed:
     "The Conjunction of the Lord with Man," by Rev. Philip N. Odhner.
     "Freedom of Choice." by Rev. Karl R. Alden.
     The Council also discussed "Conflicting Membership," or the problems arising from individual membership in more than one society or circle in the Church; and "The Organization of Our Teachers," that is, of all teachers working in the educational uses of the General Church. With respect to this last, it is proposed to hold a meeting in connection with the General Assembly, at which steps may be taken toward such an organization of teachers, or at least a useful exchange of ideas regarding it.
     The following Memorial Resolution was adopted by a rising vote, and ordered sent to the family:

     Whereas our brother, the Rev. Thomas Stark Harris, has recently been called to the spiritual world,
     "Be it Resolved, that we record our affectionate regard for him, our remembrance of his valued contributions to the deliberations of this Council during his membership of thirty years therein, and our appreciation of his devoted service in the priestly uses of the General Church."

     Also, the Council directed to be sent to the nine ministers in countries in the shadows of war its fraternal sentiments as presented by Bishop Acton, namely,

     "Aware of the trying times through which you are passing, and of the many hardships which they impose upon you, to the hindrance of your work, we, your brethren in the ministry of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, now assembled together in annual meeting, wish to express to you our heartfelt sympathy, to assure you of our confidence that you will continue to carry on your work, and to join you in the conviction that, behind the bitter strife of today, is the governing hand of Divine Providence. guiding all things toward the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth."

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     A resolution was adopted thanking the committee of ladies, who so graciously served coffee and tea at the recess in the morning meetings, and brightened this interval in the proceedings.
     This year there were no joint sessions with teachers.
     During the meetings of the Council, there were placed on exhibition the pamphlets of the "Pastoral Extension Service"-attractive in appearance, and meeting a variety of needs and tastes. Of course, these were such as had been prepared up to this time; others are in preparation.
     The Public Session of the Council was held on Friday evening, April 12, following the usual "Friday Supper" of the Bryn Athyn Church. Rev. Homer Synnestvedt delivered the address-a cogent and provocative presentation of the subject. What Makes the Living Church?
     Besides the pleasure of renewed personal contacts among ministers who do not often see each other, and the cordial entertainment of many Bryn Athyn homes, some major social gatherings should be noted. The Right Rev. and Mrs. de Charms entertained the clergy at luncheon on Tuesday, and the afternoon was spent in delightfully informal discussion and conversation. On Wednesday evening all partook of an exceptional supper at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Doering, at which a lively, and often witty, discussion was started when the host introduced the subject-"The Problem-Why do our young people object to our traditional policy of distinctive social life?" Naturally this brought forth an almost endless array of circumstances and of theories. A third pleasant evening was had at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Pitcairn-a supper at which were present not only the clergy and the members of the Executive Committee, but also their wives, adding both grace and animation to the occasion.
     L. W. T. DAVID,
          Secretary, Council of the Clergy.

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     JOINT COUNCIL.

     Forty-sixth Regular Joint Meeting of the Council of the Clergy
     and the Executive Committee of the General Church
     of the New Jerusalem.

     BRYN ATHYN, PENNSYLVANIA, APRIL 13, 1940.

     1.     Bishop de Charms opened the meeting at 10 a.m., with prayers and the reading of a chapter from the Word.
     2.     The following persons attended the meeting:

     Of the Clergy: The Right Reverend George de Charms (presiding) the Right Reverend Alfred Acton; the Rev. Messrs. E. C. Acton. K. R. Alden, W. B. Caldwell, C. E. Doering. Alan Gill, W. L. Gladish. F. E. Gyllenhaal, H. L. Odhner (Secretary), P. N. Odhner, N. H. Reuter, Morley Rich, N. H. Rogers, Homer Synnestvedt, F. E. Waelchli. William Whitehead; the Rev. Messrs. Bjorn Boyesen and R. G. Cranch.

     Of the Executive Committee: Messrs. K. C. Acton, R. W. Childs, E. H. Davis, Hubert Hyatt, A. P. Lindsay, P. C. Pendleton. H. F. Pitcairn Raymond Pitcairn, and Paul Synnestvedt.

     3.     The Minutes of the Meeting of the Joint Council held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., on April 1, 1939, were adopted as printed in the NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1939, pages 258-266; attention being called to the need of re-numbering the meetings, the 1939 meeting being called the 45th "Annual" meeting due to an error in the records.
     4.     In the absence of the Rev. L. W. T. David, newly appointed SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY, the Report of that body was read by the Rev. Dr. Whitehead, and, on motion, was accepted and ordered filed. (See page 271.)
     5.     The Report of the SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH was read, adopted and filed. (See page 268.)
     6.     The TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, submitted as his Report the printed pamphlet already mailed to members of the Church.
     On motion, the Report was accepted and filed.

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     7. The Report of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and of the GENERAL CHURCH INCORPORATED was read by Mr. Edward Davis. Since the last Report, six members of the incorporated body had died, leaving a membership of 136. For the transactions of the Executive Committee, he referred to the Treasurer's printed Report. The Report was accepted.
     8. The Rev. Dr. W. B. Caldwell, EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE, reported as follows:

     REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE.

     The very full discussion of my Report to the Joint Council last year, a summary account of which appears in the published Minutes (June, 1939, issue, p. 260) voiced a great variety of views as to the ways in which the usefulness of New Church Life might be increased. This helpful counsel has received my careful consideration, with an endeavor to meet your wishes as far as possible. In an enterprise of this kind it is difficult to satisfy all the people all of the time, though we may possibly satisfy all the people some of the time, and perhaps some of the people all of the time.
     During the past year an effort has been made to meet the most pressing needs, to make the best possible use of the material offered for publication by our writers, and to assemble from whatever source such items as seemed likely to make useful and interesting reading; in other words, to use to best advantage the space available in a 48-page monthly issue.
     This year, we shall devote four numbers-June to September, inclusive-to the Reports of the Annual Council Meetings and the General Assembly. All of this is vital matter to place before the members of the General Church, and when printed in four monthly instalments will be presented in more readable form than if published in a separate volume.
     An examination of the issues of the Life during the past year will indicate that, in addition to maintaining our regular function of providing our members with information and instruction in the things of the church, and also affording an opportunity for the expression of views on doctrinal issues, a number of articles and editorials have aimed to furnish constructive support to the position of the General Church in matters of doctrine and practice wherein we differ from other bodies of the New Church.
     Our ideas of Distinctiveness, for example-Distinctive New Church Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper, New Church Education, and New Church Social Life-these long-established ideas need reenforcement from time to time in the form of rational and practical treatments. They are well understood by the older members; but we must remember that we have newcomers and a rising generation of young people who should be provided with historical information concerning our movement, as well as doctrinal instruction concerning the reasons for what we believe and what we do.

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     The recently formed Committee on Adult Education aims to meet this need, and will reprint a number of articles which have appeared in New Church Life during the past year, and which have been thought suited to their purpose.
     While keeping this use in mind, we need not neglect what we may regard as more advanced instruction for our members through the pages of New Church Life. A good deal that we publish, in the form of sermons and articles, represents the current thought and teaching in our larger societies. We also try to provide a Talk to Children in each number, as there is a demand for it on the part of isolated parents; and we are informed that many adults find these Talks acceptable for their own reading.
     Doctrinal issues require continuing elucidation, to meet the needs of those who have not fully grasped the principles of the General Church derived from our Revelation. This is especially desirable in parts of the church distant from the center and among the isolated, as a means of what we might term a "strengthening of the outposts." Every organism in nature must resist the encroachments of its enemies, if it is to survive. The same is true of higher organic forms such as the church, of which it may be said that, if it be founded upon the rock of Divine Truth, in which its members are well instructed and confirmed, the " gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
     If the Life could go into more homes, and reach more of our members, it would foster a common belief, remove misunderstandings and partial understandings, and promote a common practice in the things for which the General Church stands.
     The Business Manager informs me that the paid subscriptions in 1939 were 542, which is about 1/3 of the General Church mailing list, and a creditable proportion of our membership. Ten years ago, in 1929, the paid subscriptions were 580. Owing to the depression, they fell to 430 in 1935, but have now increased to 542.
     Respectfully submitted,
          W. B. CALDWELL.


     In the discussion of the Report, various suggestions were offered of modes whereby the LIFE might become available to all members of the General Church who earnestly desire copies, even if they could not themselves afford the cost of a subscription.
     9.     It was moved and unanimously resolved that a committee be appointed to investigate such a mode, and to carry out such a policy as far as possible.
     10.     The Editor's Report was received and filed.
     11.     Bishop de Charms made a series of statements on various subjects of interest to the Council:
     I.     He reported that a General Church Orphanage Committee had been appointed, as authorized at the last annual meeting, and was now operating.

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It was constituted of Messrs. Geoffrey S. Childs and Edward C. Bostock, while the finances were handled by the Treasurer of the General Church. In Bryn Athyn, an Orphanage Committee to care for local needs was operating independently.
     II.     In regard to the present status of the Missions in South Africa, he noted the fact that the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn had given notice of the discontinuance of the generous contributions which he had been making during the past years. On the basis of such support, the Missions had been organized with a staff of twenty ministers and a number of leaders and teachers, operating in scattered places. Now the policy of conserving the remaining funds had been put into force. The Mission Council in South Africa had been disbanded, and consultations were being held with the Natives as to how to reorganize the work on an economical basis acceptable to them, with a view to our discharging our obligations to the Missions, so far as may be possible under the altered conditions. The effort of the General Church would be to provide the missions with as great autonomy as is practicable without endangering the standing of the uses involved; to avoid any discriminations as to differences in doctrinal viewpoints; to give spiritual aid and opportunity for the instruction of ministers in the fundamentals of the New Church; and to provide for the ordination of ministers. The Bishop is in communication with Mr. Elphick (Superintendent) and Mr. P. N. Odhner (Assistant Superintendent) about these matters.
     III. A Committee on Adult Education has been appointed, under the chairmanship of the Bishop, and consisting of Mr. G. S. Childs, Rev. Dr. W. Whitehead, Mr. F. R. Cooper, Mr. Ralph Klein, Rev. Norman Reuter, and Rev. Bjorn Boyesen. There was immediate need in the General Church to provide some instructive literature for those of our isolated members for whom we cannot provide other ministrations. Therefore this Committee has collaborated in the publication-mostly in mimeographed form-of pamphlets on suitable topics. A display of the first-fruits of the Committee's work was before the Council, selected from a group of thirty-seven pamphlets of 12 or 16 pages each, containing Sermons, Children's Addresses, and Doctrinal Articles on fundamental subjects. Others of the pamphlets, however, contained addresses or studies by members of the Academy teaching staff, on educational or other topics, for the use of groups or individuals interested in the more advanced thought of the church.

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     A gift of one thousand dollars for the initial expenses made possible the immediate beginning of this undertaking. But the object was, that the use should not be an added burden to the General Church, but be self-sustaining. The pamphlets were available at 10 and 15 cents each, according to size. A letter explaining this "Pastoral Extension Service" would shortly be prepared, to acquaint the General Church with the titles already available. The coming Assembly would provide opportunity for the Church to show its reaction to these initial attempts, and for suggestions as to the further development of the undertaking.
     IV.     In order to follow up the work done last year by the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal and Professor O. W. Heilman in the North West Canadian field, where there are many who are eager for General Church ministrations, of which they had been deprived for the preceding nine years, the Rev. K. R. Alden had consented to undertake a trip there next Summer.
     V.     The Bishop planned to leave on July 26 for Rio de Janeiro, for the dedication of a house of worship, which has been erected by the local society. This episcopal visit was especially desirable as tending to promote greater contact and more continuous communication with the Church in Brazil. In connection with this trip, the Bishop was also trying to arrange a visit to Georgetown, British Guiana, to the circle of receivers led by the Rev. Henry Algernon, who has been performing pastoral functions under authorization, pending ordination. But no guaranteed passage to Georgetown was as yet procurable.
     12.     In the discussion of the matters reported by the Bishop, Mr. Raymond Pitcairn and others congratulated the Committee on Adult Education upon the tangible evidence already submitted of this inspiring activity of the General Church, which constituted a distinct advance. The Rev. F. E. Waelchli spoke of its service to the isolated, and felt that it made for unity and for the good of the church.
     In regard to the Missions, the hope was expressed that the General Church might continue to give some support and encouragement to the movement; it was believed that the conscience of the Church would be touched by this use.

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     13.     On motion, it was unanimously resolved, that this Council record on its Minutes its affection and esteem for our late brother the Rev. Thomas Stark Harris, who for thirty years had been a member of the Council; a faithful, sincere, and truth-loving Pastor, whose constant desire had been to lead to the good of life, and whose earnest love and convincing personality had made an impress upon all who knew him.
     14.     The Council adjourned shortly before one o'clock.
               Respectfully submitted,
                    HUGO LJ. ODHNER,
                         Secretary.
ANNUAL REPORTS 1940

ANNUAL REPORTS       HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1940

     REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     During the calendar year of 1939, seventy-seven names were entered on the membership roll of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and the net membership at the close of the year stood at 2239 persons.
     Membership, Jan. 1, 1939               2199
     New members (nos. 3121-3197)          77
     Deaths reported in 1939          31
     Resignations               6
     Net loss                         37
     Net increase                    40
     Total membership, Jan. 1, 1940          2239

     Of these members. 1279 reside in the United States, and 960 elsewhere.
     Not included in the above figures are those of the General Church Mission in South Africa, which from the first has been separately administered. The Superintendent of the Mission, the Rev. Frederick W. Elphick, reported in 1938 that the adult baptized membership was 1058; and on January 1. 1940, the estimated native membership stood at 1104, there having been an increase of 48, and the reported death of 2.


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     NEW MEMBERS.

     January 1 to December 31, 1939.

     A. THE UNITED STATES.

     Chicago, Ill.
Mr. Robert Louis Riefstahl.

     Glenview, Ill.
Mr. David Andrew Cole.
Miss Barbara Elaine Gyllenhaal.

     Detroit, Mich.
Mr. Elvin William Day.

     Gorand Rapids, Mich.
Miss Carrie Louise Alden.

     Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. Edward James Cranch.

     Middleport, Ohio.
Miss Bernice Louise Snyder.
Miss Thelma Marie Snyder.

     Bethayres, Penna.
Mr. Wilson Bennett Conner.
Mrs. W. B. (Erma Viola Lauver) Conner.

     Bryn Athyn, Penna.
Mr. Tbeodore Starkey Alden.
Mr. Ralph Eugene Allen.
Mr. Edward Crary Bostock, Jr.
Miss Zara Bostock.
Mr. Harris Shirley Campbell.
Mrs. H. S. (Ida Frances Southall) Campbell.
Miss Pearl Cooper.
Miss Ruth Louise Davis.
Mrs. Hollis Brautigam Fort.
Mr. David Grubb.
Miss Virginia Heaton.
Mr. John Howard.
Miss Katherine Howard.
Miss Natri Hyatt.
Mr. John Bacon Lewis.
Miss Esther Allfrida Nilson.
Miss Nancy Tabeau Pendleton.
Miss Sarah Evangeline Powell.
Mr. Robert Emanuel Reynolds.
Mr. Leon Starkey Rose.
Mr. Roy Hodson Rose.
Mrs. Ariel (Consuelo Seneca) Rosenquist.
Miss Kathleen Adele Schnarr.
Mr. Walter Herbert Schryer.
Mrs. W. H. (Gladys Naomi Britt) Schryer.
Mr. David Restyn Simons. Mr. Keneth Alden Simons.

     Elwyn, Penna.
Miss Margaret Adelaide Dempster.

     Philadelphia, Penna.
Mr. Warren Horace Spooner.

     Pittsburgh, Penna.
Mrs. John W. (Janet McKinley) Frazier.
Mr. Joscob Marcel Merle.
Mrs. J. M. (Gabrielle Olga Betaille) Merle.

     Weslaco, Texas.
Miss Leona Grace Friend.

     Washington, D. C.
Mr. Luther Edward Shuck, Jr.

     B. CANADA.

     Benton, Alberta.
Miss Mabel Rose Evens.

     Gorande Prairie, Alberta.
Mr. Herbert Lemky.
Mrs. Cyril F. (Katherine Lemky) Binks.

     Blair, Ont.
Mr. William Carl Evens.

     Humber Bay, Ont.
Miss Marguerite Hope Izzard.

     Kitchener, Ont.
Mrs. John E. (Winnifred Marshall Major) Kuhl.
Miss Lucile Schnarr.
Miss Phyllis Schnarr.
Mr. Robert Gilbert Schnarr.

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     Toronto, Ont.
Miss Dorothy Kathaleen McCracken
(now Mrs. Beverley B. Carter).
Mr. George Henry Orchard.
Mrs. G. H. (Doris Viola Rathbone) Orchard.
Mrs. Alice Mary (Harris) Pompe.
Mr. Robert George Scott.
Mrs. Clara Estella (Livingstone) Swalm.
Miss Marion Estelle Swalm.
Mr. Archibald Swan.

     Rosthern, Sask.
Miss Justina Hamm.
Mrs. Edward (Anna Bech) Markwart.

     C. ENGLAND.

     Colchester, Essex.
Miss Mildred Alice Leaman.

     Eltham, Essex.
Miss Lilian Howard Spalding.

     D. HOLLAND.

     The Hague.
Miss Johanna Paulina Vincent.

     E. NORWAY.

     Oslo.
Mrs. Helga (Boyesen) Skaarberg.

     Tjomo.
Mr. Eyvind Boyesen.

     F. SWEDEN.

     Jonkoping.
Mr. Carl Thorvald Berggren.
Mrs. C. T. (Ingrid Matilda Holmberg) Berggren.

     Stockholm.
Miss Stanny Elisabet Andersson.
Miss Harriet Maria Edberg.
Mr. Bertil Gustaf Liden.
Mr. Karl Gunnar Georg Lunden.
Mrs. Lizzie Elinda Maria (Nilsson) Wennerholm.

     G. SOUTH AFRICA.

     Durban, Natal.
Mr. Alfred Cooke.

     Vereeniging, Transvaal.
Mrs. Guy L. (Eirene Charlotte Gardiner) Hunt.


     DEATHS.

     Recorded in 1939.

Adams, Mrs. Rachel Haseltine (Loudon), Bryn Athyn, Pa., Oct. 7, 1939.
Alan, Mr. George S., Glenview, Ill., Nov. 4, 1939.
Aye, Dr. Thomas L., Brackenbridge, Pa., March 18, 1939.
Bellinger, Mr. Theodore P., Englehart, Ont., Canada. Sept. 20, 1939.
Bregenzer, Mr. Edwin A., Allentown, Pa., May 10, 1939.
Boozer, Mr. Edward G. T., Colehester, England, July 1, 1939.
Brewster, Miss Flora L., Kingston, Mass., Nov. 23, 1939.
Buckingham, Mrs. Joseph H. (Elsie Evens). Penetanguishene. Ont., Canada, May 25, 1939.
Caldwell, Mrs. Robert B. (Emma Beebe), Bryn Athyn. Pa., Aug. 17, 1939.
Campey, Mrs. Amy, July 1, 1932 (Information incomplete).
Coe, Mrs. Robert (Evelyn Gilmore), Scranton, Pa., Oct. 13, 1939.
Cowley, Mrs. H. B. (Viola Klein), Bryn Athyn, Pa., Apr. 30, 1939.
Elphick, Mrs. Louisa (Waters), Wallington, Surrey, England, Apr. 6, 1939.
Fine, Mrs. Lee (Anna R. Niederer), La Gorande, Ore., Feb. 2, 1939.
Hamilton, Mr. Otto, Long Beach, Calif., July 2, 1939.
Heinriebs, Mrs. John (Elisabeth Nikkel), Kitchener, Ont., May 26, 1939.

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Jeunechamp, Mrs. E. L. (Oliva Hussenet), Compiegne. France, Sept. 22, 1939.
Kessel, Mr. Edward, Bryn Athyn, Pa., Jan. 16, 1939.
Leonard, Mr. Deloise Edwin, Cbestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Pa., Aug. 6, 1939.
Loeppky, Mr. Heinrich, Secretan, Sask., Canada, Oct. 26, 1937.
Pagon, Mr. George, Davidson, Sask., Canada, Jan. 10, 1939.
Pendleton, Mr. Louis B., Bryn Athyn, Pa., May 13, 1939.
Pike, Mr. Wilfred D., Littlebampton, England, May 24, 1939.
Potts, Mr. Samuel Warren, Bryn Athyn, Pa., Sept. 5, 1939.
Putnam, Mr. Harry N., Portland, Ore. (?), May 31, 1939.
Rempel, Mr. Peter H., Togo, Sask., Canada. March, 1939.
Rosenqvist, Rev. Joseph E., Gotbenburg, Sweden, March 27, 1939.
Sharp, Mrs. Herbert H. (Bessie Dake Cburcb Rusb), Salem, O., Nov. 17, 1939.
Smitb, Mrs. Cbarles S. (Dora Starkey), Bryn Athyn, Pa., Sept. 27, 1939.
Von Moschzisker, Hon. Robert, Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 21, 1939.
Williams, Mr. Leo C., formerly of California; 1939 (Information incomplete).

     RESIGNATIONS.

Geluk, Mr. A. P., Eindboven, Holland. (Delayed entry.)
Klippenstein, Mr. Edgar V., Long Beach, Calif.
Lechner, Mr. Harvey L., Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Lechner, Mrs. H. L. (Gwladys Hicks Edmunds), Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Ridgway, Mr. J. Henry, Durban, Natal.
Ridgway, Mrs. J. H. (Delia Cockerell), Durban, Natal.

     Respectfully submitted,
          HUGO LJ. ODUNER,

               Secretary.
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY. 1940

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY.       Various       1940

     January 1, 1939, to January 1, 1940.

     The present membership of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem (see last directory published in New Church Life, January, 1939, p. 39), comprises three members of the episcopal degree; 31 members in the pastoral degree; 4 members in the ministerial degree; and 2 licensed candidates for the ministry; making a total of 40 members.
     The changes in personnel during the past year were: (1) the passing into the spiritual world, on March 27. 1939, of the Rev. Joseph F. Rosenqvist, of Gothenburg (Sweden); and (2) the ordination of the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen into the first degree, on June 19.
     Up to the present, the Bishop of the General Church bas received written reports for the year 1939 from all members of the Clergy, except Pastors Henry Leonardos and Joao de Mendonca Lima (South America), Philip N. Odhner (Durban, South Africa), and 8 native ministers connected with the South African Mission; also Minister Vincent C. Odhner (Bryn Athyn).

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     From the reports received, the following comments and statistics have been derived:
     The RITES AND SACRAMENTS of the Church have been administered as follows:
Baptisms     132     (+31)
Confessions of Faith     49     (+17)
Betrothals     14     (-5)
Marriages     24     (-3)
Funeral Services     28     (-7)
Holy Supper     169     (+2)
Ordinations     1     (-13)
Dedications (private homes)     3     (-2)

     Note: The above figures do not include returns from Durban (South Africa) nor the Society in Brazil; nor the South African Mission. The figures in parentheses indicate a comparison with last year's report.


     REPORT OF THE BISHOP OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     I presided as usual at the Annual Council Meetings in April, at the Philadelphia District Assembly, and a special Assembly at Detroit of the Michigan-Ohio groups, in May. I made an episcopal visit to the two Circles in Philadelphia, where a joint banquet was held in June; and also met with the members of the Northern New Jersey group, at Montclair, and preached and administered the Sacrament at a service held in Newark. N. J.
     On June 19th Mr. Bjorn Boyesen was ordained into the first degree of the Priesthood.
     On July 6th I left for England, where I presided at the British Assembly in Colchester, held a council meeting with the ministers present at the Assembly, met with the British Finance Committee, and made an episcopal tour including visits to Bath, Street, Walford Cross, New Moston, and High Kilburn. I held services and preached in London, Colchester, Walford Cross, and New Moston. On August 8th I left London for The Hague, Holland, where I met with the Society there, preached and administered the Holy Supper on August 13th. On August 14th I paid a brief visit to Paris, dining with the members of the Circle there, before returning to London. White in England I had the delightful opportunity of meeting many of the members of the London and Colchester Societies in their homes.
     After returning to this country I presided over the District Assembly in Pittsburgh during the last week in September, and the Chicago District Assembly in October, making episcopal visits to Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati and Akron.
     I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the valued assistance of the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, who presided at the Ontario District Assembly, and made an episcopal visit to Toronto and Montreal on my behalf, besides preaching and administering the Sacrament in Bryn Athyn.
     The Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, who for many years has been generously contributing to the uses of the South African Missions, has announced the withdrawal of this support.

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In consequence, a drastic reorganization of the mission work bas become necessary, in order to bring the undertaking within the financial means of the General Church. This reorganization is now in process. The Mission Schools have been closed, the South African Mission Council has been disbanded, and steps have been taken to reduce expenses in every possible direction. It is hoped and intended, however, that the excellent work of the Rev. F. W. Elphick as Superintendent may be continued, and that through him the work of training Native Ministers, and of giving spiritual help and guidance to the Natives may still he carried on. At the present time, however, we do not know what effect these changes may have, nor to what extent the mission work can be sustained.
     During the year, a Committee on Adult Education has been appointed under the Chairmanship of the Bishop, to increase the opportunities for instruction in the Heavenly Doctrine available to our isolated members, and to strengthen the unity of the General Church.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS.

January, 1940.

     UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

     DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

     Washington (D. C.) Society: The Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, as Visiting Pastor, reports that he has administered the Holy Supper five times during the year. There are 18 members in the Society; with an average attendance of 10 adults at Sunday services; 14 children attend monthly children's services.

     ILLINOIS.

Chicago Society ("Sharon Church"): Rev. Morley D. Rich reports that, in addition to the regular functions of the Society, he has established Men's Assemblies." He reports that he preached once in Bryn Athyn; twice in Glenview, and conducted a Friday doctrinal class there.

Glenview Society ("Immanuel Church"): Rev. Gilbert H. Smith reports that the classes for young people of the Glenview and Chicago societies have been continued by Mr. Rich. One of the outstanding events of the year was the 19th of June festival, celebrated at Glenview jointly by the two societies.

Rockford Circle: Rev. Morley D. Rich, as Visiting Minister, reports that monthly services and classes have been held during the past year, except in August.

     MARYLAND.

Arbutus Circle: Rev. Homer Synnestvedt reports that he conducted four quarterly services, administering the Holy Supper each time.

     MASSACHUSETTS.

Abington Circle: No report has been received concerning this Circle.

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     MICHIGAN.

Detroit Circle: Rev. Norman H. Reuter, as Pastor, reports that he conducted 7 Sunday services; 15 doctrinal classes; 5 young people's classes; and 14 Children's religion classes in the Detroit Circle and area. There are 28 members of the local Circle. The average attendance at Sunday morning services is 32.

     Rev. Willis L. Gladish reports that, during the summer months (June to September inclusive), he conducted Sunday services at Linden Hills, near Covert, Mich., mostly at his summer home, but once at the "Meeting House." The attendance varied, but sometimes was as high as 25 or 30.

     NEW JERSEY.

Newark ("North Jersey") Circle: Rev. Elmo C. Acton, as Visiting Pastor, reports that he has preached in Newark 5 times; and conducted monthly classes, with an average attendance of 12. He has also conducted monthly classes in a group in South Jersey, with an average attendance of 7.

     NEW YORK.

New York Society: Rev. William Whitehead reports, as Visiting Pastor, that he has conducted 5 Sunday morning services, with quarterly administration of the Holy Supper. Services are now held monthly at Steinway Hall. During the year Candidates Ormond Odhner and Martin Pryke also conducted services. The average attendance is 18, with a total membership of 22.

     OHIO.

Wyoming Circle: Rev. Norman H. Reuter reports that he has conducted 31 Sunday services; 25 children's services; 24 doctrinal classes; 25 young people's classes; and 40 children's religion classes. There are 10 members in the Circle; and 15 young people and children. There were also 13 lay-conducted adult services, with an average attendance of 8; and 13 lay-conducted children's services, with an average attendance of 10.

North Ohio Circle: Rev. Norman H. Reuter reports that he has conducted 6 Sunday services; and 34 doctrinal classes; and 25 children's religion classes in various centers of the North Ohio Circle. The members of the local Circle number 26; the average attendance at Sunday morning service is 31.

     PENNSYLVANIA.

Bryn Athyn Society: The Rt. Rev. George de Charms, as Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, reports as follows:- I preached 5 times to adults, and 11 times to the children; and conducted 6 doctrinal classes in the Bryn Athyn Society during the year. I wish to express grateful appreciation to the Rev. K. R. Alden who continued to conduct a group class on the fundamental doctrines of the New Church; and to the ministers who have kindly preached and assisted in the services from time to time throughout the year."

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     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, as Assistant Pastor, reports that he ministered at 42 regular adult services, preaching locally 15 times; and gave 2 children's addresses, 7 doctrinal classes, and 2 major addresses.

     Rev. Elmo C. Acton, as Assistant Pastor, reports: that he has preached 11 times; conducted doctrinal class 7 times, and children's services 13 times; given two private classes, each once every two weeks; and taught Religion to the 6th grade, and Religion and Hebrew to the 7th and 8th grades. He has also held a weekly young people's class; presided over the "Gymnasium," had charge of the Ushers' organization; and acted as chairman of the Boys' Club Committee.
     
Bryn Athyn:     ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

     The Rt. Rev. George de Charms, as President of the Academy, reports that during the year I presided at the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Faculties of the Academy of the New Church; taught two periods a week in the Theological School, and the same number in the College, and performed all the duties of the President. I served also as representative of the Academy at the Annual Meeting of the Sons of the Academy, held in Toronto. Canada, in July."

     The Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton reports that, in addition to his regular duties as Dean of the Theological School, and as a member of the Bishop's Consistory, and Visiting Pastor of the Washington Society, at the request of the Bishop he presided over the Ontario District Assembly and also visited the societies at Kitchener and Montreal, giving an address in the one place, and conducting a doctrinal class and services at the other. He also preached two or three times in Bryn Athyn, and administered the Communion.

     Rev. Karl R. Alden reports that, in addition to his regular duties as Principal of the Boys' Academy and Housemaster of Stuart Hall, he has conducted 3 children's services and 21 Wednesday evening doctrinal classes. This fall he had to decide whether to repeat last year's classes for newcomers, or carry the group started last year into more advanced work. He decided on the latter course; and he plans to finish T. C. R. this year; take the Spiritual World next year; D. L. W. and D. P. the succeeding year; and the Arcana the year after that. He continued to preach every Sunday during the summer at Wallenpaupack.

     Rev. William B. Caldwell reports that during the past year he has been engaged as Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and as Professor of Theology. He has officiated 4 times as assistant in administering the Communion; also conducted a funeral service and one baptism.

     Rev. Charles E. Doering reports that, in addition to his duties as Dean of Faculties and Professor of Mathematics, he has conducted the morning services of all the schools.

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During the past summer he spent part of his vacation in the South, and had the opportunity to preach once in Birmingham, Ala., to a congregation of 16; and to hold an informal class in Atlanta, Ga., attended by 30. At both places the people seemed hungry for spiritual food.

     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner reports, in addition to his work as an Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, that he has been employed as a Professor of Theology, acted as Secretary of the General Church, preached twice outside of Bryn Athyn and gave two addresses. In the early part of the year, the work of seeing the revised Liturgy and Hymnal through the press consumed a good deal of his spare time. In the Academy he carried five courses in Religion, Theology, and Philosophy.

     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt reports that he has taught in the Academy Schools, and performed various pastoral duties in Philadelphia, Arbutus, Md., and elsewhere.

     Rev. William Whitehead reports that, in addition to his duties as Professor of History, he has acted as Secretary of the Council of the Clergy. He has preached in Bryn Athyn once, in Washington once, and in New York five times; also addressed various society organizations in Bryn Athyn and Philadelphia.

     Rev. Llewellyn W. T. David reports that, in addition to his duties as a secretary in the Academy, he has been teaching several classes in the College and Theological School, viz., elementary and advanced Hebrew and Greek, reading the Old and New Testaments in the original, also Chaldee.

Erie Circle: Rev. Nor man H. Reuter, as Visiting Pastor, reports two evening services; with 11 members of the local Circle, and 11 children and young people.

Philadelphia Society ("Advent Church"): Rev. Elmo C. Acton reports that he has held weekly doctrinal classes in the group in West Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh Society: Rev. Willard D. Pendleton reports that, besides his regular duties as Pastor of the Society, he has visited and administered to groups of General Church people in: Spokane (Wash.); San Francisco and Los Angeles (Cal.); Durango and Denver (Col.).

     CANADA.

Hamilton (Ontario) Circle: Rev. Frederick E. Gyllenhaal reports that he visited the Circle five times during the year; but that it was broken up in the autumn by the removal of its most active member.

Kitchener (Ontario) Society ("Carmel Church"): Rev. Alan Gill, as Pastor of the Society, reports that he has conducted a series of fortnightly classes on the fundamental doctrines of the Church to a group of ladies-including members and non-members-who were not brought up in the New Church.

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As Headmaster of the school, he taught Religion to the four upper grades, and Civics and Anatomy to the 8th grade.

     Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, as Assistant to the Pastor, reports that he preached 27 times, conducted 18 children's services and 9 doctrinal classes. He also taught in the local school; and held weekly classes for the young people of high school age. He also accepted the invitation of the Church of the Good Shepherd" (General Convention) to conduct a service and preach.

Montreal (Quebec) Circle: Rev. Frederick E. Gyllenhaal reports that he visited the Circle four times during the year.

Toronto Society ("Olivet Church"): Rev. Frederick E. Gyllenhaal reports that, in addition to his duties as Pastor and Headmaster of the Day School, be made an extended visit (together with Mr. Otho W. Heilman) to the isolated members and other New Church people in the Canadian Northwest; a report of which was printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE, February. 1940.

     REPORT OF THE VISITING PASTOR.

     Rev. Norman H. Reuter reports that, during the past year, he has travelled 12,000 miles in ministering to the various circles and isolated families. In 1939 he has especially concentrated on Ohio and Michigan. For details, see elsewhere in this report (Michigan, Ohio).
     In all, he has conducted 51 Sunday services, 25 children's services, 103 doctrinal classes, 37 young people's classes, and 98 children's religion classes. The attendance at these services and classes varied from one to 40.

     OTHER REPORTS.

     Rev. Fred E. Waelchli reports that he has engaged in occasional church work, as follows: Conducted services and preached in Philadelphia, Wyoming. Saginaw (twice), Lake Wallenpaupack (three times); Preached in Bryn Athyn (five times) and once at Detroit (Mid-west Assembly); conducted children's services in Wyoming and Lake Wallenpaupack (three times).

     Rev. Emil R. Cronlund, now engaged in secular work, reports that he has preached three times in Bryn Athyn and once in Philadelphia.

     Rev. Raymond G. Cranch, now engaged in secular work, reports that during the year he revised and enlarged his manuscript on "Social Justice in the Light of the New Church."

     Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, ordained minister since June 19, 1939, reports that he assisted in the Toronto Society from July 9 to August 20. During the year he preached 22 sermons and conducted several classes and children's services in Bryn Athyn, Washington. Newark and Toronto.

     Mr. Ormond Odhner, Authorized Candidate for the ministry, reports that, in addition to continuing his studies in the Academy Theological School, he taught Religion in the Boys' Academy, and acted as an assistant housemaster in Stuart Hall.

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He also conducted services in Pittsburgh (8 times), Glenview (3), New York (21, and once each in Newark and Washington. He also preached once and conducted a children's service in Bryn Athyn; and conducted a doctrinal class in Washington.

     Mr. Martin Pryke, Authorized Candidate for the ministry, besides pursuing his theological studies, conducted services once each in New York. Washington, Bryn Athyn and Atlanta. He also preached three times in Bryn Athyn and once in Kitchener; besides assisting in the service at Bryn Athyn five times, and once at a children's service. He held one doctrinal class at Washington and four special classes at Bryn Athyn.

     SOUTH AMERICA.

BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro Society: No reports have been received from the Rev. Messrs. Henry Leonardos and J. de M. Lima.

BRITISH GUIANA: Tabor Mission: Rev. Henry Algernon, Pastor pending ordination, reports 5 members and 15 other members of the congregation; with 7 children and young people. 31 Sunday services and 40 children's services were conducted.

     ENGLAND.

Colchester Society: Rev. Victor J. Gladish, Pastor of the Society, reports that the outstanding events of the year were: (1) the Bishop's proposal to provide a minister in charge of Extension work; (2) the " British Assembly," when an interim plan for extension work was agreed upon; and (3 the outbreak of the War, with the many consequent readjustments. He reports that, in order to pay for an air-raid shelter and some minor war expenses totalling about forty pounds, a scheme of special contributions was devised; and Messrs. Waters and Appleton have collected at least three-fourths of the amount, the balance to be raised by small weekly or monthly payments. It is expected that this will encourage the young people who have recently become wage-earners to form regular habits of contributing to society support, and continue when the shelter is paid for. He says: "I would add that the real pinch of wartime demands on the individual purse does not seem to have been greatly felt as yet, and probably lies ahead. The general attitude toward church uses and interests seems to be good. Attendance at functions has largely recovered from its setback in the early days of the war. We have more meetings on Sundays to avoid travel in black out ` conditions and under petrol restrictions; but a way has been found to maintain nearly all of our activities." He adds that "it is a problem now somewhat more than in former years to meet the need of the younger people for a balanced education in the Church."

London Society ("Michael Church"): The Rt. Rev. Robert J. Tilson, former pastor of the Society, reports that he acted as Pastor pro tem. from May 5 to June 7, during Mr. Acton's absence. He also officiated at the funeral of Mr. Wilfred Pike; and asked on one occasion in the administration of the Communion.

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     Rev. A. Wynne Acton, as present Pastor, reports that, since the outbreak of the war in September, many of the usual activities have had to be curtailed; but they have been replaced by others, especially by a doctrinal class following a luncheon on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. He has continued as editor of the " Monthly News Letter, a mimeographed magazine circulated to all the members and friends of the General Church in Great Britain, including all pastors of the General Church. He has taken several trips to visit various isolated members in England. He has also served as member of the " British Finance Committee." the Council of the Swedenborg Society, and as Secretary of its Advisory and Revision Board, and as a member of its Library Committee.

     SWEDEN.

Gothenburg Circle: Rev. Erik Sandstrom reports that during the year the Circle suffered the loss of its only family, who moved to Soderkoping. As a consequence the Circle has at present no place where services may be held. He paid two visits to Gothenburg and one to Soderkoping; with two administrations of the Communion. One missionary public lecture was held in a hired hall the subject being, "Why Providence Permits War." 14 persons attended.

Jonkoping Society: Rev. Erik Sandstrom, as Pastor, reports that, in November, the Society moved into a new apartment, including two rooms, the larger of which is used as a hall of worship, and the smaller as the pastor's study. Three missionary socials were arranged in the new hall, on each of which occasions he delivered a missionary address. The average attendance of strangers was six. In October, he began to edit a multigraphed monthly periodical called Tro Och Liv ("Faith and Life"), the official organ of the Jonkoping Society.

Stockholm Society ("Nya Kyrkans Forsamling"): Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom as Pastor reports that, besides the regular weekly doctrinal classes, he has had a class of young people reading The Infinite in English; also classes, with discussion, with the " Young People's Club." He held one public lecture. He also preached once in Colchester, and gave an address at the British Assembly there.

     NORWAY.

     Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom reports that he held 4 public lectures in Oslo, with an average attendance of 71 persons; also 2 public services and 2 doctrinal classes in Oslo. The Holy Supper was administered at the services. It was also administered once in Str3ngn3s to a group of 5 persons, and in Kristinehamn to 2 persons, and twice to one person in Malmkoping in Sweden.

     HOLLAND.

The Hague Society: Rev. Eldred E. Iungerich, as Pastor, reports that three members resigned on account of opposition to government by the priesthood, and one new member was added.

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Twelve monthly issues of "De Nieuwe Bedeeling " have been published, and are arousing increasing interest. Regular services have been held twice a month, and a doctrinal class every Friday evening, except in June, July, and August. He visited the British Assembly in August, and delivered an address on "Truth separated from Good is Finite."

     FRANCE.

Paris Society: Rev. Eldred E. Iungerich, as Visiting Pastor, reports that his visits were made regularly on the third Sunday of each month, from January through June. Five Sunday School classes were held in the mornings. In the afternoons regular services were held at 1 rue Barthelemy. On the first Sunday of each month the vice-president of the Society, Mr. Louis Lucas, conducted the services. On June 18 a joint banquet was held with the Federation New Church group at a restaurant facing the Bon Marche, 22 being present. Since the war broke out, his visits to Paris have been discontinued, and Mr. Louis Lucas has held only one service. The ball at 1 rue Barthelemy is not to be rented in 1940.
     Mine. Eugene Jeunechamps (Oliva Hussenet) died on September 22, leaving her husband (a captain of cavalry now at the front) and three children, Jacques 12, Arlette 10, Oliva Monique 8.

     AUSTRALIA.

Hurstville (N. S. IV.) Society: Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Pastor, reports twelve monthly celebrations of the Holy Supper. 2 betrothals, 2 marriages, and one baptism.

     Rev. Richard Morse reports the baptism of two infants.

     SOUTH AFRICA.

Alpha (0. F. S. Circle): Rev. Frederick W. Elphirk reports that, during the past year, there have been no official meetings or services under his administration. It is reported that a few services have been held in the Alpha chapel by Mr. J. H. Ridgway. Although still appearing on the cover of the LIFE as an advertised "Circle" of the General Church, the fact is that the Circle, as it used to be, has been disbanded long ago.

Durban (Natal) Society: No report has been received.

General Church (Native) Mission: Rev. Frederick W. Elphick, Superintendent of the Mission, reports that there has been no Theological School work during 1939. The undermentioned visits have been made; and lectures have been given to the ministers of the Mission on the differences between the "General Church" and "The Hague Position." The notes on which these lectures were based were published by him and printed at the Mission Press at "Alpha" in August last.

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     The places visited were:-

Alpha (4)
Esididini, Natal (1)
Hambrook, Natal (1)
Tongaat, Natal (1)
Khopane, Basutoland (2)
Mafika, Lisiu, Basutoland (1)
Sterkstroom, C. P. (2)
Ha Lukas, Basutoland (1)
Qopo, Basutoland (1)
Kent Manor, Zululand (3
Mayville, Durian (1)
     
     (The numbers above indicate the number of Sunday services given at each place, in addition to the visiting of schools and weekday supervision of the work.)
     He also conducted seven services in the Durban Society, on invitation by the Rev. P. N. Odhner (including two evening services). He also conducted 2 children's services.

Native Ministers' Reports: Reports of a statistical nature were received from 11 of the 19 native ministers, as follows:-

     Rev. Stephen Ephr. Butelezi (Hambrook)
     Rev. John M. Jiyana (Lusitania)
     Rev. Johnson Kandisa (Sterkstroom)
     Rev. Moffat Mcanyana (Kent Manor)
     Rev. J. Motsi (Greylingstad)
     Rev. Aaron N. Mphatse (Luka's)
     Rev. Jonas Mphatse (Qopo)
     Rev. Nathaniel Mphatse (Mafika-Lisiu)
     Rev. Benjamin I. Nzimande (Macabazini)
     Rev. Peter Sabela (Kent Manor)
     Rev. Philip J. Stole (Durban)

               Respectfully submitted,
                    WILLIAM WHITEHEAD,
                    Secretary, Council of the Clergy
April 9, 1940.
GOODS OF LIFE AND TRUTHS OF DOCTRINE 1940

GOODS OF LIFE AND TRUTHS OF DOCTRINE              1940

     There are those in the church who primarily, or in the first place regard truths of doctrine, and nor goods of life; when yet goods of life are to be regarded in the first place, that is, primarily; for so far as a man is in the goods of life, so far he is really in the truths of doctrine; but not the reverse. The reason is, that goods of life open the interiors of the mind; which being opened, truths appear in their own light, from which they are not only understood, but also loved. It is otherwise when doctrinals are regarded primarily, or in the first place. Then, indeed, truths may be known, but not interiorly seen, and loved from spiritual affection.
     Every church, when it is commencing, regards the goods of life in the first place, and truths of doctrine in the second; but as the church declines, it begins to regard the truths of doctrine in the first place, and the goods of life in the second; and at length, in the end, it regards faith alone, and then not only separates the goods of life from faith, but also omits them." (A. R. 82.)

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     Since our last report, in the February Life, we have had only two visits by the Rev. Norman Reuter,- February 10-12 and April 20-23. This was a longer period than usual between meetings, but Mr. Reuter is a very busy man, with a pastorate embracing three States and a Canadian border city, and entailing hundreds of miles of driving. The visits to Detroit must be worked in among many other demands on his time.
     The problem of inculcating the important habit of church-going with the children of isolated New Church families is indeed difficult where services are held so infrequently, and then in quarters not very conducive to worship.
     During both of these visits the usual doctrinal and children's classes were held, with full services on each of the Sundays. Practically our entire membership turned out on both occasions. At the service on February 11, more than 40 were present, including the following visitors: Mr. and Mrs. Horace Day and Doris Day, of Kitchener; Mrs. Frank Day, of Chicago; and Mrs. Philip Cooper and son, George, of Merchantville, N. J. All of these friends had come to attend the Bradin-Cook wedding, and it was a great pleasure to have them with us at the Sunday service also.
     At the February meeting we inaugurated a new plan of all assembling for luncheon at a convenient restaurant, then going in a body to our place of worship. This arrangement turned out to be so successful and enjoyable that we tried it again at the April meeting, and it may prove to be the solution of our luncheon problem. A welcome visitor at our April meetings was Mrs. Leon Rose, who was on a visit to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Childs.
     Mr. Reuter is scheduled to visit us again on June 1st. The next day our Sunday service will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Childs in Saginaw which will probably end the activities of our circle until September. So, for the time being, we are bidding adieu to the readers of New Church Life.
     W. W. W.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     January and February were months of comparative quiet in which our activities were restricted to the maintenance of public worship and the uses of the Sunday School. Highlights of this period were a Society picnic on January 29, the annual celebration of Swedenborg's birthday which was held the next day, and the Sunday School picnic which took place on the following Saturday, February 3. Both picnics were held in ideal surroundings, under most favorable weather conditions, and were much enjoyed by those who were able to take part in them.
     The celebration of Swedenborg's birthday took the form of a banquet, and the high standard we have come to expect as a matter of course at such functions was well maintained. Mr. Ossian Heldon was, as always, a genial and capable toastmaster. Short addresses on Swedenborg's life at the University, the Royal College of Mines, his duties as an Assessor, and his various foreign journeys, were given by Mr. Norman Heldon, the Pastor, and Mr. Lindthman Heldon, respectively. The company also had the pleasure of hearing from the Rev. F. W. Elphick, who sent for the occasion a short paper, which harmonized well with the other addresses given.

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Toasts to the Church, to the memory of Swedenborg, and to the Society, were proposed by Messrs. T. D. Taylor and A. Kirsten and the Pastor, and were honored in the customary manner. After our gratitude had been expressed to the toastmaster for the interesting program he had arranged, the pronouncing of the Blessing by the Pastor brought to a close a meeting that was much enjoyed by the twenty-six members and friends present.
     The Hurstville Society was much interested in the dedication, at the beginning of February, of the place of worship built by the Sydney Society of the New Church in Clarence Street, Sydney. About a dozen of our members attended the dedication, which was performed by the Rev. Richard H. Teed, of Melbourne, and those who could go were also present at other functions held in the new building later in the week. Our friends in Sydney now have a beautiful and dignified home, well adapted to the uses of a Society, and suited in every way to be a worthy shrine for the spirit of the Church. In the new phase of life that has opened for them, it is our hope that there may ever be a quickening of that spirit among them. Mr. Teed is always a welcome visitor in Hurstville, and on Monday, February 5, he was the guest of honor at a social supper, which was well attended. The Pastor presided, and after toasts to the Church, to our guest, and to his wife, who was not present. had been proposed by Mr. Morse, Mr. Ossain Heldon, and the Pastor. Mr. Teed spoke on the subject of Unity in the New Church. A short social program arranged by Mr. Lindthman Heldon brought to a close another happy and memorable meeting with our friend from Melbourne.

     New Season's Program.

     With the coming of March, the Society resumed all its activities. Our program for the year is an intensive one, and as a summarization of its main features mar assist in the formation of a picture of the uses of the Society, we give it here as a matter of general interest. Worship is provided for through the regular Sunday morning service, with its monthly climax in the administration of the Holy Supper. In the field of adult education we have the following projects:-1. The monthly evangelical service with a lecture-sermon on some fundamental doctrine of the Church; 2. The general doctrinal class, which is held every Sunday evening, unless there is a service or a social supper; 3. The young people's class, meeting fortnightly; 4. A fortnightly class in general doctrine for those who have come to the Church fairly recently; 5. A short class held monthly in connection with the meetings of the Ladies' Guild; and, 6. A monthly study circle for Sunday School teachers, in which the principles of New Church education are considered. Child education is, of course, the work of the Sunday School. The particular needs of the men and women of the Society are met by the local Chapter of the Sons and the Ladies' Guild, respectively. Organized social life, which is proceeding along the lines determined upon last year, is under the guidance of a committee, and the young people still have their own social club, which meets once a month.
     It was on this program that we embarked at the beginning of March. A series of four addresses on The Consummation of the Age, The Second Coming of the Lord, The Last Judgment, and The New Church, was commenced at the first evening service. In the general doctrinal class a series of classes on Angels and Spirits with Men is being given. The young people are still studying physiological correspondences. The Heavenly Doctrine and Heaven and Hell are being read with and explained to the fortnightly class and the Ladies' Guild, respectively, and the teachers are still studying Conversations on Education. At present the children in the Sunday School are being given a series of talks on the moral virtues.

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Our committees, the young people's club, the Guild, and the Sons have all settled down in earnest to the work of the year. At the Annual Meeting of the last named body-at which, by the way, all the officers were re-elected,-an interesting joint treatment of the doctrine of charity was presented by Messrs. Lindthman and Sydney Heldon. On Wednesday, March 13, the Rev. W. Cairns and Mrs. Henderson entertained the members of the Society in the church hall at the first party of the season. The attendance and the spirit of the evening were most gratifying to the host and hostess.

     Easter.

     Our celebration of Easter was, as always, a delightful and inspiring experience. Palm Sunday was suitably observed, both at the morning service and in the school, and there was the usual evening service on Good Friday, at which the Pastor preached on "Joseph of Arimathea." On Easter morning the Holy Supper was administered to twenty-one communicants at the close of a most inspiring service at which the sermon was on "The Magdalene Church." The Lord's work of redemption was explained simply to the children at their service in the afternoon, this service being marked by the high sphere which has become characteristic of it. Mrs. Fletcher, as usual, trained the children in the music used, and Mrs. Henderson again prepared the representation. The quarterly Feast of Charity was held in the evening, and the nineteen friends who attended were amply rewarded for their presence by the paper for the evening, which was " Divine Providence as Manifested in Geological History," by the late Professor R. W. Brown. This unusual and stimulating study led to an interesting discussion, and will do much to preserve among us the remembrance of Mr. Brown, who is still held in affectionate recollection by those who recall his visit to Australia.
     The usual boating picnic was held at National Park on Easter Monday, and although the river was so low that we spent most of the time running aground and getting free again, and the rest of it wondering where we would ground next, we had a most enjoyable time. And so ends the varied record of another three months. We decline to accept the end as in any sense prophetic, but believe that when another report is due, we will still be afloat and forging ahead.
     W. C. H.

     BRYN ATHYN.

     Death of Mrs. Bellinger.

     In the ripe old age of her ninety-second year, a lifelong member of the New Church was taken from among us with the passing of Mrs. Theodore Bellinger, nee Elizabeth Doering, on April 28. A large congregation of relatives and friends attended the funeral service in the cathedral, conducted by Bishop Acton.
     Elizabeth Doering was born in Phillipsburg, Ontario, on February 2, 1849, the daughter of Christian and Wilhelmina Doering, her father being a pioneer receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines in Canada. On September 14, 1869, she was married to Theodore Bellinger, of Waterloo, Ontario, and their union was blessed with three daughters and two sons. Residing in Waterloo for twenty years, Mr. and Mrs. Bellinger were active members of the Berlin Society, but embraced the Academy views and promoted the establishment of the New Church day school instituted there in 1888.
     After her husbands death in 1889, Mrs. Bellinger moved with her children to Philadelphia, to comply with his wish that they be educated in the Academy Schools under the guardianship of Bishop Benade. When the children were grown, she returned to Canada, and settled in Toronto. She lived for some years with her daughter Celia in Pittsburgh, and more recently in Bryn Athyn.
     Forceful in character, of great perseverance, well informed and intelligent in the Doctrines, she was zealous in the cause of the New Church wherever she lived.

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Her daughter Theodora (Mrs. Homer Synnestvedt) and her son Doering predeceased her. She is survived by her daughters, Irene (Mrs. Harvey Farrington) and Celia, and by her son Homer; also by 15 of her 17 grandchildren, and 36 greatgrandchildren.

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     At a special meeting of the society on February 7, the Rev. Philip N. Odhner was granted a 312 months' leave of absence, so that he might accept the invitation of Bishop de Charms to attend the Annual Council Meetings in Bryn Athyn. With Mrs. Odhner and their family, he sailed from Durban on March 11, having been delayed for several weeks by the illness of their daughter Kirstin. For the same reason the farewell party in their honor was cancelled, but many friends gathered on board the ship to wish them a safe journey and a happy reunion with their relatives and friends in America.
     Meanwhile, the Rev. F. W. Elphick has very kindly taken over the office of pastor. We are fortunate and happy to have him, and trust that the added responsibility and work will not be too great.
     Two prospective members have recently been welcomed,-the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Cockerell, baptized on March 10, and the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Basil Braby, born March 15.
     Four engagements have recently been announced: Miss Moyra Steel to Second Lieutenant Horace Braby; Miss Yveline Rogers to Mr. Peter Prinz; Miss Joan Hammond to Mr. Brian Melville Ridgway; and Miss Doris Ellen Robbins to Mr. Cohn Owen Ridgway. Our congratulations and very best wishes to them all!
     The Easter Services for children and for adults were very impressive and beautiful, the church being decorated with large blue hydrangeas. The discourse dealt with the text, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father." (John 20: 17.) Reference was made to the several incidents connected with the Resurrection Morning and their spiritual meaning, and showed the reason for the rebuke to Mary Magdalene, and for the experience of the apostle Thomas. Note was made of the inexhaustible truth concerning the glorification, the absolute arcana of which even the highest angels cannot fathom, and which man can only see relatively. The Holy Communion was administered at the close of the service.
     Theta Alpha gave their annual Easter party for the children on Thursday, March 21. The children were divided into two groups, those of the pre-school age being invited to the home of Mrs. Schuorman, where they spent a happy afternoon playing games and looking for Easter eggs, followed by a party supper. The older children were entertained at the home of Mrs. Lowe, where they spent a similarly happy afternoon.
     Our Wednesday evening doctrinal class was resumed on April 3, Mr. Elphick taking up The Divine Love and Wisdom for study. He has also offered to deal with any special doctrine or doctrines in the form of lectures, if desired.
     Mr. and Mrs. George Pemberton celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on April 8. The members of the society were invited to a tea in honor of the event at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lowe on Sunday afternoon. April 7. Mr. Elphick first proposed a toast to "The Church," and all joined in singing
     Our Glorious Church." after which our sincere and affectionate congratulations were extended to Mr. and Mrs. Pemberton by Mr. J. J. Forfar, who spoke of the excellent and untiring work which both have always done in this society, and of the interest, thought and care which Mrs. Pemberton has always expressed to her family and friends. Mr. Forfar then presented a fine wireless set to them as a token of love and esteem from the members of their family and their children, from their brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, and their children and grandchildren.

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Mr. Pemberton responded, thanking the gathering for their kind wishes and for their gift to his wife and himself. After speaking of the size of the Cockerell family, he went on to say that he believed that hard work had kept his wife and himself well, and he wished to recommend it to all.
     A linen shower was held in honor of Miss Yveline Rogers at the home of Mrs. Alec Souchon on Tuesday afternoon, April 2. After a delightful tea had been served, Yveline was presented with a large clothes basket filled to overflowing with many pretty and useful gifts. A second, and this time a kitchen shower, given for Yveline at the home of Mrs. Schuurman on Monday evening, April 8. With the men also present, it was a jolly and lively evening, and again many necessary and useful articles were presented to Yveline. The date of her marriage to Mr. Prinz has been set for May 5.
     Mr. and Mrs. Ted Waters and family returned to their home at Alpha on April 8, after a month's vacation in Durban at the home of Mrs. D'Arcy Cockerell. It was a pleasure to have them with us in our society life, and we hope that before too long they will come again. Corporal Hugh Scott Forfar is attending a six weeks' course on the "Vickers Gun" at the military college in Voortrekkerhoogte, Transvaal.
     Friends of Mrs. Denise Cockerell Stenhouse will be grieved to hear that her husband, Mr. James Stenhouse, who has been seriously ill for some time, has been taken to Johannesburg, and has undergone a serious operation on the brain, the outcome of which is as yet uncertain. The sympathy and best wishes of all their friends go out to them.

     Death of Mrs. Attersoll.

     With the passing of Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Attersoll on February 21 in her eighty-fourth year, our society has parted with one who was an active and faithful member for many years. a regular attendant at all its services and other functions.
     Mrs. Attersoll was born in New York in the year 1856. During her infancy, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Charles Grix, removed with their family to South Africa, settling in Durban. In 1876 she was married to Mr. Harold Thomas Attersoll, and to them were born two sons and three daughters. Two of the latter are members of the Durban Society,- Mrs. Melville Ridgway and Miss Jessie Attersoll. All of the children survive her, with the exception of Grace, who died in infancy.
     B. R. F.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     The celebration of the joyous Easter season began with the Palm Sunday service, at which the children made their annual floral offering,- a service delightful to the ear and the eye. The Good Friday evening service was characterized by dignity and solemnity. The Easter service itself, when the glad tidings of "the Lord has Risen" was the beautiful thought around which the sermon, music and lessons were centered, was an inspiring conclusion to our celebration.
     In the Spring, the Forward-Sons' fancy turns to thoughts of entertaining the ladies. These were ultimated this year in a well-prepared supper and an evening's entertainment of speeches, songs, contests and court-whist. The ladies agreed that it was an enjoyable occasion, and one which we hope will be annually repeated.
     During the pastor's absence, due to illness, we had the pleasure of hearing the Rev. Alan Gill and the Rev. Norbert Rogers on Sundays, April 28 and May 5, respectively.
     Again we have sustained the loss of one of our younger men with the passing of Mr. Arthur Strowger into the other world. He will be missed by us, and in particular by his wife Ruby, but a realization comes to us that there must be important uses for such young men in the spiritual world during these trying days
     M. S. P.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1940

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       EDWARD F. ALLEN       1940




     Announcements



     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will be held in the chapel of Benade Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday. June 8. 1940, at 8.00 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.
     After opportunity has been given for the presentation and discussion of the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Academy, an Address will be delivered by Dr. Charles R. Pendleton.
     EDWARD F. ALLEN.
          Secretary.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

GENERAL ASSEMBLY       WILLARD D. PENDLETON       1940

     Notice to Campers.

     The Assembly Committee wishes to announce that, in place of the free camping site, we have arranged for the use of the locker rooms in the Shady Side Gymnasium. These accommodations are free to all high school boys and college men who cannot afford a room in the men's dormitory. The Committee will provide beds, but applicants must bring their own blankets. Please make reservations through the Assembly Committee, 299 Le Roi Road. Pittsburgh, Pa.
     WILLARD D. PENDLETON,
          Chairman.
Meeting of Teachers 1940

Meeting of Teachers              1940

     An Address will be delivered by the Rev. Dr. William Whitehead at the Meeting of Teachers, which is to be held on Tuesday evening, June 25, at 8.00 p.m., prior to the formal opening of the General Assembly. Dr. Whitehead will speak on " New Church Education as a Professional Life."

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SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY              1940

     Shady Side Academy, Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, June 25.
     8.00     p.m.-Meeting of Teachers. Wednesday, June 26.
     10.00     a.m.-First Session of the Assembly.
               Opening Service. Address by the Right Rev. George de Charms.
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Corporation of the General Church.
     2.15     p.m.-Theta Alpha Business Meeting.
     9.00     p.m.-Reception and Dance.

Thursday, June 27.
     10.00     a.m.-Second Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter.
               Subject: "The Extension Work of the General Church."
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Academy Finance Association.
     8.00     p.m.-Third Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton.
               Subject: "Influx."
     10.00     p.m.-Informal Dancing.

Friday, June 28.
     10.00     a.m.-Fourth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Rev. C. E. Doering.
               Subject: "The Academy."
     1.00     p.m.-Theta Alpha Luncheon.
     1.00     p.m.-Sons of the Academy Luncheon and Meeting.
     8.00     p.m.-Fifth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by Mr. Francis L. Frost.
               Subject: "Opportunity."
     10.00 p.m.-Informal Dancing.

Saturday, June 29.
     10.00     am-Sixth Session of the Assembly.
               Address by the Right Rev. Alfred Acton.
               Subject: "The Spiritual World and the Natural."
     2.15     p.m.-Meeting of the Executive Committee.
     2.15     p.m.-Theta Alpha Business Meeting (if needed).
     7.00     p.m.-Assembly Banquet.
     Toastmaster: Mr. Charles H. Ebert.

Sunday, June 30.
     11.00     am-Divine Worship.
               Sermon: Rev. Gilbert H. Smith.
               Administration of the Holy Supper.

Visitors are asked to bring their Liturgies.



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DESCENT OF HEAVEN 1940

DESCENT OF HEAVEN        ALFRED ACTON       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
JULY, 1940
No. 7
     (Shorthand report of an extemporaneous Address delivered at the Philadelphia District Assembly, May 4, 1940.)

     Bishop, Members and Friends of the Assembly: The subject to which I wish to call your attention this afternoon is the descent of heaven, and by that I mean, not merely the descent of heaven to earth, but the descent of heaven into the created universe: that is to say, the manifestation, in the created universe, of the love of God which was the purpose of creation-the manifestation of that love, the essence of which is to give to others. This was the sole purpose of creation: and, indeed, a little reflection will show you that creation can he accounted for in no other way. Everything that is done is done for the sake of this end.
     The Divine end in the creation of the universe was the giving of happiness to created beings. It was for this purpose that the first of creation ultimated itself in what we call dead matter; for the design of Divine Love to give of itself to others could not be accomplished except first by the existence of dead matter from which forms of life could be created which would appear to be self-existent. Here we have a universal view of that great law which is spoken of so often in the Writings-the law that in ultimates is power. This is a universal law, because it is by ultimates, and by ultimates alone, that the Lord secures the end of His Love, which is to give to others. Therefore all power of giving resides in ultimates: and by ultimates I mean the lowest things of creation. Power is not from ultimates.

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Power is from God. But God exercises that power for the enlightenment of man, and for his edification, by means of ultimates. Hence also arises man's freedom to receive or to reject. This law concerning ultimates enters into all Divine operations, and into all human operations. In order that we may do good to each other be of use to each other, or also be harmful to each other, our purpose must descend into ultimates, there to be fulfilled.
     When the natural world was created, with the three kingdoms,- the mineral, the vegetable, and the animal-God said that it was good. "And God created . . . and God saw that it was good." That which was created was good because the created world was a theatre representative of the Divine Love and Wisdom. It was, indeed, the flesh and bones of God-lifeless in themselves, and nevertheless, because receiving life from God, breathing forth beauty and happiness and use for the enjoyment of that human kingdom which was yet to come.
     Even in nature, as thus created prior to man, we see something of the Divine Love to give to others outside itself, that they may be in the enjoyment of life, as it were, of themselves. For in all the things of nature we find something of the as of itself. The flower turns to the sun as though in enjoyment of its heat and light: it puts forth its colors and odors as though expressing the delight and joy of its life. The animal lives as of itself, although its life comes from God. Indeed, there is nothing that can be created by God that does not have an image of His Love, that is, an image of that love which wills to give to others, that the gift may be, as it were, their own.
     But nature, thus created, was only a relatively dead image of the Divine Love. It was, as it were, a theatre, which represented that love, but on which were no living actors to bring that love to view in higher, more living manifestation. Therefore, when nature was created with her three kingdoms, God created man, that man might be a living image of Himself, that by man He might bring forth, not only natural uses, but also spiritual uses whereby He could give heavenly happiness to man: whereby man could become a living image of God, performing uses to other men and thereby becoming a free agent whereby the Divine Love of giving to others outside Itself could be fulfilled. And so, when Adam was created, God said, not that it was good, but that it was "very good" or "good exceedingly," for man was the crown of creation.

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     Now the one factor in man which distinguishes him from all other created beings is, not the as of itself, but the consciousness of the possession of this as of itself. Man can reflect on the fact that he lives as of himself. Every least organ in man is so created that it lives as of itself, and so is in the enjoyment of the exercise of its function. But man is so created that he can look down upon himself and see that, while his senses seem to live as of themselves, those senses must not dominate. The fact that man can see this shows that he must have some other organ besides the organs of the senses, and that this organ, which we call the organ of the mind, must also have the as of itself. In other words, the man condemns the domination of his life by the delights of the senses, but in that very condemnation he also has the as of itself, and therefore delights ]n the condemnation.
     I mention this because I should like to impress upon you the fact that the as of itself is given by God to man as the very essential by which he may be an image of God: for only thus can he obey God as of himself. Therefore, God has given to every organ of man from the highest to the lowest, the love of itself. No man will do anything except from love. If man shuns evils as sins, he does it for the satisfaction of some organ receptive of life. This is the reason why it is said in the Writings that, however perfect a man may be, however he may obey God, there is, intimately with his obedience and devotion, something of the love of self. For this reason no man is pure in the sight of God. This is necessary: for if we are to love God as of ourselves, then we must do this from love, and we can do nothing from love unless it pleases us so to do. You may say that, for the sake of a higher end, we do indeed give ourselves displeasure, give ourselves pain, deny ourselves many things, inflict privations on ourselves. Nevertheless, in pursuing that higher end, we ourselves satisfy the as of itself that is implanted in some organ of our being that has received the laws of God and that delights in submitting the natural man to those laws. Therefore we are told in the Writings that in every man from creation were created three loves-the love of self, the love of the world, and the love of heaven.
     By the love of self is meant the love experienced by every organ of life in the exercise of its function.

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But, more specifically, by the love of self is meant the satisfaction of the organs and senses of the body,-the love that what the body wants shall be obtained. By the love of the world is meant the love of the things, which the world offers to us, the love of all the sciences that make those things available to our use, and the love of all the arts that elevate and ennoble our pleasures. And by the love of heaven is meant the love of the truths that come from heaven, that is, the love of spiritual truths.
     These three loves are implanted in every man: they are in every infant in potency. Their existence can be confirmed before the reason by some reflection on our own states. That we have the love of self is manifest-manifest almost from the first moment of birth. That we have the love of the world is almost equally manifest, for what young person grows up without finding pleasure when he is instructed concerning the things of science or the things of the world making them available to himself. That we have the love of heaven is also manifest, though perhaps in a less degree. For what man is there that does not find in himself, unless his mind is utterly perverted, some delight in the truths of heaven? At any rate, some spontaneous perception of those truths when uttered, and some desire that they may prevail in him? I know that, at this day, so strong is heredity that many cupidities arise and give birth to many thoughts that make this love of heaven seem obscure; and yet it still exists. It seems obscure because of contrary loves that wage war against it. Yet it does exist. And in the Most Ancient Church it existed without these contrarieties, and was the basis of the spiritual development of man from almost an animal to his being an image of God.
     These three loves are given to man in order that the Divine Love-the love to give to others-may come to fruition. It can come to fruition only in and through man. The kingdoms of nature do indeed produce uses, but those uses have no ascent to heaven except in man. The vegetable kingdom feeds the animal kingdom, and the animal kingdom produces many things of use; but the end of these uses does not exist except in man. Man can take the uses of the kingdoms of nature, and make them mediums by which the love of heaven may come into ultimate fruition-that love which is the love of giving to others.

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     Potentially, then, man is a microcosm and a macrocosm. Potentially man contains in himself all the things of the world, that is, the love of all the things of the world and he contains within himself the ability to receive all the things of heaven, and to fashion his world as an image of his heaven. If I might use the language with which Swedenborg closes his Principia: Man was created in order that by means of him those things could be created by the Lord which could not otherwise be created. God can create the kingdoms of nature; God can create the human being: but only by means of man can God create the ultimates of that Divine Love which consists in giving to others.
     Man, as it were, is a creator; and herein he is distinguished from animals. Animals do not create; but man is a creator, and this not only of natural things, but also of spiritual things. Indeed, in a sense, it may be said that man is a creator of the spiritual world. I am sure that in saving this no one will misunderstand me. No one will think that I mean that man has any real creative power. Even in the world, man has no real creative power. He can but take the things of nature, adapt them to such a form that the forces of nature can flow into them, and thereby produce uses. We cannot create matter, but we have the ability so to fashion matter that it may receive force, that so the uses which descend into the kingdom of nature shall come into manifest fruition. It is the same in spiritual things. God alone is Creator of heaven. God alone is the Creator of the goods and truths, which give their blessings to men. God alone is the Creator of the charity by which uses are performed by one man to another. Nevertheless, it is of Divine Order that these creations are effected only by means of man, that without man they cannot he created.
     We have an image of this in man's soul. Man's soul is distinguished from all other souls in this, that it is a living image of God; it has a reception of God on a more interior plane of nature than any other organic being. That soul is an embodiment in the inmosts of nature of the love of God, and like God its Creator, it wills to give to others. Consequently, it first creates a material body, and to this body it gives the power to perform its functions as if of itself, and so gives also delight in the performance of those functions. Even as with the senses, so there is not a single function of the body that does not bring with it delight.

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That delight is, with the delight of the soul, but a delight given to the body that the body may feel it as its own, and this to the end that by this means the body may prepare itself for the further gifts of the soul,-may prepare itself to receive those higher ends designed by the soul in the creation of the body.
     And analogically, as the body is created by the soul, so man is created by God that he may bring forth to manifestation the love of God which is to give to others. Here we have the reason why in the Writings it is said that charity consists in performing the duties of one's calling justly, faithfully, and sincerely. Nothing else is charity but that,-the performance of one's duty justly, faithfully, and sincerely. For when we thus perform the duties of our calling, we are servants in the hands of God for the giving of uses to others-for the giving to others of that happiness, both spiritual and natural, the giving of which is the end of creation.
     Because the exercise of this charity is the end for which we are created on earth, therefore, in a depraved state of the world, it is here that we find the greatest perversion and abuse. We see this in the world today, in the constant struggle about wages and rights, the struggle between employers and employees, the struggle of men for higher compensation rather than for more faithful service, for emoluments and rewards rather than for uses. We can see it also in ourselves, if only we ask ourselves how far we prepare ourselves for the just performance of our use, and how far in that performance we act justly, sincerely, and faithfully.
     There are other deeds which accompany charity, but they do not constitute charity itself,-the internal manifestation of the love of God. The only thing that brings the love of God into ultimate manifestation is the performance of the duties of one's calling justly, faithfully, and sincerely. A man who does this has charity; he has the love of giving to others, and with that the fear of depriving others of what is rightly theirs. Accompanying this charity come also the good works of charity; for there are many things, other than the uses of his calling, which the charitable man does from charity. They are comprised in the expression "to have pity and compassion on the neighbor," to be willing to help one in distress, and to be willing to help, even if the distress is self-deserved; to will the good of another, and not to will his harm. We all know within ourselves that the natural instinct is not to help the weaknesses of others, but rather to call attention to those weaknesses.

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Often, also, we are conscious of the desire that others shall not enjoy what is rightly theirs, in order that we may enjoy it. To pity others, to bring them help in distress-these are the good works of charity. They are not charity, because an evil man can do these good works equally as a good man; but only the good man can do them as good works of charity.
     We have also the duties of charity, the debts of charity, the social life of charity. All these-duties, debts, social life-can be done and enjoyed by the evil equally as by the good. But with the evil they are not duties of charity, or debts of charity, or the social life of charity, for they spring from the love of self. The duties of charity are man's duties as a citizen, as a parent, as a fellow man; the debts of charity are obligations due to other men and to the country; and the social life of charity consists in the enjoyment of social life with our fellow men. With the man who is in charity, all these are ultimate manifestations of charity, and being ultimates, they are further means by which God, through that man, gives delights to others, and thus secures the end of His Love.
     Charity, then, is the performance of the duties of one's calling, justly, faithfully, and sincerely. This is the internal and essential of the ultimate worship of the Lord. The external of such worship is piety. And it may not be amiss to interpose here something concerning piety. For the teaching that the man of the church will live in externals as does the man of the world may sometimes dim our vision as to the use and necessity of piety, and lead us to ignore the fact that by the man of the world in the teaching alluded to is meant the man who, while enjoying the delights of the world, yet conducts himself with propriety and decorum and with due observance of the laws of external order. Piety involves, not only reverence in matters of external worship, but also respect for others, decorum, and propriety of conduct. But this by the way.
     Perhaps the supreme thing in which man may he considered as a creator is seen in the fact that God has made him the means whereby the angelic heavens are to be filled; has given to him the procreation of the human race, whereby the end of Divine Love may be fulfilled. That this end may be secured, the Lord has given man conjugial love and love of the sex.

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These loves, therefore, are the most universal of all loves, the most powerful and the most far-reaching in their effects. In the world, men see that marriage is the very basis of society, and men who think more clearly are therefore greatly concerned as to the condition of the Christian world with regard to marriage. We ourselves in the church may also be concerned, not only at the condition in the world, but at the condition in the church itself. We may consider with concern as to how far the minds of the young in our midst are being cultivated for the establishment of conjugial love. We may consider with concern as to how far we ourselves are means for the establishment of this love on earth; and if we look more deeply into our own heart, we may consider with concern the many evil things that oppose this establishment. It is not to be wondered at that, in a world that has departed from God, conjugial love and the love of the sex, the most universal means by which God descends to produce natural and spiritual creation, are the most universally abused, and that the abuse is productive of the greatest spiritual and moral calamities of the world at this day.
     Heaven is to descend by means of man, but principally it is to descend by means of conjugial love established with man; for by means of conjugial love, not only are offspring born for heaven, but spiritual uses also are born. We do not see this latter birth; and yet we do see it if only we can have some perception of the affections and perceptions that are the offspring of a spiritually happy marriage, and that manifest themselves in the love of the church and the love of our fellow men. All those perceptions and affections are the growth and birth of conjugial love. This birth, however, is in the hands of the Lord. "The heavens are the Lords; the earth hath He given to the sons of men." Even as a farmer, when he cultivates his field, knows that God and nature will bring forth the fruit, so we may know that, if we cultivate the field of the mind, the Divine Love will bring forth the spiritual fruit of loves and affections of perceptions and thoughts, whereby to bless man and make him happy.
     But heaven descends through man by means of truths. The love of heaven, which is inherent in every man, could never come to manifestation unless the truths of heaven were revealed.

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For the performance of uses on earth we need many scientific textbooks. It would be useless for men to enter into the field of natural uses, were they not equipped with the knowledges, the sciences, the experiences that have been accumulated by the labors of the past. These scientific textbooks are based on observations of nature, and with some, perchance, on the observation of the operation of God's law in ultimates. No natural uses can be performed, and still less perfected, without a knowledge of the sciences. So, also, a life of spiritual uses demands its science. This science, however, is not based on the observations of the laws of nature; it is based on the study of Revelation. We need countless books, countless numbers of men, countless years of study and experience, all based on Divine Revelation. Without these, we cannot hope to grow in the performance of spiritual uses.
     In the New Church, it is as we grow in this spiritual science or spiritual philosophy that we shall be able to bring forth more perfect, more beautiful, more beneficent spiritual uses. Hence, in the church, we must have the love of the Word, just as, in the world, we must have the love of science. We all know how greatly attracted young men are to the study of the technical sciences, their desire to go to technical or other schools where they can learn the science by which they may be enabled to perfect themselves in the performance of uses. What we are to do in the church is to cultivate the love of the Word, the love of the study of the books that are written concerning and from the Word, the encouragement of study and instruction by men who are skilled and experienced, that they may lay before our eyes the hidden treasures of the Word. Without this, the church cannot hope to be the means by which the Lord shall bring forth those heavenly uses, which are the end of creation.
     The doctrine of the church must be the means by which the man of the church expresses his desire to be a performer of uses to his fellow men. The doctrines of one body of the church, however, may differ from those of another; yet we are told that, if charity prevails, that difference does not separate. The doctrine of the church universal, which consists of all men who are lovers of God, and who express that love in charity to the neighbor-the doctrine of the church universal is inmostly one, though outwardly it may differ, even as it differs to some extent among the societies of heaven.

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The doctrine of the church specific, however, is a specific doctrine, and men who are in the church specific will love that doctrine; but they will love it for the sake of uses, and will not despise others who, from the same source, derive another doctrine. We must always be on our guard lest defense of the doctrine of our church be but a cloak for the defence of our own ideas, or but a means by which is expressed the love of domineering over others.
     There must be a church specific. There must be a body of doctrine in the church, and there must be men who love and cultivate that doctrine. But in the church specific there must be men who are men of the church universal, members of that community of saints by which the Lord performs His uses on earth. Heaven does not descend to earth and the Lord does not give His gifts to man, by means of bodies of men. Bodies of men exist that they may provide the means by which men may learn how to be servants of the Lord, and may be strengthened in the performance of spiritual uses. But the actual performance of spiritual uses, the actual manifestation of God's love to give to others, is that charity of which we have spoken.
     Divine Love actually descends, and is manifested in the bestowal of spiritual blessings, only by means of the individual. It is the individual by means of which the Lord fulfills the ends of His creation. On each individual of the church rests the responsibility of being a servant in the hands of the Lord for the performance of heavenly uses to others, or of being a disobedient servant who wishes to turn the Lord's blessings and benefits to himself alone. Reflection on this purpose will awaken in us the realization that we should shun in every way all that brings injury to others; that when contemplating an evil in our imagination, we should reflect on the distress and unhappiness which the consummation of that evil will bring to our neighbor; that we shun as poisonous every desire to bring ill to others. Doing this, we will shun as poison everything that stands though vainly stands, as an obstacle to the manifestation of the Divine Love, which is to give to others outside oneself. The church and heaven are established and conserved, and the Lords blessings are more fully dispensed to mankind, by means of each individual who from his heart prays for the peace of Jerusalem.

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DREAM OF THE LADDER 1940

DREAM OF THE LADDER       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1940

     "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set on the earth, and its head reaching to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." (Genesis 28: 12.)

     The entire life of Jacob, in the spiritual sense, is significant of the regeneration of the natural degree of life with man. Abraham and Isaac represent the two superior degrees-the inmost and the rational degree of the mind: Abraham, unswerving in faith, unmoved by temptations, patriarchal and heroic; Isaac, saintly, meditative, and pacific, a monogamist. But Jacob and Esau together signify the natural degree, which is last to be regenerated. In their characters we find little of the lofty aloofness of their fathers; but, as a modern writer points out, "the golden dawn of the patriarchal age is overcast," shaded by human cares, jealousies and sorrows. Esau and Jacob are men of common mould, to whom we draw near both with sympathy and censure. We see in them men with human passions poorly controlled, men with disappointments and ill humors, with states of prudence and doubt: which may confirm the representation of these brothers as the natural mind or the natural degree. Their joint story is symbolic of human life, of the arduous redemption of the soul from the passions and mistakes of youth,- the story of the journey of regeneration. In the case of Esau, we see the new birth of a great forgiveness, significant of the birth of charity. In Jacob's case, we see a more complex process of amendment, less direct, more arduous: but at last there is the birth of a lasting faith in God. We may see the birth-struggles of this faith, see the trials and vicissitudes, the long years of labor; for in his story we read of the regeneration of the natural by means of truth.
     Esau-playful and eager, easily impassioned, seemingly lacking in seriousness and reflection, yet full of affection and generous impulse; forgiving, open-handed and chivalrous; this Esau it is revealed-represents the natural good which so easily appeals to the heart.

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We judge most of our friends in ordinary life by natural good. We enjoy jollity and generosity and spontaneous affection. We seek our friends, all too often, solely according to the natural good, which they display. Yet the Lord, in the revelations of His Second Advent, warns us that natural good is not genuine good until after the labors of temptation. The Lord Jehovah did not select the affectionate Esau to be the heir of the land of promise.
     The internal sense thus teaches that the natural can be regenerated only by the medium of truth. Natural good is too fickle, too impulsive, too wavering to be the basis of heavenly conscience. But truth, law, is chosen by Providence as the ultimate of order in the natural.
     Thus Jacob was destined to receive the paternal blessing. The "plain man dwelling in tents " became the hope of his father-even though through an apparent mistake. Jacob's character, in contrast with his brother's, was steady, determined, persevering from a deliberate, settled purpose: and this through years of suffering and prosperity, of exile and return, of bereavement and recovery. And by Jacob's resolute sacrifice of the present for the future, his natural character, as to the points which the Word records, is gradually transformed. By toil and struggle, Jacob the Supplanter becomes Israel the Prince of God; and at last-his proprium chastised by sorrow and mellowed by age-he looks back over the turbulent years of his long career with a fullness of experience and humility: "I am not worthy," he cries to the Lord, "of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which Thou hast shown Thy servant." (Genesis 32:10.)
     Natural truth becomes the basis of regeneration. And in the chapter of our text we learn how the natural of man starts out upon the journey of life. The tide of events shifts back to the plains of Syria, to Haran. We are told that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the sight of Isaac and Rebecca, and that Jacob was sent to seek out Laban his uncle in Padan-aram, to ask for himself one of his daughters for a wife. To all appearances it was a flight from Esau's threat of revenge: in appearance it was a retrogressive movement, in that the land of promise was left behind, and a foreign land was the goal.

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     Indeed, the internal sense here treats of a makeshift order in regeneration, which comes about from the fact that the affections of hereditary evils cannot be conjoined with truth. The understanding of the natural man must he stimulated instead by an affection of truth, which can come to it while sojourning in the land of knowledges-in cognitions concerning spiritual things here signified by the land of Syria. Without instruction the natural mind is in gross ignorance. And therefore we find Jacob on his way to Syria.
     And as night fell, be slept, at Bethel, with a stone for a pillow; and he dreamt of the ladder to God, upon which the angels of God ascended and descended, and heard the promise of Divine protection. To Jacob, this vision of the night was a prophecy of the fulfillment of the birthright and the blessing, which had become the motive-power of all his striving. But to us-to the New Church of this and coming ages-it is a promise of a vaster fulfillment: a fulfillment the more sure since it has already been consummated eternally in the Lord, by whose power we live and move: consummated when His assumed human was made Divine and ascended unto the throne of Jehovah; even as He promised in His own words-" Hereafter ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (John 1: 51.)
     The ladder-or stairway-signified the human mind. It was a ladder of truths-the truths which man indeed learns in his infancy and childhood. But man does not see the real use of this ladder until adult life calls for it. Then he may recognize that these truths are a ladder unto God, are his path to heaven. And as he enters upon regeneration, these truths initiate him into a new infancy and childhood, as by them he ascends toward a conjunction with the Lord. And the ladder, we learn, has four ascending steps, which are later described by the first four sons born to Jacob. The first stage is the sight of, or acknowledgment of, religious truth; the next, obedience to such truth; the third, the affection of truth-which makes a one with charity: and finally, the good of love to the Lord.
     But another arcanum lies concealed in Jacob's vision of Jehovah standing above these stairs to heaven-the arcanum that "all goods and truths descend from the Lord, and ascend to Him; that is, that He is the first and the last." (A. C. 3702.) For, as the Gospel shows, "No man hath ascended up to heaven but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven." (John 3:13.)

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     Natural truths of human origin-opinions and theories resting on a merely rational basis,-are not able to elevate the human spirit to God; nor can they bring to man the angelic spheres which are needed to sustain him in temptation. For such communication there must be a ladder whose top reaches unto heaven, yet a ladder firmly set on the earth. It must be a ladder let down from heaven. In a supreme sense, this ladder is none other than the Lord incarnate-the Lord in His glorified Human: for only through Him is there any communication of man with the Divine, and He only is the way, the truth, and the life. It is only in the omnipotent currents of His life that our spirits can be drawn into heaven-currents of truth and eternal law which raise men's minds out of self and out of the darkening phantasies of the world; currents of love which in secret ways mould the events of time for eternal ends despite human resistance. These currents of Divine life which ever coursed through the ancient heavens, and made them, and held them in the form of a Gorand Man of uses became flesh in Jesus Christ, and were revealed in human acts and words.
     For on earth the Lord in His Human Himself became a Jacob, set out upon a pilgrimage of natural life. And His thoughts and affections, in an infinitely complete way, ascended and descended upon the ladder of human degrees: with Divine power purging all evil and abuse from the way which men's spirits should ascend after Him, and disclosing and conquering the hells that were hidden to men: reducing all things in the spiritual world again into order and freedom.
     Yet this spiritual freedom cannot advantage man, unless he enters the order, which the Lord has created, anew by Redemption, and thus ascends-as if of his own effort-by the ladder Divinely erected. Man can so ascend, because he is created in the image of Divine order. His body is a replica of this world, and all the arcane laws and powers of nature are stored up within him for his use. Every property of the atmospheres is stored within his senses, moulded for their reception; and in his interior organs of the mind-so far as they are not perverted-there are all the potentialities of the whole spiritual world, degree by degree.

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If, with the eyes of love, man would only acknowledge the Lord as the first and eventual end, there would be a descent of the Divine through man to vivify even the ultimates of nature within him, and an ascent thence to the Divine! (A. C. 3702.) Man would be inbuilt into the structure of Divine law, would become a medium uniting the Divine with creation!
     The vision of the ladder is the vision of the Word of God that comes to man's natural understanding in states in which it is ready to be instructed, that the order of the mind, disturbed by evil, may become restored,-restored through the ascent of truths and through the descent of love, restored through temptations at first external and later more interior and acute. Man sees this vision only by degrees; for the purposes of Providence unfold themselves at first only vaguely before him.
     Before this vision can come, man must be prepared. First, there must be repentance, and a general removal of the grosser evils from the natural life. There must also be the formation and regeneration of the rational degree that is signified by Isaac, and a marriage of love and truth within the internal man, so that there may be a starting-point, a motive, in regenerate life-a resolve to live the life of truth. Then only can the remolding of the natural states and tendencies of man begin-an organic process of long duration, concerning which we read: "The Lord regenerates the human natural from the ultimate of order" (which is truth in the natural) and thereby disposes the intermediates (which are the interiors of the natural), and this in order "that through the rational the Lord may conjoin these intermediates with Himself." (A. C. 3657.)
     The later life of Jacob-his sojourn in Haran, his marriage with Leah and Rachel, his acquisition of children and of great possessions,-all this represents the formation of those intermediates,-the up building of the interiors of the natural mind that serve as media whereby the regenerate rational can conjoin itself to the natural.
     The need for the instruction of the mind, its furnishing with interior things of knowledge and affection, comes to us with the force of a Divine command; for it is a truth revealed from God out of heaven; it is a part of the New Jerusalem that is descending into our midst this day! The mind is to be elevated out of worldly things, which have no holiness or regenerative power in them, elevated by a gradual tutelage, by a realization of the truths that are contained in the Word of God.

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These truths are the steps of the ladder let down into human lives. The perceptions of those truths are like the angels of God passing thereon. The truths are not lacking.- truths of natural life, of moral and spiritual life; truths from the historical and moral senses of the letter of the Sacred Scripture; truths of spiritual and celestial burden in the Word of the Heavenly Doctrine. The ladder is there. But men are too weary to ascend upon it.
     Let us note that Beersheba, the place where Jacob had dwelt with his parents, signifies Divine Doctrine, and specifically that state of delight in the interior principles of Divine Doctrine which characterizes a man while his rational is being regenerated; or which marks the first period of the church, in which the rational acknowledgment of the Divine Truth and the love of its principles are particularly active. This state must precede every new state of the church. And the application of the principles thus acknowledged follows thereafter, involving much patience, great perseverance, many bitter disappointments. Unless this second state is resolutely entered into, the first state, too, will perish. The high spiritual principles that are acknowledged in the rational, the lofty ideals of spiritual life, must be ultimated and carried out in natural life with judgment and with justice, lest they perish. Isaac-to use the language of the Letter-Isaac and Rebecca would die! Jacob would marry amongst the daughters of Canaan! The faith of the fathers would perish, and the holy land of promise would remain a prey to the tribes of the uncircumcised.
     If, in the New Church, our interest in the Divine Doctrine threatens to grow less, it is an indication that we need work to do. Enthusiasm in abstract principles can never last long. We need more concrete objectives, in the life of our society, our family, and in our personal life of use. We need-like Jacob-to take up our staff; and as we rest, when darkness overtakes us, we may see the strengthening vision of the ladder of God as a symbol of our destiny. And we shall not attempt to begin our climb except from the bottom- most rung; not try from subtle reasonings to lead ourselves, lest we run into harm's way.
     It is the Word, in its letter, upon which all things of the church are founded. And that the church may be built up, we would therefore impress upon ourselves and our children the holiness of the Word, must teach ourselves and our children the stories of the Word and the teachings of its literal sense.

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The church is where the Word is, in its letter as well as in its spirit. The ladder must he firmly fixed on the earth. And as we begin to scale the ladder, step by step; as we enter into the doctrines of the moral and internal historical senses of the Word, we are providing ourselves with those interior natural things of moral and civil life which are the intermediates and only possible connecting links between the spiritual-rational realm of principles and ideals, on the one hand, and the changing problems of natural life on the other. We are then traveling from Canaan to Haran, hoping to find a Rachel there by the well of water, and to labor for her, and for flock and herd, and become enriched in spirit. The affection of truth is not made our own except by labor; the genuine delights of regenerate life are arduous to attain; yet they will come, and the years will seem short.
     The Letter of the Word is the basis for all progress within the church. It is the stone laid under Jacob's head as a pillow. It is the pillar, which he raised up as a memorial. It is Bethel, the house of God, the gate to heaven. It is the staff in all our wanderings.
     Before we commence our journey to Haran we need rest; not rest from the performance of uses, but spiritual rest from temptations and doubts. For the beginning of any state of progress must be one of spiritual peace. The dawn of infancy is one of peace. Even an army marching to war must have peace-within itself. A nation consecrating itself to some important task must enjoy peace from internal dissensions. The church-and every militant member of it-must be in the peace of common conviction. Inmostly in all our struggles there must be a peace that binds our thoughts and affections together in innocence and love, that we may have a mutual perception of what we are to do, and that all noble aspirations may join to form an army of spiritual energies which cannot know defeat.
     And where can we more safely seek such rest than in the faith in the Divine Word,-in the assurance that the Divine law is omnipotent even in the most ultimate things, and presents its image in every event; in the trust that the ends of Providence can never be diverted, even when the prudence of man has failed.

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     In such a state, when petty interests of self are lulled to sleep, and at day-break the light of the Holy Doctrine brings the truths of peace, an angel descends into the conscience of the church, and stirs up the glorious vision of the ladder raised between heaven and earth. And the voice of God is heard, "I am the God of your fathers; and behold, I am with you wheresoever ye go; and I will bring you back." Amen.

LESSONS:     Genesis 28. Matthew 7: 1-14. A. C. 3690.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 444, 446, 483, 504.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 93, 96.
NEW CHURCH AND ITS DOCTRINE 1940

NEW CHURCH AND ITS DOCTRINE       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1940

     (A Paper read to the Olivet Church, 1936.)

     The Church of the New Jerusalem has been initiated and established, has been "derived and produced by the Lord through a new heaven by a revelation of truths from His mouth, or from His Word and by inspiration." (Coronis 20.) In the revelation producing and establishing the New Church, the Lord Himself declares that this Church is to be eternal, and therefore the Crown of the former Churches.
     The Revelation, which is the Heavenly Doctrine for this eternal and crowning church, and which, in respect to the books containing it, we call "The Writings," clearly explains why this church is to be eternal, and so the crown of churches, namely, because, unlike the former churches, it will never come to an end, "will not undergo consummation" (Coronis 24); and also because the Revelation of Doctrine for it will be adequate to all the spiritual and ecclesiastical requirements of mankind forever. External organizations of this church, such as ecclesiastical societies, may cease to exist in many places, but the continuity of the church will be preserved in other similar organizations. And there will be a gradual advancement, both in the internal and external perfection of such organizations, and in their extension among increasing numbers of people.
     This eternal quality, which the former churches lacked, is due to the completeness of the Divine Revelation now given to mankind.

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The Divine Revelation is a foundation that can never be destroyed. The Divine Revelation has the eternal quality, also the perpetual power, to redeem and save mankind, and so to preserve eternally the church among men.
     The Writings repeatedly declare that the Lord Himself has produced and established the eternal and crowning church; that He has done this by a revelation of truths, or of heavenly doctrine; that the true doctrine of the church is from heaven only; that the church is from doctrine and according to it, and apart from doctrine is not a church; that the church is from the Word, and that the true doctrine of the church is from the Word. These, and other declarations to the same effect, clearly teach the sole origin and source of that which makes the church-the Divine means by which the church is produced and established, the substance which men are to receive and mould into forms according to the Divinely revealed patterns, in order that they may cherish and appropriate substance and form, and render themselves receptible of eternal life and happiness. The acknowledgment of the sole origin and source of the church and of its true doctrine,-this acknowledgment of the Lord is the supreme, essential acknowledgment required of man for the sake of his spiritual enlightenment in spiritual and Divine things.
     But the Writings also teach clearly man's part in the making of the church. As man is not an automaton, but has free will and rationality, his will, thought, and action are required by the Lord, to the end that the church may be established with him and within him. In this respect man acts as of himself, as though he were the active agent, as though what he does is the essential principle in the thing produced. Therefore the Writings also repeatedly declare that the understanding of the Word makes the church, even that it is not the Word that makes the church, but the understanding of it; and further, that doctrine does not establish the church, but the soundness and purity of doctrine, consequently the understanding of the Word. (T. C. R. 245.)
     The understanding of the Word here meant is man's understanding of it,-human interpretations of Divine Revelation. Also, the doctrine that must be sound and pure in order to establish the church is derived doctrine-the doctrine man draws from the Word, from Divine Revelation, and formulates for his enlightenment and guidance.

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This sound and pure doctrine, which has its perfection as well as its imperfections from man's understanding of the Word or according to such understanding of the Word, is said to make and establish the church with man. This is true. But it is true only because of the prior, higher truth, and ever subordinately to this higher truth-that the Lord, by His Word and its Heavenly Doctrine, makes the church.
     The perfection of the Divinely revealed Heavenly Doctrine, of the Writings, is unquestioned, nor can degrees of soundness and purity be predicated of it. What is Divine is Divine in greatests and leasts, and no part can be more or less Divine. And the work of God,-His producing and establishing the church-is not to be questioned. So the two sets of Divine declarations agree, or make one rational, whole truth, which we are to understand and acknowledge. They are stated separately, even as if contradictory, in accommodation to man's rational mind and its free will. But they are only like two sides of a coin, which sides the human eye cannot see at one and the same time, but which the human mind can visualize as one, or as making one whole coin.
     The entire agreement of the two sets of declarations respecting the making and establishment of the church is plainly shown in the statement: "A church is a church from the Lord and from the Word, and its perfection is according to the acknowledgment of the Lord, and according to the understanding of the Word." (A. R. 718.) The degrees of the perfection of the church with man and in man are determined by man's reception of and reaction with what comes from the Lord, and what is done by the Lord, externally and internally. Whether the church with man and in man be noble, ignoble, or ruined depends upon the quality of man's reception and use of what he is given, of what is produced and established for him. Whether, with a man, the Word be the Word of the Lord, Divine Truth, a book of man, or falsity, depends upon his understanding and acknowledgment of it.
     These things are true, because man has been given free will and rationality, because from imperfection he can be raised to degrees of perfection, because he can act as of himself; but the gifts, which he can accept or reject, are real and actual apart from him, and are the prime essentials, whatever he does with them. Just as the earth and its products are apart from man, ready for his use of them as he chooses, so with Divine and spiritual things revealed and Unrevealed.

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Without them he could have no life, no action, no understanding, no eternal life.
     By the understanding of merely natural knowledge a man can make for himself what he may call a "church," and what is called "natural theology" has produced such simulations of a church, which shows that man's understanding is not the prime essential, but only a subordinate instrumentality in the establishment of the true church with him.
     It should be evident, then, that a society or church such as that to which we belong, if it is to be truly a particular church produced and established by the Lord, should have members diligent in the reading and study of the Word and the Writings, faithful and persistent in the practice of its doctrines, growing steadily in the spiritual affection of truth and good. This desirable state can only be gradually attained, and a most essential means to its attainment is doctrine, supremely the Divine Doctrine such as is embodied in the books of the Writings, but also the derived doctrine of which soundness and purity can be predicated, but not infallibility nor Divinity.
     The New Church is a doctrinal church, because the Divine Doctrine produces and establishes it, and because this Doctrine is what must be understood by man in order that he may do his part in making the church. Hence our doctrinal classes, and the importance of every member, especially of our junior members, attending them, so that they may dispose themselves for the work which the Lord wills to do for mankind, and that within their hearts and minds there may be established the Church of the New Jerusalem, which the Lord has proclaimed an eternal church, and thus the crown of all the churches that have hitherto been on the earth.

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[Map of Western Canada to illustrate the Accounts of Pastoral Journeys by Rev. F. E. Waelchli, F. E. Gyllenhaal, & others.]



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NEW CHURCH IN WESTERN CANADA 1940

NEW CHURCH IN WESTERN CANADA       Rev. F. E. WAELCHLI       1940

     The Beginning of the New Church there, and the Later Work of the General Church.

     (At Bryn Athyn, March 1, 1940. Map by Rev. L. W. T. David.)

     You have found very interesting the accounts given by the Rev. Fred Gyllenhaal and Mr. Otho Heilman of their visit last Summer to New Church people in Western Canada. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, February, 1940, p. 83.) You may find it equally interesting to hear of the beginning of the New Church there, and of the later entrance of the General Church into that field.
     The first receivers of the Doctrines were from among the Mennonites, of which sect something needs to be premised. The founder was Menno Simons, a Hollander, a contemporary of Luther and Zwingli. In 1536 he left the Roman Catholic Church, in which he had been a priest, and began to preach his doctrines, and soon had many followers in several European countries. There were two principal centers: the one in Holland and the adjacent Plattdeutsch or Low German country along the Rhine; the other in Switzerland and Southern Germany. Briefly stated, their faith was, and still is, that the New Testament is the only rule of life, that only adults, and not infants, should be baptized, and that true Christians ought not to take oaths, hold public office, or render military service.
     The first Pennsylvania Mennonites came from southern Germany in 1683, and were soon followed by many others, especially from Switzerland and from southern and central Germany. From Pennsylvania they afterwards spread into Ohio, Indiana, and still farther west, to a great extent being engaged in farming. Many went from Pennsylvania to Ontario, settling about where Berlin, now Kitchener, was afterwards located, and from there westward in that Province, and they were the pioneers there.
     Now let me relate briefly the story of another branch of Mennonites. In 1786, the Empress Catherine of Russia offered German farmers free lands in the Russian Black Soil Belt, north of the Black Sea, in order that they might introduce their methods of agriculture.

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To the Plattdeutsch Mennonites she offered complete religious freedom, and exemption from military service for one hundred years. They went in great numbers, settled in their own villages, and prospered. But when the hundred years neared their close, about 1870 Russia began to press them for military service. Then many of them emigrated to the Dakotas and neighboring States, and also, in 1874 to 1876, into the Province of Manitoba, Canada.
     Among the Pennsylvania Mennonites there were many sects: and some of these began to send missionaries to the Russian Mennonites in Canada, to convert them to their own branch of the Mennonite faith. Among these was a Rev. Markus Seiler. He came into Manitoba in 1884 or 1885, and made his stay at the house of Mr. Abram Claasen.
     Mr. Claasen was a layman given to theological studies, and therefore had many problems. He plied Mr. Seiler with questions, but the answers were evasive. Finally Seiler, just as he was about to depart, reached into his valise and brought out a book and handed it to Claasen, saying. "Here, Claasen, is a book that will answer all your questions." It was The True Christian Religion!
     Mr. Claasen read and received. He passed on what he learned to others, some of whom also received, among them two young men, John Hamm and John Heinrichs. More of the Writings, in German, were sent for. The number of receivers largely increased.
     The Rev. Markus Seiler afterwards came out openly for the New Church, and was excommunicated by the Mennonites. Some communications by him appeared in BOTE DER NECEN KIRCHE (Messenger of the New Church), the American German New Church periodical.
     Many of the Mennonites went farther west into the Province of Saskatchewan, and among them a considerable number who had accepted the New Church. Soon five New Church societies came into existence at the following places: Rosenort, Manitoba; Rosthern and Hague, in north central Saskatchewan; Chaplin and Herbert, in southwest Saskatchewan. These societies united in organizing the Western German New Church Conference, which met annually. It was independent of any larger New Church body.

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     Although these people had become of the New Church, they still held to certain Mennonite ideas, especially that infants and children should not be baptized, but that there should only be adult baptism, and they considered a Mennonite baptism valid.
     When the existence of these New Church people became known to the General Convention, one of its German ministers would visit the five societies every Summer. On one of these visits, the Rev. Adolph Roeder was accompanied by the Rev. S. S. Seward, an ordaining minister, who ordained two men, Claas Peters, of Herbert, and Peter Hiebert, of Chaplin.
     In the summer of 1911, one of the Kitchener General Church members, Mr. Isaac Steen, visited Rosthern and Hague, being desirous of becoming acquainted with the New Church people there. He found that they had a love for the church and a good knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines. He thought best not to disturb them by telling of the two bodies of the New Church; with one exception, Mr. John Hamm, whom he found remarkably sound, and who, different from the others, had had his children baptized into the New Church. Learning that Mr. Hamm came to Kitchener every year to buy horses and ship them home for sale, and that be then associated with the Convention Society, Mr. Steen asked that, on his next visit, he become acquainted with our General Church society also.
     So, one Sunday, early in 1912, I saw from the pulpit a stranger in the Steen pew, and concluded that it must be Mr. Hamm. It was. After the service I had some conversation with him, and invited him to visit our school and to attend the Friday evening supper and doctrinal class. He spent an entire afternoon at the school, and was especially impressed with the religious instruction given the pupils. After the Friday class he and I went into the library and discussed Academy principles until long after midnight. His state was a prepared one to be affirmative to those principles. Then he asked whether I could not make a Summer visit to Rosthern to conduct services and classes, and especially to instruct the many children. I said this would depend upon whether the Society there would invite me, and he seemed certain that there could be an invitation. None came.
     Early in 1913, Mr. Hamm was with us in Kitchener again.

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He said that the Rosthern Society saw no need of a minister coming for a long period. Then he said, "I very much want you to come. I have twelve children, whom I would like you to teach religion as you teach the children here." I replied, " If you give me an invitation to visit your family, I will come." He said, "Here and now you have it for this coming Summer." And we shook hands on it.

     First Five Visits.-1913-1917.

     So that Summer, 1913, I went for a six weeks' visit, the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Hamm. The Society, seeing that I was there, invited me to take charge. The Society at Hague, twelve miles distant, also invited me; and at this place I met Mr. Abram Claasen, that first New Church receiver in Manitoba, who now lived at Hague. The work also extended to two other nearby places, Waldheim and Laird, where there were members. At Rosthern there were seven families at Hague, eight; at Waldheim, one (the Heinrichs); at Laird, six;- a total of 22 families; counting old and young, about 150 persons. Rosthern had a pretty chapel. At Hague, Laird and Waldheim the meetings were held in schoolhouses.
     The weekly programme was as follows:

     Sunday morning at Rosthern: Sunday School-Service in German, address in English. Followed by regular service in German.
     Sunday afternoon Sunday School at Hague-Service in German, address in English Evening service in German.
     Monday evening at Hague-Doctrinal class in English, because of young people attending.
     Tuesday afternoon, at Rosthern: Children's school-English. Evening: Young People's class-English.
     Wednesday or Thursday evening, at either Waldheim or Laird, missionary lecture-German.
     Friday afternoon, at Rosthern-children's school. Evening-general Doctrinal Class-German.
     The average attendance at worship was: Rosthern 37; Hague 28.
     The sermons were not missionary discourses, but such as are usually given in the General Church. At the service in Rosthern on August 10, 1913, I officiated at the baptism of one adult and eight children, this being a result of the instruction concerning Baptism which had been given.
     At the General Doctrinal Class in Rosthern the average attendance was 19; and at the one in Hague (adapted, as said, to young people). 24. At the Young People's Class at Rosthern, the average attendance was 16. All doctrinal classes were conversational, with opportunity for questions and answers.

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     At the Rosthern weekday school, children aged 5 to 12, the average attendance was 12. Some young people also attended.
     At the six missionary lectures in Waldheim and Laird, the average attendance was 43; the highest 80.

     During the Summer, Mr. Jacob Stroh, of Waterloo, Ont., came for a two weeks' visit as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Hamm. His social contact with the people accomplished great good. At both Rosthern and Hague he gave addresses on the history and the present life of the church in Kitchener, which delighted the audiences.
     Another visitor was the Rev. Louis Hoeck, the Convention representative that year, who had some knowledge of German. He made the tour of the five societies. He was at Rosthern for one Sunday, and I suspended my work for that day, while he held morning and evening services. To me he expressed good will and a blessing upon my work. Throughout the Summer I never mentioned the two bodies, except to Mr. Hamm; although I was aware some, especially after Mr. Hoeck's visit, knew that this.
     One person I desired to meet, but had no opportunity, because of his living quite a distance away, and that was Mr. Peter Claasen, younger brother of the Abram Claasen already mentioned. He was the most learned man of the western New Church people. He had been a high school teacher in Russia, had written several New Church books and pamphlets, and frequently contributed to BOTE DER NEUEN KIRCHE.

     When the six weeks' work was concluded, a delightful closing social was held, at which 40 persons were present.
     On the return trip I spent a day at Winnipeg with Mr. Fred Roschman and Mr. Jacob Peppler, and four days at Kenora, at the western end of Ontario, with Mr. and Mrs. George Pagon and family. We had services and a class, and instruction was given the children.
     In 1914, when I arrived at Rosthern, I found that the existence of the two bodies was generally known. This year the Convention sent Mr. John Zacharias, a theological student from Herbert, Sask., to do work in the Rosthern field. And so I could not do otherwise than present in private conversation, to all who inquired, the difference of principles between the two bodies. A considerable number became strongly affirmative to Academy principles.

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     To meet the situation of the presence of Mr. Zacharias, I immediately arranged with him that we alternate in conducting services at Rosthern and Hague: that is, one Sunday he would be at Rosthern and I at Hague: and the next Sunday the reverse. I also offered that he teach any of the classes, but to this he did not seem inclined. We worked together for one month, and then he left. Thereafter I continued alone, on the same schedule as the preceding year, with even better attendance. On a Sunday at Rosthern, there were baptized six adults, a young man (Peter Klippenstein), and two children.
     Now a new field opened. On August 10, I went with the Hamms and Heinrichs to Herbert in southwestern Saskatchewan to attend the annual meeting of the Northwestern German New Church Conference. The greater part of the way we followed an old Indian trail over the open prairie. In the evening we reached Chaplin, and stayed over night in the Rev. Peter Hieberts home. I found him loyal to the Doctrines, though not affirmative to all General Church principles. The next morning we went on to Herbert, forty miles away, where I met a number of the people. The following day the Conference was held. In the morning there was a service, with a fine sermon by Mr. Hiebert. In the afternoon a short business meeting was held. Then I read a paper, in German, on "Baptism on Entrance into the New Church from the Old." It was discussed by the Revs. Hiebert and Peters, and by Mr. Zacharias. Hiebert was somewhat affirmatively inclined, Peters bitter in opposition, Zacharias also opposed-In the evening I conducted a service and preached. After the service I spent a social time with a group of the men of Herbert and Chaplin. They greatly resented Peters' attack on me. Until late into the night I presented the principles of the General Church, and there was a remarkably affirmative reception.
     From the Rev. Hiebert I received a hearty invitation to visit Chaplin and hold services after the work at Rosthern was completed. So, two weeks later, I arrived there by train on Saturday late in the afternoon. I was met at the station by Mr. Hiebert and Mr. Heinrich Loeppky. A horse and wagon drive fifteen miles south brought us to a region called "Im Suden" (In the South), where a number of New Church families had recently homesteaded.

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We went to one of the homesteads, the one-room shack of a young couple. We were told that the men from round about were out in the field of that homestead threshing, which they wished to finish before the meeting. Their wives were waiting until then. There was no evidence of supper. About nine o'clock the men came in, in their working clothes. So, rather hungry, I conducted a service for an audience of 25. Then there was supper for everybody. Conversation on the Doctrines followed, and it was after midnight when we began the seventeen-mile ride to the home of Mr. Hiebert, two miles north of Chaplin. The next morning, Sunday, I held a service in the Hiebert home, with 28 present. In the evening, another service in Chaplin, the audience numbering thirty-five. Hearty invitations were given me, both by those Im Suden and those in Chaplin, to pay a longer visit the following year, and I said that I would do so.
     On the way home, three days were spent with the Pagon family at Kenora.
     After returning home, I sent the article on Baptism to BOTE DER NEUEN KIECHE. The editor, the Rev. L. G. Landenberger, resident at St. Louis, Mo., published it, and replied in opposition to it. The same issue contained a violent attack on the Academy and on me by Mr. Peter Claasen, of near Rosthern.
     In 1915, I went first to Chaplin, arriving Friday, July 9. I was met at the station by six New Churchmen, who gave me a hearty welcome. They told me that Mr. Hiebert had suffered a stroke, and was incapacitated. I preached on Sunday morning and on Monday evening; attendance, respectively, 60 and 40. The next day I went to Im Suden for four days. Two missionary addresses in English were given in a schoolhouse. The next two evenings there were services in German at the house of a member. Each time 60 people crowded into a 16' x 16' room, sitting on planks which were supported by chairs at each end. My pulpit in a corner was an old-fashioned sewing machine with a box-top.
     There were also two all-day meetings. All the New Church people from quite far round about came in their farm wagons to a home, which the first day was a shack, the second a dug-out. During the forenoon, outside around the house, I would give a talk, or there might be only conversation on the Doctrines.

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Then dinner for all. In the afternoon the same was done as in the forenoon until time to get home and do up the chores and then come to the evening meeting. I wish I could convey to you an idea of how delightful those gatherings were, and how eager the people were for instruction.
     Then I returned to Chaplin, where I conducted a Sunday service in German at the home of a member; attendance 65. I also gave two evening missionary talks. There were visits in homes, where often there were groups of members to hear what would be told. Again the following Sunday there was a service, attendance 72, some of them from Im Suden. At the Holy Supper there were 40 communicants. Five adults were baptized, and applied for membership in the General Church-Baptism had become a big issue in Western Canada.
     On July 29, I arrived in Rosthern, and ministered to that place and Hague, the programme of work being the same as usual. For the most part, those who were opposed to the General Church absented themselves from services and classes, thereby effecting a separation. Nevertheless, there was a good attendance. There were 16 pupils in the week-day school, all under 15 years. On Sunday, August 22, two adults and four children were baptized.
     On my way home, Peter Klippenstein accompanied me on his way to the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn. He was the first of many,-20 or more. I stopped at Kenora, as usual, for a few days. The entire trip occupied ten weeks.
     In 1916, I arrived at Chaplin on Saturday, July 8, where a service was held on Sunday, attendance 42. Then to Im Suden, where there were now 12 New Church families and others interested. During nine days there were five services and three all-day gatherings. At the principal service on the Sunday there was an attendance of 75. An adult was baptized.
     Returning to Chaplin for four days, there were services and gatherings. On Sunday 78 were present, quite a number of these from Im Suden. At the Holy Supper there were 45 communicants.
     On July 25, I arrived at Rosthern for a six weeks' stay. The programme and attendance there and at Hague were the same as in former years. A delightful closing social of Rosthern and Hague members was held.

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Five Rosthern young people left for the Bryn Athyn Schools: Peter Klippenstein, Erdman and Henry Heinrichs, John Wiebe, and Anna Hamm. On the way home I spent four days at Kenora.
     In 1917, before my arrival in the North West, the Rev. L. G. Landenberger visited all points in that region. He attended the meeting of the Western Canadian Conference, held July 8 and 9 at Herbert, and under his guidance it joined the General Convention. As long as it had been an independent body, those persons who had become members of the General Church (and all adults whom I had baptized had become members) considered that they could continue individually in the Conference. But now this was no longer possible. Thus came the separation, and the two bodies were now distinctly established in the Canadian North West, and there was no longer an organization that included all New Churchmen in this region.
     I had a good Summer's work, beginning with my arrival on July 17 at Chaplin, in which vicinity there were several members of the General Church, and others more or less favorable. For two days I visited in homes, where meetings were held. Then to Im Suden for six days, where there were services and meetings with a good attendance-I would relate the following incident, taken from my records:
     Making visits in homes, I was on a long drive across the prairies with Mr. Heinrich Loeppky, a member of the General Church, and in the course of our conversation he said: When I was still in the Old Church, the thought often came to me that I would like to be among those living on earth on the day when the Lord would make His glorious Second Coming. I hoped to see the wonderful sight. And I prayed that I might be among those who would rejoice in the Coming. And now it has all come true. It has been granted me to see the Lord coming in the clouds of heaven, but in a manner far more glorious and wonderful than I had ever pictured. Every day, as I read in the Writings, I thank the Lord for this mercy. Such was this simple man's testimony, and I could not but wonder whether there are many in the church who could likewise utter it from the heart.'
     From that south region I returned to Chaplin, where well attended services and meetings were held. Then to Rosthern, for six weeks there and at Hague.

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This year there were 18 children in the week-day school. Miss Anna Hamm, having had a year at Bryn Athyn, assisted me, taking the younger children under my direction.
     On Sunday, August 26, there was to be a "Tauffest" (Baptismal Festival). Four children of the Hamm, Heinrichs and Bech families were to be baptized. On my arriving at the church early, I found the Klippenstein family, who lived twenty miles distant, already there. Mr. Klippenstein told me that he desired that all his family be baptized,-Mr. and Mrs. Klippenstein, an adult daughter, and five children. Peter had already been baptized. So we indeed had a Tauflest,-3 adults and 9 children. That afternoon, the baptized adults applied for membership in the General Church.
     At Rosthern a Pastor's Council was chosen, to keep in touch with me by correspondence throughout the year,-John Hamm, John Heinrichs, John Bech, and John Lemky,-four Johns, calling themselves "The Four Jacks." An Executive Committee was also formed, consisting of the eight male members of the General Church in Rosthern and vicinity. Plans were made for carrying on church work throughout the year.
     The season closed with a general social, at which 51, old and young, were present, several of these from Hague. Inspired by the young people who had returned from Bryn Athyn, "Our Glorious Church" was sung for the first time, and also other songs from the Social Song Book, in connection with toasts and responses. One of those responding was Mr. Peter Claasen. I have told how, some years before, he was a bitter opponent of the General Church and of me, and then wrote in that vein in BOTE DER NEUEN KIRCHE. He had taken up his residence at Hague, where, in the course of two years, he and I had intimate contacts, which led to his coming into a complete change of heart and mind.
     On the home journey a service was held at Winnipeg, with an attendance of five.
     Soon after I had left Rosthern, Mr. Landenberger received a communication for the BOTE from Mr. Peter Claasen, telling of my work at Rosthern and Hague, and praising it highly. Mr. Landenberger declined the article, and wrote Mr. Claasen: "How could I publish it, when I was sent by the General Convention into the North West 'um Waelchli's Arbeit zu hemmen,' that is, 'in order to counteract Waelchli's work.'"

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(Hemmen can mean not only to counteract, but also to hinder, to stop to destroy.) Mr. Claasen sent me a copy of Mr. Landenberger's letter. I made a translated copy, and sent it to Bishop N. D. Pendleton. It was lying on his desk, just received, when he had an interview by appointment with a lay New Churchman from Boston in regard to more friendly relations between the two bodies. The Bishop read the letter to him, and he was astonished, and said that when he got home he would inquire into the matter. It seems that Landenberger had "let the cat out of the bag."

     Last Four Visits.-1918-1921.

     In 1918, the first call was at Regina, Sask., where services were held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bellinger. Thence to Chaplin. Two weeks there and "Im Suden." Frequent good meetings.
     Then six weeks at Rosthern and Hague. The programme of work was the same as in preceding years. Each week there were eleven meetings of various kinds for old and young, with good attendance and interest. We had a visit from Mr. and Mrs. William Evens, of Benton, Alberta, and during their stay there was a picnic of Rosthern and Hague families, with 55 present. I also made a side trip to Kerrobert, Sask., to visit the Pagon family, who had moved there from Kenora, Ont. I instructed the children and held services. Again there was a splendid closing social at Rosthern.
     In 1919, there were first two services at Chaplin; attendance 28 and 56, respectively. Then, during a week Im Suden there were seven gatherings for services and all-day meetings; attendance 30 to 50. One adult and six children were baptized; and at the Holy Supper there were 24 communicants.
     The next place was Girvin, Sask., to which place the Pagon family had moved, and Davidson, eight miles distant, where the Harold Bellingers now lived During five days, there were services, including the Holy Supper and instruction for the children.
     Then five weeks at Rosthern. Here there was the loss of two families, Hamm and Heinrichs, who had gone to South America, with rosy prospects of prosperity there.

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     Work was done at three places: Rosthern, Hague, and the Klippenstein farm. It included services, missionary lectures, Sunday School, doctrinal classes, children's school-in all 14 meetings per week.
     Notwithstanding the loss of the two families, there were at the three places mentioned 5 General Church families and 2 families inclined to us,-a total of 15 adults, 7 young people, and 30 children. A picnic of all the groups was held at the Klippenstein farm, with 57 present. Again a delightful closing social.
     In 1920, arriving at Chaplin, I found that, because of three successive years of drought, ten families had moved away to the vicinity of Roblin, Manitoba, to homestead anew. Five families were left in Chaplin, and seven Im Suden. Another year of drought was threatening, which would likely lead to more removals. During the nine days' stay, good meetings were held at both places, with an average attendance of about 25.
     At Rosthern, the Hamm and Heinrichs families had returned from South America. So there was the usual programme of work, with increased attendance.
     After two weeks I made a side trip to Roblin, Manitoba, near where the people from Chaplin had settled. There were ten families, including 22 adults and 35 children. Mr. Heinrichs accompanied me. We arrived by train at 11 p.m., and were met by two members. After a 16-mile wagon-ride we arrived at the home, near Boggy Creek, at which we were to make our stay. Instead of the country being treeless prairie, as at Chaplin, it was wooded, stony and hilly. The houses were log cabins.
     During five days, two services and one doctrinal class were held. At the service on Sunday the attendance was 34. The doctrinal class was conversational, and lasted about two hours, the subject being "The Distinctiveness of the New Church." There were 25 present.
     Returned to Rosthern for three weeks. The William Evens and some of their family, of Benton, Alberta, again visited us, and on a Sunday their two younger children were baptized. Also, during the Summer, one adult and one child of Rosthern were baptized.
     Sunday, August 15, was a memorable day. The Rosthern people went to Hague for a Tauflesf. The entire Unruh family were baptized,-Mr. and Mrs. Unruh and six children.

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Also Mr. Peter Claasen, and one child from Rosthern. In all, 10 persons. Three of the Unruh children were adult young ladies, and were also confirmed. Mr. and Mrs. Unruh and three daughters and Mr. Claasen applied for membership in the General Church. The Unruh family was shortly to move to Los Angeles, California. Mr. Unruh asked,
     "Will the General Church take care of us there?" I answered, "It will." And I can say that it did. The Klippenstein family was also going to Los Angeles, or rather to nearby Long Beach. At the close of the season, we again had a happy social.
     A visit of five days was then made to the Pagon and Bellinger families at Girvin and Davidson. At the Sunday service there was the baptism of a child and the administration of the Holy Supper. The children were instructed three times.
     In 1921, the first place visited was Morden, in southern Manitoba, to which place the Hamm and Heinrichs families had moved from Rosthern. One week was spent there. Sunday services were held morning and evening, the children instructed on three afternoons, and there were five evening doctrinal classes. The two families were quite a large congregation,-22 persons. At doctrinal class there were 14 adults and young people. On the last day the wedding of Mr. Erdman Heinrichs and Miss Helena Hamm took place.
     Next I visited the Jacob Peppler family at Justice, Man., where a service was held and two children baptized.
     Then Boggy Creek, Man., the settlement of the former Chaplin families. During five days there were three afternoon meetings, the people coming long distances over rough roads in their big farm wagons. At two of the meetings there was a conversational doctrinal class; at the third a service, at which there were present 37 adults and young people, and 20 children,-total 57. In my record are these words: "What an opportunity there is here for some vigorous young minister, ready to share the life of the people, and to build up a strong society of the church!"
     Next Rosthern. Here remained only two families,-the Bechs and the Lemkys. The others had moved elsewhere. Nevertheless, we had two good weeks. Sunday services were held morning and evening, at one of which there were present 20, old and young. Evening doctrinal classes were held seven times, and the ten children of school-age were instructed on six afternoons.

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A young man, John Lemky, was going to the Academy Schools.
     Then four days at Davidson. Sask., where both the Pagon and the Bellinger families now lived, including among them five members of the General Church and six children. At the Sunday service an infant was baptized. There were two doctrinal classes, and the children were instructed three times.
     Next Calgary, Alberta, where for two days I was with Mr. Hugh Bourne, the only New Churchman at that place.
     From there I continued down along the Pacific coast, to enter upon a new field of several years' work.
     So now ended my ninth and last visit to Western Canada. I could continue the work no longer, as during the last several Summers I found each time that it was increasingly injurious to my health, because of unfavorable living conditions in several places. I left there 35 members of the General Church, in whose families were many children also a considerable number of other persons in sympathy with the General Church.
     The Western Canada work was continued by the Rev. Henry Heinrichs until 1931, when it had to be suspended because of the depression. In his time, the Hamm family moved back to Rosthern. The Heinrichs remained at Morden until the death of Mr. Heinrichs, when the family moved to Kitchener. The Lemkys and the Erdman Heinrichs went to Peace River, British Columbia. The Rev. Henry Heinrichs did not visit Chaplin and Boggy Creek, as he did not consider himself able to preach in German. However, he added the Peace River Country and Oyen, Alberta, where the two Evens families live.
     Nothing was done for eight years. And now Mr. Gyllenhaal and Mr. Heilman have been there. During the eight years much was lost,-perhaps more than Mr. Gyllenhaal and Mr. Heilman realized. Yet what they found was hopeful for the future, and they are strongly convinced that the work should be vigorously continued. The General Church still has a field there. It has members and their families; and there are others who would welcome its ministrations.
     It is the same on the Pacific Coast. Of my eleven years' work there I might sometime give a year-by-year account, if desired.

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There has been a number of years suspension of visits, to some extent resumed by the Bishop two years ago, and by the Rev. Willard Pendleton the past Summer. Both found that there had been losses. Yet they also found that what remained is encouraging, and calls for continued work. To quote from Mr. Pendleton's report: " I became convinced of the need of regular ministration. As long as there are a few small groups of loyal New Church men and women, there is a nucleus around which the Lord may build His Church."
     The extent of the loss there may be evident from the fact that, when I ceased to have charge of the entire Pacific Coast, there were 120 persons, old and young, receiving our ministrations. Of these, 50 were in Southern California, and 70 elsewhere. We know the unfortunate circumstances at Los Angeles. Nevertheless, we still have there some who are faithful to the General Church, and their faithfulness calls for our care. Of the 70 elsewhere, there are about 25 left, principally in the Circles at Spokane and San Francisco. So, despite losses, there is still a good field.
     Should it be said that, if there had been regular work in the North \Vest and on the Pacific Coast, there might still have been losses, this would need to be admitted. Yet, over against this is the fact that, where regular work has been done in our several fields of church extension among the isolated, there has been growth and progress. Let us cite one case, that of the Near Middle West, where visits have been made continuously for 25 years. At the beginning, these were at a few places for a few people. Today the man in charge, the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, finds that this field, including also the South, has grown beyond his ability to give it the necessary care, and that he should have an assistant.
     Our Bishop has very much at heart the welfare of the isolated, and is seeking in various ways to do all possible for them. Let all our church share his spirit in this, and co-operate in his endeavors. So doing, our church will not only grow numerically, but grow also in that interior reception of what the Lord bestows where there is devotion to the labor in a constantly expanding field of spiritual uses.

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SHIBBOLETH 1940

SHIBBOLETH       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1940

     A STUDY

     In the 12th chapter of Judges we read that the Ephraimites, living westward of the Jordan, crossed that river and from the north attacked the Gileadites under Jephthah. This they did from spite, because he had overcome the Ammonites without their assistance. Jephthah, however, had assured them that he had called them to help him, but that they had not delivered him from the Ammonites. Yet the conflict was not stayed, and the Ephraimites were signally defeated by Jephthah and the Gileadites, losing forty-two thousand men.
     The Gileadites then took possession of the fords of Jordan, and bade all who would cross it to utter the word "shibboleth." The fugitive Ephraimites, however, were unable to pronounce this softer sound of the sibilant, but instead said " sibboleth," and were thus recognized and put to death.
     The dictionaries define the word "shibboleth" as a password used among the Israelites, and cite its origin in the incident recorded in the Book of Judges; also giving the modern use of the term as a "criterion, test, or watchword of something." A new Standard Bible Dictionary states that the Hebrew word "shibboleth " denotes a stream, and that the defeated Ephraimites could only say "sibboleth" beginning with the Hebrew letter Sameck, but not "shibboleth" beginning with the letter Shin.
     Something similar to the episode recorded in Judges occurred at the Sicilian Vespers, March, 1282; also during the Flemish revolt, May, 1302, when the inability of the French to pronounce foreign sounds led to their destruction.
     As far as I am aware, Swedenborg nowhere refers to the historical event at the fords of Jordan. In the Word Explained he merely notes in passing the low spiritual state of Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah and Samson, but gives no elucidation of the spiritual sense with regard to Jephthah.

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But in the light of what the Writings reveal in regard to Ammon, Gilead, and Ephraim, taken in conjunction with the etymology of shibboleth and sibboleth we may evolve the spiritual doctrine that is involved in the Scripture narrative. (See A. E. 637:10, 654:24; A. C. 4117; S. S. 79.)
     Ammon natural son of Lot, typifies a natural good indifferent to the falsification of the truths of the church. Gilead, east of the Jordan, and intermediate between the possessions of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, signifies that delight or sensual good which yet is serviceable to introduce a beginning of reformation. Ephraim, younger son of Joseph, represents the intellectual with man, and in a perverted sense that intellectual acumen which leads to disaster those who have lost their affections of truth and good. "Shibboleth," according to Swedenborg's translations of the word, signifies variously a reed, berry, and an ear of corn, and is connected with a verb meaning to flow. But "sibboleth" signifies a burden, and is connected with a verb meaning to carry. Modern dictionaries reaffirm this etymology of both words.
     Every man at an early age, from his state of inherited evil, supposes that alone to be good and true which panders to his desires. This purely natural state is signified by the Ammonites who threatened to occupy the cities of Gilead.
     Jephthah, whose name means "I will open," was chosen leader or captain of the Gileadites, and he represents a man's increasing recognition of the truth that the Lord alone can unfold or open for him what is good and true. He therefore turns to the Word, and learns from it not only how the Lord can open his spiritual mind, but also how the Lord can lead him to subdue his animus and keep it thereafter in proper subordination. This subjugation of the animus is represented by Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites, and by his sacrificing his daughter to God, she consenting willingly to this act albeit Jephthah was reluctant to fulfill his vow in this way.
     But a man's increasing intellectuality, with regard to which he is at first extremely conceited, is depicted by the Ephraimites who then upbraided Jephthah. For the intellectual now assails the man from quarters signified by the north and the west, and makes him wonder why an appeal to it would not have sufficed to give him the victory. Like Jephthah, he indeed replies that he had tried to resort to it, but that it had given him no deliverance.

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For human intellectuality, lacking God's help, is impotent in such a combat, and would merely stimulate a worldly ratiocination based upon prudential grounds, which can never avail to subdue any spiritual enemy, even though it might superficially seem to do so.
     The man next comes into a contest with his haughty intellectuality, and the Lord leads him to be victorious in this issue also, just as the Gileadites smote the Ephraimites. He is also given the power to hold his intellectuality in perpetual subordination to the Lord's leading. When the Gileadites took possession of the fords of the Jordan, it represented how the Lord had given the man a means of passing from the literal sense of the Word to its internal sense, and had thereby conferred the ability to appraise and condemn every intellectual notion which only flattered his personal pride and did not bow humbly before the Lord's instruction from His Word. This is the shibboleth-sibboleth test. Intellectual ideas, which can utter the word "shibboleth", are acceptable, and may pass into his deeper mind.
     We may here note that the softer sound of this word implies the adjunction of something heavenly or Divine, and point out that its etymology, associated with words meaning "to flow" and an "ear of corn," calls attention to the Lord's influx, not only with regard to truth, or that "water which springs up into everlasting life," but also as to good, or that "bread of life which descends from heaven."
     But the notions which can only utter the hard "sibboleth," a sound obviously devoid of the heavenly quality of "shibboleth," and whose etymology points to what is burdensome, are such as merely cleave to the human proprium and increase its load, which gravitates towards hell and spiritual death.
     In the internal historical sense, which treats of ecclesiastical conditions in the church in the era following the one treated of in the letter of the Word, the Ammonite oppression of the Israelites may be said to depict conditions in the Christian Church during the Middle Ages. For that Church, like a man in his early years, had supposed that good was intrinsically in itself, instead of inflowing from the Lord into a meet receptacle. This state it showed by its claim to possessing the keys of Peter and the power they symbolized, as well as by the papal boast to be the vicar of Christ on earth.

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     The Lord then aroused zealous reformers, who, like Jephthah, delivered the Church from such Ammonite oppressors, freeing many simple Christians from the yoke which priestcraft had placed upon them. For the reformers opened again the way to the Lord's Word as the sole means of leading to a spiritual life. Yet the reformers were soon subjected to Ephraimite attacks from the north and the west, or in states of spiritual darkness and cold springing from an overweening pride in their own literalistic interpretations of the Word. They were not in possession of the fords of the Jordan; that is, they were unacquainted with the science of correspondences, by which the humble in heart may be led to a deeper understanding of the Word, by crossing from its mere literal meaning to its genuine doctrinal sense. And so they were not competent to deal a deathblow to the pride of their own intelligence. They were therefore unable to submit any intellectual conceits to the shibboleth-sibboleth test, and were incapable of building a church about a holy shrine that might be protected against such conceits.
     Instead of remaining in the acknowledgment that there is an influx of good from the Lord, as well as an instruction in truths from His Word, they held that it was impossible for anyone to do good, even from and with the Lord's aid. (We have seen that shibboleth involves both bread from heaven and the water of everlasting life.) They thus could not prevent the spiritual Ephraimites, only able to utter the cold " sibboleth," devoid of all heavenly quality, from penetrating into the precincts of their Church. For after denying that men could do good works from the Lord, and that such works had power to save, they made a cold, intellectual faith to be alone saving. Their heaped-up intellectual conceits as to a justification by faith alone then contributed in no way toward mitigating the infernal tendency of man's inherited proprium, but added impetus to its gravitation thither. For "sibboleth" means a burden.
     To the New Church, however, has been given the means of passing from the literal sense of the Word to the internal sense and its doctrines with regard to man's regeneration. But a responsibility rests upon it to pass continually from the outer considerations of a practical church government to an internal solicitude for the spiritual welfare of its individual members. And this will depend upon a continual resorting to the shibboleth-sibboleth test, which is like the flaming sword in the cherubs hand guarding the way to the tree of life.

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If there is to be a deeper penetration into the arcana of faith, intellectual things must be subordinated continually to the goods of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor. With continual vigilance as to this requirement, no Ephraimite will penetrate that holy land which should be the heritage of the Lord's Church. The proprium will not then receive accumulations of heavier burdens, to make it a grievance to oneself and an annoyance to others, but will be placed under the yoke of service to the Lord's end for the spirit of the individual man.
SERMON BOOKLET 1940

SERMON BOOKLET              1940

Towards a Living Religion. Seven Sermons by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson. Hurstville, N. S. W., Australia, February, 1940. 36 pages and cover. For sale by the Academy Book Room, Bryn Athyn, Pa.. at 10 cents per copy to any address in the United States and Canada.

     As stated in the Foreword, these sermons were originally preached to the Hurstville Society of the General Church, and are now submitted to a larger audience in the hope that the truths they endeavor to expound may lead towards a living religion." For "the reason why few possess religion is that the Christian Church is in error concerning God, faith and charity, and knows nothing of eternal life." These vital subjects are therefore dealt with in expounding the texts of the sermons, the doctrinal titles being as follows:

I.     The One Infinite God.
II.     The Lord-The Redeemer.
III.     The Holy Spirit.
IV.     The Divine Trinity.
V.     Faith.
VI.     Charity.
VII.     Eternal Life.
ACADEMY CATALOGUE AND BOOKLET 1940

ACADEMY CATALOGUE AND BOOKLET              1940

     The Academy of the New Church has just issued a 36-page Catalogue for 1940-1941, listing the Courses available in the Schools and giving other information. Also a 16-page illustrated Booklet descriptive of the institution. Copies of these may be obtained by applying to Dr. C. E. Doering, Dean of Faculties. Bryn Athyn. Pa.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION.

     With a record attendance of 103 members and visitors, the Forty-third Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association was held at Bryn Athyn on Thursday evening, May 23, the President, Dr. Leonard I. Tafel, presiding.
     The Treasurer, Dr. C. E. Doering, reported a balance of $283.06 on hand at the end of the year, and a membership of 231. During the past year the sale of publications was small, and had been decreasing from year to year.
     The report of the Literary Editor, Dr. Alfred Acton, stated that the manuscript of Volume II of The Cerebrum is now ready for the printer, and the report of the Board of Directors announced that this volume will be published during the coming year at a pre-publication price of $1.00 a volume.
     It was also reported that the Rev. Alfred G. Regamey is now acting as agent of the Swedenborg Scientific Association in Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland. War conditions had delayed the sending of our publications to Europe, but the sentiment of the meeting was strongly in favor of taking the risk.
     On motion, the meeting sent a congratulatory message to the members of the Association in Boston, Mass., who have established a reading circle in that city.
     The Annual Address was delivered by Bishop George de Charms, who spoke on the subject of " Swedenborg's Psychology." In the discussion that followed, Dr. Acton expressed his warm appreciation of the Address, and voiced the hope that it would be published in pamphlet form, At a subsequent meeting of the Board of Directors, action was taken to this end, and the Address will be published in a pamphlet, as well as in the pages of The New Philosophy.
     WARREN HOWARD,
          Secretary.

     NORTHERN OHIO.

     Someone recently asked our Visiting Pastor, What has become of the Northern Ohio Group-we never see news from there in the Life? " Your correspondent agrees that we have been remiss in permeating the Life with news; but believe you me, if anyone gets the idea that we are not progressing, he has another think coming. There are forty-three of us on the job harmoniously working together in a spirit of goodwill and understanding. The group is progressing numerically, and we hope spiritually, under the able guidance of the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, who comes into our midst about every two months, making the rounds of Cleveland, Niles, Youngstown, Barberton, and Akron, where the circle of visits usually terminates with a Sunday service of worship. Here a large room at the hotel, ideally adapted for our use, is secured through the efforts of Randolph Norris, who is general utility man and proviso-extraordinary. With the able assistance of the vice-janitor, Arthur Wiedinger, all details are nicely worked out.
     I will go back to March 31, when the cold winds were blowing, and the roads were covered with a beautiful glisten of snow.

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Weather means a great deal to us, owing to the distance necessary to travel. Many of you have but a few blocks to go to church, but some of us in this neck of the woods must drive almost 100 miles each way. But we don't think anything of it. I presume it is the magnet of enthusiasm for our beloved pastor and his work that attracts us so earnestly together.
     Well, on March 31 we had a Sunday service at the Portage Hotel in Akron, and we considered this a special occasion, inasmuch as we had with us the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen, who preached a most excellent sermon and also enlivened our meeting afterwards with his instructive remarks. Among the visitors were Mr. and Mrs. G. Percy Brown, of Pittsburgh, and a number of Convention friends from Cleveland and other points. After the service we all invited ourselves to the Arthur Wiedinger domicile in the country for an elaborate "feed," social gathering and business meeting. When we had partaken of the excellent meal, so ably provided by Mrs. Wiedinger and her Akron helpers, Mr. Reuters first remarks were a welcome to our new member, Mrs. Jeannette Stroemple. She is our piano artist, and her ability in "tickling the dominos is in our judgment second to none.
     At this meeting Mr. Router explained in detail his work as a member of the Committee on Adult Education, in connection with the series of pamphlets now being published. The subject created quite an interest, and many expressed a desire to purchase a full set.
     Our most recent gathering was held on June 2 at Cleveland, and was one of the best and most successful of our meetings. It was held at the Park School "in Cleveland Heights, on a 15-acre domain donated by John D. Rockefeller. Through the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Norman, the latter being Treasurer of the School, arrangements were made for the use of the auditorium for our Sunday service and the gymnasium ball for the dinner, after which the extensive grounds were at our disposal for recreative purposes. We had quite a large turnout-forty-eight in all-including a number of the Cleveland Convention members, whom we cordially welcomed. They seem to be interested in our movement, and some of them attend our classes.
     All the talk nowadays in this great State of Ohio is about the meeting of the Pittsburgh District Assembly, which is to be held in Akron next Fall. Good weather has been ordered for this event, and all are falling over themselves in an effort to do more than their part toward making it a success. We are holding the pastor of the Pittsburgh Society responsible for a big turnout from the Smoky City.
     Although our group is gaining in numbers we occasionally lose a few members. The bunch has never been quite the same since Jack Lindrooth left us for the Michigan group. Then the Day family moved from Cleveland; and recently we lost the Edwin Asplundhs, who migrated to Pittsburgh. He was one of the main spokes in our wheel, and we were very sorry to see him go. We shall miss his cheery 2 x 4 smile at our meetings, and his liberal dispensations as host, which always left a lasting impression.
     We propose to hold our next gathering at Youngstown, and Dr. Renkenberger has been appointed a committee of one to secure the finest cabin in Mill Creek Park for the occasion. At these park gatherings we usually have an exceptionally large attendance, and the folks in Youngstown are trying to outnumber the Cleveland meeting. We hope that everybody, tall, thick and thin, will honor us with their presence. The date will probably be around the first of August.
     W. C. NORRIS.


     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     For the past few weeks we have been enjoying the visit of the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen, and if we may judge from the manner in which he has entered into the life of the society, we may conclude that he is also enjoying us.

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Such conclusions, however, are not in the best of taste. Just the same we hope that we are right.
     On Friday, May 17, the semi-annual meeting of the society was held. Two things of note transpired: First, the report of the Mortgage Committee, to the effect that within the past year they had succeeded in raising subscriptions to the full amount of the mortgage. Second, after due consideration the meeting voted to cooperate with the General Church in accepting the responsibility for the support of an assistant to the Pastor. As yet the Bishop has made no appointment, and from all indications will not do so for several months.
     At the present time we are all Assembly-minded. Judging from the number of applications, we can safely assume that we may expect more guests than in 1937. By the time these notes go to print the General Assembly will be a matter of record; so for the present it will suffice to say that the months of May and June in Pittsburgh have been characterized by increasing activity in preparation for the Assembly.
     E. R. D.

     GLENVIEW, ILL.

     On Saturday evening, May 4, the society was invited to attend a Musicale arranged by the social committee. Miss Barbara Gyllenhaal and Mr. Robert Carlson were in charge, and they are to be congratulated upon the excellent program. Violin and piano solos, interspersed with solo singing by young men and women-all members of our society-provided very high-grade entertainment.
     A "Mexican Fiesta" on Saturday evening, May 18, was one of those affairs at which everyone just naturally has a good time. Supper was served cafeteria style, and was followed by all kinds of entertainment, including movies in one of the school rooms and a bull fight in the assembly ball!
Lots of bakery goods and household articles were on sale, and when the proceeds were counted it was discovered that we had collected $161.00 for our Park Lake Fund." Some idea of the number who attended can be gained from the fact that it took seven people 2 1/2 hours to wash the dishes!
     With collections made locally, and generous contributions from our friends near and far, we have digged a well near our lake and are now pumping clear spring water into the lake, thereby making it possible for dozens of our children (and some adults) to enjoy swimming right in the Park. We have a fine sand beach, too, for the babies.
     On May 23 the school children sang a Cantata, entitled "Rip Van Winkle." Miss Volita Wells had trained them, and they did very well. Their singing was prefaced by several ` pieces " played by our fourth grade rhythm band in good style.
     At the close of the morning service on Sunday, May 26, the marriage of Mr. Noel McQueen and Miss Mildred Hark was solemnized in a simple and most impressive ceremony. Later in the afternoon a private reception was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harold P. McQueen. Our pastor and his wife, together with thirty-one relatives and friends of the bride and groom, were present. Toasts and short speeches created a very festive sphere. Several days prior to the wedding the inevitable "shower" occurred, and the presents were so numerous that they filled the back of the automobile in which they were taken to Chicago, where Mildred and Noel are making their home.
     The annual installation banquet of the Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy was held on Saturday evening. May 25. International President Richard Kintner and Mrs. Kintner were our guests of honor, and he presented the paper of the evening. Our new officers are: Warren Reuter, President; Edwin Burnham, Vice President; Leslie Holmes, Secretary; and Alan Fuller, Treasurer.

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The two latter are serving their second terms, and our retiring President. Geoffrey Blackman, is member-at-large of our Executive Committee.
     Miss Dorothy Cole has been doing excellent work with the pupils of her clay modeling class, and at a recent Friday Supper we were invited to an exhibition of their handiwork.
     H. P. McQ.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     With the months of May and June, the various organizations of the Olivet Church have brought to a close their first year under war conditions. Although we have outwardly carried on all of our usual activities, the changing European picture has naturally colored our thoughts to a great extent, and has presented us with many new problems concerning the application of the Doctrines to the abnormal conditions of life to which we are now subject. Because of this, and the obvious need of maintaining a rational New Church outlook in the face of the subversive mental and moral influences of war, our pastor has decided to carry on our Wednesday doctrinal classes in the form of informal discussion meetings. If the response to this plan warrants it, these meetings may be continued through most of the Summer.
     On May 16 the Sons held their regular monthly meeting, with one of the largest attendances in the last two years. The financial report at this meeting indicated that our 1940-1941 scholarship fund pledge will probably be paid in full by June. The paper of the evening was a most excellent resume of the events of the past three decades, leading up to the present war.
     The Ladies' Circle met on June 7 for its annual closing supper, and on the same evening the Alpha Pi held its final meeting of the year. This made a busy evening for Mr. Gyllenhaal, who had consented to address both meetings. His talk to the ladies was on "Patriotism." with particular reference to the uses which the womenfolk could and should perform for their country. The pastor then came over to the young people's meeting, and gave us an exceedingly interesting and useful talk on the subject of "Character." He pointed out that in New Church terminology the word "character" has been largely replaced by other words and phrases, and then gave us a very clear and practical description of the methods of forming a good character-or "regenerating"-through humility, self-compulsion, and the performance of uses on every plane.
     Although as we have said, our thoughts are constantly turning to the war, the Society's only contact with it on the practical plane has been through the Ladies' Circle, which, as a member of the Parkdale Women's Patriotic Association, has been busily turning out Red Cross materials all year. Our ladies are the smallest group in this organization, but they have made excellent progress, and we feel that this report would not be complete without our extending congratulations to them. We cannot all do as much as we would like to do toward Canada's war effort, and we are grateful to the Ladies' Circle for "keeping our end up" for the whole Society.
     LAURENCE T. IZZARD

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS.

     Joint Meeting.

     On Saturday evening, June 8, a well attended Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church heard with keen interest a digest of the Annual Reports of the various departments, well prepared by the Secretary, Mr. Edward F. Allen. Several speakers voiced warm appreciation of the accomplishments of the past year.
     Dr. Charles R. Pendleton then delivered a scholarly Address on the Ontological View of New Church Education. In the light of the doctrine of remains." and of psychology, it dealt with the subject of teaching the right things at the right time, and of the harmful effects upon the human organism when the instruction given is premature or ill-timed.

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Dr. Pendleton's paper was discussed by a number of speakers, and we understand that the text is to be published in pamphlet form by the Committee on Adult Education.

     School Closings.

     At the closing exercises of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School, held on Thursday, June 13, Mr. Donald F. Rose gave an instructive and entertaining talk to the children, and Certificates of Graduation were presented to 30 pupils,-16 girls and 14 boys.
     The Academy Commencement was held on Friday. June 14, with a large attendance of parents and friends from far and near, filling the seats of the Assembly Hall.
     The service was conducted by Bishop Acton, and Dean Doering read the Lessons-The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30), and A. C. 1937, treating of the need of self-compulsion to speak the truth and to do what is good. The students sang a number of sacred selections, including the 48th Psalm from the Psalmody, with a sweetness and unity that reflected their excellent training by Mrs. Besse E. Smith.
     The Commencement Address was delivered by Edward H. Davis, Esq., of Bryn Athyn, who spoke effectively to the graduates on the subject of "Taking Responsibility," with significant reference to the proper use of freedom in the present troubled conditions of the world.
     Bishop de Charms touched upon this theme of responsibility in his words of counsel and good wishes to the graduates, as he presented the diplomas and also announced the various awards and prizes. A valedictorian of each class made grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of the Academy education, and a seriousness of outlook and marked sincerity was observable in these expressions on the part of the students.

     The List of Awards follows:

     Degrees.

     BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY: Ormond de Charms Odhner, Martin Pryke.
     BACHELOR OF ARTS: Morna Hyatt (cum laude)

     Diplomas.

     JUNIOR COLLEGE:     Robert Alden, Harry Wilson Barnitz, Elizabeth Brown, Edith Walton Childs, Leonard Edward Hill, Katharine Howard, Edmund Gilbert Smith.
     Boy's Academy: William Byrd Alden, Robert Morris Bostock, Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal, Kent Hyatt, James Francis Junge, Cedric Franklin Lee, Sanfrid Emanuel Odhner, John Pendleton Pitcairn. Certificate of Graduation:     Roy Marlo Burnham.
     GIRLS' SEMINARY:     Shirley Fay Blackman, Bernice Bostock, Mary Macy Carpenter, Mary Alice Carswell, Beatrix Cooper, Ruth Cranch, Anne Davis, Irene Victoria Evens, Paula Suzanne Finkeldey, Natalie Henderson, Jean Elizabeth Horigan, Helena Marie Junge, Janet Brown Kendig, Joan Nanette Kuhl, Jocelyn Olds, Carolyn Simons.

     Honors.

     Alpha Kappa Mu Merit Bar: Jean Elizabeth Horigan.
     Deka Medal: Joan Nanette Kuhl.
     Theta Alpha Honor Tuition Scholarship: Priscilla Alden.
     Sons of the Academy Gold Medal: Kent Hyatt.
     Sons of the Academy Silver Medal: James Francis Junge.
     Oratorical Prize Silver Cup: Sanfrid Emanuel Odhner.

     A SERMON BOOKLET.

     Towards a Living Religion.-Seven Sermons by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, as noted on pace 330. To any address in the United States or Canada, 10 cents a copy.
     The Academy Book Room,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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ORDINATIONS 1940

ORDINATIONS              1940




     Announcements



     Odhner.-At Bryn Athyn, Pa., June 19, 1940, Mr. Ormond de Charms Odhner, into the First Degree of the Priesthood, Bishop George de Charms officiating.
     Pryke-At Bryn Athyn. Pa., June 19, 1940, Mr. Martin Pryke, into the First Degree of the Priesthood, Bishop George de Charms officiating.



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ADDRESS TO THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

ADDRESS TO THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
AUGUST, 1940
No. 8
     (Delivered at the First Session, June 26, 1940.)

     The living essence of that movement in the Church, which led to the formation of the Academy, was a complete acknowledgment of the sole Divine authority of the Writings. This was not a mere intellectual acknowledgment. It involved the recognition that that which has Divine authority should actually govern. Those who held this view were determined that the direct statements of the Heavenly Doctrine should exercise supreme control over their minds, directing their thought and determining their judgment and their action with reference to all things of life. To this end they undertook to read the Writings extensively, and to study them systematically, in order to acquire an accurate knowledge and a rational understanding of their teachings. And as this understanding developed, they sought out ways in which to give it practical application. This was the mode by which they conceived that the Lord Himself-immediately present in His new Revelation-was to lead and teach His people.
     In accord with this spirit of fidelity to the Heavenly Doctrine, Bishop W. F. Pendleton, in 1897, when he was faced with the task of reorganizing the Church after the fall of the Academy, proposed a form of government and a plan of organization designed in every way to facilitate this direct leading of the Lord by means of His Word. The Church, in itself considered-considered as to its true essence-is necessarily individual.

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Love to the Lord, charity toward the neighbor, a spiritual understanding of Divine Truth, and a spiritual affection of the good which truth teaches-these are the things that make the Church living; and these can exist only in human minds. Wherefore we are taught "the Church is within man. The Church that is outside of him is the Church with a number of men who have the Church within them." (S. S. 78.)
     It follows that the Lord's leading and government must primarily be established in the mind of each individual. If, then, the Lord is to direct and control the Church as an organized body, this individual government must be extended and made effective throughout that body. This was the ideal that Bishop Pendleton strove to ultimate in the organization of the General Church. It led him to propose a body which should consist, not, as is the usual custom, of groups or societies as units, but of individuals, each of whom should be recognized as a church in least form, and all taken together as constituting the Church in its greatest or most extended form. It led him to suggest an order that would provide free access to the Writings on the part of each member, and would encourage a sense of personal responsibility in each one to read them, to understand them, and conscientiously to interpret their application for himself.
     He sought to establish an order of the priesthood, which in its relation to the laity, would safeguard this freedom and this responsibility with both. With this in view, he set forth the principles of Council and Assembly. There was to be a Council of the Clergy to direct ecclesiastical affairs, to present the uses to be undertaken by the Church, and to determine their relative importance. And there was to be a Council of the Laity to direct civil and financial affairs, to provide the ultimate means for the carrying out of these uses, and to limit undertakings to the means available. Each of these was to have its independent sphere of judgment and of action. But that they might be coordinated, they were also to meet in joint council, for free discussion and interchange of thought. And finally there were to be assemblies-General, national, district, and local-in which, at stated times, not merely the constituted representatives, but the entire membership of the Church, might gather to worship the Lord together, to receive instruction from the Word, to strengthen the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual charity, and to express a free and united reaction to the teaching given.

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     The Lord governs the Church with the individual immediately through His Word. But of necessity He governs the Church as an external body mediately through the instrumentality of men. That the priesthood is to be the prime instrument of this mediate government, is specifically enjoined by the Writings. (H. D. 314.) Yet through the priesthood the Divine government operates just so far as the call to that office is from the Lord, and so far as the revealed Law of the Word is acknowledged by the priest as that to which his own will must be subordinated, and by which his judgments are to be controlled. In this way the immediate government of the Lord is to be extended to the Church. Priestly government is intended neither to displace this immediacy, nor to detract from it, but merely to implement it. For this reason there is to be no government by command, or by external compulsion of any kind. The work of the priesthood is to "teach the truth of the Word, and to lead thereby to the good of life." The priest is to expound the Word, to make clear its meaning, and to set forth its application to existing conditions. To this labor he is to dedicate the fruits of lifelong study, of technical knowledge, and of organized research. This is to be done in such a way that it not only brings the Word to the people, but, above all, that it may lead the people to the Word, and open their minds to direct illustration from the Lord therein. Priestly instruction, therefore, is not to take the place of individual reading and study, but instead is to encourage and assist it
     It is necessary, of course, that doctrine drawn from the Word and confirmed thereby should be formulated by the priesthood. Such principles of doctrine are necessary to guide the policies of the Church. But no such principles are to be determined by councils, or set up as laws binding upon the conscience of men. Whatever authority they exert must be the authority of the Heavenly Doctrine itself. It must arise from the fact that they are seen and acknowledged by common consent to reflect the clear teaching of the Writings. Such formulations should be made only as use and necessity may require. They should arise out of specific issues that confront the Church, calling for decision. They must he open to continual revision in the light of increasing knowledge, and in adaptation to changing states.
     Such are the Principles of the Academy. They grew out of the conflicts incident to the establishment of that body.

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But they were not crystallized until after the Academy had come to an end. In their present form they were set forth by Bishop W. F. Pendleton at the beginning of the General Church as embodying those spiritual treasures of the Academy which it was of high importance should be preserved and perpetuated in the new organization. Without formal adoption they were spontaneously accepted. They have become in fact the doctrine by which the General Church is distinguished from all other bodies of the New Church. But by this no more is meant than that, with reference to certain vital questions on which it has been necessary to take a definite stand, these principles express our commonly accepted understanding of what the Writings teach. We proclaim them as a faith we hold in common, but not as a required belief. They are not a fixed or static formulation of doctrine. Already they have undergone some revision in accord with the advancing thought of the Church. And only so long and so far as they are seen by each generation to express accurately the clear teaching of the Writings will they retain any authority.
     Yet it should be pointed out that so long as this is the case, they do have authority. By virtue of their free acceptance as fairly representing that teaching, they cannot but exert a powerful influence. In their light the policies of the Church are determined; in their light we judge concerning the uses to be undertaken, the relative importance of those uses, and thus the who]e line of practical development that is to be followed. It is right and of order that this should be so. Nor should these Principles lightly be changed. Such alterations as changing states may call for should be made gradually, as the result of instruction, counsel, and free consent. Save as this comes about by ordered processes, we should regard them with deep respect, defending them against attack, and maintaining them in united loyalty. This, because in them we see the hand of the Lord leading and governing the Church.
     In this is plainly illustrated the teaching of the Writings that "it is not the Word that makes the church, but the understanding of it, and that such as is the understanding of the Word among those who are in the church, such is the church itself." (S. S. 76.) The Word, indeed, is infinite. Its truth is eternal. Through it "the Lord is present with man and is conjoined with him; for the Lord is the Word, and as it were speaks with man in it." (S. S. 78.)

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     What the Lord there says is Divinely true. But man's understanding of it is ever variable, according to his state. It may he more or less true, or even false. At the beginning of regeneration every man is in the darkness of spiritual ignorance. His mind is filled with sensual appearances that becloud his vision. It is to man-in the midst of this darkness-that the Lord comes by means of His Word. He comes with light that imparts spiritual understanding to the mind. This light, however, can illuminate only such objects as are present in the mind such sense impressions and such knowledges as have been received and stored in the memory by past experience. Many of these are appearances, distorted, fallacious, contrary to the truth. In the early dawn of spiritual insight our understanding is not sufficient for us to distinguish clearly between the appearance and the reality. Only by gradual stages, by slowly increasing knowledge from the Word, by the conflict of temptation that removes the evils and falsities we do see, can the Lord teach us discrimination, that our understanding may be purified. Yet, so far as we look to Him in His Word, with humble prayer for guidance and instruction, the Lord can be present with us in our understanding, in spite of all its imperfections, gently leading us to understand more truly, and thus building His Church within us.
     The great temptation-both of the individual and of the Church-is to cling stubbornly to what we see, or think we see as true, resisting the Lord's efforts to remove impurities from our understanding. In this there is self-love and self-leading. We must indeed sustain what we see to be true, for by this conscience is formed, and through conscience alone the Lord can lead us. But we must not mistake our understanding, at any time, for the final truth. This exists only in the Word. Our eyes must ever be directed to that Divine source of all truth, that we may submit our thought to the molding influence of Revelation, keeping our understanding fluid, that it may respond to every touch of the Lord's hand.
     This is of supreme importance. And yet it is indeed the understanding of the Word that makes the Church; and the quality of the Church with us-at any time-is determined by the degree to which its doctrine is sound and pure.

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Only according to the best understanding which it is possible for the Lord to give us can we at any time form our judgments and determine our actions. We must think and we must act with conscientious fidelity to what we understand, even while acknowledging in our heart that that understanding is far from perfect, and praying the Lord for increased enlightenment out of His Word. Only thus can the Lord teach us and lead us.
     It is inevitable that every such judgment, every such decision, should establish a precedent. It is inevitable that, from these precedents, customs should arise that tend to exert a growing influence upon our future thought and action. It is right that things thus established should be known, that reasons for their adoption should be considered, in order that we may profit by the experience of the past. But it is essential that the mind should ever be free to judge directly from the Word in the light of present conditions-free to modify or even to reverse the decisions of the past. To the end that the established order and organization of the General Church as it now exists, might accurately be known, Bishop W. F. Pendleton issued a formal statement of it. This was by no means intended to bind the Church. He merely wished to record the progress of its development. Twice that statement has been revised by Bishop N. D. Pendleton; and from time to time it will need to be revised again. Some have thought that for legal purposes there should be some formal adoption of it by the Church. But we would regret any such necessity, lest, by inordinate reliance upon it, we detract from our sense of responsibility continually to form new judgments directly from the Writings.
     It is important to note that the government of the Church is effected by a twofold influx. It is effected, on the one hand, by an immediate influx from the Word to each individual, and, on the other, by an influx that is mediated through spirits and angels and other men. Neither of these by itself is sufficient to establish the Church. Both must operate together. They must meet and be conjoined. Any one mind is too limited in outlook, too deficient in knowledge, adequately to reflect the light of Revelation. If that mind is cut off from all contacts with others, its communication with societies of spirits and angels in the other world is limited.

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Being constantly held under the influence of the same narrow circle of spiritual associates, such a man is prone to give undue prominence to one truth, overlooking its relation to other truths that are intended to modify it. In this case, while what the man sees may he true in itself, with him it becomes a half-truth which, being mistaken for the whole, is in effect a falsity.! Having no means by which to recognize or correct his error, he is led to confirm it more and more until any correction becomes extremely difficult. Thus the mind, by turning ever in upon itself, becomes fanatical, and loses the power of rational judgment.
     All of us need extension of thought through communication with many spiritual societies in order to attain a balanced understanding of truth. For the Lord must come to us, not only immediately through His Word, but also mediately through the ministrations of others. It is this mutual need upon which all human relations and all the various uses of society depend. By this the Lord gives men a part to play and a work to do in His heavenly kingdom. By it He provides that each may give something of eternal value to others, and may receive enrichment in return. By it He conjoins men in bonds of charity and affection, of mutual love and common service, and forms of them at last a heaven, which appears in His sight as a single Gorand Man.
     The chief function of the organized Church is to provide for this mediate influx of the Lord. It is to establish and maintain orderly channels for the communication of spiritual affection and thought among its members, and thus to open the gates of influx from many widely extended societies of heaven. All the uses of the Church minister to this end-its public worship and instruction, its publications, its educational institutions, its social agencies. These are important solely because of the use they perform to the Church itself-to that Church which can come into being only in the mind and heart of each individual.
     But be it remembered, that to the true spiritual development of that internal Church, the organized activities of the external Church perform a necessary, nay, an indispensable use.
     Among these agencies-by no means the least important-are assemblies. Every occasion when New Churchmen meet together is an opportunity for the operation of that mediate influx of the Lord through which new blessings may be received from heaven.

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The greater the numbers, the greater the distances from which they come, the more widely divergent their background of thought and of experience-if they are united in the common purpose of understanding and living the truth of the Heavenly Doctrine, the more widespread and powerful will be the influx from heaven for the enlightenment of the Church. For this reason our General Assemblies especially have contributed in no small degree to the well being of our General Church. Spaced approximately three years apart, they have in every case answered a felt need. Each has been characterized by its own distinctive sphere and quality, reflective of existing states. But each has had a vital gift to impart. In times of stress they have helped to heal the wounds of conflict. In times of prosperity they have lifted our hearts to the Lord in gratitude and praise for all His mercies. But, both in prayer and glorification, they have always brought us into the mountain of the Lord that our feet might stand within the gates of Jerusalem, " whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord."
     It is with joy, therefore, that we welcome you to this Seventeenth General Assembly. It comes, we believe, at a time of more than usual need. The world is in the throes of a great judgment-even a continuation of that Last Judgment which took place in the spiritual world in 1757. It was indeed completed there within that year, but on earth it can go forward only by a slow progression. For here the states of men may not be so quickly changed, without depriving them of internal freedom and thus destroying their spiritual life.
     "The Lord is ever mindful of His own." He has regard to the salvation of the simple in heart, wherever they may be. Many such exist among every race and people. They are found in all the religions of the world. Wherever a God is acknowledged-even though the idea of God is utterly mistaken, and wherever willing obedience is rendered to what men suppose to be the will of God, there something of innocence can be preserved. In this the Lord can be present, although He is unknown. By the secret working of His Providence He can withhold men from a fatal confirmation of the evils and falsities in which they are.

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And even though they cannot receive on earth the truth of His opened Word, the Lord can hold their minds open to instruction after death. The persuasions of their own religion, which have been inbuilt into their minds during infancy and childhood in a sphere of holiness, are so mistaken for the truth itself that the Lord can withdraw them only with the greatest care and gentleness, lest all spiritual life should perish. For the sake of such as these the Lord delays His Judgment, permitting false religions to remain, sometimes for many centuries, until all who are in the simple faith of ignorance can be separated from them without spiritual injury. Wherefore it was prophesied concerning the Lord at His coming that He would be "long-suffering" and of "great mercy." "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench; He shall bring forth judgment unto truth." (Isa. 42: 2, 3.)
     In mercy the Lord delays the judgment; but He cannot prevent it. Steadily He must permit it to advance, even to the final consummation. Only in this lies the fulfillment of His Divine purpose.
     Not otherwise can the power of evil be broken. Not otherwise can the obstacles be removed from the minds of men, that all at last may receive the truth of the Heavenly Doctrine. This cannot be brought about apart from grievous temptation and suffering, until the race may finally be healed.
     The present world-conflict is but part of this Judgment, necessary under the Lords directing hand as a preparation for the coming of His Kingdom. Of this we have complete assurance from the Word. Yet it is bringing about-with bewildering rapidity-tremendous changes in the social, political, and economic structure of society. These changes cannot fail to have a profound effect upon the external conditions which the Church will be called upon to meet. In Holland, France, and Norway, our societies already have suffered the terrible effects of military invasion. In England, our people-together with their countrymen are in the midst of a life and death struggle for the protection of their government and of their homes. In Canada, Australia, South Africa, young men are being called to the colors; and both in the Dominions and in our own country every effort is being focused upon the imperative need to organize industrial production for defense.

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     No man can foresee the outcome. We cannot foreknow what emergencies the Church may be called upon to meet, nor what far reaching adjustments may be required by the altered conditions that will obtain after the conflict is over and peace has been restored. This, however, we do know, that while the Divine Providence is over all things, while it is bearing the race secretly but irresistibly through the storm toward its appointed destiny of eventual peace and safety in the promised Kingdom of the Lord, yet the protection of the Church we love depends upon the Lord's continued government and leading in it. We do not mean the unconscious government enjoyed by all men, but that conscious operation of His Truth, which is possible only where the Lord is known, and His Word acknowledged. For the maintenance of this government we have a high responsibility, both as individuals and as a Church. Never was there a greater need for us to receive the Lord's guidance and instruction from the Writings, and to follow Him with unfaltering courage.
     This is the reason why, at the outset of this Assembly, we have recalled to your minds the distinguishing features of the General Church as to doctrine, organization, and government. These were proposed and adopted with the single end in view that through them the Lord, as He appears in the Writings of His Second Advent, might actually lead His Church and every member of it, directly from His Word. But they will not continue to serve this end if we allow them to become but formal traditions with us. They will not do so unless we individually read the Writings continually, and think from them with reference to the solution of the problems that now confront us. They will not do so unless we know the reasons for these external instrumentalities of organization, and understand how they are to be so used as to assist and not retard the immediate influx of the Lord, to establish the living spirit of His Church more perfectly with each of us. If we would enjoy the benefits of that new spiritual freedom which the Writings hold out to us, we must accept the added responsibility of individual thought, individual study, individual judgment-not from ourselves, but from the Lord in His Word. We must endeavor continually to perfect that thought and judgment, both from the Writings and from the mediate influx that comes through the counsel of our fellow New Churchmen.

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And we must dedicate our lives anew to the service of the Church, in love and loyalty.
     The supreme need of the moment is for a realizing sense of the Lord's near presence, for an abiding trust in the power of His Truth to give us spiritual protection. But let it not be the trust of a self-complacency that renders us blind to the dangers that confront us. Rather let it he a trust that gives us courage to face realities, and a determination to make every sacrifice that may be necessary, if we are to do our full duty to the Church, and to the Lord.
     It is fitting at such a time that we should gather in General Assembly to "seek the Lord and His strength," to " seek His face for evermore." It is fitting that, together, we should turn anew to His Word for counsel, illustration, and enlightenment. For from that sacred fountain of eternal Truth, every spiritual blessing flows. The Writings are to us the very Sun of Heaven come down to earth. In their light we shall see light, that the Lord Himself may guide our steps in the way of peace.
EXTENSION WORK OF THE GENERAL CHURCH 1940

EXTENSION WORK OF THE GENERAL CHURCH       Rev. NORMAN H. REUTER       1940

     (Delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly, June 27, 1940.)

     We are taught in the Heavenly Doctrines that the nature of true love is to give of its own to others. The Lord, from what is His own, wills to give to angels and men all the blessings of eternal life; yea, He wills to give them even to the devils of hell. Angelic love also wills to give of its own to others. Indeed, in this outflow lies its joy, its felicity of life, and the secret of the everlasting nature of its delight. For when there is delight in giving, there will be no cessation of that delight, since opportunity to give is never lacking.
     With men, too, a true love longs and strives to give of its own to others. All love, which receives, which takes, without desiring to give again according to its function and capacity, is selfish.
     Hence it is that those who, in the Providence of the Lord, have been given the truths of the Second Coming, if they love them with a genuine love, are moved with the desire that those truths shall be imparted to others who as yet have them not.

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That they may receive more fully, in order to give more fully and wisely, such men and women hand themselves together into an organization called a church. And in the degree that this organized effort is guided by the principles of revelation, the law of heaven is brought down among men, an orderly basis for varying influxes is prepared, and the kingdom of God can be gradually established on earth.
     Herein, we believe, lies the true spirit of extension work in a living church. It springs, not from a mundane concern for increase in numbers, but from a spiritual desire that the gifts of heaven shall be made available to all who are willing to receive them. A genuine church, whether in the individual or an organized group of such individuals, has, or may have, goods and truths from the Lord in its midst. Such a church ever labors to give of what it receives to those not yet of the church. Without this yearning to be instrumental in the spread of Divine and heavenly gifts, a church is not a church. Where this spirit is absent, a church wraps around itself the deadening mantle of self-concern. Its life turns inward upon self, its enlightenment then ceases, and spiritual death ensues.
     That this is so, is clearly taught in the Doctrines in these words:
"It is a universal law that influx accommodates itself according to efflux, and that if the efflux be checked, the influx is checked." (A. C. 5828.) This law simply teaches us that what flows in from the Lord cannot he hoarded. It must be imparted to others, or used in the service of others, in order that it may he preserved in its integrity. Heavenly things with man are gifts from the Lord, and they can only be preserved, appreciated, and increased with the one receiving them in the degree that he is an image of his Lord,-that is, in the degree that he is moved by the desire to be of service in the giving of these gifts to others.
     This longing to be of service, or use, is that which makes a man capable of receiving and appropriating what flows in from the Lord; and the actual efforts to be of use constitute the efflux which draws the influx to him. For spiritual riches differ from natural riches in this, that the more they are shared, the more they are increased with the one doing the sharing. The more we love others the more the Lord's love can flow in to enrich and bless us.

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Therefore the Lord said to His disciples: "Freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt. 10: 8.)
     In short, there can be a reception of spiritual life, both in the individual and the church as a whole, only when there is a constant and ever increasing efflux of that life in faith and love, and preeminently when there is a giving of one's gifts, whether spiritual, mental, physical, or financial, to the furtherance of uses for the sake of others outside the spheres of one's selfish interests. This is the law of heaven, and it is also the revealed law of a living church.
     A reflection upon this law will make it apparent that the extension work of a church, prompted by a general love, interest, and support of it, is essential to the spiritual integrity of that church. It reveals the measure of the church's genuine love and perception of truth, and the church's ability to be of use in the Divine work of saving souls. It is the ultimate basis of its outgoing life and love.
     Also, from the universal law of influx and efflux, we see that true extension originates from a center of interior things, and thence flows outward to externals. The Source of all that is to be extended is the Lord, while everything of creation is intended as an agent to receive, to enjoy, and to extend further some special gift from the Divine Source. Thus everything is created for use, and to be a form of use. But to man alone of all creation is it permitted to cooperate in the extension of spiritual things. In this is his use; in this lies his privilege of eternal life.
     The Lord flows down to meet man in His Word,-His Advent of Truth. In this day of His Second Coming, He has reached the church with an Everlasting Gospel,-a message of truth and love which shall ever be open to the willing. But the gift of understanding and spiritual revivification comes to the church only when the Gospel is received with an internal acknowledgment of its Divinity; and from this grows a renewed will to apply to life the precepts there found. In this application to life a new instrument is forged in the Lord's hands by which the Everlasting Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ alone lives and rules may gradually spread to all men.
     The General Church of the New Jerusalem dates its origin from such an acknowledgment that the Heavenly Doctrines are the Word of the Lord to His renewed Church.

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This vision caused its inception. This is our gospel-our special mission as an organization.
     Springing from this acknowledgment of the source and nature of the Revelation of the Second Advent came a true perception of that order of influx which promotes secure establishment and sure growth of the church on earth. It was seen that all spiritual growth is from internals to externals. Seeing this, and knowing that the head or first of a church as an organization is a genuine priesthood, the commencement was a theological school as the church's first objective.
     Springing also from the acknowledgment of the Writings as the Word came the clear recognition of the consummated state of the Christian world. From this recognition, as a logical outcome, the need of New Church education was seen. In sustaining the Divine authority of the work on Conjugial Love, the church had impressed upon its attention the teaching that the genuine conjugial "can exist only between a man and a woman who are in one faith,-a true faith in the Lord, from which they are in one wisdom." (Journal of the General Church of Pennsylvania, Sixty-second Meeting, p. 80.) From the acknowledgment of this doctrine arose the perception of the value of distinctive New Church social life.
     In this, our history, we believe we see the true order of church growth or extension-namely, from internals to externals, from internal acknowledgments to external applications deduced therefrom. But these agencies of our past growth-and we mean both internal and external growth-are only means to an end. They are not ends in themselves. The end in view-the spiritual objective-of a living church must be to give of its own to others outside itself. For the longing so to give, without hope of reward, is the spiritual badge, whether of an individual or a church organization.
     We of the General Church should not feel that, in the establishment, development, and maintenance of New Church education and social life, the end is accomplished and the growth or extension of the church is assured. If the church so feels, and acts from this conviction, then a means for the extension of the church, a means established in the Providence of the Lord, will be taken as an end in itself. But the end must ever he that those outside of the church be led into the church.

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     It has been argued that the children and young are as yet outside of the church, and that by New Church education and social life they may be brought into the church,-into the reception of those heavenly things which make the church in the individual. It has further been said that they are the most fruitful field of the simple and gentiles who can be led by the Lord to receive. All this undoubtedly is true. But we must keep in mind that the children and the young are not the only field. And for the members of the church, and the church as a unit, there is a peculiar danger in a solitary concentration upon the one field. For the children of the church are our children, and our concern for them can spring from a proprial love,- from an extended love of self,-while our indifference to the field outside the confines of the Church Specific may be engendered from the same source. As we have said before, if there is no active desire to give of what is received from the Lord through His Word to others outside the spheres of one's possible self-interests-if there is no efflux-a church is in danger of wrapping itself in the deadening mantle of self-concern. Then the education of its young will fail. For self-love, even when directed to heavenly things, cuts off enlightenment, and destroys spiritual motivation.
     Perhaps it is because of this danger in the church itself, among other causes, that it is permitted by the Lord that many well disposed are without its borders, and in need of being brought to the light. In the exercise of the love of gathering this flock, the church has the opportunity to resist the tendency to turn inward upon itself, and instead to endeavor to grow in the spiritual love of giving to others without thought of self. That this flock outside the borders of the Church Specific exists, and is to be gathered, the Lord Himself teaches: " And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10: 16.)

     II.

     Let us turn now to the practical operation of these matters. Let us ask ourselves how New Church education and social life can serve as a means of extending the life and uses of the church to those not enjoying its benefits?
     Our students go through the schools, finish their education, find employment, marry and settle down.

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Some will become members of one or other of our organized societies, and the well-disposed among them will participate in and support its established uses, and perhaps be instrumental in the correction of errors in the church's policy, and become instigators in the development of further uses. When inspired with the true love of the church, their attention and energy will not only be directed to the individual uses of the church in the home, or to the local uses of their society, but also to the general uses of the church as a whole. The love of giving to others the benefits of what they have received will lead not only to the support of the local society and the General Church, but also to the furtherance of New Church education, and to its extension to those unable to obtain this education without aid. These ex-students, because of training and place of abode, have exceptional opportunities for individual growth in the things of the church, and innumerable avenues for the promoting of the uses of the church for the sake of others.
     But all will not avail themselves of these opportunities. Some, although they may be of the physical membership, will not be inspired to ultimate heavenly things through the uses of the church. Some will be principally activated by the love of the world and the love of self. For New Church education and social life, no matter how perfectly conducted, can furnish no guarantee of a true spiritual awakening in the mature product of that training. Men, even when perfectly educated in the things of the church and heaven, are still free to accept or reject internally. And only the well disposed in each oncoming generation, both within and without the physical boundaries of the church organization, can be of use to the Lord in the permanent establishment of the church on earth. These well disposed are the remnant in each day and age whom the Lord can call to the service of those uses of the Church Specific which must be maintained, in order to hold the connection between heaven and earth, and to insure the preservation and gradual regeneration of the human race.
     And here let me interject one thought which appears to be important. If any church organization is to grow spiritually, to extend its connection with increasing numbers of the societies of heaven, and thus to enter with vigor and clearness into expanding fields of usefulness, it must maintain within itself the ability and means for its own purification.

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It must so conduct itself that its hereditary accumulation from generation to generation shall ever be subordinated and purged by the church's vision of truth as seen in its Revelation. The truth must be fearlessly presented, and its policy of action must spring from a courageous desire to apply those truths to life, and this regardless of external consequences, some of which applications will appear, from our prudential thinking, to be destructive of growth. We must become livingly convinced that the truth of the Lord's Word will not only make us free, but that, when applied to life, it will make us grow. It is needful that we be not as sensitive about holding membership lists intact as we are zealous to preserve the spirit of always approaching the Lord in His Word with the firm intention of following the way there indicated. When unanimity of action is sought, it ought to be on the basis of a common seeing of the true way pointed out in the Word, and not from an expedient harmonizing of varying human opinions which are not derived from Revelation. All true unanimity of thought and action will point us to the Lord.

     III.

     But to return to the consideration of the way in which New Church education and social life, and thus the products thereof, may serve as a means of extending the truth, the life, and the uses of the church to those not enjoying these blessings. We have noted some of the orderly ways in which those who have received these advantages, and have settled in our centers, may offer themselves to the Lord for this use. But others will be carried, by the necessities of life, to where there are only small-unorganized groups of our church, or to localities where there are no members at all. These have a different problem in offering themselves for the service of church extension. Their call from the Lord is not so much for the promotion of established uses, and for the institution of new uses, but rather for the inauguration and support of those primary uses in a new locality which elsewhere are already established. We believe that they should consider it as providential, for their own and the church's eventual welfare, that they are so placed, whether for a time or for life. The Lord hath need of them. But here also we may expect that some will gladly seize their opportunities to be of use-to give of what they have received to others not so fortunate-while some will become absorbed in merely worldly and selfish interests.

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Here again the Lord can make a sure establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth only through the agency of the well-disposed.
     There are those who, through the instrumentality of distinctive worship, New Church education, and social life, have received and love the things of heaven, which the Lord has brought, down to earth. These have, or should have, peculiar gifts to offer in the work of church extension. They can be the medium through which the things from the centers may flow to the circumferences of the church. They are the outposts of the Church Militant. And they especially need the combined qualities of conviction in the truths of the church and accommodation to those well disposed outside its borders who as yet do not see its truths. Here not only rational judgment and solicitous restraint are necessary, but also an effort to look for the good in the neighbor not of the church. This good is the ground in which the seed of truth may be sown. And to till this ground there is need of patience, an understanding heart, and unlimited willingness cheerfully to sacrifice personal convenience that the harvest may be gathered. When these qualities are present among a few members of the church, a new center of growth may be expected. For the Lord said that "where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them."
     At the same time, those in the outposts must have their hands upheld by those in the centers. For this work of church extension is the work of the whole church; and each one of us may have a part in it. There must be an influx from the center to the circumference, in order that there may be an efflux from the circumferences to those beyond the church's present borders. Means ought to be provided to the end that the thought, affection, and life built up in the center may flow out to nourish and support the outposts. In the Providence of the Lord, even members themselves may be led from the centers to the circumferences. Thus the center serves in the work done at the extremes. Thus the church acts as an organized unit each member and group therein having its own special use to perform for the sake of the whole.
     For us, organically speaking, that "whole" is the General Church and its work. And its work is not particularized, but universal. It is that which gives us one spirit and unites us in a unanimous purpose.

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Service to that "whole" is each member's primary privilege and responsibility. Uses performed for some unit of that whole, whether this unit be a local society or a specialized organization within the General Church, need to be approached with the thought of the good of the whole in mind, or the work done will eventually be found to be a disservice, both to the unit and the whole. For each member, each unit, and the whole itself must look beyond self in the performance of uses, if the Lord is to lead. In the degree that this looking beyond self and local needs to others and to the general good prevails, in that degree the church is organically living the commandment to love others better than self.
     It is often asked: "Just what can a layman do to assist in the extension work of the church? It is the minister's work to teach and preach the truth, and not the layman's." Beyond the support of those uses which make this ministerial teaching possible, which uses are well known to the church, there is a further vital mode in which all, clergy and laity alike, either retard or advance the growth of the church. And this is by the lives we lead, individually and collectively.
     The teaching is that "good can be insinuated into another by anyone, but not truth, except by those who are teaching ministers." (A. C. 6822.) Good can be insinuated by anyone into another! And good is more powerful than truth in the matter of affecting others. The good of truth, that is, the good of those who are in the truth, is all-powerful. That is what affects, prepares, and stirs up those capable of receiving the truth. This is a work in which each of us, no matter where we are, can assist. And we need not be self- conscious in the matter. We need only realize that, when we do that which we know ought to be done, the Lord can use us to accomplish that which is yet to be done.
     From every man's thought and life a sphere goes forth, affecting others according to the quality of that life. And it is a matter of record that many who have come to the church have been prepared for that step through the good sphere of life proceeding from some individual or group of individuals. Conversely, it has been my observation that some hesitate outside the door of entrance because they are adversely affected by some unwholesome sphere within the church.

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All men understand good when it is seen, but preparation is necessary for the reception of truth.
     That the proprial spheres of our lives can retard the acceptance of the truth of the church is illustrated by what is said in the Writings concerning certain Chinese spirits who could not bear to hear the name " Christ," because this name was associated in their minds with Christians who, regardless of the advantages of their teachings, led worse lives than themselves. By guarding against this disservice to the truth of our church, and by living that truth instead, each one of us performs the greatest possible use in the spread and upbuilding of the Lord's New Church on earth. We believe it to be a maxim of future growth that in the degree that the spheres of the individuals, as well as the collective spheres of the groups, possess the power to affect the good of ignorance in those outside the church, in that degree this good will be drawn to the truth and will embrace it. Thus the work of regeneration is the fundamental work of church extension.
ACADEMY 1940

ACADEMY       Rev. C. E. DOERING       1940

     (Delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly, June 28 1940.)

     When the matter of presenting a report from the Academy to this Assembly was considered, it was thought that, instead of presenting only statistical reports or a catalogue of work that had been done since the last Assembly, it might be of more interest to tell you what studies the faculties have made in order to advance and develop distinctive New Church education, and thus clarify our minds as to what it is and how it is to be established.
     In a general way, the church is acquainted with what the Academy Schools are doing, for parents hear from their children; and reports of the various departments are made annually to the Joint Meeting of Corporation and Faculties, and published in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, which is sent to anyone who is sufficiently interested to ask for it. But the results of the special faculty meetings, held for the development of distinctive New Church education, have not been published anywhere as a whole, and so it was thought you might be interested to hear about them.

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     In 1898, the General Assembly devoted much time to the discussion of the Academy and its relation to the General Church. In fact, they held an Academy Assembly. Since then, every General Assembly has heard a report from the Academy and considered its uses. This was fitting and proper, for at that first meeting the Academy offered its services to the General Church, and announced that it recognized the Bishop of the General Church as ex-officio head of its ecclesiastical affairs.
     That New Church education, in its philosophy and method, is to be new and distinct from that of the Old Church, has been more or less clearly seen by some from the beginning of the New Church. Wherein New Church education is to be distinctive, and how to make it new, has been the study of the leaders of the Academy from the beginning. So I shall briefly review some of the contributions of the past, to give proper setting for the work that has been done in the last few years. We need to know what the founders did in order to build on their work.
     In 1879, the Academy graduated its first students from the College, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. At that time, the commencement address was given by William Frederic Pendleton, who spoke on the text from the Apocalypse, "Behold, I make all things new." He showed that as religion interiorly qualifies and characterizes the works of every individual, institution, or society, so the false religion of the Christian world characterizes all its works, including education, because, based upon the denial of the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Divinity of His Word, it had no standard of truth, and did not lead men in the way of truth and righteousness, thus to heaven, but instead cultivated the loves of self and the world and self-intelligence. Therefore, a new education, developed from and in the spirit of the truth of the New Revelation given in the Writings, would have to be established as one of the instrumentalities in the hands of Providence, to lead man away from the loves of self and the world to love of the Lord and the neighbor, in order that a New Church might be established, in which all things are to be made new.
     In that address, the speaker showed the necessity of forming a new and distinctive education, but how that education is to be developed was not told in detail, although it was in general.

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He noted many passages from the Writings as to the use of scientifics; as, for instance, this from A. C. 4156: "That they may be used to make man insane, and that they can be used to make man wise. That the evil is not in the materials used, but in the perverted applications of them." The world uses them to confirm self-intelligence and deny God, but their genuine use is to confirm the truth and to establish it; for scientifics are facts and laws of Divine Order in the natural world. The laws of nature are manifestations of the laws of God operating on the plane of nature, and if we so see them, then we see in nature a mirror of God.
     One of the graduates of the class addressed by Mr. Pendleton, in order that he might be prepared for teaching in the Boys' School which the Academy was then planning to organize, took a postgraduate course in New Church education with Bishop Benade. After the Boys' School and the Girls' School were established, these lectures, in extended form, were given by Mr. Benade (1884-87) to all teachers in the Academy Schools. Adult members of the society were also invited to attend, in order that all might have the same ideals and cooperate in the common work of educating the children. Mr. Benade laid down some universal principles, drawn from the Writings as a guide. I shall state some of them here.
     The subjects of education, from the moment of conception to eternity, are men, and the objects of education are good and truth. This is almost a paraphrase of the following in D. P. 331, 332, applied to education: "The subject of Divine Providence is man, and the means are Divine Truths, by which he has wisdom, and Divine Goods, by which he has love; and the Divine Providence, by these means, operates its end, which is salvation. The operation of the Divine Providence begins at birth and continues through life, and afterwards to eternity."
     The first part of this proposition has been recognized by some thinking educators; for they say the child is the subject of education. But the second part,-that good and truth are the means of education, or the object of education,-is new, as is also the end for which education is given.
     Mr. Benade, in the course of his lectures, had much to say about good and truth as objects of education. It is vital, says he, that there be discrimination between the good and evil, the true and false, objects that are presented, in order that the good and true may be accepted, the evil and false rejected, to the end that the Lord may build a mind that will become a genuine human being, and one that will be truly rational.

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He shows that the mind, in order to see truth, must be taught the connection of things with their causes and their origin. And that the will to do may grow aright, the affection is to be aroused by being stirred to see the use of each and every object that is presented to it, i.e., the good of it, because use is good. The means by which the end is attained is provided for in the constitution of man, in that he is organized of spiritual and natural substances, and so is in both worlds at the same time, and is the subject of influences from both. Also, since the two worlds are one, the one within the other, thus together, therefore all education must have regard to both worlds, and should not be separated in education. Moreover, man at birth has only faculties and inclinations, which are to grow into a mind composed of an understanding which takes pleasure in seeing truth, and a will which delights in being affected by good.
     Mr. Benade outlined the qualifications of a New Church educator something like this: In addition to the love of teaching and a love of the child, he must have a true knowledge and clear understanding of the human soul and its relations with the Lord, with angels and spirits, and with its fellow man; a knowledge and understanding of its conditions at birth, its mode of formation and growth; the sphere of influences impinging on the mind from within and from without; the varied states in infancy, childhood, and youth; besides a knowledge of the affections to be cultivated at any stage of its life, and the things to be taught at each stage, whether sensual, scientific or rational. In a word, he requires a knowledge and understanding of the Writings, the Sacred Scriptures, and of the natural arts and sciences, which are to be viewed in the light of Revelation, so that the truths within the facts of science may be seen and rightly analyzed. He holds that, while the Writings treat openly of the reformation and regeneration of man, and give the laws by which the Lord does this, by analogy these same laws are to be accommodated and applied to the preparation in the immature age for regeneration; for he said, "Instruction and education are to do for a child, as a child, what reformation and regeneration are to do for an adult, as an adult."

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Moreover, the duty of the teacher is twofold. It is, first, imparting a knowledge of things good and true, and then of training the growing understanding to choose rightly those things that shall make for essential freedom.
     As Mr. Benade had a mixed class of professional teachers and parents, we find a considerable portion of his teaching devoted to the training of the pre-school child, and to the importance of the proper training being given then by the parents as the basis for the future development and right growth of the mind. For the teachers, he presented an outline of a curriculum, which placed the things of spirit, man, and nature in simultaneous order, and their progression, with the growth of the mind, in successive order;-all with the end in view of leading to a knowledge and love of the Lord.
     This curriculum, often much modified by the prevailing ideas of education and the demands of the times, has been the basis of the Academy's educational work. It has centered around religion, but the curriculum, as a whole, has not been re-studied systematically, with a view of fitting it to the mental growth of each individual child, and to the changing times, until Bishop de Charms undertook it anew when he was given charge of the educational work of the Academy.
     Throughout Mr. Benade's lectures, there is stressed the teaching that the Lord is the teacher, and that He builds the mind, but does so out of the food or the object that is furnished by parents, teachers and the spiritual and natural environment. Hence the importance of supplying the good and true mental food for each age and state, and that nothing be offered to the child, or be done for it, that would interfere with what the Lord and the angels are doing for it.
     Since Mr. Benade's day, many lectures have been given and articles written, some of which are published in NEW CHURCH LIFE and in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, others remaining in manuscript in the Academy archives. All of these have contributed to our understanding of what New Church education is, with suggestions for its application and putting into practice. But there is time to note only a few of them.
     Bishop W. F. Pendleton contributed to our knowledge of teaching in his invaluable work to New Church ministers and teachers, The Science of Exposition, which has a section devoted to the subject of teaching the Word to children.

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There are also his addresses on moral instruction, showing that moral truth, taught from the spiritual, is the basis of the religion of youth, rather than spiritual truth itself; for while they may see spiritual truth, they do not spiritually see, but see it morally, as a child sees it sensually. In connection with this, there should he added his calling attention to the natural truth contained in Swedenborg's philosophical works,-truths which the Lord used and ordered in the mind of Swedenborg to prepare him, and which served to embody the spiritual truths of the Revelation given in the Writings, and therefore are truths which should be taught to our children and young people. They should be given a vision of the truth in nature, as well as the truth in the written Word of God; and the former, not only to confirm and establish the latter, but also to serve as a vessel in the natural mind, which is the correspondent vessel for the reception of the spiritual.

     II.

     With the series of special meetings of the Boys' Academy faculty, held during the past year, there terminated a course of study by the faculties that was initiated in 1932. At that time, Bishop de Charms addressed the General Faculty on the importance of a new study of the curriculum. He raised the question "as to what a curriculum should be, not a part of it, but as a whole." He said:
     We need to envision and chart the entire process of mental development as the unit process, from beginning to end."
     Our educational system must be a unit, from beginning to end, to provide material for the growing mind, which grows as each preceding state is a preparation and the basis for each succeeding one. There must be a continuity throughout, in order that there may be no gaps. The curriculum, at every point, must be woven of three distinct threads, from which a pattern must be formed, changing with the advancing states of children. The pattern formed at first must be very simple, and must increase in complexity in the degree that it mirrors the actually increasing complexity of the growing mind itself. He notes three distinct processes of learning, or three fundamentally different ways in which we learn-by experience, by practice and drill, and by reflection and thought.

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     1. Experience is the first, the last, and the most universal teacher of all. It begins at birth, and continues throughout life.
     2. External organized knowledge is acquired only by practice and drill; it comes only from persistent effort of will and application.
     The third process is built up only by reflection, by thought, by analysis, comparison, judgment, and this in order that there may be produced a spiritual understanding, a spiritual vision of truth from thought flowing from internal perceptions.
     Of these three,-experiences, memory knowledges, and thoughts,- each is to form a distinct plane in the mind, and all together are necessary to the education of man. To accomplish the end, these processes must conform to the forces that are operating from within.
     In the light of these principles, of which I have given but a very inadequate outline, the Elementary School faculty devoted some years of study to the Elementary School curriculum. The result is the curriculum that was published in pamphlet form, which I believe is in the hands of all the Elementary School teachers of the General Church.
     Mr. Benade's plan of curriculum centers around the objects of good and truth on the natural, moral, and spiritual plane, which are to be presented to the growing mind, and the order of their presentation.
     Bishop de Charms, keeping this in mind, calls attention to the processes of education and the forces that are operative, so that there may be more cooperation between the teachers' work and the work of the Lord, who builds the mind.
     To carry on the work initiated in the Elementary School, the Bishop, in 1934, began a series of more informal meetings with the faculty of the Girls' Seminary, to make a study of the work, to see if it could be made more distinctively New Church, and also to see wherein it could be made more distinctly feminine, as differentiated from that of the boys of that age. There is already some distinction, but the effort was to see if we could not, by study, gain more light.
     To accomplish this, the literature of the Church that bears on the subject, and that is contained in the Academy Library, in magazines and in the archives, was studied, and the following three points are a summary of the investigation:
     1. The difference between man and woman was noted, studied, and analyzed from various angles, with a view to determining how this difference should affect our educational system.

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     2. It led to the establishment of a distinct girls' school, based upon definite principles of pedagogy, which have been earnestly applied.
     3. Not only in the general planning of the curriculum, but in the teaching of specific subjects, the endeavor has always been present to do this in a way particularly adapted to the needs of the feminine sex, and different from that employed with boys. (See Bishop de Charms' record.)
     The aims of New Church education, and particularly the aims of the Seminary, were discussed at length. Many of the teachers explained their methods in teaching their courses, and how they are attempting to put into practice the principles of education drawn from the Writings, that their instruction may have in it a living soul.
     In regard to aims, there was noted the general distinction between the elementary school period and that of the high school, and what should be accomplished in the latter. I will quote from Bishop de Charms' paper, which was read to the meeting:

     "The universal end or purpose of the secondary school is to aid in the normal transition from the external bonds of childhood to the internal bonds of adult age.
     "External bonds are those of obedience to parents and teachers, thus of dependence upon direction and control from without.
     "Internal bonds are those of obedience to the Lord through the teaching of the Word and the direction of conscience, thus control from within, with which comes independence of outward restraint.
     "The transition from external bonds to internal bonds is primarily a matter of growth. It is broader than formal education. In it, school training can do no more than assist and promote what is going forward by a normal process of mental development. But it can assist by ordering the environment of the young people, both in this world and in the other world, and by supplying material for mental growth.
     "The school can help in the measure that it inspires a love of spiritual use and the love of spiritual truth, i.e., the good and truth of the Word, for in these there is what is eternal."

     You will note that the Academy's task is twofold: 1. Perfecting our courses of instruction, that they may more effectively bring to our young people, not only the knowledges of a subject, but the truth that is within the facts that are learned. 2. To inspire them with ideals in which spiritual life can be formed.

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     In the consideration of the characteristic state of each year of the high school, the guiding principle was the recognition that the high- school period is that in which interior bonds are being formed, so that they may later be of use in forming internal bonds. The purpose of the meetings was to find, if possible, that characteristic moral virtue which is the norm of each year, which we are to strive for in the building of character. Father Benade once remarked that the essence of all education is the building of character. This has to do with the will, from the love of which all the knowledges that come to the mind are viewed and organized.
     As to determining what are the characteristic states of each year, there must not only be a study of the Writings, but also a study of the pupils, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom where they are as it were entirely free, thus as to their attitudes and reactions in all curricular and extra-curricular activities. To take advantage of what has been done in the past, the library was searched for all the articles that had been written on moral education, from the beginning of the Church to the present time, and a summary of it was presented at a meeting of all the teachers of religion in the Academy Schools. The summary presented shows that some New Church ministers have been alive to the need of teaching and training in morals, in addition to the teaching of religion, and their contributions are of much value to us now. Bishop W. F. Pendleton held that "it would be a decided gain if we were to give the subject of morals a distinct place in our curriculum, similar to that we are now giving in religion, language, mathematics, civics, and the physical truth of nature." (N. C. LIFE, 1909, pp. 481-88, "Moral Truth and its Use.")

     III.

     Having in mind what the past has contributed, all the teachers of the Elementary School made a survey of their work and contacts with the children, to study how morals were being inculcated, and ought to be inculcated in the classroom, in their play, and in their social relations. The results of their studies were presented to the religion faculty of all the schools.
     The high schools also took it up, that they might determine what particular moral quality of virtue should be emphasized, looked for, and striven for each year, in order that the sense of responsibility may grow in an orderly manner for the formation of a moral conscience, which is to be the matrix in which the spiritual conscience can be formed in adult life.

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     Of the way in which we are to set about doing this, Bishop de Charms says, "If we are to understand the steps by which such a conscience is built up, and what are the most effective means by which we can promote this development, we must ask ourselves what are the loves, the ambitions, the desires, which are dominant in each year of the high school."
     The conclusions tentatively reached, as a basis for our work and for further study, are as follows:
     "The first essential of responsibility is the recognition that there is a law of life to which every individual must adjust himself. This is expressed by Order.
     "The second essential of responsibility is the recognition that we cannot accomplish our desires alone, but that we need the help of others, and that if they are to help us, we also must help them." In other words, they must learn cooperation.
     "The third step in the development of responsibility is to learn how to organize and administer some phase of student activity." The students learn to organize their affairs, and this prepares them for the next step, viz., taking leadership in student affairs, which comes in the senior year.
     These very general characteristics were found by the faculties of both the Boys' Academy and the Girls' Seminary to be common to boys and girls. Some few distinctions in application were noted; but further study, with some plan of what we are doing, is a work that is still before us.
     Perhaps the question will be raised, as I have heard it raised more than once: "It is all right to say that the end of education is heaven, but that is remote. What about the practical side, the life in the world? We live in the world, and have to make a living in it."
     My answer is, that a genuine New Church education is the most practical education there is.
     For the life of heaven is a life of use.
     Preparation for heaven is only by the performance of uses, and genuine New Church education, more than any other, looks to a genuine preparation for use.

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That uses may be performed aright, there must be a genuine rational and a genuine conscience. The world to-day, evil as it may be, is looking for men who can really think, who can see the relation of cause and effect and draw right conclusions, and who are honest and sincere in all their work. The presenting of knowledges with reasons, with a vision of the moral and natural uses they may perform, showing the truth that is in the knowledge, appeals to the interest and affection of the adolescents, who, in Providence, are looking for such things, and consequently receive them eagerly. It satisfies and directs the natural love of arguing, which adolescents have, to the proper development of rational thinking.
     What I have told you is a very inadequate, a very sketchy, picture of what the Academy faculties have been doing, but I trust the picture is sufficiently clear that you may have a realization of the earnest and intelligent work they are doing for the development of distinctive New Church education, to the end that the young people who come to us may have a knowledge and a vision of the Holy City, and a longing to enter therein.
     I think it right that you should know this, so that you may fully appreciate and cooperate with it. For our work, to achieve the best results, needs the whole-hearted support and cooperation of the Church. Yet, by itself, the Academy education will not build the Church. It is only one instrumentality in the Lord's hands in His work of preparation for life in the world and in the Church. Education is much broader than the schooling the young people receive in the Academy; and the success of the work of the Academy is largely dependent on these other factors. Every sense impression made on the child or youth before school, in school, and out of school, is an instrumentality in the education and preparation for the adult life of use. Consequently, it is important that care be taken that only those sensations touch our children which are correspondential vessels for the inflowing life of the love and wisdom of the Lord,- vessels which can be used by Him to store up states of good affections and true thoughts, which can only be done by means of delights in the exercise of them. In this way are those remains implanted from which the man will think rationally, and from which he will resist the evil that infests.

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     On the importance of this for all the following states in life, much has been said and written in the Church, but I will refer to only one statement of Bishop W. F. Pendleton, with which I shall close:
     "The period of childhood is the time of preparation, and the implantation of remains is preparation for regeneration; and being preparation for regeneration, it is the beginning of it. In childhood the beginnings are made of spiritual life (the seeds are sown therefor), the beginnings of regeneration, the beginnings of the opening of the spiritual mind. If such beginnings are not made then, they will never be made; there will be no beginning in adult life, and man will remain an overgrown child, or an animal. For it is the opening of the spiritual mind that makes the adult, that makes the man.
     This work is the Lord's work, but in the knowledge of it, imparted to man, He indicates to us that we are to co-operate, and much depends upon our co-operation; for co-operation is His instrumentality." (JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, 1903, p. 14.)
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY 1940

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY       EDWARD H. DAVIS       1940

     ACADEMY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 1940.

     Today you, the members of the graduating classes, have reached a milestone in your lives. It is a day to which you have looked forward with eagerness for many years, and a day, which you will recall with pleasure and affection throughout your lives.
     To me, the peculiar fragrance of Spring is inevitably associated with graduation days. So, for me, when Spring comes, my thoughts return to the days when I attended graduation exercises as a student, and especially to the day when I graduated. I recall those days with pleasure, and sometimes, in my weaker moments, with a regret that they are behind me and not ahead of me. I am certain that you, too, however far from Bryn Athyn you may be, will be reminded by the fragrance of Spring of this happy day in your lives. At times you, too, will regret that it is a memory that it is past, and cannot be lived again. Even now, and for some weeks past, if my observations are correct, you have wished that time might be turned back.

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The pleasure of graduation is not unmixed with sadness.
     You know that life does not stop with graduation; but what is beyond is unknown and unforeseeable. Your mind tells you that there is much on the other side of the door, but the sadness in your joy at graduation lies in the feeling that you see the door, and not what lies beyond it. I recall that feeling. But I have lived beyond graduation, and I can assure you that life does not stop when you leave school. I realize that you know that. But perhaps the testimony of a witness who has been away from school for many years can give you a certain amount of confidence and assurance that your knowledge is correct. And I can go further-I can tell you that your life will not be dull or uninteresting or lacking in savor. On the contrary, I can assure you that what you have learned and experienced is only the prelude. It is the overture. The play has just begun.
     It is traditional for the speaker on graduation day to give advice, and I will conform to the custom.
     There is a story, attributed to Mark Twain, of a boy of 14 who didn't like his father's advice. He couldn't stand it, and took no stock in it at all. When the boy grew to be 21, he said it was amazing how much his father had learned in seven years! So if you don't like my advice, just remember that I may know better by the time you grow older.
     We can't solve your problems for you, and wouldn't do it if we could. We can't remove the bumps from your road; and if we believed you would find no bumps in your way, there would be an organization of former graduation-day speakers with spades and shovels building bumps for you to hit. What we can do, however, is to tell you what some of your important problems will be, and what experience and observation have taught us in meeting them.
     I want to speak to you today about taking responsibility. I know of no quality more sought after in the world today. That is because, in a good sense, it is the epitome of such cardinal virtues as honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a devotion to duty, combined with common sense and a willingness to accept a job and see it through. And when I say it is sought after in the world, I mean that it is as much desired in the church as in school or in work.

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     How often do we hear it said that a man is intelligent, even brilliant, or that he is honest, or that he is loyal-but cannot or will not take responsibility! All such attributes are admirable, but it seems to me that, so far as a man's use in this world is concerned, they must find an ultimation in application to and responsibility for the jobs that have to be done here, before those qualities will bring the greatest good to the neighbor, and thus to the man himself.
     I said I know of no quality more sought after in the world to-day. I suppose that could have been said at any time in the history of the world-yet it seems to be especially true now. There seems to be a spirit abroad that security is more to be desired than freedom-that there is little if anything worth fighting for, so long as we can enjoy what we like and not be disturbed. It is the attitude of letting someone else do it. Well, some men have been doing it with such effect that we wonder what forces of evil have been let loose. For evil men take responsibility to achieve evil ends, and at times such as the present it seems that they do it exceedingly well. There is no doubt a reason in Providence why that is so. I don't know why, but it is my opinion that it is to awaken and revive, in those men who have a real love of good and of their neighbor, the need for guarding ideals of religion and life, and to protect what has been gained for civilization through centuries of struggle.
     If our Church and our Country are to survive, it will not be because we take it for granted that they will. It will not be because we passively accept the fact that we have religious freedom, and close our eyes to forces at work, both openly and secretly, to destroy both religion and freedom. Our ideals will survive only if we take the responsibility for seeing to it that they do. And we must take that responsibility.
     What is meant by taking responsibility?
     The first thing we must have is something we believe in. In our church we have that. The cause of most of the difficulty in the world to-day is that so many people believe that nothing is worth believing in. Cynicism and unbelief inspire no man to fight, and they inspire no man to take responsibility. Your first duty, therefore, is to make up your mind what it is you believe.
     You have been given the instruction in school to form the fundamental basis for the structure of your mind and your life to eternity.

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You have been given the materials to build them. It remains for you, in the next few years, to confirm in freedom what you have been taught, and to make it your own. When you do that, you will have a firm foundation of belief that will stand like a rock in the sea of unbelief and doubt, which surrounds us, today.
     But that is not enough. We must each live our belief, and to do that we must take our part in life. We must believe and do, and that in essence is taking responsibility. It applies to life throughout,-to our regeneration, to our part in the church, to our country, and to our work. And we must take our responsibility as to each of these.
     Our supreme responsibility is to the Lord. We are taught that man is placed on earth with the faculties of reason and freedom, and that these are from the Lord in man. It is by means of these faculties that man is reformed and regenerated by the Lord, and it is therefore our responsibility to use the faculties for the Divine end for which they are given to us.
What a man does freely according to reason appears to him as his own, and thus our responsibility to the Lord may be called self- responsibility. So long as we acknowledge that life, freedom and rationality are from the Lord, it is in Providence that man should act as if from himself. With that in mind, we must take the responsibility of using our life and our faculties for the end for which they are given to us-our eternal salvation. Another of our responsibilities is to the church. Supremely the Lord is the Church, and our responsibility to the church would be our responsibility to the Lord. But I refer now to the external, organized activities of our religion. These must have in them a love of the spiritual uses of the church. Otherwise there is no reason for such activities, for a purely external church organization would be nothing more than a social club.
     The love of the church must be ultimated in speech and act in the fulfillment of uses by means of functions and offices. That is why we have the external activities of the church, and that is the reason you must take a part in them. And in taking your part you must give your thought, your time, and your energy to these uses. You may find yourself in a small society or in large society, but wherever you are, you will find that the leaders are always searching for young people who will take responsibility for carrying on the activities of the church.

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     Another responsibility you will have will be that of contributing to the uses of the church. If all things in the church were provided without any effort on our part, it would follow inevitably that our interest in them would die. It is trite, but true, that what we have to work for we prize more highly than the things that are given to us. Therefore, instead of being a burden, it is a right to be able to contribute to the church. It is an ultimate means of expressing an affection for the church, and it is an ultimate means by which we make the church the church of all the members, and not the church of a few. By contributing to the church we make ourselves participants in its uses, instead of spectators on the sidelines. We must contribute what we can, but it is not the size of the contribution that counts. If each does his utmost, and is clear in his conscience that he has done his best, then he has made himself a real member of the church, and not an onlooker.
     Also, of foremost importance in our lives is our responsibility to our Country. We call it the `land of the free." In this country, freedom has been accepted as a fact for so long that we have forgotten how hard it was to gain. I say we have forgotten. The fact is, that we don't know, and never did know, how hard it was to gain. We have read about it in history books. We have read of the battles, the hardships, and the unbelievable courage of the men who took the responsibility of fighting for their principles and beliefs. But what they gained for us we have taken for granted to such an extent that "Freedom" has almost become only a word, and not a living, precious, inheritance which we must guard with our lives.
     I have already spoken of the spirit which has lately arisen that security is more to be desired than freedom,-the spirit of a willingness to follow, so long as security is promised and responsibility taken by others. Such security is, in the first place, an illusion; but even more important to us is the fact that, in pursuing such an illusion, freedom is surrendered. The pioneers who founded this country did not found it because they wanted security. They came here because they wanted freedom, and the price they paid was insecurity. We, too, must be ready to pay that price to continue the ideals of free men in this country.

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     There are many examples of this spirit-or rather lack of spirit-of which I am speaking. Youth movements with government provided security and leadership or leadership by special interest groups of elders who wish to use the youth of the country for their own ends. Crackpot old-age pension movements, which have had unbelievable following, and would wreck the country if put into effect. Social security-government relief-bonuses for farmers-government provided help for almost any group that can make enough noise. And with it all a growing lack of individual responsibility-a growing prayer, "Feed us and lead us!" Well, free men feed themselves and lead themselves. They don't ask someone else to do it for them. And it is our responsibility to continue that spirit of free men in this country.
     I have been speaking of a danger from within. Today there is a grave danger from without. Half the world is at war, and we may be involved-for the defense of the freedom which is our inheritance and for the defense of the ideals for which this nation stands. And we must be ready to pay the price. We must be ready to fight, to make sacrifices, to abandon security, and take our responsibility to preserve to this country the liberty, which is its birthright. But we must be on guard that a war for defense of our freedom against danger from without does not become the very instrument by which that freedom is destroyed by enemies from within. Whether from enemies within or without, we must meet the challenge and do our part.
     Finally, as to responsibility in your work. You can probably find jobs where you won't have to take responsibilities, where someone will tell you what to do, and see that you get it done. But I can't conceive that any of you would be content with such a lot. And if you are not content with such a lot, you will not have to look far or long for work. The leaders in the work of the world today-in whatever field-are those who will take responsibility, and the demand for such men is far greater than the supply. In whatever work you do, you will find that your progress will be almost exactly in proportion to your taking of responsibility.
     You will make mistakes, but you will find that there is not a man to-day in any position of responsibility who has not made mistakes. You will also learn from your mistakes.

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What is important is that you be willing to undertake a job, and to take the responsibility for any mistakes made. The fear of making a mistake is far more likely to impede your progress than any mistake you may make. And if you are willing to take responsibility, you will often find that your fear of making mistakes is not borne out. You must, of course, know your limitations, and not undertake a job when you know you can't deliver. Of greater importance is a willingness to accept responsibilities for things you can do, and to see them through.
     Now I have said a great deal about freedom. I have taken it for granted that freedom is to be desired. As to responsibility, we have none if we have no freedom. But we must remember that we are given freedom by the Lord, not to the end that we may think and act as we please, but to the end that we use that freedom to direct our lives for the purpose for which the Lord has given us that freedom.
     We must not forget that we are led by Providence, and that in the leading of Providence we are given the freedom we have, not to achieve material ends, but to fulfill Divine ends. Freedom without self-imposed restraint, without internal compulsion of self, is not freedom; it is bondage to material ends-to love of self and of the world. For real freedom consists in being led by the Lord, in using our human prudence in freedom, with the acknowledgment that it is from the Lord and of His Providence.
     In concluding, let me say that I hope you do not think me to be a prophet of doom or an augur of evil fate. Augurs are bores, and prophets of doom generally have chronic indigestion. It is quite true that you are leaving school at a dramatic moment in the history of the world. Your parents, uncles, aunts, teachers, and all other forms of elders would, if they could, have you leave school with the world at peace and tranquil. But we must remember that the present difficulties of the world are permitted, in the Providence of the Lord, and that with a trust in that Providence we can look beyond them to happier days, which we know will come.

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EDMONTON NEW CHURCH SOCIETY 1940

EDMONTON NEW CHURCH SOCIETY       JOHN JEFFERY       1940

     EDMONTON NEW CHURCH SOCIETY.
          Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
               June 28, 1940.
Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     At a meeting of the Edmonton New Church Society, held on June 20th last, it was moved by Mrs. C. J. Madill, That a report of the meeting be sent to you for publication in the official organ of the church. The condensed report is as follows:
     The Edmonton New Church Society was constituted at a meeting held on June 14, 1940, at the home of Major and Mrs. F. H. Norbury, 9834 112th Street, Edmonton, with sixteen members present. Major F. H. Norbury was unanimously elected for the presidency of the society, Mr. H. J. Robinson as vice president, Mr. John Jeffery as secretary treasurer; and Mrs. C. J. Madill and Mr. J. W. Peters were added to serve on the committee of five to be responsible for the welfare of the newly formed society.
     The Reverend Peter Peters, of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, opened the meeting with a brief discussion of the New Church, and then spoke on the fundamental New Church teaching regarding our One Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of his address, the society was duly constituted and the officers elected. "The Edmonton New Church Society" was the title adopted for the society. The group resolved to meet weekly for study.
     At a second meeting, the Rev. Peter Peters conducted the study class. The Faith of the New Church was the subject. Mr. Peters then explained that he was leaving for Rosthern on the morrow, and the members expressed the hope that he would soon be with us again.
     Respectfully submitted,
          Yours truly,
               JOHN JEFFERY.


     The undermentioned are the names and addresses of those present: Major and Mrs. F. H. Norbury, Mr. Hubert Norbury, Mrs. E. Hanna, 9834 112th St.; Mrs. L. Farrugia, Mrs. J. Spaulding, 12106 92d St.; Mrs. C. Sigmond, 9864 81st Ave.; Dr. and Mrs. C. J. Madill, 10039 107th St.; Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Robinson, 11719 89th St.; Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Peters, 10842 123d St.; Mr. John Jeffery, 12524 83d St. -all of Edmonton, Alberta. Rev. and Mrs. Peter Peters, Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     June 11, 1940.-In spite of adverse conditions, our church activities have been maintained since the first of the year. Swedenborg's Birthday was celebrated by a banquet, Mr. Owen Pryke being toastmaster. The responses to the toasts were in the form of papers on Swedenborg's Rules of Life by Miss May Waters, Mr. John Cooper, Mr. C. Pryke and the Rev. Victor Gladish.
     Our Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, February 25, the first time it has been held on a Sunday, as more could attend than on a week night. The School Closing for Easter was marked by the giving of two plays, acted by the children and written by two pupils,-"Three Good Deeds," by Rosemary Wyncoll, and "The Wonderful Gift," by Dorothy Gladish. Several dances have been held for the young folk, and the monthly socials have been resumed.
     The members of the society were shocked when the news got around that the Rev. and Mrs. Gladish and family would he obliged to leave England within three days, under war regulations applying to alien residents. We were much relieved to hear by radio that the steamer "Washington" would call at Galway, Ireland, to take Americans home.
     We are very sorry to lose them, and our hearts go out to them in sympathy at the sudden wrench they experienced in departing from the society. We have much to be thankful for in having them amongst us so long. We have had our ups and downs, our sad and glad times, but they have both been ready to help on all occasions. The society will carry on to the best of its ability, as our forefathers did when they were without a pastor, and we hope it will not be long before some one can come to minister to us.
     Mr. Gladish has recently given us some very good sermons on various phases of the subject of War, and was actually giving a talk at the Class for Young People on "One's Duty to One's Country in Time of War" when he was informed that he would be obliged to leave us.
     The school has been kept up as usual, but the number of pupils will he depleted by the departure of the Gladish children.
     The ladies of the society are all busy knitting comforts for the men who are serving their country.
     E. B.

     THE HAGUE, HOLLAND.

     May 3, 1940.-Since our last report the society has been increased by the arrival of a New Church baby,- daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Iungerich. Little Micheline was born on March 26 while her two brothers were suffering from whooping cough, making it necessary for mother and child to remain at the home of Miss von Trigt until the boys had recovered.
     A program of missionary work has been undertaken by the society, to consist of a series of five public lectures by Dr. Iungerich, to be held in an adequate hall down town, one that is well known to the public as a place used for lectures on spiritual topics. The subjects have been chosen, and they form a comprehensive and connected series.
     The first lecture was given on April 12, and was entitled "To Whom Do We Pray?"

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The answer to this question was intended to remove the erroneous notion in regard to a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, and in contrast to present the New Church doctrine concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as the Only God, in Whom "dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily," with His indwelling Divine Soul, called "the Father" in the New Testament and "Jehovah" in the Old Testament. That Jehovah and Jesus are one was also made clear from passages in both Testaments.
     The second lecture, given on April 19, treated of Swedenborg's Cosmology, and opened with a mention of the teaching, new to theologians, that the universe was not created "from nothing"; also that gravitation is not an attraction between dead powers, but a pressure from higher and more subtle entities upon lower and grosser ones. Then followed a description of the process of finiting by the gradually retarding movements in the originally coherent Substance, which was the "Word in the beginning with God." What took place on the Genesis days of creation was set forth; also the teaching concerning the three substantial atmospheres depending upon the Spiritual Sun, and the three natural atmospheres from the natural sun. And it was made clear how the human soul was made from the first spiritual atmosphere, being the nearest to God, on which account man can be conjoined with his Creator and live to eternity. The souls of men, animals, and plants were also dealt with.
     Preceding each of these lectures, Mr. Francis gave a short introduction. Before the first he gave an account of Swedenborg's life and work, and before the second he emphasized that Swedenborg's teachings on creation reconcile science with theology. A very clear account of the second lecture was published in a local newspaper, as we were able to furnish the reporter with a copy of the text of the lecture. The attendance, under present conditions, was rather good, though it fell away after the first lecture. We had prepared ourselves for this, however, knowing that people who hear the name of Swedenborg expect spiritistic novelties, and are not interested when they find that Swedenborgians have nothing to do with spiritism.
     Publicity has been arranged by Mr. Francis. Two advertisements have appeared in the newspapers, and large placards were placed on twelve publicity pillars down town. The principal bookshops also received such placards to exhibit in their show windows or indoors, and admission tickets were provided, together with a program and digest of each lecture. We also circulated the tickets and programs among acquaintances who might be good prospects.
     After each lecture, Mr. Francis invited questions in written form, the answers to be given by letter. Such questions and answers, if of general interest, would be read at the following lecture. On a table in the ball copies of the Writings were exhibited, together with issues of our periodical, Dc Nieuwe Bedeeling, and all present could obtain a copy of the text of the lecture, if they wished to do so.
     The third lecture, on April 24, was on the subject of the Spiritual World, and included Swedenborg description of the way in which he was brought into the state of the dying. Dr. Iungerich explained how man, as to his mind, is already in the spiritual world, associated with angels and spirits, and after death judges himself according to his internal state, while all externals that do not correspond with his internal are removed. The good and evil are separated, the former going to heaven, the latter to hell, where both perform uses, but in different degrees.
     The fourth lecture is to be on the subject of Regeneration, giving an idea of the process in the human mind whereby men are saved, involved in the seven days of creation and the seven churches, seals, trumpets, and vials of wrath in the Apocalypse. The series will he concluded with Swedenborg's explanation of the Apocalypse.
     The preparation for these lectures has made us all work together, members and friends of the society.

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There was, of course, a lot to do. The original text of the lectures had to be put into correct Dutch and typewritten before it could be cyclostyled. Owing to the kindness of a friend, we were able to get the placards and admission tickets beautifully printed at an extremely low price. So all this friendly helpfulness made a nice sphere around these efforts, which we hope will add to their success.
     LAMBERTINE FRANCIS.


     BRYN ATHYN.

     New Church Day.

     Our observance this year began with a service of worship in the cathedral on the morning of Wednesday, June 19th, the impressiveness of the occasion being heightened by the rite of Ordination performed by Bishop de Charms for Candidates Ormond de Charms Odhner and Martin Pryke. In the afternoon a celebration for the children was held on the east lawn of the cathedral.
     The Society Banquet in the evening, toastmastered by Randolph W. Childs, Esq., provided an interesting and successful experiment in anonymous speech-making. "Will you speak at the Nineteenth of June Banquet?" appeared as an advertisement in The Post, inviting all who wished to do so to submit anonymous speeches, and the best would be chosen for the banquet, called for by title, and read by the author.
     The Assembly Hall was decorated mainly with red and blue flowers, but an undercurrent of "blues" was in keeping with the spirit of the evening-the relation of the church to the country.
     After explaining the meaning of June 19th, Mr. Childs drew a lesson from our feverish defense preparations after seeing the power of other nations in all its ruthlessness. So also, he said, would we build up our spiritual defenses, feverishly, if we could but see the bidden power of our spiritual enemies. The Writings, be continued, are the source of our defense.
     First "surprise" speaker was Mr. Theodore Alden, who compared our lives to the mechanisms of a clock. The church is the spring, the Writings are the balance wheel, the little wheels are the individuals, and the hands reaching out are the sphere of the church specific reaching out to the church universal.
     The next surprise was Mr. Leon Rose, of New York City, whose speech on "Indifference " was read by the toastmaster. Mr. Rose spoke of the blessings and burdens of the man of the New Church, saying that while we should not become conceited because of it, we of the New Church have the sole cure for the sickness of the world, and should shoulder this responsibility.
     The third surprise was Mr. Don Rose, whose speech on "Ye Of Little Faith" was a masterly address, and called for continued thought Iron, the Writings in these days of base passions and hatreds. Terming the present war an effect in this world of the spiritual judgment of 1757, he closed with a reiteration of the promise that, in the Lord's good time, there will be peace on earth, good will among men.
     Dr. C. L. Olds, another surprise, delivered a delightful historical address on that first "Swedenborgian saint," Johnny Appleseed. The good doctor, who has studied much this subject, said that the old accusation against Appleseed, "He was kicked on the head by a horse, and became a Swedenborgian," has really a good significance, the horse corresponding to intelligence!
     Mr. Bruce Glenn, the last surprise, decried the current demand for a freedom for each individual, which denies the freedom of every other man. The only real freedom, he pointed out, is the freedom of living according to the Word, and this from love to the Lord.
     Dr. Hugo Odhner, the last speaker, and not a surprise, spoke of the promise of "A New Earth." Showing that what we celebrate on the 19th is the completion of the Lord's work in the New Heaven, and the beginning of man's work toward the establishment of a New Earth, he described a New Church Utopia,-a Golden Age of the innocence of wisdom.

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Pointing to some of the seemingly insurmountable difficulties which faced early Christians, he spoke of the hidden but tremendous effects of the church specific upon the world outside of it, and said that if we will use our spiritual freedom as it should be used, Providence will protect the New Church from any and all attacks of the world against it. Calling for a continued struggle for national justice and morality, he concluded with a plea that we never, in spirit, leave the New Earth which is to be formed to correspond to the New Heaven.
     0. DEC. 0.

     LONDON, ENGLAND.

     Michael Church.

     With the Winter and the War looming over us, Michael Church has struggled through the past months. Like the perpetual balloons, which hang above as a reminder of war, so have circumstances hung heavily over the society. But even as the grey balloons can be transformed in the sunlight to things of fantastic beauty, so also our present and our future appear grey or rosy according to the light in which they are regarded.
     From some aspects the life of the society has appeared depressingly confined-and yet again there have been brighter moments to console and sustain. Such times especially have been the celebrations of Christmas and Easter, with the impressive dignity of service culminating in the Holy Sacrament. The Christmas sermon dealt with the heavenly state of peace, which follows the conquest of evil; whilst on Easter Sunday our Pastor took for his theme the appearing of the Lord to the disciples at Emmaus. Both fine sermons, giving much food for thought; and to these might he added as particularly noteworthy a series of sermons on the Beatitudes, given during the Spring.
     The incredible cold of the past Winter by no means lightened the difficulties of wartime traveling, and there were times when only the young or the very hardy ventured to church. Thus it was a smaller gathering than usual that celebrated Swedenborg's Birthday. But amongst those who braved the arctic spell there were some four visitors from Flodden Road Church, together with their Pastor, the Rev. Arthur Clapham and his wife. Mrs. Acton had taken charge of the decorations, which in the form of yellow mimosa and blue and yellow streamers, carried out the Swedish national colors and added a spring-like air to the room. The three short addresses were introduced by the Pastor. Mr. Leonard Lewin spoke on Swedenborg travels, and Mr. Eldin Acton on Swedenborg's Mechanical Inventions, in which he showed Swedenborg love of use already apparent in the desire that all his inventive powers should be directed to the benefit of his country. The third speaker, Mr. Stanley Wainscott, followed with a challenge. He wished to put the Writings across to the public by less orthodox methods than those formerly in use. The Rev. Arthur Clapham then spoke briefly on Swedenborg, the Man," a little address which he summarized at the end by saying, " Look beyond the man, and honor the Lord!
     A fair attendance has marked the fortnightly luncheons on Sunday when some excellent addresses have been given. The series of most useful talks on Ritual have only recently concluded. These have called forth from the gathering some few suggestions on their practical application to Michael Church. Alternating with these talks there have been some interesting papers on varied subjects, notably one on " Fear," by Mr. Wainscott, and a discussion on " How to Introduce the Church to Strangers."
     Of necessity, the lighter side of church life has had to suffer, though there have been one or two attempts to hold social gatherings such as a Whist Drive at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, and a social at Mr. and Mrs. Actons' home.

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     During the Winter the health of both Bishop and Mrs. Tilson gave rise to much anxiety. The Bishop indeed was very ill for many weeks, but though very frail, he has made a remarkable recovery. Although less seriously ill, Mrs. Tilson has taken longer to regain her strength, but we hope that time and Summer weather will restore her to health.
     After serving in France for several months, Mr. Michael Waters returned during the early Spring for further training-and we were happy to have him back amongst us on more than one Sunday. As a visitor, very welcome, was Mr. Cecil James from Kitchener, and we had a good deal of pleasure in hearing, from this soldier of the present war, news of old friends who came to England as soldiers in the last war.
     The society records with much sorrow the sudden death of Mr. Conrad Howard. As an old member of the Peckham Rye Society, he was loved by many friends who will miss his earnest speculations into doctrinal matters and that particular quiet humor which was peculiarly his own.
     Coming now to matters of recent occurrence, Michael Church held its Annual Meeting in May, at which, amongst other matters, the possibility of holding the British Assembly was discussed. But War permits of no planning ahead. A proposal to share a joint Colchester-London celebration of June 19th seemed at first the most likely alternative. But as the pace of War gathers momentum, even this seems no longer practicable. This does not mean that we are in the least faint-hearted. Where opportunities of gathering present themselves we shall be ready and eager to take them.
     It would seem that this report must end on a rather unhappy note, since a postscript must be added to that already written, recording the sudden departure of the Rev. and Mrs. Victor Gladish. On Sunday, June 9, they were present at Michael Church whilst awaiting their passage to America. The distressing suddenness of their going was a grief to one and all, and Mr. and Mrs. Gladish were the center of a little crowd, all wishing to say good-bye and express their sorrow at the departure, so ruthlessly necessitated, of friends that we and Colchester have known and loved for twelve years.
     E. E.

     Pastoral Visits.

     From the "News Letter " of June 15 we learn that the Rev. and Mrs. A. Wynne Acton visited New Moston on Saturday, June 1, staying at the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Dawson. A service was held on Sunday afternoon, the sermon being on the Parable of The Unjust Steward. This was followed by tea, and, in the evening, by a doctrinal class on the general subject of Prayer. Fifteen persons were present at the service, and eleven at the class.
     On Monday, Mr. and Mrs. Acton traveled to High Kilburn to visit Mrs. Jubb and Miss Shaw, remaining until Friday. On Thursday a service with the Holy Supper was held. Also present at the service was Mrs. Redfearn, a lady who has become interested in the teaching of the New Church, and who came from Harm- gate to attend the service and meet the pastor. There was also a visit to Miss Mercer at Easingwold.

     KITCHENER, CANADA.

     On May 21st members and friends of the society were entertained by the children of the Day School. This was an evening performance, and took the form of a display of work. Many of us who have little contact with the school were positively amazed at what the youngsters can do and have done, and everyone agreed it was a really fine show and quite an eye-opener. Each class had a table with the hooks and handwork of the pupils spread out for inspection, and the walls were like galleries of art. When everyone had had ample opportunity to examine the hooks and projects, the children put on a very fine program of dances, recitations and playlets.

380


Light refreshments of candy were passed-the successful culinary efforts of the older girls. Last, but not least, we must mention the year-book prepared by the graduating eighth grade. These books were mimeographed, and all the work and literary contributions were furnished by the class members. Everyone felt very proud of the work being done in our little school, and we hope it has renewed the willing spirit to keep the school going-always quite a financial problem here.
     Owing to a day of unceasing rain on the 24th of May we held our annual picnic, complete with races, scrambles, ball game, etc., on the 13th of June, in celebration of the birthday of King George VI.
     Our School closed with a service on June 19th. Eleven young people graduated this year, and each was presented with a copy of Conjugial Love. After the service a luncheon was served to the children. In the evening, the adults of the society enjoyed a delicious repast and most interesting speeches. Mr. Harold Kuhl was in very good form as the toastmaster, and three speakers, Mr. John Kuhl, Mr. Harold Kuhl and Mr. Nathaniel Stroh, spoke of the effect of the New Church teachings on the life of the Natural Man, the Moral Man, and the Spiritual Man, respectively.
     On June 30, as Mr. Gill and Mr. Rogers were both in attendance at the General Assembly in Pittsburgh, we had the pleasure of having the Rev. Henry Heinrichs conduct the service. Mr. Heinrichs was just called up for active service the week before, and has now gone to Stratford, Ontario, to the training camp of the Highland Light Infantry.
     On Friday, July 5, Mr. Gill gave us a resume of the General Assembly. He was assisted in this by Mr. Nathaniel Stroh and Miss Korene Schnarr, who were of the lucky ones among those present " at Pittsburgh, and who added a few side glances. We felt refreshed by this account of the things heard and seen at Shadyside.
     The life of the society has been going on much as usual, in spite of the dark war clouds all about. Some of our boys have enlisted for active service, and some are busy evenings training in our local Home Defence Unit. Among these we number both Mr. Gill and Mr. Rogers.
     D. K.

     MINISTERIAL CHANGES.

     The Rev. Frederick W. Elphick has been appointed Acting Pastor of the Durban Society, pending the choice of a successor to the Rev. Philip N. Odhner, who resigned his membership in the General Church on May 28.
     The Rev. Victor J. Gladish, obliged by British war regulations to leave England, has returned to America, and has resigned as the Pastor of the Colchester Society. Mr. and Mrs. Gladish and family will spend the Summer at Covert, Michigan.
     The Rev. Martin Pryke has gone to England as Minister by appointment to the Colchester Society.
     The Rev. Norman H. Reuter, Visiting Pastor of the General Church, has removed from Wyoming, Ohio, to Akron, Ohio, and his residence in Akron is at 920 Peerless Avenue.
     The Rev. Ormond de Charms 0dhner has been appointed Assistant to the Visiting Pastor of the General Church, and will take up his residence at Wyoming, Ohio, on September 1st.

     ENGLAND.

     Tributes to the Rev. and Mrs. Victor J. Gladish.
     The "News Letter" of July 1 publishes two letters from which we quote. Mr. John Cooper, Secretary of the Colchester Society, writes:
     "The abrupt termination of the Rev. Victor Gladish's pastorate of the Colchester Society was as much a shock to the members as it was distressing to our Pastor. After living and working here for twelve years, to have to pack up and leave one's home in three days was shock enough to upset anyone. Yet, not only did all the packing get done, but time was found to make arrangements for the carrying on of the society work until another pastor could be sent to fill his place.

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     "Mr. Gladish came to take up the position of Pastor of the society in succession to the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal in August, 1928, after the General Assembly held in London. It was his first position as Pastor. He has worked unceasingly and wholeheartedly in his efforts to further the work of the church, never sparing himself day or night, if be could be of use or help to anyone. Not only did he labor thus in the society and its school, but he gave all his energy to other church causes. From his arrival in England he was Secretary of the New Church Club, and much of the success of that Club has been due to his untiring efforts. His sterling work and enthusiasm for the Extension Work is known wherever there are isolated receivers and small circles. And for the past year or so he has been Chairman of the British Finance Committee, a position which has entailed a lot of careful thought and hard work.
     "Mrs. Gladish, too, has endeared herself to all of us by her cheerfulness, her readiness to help in all the varied uses of the society, and in her big-hearted hospitality in her home. No visitor ever descended upon the Colchester Society by surprise who was not always met with the openhanded hospitality for which she soon became justly famous.
     "And so Mr. and Mrs. Gladish return to their native land. They go with all our love and good wishes for their future work in the Church. We trust that it is only "an revoir" to them all-Victor, Lucy, Laura, Dorothy, Bobbie, Sylvia, and last, but by no means least, little Naomi."

     And Mr. J. S. Pryke writes:
     The departure of the Rev. Victor J. Gladish and his family has made a breach in the fabric of General Church life in England which can only be healed by patience and understanding. Indeed, as time passes on, the realization of our loss may he expected to deepen.
     I well recall my first meeting with Mr. Gladish, which was at the Great Assembly in London in 1928. He was then fresh from the Mint of the Theological School, but even so it was quite evident that enthusiasm for his use, and for the welfare of the church in our midst, was finely balanced by zeal for work, self-forgetfulness, and a determination to be prompted in all respects by the spiritual character of his office. These qualities never became dim.
     "Nor should Mrs. Gladish's share in the work go unmentioned. Those who have heard her singing in the church services, watched her quiet, yet skillful marshalling of help in the social activities of the church, and enjoyed her undoubted histrionic talent, will never forget the sheer pleasure which they gave."

     Episcopal Visit to

     SOUTH AMERICA.

     During the Summer months, Bishop de Charms will pay a visit to the General Church Society at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he will officiate at the dedication of the church building recently erected by the members of that society, as described in our March issue.
     He expects also to visit the General Church group at Georgetown, British Guiana, and to ordain the Rev. Henry Algernon, who for some years has been ministering as pastor of that society under authorization from the General Church.
     On this journey to South America the Bishop will be accompanied by Mrs. de Charms, Miss Guida Asplundh, Mr. Michael Pitcairn, and the Misses Karen and Bethel Pitcairn.
     Sailing Dates: By S. S. Uruguay from New York July 26, arriving at Rio de Janeiro August 7.
     Returning:     By S. S. Uruguay from Rio de Janeiro August 21, arriving at Trinidad, W. I., August 28. Visit to Georgetown, British Guiana, returning to Trinidad in time to sail on S. S. Argentina September 11, arriving New York September 16.

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REPORT OF THE ASSEMBLY 1940

REPORT OF THE ASSEMBLY              1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Editor     Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager     Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
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.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     The Seventeenth General Assembly was carried out according to program. Once more we had the privilege of meeting on the spacious grounds of the Shady Side Academy, and under the efficient and hospitable management of our hosts of the Pittsburgh Society. Occasional showers kept the weather agreeably cool, which has not often been the case with our Summer meetings. Amid the peaceful surroundings of this beautiful hill country, we felt far removed from a world in arms, though not without serious concern for the welfare of our friends abroad, and for the maintenance of church activities among them. The attendance of over four hundred included such a large proportion of the younger generation of the General Church that many remarked, "This is a Young People's Assembly!
     A Report of this very delightful and useful Assembly will appear in NEW CHURCH LIFE. A beginning is made in the present number with the publication of three of the Addresses delivered at the sessions. Others will be printed in the September issue, which will also bring to our readers the Journal of the Proceedings, the Reports of General Church uses, the Messages to the Assembly, and an account of the Banquet and other features of the program.

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PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1940

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE              1940



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     PRICE LIST No. 2.-JUNE, 1940.
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Doctrinal Classes              1940

     Marriage. By the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner. A Series of Four Addresses dealing with: 1. Conjugial Love; 2. Conjunction; 3. Adjustments; 4. Offspring and Love of Sex. Nos. 301-304. Each 12 pages, 10 cents.
     Freedom of Choice. By the Rev. Karl R. Alden. A Paper read to the Council of the Clergy. No. 305, 16 pages, 15 cents.
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     Why Two Bodies in the Church? By the Rev. Fred E. Waelchli. A clear explanation of the relations of the General Convention and the General Church. No. 307, 16 pages, 15 cents.
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JOURNAL OF THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1940

JOURNAL OF THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM       HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
SEPTEMBER, 1940
No. 9
HELD AT THE SHADY SIDE ACADEMY, FOX CHAPEL ROAD,

NEAR PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, JUNE 26 TO 30, 1940.

     First Session-Wednesday, June 26, 10 a.m.

     1.     After a brief period of worship conducted by the Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, the Assembly was opened by the Bishop, the Right Reverend George de Charms.
     2.     The MINUTES of the Sixteenth General Assembly, as printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1937. pp. 358-376, were approved without reading.
     3.     The Report of the SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, was read, accepted, and filed. (See Reports.)
     4.     The Report of the Secretary of the COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY, the Rev. L. W. T. David, was read, and after slight emendation, received and filed. (See Reports.)
     5.     After a recess of ten minutes, the Assembly reconvened, under the chairmanship of the Right Reverend Alfred Acton.
     6.     The Bishop of the General Church delivered his ADDRESS TO THE ASSEMBLY. (See August issue, p. 337.)

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     7.     Inviting discussion of the Address, Bishop Acton reflected that we could not separate our thoughts from the great conflict going on in the world. This has affected the church because it comes from spiritual causes. The Divine Providence looks to the establishment of a specific church, and this is only possible where there is freedom. The end of Providence, therefore, is the establishment and enlargement of human freedom. The significance of this Assembly was that we might strive not to be carried away by the passions of the world, but preserve a spiritual balance. He pled for the removal from our minds of the anxieties of political matters, and pointed to the need of strengthening our minds in cultivating mercy and charity; for there is always the danger that we lend ourselves to the spirit of hatred which is abroad in the world, and which is the cause of all wars. The attitude of a calm mind has a wholesome influence in society; and our attitude as a living church can be a means contributing to work out the spiritual destinies of the world.

     Rev. Victor J. Gladish was grateful that the Bishop had sought to interpret what the present conflict meant for us, as a further stage in the working out of the Last Judgment on the natural plane. He commented on the fact that in the spiritual world this judgment had had its first effects in the overthrow of "Babylon." He surmised that the first effects of the war was upon the Catholics; giving some experiences which he had had on the refugee ship on which he had left England.
     Referring to the phrase, "The understanding of the Word makes the church," Mr. Gladish stated that many Conference ministers were prepared to accept the Divine authority of the Writings, yet were unwilling to teach this principle to their people.
     Bishop Acton invited discussion of a phase of this subject that had been active in the minds of the church of late, and had been variously understood-that the Word is the Word "according to the understanding of it with a man." (S. S. 77.)
     Mr. O. W. Heilman noted, among other things, that while there had been a difference as to the question of where the authority resided, both sides were agreed that all doctrine must be confirmed by the sense of the Letter, and regarded this as tantamount to admitting that authority was vested in the sense of the Letter.
     In reference to S. S. 76-77, he illustrated the relation of the Divine Truth to man's receiving mind by that of electricity in its continuous operation within a vacuum-cleaner, since the electricity was never a part of the machine, and remained unchanged by it. The minute we try to hold that the "Divine things of the church" are not Divine until received, confusion enters.

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The Divine things-Divine Truths-are with man according to his understanding of them, for without understanding man's mind is not affected by them.
     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, anent the same point, remarked that the truth was always simple, but was apt to be complicated when people tried to defend things which they did not clearly understand. When we speak of the Word with man we mean neither the book on the shelf nor the Word as an infinite influx apart from response or reception, for this has aroused no affections with man. Before the Word can make the church," it must be received in the understanding; if it is not understood, it is still the Word, and the Lord is infinitely in it, but it is not with man.
     But to try to argue that man's understanding is therefore the Word, or that man's state is Divine, is a grave mistake. Man's understanding is the result, in finite terms, of the Lord's action upon us; and our understanding of the Word therefore determines the state of the church with us. The heart of the Bishop's address seemed to be just this-that by a devotion to the Writings, and continual approach to their teachings, the church gives its immediate response to the influx of the Lord's presence.
     Mr. Edward C. Bostock, voicing appreciation of the Bishop's address, spoke on the identity of the Lord and the Word, which involved an interior arcanum. The Word is not a book, but a body of truth which expresses in human language the form of the Divine as it appears in the finite. The Lord creates man with a soul, and thence with faculties of liberty and rationality; these faculties are indeed the Divine with man, and that in which He dwells; while man himself is a created and finite vessel, not only as to his natural body, but also as to his mind, understanding, and spiritual body. The knowledges from the Word would remain only sensory forms within us, except for the influx of light through the soul, which gives perception and power to see the Lord in the things of His Word.
     Rev. G. H. Smith rose merely to thank the Bishop for the address, and to congratulate us that we were assembled despite the war. He hoped that we would enjoy a "good time."
     Bishop de Charms echoed this hope, but urged that we take what we here receive back with us, and keep this beloved Church of ours a living Church. There were serious emergencies ahead, not only for the external organization of the church, but also for its spiritual life. We felt powerful effects from the forces of love and hate that were now abroad, and each one of us had need for that strength from within which comes from the realization of the spiritual truths given in the Writings. The Lord is come again into the world, and is speaking directly to each one of us out of the Writings-speaking things to which other men are blind and deaf; and we must not only listen, but pray for enlightenment as to how to carry these things into our lives.
     The General Church movement had sprung up from young people who had studied and worked two generations ago.

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It was important now to do in our own day what our fathers had done then, and to cherish and upbuild that church; because the unusual forces around us, the loves and passions of the world, are tending now to make the thing we love seem less worth while, and to turn our hearts away from spiritual things, and concentrate them on external and natural things, as though they were the only things that matter; when yet the only thing that truly matters is that which the Writings offer the means by which the world shall at last he rid of the evils and falsities now rampant. The greatest contribution that we can make towards the solution of the world's ills is to be faithful to our spiritual trust.

     8. The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

     Second Session-Thursday, June 27, 10 a.m.

     9. Worship was conducted by the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, who used as lessons Psalm 103 and A. C. 8794; whereupon the meeting was convened by Bishop de Charms.
     10. The Report of the EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE was read by the Rev. William B. Caldwell. (See Reports.) On motion, the Report was received and filed.
     11. The Report of the VISITING PASTOR of the General Church, the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, was called for.
     Mr. Reuter said that the need had been felt to concentrate his work in and near the Middle West, and he had therefore located at Akron, Ohio, whence he would visit the Detroit group twelve times a year, with occasional extension trips to Saginaw, Michigan. The Rev. Ormond Odhner would be stationed in Wyoming, and would assist him in some of the work. It was hoped to arrange for a circuit trip of the groups in the Southern States twice a year. In Akron, a strong nucleus existed within a thirty-mile circumference; other groups were in Erie, North Ohio, and near Middleport. Visiting by motorcar tended to break down the idea of "isolation." In the South there were some who had not received regular priestly administrations for eight years.
     12. After a recess, the Rev. Norman H. Reuter delivered an address on "The Extension Work of the General Church." (See August issue, p. 347.)
     13. Mr. Reuter added an informal Report about the newly initiated Pastoral Extension Service (referred to in NEW CHURCH LIFE, June, pp. 266, 267) which had thus far prepared forty-nine pamphlets-sermons, children's addresses, doctrinal classes, and extension lectures-to make accessible to our people, at cost prices, material which cannot be accommodated in NEW CHURCH LIFE.

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The object was, on the one hand, to provide for weekly ministrations for the isolated, and, on the other hand, to furnish more advanced instruction and stimulus for reading-groups within our societies. Mr. Reuter made a plea to the ministers to keep in mind the need of short presentations of fundamental doctrines, and to send such papers to the editors. This publication service enabled the laity for the first time to pick what they felt they needed in the way of instruction.
     The speaker also spoke of the need for an Index volume to NEW CHURCH LIFE, by which the buried wealth of the last sixty years might be unlocked for students; so that the past might be tied to the present, and the roots of the Academy movement might send forth new shoots.
     14.     Rev. Karl R. Alden spoke of the sentence in the address,-The more spiritual riches are shared, the more they are increased." This takes place when we seek to present the doctrines to others. There is danger of spiritual selfishness. He hoped that the Assembly might lead to a rededication, that we "let our light shine before men. . ."

     Mr. Fred. J. Cooper, commending the Report of the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, noted that this journal had been born in the hearts of the young people. He recalled that his father had subscribed to the LIFE from the beginning, and that the reading of the volumes of the past brought a comprehensive knowledge of the doctrines.
     Mr. O. W. Heilman felt that the church at present was static because those best able to talk to the Old Church are not doing it. We have an inferiority complex; but this should be overcome if we reflect that this, after all, is the Lord's Second Coming. Other people will not notice much difference in our externals; but our internals-the ideas we have from the Writings will appear very attractive to many, if we but offer them to others. To do this, we must prepare our youth with a clear knowledge, not only of our own Church, but also of the Old Church. If the two are properly contrasted, many in the Old Church will come to see the tremendous differences; and one new convert might some day become a thousand.
     Mr. R. W. Childs regarded Mr. Reuter's paper as both comprehensive and stirring. He was interested in the efforts of two previous speakers to make us all into missionaries, but felt that the Church was a Gorand Man, and that each member had some particular gift to contribute. Let us therefore support those who have a gift for doing missionary work.

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On the other hand, there was extension work for all of us. While life went on in cycles, dull quiet times do not last forever, and though we may have lived very soft lives, the Church Militant must today be prepared to make every sacrifice.
     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt pointed out that, through the publication of the pamphlets of the Extension Service at such low costs, we now had the opportunity at last to see what people of all kinds will want.
     Mr. Wilfred Howard commented on the cited law that influx accommodates itself to efflux, as showing from the Writings themselves that the life of the church depends upon doing extension work. The practical question is what form it should take. He believed that there was illustration in one's office, that those ordained into the clergy have an illustration as to missionary work, and that the layman's participation is not so essential. Orderly progress is from looking to Divine laws of order. Spreading the Writings could not be done by employing perfect "sales-methods." The Lord prepares the states of the recipients, who-if He so wills will frequently stumble upon the Writings as if by accident.
     Bishop de Charms wished to explain why the policy was adopted to make the Pastoral Extension Service self-supporting. It was not meant to take the place of the personal ministrations of our pastors. We need, in the United States and Canada, increased priestly ministrations, for which the isolated are not in a position to pay; and the General Church therefore needs to give all possible financial assistance to this end, and cannot waste any funds thus needed. Therefore the pamphlets are put out in the cheapest practical form, to provide what seems essential for our spiritual development, in the hope that the families of the church may be able to support this work themselves.
     What is now sought is an indication from the church as to whether this is what is desired to meet your needs. If we learn what you want, we shall see to it that it is provided as cheaply as possible."
     Mr. Reuter, in conclusion, expressed his appreciation of the usefulness of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and of the Report of the Editor. He mentioned in terms of high approval an article by Mr. G. H. Woodard on "New Church Ambassadors" (LIFE, 1938, p. 295) as giving a most important and balanced view of the layman's role in our missionary work.
     15.     The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

     Third Session-Thursday, June 27, 8 p.m.

     16.     Worship was conducted by the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, who read Luke 12 and H. D. 277.
     17.     The Rev. C. E. Doering, presiding, introduced the Rev. Elmo C. Acton, who delivered an address on the subject of "Influx."
     18. Mr. Sidney B. Childs was convinced that all had been moved by the deep study to which we had listened.

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At this time we were facing the perplexity as to why the Lord should permit such evils as were coming to the fore, and must conclude that it was only when evils are ultimated that they could be seen in their true colors; even the moral good in which men were was not genuine, but filled with ghastly evils.
     He voiced appreciation of the efforts of the clergy to inspire us with spiritual thought. Mr. Acton's suggestion that pride was the root of much evil was confirmed by the fact that science, intended for the use of saving and ameliorating human life, was perverted to destroy the life of both body and mind. The pride of self-intelligence was today condoned; and the consequence was the appearance of cruelties which made us shudder; yet even war was no more awful than the evils contained in the denial of God and in hatred of the neighbor.
     The New Church is so small that there seemed to be nothing that we could do. Yet if we fight in ourselves the evils which are now revealed in their frightful forms in the world, we might contribute to the eventual salvation of the world. Through all this tragedy the Lord will preserve the church, and work for the spread of its doctrine, if we pray for the coming of His Kingdom.
     Mr. E. C. Bostock asked certain questions about the paper-as to whether the writer conceived that immediate influx enters into all degrees of man, or into the inmost only; and whether the angels derive mediate influx from each other, or pass on the immediate influx from the Lord.
     Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal had enjoyed the paper, but queried whether variety could be said to be due only to the reception. The separation of colors through a prism was occasioned by the reception; yet the light contained them all. So in God infinite things are distinguishable in His infinity. Variety is not merely from material reception; wherefore it is said that there are more things in the spiritual world than in the natural, and that in the spiritual sun there are more things than can ever be expressed in the universe which is thence. That sun is the origin of all variety. (D. L. W. 155.) Moreover, things that are divided become more multiple, not more simple. In reference to the statement that "sight from the light of heaven is what is meant by influx," he pointed out that it is the varied spiritual states with man-and thus differences of influx-that make him see, at different times, different things in the literal sense of the Word, although this ultimate yet remains the same.
     Bishop Act on wished only to emphasize the opening statement of the address-that unless particulars are entered into, a general truth will perish and be reduced to a mere tradition. It was vital to the church to have such a paper, a study worth our study. And he congratulated the church on the fact that the younger clergy could produce such a profound and clearly stated study.
     The simple truth was, that all life is from the Lord. This was the crowning message of the apostles on the Nineteenth of June (T. C. R. 791)-that the Lord God Jesus Christ doth reign; and throughout all our days we should endeavor to understand this truth ever more clearly.
     Rev. V. J. Gladish questioned whether the speaker had said that all variety was from reception or according to reception.

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He spoke of the value of such studies on Influx.
     Rev. G. H. Smith also appreciated that Mr. Acton's treatment of the subject was most thorough. He suggested that, while the origin of variety is in heaven, where there are more things than on earth, yet the variety of reception depended on vessels.
     Rev. H. L. Odhner agreed that the paper was a more comprehensive presentation of the general topic than anything yet available in our journals in condensed form. But in the introduction, certain surprising statements had been made which he could not accept. The statement that, because all life was Divine, man's every sensation was the Lord's, and was the Lord, left no room at all for what we call human consciousness and responsibility. There is, of course, a Divine reality which sustains and makes possible every human sensation; thus the influx of life is Divine, but the state produced in the finite substance of the mind is limited, and it is this state that is felt as a sensation of life. Man is nothing else than such a state and sensation; if we take these away we have no finite man.
     Agreeing with Mr. Gyllenhaal, he pointed out that the indefinite things of the spiritual sun, whence comes all diversity (D. P. 6; D. L. W. 155), are separately received in the things of the spiritual world, through the mediation of which the influx into nature is limited, determined and variegated to form the souls of different men and animals. The material vessels of nature thus merely bring out a variety already involved; and various influxes form different kinds of vessels.
     He also felt that, while spiritual influx is not that of a quantitative substance, it could not be said that "there is no influx of a substance into a substance"! For a "substance" simply means "that of which something can be predicated"; if there were no substance inflowing, then there would be no influx at all.
     Mr. Acton, in closing the discussion, confined himself to saying, that, although he conceded that the origin of variety was to be ascribed to the Infinite, it was wrong to think of infinite multiplicity, or of a number of things in the Infinite; even as it was wrong to think of infinite extense.

     19.     The session closed with the Benediction.

     Fourth Session-Friday, June 28, 10 am.

     20.     Worship was conducted by the Rev. V. J. Gladish, who read a part of Revelation 21 and H. H. 356.
     21.     The Right Reverend Alfred Acton, presiding, introduced Bishop de Charms, who spoke about a large silk banner displayed over the speakers' platform. (See Photograph.)
     Bishop de Charms explained that a few years ago he had suggested the need of some symbol or insignia for the use of the General Church.

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[A General Church Banner.]

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The early Academy had used such insignia, and an Academy banner used at Denver was among the speaker's early impressions. Class banners were used in the Academy schools. The General Church had never had a banner of its own; yet it was a good thing for us, and especially for our children, to visualize our loyalties in some concrete form, which helps to implant affection for the church. Recently, experiments had been made to devise a General Church banner for use in the homes and at festivals such as the Nineteenth of June; and the seal of the General Church (originally designed by the late Rev. C. T. Odhner) was the basic element of the pattern. Designs had been shown at several district assemblies, and suggestions had been invited. Mr. Raymond Pitcairn had then interested himself in developing the idea, and had presented the beautiful large banner now on display, together with two smaller standards also used on the rostrum. The design can be reproduced in the same colors in cheaper flag-material, and can be ordered by individuals or societies.
     The banner consists of a red shield on white ground, the shield containing a seven-armed golden candlestick with seven stars (Rev. 1: 20); and above the shield golden lines suggest the glory in the cloud (Matt. 24: 30). Below the shield, in scroll text, are the Greek words which mean, " Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21: 5). A plaque and a seal with a concordant design were also on display.
     As to the question whether this banner should now be formally adopted by the Assembly, the Bishop suggested that, if the banner came to be used generally, this would constitute a freer type of acceptance.
     22. It was moved by the Rev. H. L. Odhner, and unanimously voted, that the members of this Assembly express their appreciation to Mr. Raymond Pitcairn for the interest, labor, and generosity involved in preparing this beautiful and expressive emblem of the church.
     23. Mr. Daric Acton, president of the ACADEMY FINANCE ASSOCIATION, reported to the Assembly that at a meeting of the Association just held, it had been resolved that the Academy Finance Association be dissolved as of June 30th, 1940, and that its assets and records be turned over to the Academy of the New Church as of that date.

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     During the period of the organization's activity, it had collected and turned over to the Academy of the New Church about $142,000, consisting mostly of subscriptions from about five per cent of the membership of the General Church. The present action had been taken, not as a defeatist resolution, but from a conviction that the work could now be done better by the Academy itself, which might reach a broader field.

     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt stressed the importance of the work done by the Association, and the necessity of a general support being given to the Academy-a lesson, which the Association had done much to impress upon the church. Bishop de Charms, expressing the grateful appreciation of the Academy for the work accomplished by the Academy Finance Association since its inception at the 1919 General Assembly, noted that the movement had been started by a group of Academy graduates who aroused the church to the need of increasing the endowment fund of the Academy. The suggestion for the present change came from the Association itself, and accordingly he, as president of the Academy, had met with the officers of the Association, and had favored the proposal. Subsequently the Academy Board of Directors agreed that the move was in the right direction, owing to the changing conditions facing us.
     The work of the Academy depends, in the last analysis, upon the General Church as a whole, on behalf of which it performs the vital functions of preparing ministers and teachers and providing higher education for our young people. The Academy was a chartered body, which had offered its services-with its pre-existent equipment and facilities-to, meet the needs of the General Church. The Church now looks to the Academy for the performance of these special uses, which are a part of the general uses performed by the Church as such. This unity of use brings the two bodies into a most direct relationship. The present move is therefore a wholesome one, in that it brings us to realize more fully that the Academy of the New Church is our school, and that we are responsible for its financial as well as its moral support. The Academy, in soliciting funds, is merely asking the General Church to support educational uses performed by the Academy on behalf of the General Church.
     Therefore it is planned that a committee of the Academy should carry on the work of the Academy Finance Association.
     Bishop Acton noted that the New Church had been called a missionary church, and that in its beginning this had implied principally an effort to spread its doctrines among people of the Old Church; but that the General Church centers its attention upon our own children as upon the true missionary field. The Academy, he suggested, was not so much a body as a Use; not so much an organization as a spiritual society; wherefore we sing "Our Own Academy" as an expression of affection for all this that the Church stands for.

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In the same way, a change of administration such as now reported by the Academy Finance Association does not involve the giving up of any use.

     24.     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt moved a vote of appreciation for the work done by the Academy Finance Association, which was passed by acclamation.
     25.     After a brief recess, the Rev. Dr. C. F. Doering gave an address on "The Academy." (See August issue, p. 356.)
     26. The chair having invited discussion, the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers deprecated the tendency to look on the shortcomings of a use, and thus to be but a lukewarm supporter, instead of entering into its real efforts and gaining an appreciative affirmation. Dr. Doering had given an adequate picture of what the Academy is trying to do and is planning.
     Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal recalled how, a few months ago, many people were impatient with the progress of the war, and disappointed over the absence of the thrills they expected. In New Church education there is slow progress and there are no spectacular advances. The Academy, inspired by the promise of Revelation 21: 5, had for sixty years been developing such educational work by an extended study of the Writings. Those who are impatient with its growth need only ask themselves how many books of the Writings they have read through! How many are following the Calendar Readings? For the development of New Church education there is required continual thought, study, and conference, not only among teachers, but also with the church as a whole.
     We can find considerable comfort when we compare what the Academy has accomplished with the progress of the philosophy of education in the world around us. Certain leading educators have recently come to the conclusion that the present world-conditions are really due to the failure of education. The training of the youth of a nation largely makes the nation what it is. He gave examples of the power of fascist education, and its results. Catholic education also has failed because of its subtle appeal to fear. The distinctive thing in the Academy's education is that it sends down its roots into spiritual soil, so that the trees of human life should flourish in the New Jerusalem, and yield not only leaves that are for the healing of the nations, but also the ever-fresh fruits of charity.
     Mr. C. G. Merrell was satisfied that the address had dispelled the apologetic idea that the Academy schools lack some things that other schools offer. The Academy has the things that are essential; and the details-mostly man-made things-will take care of themselves. What we strikingly lack are just the teachings that are false.
     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt spoke about the attitude of our school to the world around us. We had indeed an obligation to go forth into the world with our message; for without efflux, no influx is possible, but only a tendency to become self-centered. But there is another side to the picture. The first work that he studied under Bishop Benade as a lad of sixteen was the Brief Exposition, which scanned the falsities taught in the Old Church.

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Nowadays, liberality has dissolved the faith in the old creedal formulas, but modernism had given no definite leadership from the Word. The need was to realize that the old is judged, and that new truths have been given us by the Lord Himself. We must furnish our young people with a zeal for their own city, country, and church, and therefore show the distinctiveness of our own school. We cannot be apologetic about this work of ours, or merely picture our church as a reform within the old Christianity. In the world we encounter a generation brought up in the denial of the Divinity of the Lord. We must fight for the promise, "I make all things new," and not only acknowledge the "new," but endure sacrifices for it. The sphere of our institution is not one of Jewish exclusiveness, but one of a prevailing consciousness of a distinctive sphere of life utterly apart and walled off from the Old Church.
     Mr. Philip C. Pendleton decried any apologetic attitudes in respect to Academy education. From his experience as student and later as teacher in a large university, he was convinced that the pupils of the Academy were furnished with what is most needed in the worlds work. The essential is not what is put into the head, but what is put into the heart. Nobody asks what school you went to, but whether you are courageous, reliable, honest; whether you are a good lawyer, a good doctor. The Academy trains for character.
     Mr. Nathaniel Stroh expressed appreciation of the address. He felt that the education of the New Church was the most practical education. The best answer to those who are worried about being established in a vocation in the world is the fact that, if our training is for heaven primarily, it is for charity and thus for uses. He had noticed a continual growth in the Academy's work, a coordination and unification of the curriculum. He confirmed Mr. Pendleton's remarks with a story: A certain little town had been the scene of much inter-denominational strife. But after the last armistice, a member of some obscure religion had been proposed for office, and the mayor, speaking in support of the nominee, said, " He is a good man; and as long as his heart is in the right place, it makes no difference which of the sexes he belongs to."
     Mr. Wilfred Howard, as a worker in the Academy, was impressed by the address as having given a needed picture of the work as a whole. In recent meetings of the faculties, the essentials of moral growth in the various periods of school life had been studied. The rational mind is built up through truths both spiritual and natural. Under Bishop de Charms there had been a renaissance of educational thought, and certain general principles had been seen. But the difficulty was to see how to carry them out. The regeneration of education was as intricate and difficult as the regeneration of a man. Natural truths had been developed in the world at a tremendous rate; the development and application of spiritual truths was the work to which the Academy had dedicated itself.
     Dr. Doering, in conclusion, ventured to go contrary to advice given him by Bishop Benade-not to tell people to do what they already knew they ought to do.

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But if parents desired to cooperate with the work of New Church education, the thing to do was to study how best to protect the children from evil and harmful influences, both in the home-sphere and in the social sphere; for it is there that their habits and ideals are formed.
     There was also a need that, when a criticism of the Academy was based on its failure in individual instances, the case be studied and checked before the criticism was accepted.
     Finally, an institution which is an institution of the church, needs the support of the whole church. Tuition in the Academy is as low as possible, and scholarships are granted as generously as possible. But this year, out of forty- five applicants for scholarships, only thirty-two can be accepted: $5200 more would be needed to enable us to provide for all.

     27.     The session closed with the Benediction at about 12:25 p.m.

     Fifth Session-Friday, June 28, 8 p.m.

     28. After worship had been conducted by the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, who read John 10 and D. P. 98, 99, the Rev. Dr. Hugo Lj. Odhner, presiding, introduced Mr. Francis L. Frost as the speaker of the evening. The title of the address was "Opportunity." (See p. 404.)
     29.     At the close of the address, Dr. Odhner invited discussion. Mr. Frost, he said, had justified the right of a layman to address the Assembly. Without sacrificing the distinctive uses of the priesthood, the General Church had ever wished with Moses, "Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets!"-that every individual member might become a particular church, that each man may go to the Writings directly for his enlightenment. A free cooperation between laity and clergy had become a characteristic of the General Church-a cooperation which was to further our common work by a mutual understanding from a common love.

     Mr. R. W. Childs, while appreciating the address as a keen and independent analysis of the organization of the church, and a plea for self-sacrifice and constructive work worthy to complement the efforts of our clergy, sharply differed with Mr. Frost on several points. The Executive Committee as hewers of wood and drawers of water-were quite willing not to be exempted from criticism. But referring to Mr. Frost's statement that certain good members had left the church in recent years, he was satisfied that the church was the stronger for it. He was grateful for the leadership which the church had had, both in the past and in this crisis. In the piping times of peace we can philosophize as to how things should be done differently, but when we are in the midst of battle it is well to be thankful for leadership. Now was not a time for digging into the past, but our " opportunity " was to close the ranks and march on.

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     Rev. V. J. Gladish commended the paper for form and skill. In regard to searching consciences as to recent events, this was an individual matter; but he suggested that the writer go over the record of the "Separation" for a better appreciation of our leadership. Nor need there be any mystery as to the functions or identity of the Executive Committee, which furnished lay assistance to the government of the church; for the Corporation of the General Church meets tomorrow to elect this committee, and it was up to the members to prevent this election from becoming a mere formality.
     Mr. Sidney B. Childs expressed himself as convinced that the greatest freedom existed in the church; while, if the Dutch position prevailed, the church would come to an end.
     Bishop Acton recalled that Mr. Frost, while speaking, had dramatically called up Mr. Hyatt and given him a token contribution, thus dissociating himself publicly from the two-thirds " who failed to subscribe to the general treasury. Bishop Acton did not know the denomination of the bill which was handed to the treasurer, but chided Mr. Frost that this was not any encouragement to the "two-thirds," who were so hard up that they could only think in terms of nickels
     Rev. Elmo C. Acton, in his capacity as Mr. Frost's pastor, welcomed the paper as a useful challenge. He felt that self-examination was proper and necessary on the part of the church, as well as on the part of the individual. We have had a separation in the church; and every sort of division is essentially due to something of evil. Mr. Frost did not suggest our laying blame on persons, but that everyone must reflect whether he has a part in this evil or not; if this is not done, we lose the power to recognize our own evils. The attitude implied in the Lord's words, " Let him that is without sin cast the first stone," is something which the General Church must never lose.
     Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal found some refreshing and keen observations in the paper. Referring to the suggestion that we have little knowledge of each other as New Churchmen "until after 5:15," he felt that this applied also to a minister or a teacher, who "goes behind a curtain" when entering his study. In pastoral calling, he had experienced the same difficulty of getting below the surface of externals, owing to shyness and reticence. There is need that we have contacts with each other as to the vital things of life, and free conversation about the things of the church, in order that there may be a true growth of the church amongst us.
     Bishop Acton, seeking to reconcile the comments of two former speakers about the recent separation, felt that the General Church, as to its official attitude and actions, had no need to reproach itself: there was never more patience and moderation shown, and there had been ample opportunity for calm discussion. This was an illustration of the charity and patience, which should rule in a Christian church, and he was sure that history would so regard it. On the other hand, each person would do well to examine himself for bitter thoughts entertained and words used; for as to this we are none of us quite blameless, even if our conduct was in accordance with justice.

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     Rev. Bjorn Boyesen commended the delivery of the speaker. He spoke of the militant spirit, and granted that with youth the spirit of patience had not yet been learned. Still there was a use to this aggressive zeal in the cause of the church. The important thing was to know what to defend; an this knowledge could come only from the Writings. He pointed out that devotional reading was not enough, and that we must be equipped by an actual study of the doctrines.
     Dr. A. De Horsey understood Mr. Frost to have warned the laity not to coast along and merely depend on the leadership, lest they sacrifice personal initiative. The psychological tendency to group isolation was best remedied when it is discovered that it is by giving assistance to others, and by an effort to understand common problems, tat we make progress in reaching stability of thought and adjustment to society. He also suggested that Mr. Frost did not lay the loss of certain members from our groups so much to any clerical policy as to our own failure to offer sufficient social contacts.
     Mr. Frost, in conclusion, felt rewarded in having provoked thought, whether pro or con; for in this lay the essence of freedom. He told a story of an advertising conference in which twenty-seven advisors gave as many different opinions, after which the management also felt free to make its own decisions. He expressed assurance of complete confidence in our leadership that it will make right decisions.

     30. The meeting adjourned with the Benediction at about 9:45 p. m.

     Sixth Session-Saturday, June 29, 10 a. m.

     31. After worship, conducted by the Rev. Morley Rich, who read from Luke 17, Bishop de Charms, presiding, called for the Report of the GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, INCORPORATED.
     32. In the absence of the Secretary (Mr. E. H. Davis), the Report was read by Mr. Hubert Hyatt. (See Reports.)
     33. The TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, submitted the Annual Reports for the last three years, and read a brief address. (See Reports.)
     34. Rev. H. L. Odhner, for the benefit of inquirers, pointed out that the mode of obtaining membership in the General Church is now described in the new Liturgy (p. 81). Application blanks are obtainable from every pastor of the church. There had never been any membership drives in our church, for we desired that the joining of the church should be a free and rational act. Membership was the ultimate of allegiance to our uses, and represented our faith at work.

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     Bishop Acton noted that the rite of Confession of Faith is not, like Baptism, an essential requirement for membership. The real confirmation is in faith and life.
     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt referred to the prophecy (Rev. 12) of the Woman in the Wilderness, which presaged the slow growth of the New Church. In times of crisis the Lord can bring about spurts of progress miraculously, or through great leaders. But usually true progress is by the slow stages of everyday work. In the Great War, men had been willing to endure many sacrifices, as if something was acting upon the natural man and breaking up the pride of intelligence, and thus lifting men up beyond themselves and their own proprium. On the other hand, when later the country was fast approaching the bring of disaster, and men were caught in the grip of a lust for making easy money, the voices raised in warning were not listened to, and there was nothing to stop such a trend.
     Now in the church we know of dangers far greater than any disasters that may befall the political and economic realms. We ought to listen to our treasurer before our uses suffer. So often we are deaf to warnings! The Lord during His passion was silent, because the sates of the church were such that men could not hear Him. People often say that "they were never told" things to which they were merely not listening. The only soldiers in Gideon's army whom the Lord could use were the three hundred who lapped up the water as dogs-that is, those who were eager and had the will to do. We should not wait to be told; we should find out for ourselves how to join the church, how to help its work. Otherwise we might come to be like the "five brethren" (Luke 16) who would not heed though one rose from the dead, since they did not hear Moses and the Prophets.

     35. On motion, the Reports of the General Church, Incorporated, and of the Treasurer of the General Church, were received and filed.
     36. After a brief recess, the meeting was reconvened at 11:20 a. m., to hear the address by the Right Reverent Alfred Acton on the subject of "The Spiritual World and the Natural." At the conclusion of the address, at 12:35 p. m., there was no time for discussion available, and Bishop de Charms voiced the meeting's appreciation of the address. (The text will be published in the October issue.)
     37. On motion of the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, the meeting expressed unanimous and cordial appreciation of the invitation of the Pittsburgh Society, and of all that had been done to make the visitors comfortable at this Assembly.
     38. It was announced that the Addresses of Bishop de Charms and of Bishop Acton had been phonographically recorded, that sets of these records were obtainable, and that it was hoped to send them to other societies.

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     39.     At 12:45 p.m., the Assembly adjourned, and the Benediction was pronounced.
     (The thanks of the Secretary are due to the Rev. R. G. Cranch for stenographic help.)
     Respectfully submitted,
          HUGO LJ. ODHNER
               Secretary.
CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH 1940

CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH              1940

     AT THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

     A Meeting of the General Church Corporation was held on the afternoon of June 29th, 1940, with 43 members present. Among the actions taken were the following:
     An Executive Committee of 23 members was elected, consisting of the following gentlemen; Bishop de Charms being elected by acclamation, and the remaining 22 members by ballot:

De Charms, Bishop George
Acton, Kesniel C.
Bostock, Edward C.
Brown, C. Raynor
Childs, Geoffrey S.
Childs, Randolph W.
Davis, Edward H.
Gladish, David F.
Heilman, Marlin W.
Horigan, Walter L.
Hyatt, Hubert
Lindsay, Alexander P.
Loven, Nils
Merrell, Charles G.
Nelson, Hubert
Pendleton, Philip C.
Pitcairn, Harold F.
Pitcairn, Raymond
Pryke, Colley
Rosebman, Rudolf
Synnestvedt, Paul
Tilson, Victor
Wilson, Frank

     Mr. Seymour G. Nelson was elected an Honorary Member of the Executive Committee by acclamation, and it was unanimously Resolved that the many, useful, and extensive services of Seymour G. Nelson to the General Church as a member of this Corporation and of its Executive Committee since the formation thereof are recalled with deep appreciation, and further, that the Secretary be directed to convey to Mr. Nelson the greetings and good wishes of all those present at this Meeting.
     The remainder of the Meeting was occupied with the reading of Minutes, Reports of the Secretary and Treasurer, and discussions of the Corporation membership qualifications, Executive Committee membership qualifications, Executive Committee membership election procedure, and the Orphanage of the General Church.

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     ROLL OF ATTENDANCE.

     The Committee on the Roll reports that 401 persons registered as attending the Seventeenth General Assembly from the following localities:

     Canada                         22
      Kitchener district     13
      Toronto district          8
      British Columbia          1
     United States                    371
      Alabama               1
      Connecticut          3
      Illinois               52
          Chicago          6
          Glenview          42
      Michigan               10
          Detroit          4
          Saginaw          6
      New Jersey               4
      New York               6
      Ohio                    13
          Youngstown     6
          Wyoming          5               
          Cleveland     1
      Pennsylvania          282
          Bryn Athyn     176
          Pittsburgh     108
     Location not noted               8
     Total attendance                    401

     Of the above, 295 are members of the General Church, and 106 are young people or non-members.

     ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS.

Wednesday, June 26:
     First Session, 10 am.     304
     Reception, evening     375
Thursday, June 27:
     Second Session, 10 am.     253
     Third Session, 8 p.m.     297
Friday, June 28:
     Fourth Session, 10 am.     269
     Fifth Session, 8 p.m.     306
Saturday, June 29:
     Sixth Session, 10 am.     318
     Banquet               368
Sunday, June 30:
     Communion Service          370
     Communicants          205
          
                    


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OPPORTUNITY 1940

OPPORTUNITY       FRANCIS L. FROST       1940

     (Delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly, June 25, 1940.)

     In talking with you tonight, I shall attempt a delicate operation. What that operation is, I can best describe to you by analogy: Over many years, truly great artists have painted the broad canvas that portrays the past and present of the organization assembled here this week. It is an old, familiar picture hanging there on the wall of our lives, loved and treasured like an heirloom, but, like an heirloom, taken for granted while the dust gathers on its frame. We pass beneath it constantly in our daily goings and comings. Do you suppose that in the eves of our minds its colors may perhaps be dulled, its details faded, its perspectives dimmed? It may be impertinent for me to try to renew any of those colors and details,- to attempt the delicate operation of brushing away a little of the accumulated dust of familiarity, and look for old and new perspectives. Nevertheless, I shall try. But remember, everything fundamental, which might ever be said to describe that picture, has already been said over and over. There is nothing essentially new I can say. Like you, if you were in my place, I can only brush away some dust, and hang the picture in a different light.
     Inevitably an individual speaks his own thoughts, and advances his own personal ideas. Nevertheless, he is usually representative of a type, because he is influenced by environment. So possibly you may better understand my ideas, and accept them or discount them if you realize that I am simply a New Church layman representative of the small outlying society or group, which, I Suppose, is the truly happy medium between the isolated and those in larger centers. There is also another consideration, which in fairness to yourselves, you should bear in mind in listening to me. By what right does a layman address the General Assembly of our Church?
      Twenty-four years ago, in company with many others who are in this room tonight, this speaker graduated from the school at Bryn Athyn.

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There is nothing constructive I can offer you whatsoever, save the experience of those twenty-four years; and that experience has no place in these meetings, save to the extent it has been shaped and influenced by acceptance, understanding and application of the Doctrines of the Church. I would even further qualify that statement: I do not believe that doctrinal exposition is a layman's function. I do not like to hear a layman expound doctrine. But there is a distinction here I ask you to observe. By exposition I mean the preaching upon a text, which is the function of the priesthood. I do not mean the doctrinal discussions which are or should be, one of the genuine loves of each of us, priest or layman. Therefore, you will excuse me from quoting extensively. It is for you alone to discern, if you wish or if you can, any application of Doctrine there may be in whatever I may say.
     It is a peculiar thing that in those very words lies the meat of the only specific doctrinal reference to the subject before us-Opportunity. Don't go to the Concordance, as we laymen so often do, and try to make a passage prove a theory about Opportunity. You won't find much to work on. True, by following some cross-references, you'll find Opportunity mentioned. But it is mentioned in the sense that ability requires opportunity, and this is in connection with the fact that merely thinking a thought gets us nowhere; and that before we do get somewhere with that thought, we must do something about it,-put it into action, and thus give it, and us, an opportunity to make it a part of ourselves.
     So, while perhaps I should apologize to the clergy present for thus stating a doctrine of Divine Providence in the slightly crude idiom of the day, let me say that from this I conclude that Opportunity is simply the lively twin brother of Action; and that, paradoxically, Action is too often a dull laggard.
     It is simple enough to understand why Action so often lags behind even the most clear recognition of opportunity. It is because of our human inertia, which, at least in most of us, requires that we be prodded into action,-be reminded we must act to "make dreams come true,"-be constantly shown the difference between wishful thinking which leaves problems to others, and initiative which boldly seeks solutions.
     Dreaming, with its far horizons, may be necessary, but is usually easy.

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Picking a wise objective is more difficult. But devising the way of reaching that objective is most difficult of all. Therefore, the thing we seek is how to translate our inner purpose, our thoughts, wishful or otherwise,-our dreams,-into action directed toward a wise objective. That, in turn, requires consideration, first, of what the objective will be, and, second, the means by which it may be reached.
     Now this statement of the steps which lie between our dreaming dreams and our reaching objectives sounds a little labored and pedantic. But it is deliberately so, because we need such a brief description of the course taken by any intelligently managed enterprise. It can be defined even more briefly by the one word: "Planning." I have taken your time so to sum it up, because so often in an organization like ours, foresight and planning among its members are either non-existent or are developed with an academic detachment that would make a businessman shudder. Of course, the businessman may be wrong. For the moment, the sole purpose of the slight shudder is to show, not only that the grasping of opportunity by anyone under any circumstances requires planned action, but that also a great deal of our own impatience with any particular lack of progress in a body like ours is due to the nature of that body.
     Now, is there any legitimate, and charitable, dust-brushing we can do on the face of that picture? Well, let us assume for a moment that we have never before analyzed our organization. Let us assume, too, that we do not know whether it has any ability to plan and progress. Then we can at least examine it objectively, and, I hope, charitably.
     Obviously, any organization is made up of individuals. After you have listened to numerous speeches at one of our Assemblies you are convinced that rugged individualism flourishes with us. But even though each of us has the priceless opportunity of being a recipient of the truth he professes to seek, that opportunity in no wise entitles us to positions on pedestals among our fellow men. Gently setting aside our clergy and our educators, who in obvious and in necessary ways perform special uses, we laymen at least have no claim to any particular distinction. We lead, each of us, the most fantastically Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde existence you could imagine.

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     Why? Because, when morning comes, we depart from our homes and disappear into some mysterious limbo. In case you don't know it in that limbo we make tooth paste, we write columns, we sell jewelry, we trim trees, we practice medicine, we peddle petroleum products, we insinuate insurance policies into people's lives, and legal opinions into their ears. We build houses, we construct airplanes and even fly them, we make electrical products; we sneak away from all these to play golf, and rush back to answer our accumulated correspondence. We operate libraries and make paint, we run a household and mend socks, sew on buttons bi-annually, cook meals, hang curtains, rearrange furniture, shop at the A. & P., wipe the children's noses and answer the telephone. And all this behind a sort of curtain that temporarily hides each of us from the other. For, with the advent of the 5:15, we are suddenly reunited, and are again New Churchmen.
     Not that we weren't New Churchmen while we were behind that curtain. But has it occurred to you that we know each other chiefly because we are New Churchmen? Fine as this is in itself, it is not enough; for all our natural abilities, our capacities for constructive creation, our talents, are but vaguely known and recognized between us. That is a reservoir of ability that cries aloud for an opportunity to be usefully employed in helping our organization to progress. All it requires is recognition, coordination and planning,-and one other thing. That thing is the desire to know, understand and sympathize with the problems and objectives of each other's daily work. In that knowing and understanding there can be a drawing together, a creating of a common sphere, that can make our Church stronger, because more cohesive. I know that the roots of such cohesion must reach deep into the subtleties of doctrine. But there is a more homely name for that common sphere which I will mention later.
     So far we may have at least glimpsed how opportunity abounds among us as individuals. Individuals, however, combine to make a whole, or perhaps a series of groups which in turn make up the whole. Groups tend to become tagged with certain reputations, which often are given more importance than they deserve. In Northern New Jersey we have been feelingly referred to as the "lunatic fringe," although it is conceded there is hope for us.

408


Once someone in Bryn Athyn was heard to say to a visiting New Churchman: "I understand a lot of you people think we're awfully smug here," and two hours later they were still trying to find out what was meant by the word " smug," and probably haven't yet succeeded. New York is known for its faithful continuity over the years in good times and bad. Glenview has a reputation for persistent treasuring of educational ideals. As guests in Pittsburgh, we can only say that here we perceive a love of doing things well in the grand style, coupled with a strongly developed sense of the need of telling about it. But such characteristics, like those of other societies, are but facets of a whole. We do have, after all, a mass attitude as an organization.
     We have a pride in the treasure of our Doctrines. We have admiration and respect for our educators, and with them guard proudly our distinctive educational system. But in later years some of our defenses have weakened, and we have had family quarrels where bitterness has been allowed to filter in. Those are failures, which cannot be defended solely on the ground that we are defending the purity of doctrine, because who is there among us who can define the pure, and the impure in doctrine? They are, in fact, failures both in leadership and in recognition of individual responsibility to doctrine, church and fellow man-failures, of you will, in the essentials of charity.
     Our church, at least as an organization, has lost men and women it could ill afford to lose. I do not believe we can turn that page with an easy gesture that simply blots out the record and goes on to an assertion that the blame is wholly outside us. Before we do, let us be sure, each of us in his own conscience that we are in truth blameless. Let us be sure that there is true freedom among us that there is no dictatorship of the mind, that each of us, individuals and leaders, have humbly searched among the deepest motives within us to be sure no trivial act, no thoughtless word, no question of mere personality, no perversion of the doctrine of freedom, has in any way erected a barrier of human pride, or slammed a door in anger. Our mass attitude as an organization may need cleansing in that respect, and for the sake of charity our hands may need washing again and again. Therein lies an opportunity for a strengthening of our collective conscience, and a means of making further loss unnecessary.

409



     But those things are within us. We still exist as a whole in the world. In that world we can guard our own without being cloistered. We belong as citizens to our country, and we have a use to perform of contributing to the welfare of our country that is just as obligatory in the natural sense as the need of guarding that which is within. Therein lies an opportunity for cooperation that is practically unknown to us. In our national life we have no more right to place ourselves on a pedestal than we do as individuals. If we continually withdraw within ourselves, we run the danger of breeding an intolerance and self-sufficiency which might well distort all we hold most dear.
     It cannot hurt us, once in a while, to examine these possibilities in all candor. For in ignorance there is death; but there is power in knowledge. As an organization, we cannot afford to be a collective ostrich burying its head in the sands of purely sentimental traditions. Each generation is accused by its predecessor of breaking the finest things of tradition; yet each generation, from the fragments, builds traditions anew, instinctively fashioning them to the needs of the day. Tradition is oral. The fundamental things with us are written on paper but likewise in our hearts, and they are the eternal verities. The only clouds about them come from human error, human quarrels, human pride, bitterness and misunderstanding. These we eradicate only to the extent we return continually to those eternal verities, and allow others to return to them according to their own understanding. If we cannot constantly make that return, leaders and individuals have both failed. In the recognition of this lies an opportunity for the growth of charity.
     We have referred several times to leadership. This is vested in the priesthood, which has available the advice and counsel of both clergy and laity. Some of the acts of this leadership are subject to the concurrence of the General Assembly wherein unanimity is sought. So in principle we are a democratic institution. Sometimes, however, we have a tendency to allow our leadership to operate in a vacuum. The reason for this, as far as I can see, is that we hesitate to discuss our leadership for fear we will be accused of disloyalty to our Church. This is a natural fear, because our leadership closely symbolizes the Church. Yet this very delicate hesitation of ours leads to making leadership, not merely a symbolical of the Church, but ofttimes the Church itself.

410


I venture the opinion that our leaders of the priesthood would be the first to deplore that. Actually, as far as I know, the only time in our history as a Church that a leader even approached a dictate as to doctrine, there followed consequences which certainly did no more to protect the Church than they did to harm it. If that was wrong, it was an error of leadership, not an error of the Church, and as such quite open to discussion.
     The instruction, advice and guidance, which we as laymen receive from the priest, and which serve to shape and influence our conclusions, will always, be subject to the personal understanding of each of us. No one today questions that principle. No one, in fact, today questions the safety of the doctrines of our Church under its present leadership. But that leadership, I suggest, has the opportunity to be on guard against excluding any true seeker after truth and cannot live in a vacuum in that respect.
     Now I know that the term "democratic institution" is not a strictly accurate characterization of our body, for there is certainly a dictatorship of truth. But in the main we are democratic, and a feature of democracy is the happy abandon with which its members express opinions of their leaders. I fail to find any need for delicate hesitation in such expressions, either privately or publicly, providing the expressions are charitable. In fact, I see the opportunity for our membership to become more constructively suggestive, simply to make sure no vacuum exists. If anyone is offended by that thought, his reticence is his right, and deserves the respect of others. But I would respectfully suggest a close study of the difference between the papacy and our leadership. Yet, before criticizing the leadership of our priesthood, ponder this: Leadership is never what it itself conceives itself to be. It is invariably improved or degraded, lightened or darkened, strengthened or distorted, by the way in which it is understood by those who are led.
     Our leadership, however, is not confined to the priesthood, but is also considerably in lay hands, which devise policies, ways and means. In a business organization, the creation of policy lies in the hands of the executive, who is under no compulsion to explain the reasons for policy to his subordinates, and sometimes not even to his board or stockholders-until they catch up with him. But we are not interested here in business ethics.

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So let us grant that, even in our body, there may be times when the reasons for policy may be so abstruse as far to transcend the ability of our poor low minds to comprehend. But I should think that such times would he infrequent.
     In this respect I have now frankly proceeded from the living room to the woodshed, in which humble surroundings I am led to observe that some of the proceedings of our lay leadership are wrapped in a cryptic austerity that is fearfully and wonderfully bewildering. If I am wrong, then I am simply a poor reporter, and have been misled, first, by my own observations, which, of course, can be prejudiced, and second, by the repetition in my casual hearing, over and over again, of the remark: "Now why under the sun did they do that?
This has usually been heard in the bewildered-disgusted-puzzled tone of voice.
     But at once you perceive the difficulty. We are, at last, up against the old, mysterious "they."
     Who are "they"? Where do "they" hide? Do "they" ever come out in the open? Are "they" a little, secret group of insidious dictators, or are "they" simply some poor, harassed human beings who are having such a tough time getting cooperation from the rest of us that "they" only dare to peer around corners in a sort of protective anonymity? I think it would be a fine idea to have a public meeting of "they," so we'd recognize "they," and know just who "they" are. Merely seeing "they," assuming we recognized "they," would help us understand why "they" do the things "they" do. After all, since charity is infinitely elastic, we never question "they's" intentions. It's just "they's" methods and reasonings we'd like to fathom.
     So I suggest that there is an opportunity for "they" to take us into "they's" confidence a little more. We might even be able to make an occasional constructive suggestion, because, as far as we know, "they" are human, and therefore simply can't be right all the time. We might-and here I become utterly bold and daring-we might possibly help "they" to be even righter than "they" are. So in many things perhaps there is opportunity for "they" to be less arbitrary, tell us what "they" do, why "they" do it, and thus make us like it.

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     Because leadership deals primarily with universals rather than particulars, in some respects its problems are more simple than are the problems of those who follow leadership. Yet leadership hangs by the merest thread. It could not possibly have being, or be upheld, unless it enjoyed response. And in response to leadership lies the greatest of all our opportunities, the greatest chance of making dreams come true, the widest field for action.
     You will recall that we spoke of objectives. Sometimes we laugh at ourselves because we have so many, and because the number of our organizations to work toward them is so large. It would probably take more physical effort than concentrated thought to make a list of specific objectives that would fill many pages. But that would only be to insult your intelligence; for you could easily add to the list, and double it or treble it. Specific objectives are easy to imagine. The curse of most organizations is a lack of capitalizing on them, and seeing the necessary action through to a finish. There are some sad statistics on lack of support for wise objectives in our own body.
     Sometimes we become impatient because we fear we have so many objectives that all will be ignored; and then we try to simplify. I heard a very appealing simplification the other day to the effect that "what we need is to read the Writings daily and give every nickel we can." And that, of course, is very true. But all these detailed objectives, or even their simplification into a few, are not as important in themselves as is the genius that allows us to create them, and the ability that prods us to act upon them. These make up true response to leadership, and it is the nature of that response which colors our character as an organization.
     First, that response must be reasoning. In many ways we New Churchmen are extremists, and nowhere more so than in our response to leadership. We either idolize blindly or criticize casually. Contrast this with our possibilities, if we but think intelligently, act boldly, and persist in that action.
     Recently I heard a reputable psychologist discussing tests for ability and aptitude. He was quite positive in stating that, in his opinion, for every actual genius there were literally-thousands of individuals whose abilities and aptitudes were much greater than those of the genius. The difference lay in the capacity for aggressiveness, drive, persistence, willingness to sacrifice non-essentials.

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These the genius had, with perhaps markedly inferior aptitudes. But further, this man said, drive and persistence could be developed.
I suppose every teacher recognizes the truth of that comment to a greater or less extent.
     Drive, persistence, willingness to sacrifice non-essentials! Meditation on those things opens up vistas of possibilities for us that are truly unlimited. I believe that, in the periodic personal withdrawal into our own individual solitudes, where these many objectives we know so well may be faced, meditated upon, and the stark score of our own contribution to their attainment be resolutely reckoned up,-in that personal withdrawal lies the opportunity to develop the drive, persistence and willingness to sacrifice, without which we might indeed merit the accusation of being a dead church.
     It is only in such personal withdrawal that any of us can face specific realities. It has been so easy for you, and me, and our leaders, to speak in generalities. We have been speaking in generalities here tonight, for to do so is in fact an old American custom,-evidence of our complete faith that "some one else will do it." But it takes no prophet to foresee that in both Church and Nation we will speedily be forced to face realities more and more courageously, and in doing so, find ourselves face to face at last with the actual record of what we ourselves, each of us, has done. We may then, if we have been honest with ourselves, be better able to recognize the particular things in which we have failed, and thus the particular things we must quickly set about doing.
     You may say that the development of such characteristics is a function of leadership, but I say to you that our greatest weakness, our greatest failure in our response to leadership, is our lack of dynamic action to solve our problems, to reach the objectives we so easily conceive. We are a tiny island in this world,-a contented and easy-going Utopia, we think-apparently unconscious of the power that might be ours if we, each of us, in daily regularity devoted some little part of our lives to the creation of that group-quality which sums up all we have here discussed. We see the lack of that quality in the fact that we do not know each other, save generally on the ground of our religion. We see the lack of that quality in the fact that too often the hand of leadership and the hand of response do not meet in common clasp.

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We see the lack of that quality in the fact that sometimes we are so afraid that we may inadvertently persuade someone, and thus violate the Doctrine of Freedom, that we forget how to fight and militantly to uphold our Church. We see the lack of that quality in the fact that bitterness (another name for intolerance) creeps in among us, and fogs the ability to work in harmony with others.
     That is the thing-the quality-we said we would finally name. And that thing is Unity. Not a nice, theoretical unity, but a dynamic unity, dreaming its dreams, setting its objectives, planning its course, and acting out its plan with drive, persistence and the willingness to sacrifice. That is a unity which truly responds to leadership, but, more than that, inspires leadership, lifts leadership up to capacities unknown.
     In these dark days of depressing events, in which sometimes it seems our sole resort is an almost blind dependence on Divine Providence, are all these speeches and deliberations of ours puny and futile? To that I would give in reply a challenging "No!" For, regardless of what the future may bring, in unity our Church may still go forward, and by its unity contribute, in perhaps fuller measure than we can ever know, to the unity of our Nation.
     To the men and women of our Church I say: May we work, as we have never worked before, for that unity in which there is strength. May we weed out from between us whatever there may be of human misunderstanding or bitterness, to make that unity clear. May we give of that unity freely to Church, Nation and neighbor. By those means we can most surely guard our heritage and the one sure hope of mankind. In that objective lies the greatest challenge to our dreams and our ability. In courageously accepting that challenge we may, if we will, grasp the supreme opportunity.

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ASSEMBLY BANQUET 1940

ASSEMBLY BANQUET       H. L. 0       1940

     On the evening of Saturday, June 29th, the gymnasium of the Shady Side Academy, converted into a commodious auditorium for all the principal meetings of the Assembly, was the scene of the Assembly Banquet, at which Mr. Charles H. Ebert presided as toastmaster. After a sumptuous and well-served dinner, a toast to the Church was offered, and "Our Glorious Church" was sung by the 368 guests.
     The toastmaster recalled the wise leadership of Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who in the year 1897 organized the General Church of the New Jerusalem. The great esteem and affection felt for " Father Pendleton " was signalized twenty years later by the presentation to him of a golden chain of twenty-four links, engraved with the names of the Societies of the General Church, and set with precious stones of correspondential colors. Young and old throughout the Church unanimously contributed to this gift, which was now on view at the banquet table. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1917, pp. 188-190.)
     At the request of the toastmaster, Bishop de Charms read the following communication from the heirs of Bishop W. F. Pendleton:

Right Reverend George de Charms,
Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem,
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania:
     We, the undersigned, the daughters and only heirs of the late Right Reverend and Mrs. W. F. Pendleton, do hereby present to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, for the use of the Bishop and his successors, the gold chain and medallion presented to our father by the members of the General Church on February 6, 1917, after his retirement from active service as Bishop.
     Father was deeply touched by the love and affection, which prompted the gift, and also by its signification and its form. It was his expressed wish that it should be used by each future Bishop of the General Church, because the twelve stones in the chain represent the use of the High Priest, and the crown of twelve stars, which make the medallion represent the New Church. He spoke of this desire to his brother, the late Bishop Dandridge Pendleton, hot he, at that time, felt that the personal relationship was so close that he could not accept it for himself while he was Bishop.

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But now it seems to us that enough time has elapsed for the personal element no longer to be a consideration; therefore it would make us happy for ourselves, as well as for our father and mother, to have the present Bishop use it.
     Material things should have a use without one they are of little value; and while we fully realize that this gift was a personal one when it was given to Father, it was not personal to us; and while we are his natural heirs, the Bishop of the General Church is more truly his spiritual heir, because it is his responsibility to carry on the spiritual uses of the Church which our father so deeply loved.
     We therefore present this gift, not only in fulfilment of the wish of both our father and our mother, but also from our hearts as an expression of our deep devotion to the General Church.
March 25, 1940.
(Signed)
Augusta Pendleton Brown.
Luelle Pendleton Caldwell.
Venita Pendleton Carpenter.
Amena Pendleton Haines.
Freda Pendleton.
Korene Pendleton Caldwell.
Constance Pendleton.
Eo Pendleton.
Wertha Pendleton Cole.
Marion Childs Pendleton.

     On behalf of the General Church, Bishop de Charms then expressed gratitude for this gift, and said that the question as to how this symbol could best be used would be given future consideration. It had represented a spontaneous expression of the affection of the whole Church, and he would be delighted if it can help to perpetuate the memory of Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who had done so much for the Church we love.
     A special choir then sang "Vivat Nova Ecclesia."
     As the subject of the evening, the toastmaster announced "The Distinctiveness of the New Church,"-a principle which had been taken for granted, but which, for this reason, should be analyzed anew from time to time. This was in a sense a young people's assembly, and he had selected speakers from the younger generation, He then called upon a member of the Academy teaching staff, Mr. Richard R. Gladish, to speak on "Distinctive New Church Education." (See page 421.)
     After the singing of "The Academy Colors," the toastmaster introduced Mr. Walter C. Childs, who spoke on the subject of " Distinctive New Church Social Life." (See page 428.)

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          Messages to the Assembly.

     The Secretary of the Assembly was next called upon to read various Messages of Greeting from other countries. He also read a postal card just received from the Rev. E. E. Iungerich, of The Hague, Holland, in which he stated that "all the Swedenborgians" there were safe. Dr. Iungerich's public lecture, scheduled for the 10th of June, had been postponed for obvious reasons; and the society had declared a vacation for three months, with worship conducted only privately. In a letter to the Bishop from the Rev. Henry Leonardos, of Rio de Janeiro, affectionate welcome was extended to the Bishop's party which will visit Brazil this Summer (Winter).

     Other messages follow:

Appelviken, June 8,1940.
To the Assembly Committee, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dear Friends:
     May I ask you kindly to convey to the Assembly the heartfelt greetings of the members of the General Church in Sweden and Norway. In this time of tribulation, because of the devastation of the Old Church in Europe, our trust is in the Lord's New Covenant, and our hope is in the establishment of His New Church. Our hearts are with you in the new world, from which in the Lord's Providence all the earth may become new.
     Affectionately yours,
          GUSTAF BAECKSTROM.

Kortebo, Sweden, June 8, 1940.
To the Friends at the General Assembly, 1940:
     Many times when I have thought of the forthcoming General Assembly, the picture of an oasis in a desert has come to mind. Indeed, the world is a desert, not more so, but more plainly so, since the great conflict broke out in the open once more. So also, the Church is an oasis, and the only real oasis there is in the entire world.
     At a General Assembly, the whole membership of the Church is gathered in one single place, if not in body, yet in mind. Hence the sum of the affections of the entire Church go to make up the spirit of such an Assembly. I am sure that this spirit is infilled with the implicit trust that the Lord, in His omnipotence, overrules all human ways, and bends them to the end that the kingdom of the New Jerusalem may be established with the many.
     But these must all be nourished and revived through the agency of the Church Specific, by ways both internal and external. The organized Church is not identical with this Church Specific, but ought to contain it.

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Therefore my prayer is that the Lord may be in the midst of the Assembly of the Church, uplifting and strengthening all her children, that the wilderness and the solitary place may be glad for them, and that the desert may rejoice and blossom as the rose." (Isa. 35: 1.)
     Very sincerely yours,
          ERIK SANDSTROM.

Hurstville, N. S. W., Australia.
May 7, 1940.

Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner,
Secretary of the General Church.
Dear Mr. Odhner:
     May I, through you, and in the manse of the Hurstville Society, send to Bishop de Charms and to the Seventeenth General Assembly most cordial and affectionate greetings.
     Since the visit to Australia of our Bishop and his wife, we have been more aware than ever before of our union with the Church as a whole. The first General Assembly since that visit is therefore of particular interest to us; and although we cannot actually attend your meetings, we yet feel that, in the extending spheres of spiritual affection and thought, we can and will be present.
     Your meetings fall in troublous times, but it is our hope and belief that they will result, as ever, in a renewal of that spirit which will preserve the Church against the storms and tempests sweeping over the world. It is in this spirit of confidence that we extend to you our heartfelt good wishes for a most useful Assembly.
     Sincerely yours,
     W. Cairns Henderson.

Radiogram from Durban, Natal;
dated June 14, 1940.
De Charms,
Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Durban Society sends greetings to Assembly.
PEMBERTON.

Telegram from Kitchener, Ont.,
June 29, 1940.
Charles H. Ebert,
7031 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.
     Greetings! We hope that your banquet will be a glorious climax to a series of inspirational meetings. The strength and renewed spirit and determination gained through the General Assemblies are always useful, and doubly so under present world-conditions of struggle and turmoil which test our beliefs and courage.
     KITCHENER SOCEITY.

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     London, England.
To the General Assembly:
     Best wishes for a successful and useful Assembly, from my wife and myself. In these eventful days, the Divine Truth of the Word alone stands unchanged, and a sure Rock to guide us all. May its message be heard, and inspire all present in their efforts to work toward the establishment of the Lord's kingdom.
WYNNE ANN RACHEL Aerox.

     At another point during the banquet, a Western Union messenger appeared at the microphone, and delivered a "singogram" from "Rose and Cooper and Company" of Bryn Athyn, with the words. "Happy Banquet to you!"

     At the conclusion of the Messages, the guests joined in singing
     Friends Across the Sea."
     The toastmaster then presented, from the Assembly, a gift to Mr. Alexander H. Lindsay, the business manager of the Assembly, who had borne the cares of us all with efficiency, grace and apparent ease. Mr. Lindsay, in turn, renounced all merit in favor of his co-workers, especially Mr. Gideon Alden, Mr. Dan Horigan, Mr. George Brown, Miss Nancy Horigan, Miss Zoe Gyllenhaal, Mr. Bert Nemitz, and the whole Pittsburgh Society.
     Resuming the program of set speeches, the toastmaster introduced the Rev. Willard Pendleton, whose subject was "The Principle of Distinctiveness." (See page 432.) Mr. Ebert felt that this speaker would assure us " that juvenility does not lack for wisdom, especially when, as in this case, it is tempered by the onerous experience of leading the Pittsburgh Society nigh unto six years."
     After the singing of "Vive l'Academie," the toastmaster called upon Bishop de Charms for some informal remarks.
     The Bishop: A happy expression was used in one of the messages sent to this Assembly from far-off Sweden,-that the Church was like an " oasis in the desert." This simile is well applicable; for here, in the last few days, we have indeed been in an oasis-a refuge of plenty. The spirit that has brought our people together has been the spirit of devotion to the Divine Revelation by which the Second Advent of the Lord took place. It has brought us into a sphere of unity which has been delightful to us all.
     Yet we have been in an oasis. Tomorrow-following the service of Divine worship and the Communion with the Lord for which this Assembly has prepared-we must again separate and go back into that world of many responsibilities where we have our separate uses to tend.

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We will carry with us what the Lord gave us from heaven during this Assembly. The strength of our Church is not measured by the delightful sphere of our assemblies; this is but an indication of the measure of our loves and our hopes. But our strength is measured by the degree to which the things, which we have received at such an assembly as this, remain with us, not only as a pleasant memory, but also as an inspiration and a challenge.
     It has been said that this Assembly has been a young people's assembly. And we indeed rejoice at the presence of so many of the young people of our Church. The spirit of this assembly is a challenge to them; for the time is even here when they are called upon in an increasing measure to carry forward the banner of the General Church and its uses.
     If this spirit is carried with us when we depart from this oasis and are again immersed in the perplexities of life, to take up the responsibilities that seem to call for all our energies and engross our entire attention, then the things that are of spiritual and eternal value shall become the living heart and vital center of our lives, shall become that which shall make our lives in the truest sense distinctive, and enable us, God willing, to do our duty in the world, as well as in the uses of the Church.
     We are facing troublous times. But, let us remember, these are not intended for us to be anything else than an opportunity to make more real for us the spiritual things of the Church, which are above the waves and winds of the world about us,-the events that present the guiding hand of the Divine Providence, which, by its marvelous laws, calmly and clearly leads on to spiritual ends.
     The vision of those heights to which we have been lifted at this Assembly gives each one of us a part to play in cooperating with the Lord's work. Let us never allow ourselves to doubt or to question the Divine promise-that if we will cherish the truth given to us, and endeavor, despite human failings, to apply it to the problems which Providence places before us, the Kingdom of God will surely be established among us, and the Lord will bless us with spiritual peace, and with courage to face whatever may come, and with faith to sustain us in every trial.

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     It is our humble prayer to be given strength to do this thing to which the Lord has called us; and we know that if we do this, the Lord will then fulfill the promise of His Word.
     The Banquet closed with the singing of "Our Own Academy."
          H. L. 0.
DISTINCTIVE NEW CHURCH EDUCATION 1940

DISTINCTIVE NEW CHURCH EDUCATION       RICHARD R. GLADISH       1940

     (Banquet Address, Seventeenth General Assembly.)

     What is New Church education? Usually we think of it in terms of attendance at a New Church school on the part of our children and young people. In this limited meaning it is a preparation for life in the world-practical in essence, if not in external completeness. But in another sense, and, I think, in a deeper sense, a New Church education is life itself. We speak of education for heaven. What is that but the whole of our earthly lives? Are we prepared for heaven when we leave school? If we are, it is strange how many of us linger here below.
     No, for the most part our years of formal schooling are only one side-a useful side-of our education. They are an introduction to our real education.
     As we see that " religion is of life "; that the real church with us is the reception of the Lord in our lives; so do we come to see that New Church education must be the living spirit that dwells in every New Church member and home and society-not alone in the New Church classroom. For the church is not an altar, a place, or a building-it is the reception of the Lord in His Second Coming, re-forming in His image the hearts and minds of men. In so far as that reception is stimulated and aided by our schools, in that measure must our schools be considered a part of the church specific. It follows, therefore, that devotion to the church involves, nay, demands, a devotion to New Church schools, so far as those schools are a proper vehicle for aiding the growth of the church.
     The necessity, the indispensability, of New Church education is something that we cannot see too clearly, nor have present in our minds too constantly.

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Essentially, the work of education and that of the church make one. From the Creator in His Word we learn the design of human life, its theory, its economy, and its mechanics. In our daily living we observe, experiment, practice, and check our findings in the light of Revelation. It is the work of the church to teach the truths of the Word and lead to the good of life. It is the part of man to study the Word, examine himself, and to take advantage of all the aids to his education for heaven, which Providence provides.
     The historic view shows us that the continuity of life and the progressive development of any religious movement has depended upon a distinctive educational system. From ancient times, down through the Christian era, strong and enduring religious groups have been those which maintained an educational system under the guidance of the priesthood and the aegis of the church. Large-scale evangelization may indeed bring in its thousands, but without a distinctive education the children of the proselytes do not remain.
     In this connection, note the story of the General Convention in the last ninety years. The Convention membership of 1,450 in 1850 had increased to 7,095 by 1890, largely due to the expenditure of much effort and talent in the work of evangelization. But in 1925 the Convention membership had dropped to 5,870, and in 1939 to 5,507,-a loss of 20 per cent since the 1890 peak. Dr. Whitehead, in his study of the subject, has noted two main causes for this decline: First, indifference to doctrinal studies; and second, lack of distinctive education.
     Let us compare the General Church figures for a similar period. In 1897, we had 287 members. And there has been a small but regular increase each year until, in 1940, the Secretary of the General Church reports a total membership of 2,241, not including some 1,100 members of the General Church Native Mission in South Africa. Will the General Church now strike a period of decline at the end of its first forty years? The indications are that it will not, although a plateau was reached after 1937. And the reason is, that its growth has come very little through evangelization, but through the twin educational efforts of church-wide doctrinal study led by the clergy, and the maintenance of a distinctive education in its schools. Of course, no man can foresee the future of our numerical growth, but it is safe to say that the attitude of the members of the General Church toward a distinctive education will decide the issue.

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     In our recent celebrations of June 19th, it was recalled that the New Church is the hope of the world. Especially important was that thought at a time which holds little hope elsewhere. In its close relationship with the interior and exterior growth of the church, a distinctive educational system must bear a great part of that hope. From the days of Bishop Benade down to the present, the General Church has held as a cardinal policy the fostering of a distinctive education. If the present generation, and those to follow, do not maintain that policy and uphold that work, the General Church will rapidly cease to be the guardian of the truths of the Lords Second Coming. For neither the Church as a whole nor its schools can long continue without the active and constructively critical support of all those who make up the Church-those men and women who believe in it, and who love it enough to sacrifice for it.
     Let no suspicion of bias discount the truth of what I say. New Church education is far from perfect. Reason forbids the thought that it is. Many workers in our schools feel that we have not even reached a point where we ought to talk when there is so much to do. Present New Church education, compared with what future New Church education ought to become, is as the Mayflower to the Queen Mary. But I have observed enough to bolster my conviction that New Church education is essential to the continued progress of the church. And I have seen and experienced enough of the world's education on several levels to enable me to testify that New Church schools, with all their imperfections, are the best tools of their kind for turning the proprium-ridden sons and daughters of mankind into true human beings. Better the Mayflower than to flounder and sink in the dark and icy waters of materialism and agnosticism, where faith and charity are crippled and divorced, and false prophets rise, to sink again with clock-like regularity.
     The proof of the pudding is in the eating," and occasionally we ask ourselves: If our New Church education is superior to that of the world, what have we to show for it? The evidence here is in three divisions, or on three planes.
     First, on the basis of actual mental proficiency, our students can at least hold their own with the products of other schools.

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Records of our graduates at a variety of schools of higher learning have shown that our students have earned distinction in many fields of studies.
     Second, in the realm of moral values, our students have averaged high as respecters of the virtues of honesty, honorableness, justice, and cleanness, obedience, courage, and industry. These elements of moral life are important, because in them we recognize the bases and containants of that spiritual life without which it cannot subsist from the Lord. In the development of the moral side we do not claim to stand alone.
     But in the third division of man's training, we can rightly claim to foster an indispensable quality, which other institutions cannot claim. This is in the realization of a new religious life, which stresses the formation of a new rational life, and the development of a new conjugial life. For if a religion and an educational system do not strive to ultimate themselves in a distinctive way of life, and, to some extent at least, succeed in that endeavor, they have no right to be considered distinctive.
     A statement in a paper by the Rev. L. W. T. David, published in the General Church Pastoral Extension series, sums up the plan of which I have spoken: "The New Church is an educative church having as its purpose, not only the turning of men's thoughts toward spiritual things, and to a general acknowledgment (which is conversion), but also the leading forward of the human understanding into an ever fuller knowledge of spiritual truths, and so into a high rationality, which is simply the understanding of Divine Revelation, that the mind may be provided with all the vessels needed to receive, retain, and apply to life the new will of heavenly love and charity with which the Lord is perpetually endeavoring to endow man; that man may have 'a large upper room, furnished,' where the Lord will come to sup with him."
     In examining what we hope is an education for heaven, it would be of interest to see something of the nature of education in heaven. It is a provocative thought in this connection that the education of children in heaven is one hundred per cent successful, since all who go to the other life in childhood become angels of heaven. What can we do to realize a more complete success? In heaven the angels surround their charges with, and lead them by, a heavenly sphere of good affections, and any departure from the way of rectitude is made plain in an ultimate representation to the child and his associates.

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     Of course, we are handicapped in any attempt to imitate heavenly education, since, in the first place, we find it hard, not to say impossible, to maintain a sphere of heavenly affections sixteen hours a day, although we generally do better during the other eight hours. Nevertheless, that is the aim of our lives. In home, in classroom, in business, and in recreation, we must seek well and wisely from the light of Revelation to build up and recreate the sphere of heaven here on earth, for the sake of storing good remains with ourselves, and with the children, which Providence has placed in our care.
     But since we cannot duplicate heavenly conditions, we cannot lead the pupil through his affections alone. We must lead the child, not so much by example, but by taking him to the Writings, so that he may learn to act from a rational mind according to the truth, that thus his innate will, with its ancient, incrusted, hereditary evil loves may be changed by the Lord from a total self-centeredness to a new will which can be led directly by good affections from the Lord.
     Many passages in the Writings describe for us the opening and development of the rational. With dawning manhood, the youth first comes into a love of knowledges for their own sake-the state of the Ishmaelite, wild-ass rational-a state characterized as "morose, pugnacious, having a parched and dry life from a certain love of truth which is defiled with the love of self." The Writings say that "the man whose rational is such as to be only in truth is a morose man, permits nothing, is against all, sees everybody as in falsity, rebukes at once, chastizes, punishes, feels no pity, and does not apply himself and study to bend minds; for he regards everything from truth, and not from good." (A. C. 1949.)
     Yet with such a one there remains a saving innocence, so long as he subordinates himself to truth. For that which is heavenly with man is present only with the quality of innocence, and it is the especial care of Providence to provide that something of innocence shall remain with the man from infancy even to old age.
     From the Ishmael rational, education for heaven tries to bring the youth or adult (for it were folly to think that the Ishmael state is gone with youth) from a devotion to truths alone to a state in which he conjoins those truths with affections, and makes of them goods of use to the Lord and the neighbor.

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This can be accomplished only when the individual sees his own evils and shuns them as sins against God. Gradually, then, the wild-ass state can give way to the true rational, represented by Isaac-a state of charity and faith conjoined, rather than one of faith alone. The innocence thus maintained can come to a full fruition in that true innocence which is the innocence of wisdom. For the Writings tell us that "an angel has just as much of innocence as he has of wisdom."
     What, then, should be the mark of one who is educated for heaven? It seems to me that the man of the church must be characterized by a true humbleness of spirit, which is true innocence; for this involves all else of heaven. The Writings say: "Because innocence attributes nothing of good to itself, but ascribes all good to the Lord, and because it thus loves to be led by the Lord, and is the source of the reception of all good and truth from which wisdom comes, therefore man is so created that during his childhood he is in external innocence, to the end that he may come by means of the former into the latter, and from the latter return into the former." And again: "In the belief of a man that he can know no truth and do no good from himself, but only from the Lord, does the innocence of wisdom chiefly consist." (H. H. 278, 279.)
     Note that this innocence is not the innocence of the world, which the dictionary defines as "freedom from guilt, harmlessness, simplicity, and even weak-mindedness." Rather is true innocence "the inmost in all the good of heaven,"-the recognition that one has all from the Lord, and a total surrender to a transmuting love which seeks to give all without stint or measure to the service of the Lord. Such a one, say the Writings, "seems to himself to be no longer his own, and is moved, and as it were carried away, by such a delight that no delight of the world seems anything in comparison with it." And in another passage from the Writings we see pictured a way of life transcendent and ennobled by selflessness and sacrifice,-a golden way of life for the Golden Age which shall come to earth again.
     In closing this discussion, let us examine this picture, and ask ourselves whether we are, as members of the church specific, and as trustees of children, making this way of life our goal in the earthly journey that is our education for heaven: " Those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all things as received, and ascribe them to the Lord.

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They wish to be led by Him, and not by themselves. They love everything that is good, and find delight in everything that is true, because they know and perceive that loving what is good, that is, willing and doing it, is loving the Lord, and loving truth is loving the neighbor. They live contented with their own, whether it be little or much, because they know that they receive just as much as is good for them-those receiving little for whom a little is useful, and those receiving much or whom much is useful. They also recognize that they do not themselves know what is good for them, the Lord alone knowing this, who looks in all things that He provides to what is eternal. Neither are they anxious about the future. Anxiety about the future they call care for the morrow, which they define as grief on account of losing or not receiving things that are not necessary for the uses of life. With companions they never act from ends that look to evil, but from what is good, just and sincere. Acting from evil ends they call cunning, which they shun as the poison of a serpent, since it is wholly antagonistic to innocence. As they love nothing so much as to be led by the Lord, attributing to Him all things which they receive, they are kept apart from their proprium; and to the extent that they are kept apart from their proprium, the Lord flows into them; and in consequence of this, whatever they hear from the Lord, whether through the Word or by means of preaching, they do not store up in the memory, but instantly obey it, that is, will and do it; their will itself being their memory. These, for the most part, appear outwardly simple, but inwardly they are wise and prudent. These are meant by the Lord in the words, 'Be ye prudent as serpents, and innocent as doves.'" (H. H. 278.)

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DISTINCTIVE NEW CHURCH SOCIAL LIFE 1940

DISTINCTIVE NEW CHURCH SOCIAL LIFE       WALTER C. CHILDS       1940

     (Banquet Address at the Seventeenth General Assembly.)

     There is no issue as to whether or not distinctive New Church social life is desirable. It is most certainly one of the fondest dreams of the Church. The issue is not, "Is distinctive New Church social life desirable?" but "What is distinctive New Church social life?"
     We are told in the Writings that social life is a rejuvenating experience, which relaxes and renews strength for the better continuance of our use. As a servant to use, it is an important part of our regeneration, and must therefore be guarded carefully, and regarded in the light of the Doctrines. Social life is not only festive occasions, banquets, parties and the like, but is involved in our every contact with men, both in and outside of the Church. When social life, is blest with the harmony of truth and good, it is heavenly; and, being such, the forces of hell strive continually to break it down, and to use it as a gap through which they can pour to enslave us. And since our lives consist of four main activities,-our work, our worship, our education, and our social life,-each must be guarded with light from the Church.
     To take the phrase "distinctive New Church social life" in its strictest sense, we would get the idea of a social life limited to those who are members of the New Church. We would be born, live, and die among New Church people, never exposing our precious truths to the forces of evil in a decadent Church. This, indeed, would be a Utopia. It is the fondest dream of every New Churchman. This dream will come true, but we must be patient. To force this issue would be to defeat it in the end. There are three major reasons why, at present, we cannot confine ourselves to this literal meaning of the phrase.
     Firstly, a man's use. But a very small percentage of New Churchmen are able to perform their uses in life without entering into the life of the outside world.

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     Secondly, we are taught that the New Church is a militant church. We must not sit quietly back, inactive, but must progress, spreading the Church throughout the world. Otherwise, we know of a certainty the Church will be taken from us.
     Thirdly, the possibility of becoming stagnant. Just as we have something to offer the outside world, so has the outside world something to offer us. Not to take the benefits and goods it has to offer would be like sitting quietly in a dark room, alone, saying nothing, hearing nothing, and seeing nothing-like the three popular monkeys. Carried to this ridiculous extreme, we can readily see that distinctive New Church social life cannot mean "set apart completely."
     However, if our desire to sally forth into the world be carried to the other extreme, we will expose the as yet tender embryo of the growing Church to the hell-infested perversions of the Old Church, and thereby, as exposing ourselves to diseases which we are not yet strong enough to withstand, we will become invalid or die.
     If the New Church were a dominant Church in the world, the problem of distinctive New Church social life would not exist. If our membership were large enough, if our organization and our individuals were consistently strong enough, we would not have to fear or to expose ourselves to any undesirable influences. We are faced, however, with certain undeniable facts: Our membership at present, especially outside the main centers of the Church, cannot possibly confine its social, business and civic life to a society of the Church. In many societies the membership is as yet so small that it would even be difficult to whip together a good table of bridge without including a Methodist to play North.
     So let us look at the phrase "distinctive New Church social life" in the light of the times. In doing this, we find that we have two factors to consider: (1) A social life, distinctively New Church, for those living in New Church centers and communities; and (2) The social life of those who are isolated from other New Churchmen. Those who live in communities and centers spend most of their time, except for business reasons, with New Church people and with New Church surroundings. In this they are fortunate. But they must continually guard against two factors:

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First, that their social life does not become predominant, to the point where it starts to interfere with a man's performance of his use; and secondly, that the social life is not accepted too casually-that it is not taken for granted but that each man keeps clear in his mind the New Church idea,-that social life is not an escape from the performance of his use, but is allied to it.
     For those who seek a social life distinctly New Church, but who are also isolated from other New Churchmen, the question is not the same. Pity for those who are isolated from the Church, and who cannot have a New Church social life, arises from misunderstanding. No one is isolated from the Church and there is no one who has not the opportunity to live a distinctive New Church social life, if he so desires. The Church is not located in one special place. The Church is wherever there is a man who reads, believes, and lives the teachings of Swedenborg. Such a man as this is not isolated from the Church-he is the church--and has every opportunity to lead a distinctive New Church social life.
     This, of course, is easily said, but it is also easily believed by those who have been forced to leave their New Church friends and New Church surroundings, in order that they may better perform their uses. They soon realize the value of the gifts which they have been granted by being born or brought into the Church. As they see the hell-infested world around them, their love for what they know and believe to be good increases. Not having a common bond of religion with their associates, as we do in the societies of the church, their social life and friends come from those people who are in the same use. From this social life their love for their use increases. And a distinctive New Church social life is also brought to those with whom they work in applying and giving love of the use to those who have a mutual love and end in the same use. This, we know, prevails in the societies of heaven.
     We may agree, therefore, that distinctive New Church social life does not mean a cloistered existence. We must go forth into the world to perform our uses. We must go forth into the world to expand our membership and establish the Lord's Church. And we must open ourselves cautiously to the world, that we may give strength to the Church by seeing and adapting ourselves to the world in which we live.

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     Thus distinctive New Church social life means simply that, wherever we may be, with whomsoever we may be, under whatever conditions we may find ourselves, we must be fortified with the truth, fortified with the love of the Lord as revealed through His Second Coming, fortified with wisdom, courage and faith, not only to withstand the temptations of the outer world when conditions take us thence, but also to go forth into the world with a strength that will not only make us invulnerable to the assault of the depraved Church, but will also enable us to conquer that world, to carry through to it the new message and new hope, bring to it the truth and the light, and carry out our obligations to the great blessing that has been bestowed upon us by giving it to our neighbor.
     So we must take great care to be sane in our attitude towards the outside world. We must avoid misunderstanding. And we must have no fear of that world. Otherwise, when the time comes for the Church to spread, we shall be unable to carry on that work.
     What, then, is to be our belief as to a social life distinctively New Church? First of all, we must become strong-strong in faith-faith that we have the truth, faith that will give us courage to battle the forces of evil. We must have truth--truth which shall be a sharp two-edged sword in our hands-truth that will put to flight the forces of falsity. We must have a deep love for the Church, a true understanding of what the Church means to us and what the Church is to mean to the whole human world. Thus fortified, we can go into the outer world; and then, no matter where we are, our conduct and affections will also be of the Church. Even though we be far distant from New Churchmen, though we work in the outer world, though we daily meet outsiders, our social life will still be distinct. The Church will be within us, and it will be strong. And slowly it will spread light through the darkness.

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PRINCIPLE OF DISTINCTIVENESS 1940

PRINCIPLE OF DISTINCTIVENESS       Rev. WILLARD D. PENDLETON       1940

     (Banquet Address at the Seventeenth General Assembly.)

     This evening your toastmaster has introduced the subject of distinctiveness. In this he is not original. It is an old topic, which has been discussed from many different points of view on many different occasions. Nevertheless, I congratulate him upon his choice, for in these days of marching armies and falling empires it is important that we reconsider the underlying principles, which have guided us in the past. If they are found wanting, then it is time that new principles be established. If not, then we are well advised to "hold fast" to that which we have.
     In this connection, let us not delude ourselves. There are trying times ahead. The fact that we are New Churchmen does not render us impregnable against the destructive forces which have been let loose upon the world. At this moment civilization trembles under the impact. What the outcome will be, no man can foretell. The possibilities are many, and some of them fearful to contemplate. Naturally, we hope for the best. But, win or lose, the aftermath of war is disillusionment and despair.
     We are well acquainted with the effects of the last war. During the past twenty years we have witnessed the rise of totalitarianism; we have watched with alarm the inroads of materialism; we have seen Christianity fall into disrepute; and we have been forced to accommodate to a new low in moral standards. All this, because men lost faith in the old ideals, lost faith in a merciful God, in the law of the neighbor, in democratic forms, and in spiritual values. If these were the effects of the last great conflict, what may we expect from the present struggle? That we do not know; but of one thing we may be sure, namely, that further changes will ensue,-changes that will give rise to many new conditions. For such conditions, whatever they may be, this Church must be prepared.

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We cannot permit ourselves to be swept away by the gathering storm of spiritual disillusionment. And we are by no means invulnerable.
     Indeed, if we can read the signs of the times aright, we assume that at this day we are witnessing on earth the effects of that judgment which took place in the spiritual world almost two hundred years ago. After all, wars are not the products of broken treaties and international disputes. These are only the external manifestations of an internal state. The seed of war is enrooted in the hearts of men, where it is nourished by the loves of self and dominion. This seed is that ancient serpent which beguiled the human race in the days of the Adamic Church,-that pride of self-intelligence which acknowledges no God save that of its own making. So we submit-as has already been submitted to this Assembly-that this worldwide catastrophe which has fallen upon us, although it finds its natural source in the well-designed schemes of the modern warlords, is in reality the spiritual consequence of that Godless state which has prevailed throughout the world since the time of the Last Judgment.
     These few thoughts, inadequate as they may be, bring to mind the peculiar mission with which we as a people are entrusted. With us rests the responsibility of preserving through the days which are to come the vision of the Lord's Divine Humanity. It is a grave responsibility, and one, which cannot be discharged lightly. It places a burden upon us, which although it has been heavy in the past, will be even heavier in the future. If, in the eyes of the world, God has failed in His heaven, we can expect neither sympathy nor tolerance. Men who do not worship God have little patience with those who do. It is probable, therefore, that we shall become more and more isolated from others; and this, not because of any formal policy of ours, but because the only living bond which holds men together is gradually being dissolved, namely, a faith in a common God. The severance, which took place in the spiritual world at the time of the Last Judgment, is being slowly effected on earth.
     It was in recognition of this very fact that the Academy established the principle of distinctiveness. The men who organized this movement held no illusions in regard to the state of the so-called Christian world. Accepting the testimony of the Writings, they knew that there was no hope in old forms and dead traditions. If a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was to be preserved on earth, it had to come through a new beginning.

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Do not think, therefore, that the principle of distinctiveness is an arbitrary standard imposed upon the Church by a group of spiritual isolationists. The fact that we are removed from the world is not of our doing. It is they, not we, who have departed from a faith in the Lord. We deny, then, all charges of isolationism and exclusiveness.
     There are those among us, however, who labor under the impression that our insistence on distinctiveness is both narrow and sectarian. They feel that such a policy not only restricts our field of usefulness, but also limits our own development. This calls for a definition of distinctiveness; and in this connection permit me to state that distinctiveness does not involve exclusiveness. The one looks to perpetuation of a spiritual use: the other to the aggrandizement of self. The ends in view are entirely different, and as such are not to be confused. Of a certainty, we have no desire to exclude anyone from this Church: nor do we wish to separate ourselves from the normal uses of human society. We are not ascetics who seek sanctuary in some remote philosophy of life. The work of this Church lies in the world, and with the world. Indeed, the sole purpose for which we are organized is the establishment of the Lord's kingdom on earth.
     If, then, we divorce ourselves from men, how will that purpose be accomplished? Surely, the leading spirits of the Academy movement were not so immature as to believe that they could secure the future by a policy of exclusion. What these men saw is what we see today, and what we should see even more clearly than they, namely, that the Christian Church is dead, and that the hope of the future lies, not in the renovation of the Old, but in the establishment of the New.
     Now that which is new is quite distinct from what is old, and the principle of distinctiveness is simply a normal recognition of this fact. It is perfectly clear in the minds of us all that our doctrines are distinct from those of pre-existing Churches. There is no confusion here. Any child in our higher schools is well aware of the difference. It is not so evident, however, what this distinctiveness involves when brought down to the ultimate plane of daily life. Indeed, if we were to judge by behavior alone, I doubt if we could distinguish between most New Churchmen and other human beings.

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To all external appearances there is little by which we can differentiate between us and our neighbors. It is possible that we attend Divine worship more frequently, but even in this we have not a record of which we can boast. The fact is, that we are so much like our neighbors that we may well ask: What happens to this principle of distinctiveness when applied to our social and civil conduct?
     We do not propose to answer this question directly. We do not wish, after this meeting is over, to become engaged in private discussions on moral behavior. For although we believe that in time this Church will develop its own mores, we do not believe in a premature attempt to establish such a code of ethics. It is evident, or should be evident, that New Churchmanship does not demand a unique mode of human behavior. There is nothing to be gained in being different merely for the sake of difference. In so far as the accepted customs and traditions of our day are orderly, they can serve as a basis for the life of this Church; at least, for the time being. After all, that which is to distinguish this Church from those which have gone before is not any set of arbitrary standards or conditions, but the spiritual purpose which motivates our lives. In this alone do we claim distinctiveness.
     Beware, therefore, of the Utopian attitude, which would set up certain fixed forms as the criterion of New Churchmanship. Such an attitude is dangerous; for when the form becomes the basis of judgment, we lose sight of the essential, which is the spirit. Apropos of this, we are frequently reminded of the words of Will Durant, who, in a recent article on the state of the Christian world, made the comment that "the kingdom of heaven and a Utopia are like two buckets in a well; when one goes up, the other goes down." The implication is clear and to the point, for Utopian schemes are always founded on an insistence upon some definite form of procedure which your philosopher believes will insure the welfare of society. But we regret to report that, to date, all Utopias have failed.
     We speak of these things, however, not because they are of any interest in themselves, but because we wish to emphasize the fact that New Churchmanship, as conceived by the Academy, does not consist in a blind loyalty to some set of external standards by which we are to be differentiated from the world around us. A distinctive New Church life is not a stereotyped method whereby we live out our days on earth.

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It is, rather, the application of that living doctrine of use of which the Writings speak. In the degree that this doctrine is the standard by which we live, to that degree are we distinct from the Godless world in which we live. For here is a vision of life founded upon a faith in the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ,-a faith which grants spiritual significance to every human relationship that life in the world involves.
     In subscribing to the principle of distinctiveness, we are not closing the door against normal communication with the world of today. Indeed, if we interpret the doctrine aright, wherever there is a mutual use to be performed, there is a normal medium for contact. Certainly our duty to our office, or our duty to our country, cannot be performed within the confines of the church. If we thought they could, then in times of peace we would all be teachers, and in times of war we would all be farmers. The danger to the church does not lie in going out to the world through proper channels, but in bringing the sphere of the world into the church. For we go out to the world on the basis of use, but the world comes back to us with its utilitarian persuasions. There is a great difference, and a faith once infected cannot survive. If, then, we can meet the world under the mantle of protection, which the doctrine of use affords, we need have no fears. But if we seek it for its pleasures, if we court its philosophies, if we attempt to reconcile its ends with ours, the Academy cannot endure. Our one hope is in our distinct approach to life. Here, indeed, is the only reason for our existence.
     Thus it is that we identify the principle of distinctiveness with the doctrine of use, maintaining that it is the logical implication of that doctrine. Further, we refute any suggestion to the effect that this principle is a result of a desire for exclusiveness, or that it is an admission of our own sense of insecurity. Such conclusions are without warrant, and demonstrate a lack of appreciation for the things that this Church represents. If we are just another strange sect of people who have deluded themselves into thinking that theirs is the truth, then the criticisms are both just and sure. On the other hand, if ours is the truth, if these Writings are in very fact the Second Coming of the Lord, then distinctiveness is incumbent upon us. The decision rests with the individual.

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     Accepting the latter conclusion, and believing that the Writings are the Absolute, we are not called upon to apologize for our peculiar attitude toward life; it follows as a natural consequence. Believing, as we do, that the Divine end in creation cannot be fulfilled except through the faithful performance of use, we would be inconsistent if we did not train our children accordingly. Hence distinctive New Church education. It would be equally inconsistent not to insist upon distinctive New Church social life; for all normal human relationships are founded upon use. The heavens themselves are so organized. Use, and use alone, is the common bond of every spiritual society. This being the case, it would seem only reasonable to assume that we who, here on earth, are endeavoring to serve the highest of all uses should seek to develop a distinctive social medium for the expression of that use. Surely no other medium would serve.
     If, then, we are asked: "What is this distinctiveness of which you speak? Is it something real, or is it a superficial barrier, which the organized Church erects against the outside world? our answer need be neither complex nor apologetic. In the first place, it is not a barrier; it is the natural expression of a spiritual purpose. In the second place, the ideal of distinctiveness is not a human conception. True, it has been formulated by men, but only to the degree that it has been seen as a direct implication of the Divine doctrine of use. If our use is distinct, our approach should also be distinct.
     Let us purge our minds, therefore, of the notion that distinctiveness in all its various forms,-in education, in social life, in home building,-is a forced interpretation of some obscure teaching. In itself, it is the ultimate manifestation of the essential truth of the church,- the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth, and that these Writings are His Word. In this faith is our distinctiveness. But note well. That faith must be rooted in life. If it is not, its purpose is lost.
     Now, as individuals, we subscribe to the use which this Church is called upon to perform. Moreover, we know that, either with us or despite us, it will be performed. The question is, will we be capable of taking our part? After all, this is no ordinary undertaking. Our duty to our Church cannot be lightly discharged. The responsibility is a concomitant of use. In one sense this is an appalling thought; for although we are well aware of the nature of the use, we are not so conscious of the responsibilities arising therefrom.

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Our failing, therefore, is not in our doctrine, as some would have us believe; it is more apt to be found in our application of doctrine to life. This, however, is an individual matter; it has nothing to do with the organized Church. We cannot determine the lives of our people. It is, and always will be, a matter of personal conviction. Nevertheless, the future of the organized Church will be determined by our choice. If we are willing to accept the full implication of our use, the future will provide for itself. If not, then others must take our crown.
     This being so, we appeal for distinctiveness. With firm confidence in those principles which were first laid down by the fathers of the Academy movement, we ask the coming generation to subscribe thereto. Not that these principles, as stated, are infallible. Not that these things alone are a guarantee against failure. But these principles embody the implication of our faith, and point the way to an ever greater fulfillment of our mission on earth. Let us hope, therefore, that we will accept them in the spirit in which they were written, and that this spirit will be enlarged with us.
FOUNTAIN IN THE WILDERNESS 1940

FOUNTAIN IN THE WILDERNESS              1940

     And they came to Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters." (Exodus 15:27.) The Children of Israel journeying through the wilderness represented the spiritual church in states of temptation. Their passing from Marah to Elim signified a state of enlightenment and affection, thus consolation following temptation. After every spiritual temptation come enlightenment and affection, thus pleasantness and delight-pleasantness from enlightenment by truth and delight from the affection of good. For by means of temptation truths and goods are implanted, and are conjoined; by thus a man as to his spirit is introduced more interiorly into heaven, and to the heavenly societies with which he had been before. When the temptation is ended, communication with heaven is opened, which before had been partly closed, and thence come enlightenment and affection, and consequently pleasantness and delight. Such an enlightenment and affection are meant by the fountains of water and the palm trees at Elim. (A. C. 8367.)

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ASSEMBLY NOTES 1940

ASSEMBLY NOTES       R. R. G       1940

     Teachers' Conference.

     Prior to the formal opening of the General Assembly, about forty teachers gathered for a special meeting on the evening of June 25th, Bishop de Charms presiding, and groundwork was laid for a new phase of educational progress, featuring unity among the schools of the General Church.
     The meeting opened with an Address by Dr. William Whitehead on "The Chief Joint Responsibilities of Parents and Teachers," which was heard with keen interest. Tracing the history of our educational movement, and putting forward some cogent observations relative to the course which New Church education ought to take in the future, the address proved well attuned to the evening's discussion.
     Bishop de Charms then introduced the subject of increasing our educational unity through establishing a means of interchanging ideas and studying plans. Suggestions were invited, and were freely offered by many of the teachers, who represented the Academy Faculty and the schools of the societies of the General Church in the United States and Canada. The Rev. Victor J. Gladish, just arrived from Colchester, was also present and spoke.
     The thought expressed was, that the present meetings of the General Faculty of the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn, and similar sessions at which papers are presented, had not proved adequate to the integration and articulation of our educational efforts. One speaker urged that subject-matter clinics be held, in which new methods and materials can be studied for adoption. Other speakers pointed out the need that some action he taken on the basis of faculty discussions when agreement is reached-such action as the formulation and publication and adoption of course-of-study programs or curricular materials.

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     In an inspiring talk which closed the meeting, Bishop de Charms urged that all present reflect upon the plans suggested and communicate with him during the coming year, to the end that, when the teachers hold their annual gathering during the Council Meetings next April, some definite framework may be established for bringing about that greater degree of cooperation and correlation which is the goal of all.

     Social Features.

     A series of masterly addresses, an enjoyable banquet, and the beautiful closing service, were indeed high points of the Seventeenth General Assembly, but the less formal features-the social gatherings, little and large-did much to heighten the pleasure of all who were fortunate enough to attend. Although the weather was a bit too rainy to please the devotees of sport, the fine hospitality of the Pittsburgh Society members, the well-nigh perfect appointments for the comfort of the visitors, and the splendid meals provided by the staff at Shady Side Academy, were a fitting complement to the morning and evening sessions, and a number of free afternoons were given up to social amenities.
     At the Reception on Wednesday evening, the huge gymnasium in which most of the meetings were held was thronged with dancers and side-line conversationalists, while a fine ten-piece orchestra beguiled not a few of the older folk to trip a measure or two. Decorations for the hall were most ably carried out by a committee of young people of the Pittsburgh Society, involving a great deal of labor and a high degree of skill, though perhaps not as much symbolism as the Rev. Gilbert Smith, artist, tried to put into it in the course of a speech at one of the sessions.
     One afternoon, three teas were held at homes of the Pittsburgh members in the city, with ladies of the society as hostesses, and a large proportion of Assembly guests attended these pleasant functions.
     In addition to the formal social occasions were the very many informal gatherings at the Shady Side dormitories and Pittsburgh homes-new friends made, and old friends renewing acquaintance after three or more years of separation. This phase of an Assembly provides the background for all the rest, and it is not the least of the benefits of an Assembly-welding the Church into a unity of thought and affection.

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     Ex-Student Meetings.

     Theta Alpha and the Sons of the Academy held their meetings according to program, with a luncheon and afternoon session for each. The themes of helping more children to attend the Academy, and the advancement of our educational thought and method, were earnestly considered at the sessions of both organizations.

     A Daily Paper.

     We must not omit mention of The Crier, the "First New Church Daily," issued by some youthful journalists of no mean promise. This daily sheet, mimeographed on the grounds, served to bear announcements, summaries of the meetings, and "gossip." It was not always in dead earnest. One issue gave an account of the Sons' Meeting, with this subheading: "A heavy Frost set in, and a heavy frost set in."

     The Sunday Service.

     A most fitting conclusion to the Assembly came with the impressive Worship on Sunday morning, attended by a large congregation. Bishop de Charms conducted the service, the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal read the Lessons from Matthew 22: 1-14 and A. C. 5342, and the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith delivered a most appropriate sermon on "The Invitation to the New Church," expounding the text of Matthew 22: 9, "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite to the marriage." The service closed with the administration of the Holy Supper, in which Bishop Acton, as Celebrant, was assisted by eight pastors.
     The orchestral accompaniment of the singing, and the instrumental interludes in the service, were beautiful and inspirational. Not only did this fine music exalt the devotional acts, but it prompted a reflection upon the Church-wide devotion to our worship. Members of the orchestra came from Canada, Glenview, and Bryn Athyn. In fact, some of the Kitchener players brought two double-bass viols with them. And the Pittsburgh Choir contributed an excellently rendered anthem.
     All in all, it was an Assembly long to be remembered-a journey to the "oasis" of Revealed Truth in a time of spiritual drought.
     R. R. G.

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REPORTS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1940

REPORTS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY       Various       1940

     REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     Since our annual report, dated January 1, 1940, no great change has affected the net membership of the General Church, which now stands at 2241 members.
     During the year, the last (1936) Census of religious denominations in the United States has been drawing to a completion. Despite our protests, the Government collects the statistics of our church-body from societies only, and the total of the members of the church in this country is therefore not correctly reflected in the returns, especially as all pastors are not equally cooperative.

     Analysis and Comment.

     It is our custom to regard the General Church as a growing body. And we believe that internal growth is usually reflected to some extent in numerical increase. The General Church has steadily shown growth in numbers. Your secretary will attempt, in this report, to analyze some phases of these statistics. For statistics-while in themselves of external importance only, dry and meaningless if not examined carefully, dangerous if they confirm pride and self-reliance-may be a guide to our understanding of what to expect in the near future, and thus useful in displaying trends of strength and weakness.
     The General Church was organized in 1897, at the dissolution of the ` General Church of the Advent " and the ` Church of the Academy," gradually gathering in the members of the Academy movement in the United States, Canada and England. In 1900 there were thus 560 members. In the next ten years, nearly five hundred new members were enrolled, a good proportion of these being our own young people, the rest some people dissatisfied with the lukewarm teachings of the General Convention and the General Conference, and some converts from the Old Church. Through deaths, and some resignations, this meant, in 1910, a net increase of 381, the General Church reaching a figure of 941.
     The next decennial, culminating in 1919 with the dedication of the cathedral-church at Bryn Athyn, saw a still larger increase-674 new names. Besides the ordinary sources of increase, members of the Durhan independent society began to join our church. And in Sweden the General Church society drew an influx both from the Old Church and from older New Church societies there. 148 deaths and the usual sprinkling of resignations made the net increase (494) fall short of the five hundred mark, and the total in 1920 came to 1435 members.

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     The Twenties marked the greatest increase of new names on the roll. The normal increase was assisted by the fact that the Michael Church in London- an old Academy remnant under Mr. Tilson-merged with the General Church. In South America, the sound remnant of Mr. De la Fayette's movement found a home under our government. And the Stockholm Society continued to grow, as also the Hague Society, from missionary work. In all, 779 new members had joined in the ten years ending in 1930. Yet the ratio of deaths (193) was greater than before, and the net increase of 457 brought the total membership only up to 1992.
     The last decennial has had an increase of 675 new names, virtually identical with that of 1910-20. But two factors entered in which cut the net increase down to the meager figure of 247 for the ten years. The first factor was that our death rate increased quite sharply, with a record of 284 deaths. Many of the early members had lived their span of life, and the increase from the young people did little more than fill their ranks. Here is a factor which we must calmly face from now on. We cannot live forever on this earth. Our increase, from now on, cannot he a net gain; we must count out over half simply as replacements: unless, of course, new evangelistic efforts are organized, from which an external growth may come; unless, also, our families increase and provide more children for the church to educate.
     The period 1930-1940 reveals another factor also; a factor which we sincerely believe to be temporary, yet an incalculable one which might crop up also in the future. I refer to the resignation, in hulk, of almost the entire societies at the Hague and in Los Angeles, together with disaffections in Bryn Athyn and in England, Sweden and elsewhere, owing to the Dutch movement, now organized as a separate church. The total loss, in actual resignations, from this cause, was only 117 as of last January. Yet the potential loss is greater, since the increase from the disaffected families is also a probable loss. And resignations for other causes have also been somewhat more numerous. The net result of these two factors has been that our membership today stands almost where it stood on January 1st, 1936.
     A cursory view of our statistics fails to reveal where the increase of the church has been the greatest. In 1923, 1014 members lived in the United States, and 671 abroad; in 1940, the United States has 1279 (57% of the total membership), and there are 960 (or nearly 43%) abroad. Thus, in seventeen years, despite the loss of the Hague Society, we have a net gain of more members abroad than in the United States: 289 abroad, 265 in the United States; the domestic increase was at the rate of 26% in seventeen years, the foreign increase 43%.
     The statistics of the last ten years are not in themselves discouraging. A great proportion of our young people are partakers of the activities of the church. The missionary spirit is, I think, gradually awakening and finding increasing expression.
     The one aspect of our statistics in which I am most interested is that which should show the sources of our membership.

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At present not sufficient material is available to show these sources. But a number of years ago, new application blanks were introduced which require these data, and after some time they should be very informative as to what actual ratio of our own children become members of the church, and should also afford some indication as to what are the best missionary fields,
     In forty-three years the General Church has ministered to 3218 members, to their children, and to many more who are loosely affiliated with our congregations, No statistics can record how many times hearts have been moved with spiritual affections and minds enlightened, or how often judgments have been caused upon our evil states, and new hopes kindled for the common good of the Lord's kingdom; nor how many remains of love and charity, of faith and obedience, have been implanted. These things are the Lord's work, which no man can weigh. If the labor and sacrifice of each of us could but provide the opportunity for one more human soul to attain to the eternal kingdom of heaven, our reason for being on earth would be justified.
     HUGO LJ, ODHNER,
          Secretary.



     REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY.

     Since the last General Assembly, in 1937, the Council of the Clergy has held its annual meetings regularly, during the week including April 1st. Its proceedings have been reported to the members of the General Church in the pages of the NEW CHURCH LIFE. (The reports may be seen in the issues for June, 1938, pp. 250-274; June, 1939, pp. 254-281; June, 1940, pp. 260-281.)

     Report of the Bishop of the General Church.

     Since the last General Assembly in 1937, I have presided over the regular meetings of the Council of the Clergy, the Consistory, and the Executive Committee, and over several joint meetings of these bodies.

     Assemblies.

     I presided over the Fourth South African Assembly, held in Durban, Natal, August 9 to 14, 1938; over the Second Assembly of the South African Mission, held at Alpha, Ladybrand. Orange Free State, September 6 to 11, 1938; and over the Thirty-second British Assembly, held at Colchester, England, August 5 to 7, 1939.
     I presided over District Assemblies at Toronto, Ontario, and Glenview, Illinois, in 1937; and at Pittsburgh, Pa., and Glenview, Ill., in 1939; also over the Philadelphia District Assembly in 1938, 1939, and 1940. In the Spring of 1939, a special Assembly was held in Detroit, Michigan, including all groups and individuals residing in the Ohio-Michigan area. Local Assemblies were held in Hurstville (Sydney), Australia; Kitchener and Toronto, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati and Akron, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Newark, New Jersey. Episcopal visits were made to small circles and isolated groups on an extended tour of the United States in 1937; and in England in 1939.

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     Ordinations.

     Morley Dyckman Rich and Norbert Henry Rogers were ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on June 19, 1938.
     In Durban, South Africa, the Rev. Philip Stole was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood on August 7,1938.
     Solomon Mkize, Benjamin Nzimande, Peter Sabela, and Aaron B. Zungu were ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on August 21, 1938, at "Kent Manor," Zululand, South Africa.
     Timothy Matchinini was ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on August 20, 1938, at Greylingstad, Transvaal, South Africa.
     Stephen B. Buthelezi, Johnson Kandisa, Johannes Lunga, Wilfred Mkize, Aaron Mphatse, and George Nteso were ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on September 11, 1938, at "Alpha," Ladybrand, O. F. S., South Africa.
     Bjorn Adolf Hildemar Boyesen was ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on June 19, 1939, at Bryn Athyn, Pa.
     Martin Pryke and Ormond de Charms Odhner were ordained into the first degree of the priesthood on June 19, 1940, at Bryn Athyn. Pa.

     Pastoral Changes.

     On March 9,1938, the Rev. Willis L. Gladish, Pastor of the Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois, retired from active service; and on April 25, 1938, the Rev. Morley D. Rich was called to the Pastorate of that Society.
     In June, 1938, the Rev. E. E. Iungerich became Resident Pastor of the General Church Society in the Hague, Holland, making, however, monthly visits to the Society in Paris, France.
     On June 26, 1938, the Rt. Rev. Robert J. Tilson retired from active service, resigning pastoral charge of the Michael Church, London, England. On the same day he installed the Rev. A. Wynne Acton as Pastor of that Society.
     In the Fall of 1938, the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, by appointment, became Assistant to the Pastor of the Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
     On January 6, 1939, the Rev. Benjamin Ngiba resigned from the General Church Mission in South Africa.
     On April 23, 1940, the Rev. Twentyman Mofokeng, and all the members of the Alpha Society, over which he was Pastor, resigned from the General Church Mission in South Africa.
     On May 23, 1940, the Rev. Philip N. Odhner, formerly Pastor of the Durban Society, resigned from the General Church. The Rev. F. W. Elphick has been appointed Acting Pastor pending the choice of a successor. In order that the reasons for Mr. Odhner withdrawal from the General Church may he accurately known, his resignation and my reply are appended to this report.

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          LETTER OF RESIGNATION.

     May 28, 1940.
Rt. Rev. George de Charms, Bryn Athyn, Pa, Dear Bishop de Charms:
     After much thought I have come to the conclusion that it is best for the good of the Church that I take my stand with those who have espoused the Doctrines which I have come to see as the truth.
     I believe that the Doctrine concerning the Sacred Scriptures must be applied to the Writings without reserve. I believe that the Doctrine of the Church is given to men by means of that application, and that this Doctrine is of Divine origin and Divine essence. It is my conviction that the internal building of the Church depends upon the perception of that Doctrine, the acknowledgment of its source and essence, and upon the following of it in life.
     The General Church is not ready to receive this belief, and considers the active propagation of it to be prejudicial to its own best interests. Another body of the Church has therefore been formed, devoted to the Doctrine in which I have been led to place my faith, and dedicated to a life according to it. These facts make it difficult for men to distinguish between active support of the Doctrine in which I believe and disloyalty to the organization to which I belong. Under such circumstances there cannot be the freedom to teach the truth according to my conscience in the General Church, and my usefulness as a minister of the New Church is excluded in that body.
     It is my conviction that the New Church can be led to a further spiritual progression by the new truths that have now been given to the Church, and that it cannot make that progression apart from those truths. It is therefore my plain duty to follow and support the body which embraces those truths, and which seeks a life according to them.
     For these reasons I present my resignation from the ministry and membership of the General Church and its subordinate organizations. Mrs. Odhner joins me in this action.
     May the Lord be with us all, and give us of His strength, each to follow what He alone can show us to be the truth of His Word!
(Signed) PHILIP N. ODHNER.
(Signed) BERYL C. ODHNER.

     REPLY.

May 29, 1940.
Rev. Philip N. Odhner,
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
Dear Philip:
     Your letter of resignation expresses the conviction that the "internal building of the Church "can be effected only by perceiving the central doctrine held by another body of the New Church, by acknowledging the Divinity of that doctrine, and by "the following of it in life."
     Since, after much thought, you have reached this definite conclusion, I fully recognize that you cannot in conscience do otherwise than join the body espousing that doctrine.

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     Although I do so with very deep regret, I must therefore accept your decision, and that of your wife. Since my faith is in the central doctrine of the General Church, which places the sole Divinity and the sole Authority in the Writings themselves, we must henceforth travel in different directions. But you and Beryl will continue to have my personal affection; and my sincere wish is that the Lord may be with you to direct your steps in the way of peace.
     (Signed) GEORGE DE CHARMS.


     Summarized reports of the work of each of our ministers for each year since the last Assembly have appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE. (See the references given above.)
     Because of war regulations prohibiting aliens from residing in those places in England where there are New Church Societies (except the city of London), the Rev. Victor J. Gladish found it necessary to relinquish his post as Pastor of the Colchester Society, and has returned to the United States. The Rev. Martin Pryke has been appointed as Minister to the Colchester Society, and will shortly sail for England to enter upon this work.
     The Rev. Ormond de Charms Odhner has been appointed Assistant to the Rev. Norman H. Reuter.

     Committees.

     A Committee on Adult Education has been appointed under the chairmanship of the Bishop. As its first undertaking, this Committee has inaugurated the "Pastoral Extension Service," concerning which the membership of the General Church was advised by circular letter under date of May 2, 1940.
     The management of the General Church Orphanage has been reorganized in accord with plans accepted by the Joint Council; and in January, 1940, a new Orphanage Committee was appointed under the chairmanship of Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS.


     During the three years ending January 1, 1940, the Rites and Sacraments of the Church have been administered as follows:
     Ordinations          First degree     14
                    Second degree     1
(Since January 1st, two men have been ordained into the first degree, making the total since the last Assembly to date 17.)
     Baptisms               320
     Confessions of Faith     99
     Betrothals               45
     Marriages               73
     Funeral Services          90

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     Holy Supper, Public     423
               Private     66
     Dedication of Homes     11

     If compared with the report to the preceding General Assembly, which was for a two-year period, these figures show a normal sustentation of all these functions on the part of the clergy, and of interest and response on the part of the laity.
     Statistics of various church activities, such as have been given to preceding Assemblies, are this time very unsatisfactory, due principally to the fact that several reports have failed to come in from centers of the church that we know are active, Here we can only offer what we have, while personal knowledge on your part-or imagination-may estimate the rest and pad out the figures,
     Average attendance at Sunday Morning Worship, during 1939, totalled 867. This represents the 17 societies and circles reporting. 16 of these report membership, which totals 1103. The Mid-west field shows that services were held in Wyoming (Cincinnati) 31 times, in Northern Ohio 6 times, in Detroit 7 times, and in other places 7 times. In Birmingham, Alabama, one service was held with attendance of 16 persons,
     Evening Services are reported from 5 centers, with an average attendance of 243. One place holds them weekly, and two monthly except in the summer,
     Weekly Doctrinal Classes, during the season, are reported from 16 centers, with attendance averaging 549. Monthly classes in 2 circles. The Mid-west reports Wyoming 24 times, Northern Ohio 34 times, Detroit 15 times, other places 30 times. A Doctrinal Class was given once in Atlanta, Georgia, with an attendance of 30,
     Social Suppers are held weekly in the season in 4 societies, fortnightly in 3, 5 times a year in 2, quarterly in 1, 3 times a year in 1, once a year in 1.
     Children's Services are reported as being held in 8 societies, with an average attendance of 356. In addition, the Mid-west reports children's religious classes: Wyoming 40 times, Detroit 14 times, Northern Ohio 25 times, and other places 19 times.
     Sunday Schools are maintained in 6 centers, with an average attendance of 51, and with 11 teaching in them.
     Young People's Classes are reported as being held weekly in 6 centers, fort-nightly in 3, 30 times a year in one, Jonkoping, and 5 times in Detroit.
     Elementary Schools are now maintained in 7 societies, the one at Alpha having been discontinued.

Bryn Athyn, Pa.          9 teachers          176 pupils
                                   (Kindergarten and 8 grades)
Colchester, England     1 teacher          14 pupils, 5-11 years of age
Durban, Natal          No report
Glenview, Illinois     5 teachers          72 pupils
                                   (Kindergarten and 9 grades)

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Kitchener, Ontario     3 teachers          39 pupils 7 grades
Pittsburgh, Pa          4 teachers          21 pupils 8 grades
Toronto, Ontario          No report
                    22               322

     Respectfully submitted,
          L. W. T. DAVID,
     Secretary of the Council of the Clergy.


REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF 'NEW CHURCH LIFE.'
     The monthly issues of New CHURCH LIFE are in reality their own report, and speak for themselves. The character of the contents, the editorial policy, and the way in which this use is being administered for the Church, are known to the members who receive and read the magazine. Moreover, my Report to the Joint Council last April appears in the June issue (p. 264), and deals with the present situation from an editorial viewpoint.
     After the last General Assembly, it was found possible to increase the size of the monthly issue from 32 to 48 pages, and this has been maintained. The number of subscribers has been increasing, and is now 542, approaching the highpoint of 580 in 1929, from which it declined to 430 in 1935, owing to the depression. It is our effort to improve the service performed by the magazine in every possible way, and to extend its ministrations to an ever greater number of readers.

     Our Sixtieth Year.

     In the short time at my disposal on this occasion I propose to note the fact that New CHURCH LIFE is now in its 60th year of continuous publication, and with your indulgence I would like to go back to its origins, upon which we have recently received new light.
     You will recall that the first number appeared in January, 1881. Two years before, in 1879, the Young Folks' Social Club of the Advent Society in Philadelphia, a club numbering about thirty members, began a Manuscript Paper for their own use. Its miscellaneous contents treated of doctrinal, literary and social topics, in keeping with the intellectual and social aims of the Club. Some of the articles were intended to instruct, and others merely to amuse. Copies of the Paper were sent to friends in other societies, and the reception was so favorable that the publishers concluded that its sphere might profitably be enlarged so as to embrace the young people of the New Church generally. Measures were accordingly taken to print and publish " The Social Monthly," as it had been called, but under the name of New Church Life."
     There has recently come into the possession of the Academy Library the notebook or diary of Mr. Charles P. Stuart, who was one of the five young men who constituted the Board of Editors who undertook to convert the Manuscript Paper into a printed periodical.

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Mr. Stuart, who was a grandson of the Rev. J. P. Stuart, studied in the College of the Academy, 1878-1881, when he received his B.A. degree, and afterwards taught in the schools, The members of that first Board, and their ages, were as follows:
     Andrew Czerny, 27; Charles P. Stuart, 19; E. J. E. Schreck, 22; George G. Starkey, 21; and E, P. Anshutz, 35. All contributed many articles and editorials, Mr. Stuart, between 1881 and 1886, when he died, contributed 39 papers to NEW CHURCH LIFE, In his notebook we find extended comments upon the new project that was taking form toward the end of the year 1880, from which I will now quote:

     From the Notebook of Charles P. Stuart.

     We have been greatly in want of a name for our paper. "Social Monthly"
will not serve the purpose. For who can tell whether our paper will always he published monthly? Who knows but that it may some day take on a semimonthly or even a weekly form?
     The name "Young New Churchman" was proposed by Mr. Schreck, I think, and was liked by Mr. Benade. Indeed, at first most of us were pleased with it. But soon objections began to suggest themselves. It was discovered that the name was so long, and so hard to pronounce, that it would never be used. And it did not express the social and literary character of the paper, and made it seem too religious. Finally, even Mr. Schreck, after manfully defending his pet, was forced to give it up.
     I then proposed the name "New Churchman," but soon saw its unsuitableness. George Starkey and Mr. Schreck, however, took it up and advocated it. Mr. Benade, when consulted, pointed out that we must take into consideration the fact that there had been a paper of that name published in Philadelphia by Mr. de Charms.
     Anshutz does not wish to see the young folks brought in too prominently, because we may get a standing among the older members, He wants the term "Social" to be in some way embodied in the title. Therefore he looks with favor on the title "Social Life"-a name which I proposed. Indeed, George Starkey and I think that Schreck and Czerny think this the best name suggested so far. We are, of course, free to admit that it is not striking enough, too weak and commonplace. But can we do better? That is the question which must be settled soon, Mr. Benade said that he was very glad we were going to give a literary turn to the paper, both for our own good and because this is a subject too little attended to in the New Church.
     We spent several weeks raking our brains to find a suitable name. "The New Churchman." "The Young New Churchman," "The Gymnasium," "Social Life," were proposed, and each in turn was rejected for what were considered sufficient reasons.
     At last one gentleman one day remarked rather abruptly, "Why don't you call it 'New Church Life'?" And nobody could tell why not, And so it was adopted with little opposition, and I fear with little enthusiasm.

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We began to see how fortunate we were in our selection when the title appeared in print. What is life? It means a great deal-everything, in fact. The circle of life, the Writings tell us, is to learn, to know, to understand, and to do.

     Launching the First Number.

     Mr. Stuart, in his notes, then outlines what he was about to write in a letter to the Rev. J. R. Hibbard, as follows:
     I learn from Gorandpa that you are going on a missionary tour soon, and I now write to ask you if you will not speak a good word for our paper in your travels among New Church people. Mr. Bostock has, I suppose, told you about our plans, but I will venture to describe our undertaking.
     We are about to publish a small monthly periodical, devoted to social and doctrinal topics, and designed mainly, but not exclusively, for the young people of the church. It will he called "New Church Life." It will consist of eight pages of the size of THE MORNING LIGHT. The first three pages will be filled with sound doctrine, written mostly by the students. The fourth page will be devoted to editorial notes. Then will follow gossipy locals, and then church news from wherever we can get it. Social news, and whatever relates to the young people, will be our especial province. The last few pages will consist of light articles on literary and secular topics.
     We are hard at work on the first number. The first three pages are already in type, and will contain: Prospectus, "Natural Truth in the Writings," "Selfishness," "Anatomy and Physiology in the Light of the New Church."
     This number will probably contain news from Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Wilmington, Vineland, Frankford, Broad Street (Philadelphia), Brooklyn, New York, and Toronto. Part of this is already in, all of it is promised, though perhaps some will not arrive in time.
     Letters have been sent out to different societies, and some favorable and some noncommittal reports have been received. John Goddard sent a very pleasant answer. Indeed, we expect much help from Cincinnati. Young Merrell, president of the Social Club there, writes favorably, and Mr. Carpenter is doing what he can for us. Dr. Peabody sends us a list of the New Church people in Kansas, and then solemnly warns us against the Academy. Mr. Bowers promises to help us. Mr. Tuerk says he hopes to get us many subscribers. In Washington we have Mrs. Paschall and Samuel Wright, our drawing teacher, pushing the paper. Mr. Whitehead is gathering subscribers in Pittsburgh, and Mr. Bostock will do something for us in Chicago. Mr. Richard de Charms sent us the names of Colorado people, and promises his hearty support.
     Now with all this publicity I think our little paper-"New Church Life," as we call it-ought to succeed. Still, I do not feel entirely sure about getting a large enough subscription list to carry us through. It will take between 250 and 300 subscriptions to pay expenses for the year. We have on hand over $40.00 to start with, and we are certain of about 35 subscribers in Philadelphia. The subscription price will be $1.00 a year, and club rates will be given when desired.

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     We hope to lay the foundations of a New Church free and easy paper, one that will teach no false doctrine, and that will be a sort of silent missionary among the younger members of the church.
     To give a perfectly correct idea of the undertaking, I will trouble you with a few more items: 1. The Editors are Czerny, Schreck, Starkey, Anshutz and myself. 2. We will print 500 regularly, but of the first number 1500 will he issued. 3. An edition of 500 costs about $20.00. An edition of 1500 costs $26.00.
     I hope we can count upon your help, as well as that of Mrs. Hibbard. Perhaps she could find time to write something for the paper. We would consider it a great favor if she should.

     As might be expected, Mr. Stuart received a friendly answer from Mr. Hibbard, and his notes outline his reply to Mr. Hibbard as follows:
     Your very welcome letter came duly to hand. Our paper is out at last and the mailing done, and so I can thank you for your pleasant words. And now, after thanking you for your kind offer of assistance, I will say that, if our little paper will not pay its way, we will suspend its publication. If subscribers do not come in sufficient numbers, we will be obliged to wait for a more favorable time. It is too soon to say whether our paper will succeed or not. We shall certainly publish two more numbers, and then, if we haven't enough subscribers, we will return their money,
     The paper is small, of course, but if we receive sufficient encouragement, we shall proceed at once to remedy that defect. Some articles intended for the Miscellaneous department were crowded out of the first number, We should like to have something from Cincinnati in our next number. What we had about the "Round Table" was taken from a private letter of Mr. Merrell to Mr. Anshutz.
     In regard to your suggestion as to reporting the news of Broad Street, I will say that we thought about it and fully intended doing so. But their Christmas Festival was held at the same time as ours, and so none of us attended it. In reality there is nothing to say about them. There is no social life among them, so far as we know. Their young people care nothing for the church, and are rapidly marrying out of it. Indeed, it is just as well we couldn't give an account of their Christmas Festival, for I am told that the children were kept waiting two hours after the appointed time by the absence of the pastor, and that some of them did not get home until one o'clock. We could have put in a little "soft soap," it is true, and such an account was drawn up, but I for one do not like " soft soap," and I do not think it pays in the end.
     Our paper is not intended to be a very stately periodical, and so our correspondents need not wait for big things. A description of an evenings entertainment, notes on an interesting sermon, etc., will be acceptable. Our own folks here are not as a rule very literary, and for articles of this nature we shall have to depend upon our friends, Indeed, the NEW CHURCH LIFE can only be successful through the efforts of those who are interested in it.

453




     These notes by Mr. Stuart lift the veil and open to us what was in the minds of the five editors-their sound and laudable purpose, their hopes and fears as to the success of their undertaking. Their purpose was declared in the first number:

     "The NEW CHURCH LIFE is to be thoroughly and distinctively a New Church paper, designed to promote the culture of the Young People in the doctrines and life of the Church; thus, if possible, leading them to embrace fervently the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem as the only means of becoming true men and women.
     "And, finally, by bringing the Young People into closer relations with one another, the New CHURCH LIFE, it is hoped, will become an ultimate of that bond of love which must always exist among those whose one great aim is to become useful members of the New Church, which, in heaven and on earth, is 'the Crown of all Churches.'"

     During the first year, 1881, the LIFE was called "A Monthly Journal for the Young People of the New Church." With the opening of the second volume, 1882, it was simply called A Monthly Journal." It seems to have grown up very rapidly. And a perusal of the first volume indicates that the young people who edited and contributed, and those for whom it was intended, were not primarily interested in light and frivolous things, but rather in the essential things of the New Church-its teachings, its life, and its activities of use. As Mr. Anshutz had foreseen, the publication had obtained a "standing among the older members" as well.
     I need not here describe its development during the nineteen years to the year 1900, when it was brought out in the present magazine form, but I may recall what was said by the then editor, the Rev. George G. Starkey, who had been one of the original Board of Editors, and who is now the only one still among us.
     After recalling the origins of the magazine, he went on to say:

     In its first issues the contents of the printed paper exhibited a miscellaneous character, natural in a young people's organ, including subjects that ranged all the way from theology to humor. But as a logical result of its pronouncement for New Church distinctiveness, the Lice early began to meet the growing need for a periodical devoted to upholding the standard of the Divine Authority of the Writings of Swedenborg,-a standard raised in 1876 by the newly formed Academy of the New Church. . . . Into the struggle went NEW CHURCH LIFE with the enthusiasm of youth, and soon was in the thick of the fray, fighting in the shadow of that doughty champion, the Academy's serial, Words for the New Church.
     With the discontinuance of this serial in 1886, the LIFE became the sole journalistic exponent of the Academy position, and the editors offered it to the Corporation of the Academy-an offer that was not accepted until 1890. . .

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But when the movement finally crystallized into the General Church of the New Jerusalem, the Academy, in 1899, offered the paper to the General Church, which offer was accepted. NEW CHURCH LIFE is now, therefore, the official organ and mouthpiece of the General Church of the New Jerusalem." (1900, p. 39.)

     This, then, has been the general function of the magazine during the forty years that have elapsed since these words were written. In reality it is a large field; for the LIFE ought to minister to all in the General Church, old and young.
     In my report to the last General Assembly I stated: "Every number of the LIFE should provide something for everybody in the Church, old and young. Such an ideal has always been our aim, though not easy of fulfilment, owing to our limitations of space and of available material. We provide something for the little ones in the "Talks to Children." It is true that most of the doctrinal articles, both learned and not so learned, are for the adult mind. Yet I believe that our young people of the high-school age and older will usually find something to interest them in a number of the LIFE, if encouraged to read it. . . . I trust, however, that we shall not make the mistake of trying to 'write down' to the supposed limitations of our young people. An education in our homes and schools prepares them to appreciate any article or sermon that appears in the LIFE."
     In conclusion, let me issue a word of warning to the young people of this day. Like the Academy young people of sixty years ago, you are finding the means of expressing yourselves in print, as witness the many local and general periodicals now circulated in the General Church. But you had better watch out, or you will wake up some fine morning to discover that, in the process of evolution, your journalistic endeavors have blossomed and borne fruit in a full-fledged adult magazine. For that is the way New CHURCH LIFE came into being.
     Respectfully submitted,
          W. B. CALDWELL.
CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH. 1940

CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.       EDWARD H. DAVIS       1940

     REPORT TO THE SEVENTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.


To the Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem:
     As secretary of The General Church of the New Jerusalem, Incorporated, I submit the following report covering the period from the last General Assembly, held in June and July, 1937, to the present Assembly.
     There have been no meetings of the corporation as a whole during that period. There have been fourteen meetings of the Executive Committee, including the organization meeting held during the last Assembly.
     As is usual, the financial affairs of the Church have occupied the attention of the Executive Committee to a large extent, and, as is also usual, a report of these financial affairs is found in detail in the annual reports submitted to the Church by the Treasurer.

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There is no need to repeat in this report the information which has already been so well reported by the Treasurer.
     As to membership of the corporation, the situation is as follows:
     Total registration               214
     Died                         73
     Dropped from membership          3
     Resigned                    1
     Registrations duplicated     3     80
     Present Membership               134

     At the date of the report of the secretary to the last Assembly, the membership was 125, SO there is a gain in membership of 9.
     Respectfully submitted,
          EDWARD H. DAVIS,
     Secretary of The General Church of the New Jerusalem, incorporated.
REPORT OF THE TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH. 1940

REPORT OF THE TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.       HUBERT HYATT       1940

I am asked, as Treasurer of the General Church, to render a Report to this Meeting.
     Since the General Assembly of 1937, three Annual Treasury Reports have been distributed throughout the Church, to all its members. A copy of each of these is being handed to the Secretary of this 1940 General Assembly, and these are submitted as the formal Report for the record.
     These Annual Treasury Reports are written with three purposes. The first is to give an accounting of the funds given to and held by the General Church. The second is to be informative about those uses of the General Church which involve expenditures, and about the means currently employed to perform those uses. The third is to advocate and to encourage the financial support of the General Church.
     It is recommended that the Reports be read as they come to you. They give you the opportunity of becoming familiar with some of the work of the General Church. To be useful members of the General Church we should be familiar with all of it.
     However, it should not be supposed that Treasury Reports can be completely informative about all the work of the General Church. The part taken by the General Church, in the establishment of the New Church, cannot be known and appreciated unless you have made yourself familiar with the background. In the establishment of the New Church, the General Church takes an essential part. Nevertheless, that essential part does not receive, and never has received, the general recognition and the widespread support which is its due.

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It long has been recognized and supported by the few, but not by the many. An important educational task is before us in this regard, and this is a task which will receive deserved attention in due course from those who are competent to undertake it. The task is important, because of the importance of the General Church, and should be given frequent and never ending attention. There is need for keeping that importance before us, lest it be forgotten. There is need for making certain it is known by our children as they join us in the Church, and also by those who join us from beyond our borders.

     There are certain invitations I wish cordially to extend for this or any other occasion.
     One is for questions about the Reports, or about anything else of the General Church Treasury. Such questions always are welcome, and I shall endeavor to give complete satisfaction to those asking them.
     Another is for suggestions for the improvement of either the form or the substance of the Reports. Such suggestions likewise always are welcome, and shall be followed wherever they will increase the usefulness of the Reports.
     Still another is extended to each of you who does not now have easy access every month to NEW CHURCH LIFE, and consists of an invitation to subscribe. Your subscription will be welcome at any time.
     The last is extended to all who are not now regular cash contributors to the General Church. Acceptances of this invitation are the most welcome of any, because the principal material need of the General Church is that its financial support be more widespread.

     I also desire to take this opportunity in which again to express very appreciative thanks to each of those who have been giving their useful services as General Church Treasury Agents, some of them for very many years. Their help is of real value. It is due to their work, more than to anything else, that the financial support of the General Church has been and is as widespread as it is. Every center of the Church, be it small or large, should arrange for its own such Agent.

     At one of our meetings this past day or two reference was made to the building of the Tabernacle by the Israelites. The speaker reminded us of the gifts which were made for the building of that Tabernacle, and that they were brought by, so many and in such great profusion that the donors had to be restrained. It seemed to him that before long we ourselves are going to be confronted with such conditions as thoroughly to awaken all of us to the urgent necessity of placing the needs of our church in the very first place. Indeed, he went further and predicted this to the extent that restraint would prove as necessary for us as it was for the Israelites. I am reminded to report, as I have reported before, regarding gifts for the building of the General Church, that the time for restraint has not yet arrived.

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     That concludes everything I have as a Report to this meeting. But I would add somewhat regarding the uses and support of the General Church.
     In the Writings we have a picture and a prophecy. Recent and current history make us think of these as more striking than previously. The picture as that of the state of the Christian world. The prophecy is that of the establishment throughout the world of the New Church as the Crown of all Churches. We read and we believe that it is only by means of the New Church that the states of men and the state of the world can be changed as they must be changed before peace and goodwill can descend upon earth.
     It is 183 years since the Last Judgment, 170 years since the birth of the New Church, and 66 years since the 12th of January. 1874, when our own formal history as a Church began with the founding of the Academy In founding the Academy, and subsequently, our forebears established and proclaimed certain principles. During the founding, 42 years ago, of the General Church, as the heir and churchly successor of the Academy, Bishop William F. Pendleton formulated those "Principles of the Academy" with which we are familiar and to which we subscribe.
     In his address to the General Assembly of 1926, the Academy's year of Jubilee, Bishop N. Dandridge Pendleton expressed his own belief that, from the beginning, the Academy and the General Church have been "in possession of the Ark of the Covenant." That is the belief of all of us. It is no matter of pride, but only of humility; not of ownership, but only of responsibility.
     Take the General Church, with its members, societies, schools, the Academy, and everything we have, and the whole of it comprises only a most extremely small body. Regarded superficially, that body also would be deemed most extremely weak and entirely without significance. That is the appearance, but, actually, it has one significance which is both great and powerful. That one significance is the possession of the Ark of the Covenant. We believe we have that possession. We therefore must believe in the responsibility which it implies for us. It is the single justification of our church work.
     That responsibility can be carried by none but genuine New Churchmen. And thus our work resolves itself into the single one of developing ourselves, and of helping our children develop themselves, into true New Churchmen. That is the only work which counts in the establishment of the New Church, and for that work we have great need of all the help we can obtain.
     To obtain a part of that help, we organize ourselves for the purpose of assisting to establish the New Church with ourselves, with our children, and with all others who join with us in professing the faith that we profess. To render that assistance is the single use for which all our church work is done. be the work that of individuals, of our societies, of our schools, of our General Church, or of any other of the organizations, we set up for ourselves. Each of us individually, and each of our organizations, has a part in the performance of this use. It is a use which takes precedence in end over any other use. It is a use which must go on and will go on until the prophecy is fulfilled-if not by us, then by others. But we believe a beginning has been made in that work, and that we inherited that beginning; and it is our determination, God willing, to add to our heritage, and, thus enlarged, to bequeath it to our children.

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     In reflecting upon our own states of mind, upon the state of the world as Divinely revealed and also as it appears, upon the New Church as it is Divinely promised, and also as it also appears, our reflections lead to many questions,. I cite some which occur to me as I endeavor to attend to my duties as Treasurer of the General Church. The questions I cite are on the plane of the Treasury--a plane of ultimates, and therefore a plane of power.
     Why, in celebrating the 19th of June, 1940, as the 170th anniversary of the New Church, is there so very little evidence of that Church on earth? Why, in seeking the help we need, do we have such an organization as the General Church? What is the part of the General Church in our scheme of things? What uses do we try to perform by means of the General Church which we could not perform as well or better, more easily or more simply, by other means? Is the General Church an organization which is essential to our work? Or, could we dispense with it, especially in times of such stress that non-essentials must he dropped?
     The correct answers cannot be given by me as well as they can be given by many others. But, if you will bear with me, I shall endeavor briefly to state how the case seems to your Treasurer of the past 18 years.
     All of us are much aware of the help we receive from those of our organizations with which we come frequently into close and actual contact. We easily recognize and appreciate the value of the help we receive from the society to which we belong, and from the school attended by our children. We are in the good habit of looking to our pastors and our teachers with high regard for the help which we and our children receive from them,
     But, although much evidence perpetually is before us, we do not often pause to consider that much of that same help is constantly received by us from the General Church and its Academy, It is to these we owe the training of our priests and teachers. It is to these indeed we owe the development of those distinctive doctrines to which we give our allegiance, and on which possession of the Ark of the Covenant depends.
     However, important and essential as is this training and development, it appears to me that it is on a still broader ground that properly we should base our idea of such an organization as we have formed for ourselves in the General Church. As organized, the General Church comprises everyone, everywhere, who desires to join with us in the work we have undertaken. The General Church therefore consists of the largest organization we possibly can put together. Small, scattered, and weak, as it is of itself, it presents the utmost we have achieved, and we have put it together for the purpose of creating by it our greatest strength, of providing through it the deepest measure of mutual support, and of obtaining from it the wisest counsel. On this ground the General Church is our first and foremost organization, and actually it provides us with more of the help we seek than any other organization we have or can have.

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     The General Church thus can be recognized as essential, indeed, an organization always to be upheld and cherished; and, the greater the stress of the times, the more to be valued. In this way, the General Church can be seen as the means whereby we perform the most comprehensive portions of the use we have before us. It is thus that to the General Church we owe our first loyalty and our first support, just as we give our loyalty and support to our Country before our town.
     Without the General Church, what would our societies be? Would they be anything but isolated groups, having little or nothing to which to look beyond their own narrow borders? Without the General Church, what would we New Churchmen be? Would we be anything but individuals having no church, no schools such as we desire for our children, and no priests such as we wish for ourselves?
     Without the General Church, would not we as individuals, and would not also our societies, immediately determine to put a General Church together by joining with all others we could find as having needs and desires similar to our own? Would we not do this to organize our clergy, our churches and our schools into a single organization, and thereby to create our greatest strength, the deepest measure of mutual support, and the source of the wisest counsel?
     It is through the General Church that we have the general government of our Church for the preservation of order and freedom. It is through the General Church that work of much variety and in widely scattered locations is coordinated into a unified whole, to be most effective in the right direction. It is through the General Church that its several parts, both functional and geographic, may act together to achieve the best results. It is only to such a source as the General Church that we may look when we are in need of work by the priesthood. It is because of the General Church that we can move from one society to another and still be at home in our Church. It is only by the General Church that new societies can be fostered in their beginnings, and can be developed into self-governing and self-supporting units of the Church, and that the far-distant isolated may receive any of the services of the Church, How otherwise could there be many other needful accomplishments than only by such an organization as the General Church?
     The growth of the church, like most things of the deepest importance, is not in our hands, It will come in due time, Nevertheless, that today there is so very little evidence of its existence on earth is not all due to the state of the Christian world. At least a part is due to some of those who have been and have claimed to be New Churchmen in the past. It is in part due to some of us of the present. History tells of groups of men, such as Hindmarsh and his contemporaries, organized as New Churchmen within but a year or two after the birth of the New Church, and adopting sound New Church principles. Such organizations, more or less, have been in existence ever since. If all or any great portion of them had continued to hold to those principles, then the evidence of the growth of the Church as it would be before us today would be more impressive. Indeed, it would be more impressive if all or any great portion of us adhered more closely to those principles than we do today, and if we, in both thought and deed, exercised greater loyalty to our Church and its organizations than we do.

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     If we believe, as we do, that the Ark of the Covenant is with us, that belief carries with it grave responsibilities. Our reading of the Writings and the preaching of our priests teach us of many of these. Mostly they have to do with our individual spiritual welfare. It is that which counts the most. But we have another grave responsibility that has to do with the external manmade church organizations which we need for our help. Certain of these are essential, and the General Church is most essential. Our responsibility to these essential organizations is chiefly that of seeing that they are supported as best we can, in order that their uses may be accomplished to the greatest possible degree by the ablest men we have. How many of us can say to ourselves that we are honestly carrying that responsibility?
     The General Church undertakes many tasks in many fields. Some of these are beyond the purses of many of us. We are grateful to those who make the larger tasks possible, because, even though we ourselves are unable substantially to help, we appreciate the fact that the accomplishment of those tasks is assisting much in the establishment and growth of the Church, and increasing the strength of our organization.
     But there are other undertakings of the General Church which are beyond the purses of practically none of us. One of these is the support of the Bishop's Office. The work of the Bishop, as our chosen leader, and as the chief officer and chief servant of the Church, could not be done except as a use of the General Church. His work is the most important use of the most important of our church organizations. His work is known as essential to all of us.
     I repeat the invitation to all who are not now regular cash contributors, That invitation is not one which may be accepted or declined at pleasure by those members of the General Church who realize and take thought of their responsibilities and duties. To these, acceptance is compulsory, and the compulsion is by themselves on themselves. It is for each, himself, to decide if his own acceptance is to be now, later, or not at all. And it is for each, himself, to decide as to the size of his own purse. But do not decide it is so small as to hold nothing for at least that one first use of our first organization-the support of the Bishop's Office. If we could be unanimous in the ultimate of supporting that one use of our Church, that would be an ultimate of power, and a power for good against the forces of evil,
     There may be those who deprecate the emphasis placed on the General Church as a man-made organization, If it be merely man-made, they are right. If otherwise, they are wrong. It is our belief that the Lord is with our Church, and it should be our prayer that He guide and protect it in times of both peace and war, until His own prophecy is fulfilled and forever after,
     Respectfully submitted,
          HUBERT HYATT,
               Treasurer.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     June has been a busy month in the annals of the Durban Society. On the 1st of this month the marriage of 2nd Lieut. Horace Braby, third son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Braby, to Miss Moyra Steel was solemnized. Our little church was packed with relatives and friends to witness the impressive New Church wedding service, which was conducted by the Rev. F. W. Elphick. The chancel had been adorned with blue hydrangeas and presented a beautiful picture. After the ceremony the happy couple left the church under an archway of batons formed by some of the groom's colleagues in the South African Air Force.
     On Friday, June 7, Mr. Elphick set out on a motor trip to visit the General Church Mission in Zululand, where he enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ridgway at Kent Manor. Owing to his absence, our morning service on Sunday, June 9, was conducted by Mr. R. Melville Ridgway.
     Our first Bazaar of the year was held on Saturday evening, June 8, in the Hall, the interior of which had been most artistically decorated by Miss Sylvia Pemberton, The various stalls arranged around the room gave the appearance of a jolly Fair under a roof of brightly colored canvas, Mrs. J. J. Forfar's toy stall looking particularly attractive. Mr. J. J. Forfar opened the proceedings with an appropriate speech, and during the evening a sum of about L45 was raised to help augment church funds. We extend our congratulations to the Women's Guild, the stallholders, and all those who worked and spent so well to make the evening a success, in spite of the never-ending calls made upon them by the warwork in which they are engaged.
     Owing to the condition of the world at the present time, we unanimously decided that this year we would not hold the usual Banquet to celebrate New Church Day. 19th of June, but instead would hold a Service of Praise in the church. This service was held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, and was well attended. Mr. Elphick gave an excellent and informative Address on the subject of the Birthday of the New Church, taking as his text Matthew 24: 31. The offertory, together with what might have been expended on the Banquet, an amount totalling L15, has been donated to the South African Mayor's Fund. The hope has been expressed that this donation from the Durban Society of the Church of the New Jerusalem will be earmarked for the "Speed the Planes" section of that Fund.
     The Children's Banquet was held as usual, and took place this year on J one 20th. The arrangements were in the hands of Theta Alpha, who gave the children a right royal time. Unfortunately only fourteen children were able to attend, due to an epidemic of measles in the society.
     On Sunday, June 23, the Holy Supper was administered to thirty communicants at the close of the morning service. At this service, Mr. Elphick spoke on Psalm 36: 9-"In Thy light shall we see light"-the third of a series of sermons on the subject of "Enlightenment."
     On Friday. June 28, Kainon High School adjourned for the Winter vacation, which will last until the beginning of August.
     The British Empire is now approaching the eleventh month of the war, and the male ranks of the Durban Society are thinning considerably.

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Fourteen of our members have already left us for active service, while the remainder have volunteered for duties nearer home, and are studying and training in their spare time. The following gentlemen have already joined the Forces, and have left us to go on active service:- Frank Bamford
     Horace Braby,
     John Cockerell,
     Joe Cowley,
     Scott Forfar,
     Louis Levine,
     Wally Lowe,
     Derick Lumsden,
     Doug Macfarlane,
     Albert Ridgway,
     Bobs Ridgway,
     Brian Ridgway,
     Colin B. Ridgway,
     Colin O. Ridgway.

     Of our Country Members-Messrs. Martin Buss, of Johannesburg, W. W. Richards, of Bloemfontein, and Peter Cockerell, of Pretoria-are also serving with the Forces,
     PHYLLIS D. COOKE,

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     In quick succession, events big and little tumbled over each other during June and July, In fact, so numerous are the happenings here that, if we were to mention all of them, this report would fill half the pages of the September Life, So let's just hit some of the high spots:
     Came Saturday evening, June 8th, with an invitation to attend the play, "Engaged," by Gilbert & Sullivan. A caste of some twelve young people put on a show which was well worth the price of admission (a voluntary contribution). The girls were wonderful-and the boys! Well, let me mention just two of them. Roger Barnitz as the old father was so good that laughter and applause necessitated frequent pauses by the actors, to allow silence to regain the upper hand. Warren Reuter, whose every hair, under normal conditions, tends uniformly in the same direction, had undergone a temporary wave, This brought the house down every time we caught sight of him. We understand, however, that the first shower he encountered straightened everything out.
     Sunday, June 9th, we again had the pleasure of listening to a concert by the Immanuel Church Orchestra, under the able leadership of Prof. Jesse Stevens.
     The school closing exercises were well attended on June 15. Papers by the graduating class were excellent. This event is always an inspiration to the adults, because we are given such tangible evidence of the fruits of New Church education.
     New Church Day-Wednesday, June 19th-was a gala occasion. All the school children had made banners of their own designing, and they carried them in procession from the buildings to one of the beauty spots of our Park. Here appropriate readings were given, and six members of the wind section of our school orchestra played suitable music. At the banquet in the evening these banners made a most appropriate decoration. Mr. Warren Reuter was toastmaster, and in between songs introduced the following speakers: Mr. Harvey Holmes-"Significance of the Day," Rev. Morley Rich-"The Last Judgment as a Necessary Preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord." Mr. Harold McQueen-"What Does New Church Day Mean to the Laymen of the Church in This Year of 1940?"
     Our July 4th celebration took its usual form:-a parade around the Park-speech at the flag-raising ceremony-races-picnic-baseball-tennis-and dancing in the evening.
     The following evening we met to hear a report of the General Assembly by those of our members who had attended.
     The monthly meetings of our chapter of the Sons of the Academy continue to be well attended. At our July meeting fifty members were present, and we had the pleasure of being addressed by the Rev. Victor Gladish, who has recently returned from Colchester, England.

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     In between all these events have been sandwiched summer Friday suppers and classes-dances-much swimming in our lake, and the coming and going of visitors by ones and twos and threes-too fast to keep an accurate record!
     Last, but certainly not least, our pastor has been away on his vacation for several weeks. His place is being ably filled by Candidate Harold C. Cranch, who is making a hit with young and old. Everyone likes him- and his wife. They fit here like the proverbial glove on the hand. Good sermons continue to come from our pulpit. We shall be glad to have Mr. Smith back-and sorry to see Harold go!
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     CANADIAN NORTHWEST.

     Edmonton, Alberta.

     From Mr. John Jeffery, whose communication appeared in our August issue, p. 374, we have received an account of the sixth meeting of the Edmonton New Church Society, held at the home of Mrs. F. H. Norbury on Thursday, July 18. Besides the nine members attending, the Rev. K. R. Alden and Mr. O. W. Heilman were present. Mr. Jeffery writes:
     "Mr. Alden opened the meeting by reading from the Sacred Scripture, John 14: 1-14, after which he gave an address on the subject of 'The One Lord God,' setting forth the New Church doctrine concerning the Trinity, At the conclusion of the address, Mrs. Norbury personally thanked the speaker for the delight it had afforded her, and the other members concurred in this.
     "A question period followed, and then Mr. Heilman gave an account of the suppers and doctrinal classes at Bryn Athyn which are so largely attended. He also spoke of his perpetual delight in Swedenborg's Writings, He had read Heaven and Hell fourteen times, and each tune had gained something thereby. Mr. Heilman gave a splendid talk, and we were all benefited by it. On motion of Dr. C. J. Madill, a vote of thanks was tendered the speakers for their fine addresses.
     Refreshments were served, and then the Minutes of the Society since its inception were read for the information of our guests.
     "We were then favored by a musical selection, composed and played by Mrs. F. H. Norbury, entitled 'Dream Phantasy.' She also passed around a picture showing the interior of the New Church place of worship at Liverpool, England, and the splendid piece of sculptured work done by Major Norbury, president of our Society, who was unable to be present during the addresses, as he is in charge of the Art Exhibit at the Agricultural Exhibition now being held here, but who arrived at our meeting during the refreshment period. An enjoyable evening came to a close when the Rev. Alden pronounced the Benediction.
     "Our visitors arrived in Edmonton two weeks earlier than they anticipated, as their itinerary was altered by rains and poor roads, but they were welcome at our meeting, and were able to attend the Exhibition. Dr. and Mrs. Madill showed them around the city, and entertained them during their stay."

     ENGLAND.

     The " News Letter " of July 15 states: "It has now become evident that we shall not be able to hold the Thirty-third British Assembly this year. It is with a feeling of deep regret that we announce this, but the difficulty of travelling and the various calls of National Service make it impossible to hold such a gathering. It is planned, however, to hold a special celebration at Michael Church on Sunday, August 4, and we hope that our members in London and our friends elsewhere may be able to spend this special day with us."

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DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES 1940

DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES              1940




     Announcements



     Preliminary Notices.

     The Pittsburgh District Assembly will be held at Akron, Ohio, on Saturday and Sunday, October 5th and 6th, 1940.
     The 27th Ontario District Assembly will be held at Kitchener, Ont., on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, October 12th to 14th, 1940.
     The 35th Chicago District Assembly will be held at Glenview, Ill., on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 11th to 13th, 1940.
CHARTER DAY 1940

              1940

     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th, 1940.
     At the Cathedral Service on Friday at 11 am., the Rev. Dr, William Whitehead will deliver the Address.
     On Friday afternoon there will be a Football Game, and on Friday evening a Dance.
     The Banquet will be held on Saturday at 7 p.m., and Mr. Stanley F, Ebert will be toastmaster.
SPIRITUAL WORLD AND THE NATURAL 1940

SPIRITUAL WORLD AND THE NATURAL       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       1940



465



NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
OCTOBER, 1940
No 10
     (Delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly, June 29, 1940.)

     It is well known in the New Church that in outward appearance the spiritual world is so like the natural that the one cannot he distinguished from the other. In the spiritual world, as in the natural, men appear in a similar body, with all the parts of the body. They eat and drink as before; they stand upon ground as before; they live in houses, have clothes, ornaments, etc. Indeed, so striking is the external similarity between the two worlds that many spirits refuse to believe that they have departed from the natural world. Nor is there any external sign by which they can be convinced of the contrary; for when the spiritual touches or tastes the spiritual, it is exactly as if the material touched or tasted the material. (J. Post. 323.)
     But while the Writings stress the similarity between the two worlds, they also stress the underlying difference. The nature of this difference is the problem that lies before us; and on the solution of this problem will depend our understanding of the nature of the spiritual world.
     As to the difference itself, we read "though the two worlds are so exactly alike in their outer aspect that they cannot be distinguished, yet in their inner aspect they are entirely unlike." (D. L. W. 163.) And again, that though man after death appears to be exactly the same as before, "actually he is not the same, because he is a spirit or substantial man." (C. L. 31.)

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The difference itself is more specifically defined as follows: "The things that appear in heaven are from a spiritual origin, while those that appear in our world are from a material origin" (E. 926); and again: "All things that appear in the spiritual world exist immediately from the sun of heaven which is the Lord's Divine Love, while all things that appear in the natural world are from the same origin, but by the mediation of the sun of the natural world, which is pure fire"; and pure love is immaterial, while pure fire is material. As a consequence, all things that exist from this secondary or material origin are "in themselves fixed, steadfast, and measurable"; fixed, because they are permanent, whatsoever be the changes in the states of men; steadfast, because they are constantly renewed by generation; and measurable, because they can be measured in terms of space. The appearances of the spiritual world, on the other hand, while seeming to be fixed, steadfast, and measurable, are not actually so, being dependent on the states of spirits (E. 1218).
     In order the better to approach this subject, let me first point out the essential factors of human life, by virtue of which man, whether before or after death, lives as if of himself.
     First: Such a being must be a finite vessel receptive of life.
     Second: This vessel must be constituted of a series of finite parts, by the first of which life is communicated to all the others. Thus the inmost of man is constituted of primitive finites from the spiritual sun which are created by God, and are spontaneously active and living because perpetually receptive of life. In the father's seed these are clothed with compounded finites derived from the natural world, whereby they are conveyed to the ovum of the mother, where they are clothed with more and more compounded parts, even to the ultimate flesh and bones that are born into the world. In the whole of the body thus born, the only truly living things are the primitive finites proceeding from the spiritual sun. These are indeed created finites, but they are finites immediately receptive of life from God.
     Third: This life is aware of every change of state that occurs in the parts below itself.
     Fourth: In order that the vessel or human being may become conscious of life, that is, may feel itself to have independent life, the changes of state induced on its organism must be produced by causes which the vessel perceives to come from without, and over the entrance of which it has control by the use of the senses; for the states then induced are perceived as its own.

467


Changes of state are indeed produced in the womb, and life is aware of them, but the vessel itself is not aware of them until its senses are opened to the outer world. Then, and then only, does it exercise free choice and live as if of itself.
     As a corollary it follows, not only that every spirit in the other world must have been born a man, but also that with every spirit there must he maintained a connection with the ultimate world of time and space. Were such connection broken, the spirit would at once he unconscious, and his life would be like the life of the child in the womb. But of this we shall speak later.
     Granting that man, whether in this world or after death, is a vessel receptive of life, and that his conscious or sensitive life consists in his perceiving changes of state induced upon him by causes that come from without, it necessarily follows that the difference between the natural world and the spiritual is not a difference in respect to the sensation or perception of changes of state, but is a difference in the nature of the objects that produce the changes of state. It is clear, therefore, that an understanding of the difference between the objects sensated in the spiritual world and those sensated in the natural will give us an understanding of the difference between the two worlds.
     The objects of sensation in the natural world are from a material origin, and are therefore material, fixed and steadfast, whatever be the changes of state in the man who sensates them. But the objects of sensation in the spiritual world exist from the Sun of heaven, and are therefore immaterial or substantial. They are devoid of time and space, and thus of extense, although-and this is worthy of special note-they are within the extense of the natural world (C. L. 380 circa fin.). Here let me note that by the objects of spiritual sensation, or, as they should more properly be called, the subjects of spiritual contemplation, I do not mean the appearances of the spiritual world so frequently described in the Writings. These appearances are not the subjects of spiritual perception or sensation; they are but the effects; even as the words and mental pictures in our mind are not the subject of our contemplation, but are merely the objective appearances produced by the subject.

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The spiritual man or a spirit (we read) does not have matter, or space and time or size as his subjects; for though the objects in the spiritual world are so exactly like those in the natural world that they cannot be distinguished, yet they are merely the objects (or objective presentation) of the thoughts and affections of spirits, the subjects being the things of wisdom and love from which they appear (D. Wis. VII. 5).
     The question then comes before us, What is the nature of those substantial things which form the subject of the sight of the spirit, and which, when perceived, produce the objective appearances of the spiritual world?
     In the past, little has been said as to the distinction between the subjects contemplated by spirits and the objective appearances resulting from the contemplation. What has been chiefly discussed has been the nature of the objective appearances themselves. These have been thought to be created finite forms or substances, so compounded as to present an actual object before the senses of spirits. In judging concerning this, we must first have a clear idea of what is meant by a created finite form.
     In the True Christian Religion it is said that, in the creation of the universe, God finited His Infinity, doing this by means of the spiritual sun, which consists of the Divine Essence going forth from Him as a sphere. " There and thence (the passage continues) is the first of finition; but its progression goes on even to ultimates in the nature of the world " (T. 29). This is further explained by the statement in a following passage, that ""from God are the initiaments of space and time" (T. 31). And because the first of creation was the creation of finite forms, it is said in the same connection: "Spaces and times finite all things which are in both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, and therefore men are finite, not only as to their bodies, but also as to their souls" (T. 29).
     Now a created finite form is a form that has boundaries or limits, which distinguish it from other forms of the same kind. This Swedenborg clearly shows in his Principia, where he essays to define the nature of the boundaries of the first finite. Moreover, the mind at once sees that a created finite, howsoever sublime, must be a distinct entity, and, consequently, that in the first created finites is the beginning of what in this world we discern as space and quantity. It is for this reason that Swedenborg, in his Principia, calls the finiting motion in the Infinite, the first natural point, as being the first cause of those finite forms, the successive composition of which produced the ultimate matters of nature. It is not the first spiritual point, because the spiritual, that is, the Divine Love and Wisdom, is not revealed as the Divine of Use until finite substances and matters are created which shall clothe it and bring it forth as the Divine gift to human beings (W. 307).

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     It is true that, in speaking of the atmospheres, a distinction is made between those created finites which are called spiritual and those, which are called natural, but this distinction lies only in the fact that the one is autoactive, while the other is passive. The office of the one is to transmit the Divine Love and Wisdom, which is the light and heat of heaven; the office of the other is to furnish that ultimate matter which shall clothe the Divine Love and Wisdom, and bring it into finite manifestation. There is no distinction between them in respect to the properties of space and quantity. Both are created entities, and space and quantity can be predicated of both (W. 174-75).
     Now the seeing of finite created forms, however interior, is the seeing of things of which space and number can be predicated, and such seeing is the property only of the sensory organs of the body; it is discretely different from the seeing of the spiritual itself; for the spiritual consists, not of created finites, but of the Divine Proceeding of the Lord which is accommodated by created finites, and which is universally manifested as the heat and light of heaven. This heat and light, we read, " which proceed from the Lord as a Sun, are what, by eminence, are called the spiritual. From this spiritual it is that the whole of that world is called spiritual, and through this spiritual, all things of that world take their origin and their name" (W. 100). Even though the eye, by some super-microscope could see the inmost finites of the universe, it would still be as far as ever from seeing the spiritual; even though it could see the inmost finites which constitute the soul of a man, it would be as far as ever from seeing the man's thought and love. Insects and animalculi sensate finite forms that are beyond our reach. True, there are many things that are invisible to us, even by the microscope. Thus we cannot see the parts of the air. Yet, knowing there are such parts, we see them in the mind merely as natural objects. It is in this way that the scientist sees the proton and the electron, and even their constituent parts.

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The same is also true when we direct our gaze to the created finite forms of the spiritual atmospheres; even though we picture them as quivering with life, it is still finite forms that we see. Thus Swedenborg, in his Principia, when speaking of the first finites of creation, describes their shape and makes conjecture as to the number necessary for the making of a compound finite; and in the Writings, he describes the spiritual atmospheres as consisting of parts differentiated, the one from the other. The seeing of such parts is not the seeing of the spiritual, but is essentially the same as seeing by the eye of the body. Spiritual things come to view when we see, not created finite forms, but the Divine Love and Wisdom, which those forms are created to transmit and present. Finite forms can be seen by animals; man alone can see the spiritual.
     The opinion that the appearances of the spiritual world are actual created substances involves that these substances are compounded, and that it is by this means that they come to the eyes of spirits. But the seeing of compound forms is not the seeing of appearances, but is the visual reproduction of actual figures, just as in the case of the sight of the body. If the mountains, houses, garments, etc., seen by angels are actual compound forms, whether spiritual or natural, then they see actual mountains and houses, etc., occupying space just as really as the mountains and houses of this earth. Yet it is universally acknowledged in the New Church that appearances in the spiritual world are appearances of the states of angels, or appearances of their understanding and perceptions of their loves (D. Wis. VII, 5).
     If, however, it is contended that the appearances seen by spirits, while constituted of compounded spiritual forms, are not actually in the shape of earthly objects, it may be asked, By what law are such finite forms seen as objects of a wholly different shape? If I see material objects, or if, through the microscope, I see the finer things of nature, what I see is the actual shape of the thing seen. By what law, then, can spirits see created finite forms in a figure other than that which they actually possess? And what shall we say of the spiritual body? Spirits see each other as men exactly as in the world. Yet we are taught that a spirit consists of the finest things of nature, within which are active spiritual substances transmitting the Divine Life (T. 470).

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That spirits, when seeing each other, do not see the finest things of nature, is evident, and, moreover, is distinctly stated in the Writings (D. Wis. VIII. 5). Are we then to suppose that the finite spiritual substances within are further compounded to form a body in the actual shape of the natural body? If not, the question again arises, By what law do spirits see finite forms in another shape than that which these forms actually possess?
     Moreover, the teaching of the Writings is, that the compounding of finite, created forms takes place only as a link in the chain of creation that extends from firsts to lasts. The atmospheres in the two worlds, spiritual and natural (we read), come to their end in ultimates, in substances and matters such as are on earth (W. 302). I know of no teaching which even remotely suggests that spiritual atmospheres are compounded into any other ultimates. If such were the case, then there would be two natural worlds, two worlds of actual space; for compounding means becoming grosser, and it cannot cease until it comes to that which is fixed and at rest.
     That there is no compounding of spiritual created forms into ultimate spiritual appearances, but that all such compounding reaches down to the fixed ultimates of the material world, is involved in the universal doctrine that creation proceeds from firsts to lasts, and then progresses to intermediates. So the Lord, by a series of finites successively compounded, created ultimate matter, and then, by means of matter, revealed His Divine Love and Wisdom in the forms of use. It is also involved in that other universal doctrine, that all power resides in ultimates. It is in ultimates alone that the Lord has power to give life to man as though it were the man's own in ultimates alone He has power to appear before man, to teach him, to redeem him.
     Thus far I have endeavored to show that the appearances seen in the spiritual world are not and cannot be made up of created substances. What those appearances actually are will come to be spoken of later. For the present we turn our thought from the appearances of the spiritual world to the real objects or, if you prefer, subjects, that engage the attention of spirits, and produce those objective appearances, which are so, like the appearances of the natural world.
     The teaching in the Writings is clear and abundant-the teaching, namely, that the objects seen by spirits are truths, and, essentially, the Lord Himself (D. 2329).

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Witness the following from the Arcana: "Divine Truth is light to the angels, and it is this light which also enlightens our internal sight. This sight, because it sees not natural things but spiritual, has for its objects truths-in the [spiritual] understanding spiritual truths called the truths of faith; but in the natural understanding it has for its objects truths of civil life which pertain to justice, and also truths of the moral state which pertain to honorableness, and in the ultimate understanding natural truths, being conclusions formed from the objects of the external senses. From this can be seen the order in the sequence of truths, and that each and all draw their origin from Divine Truths, which are the interior beginnings of all things; moreover, the forms wherein these things are have drawn their origin from Divine Truths, these forms having been created to receive and contain them. Hence it can be evident what is meant by all things being created by the Word " (n. 8861). Again, we read: "All angels and all good spirits see the truths of heaven as the eye of the body sees objects of the world, for to those who are spiritual the objects of heaven are truths "(E. 895); and, furthermore, "The objects of spiritual sight, which is the sight of the interior understanding, are spiritual truths, and these are seen by those who are in that understanding in like manner as natural objects are seen before the eyes" (A. R. 920).
     It is not necessary to quote further on this point, for who does not know that the objects contemplated by the spiritual mind are truths? What is the work of the church save that men's eyes may be opened to see spiritual truths? But while this may be acknowledged readily enough in a state of elevation of thought, yet the natural mind, which sees all things from time and space, intrudes with the thought that truth is nothing real, nothing substantial; that nothing can be real or substantial unless it be bounded by space. In one state of the mind we see that the Lord is the only Substance, the only Real; in another state, nothing seems real save that which is spatial; and even when we think of the objects of the spiritual world, we desire something tangible, as in this world, something which, even though we may call it spiritual, has the intrinsic property of limits, bounds, space. Such a desire is inseparable from finite human beings, being inherent in the fact that we are finite; for the finite can see nothing unless it appears in finite form.

473


These two states of the mind are harmonized by the truth that, while as finite men we must necessarily think in the terms of time and space, we are yet able to think from that which is above time and space. We can contemplate abstract truths, but not apart from the words in which they present themselves to the sight of our mind. So in the spiritual world, no angel can contemplate the least thing save in the appearances of time and space yet his gaze is not directed to the appearances, but to the real and substantial things, which produce those appearances. And these substantial things, which are the true objects of his sight, are Divine Truths.
     "Divine Truth, which is from the Lord (we read) infills the heavens and makes the heavens." And here let me note that the words makes the heavens are to be understood, not in any vague or abstract sense, but as meaning that it actually makes all the things of heaven, that is to say, all the real appearances, the lands, the houses, the garments, etc., by which the angels are surrounded. That it actually makes the food of heaven, or spiritual food, I suppose all will acknowledge. But to resume the quotation: "The Divine Truth makes the heavens, and, if you will believe it, it is that whereby all things were made and created. The Word which was in the beginning with God and which was God, by which all things were created, and by which the world was made, is the Divine Truth. That this is the sole substantial thing from which are all things, few can comprehend, and this, because at this day no other idea is entertained concerning Divine Truth than as concerning the speech of the mouth uttered by a commander, and according to which his commands are brought into effect" (A. C. 9410). It should here be noted that by Divine Truth in this passage is not meant Divine Truth apart from Divine Good, but the Divine Good proceeding as Divine Truth forming and creating.
     The Divine Truth, which is the one substantial thing, created all things in the universe, in order that Itself may be revealed therein, and so may give Itself for the blessing of man. "There are three things in the Lord which are the Lord (we read): The Divine of Love, the Divine of Wisdom, and the Divine of Use; and these three are presented in appearance outside the sun of the spiritual world, the Divine of Love by heat, the Divine of Wisdom by light, and the Divine of Use by atmospheres."

474


The passage then continues: The three atmospheres of the spiritual world, and the three atmospheres of the natural world, come to an end in substances and matters such as are on earth, and these substances and matters are created in order that "uses, which are the ends of creation" may receive forms, that is, may become manifest in ultimates (W. 302, 307). Here we learn that the Divine Proceeding from the Lord comes to created being in two forms, namely, as the heat and light of heaven, and as uses clothed with substances and matters.
     The Divine Truth appearing as the light of heaven, and ultimately as the light of the natural world, is not an object of sight, but is that by which all objects of sight are made visible. It is the Infinite Divine Truth, ever surrounding men and giving to them the possibility of spiritual sight, even as the ether of the natural world gives the possibility of natural sight.
     But the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord comes to man also in another way-a way in which it can be communicated to man, and be appropriated by him, to become, as it were, his own.
     Atmospheres do indeed convey the Divine Proceeding as heat and light. But created finites have a use other than the formation of atmospheres,-the use, namely, that they may be compounded into substances and matters at rest, to the end that the Divine Proceeding may be presented as use. For what are substances and matters, unless they be the means by which uses come, it being uses alone that bring happiness?
     On this subject we read: "The Divine Truth which immediately proceeds from the Lord flows in successively, and on the way, or around each new successive, it becomes more general, thus grosser, thus more obscure; and slower, thus more sluggish and cold. But it must be known that Divine Truth which flows into the third heaven, next to the Lord, at the same time also flows without successive formation even to the ultimates of order, and there, from the First, rules and foresees all and single things immediately. Hence things successive are contained in their order and connection. That such is the case, can be seen to some extent from a rule not unknown to the learned in the world, that substance which is substance is the sole substance, and that all other things are formations therefrom, and that in the formations this one sole substance rules, not merely as form, but also as non-form, as in its origin" (A. C. 7270).

475



     In order to understand this last phrase, "in the formation (that is, in created things), the one sole substance rules, not only as form, but also as non-form," it is necessary to understand the law of sensation, especially of the sensation of sight,-the law, namely, that modification in the atmospheres becomes sensation in the human organism. When we see an object, what we actually see is a change of state in the organic substance of the mind, that is, a change in the order and arrangement of the parts, which constitute that substance. This change is caused by the modifications of the ether produced by that object, and conveyed to the retina of the eye and thence to the nerve cells of the brain, where the consequent change of state is perceived as a sight of the object. This sight we have in common with animals.
     But in the objects of the world there is some other activity than that which produces modification in the ether,-an activity which may be called the formative force, but which, in its essence, is the Divine Truth creating. If man sees a flower or a tree, he sees the external object in common with animals; but man has a plane which is receptive and perceptive, not only of the modifications of the ether, but also of that inner activity which is the formative force that made the flower or the tree. He does not see it as motion, nor as a material object, but he sees it as truth; not, indeed, as naked truth, for no finite being can see this, but truth appearing within the form of natural objects, and expressed by words; and this seeing brings him a delight wholly above the delights of the senses,-a delight which comes not from the words, but from the truth itself. For what is truth but the Divine Operation which creates all things of the universe and perpetually makes them to subsist? If we see the motions by which organic forms come into being, and the reasons for those motions, we see what is called scientific truth. If we see the forces that operate upon men, and bind them into a compact society, we see civil and moral truth. If we see the operations of the Lord urging us to a life of spiritual order, we see spiritual truth.
     In all these cases, what we really see is the Divine Truth which is the formative or creative force present in all things of the universe, being the one only substance that rules in all formations, and this not merely as form, but also "as non-form as in its origin."

476


We do not and cannot perceive it as non-form, for that would be to see the Infinite; we do not even see it as force or motion, for motion, which involves space, can be seen only by the eye of the body. We see it in the change of state which it produces in the organic substance of our mind, and this change of state comes to our apprehension in the form of words, or laws, of images and illustrations, these being at once created by the truth, as mirrors in which Itself is seen. It is not the words or the images on which the sight of the mind is concentrated, but the truth which produces those images as the appearances of itself, and without which it could not be seen by finite man.
     It is hard for man to think of Divine Truth as the sole, real, and substantial thing in the universe; and for the natural man it is impossible. Yet it can be seen by man if he thinks from causes, and not from effects. And he can then confirm his perception that Divine Truth is the only Substantial by the reflection that truth alone has power, and that there can never be happiness in the human heart or peace among men, save so far as truth rules the heart and directs the conduct of men. The power of truth is indeed a power, which none can resist; and sometimes we vividly experience this in ourselves when our evils are exposed by truth, especially if uttered by others, even though those others be ignorant of our evils.
     As we read: "The Lord disposes all things in heaven and hell and in the world by means of truths which are from Him. For the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is that very thing by which all things have come into existence, and by which all things continue to exist. That such is the case, they do not comprehend who think from the material, as do those who ascribe the origin and sustenance of all things to nature. Such men can have no other idea of truths than that they are of no power because they are a matter of mere thought, respecting which they perceive nothing essential and still less substantial, although they know that thought rules the whole body and arouses its several parts into motion, in entire accordance with its quality; also that there is nothing in the universe that does not refer itself to truth which is from good " (A. C. 9327).
     But man cannot see naked truth, any more than he can see naked motion, for that would be to see the Infinite; he cannot see the Divine Proceeding until it reveals itself in ultimates; nor can he see it in ultimates, until it has produced a change of state in the organic substance of his mind.

477


For man, there is no such thing as abstract truth; it is a pure entity of reason; and it is the same with good, for good is the delight which is felt at the presence of truth (A. C. 4301). Hence we have the following noteworthy teaching: "The common idea of men concerning love and wisdom is as of something volatile and fluent in the air or ether. Scarcely anyone thinks that they are really and actually substance and form. They who see that they are substance and form still perceive love and wisdom outside the subject as things flowing from it, . . . not knowing that love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside it as something volatile and fluent is only the appearance of the state of the subject in itself. The truth is that love and wisdom are the real and actual substance and form which make the subject" (D. L. W. 40). Again we read: "Cognitions and truths are no more things abstracted from the purest substances which are of the interior man, that is, of his spirit, than sight is abstracted from its organ the eye, or hearing from its organ the ear. It is purer substances which are real, from which they exist, the variations of whose forms, animated and modified by means of influx from the Lord, set them forth to view" (A. C. 3726); and again: "There is no such thing as good or truth which is not in a substance as in its subject. Abstract goods and truths are not possible, being nowhere, because they have no seat. They are merely entities, respecting which reason seems to think abstractly. They cannot exist save in subjects, for every idea of man, even when sublimated, is substantial, that is, is affixed to substances" (C. L. 66).
     The seat of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is the human mind. There the Divine Proceeding manifests itself in the creation of a spiritual paradise, even as on earth it manifests itself representatively as a natural paradise. "Since the truth of faith is spiritual light, and the good of charity is spiritual heat (we read), it follows that it is the same with those as it is with heat and light in the natural world; namely, that as from the conjunction of the latter all things flourish upon the earth, so likewise from the conjunction of the former all things flourish in the human mind; with the difference, however, that this flourishing is wisdom and intelligence.

478


Therefore, the human mind is compared to a garden" (T. 392).
     It is these truths and goods (or it may be falsities and evils) thus brought into being in the human mind that constitute that intellectual wealth of which our libraries are the repositories and our civilization the fruit. The wealth is the result of the labors of individuals, but its fruits are open to all to receive and enjoy according to their capacity and desire. In this world, this spiritual wealth can be conveyed to others only by means of ultimates-by words, written or spoken, or by works. In the other world, the communication is more directly effected, being effected by the communication of spheres.
     But before dwelling further on this, let me again note that the Divine Truth is revealed to man only as it is made manifest in ultimates. What, then, shall we say of spirits who have cast off the sensory organs by which the ultimate theatre of Divine Love and Wisdom lay before their gaze? Do they see it in its proceeding through successive finites before it reaches ultimates? Or is it equally true of them, as of men that they can see it only when it is made manifest in the world of nature? That the latter is the case is abundantly taught in the Writings. There we read: "From the order of creation it can be evident that there is such a continent nexus from firsts to lasts that, regarded together, they constitute a one, in which the prior cannot be separated from the posterior, just as a cause cannot be separated from its effect, and, consequently, the spiritual world from the natural. . . . Such is the connection of the angelic heaven and the human race, that the one subsists from the other, and that without the human race the angelic heaven is like a house without a foundation, for heaven closes into it and rests upon it.     The case is the same as with man himself; his spiritual things, being the things of his thought and will, inflow into his natural things, being the things of his sensations and actions, and there terminate and subsist. Were man without these terminations and ultimates, his spiritual things, which are of the thoughts and affections of his spirit, would flow away like things unbounded, or things without a foundation. It is the same when a man passes over from the natural world into the spiritual, that is, when he dies. Then, being a spirit, he does not subsist upon his own basis, but upon a general basis, which is the human race.

479


From all my experience with respect to heaven, and from all my discourse with angels, I can assert that no angel or spirit has subsistence without man, and no man without spirit and angel" (L. J. 9).
     Here note well the statement that this connection between the inhabitants of the spiritual world and those of the natural is as the connection between the thoughts and affections of the mind and the sensations and actions of the body. Neither could exist without the other. Spirits could have no thoughts and affections were they separated from men, and men could have no sensations and actions were they separated from spirits. That sensations and actions depend on connection with the spiritual world, is clear from the phenomenon of death. That thoughts and affections are not possible without sensations, is clear from swoons and like cases, where the senses are entirely closed; it is clear also from death, for when a man dies, he becomes unconscious, and he remains so for two or three days, regaining consciousness only when the finest things of nature which he retains become sensitive to the spheres of men on earth.
     All New Churchmen are familiar with the teaching that, when man reads the Word on earth, spirits and angels perceive the spiritual sense; that the angelic heavens themselves were threatened because of the evil state of the church prior to the Incarnation; that when the Lord came on earth, the Sun of heaven shone more brightly. Moreover, this teaching is confirmed by the manifold experiences of the Revelator, who, being in both worlds at the same time was able to observe the effect on spirits of the things that he ate and drank, of the clothes that he wore, and the scenes that he saw. He also tells us of a society of spirits who, through him, heard some singing on earth; this caused them great delight, and they informed him that they had frequently experienced such delight, but had never before known the earthly basis on which it rested.
     Now such a connection between the thoughts and affections of spirits and the sensations of men cannot be effected without a mode, or, if you please, a mechanism, and, indeed, a mode similar to that which exists between the sensations of a man and his thoughts and affections. Indeed, so great is the similarity that, just as man becomes unconscious if deprived of sensation, so spirits would become unconscious if deprived of connection with the human race on some earth. Neither spirits nor men are conscious of this interdependence, and there are multitudes in both worlds who deny it, believing that there is but one world.

480


Yet men and spirits may learn the truth from the Revelation now given by means of a man who was consciously present in both worlds at the same time.
     The connection between the two worlds is the same as the connection between the sensation of the body and the thought of the spirit. Even on earth the spirit of man does not see the world directly. That world comes before his gaze by means of the organs of the senses. Through these organs the modifications of atmospheres caused by the objects of the world produce changes of state in the organic substance of the mind, and ultimately in those finest substances which man retains after death; and man, as a spiritual being, is able to perceive these changes of state by virtue of the fact that within his natural substances are spiritual substances which receive Life from God and give the ability to perceive and reflect.
     It is change of state that the spirit of a man on earth sees, and not the actual objects of the natural world; but because these latter are constant, the states produced by them are also constant. The appearance is, that the spirit goes forth and apprehends objects at a distance from itself; as, for instance, that the sight of the eye seems to extend outward to the person or object seen at a distance. But the truth is that we see the world within us. We are present in the world only by sensation. If the sensory organs are closed, as in the case of coma and swoons, we are at once absent from the world, even though our body is still there. Thus it may truly be said that the kingdom of the world is within us. True, the world of nature is actually without us, since it is constituted of fixed matter, but we are in it only so far as it is within us.
     Now the world in which man's spirit is, that is, the world that is seen by the spirit, is very different with those who suffer their mind to be formed by the truths of Revelation from what it is with those who reject God. With the former, the truths of Revelation are like seeds containing within them the formative life of the Divine Proceeding, and this life, operating upon the mental ground of worldly images, molds from that ground new forms wherein are seen, not the material objects of the world, but the Divine Truth of the Divine Love and Wisdom; even as the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord creates from the ground of the natural world those living forms which bring to ultimate manifestation the Divine of Use (T. 392 quoted above).

481


That is to say, the Divine Truth, received by man and firmly retained, interiorly changes the state of the organic substances of the mind, so that the mind, beholding that state, sees, not merely the world around him, but the world of causes within it. The world around him becomes a living theatre presenting to view the Divine Love and Wisdom. He sees spiritual truths, and sees them as the real and substantial things of life. Nay, so real are they that, for their preservation, he is willing to subjugate the allurements of the world, and even to sacrifice the life of the body. These truths cannot indeed appear to him save under the form of words and of the images of time and space nevertheless, it is the truths that are seen, and inmostly the Lord Himself, and not the words and images. And these truths reveal to him a new world. This was the normal state of the men of the Most Ancient Church. Of them we read that they did indeed sensate the external things of the body and the world, "but they did not put their care therein. In the several objects of the senses they perceived something Divine and heavenly," and therefore all things with them were living, as it were (A. C. 920). And, in like manner as we are present in the world only as the world is within us, so we are present in heaven only as heaven is within us. In a very literal sense we see the truth of the Lord's words, " The kingdom of God is within you." Such is the case with those who receive and love the truths of Revelation.
     Those who deny God also see with their spirit only changes of state, but they see these, not as a world revealing God, but as a material world with nature as its creator. This, moreover, continues after death. Hence they see nothing of heaven, but are in the continual phantasy that they are still in the body.
     In the other world, as in this, the spirit continues to see changes of state, with the sole difference that these changes are induced, not by the spirit's own sensory organs, but by the spheres of men. And there, as here, he sees them, not as changes of state, any more than a man perceives the states of his brain when he thinks, but as appearances drawn from the natural world; and, being unable to compare these appearances with the things of nature, he knows no other, save from doctrine, than that he is in the natural world. That the phenomena of the spiritual world are appearances of the changes of states of spirits is well known to the New Church.

482


And what else are changes of states than changes in the order and arrangement of the parts of the organic substance of the mind?
     That changes of state come to man's apperception as appearances of time and space, is the result of the great universal law that the Lord reveals Himself only in and by means of ultimates, and this, in order that He may appear to be apart from man, that thus man may be free to receive Him, as it were, of himself. It is for this reason that there is no human being in all creation who was not born a man on some earth. There his first sensations are of the world of time and space. As he grows older he may learn to think abstractly; but however sublime his thought, it must come to .his view in the language of time and space, and, so long as he is in this world, in the words of some tongue with which he is familiar. But it is not the words that he sees, but the ideas, just as it is my ideas that you are now looking at, and not my words. The language of words, however, belongs to this world, but the language or imagery of time and space is universal to both spirits and men, and, save in this imagery, nothing whatever can come to their apprehension. This is involved in the words of an angel to his pupils: "You must needs think of God in Person, but you must not think of Him from Person." Indeed, it cannot be otherwise, for men would then see naked spiritual truth, the Divine Proceeding itself, and this is impossible to finite beings. Even thought of the Divine Proceeding at once creates a finite appearance of time and space-the appearance of a force passing through an atmosphere. Yet, while truths necessarily are seen only in appearances, we can nevertheless see the truths themselves that thus appear.
     To see the Divine manifesting itself by means of the ultimates of nature is the care and labor of angels, even as it is the care and labor of spiritual men on earth; and the seeing brings them that delight which is called the good of love (A. C. 4301). The riches of heaven, the things of varying magnificence that are seen there, are the fruits of this labor, even as the spiritual riches of the church are the fruits of the labor of men on earth. In this world, these spiritual riches are communicated to others by fixed means such as books, art, and ultimate works, and by these means all men can enjoy the fruits of the labors of each. But in the other world, communication is effected by spheres without the mediation of fixed matter.

483


The reception of the sphere of an angel produces that change of state which is seen by the receiver as the scenery of heaven. Hence the well- known teaching that the surroundings of an angel appear and disappear with the angel. The scenery of heaven is more magnificent, and its riches more abundant, as the number of angels in a society is greater; even as the spiritual riches of the church increase according to the number of men who contribute to those riches.
     These spiritual riches, the varied scenes of heavenly beauty, the abodes of the angels, their clothes and their adornments, nay, and their very food and drink, are said to be created by God in a moment according to the affections of the angels (T. 78), and, indeed, seem as though produced by the angels (W. 327). Such creation consists, not in a compression of finite substances, but in changes of state produced by the transmission from one angel to another of that Divine Proceeding which is the only Real,. the only Substantial, the only Sustainer of human life. Hence the teaching that, if the sphere of an angel were clothed with matter, the result would be an animated material creation. (D. L. W. 344.)
     The spiritual treasures are the fruits of angelic labors-fruits which are at once communicated to all who are receptive. On this subject we read: "It is the same with the extension of thought from objects which are the things of which one is thinking, as it is with the objects of sight. The sphere of rays from the latter diffuses itself to a great distance, and comes to the sight of man; so likewise the internal sight, which is the sight of the thought, from its objects. These objects are not material, but spiritual, and therefore they diffuse themselves to such things as are in the spiritual world, thus to the truths and goods there, and, consequently, to the societies which are in them" (A. C. 6601). Therefore, while it is frequently stated in the Writings that truths are the objects of the spiritual sight, it is also stated that these objects are angelic societies (L. J. 9). So it may be said that, while the objects of an intellectual mind are truths, its objects are also the intellectual world.
     So wonderful is the extension of thought in the spiritual world that the treasures of each angel in a society are at once communicated to all in that society, and, in a more general way, to all the neighboring societies, even as the intellectual riches of a society on earth are at once open to all its members.

484


Hence we have the teaching that, when a spirit enters into a society of heaven, he at once comes into all the knowledges of that society; not that he thereby becomes as intelligent and wise as others in the society, but that he has before him the fruits of their wisdom, and understands and enjoys these fruits according to the measure of his capacity.
     Let me now summarize the conclusions I have laid before you. The two worlds, the spiritual and the natural, are alike in external aspect, but wholly unlike in internal aspect. This unlikeness arises from the fact that the appearances of the spiritual world are from an immaterial origin, while the appearances of the natural world are also from a material origin, and, consequently, are fixed and measurable. The objects of sight in the natural world are material, but the objects of sight in the spiritual world are truths, being the Divine Proceeding which creates and sustains the universe. These are revealed only by means of ultimates; for it is not possible for man to apprehend anything except in the appearances of time and space, which are the alphabet of expression acquired in the world. These appearances in the spiritual world do not consist of compressed finites, but are the appearances to spirits of the state of the organic substance of their mind. These appearances are the riches of heaven, bestowed upon angels and upon spiritual men according to their love of truth and the labor they bestow on the discerning of it; and the riches given to each angel are at once and spontaneously communicated to all in his society.
     I have essayed to describe the real causes that produce the appearances of the spiritual world, yet I, in common with all finite beings, cannot think in the terms of those causes. Finite man, though he can think from causes, must needs rest his thought in the appearances of time and space. Thus we say that the sun rises and sets, though we know that this is an appearance. We say that the sight extends to this object or that; yet we know that the sight does not extend, but that rays from the object enter the eye. We say that we are living, yet we know that there is but one Life. Being finite, we must think in appearances, but being images of God, we have the ability of thinking from the truth. The spiritual world appears in all respects like the natural world, nor can we speak or think of it save in the language of space and time.

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In that world we stand on real ground, have real bodies, real houses, clothes, foods, etc. Of this, every New Churchman is convinced. Nor will the inquiry into the causes of these appearances in the spiritual world lessen our belief in their reality, any more than the knowledge that matter is composed of electrons and protons in the most rapid motion lessens our belief in the solidity of matter.
     The appearances of the spiritual world, like the fixed appearances of the natural, are the means whereby God gives Himself to man. And in the degree that it is granted us, in the light of Revelation, to see that God is the only Living, the only Real, the only Substantial, so shall we more humbly adore Him, and more gratefully praise Him, for His gift of life, and reality, and substantiality, as though they were our own.
INVITATION TO THE NEW CHURCH 1940

INVITATION TO THE NEW CHURCH       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1940

     (Delivered at the General Assembly Service, June 30, 1940.)

     "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite to the marriage." (Matt. 22: 9.)

     The Lord invites all people to the New Church. The invitation is universal; it is given to all. And every person is also given by the Lord the grace of reception, that is, the ability to accept His Divine invitation.
     The Lord invites all people to His New Church, because by the New Church they are to be brought to Him. The way to the Lord is never closed to anyone; for the Lord continually invites. Many passages in the Word might be quoted to show that this is so. "Come unto me, all ye that labor." "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his son, and sent his servants to call all those who were invited." Go ye into the highways, and as many as ye find, invite to the marriage."
     We are assured in our Heavenly Doctrine that every man has the ability to approach the Lord. It is a Divine gift. It is that which is especially meant by the "grace of the Lord." By the ability to approach the Lord is meant the ability which every man has to acquire faith for himself, and also to acquire charity for himself.

486


And the way to acquire faith is by learning truths from the Word; and the way to acquire charity is by doing these truths from the Word. And because all men have this ability,-this gift of Divine grace-all those who are of the former Church are invited by a universal invitation to come into the New Church. It is an invitation to the whole world.
     There is a little book among the Writings called " The Invitation to the New Church." It is possible that this title may not have been given it by Swedenborg himself; but it certainly is appropriate to the nature of its contents.
     About this booklet, the "Invitation." a strange thing is said in one of its own short paragraphs: "Unless the present little work is added to the preceding work, the church cannot be healed. For it would be a mere palliative cure, a wound in which the corrupting matter remains, continually infecting the neighboring parts. Orthodoxy is this vitiating matter, and the doctrine of the New Church indeed furnishes a remedy, but only exteriorly." (Inv. 25.)
     How many students of our Doctrine have wondered at this remarkable passage! It says that the doctrine of the New Church, as contained in the former work of Swedenborg's, furnishes a cure for the corrupting doctrine of the orthodox Christian Churches,-but only a palliative and external cure, unless this little work be added to the former work. The other works, or the general theology of the New Church, without that which is taught in this little work, would furnish only a palliative cure for the healing of orthodox Christian thought. How imperative it becomes for us to know that specific truth which must be added to the New Church doctrine in general! What is that interior truth which must be added?
     It is, we think, first, that men should recognize that the Writings of the New Church contain explicitly the Doctrine of it; and that this Doctrine is Divine from the Lord, and the Interior Word.
     The second principle brought out here is that men should recognize the lack of genuine religion in the Christian world, and consequently the absolute necessity of the establishment of the New Church as a Divine institution among men. In other words, it is necessary that people should see and acknowledge the desolation of truth in the Christian world-that there is no genuine church there.

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If you read the Writings of the New Church, believing that they are the Interior Word revealed by the Lord, the Second Coming of the Lord, and His very presence with us, then you will be able to see clearly how completely desolate is the world in regard to all spiritual truth. And when this is seen, then will the necessity of the New Church be seen also, and the heart will be filled with the desire for its promotion and success. This idea is reflected and confirmed by the following quotation from this same little book: "No one can see the desolation of truth in the church before the truths from the Word are brought forward into light." (Inv. 27.)
     Much is said also about miracles in this little book, which must be added to the former, with the intent of showing how much more excellent than all the miracles recorded in the Word was the giving of the Doctrine of the New Church in the Writings. The giving of this Revelation to the New Church, and for its use, surpasses all miracles; for miracles have never affected mankind in any other way than externally.
     The general conclusion is this: that the only real cure for the desolation of Christianity as to truth, and therefore as to good, is in the formation and the prosperity of a new and distinct Church, separated altogether from the former Christian Churches, and therefore connected inwardly with the New Christian Heaven. For while a man might accept some of the fundamental doctrines of the New Church while still remaining affiliated with some one of the orthodox Christian Churches, and it might be of some advantage to himself, yet the remedy would be only an external one and as a palliative.
     We know that it is the internal evils, which abound in the world, and not the external ones, that prevent the reception of the New Church doctrine and life. All the Commandments of the Lord are inwardly broken in the world. Indeed, everyone breaks them and rejects them until he comes to believe in the Lord and fights against some evils in himself as sins against Him. But the life of the civilized world in general is socially unsound, and unspiritual. The life of religion is desolated and destroyed, especially by the two evils which, more than others, prevail in Christendom,-avarice and adultery. Few people can believe it when the Writings tell us that the original Christian Church has gone down in spiritual night for the lack of real truth and the desire for it, and therefore for the lack of real spiritual good.

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Apparently it is not so. The Christian world seems to itself to be more enlightened than ever before; and most people think that their lives are good, or at least that they are good enough. Hence they are indifferent to any invitation to a New Church.
     You have accepted the invitation to the New Church; but not all. We are called by that name; but we are very few. Let no one be of doubtful mind; and if you have known something of its doctrine, but have not yet given yourself to the use of promoting the good of the New Church as a member of it, then do it. Do it! All you who are twenty years of age and upward, accept the Lord's invitation to it! Let the name of the New Jerusalem be written upon your hearts!
     You notice that it is said in our text that the servants of the man who made the marriage feast were sent out into the highways to invite all, as many as they might find, to the marriage. Young people may be such servants. They can do a special work in the promotion of the New Jerusalem, which older ones cannot so well do. They have the grace and the spirit and the power of youth. And because of youth they can do what cannot be done so well by those older or those younger than themselves. They might take upon themselves the work of inviting others to the marriage, that is, of promoting and facilitating and beautifying the worship of the church. Young men and women can do more than others to extend the Lord's church by taking upon themselves as a definite and conscious use the development of public worship. There is no better way of showing the love of the Lord and of the neighbor, and nothing would help the church more. You are the real missionaries.
     The Lord invites men and women into His church; and this no matter what has been their way of living or their way of thinking. When we think of this matter we realize that we have no record of the Lord's telling His disciples that their ways were bad, or telling them not to do this thing or that. Of course, He reminded them of the Commandments, offering great reward to those who keep them. He may have told them that their faith was weak; He may have called Peter "Satan" for suggesting what was an offense to Him, but He never set up any regulations they must live by. He taught rather by encouragement, suggestion, and parable. He never scolded His disciples.

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The result was to stir up in their minds new and better ideas.
     At His Second Coming, the Lord invites all people to separate themselves from the thought that has corrupted the world, and to live with a different spirit; to unite together to form a society on earth in which there shall be innocence, and spiritual intelligence, I and wisdom of life.
     One would think that people everywhere would be glad and eager to learn the heavenly things of wisdom that are contained in the Writings of the New Church. But we know that this is not the case. Few people have the love of Divine Truth. And this is exactly what the Writings declare. They tell us that there is not a single genuine truth remaining in the church, which was founded by His disciples! Every truth of the Word has been made false in its application to life by human interpretations and traditions.
     But since with the Lord there is infinite mercy, there is also infinite patience. In the idea of patience there is the idea of suffering,-endurance. He endured trials or temptations the most severe of all, due to the state of the world, or of the human race, as it was when He came upon earth. His trials were due to the natural reasonings of men, their evil cupidities, and human opposition to things, which are Divine, His own teachings. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet as a lamb He opened not His mouth." To be "oppressed and afflicted" signifies to be subject to spiritual trials; and "not to open His mouth" in such extreme conflict with those who opposed Him signifies Divine Patience.
     In the spiritual understanding of the word "patience" there lies the thought of His continual fighting against what is evil and what is false in men. Since the Lord alone fights for man in his temptations or trials, it is really He that endures or sustains the attack of evil spirits upon men. It is the Lord who sustains a man in his spiritual trials. His Divine help is given when a man uses his own powers of thought and will, as if they were his own, and fights against what is evil and false. The spiritual man, the man of the New Church, must undergo an amount of combat and suffering. He must resist evils of life; kind this means that he must resist false ideas as well; for evils conceal themselves in false ideas, which appear to be true. And man's natural thought would succumb to falsities of every kind, if the Lord did not give to him heavenly truths to oppose them.

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     In the other life, when we first come into it, we are explored or examined by the angels to see what power we have developed of resisting the evil influences to which we have been subjected. It is told us that all those who are then found to possess any power of resistance, even though it be little, are to that degree conjoined with the Lord and introduced into heavenly societies. Some have greater powers of resistance, and some less. But this power must be developed while we live in this natural world. This is what is meant by patience in a more interior view, and it is called in the Scripture the "patience" and the "wisdom" of the "saints." For indeed wisdom lies just in this thing-the power to resist false ideas in which there is always some evil cupidity. " Here is the patience and the wisdom of the saints."
     It is therefore a sign of spiritual health when one is consciously fighting in himself something which he knows from the Lord's truth to be against order and bad. It is with his spirit just as it is with his body. His physical self is constantly attacked by things which are destructive of health; but so long as the body has the power to resist these things, so long it is in health. If the power of resistance is lost, diseases gain power over the body. So it is with the resistance of the mind against thoughts, which are destructive of its health.
     As we have said, the Lord is infinitely patient. He has infinite patience with mankind. He never leaves a man to his own devices, but forever turns and accommodates everything in such a way as to lead man back to Himself, no matter how far he may have turned himself away from the Lord. In fact, so long as one lives in the world, he can he reformed, no matter how far he may have descended into evils of life. So we read in the True Christian Religion: "There are two states through which man passes when becoming spiritual-reformation and regeneration. . . . The first state is formed through truths by which one looks to good or charity; the second is formed through the goods of charity. A man who has commenced the first state during life in the world can he introduced into the second after death." (T. 571.)
     If this is the case with the Lord's patience, we should be patient with one another, willing to endure or suffer what we may consider to be faults and iniquities with others, never condemning them, never speaking maliciously against them, but ever holding tenaciously to the hope of their good.

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The rule of wisdom is, leniency toward others, but toward ourselves strictness; not gentle in dealing with our own iniquities, but very gentle in dealing with the faults of others. Angels claim no good to themselves, but in dealing with others they are always anxious to interpret their actions favorably. Such, again, is the wisdom of the saints."
     There are many natural delights and inclinations, which are good. Those which are evil are frequently enumerated in our Heavenly Doctrine. There are especially the delights of anger, envy, hatred, revenge, adultery, avarice, blasphemy, and deceit. The Lord removes these evil delights as we abstain from the intention of indulging them.
     If a man fights against a merely natural, worldly, or unclean thought, and fixes his mind upon a heavenly principle of truth in regard to the thing in question, the Lord gradually implants in him a delight in that heavenly principle or idea. For example, if one is impatient with his position in life, dissatisfied with his success or fortune; if he fixes his mind upon the truth about Divine Providence, believing that the Lord has placed him where he is, and given him certain difficulties to contend with, for his own good,-this thought will finally prevail over the impatient one, and he will find a new delight in it.
     It is wisdom to be content with our present lot, that is, to be patient, enduring bravely whatever may be hard in it, though ever hoping for something better. There is one thing better than anything else that Providence may give, and that is to be content with what is given by Providence. This is also an illustration of what is meant by the patience of the saints." It is to this also that the Lord invites all those who are willing to be of His New Church.
The Lord bless us all, and give us the grace to accept His Divine invitation! Amen.

LESSONS:     Psalm 37. Matthew 22: 1-14. A. C. 5342.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 456, 472, 482.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 91, 93.

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NORTHWEST CANADA 1940

NORTHWEST CANADA       Rev. K. R. ALDEN       1940

     A Visit to the New Church People in the Canadian Northwest.

     On Sunday, June 30th, after the final Assembly dinner, Mr. Otho W. Heilman and I pulled away from Shadyside Academy to go on an auto journey of more than nine thousand miles to visit New Churchmen throughout Northwestern Canada. After a day and a half of hard driving, we arrived at Silver Lake, Minnesota, where we were entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carpenter. In the evening I had the satisfaction of meeting a group of young people who come out to Silver Lake weekly for the purpose of classes in Heaven and Hell. In the morning we had a service for the adults with the administration of the Holy Supper to four communicants.

     Manitoba.

     Having left Silver Lake at 2.00 p.m., we crossed the border into Canada at 2.30 am, the morning of July the Fourth. It was the most unusual celebration of the day that either of us had ever experienced. We decided to continue driving all night, each taking his turn at the wheel while the other slept. In this way we reached Garson, Manitoba, 27 miles east of Winnipeg, at 5.30 a.m. We had the unpleasant task of waking up the Ben Hamms, but Ben's expression of delight at seeing us made us feel that our rather early arrival had been pardoned. After the morning chores had been done we sat down to a bacon-and-egg breakfast. This was followed by a service for Mr. and Mrs. Hamm and their two older children. With the aid of my violin we were able to sing hymns, and we had a full service. The force of the Lord's words, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," never seemed clearer. After the service Mr. Heilman took Dora Hamm and the children for a ride, while Ben and I went into the woods and had a long chat about the doctrines. Here, as everywhere we visited, the results of the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal's and Mr. Heilman's work of last Summer were evident. Ben had been studying the doctrines with energy, and he had many interesting questions to ask.
     From Garson we drove about 240 miles to Russell, Manitoba, where we spent the night, and in the morning looked up Helen and Martha Hiebert, daughters of Jacob Hiebert of Roblin. We tried to get both of them to accompany us to their parents' home, where we planned to have services that afternoon. Helen, however, was unable to get away from her work, and we were able to take only Martha with us.

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We arrived at the Jacob Hieberts at 2.00 p.m., and arranged to have a church service at 3.30. Before the service I had a children's class with Lona, Florence, and Evelyn. At each home I prepared for the main service, with the aid of my violin, by teaching the children the hymns that were to be used. This made the service go smoothly, and helped the children to enter into it with delight. The Jacob Funks, with six of their children, came over to join us. The altar here, as elsewhere on our trip, consisted of a blue velvet cloth, two brass candlesticks with lighted candles, a silver Holy Supper set from the Cathedral, and a copy of the Word hound in red. The service consisted of a hymn, opening the Word, prayer, the baptism of Martha and her three sisters mentioned above, two lessons, a sermon, the administration of the Holy Supper, the benediction and a closing hymn. Twenty persons were present.
     At Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Funk's invitation we had spread our tent in their yard, and took our meals at their hospitable board. The same evening we had a doctrinal class at Jacob Hiebert's, at which 29 persons were present. One of the joys of the whole trip was the fact that almost everywhere we talked many of the neighbors came in to hear the message. On this occasion I expounded the meaning of "The Internal Sense of the Word," and Mr. Heilman spoke of the " Life After Death." Many questions were asked, and the meeting did not break up until 11.30. Returning home with Mr. and Mrs. Funk, we had an earnest talk with them before retiring.
     The following day we journeyed out to visit Henry Hiebert and his family at Calder, just over the border of Saskatchewan, the Jacob Hieberts and Mrs. Epp accompanying us. Having arrived at 12.30, I first had a class with seven of the Jacob and Henry Hiebert children, teaching them, in addition to the hymns for the service, four passages from the Word to recite. After luncheon we had a devotional service at which I wore my robe and administered the Holy Supper. This was followed by a social time. I had brought a number of copies of the General Assembly songs, and with the aid of Mr. Heilman's guitar and my violin we soon had the people singing them. Mr. Heilman has many of the qualities of Uncle Walter Childs, and his songs unfailingly brought joy to the gatherings. He responded to the song, " Our Glorious Church," with an inspired speech on "True Charity." After supper I gave a class on " The One God and Eternal Life." There were several visitors present, who added zest to the occasion by their forthright questions. At 9.00 p.m. we had to leave for Roblin, and when we got there, Mrs. Epp, Jacob Hiebert's sister, remarked, " This was the happiest day that I have had for a long time!
     The following day was Sunday, July 7th, and Mr. Funk had received an invitation for us to attend the dedication of the New Church temple at Boggy Creek. Much of the old hostility that existed formerly between the General Church and the General Convention has died down in this region, and so eager are the people for instruction in the doctrines that they feel that it would be a pity not to hear from any New Church minister who is present in the field.

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Mr. Heilman and I both felt that here there was a place for genuine cooperation, and that it would be little short of tragedy if division should creep in among these people.
     Boggy Creek is 35 miles north of Roblin, and 18 miles from the nearest railway, and it was surely a thrill to see a New Church temple erected and ready for dedication in this far-away frontier of the New Church. The men of the Society had gotten together, felled the trees, sawed them in their own saw mill, and built the church with their own hands. The only things that they had bought were the shingles the hardware and the glass for the windows. A Northwest Canada Association meeting had been called for the dedication, and we were welcomed by the Rev. John Zacharias and the Rev. Peter Peters, who invited us to take part in the day's program. There were 135 New Church people present,-74 adults and 61 children. Many of the middle-aged and older people remembered the Rev. F. E. Waelchli and his work with great affection, and asked us to convey their personal greetings to him. This was also true of many of the other places we visited.
     At the morning service there were addresses by the Rev. Zacharias and the Rev. Peters, and the formal dedication of the temple. Then the ladies treated us to an ample meal, served in a shed constructed back of the church. At the afternoon service addresses were given by Rev. Peters and myself. I have seldom spoken to an audience that paid such strict attention. There seemed to be an insatiable thirst for instruction in the doctrines. Supper followed the afternoon session, and the day was completed by a third meeting at which Rev. Zacharias, Rev. Peters, and Mr. Heilman spoke. Seven addresses in one day! And yet one father of six children remarked to me, "I resent having to take time out to eat; I would like to hear you men talk all the time." We were urged to stay for the second day of the convention, but press of other duties made this impossible; yet it was very difficult to say Good-bye to these warm-hearted New Church friends.

     Saskatchewan.

     On July 8th we set out for Yorkton, Sask., where we called on the two oldest daughters of Henry Hiebert, Lillian and Gertrude, and their brother Henry. They received us cordially, and we spent a very happy two hours with them. We also called on Dr. Swallow, who has been reading Heaven and Hell. We reached Regina. Sask., that evening. In the morning we telephoned Mr. Fred Roschman, but unfortunately he was out, and we did not have the pleasure of seeing him.
     From Regina we pressed on 42 miles to Moose Jaw, where Mr. Heilman purchased a ten-pound roast of beef. He also looked up Tom Miller, editor of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, a brother of one of Mr. Heilman's professors at the University of Pennsylvania. He had a pleasant chat with the editor and gave him some of the Writings.
     Secretan, 70 miles away, was our next stop. The town itself consists of one grain elevator and two stores, but eleven miles away there are four New Church families who had invited us to call upon them; all are connected with Mrs. Heinrich Loeppky.

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Her two daughters married Peter and Henry Remple; her son Jacob married the sister of the Rev. Peters; the mother and an unmarried son, Julius, live with Isaac and Harriet Loeppky and their infant son. The Peter Remples have nine children, and the Jacob Loeppkys five. We were invited to pitch our tent in the yard of the Henry Remples.
     That evening I gave a class on " The Trinity," and Mr. Heilman spoke on Conscience." For an hour questions and discussion followed. The next morning we were invited to the Isaac Loeppkys to breakfast, and as they had missed the class the night before I gave them the gist of it at the breakfast table. The same earnest desire to be instructed which we had met elsewhere prevailed. We took lunch with the Jacob Loeppkys, and in the late afternoon held another class at the Henry Remples. While I was giving the class Mr. Heilman was busy over at the Isaac Loeppkys cooking the roast he had purchased in Moose Jaw. The difficulties he encountered managing a wood fire, locating the pan, and locating the ice house where the roast had been placed, make an amusing chapter of our adventures. Suffice it to say, that by the time the day was over he appeared with the roast done to a turn, and a great quantity of delicious brown gravy. Twenty-four of us had supper together on this gay occasion.
     In the evening, "The Ten Commandments" were my subject, and Mr. Heilman spoke on "Reading the Writings." A schoolteacher and her husband were present, and he asked many interesting questions. It was late before the meeting broke up.
     On the following morning, July 11th, we parted from these New Churchmen and their attractive children with a real feeling of sadness, and headed north to Saskatoon, Sask. In order to save about 100 miles we took a gumbo road, but we lived to regret it, for it had rained in the night, and we had gone scarcely 15 miles when the car skidded into a position at right angles to the road, from which we were powerless to right it until some help arrived in the form of four young men who aided us to hold the car on the road while we rounded a hair-pine curve. For the rest of that day, driving was very slow, and instead of taking us three hours, it consumed about eight. Somewhat tired, we arrived at the home of Mary (Hiebert) Dawling, who lives in Saskatoon, at 5 p.m. Jacob Hiebert had asked us to stop here and baptize his daughter Isabel, age 14. Mr. Heilman located Agnes Hiebert, an older sister, and brought her over to Mary's, and after supper had been served to twelve boarders the dining room was converted into a chapel, and a simple baptism service was held for Isabel. The two older sisters were so impressed by the sphere that they asked us to return to Saskatoon on our way back from Rosthern to baptize them.
     At nine o'clock we left to drive 55 miles to Wilfred Klippensteins. The roads were far from good, and it was not until 11.30 that we pulled up before his home. Wilfred and his wife gave us a royal welcome, and insisted on our partaking of a midnight feast, at which we had a warm and friendly conversation.

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The following morning we had a service at which Wilfred's wife and their two children were baptized into the Church. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols (Wilfred's sister) were present at the service, and the Holy Supper was administered to four communicants. Later on, an excellent chicken dinner, at which the conversation was animated and congenial, took care of the needs of the natural man.
     From here a thirty-mile drive brought us to the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamm, of Rosthern, where we had arranged for a public lecture at the schoolhouse for that evening. Fourteen persons were present, including Rev. Peters, the Convention minister, and his wife.
     The following day, Mr. Heilman took Mr. and Mrs. Hamm and Adelaide on a sixty-five mile trip up to Prince Albert to get their daughter Justina and bring her down to supper. Mrs. Peters invited me to have lunch with them, and I spent a delightful afternoon in their company. The theme of our conversation was boxy the various bodies of the Church could best cooperate to bring the doctrines to the many isolated members throughout the vast territory of Northwest Canada. That evening we held a Holy Supper service at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamm, at which Mr. and Mrs. John Beck and some of their children and a neighbor, Mr. Abram D. Epp, were present. Ten partook of communion. After the service we had a social evening that lasted until midnight.
     Bright and early the next morning, Sunday, July 14th, we set out for Saskatoon to baptize the two Hiehert girls. When we arrived we found that Mrs. Mary Dawling had been called out of town to the bedside of a sick friend. We held the service for Agnes on the fourth floor of a large apartment house. Mr. Heilman, Agnes and I were the only persons present, but we had a full service with baptism, lessons, a sermon, and the Holy Supper. It was our smallest congregation, numerically, and yet we were both deeply impressed. Agnes expressed the deep yearning to visit Bryn Athyn, a wish which we hope will one day be gratified.

     Alberta.

     After lunch we set out for Oyen and Benton. Alberta, where the Nelson and William Evens live, a distance of 204 miles. We arrived at Nelson Evens' at seven o'clock, and were given a friendly welcome. In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. William Evens came over and we had a friendly talk about the church and our mutual friends. The following day I gave a class in the afternoon to the William Evens' children while Mr. Heilman called on a school teacher be had interested the year before. In the evening we had a Holy Supper service, and I preached on "The Name of the Lord." Ten were present. Next morning we had a class at which both Mr. Heilman and I talked on the subject of " The Life After Death." The class was followed by a family dinner at which all the Nelson and William Evens were present. After the meal Mr. Heilman took colored motion pictures of the group, a practice which he had followed with the other groups that we had met.

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     We left the Evens with great regret about 1.00 p.m., hoping to make the 378 miles to Edmonton that night, but we had gone only 35 miles when it commenced to rain. Unless you have experienced riding on a gumbo road in the rain it is impossible to describe it. The surface is absolutely like axle grease, and from 2 to 10 miles per hour is the most that you can travel. We came up to an oil truck that had slid over the embankment, and as we stopped, our own front wheel went over; but helping hands pushed us back on the road. The man behind us was particularly helpful, and on several occasions helped us to regain the center of the road. Once, while we were waiting for traffic to move, Mr. Heilman slipped back and gave him a copy of Heaven and Hell to read. It took us two hours to go six miles to Youngstown, where we purchased chains that enabled us to proceed with safety. About midnight we reached the curious town of Drumheller. It is in a grotto sunk some 300-500 feet below the surface of the surrounding prairie. Its cliffs are full of petrified wood, coalmines, and the remains of the ancient dinosaur.
     The following day we covered 244 miles and arrived at Edmonton, Alberta, without mishap. Here we were entertained at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. J. Madill. The hour was so late that they had called off the meeting that I was supposed to have addressed that evening. Providence, this time in the form of rain, made it impossible for us to leave Edmonton the following day; for we had come to the end of paved roads, and a thousand miles of gumbo lay before us. Thus we were able to meet with the newly organized Edmonton New Church Society. (See August N. C. Life.) We met at the home of Major and Mrs. F. H. Norbury, and after both Mr. Heilman and I had addressed them we had a stimulating evening of questions and conversation. We wish all success to this pioneer society!

     British Columbia.

     The morning of July 19th dawned clear and bright, and we decided to commence our journey up into the Peace River district over the gumbo roads. That day we made 272 miles to High Prairie, and the following day we began to contact our New Church friends. One hundred and ten miles brought us to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Binx (Katherine Lemky). They were glad to see us, and we asked them to let the family know that we would try to return for a Sunday service on July 28th. A hundred miles farther on brought us to Pouce Coupe, the home of Erdman and Lena (Hamm) Hendrick (formerly Heinrichs) and their seven delightful children. We visited with them for about an hour and made arrangements for them to come up to the Millers at Dawson Creek the following day for a service. We then went about fifteen miles further to the home of Mr. Marshall Miller and his wife, who was Viola Jean Evens, and their four children. Here we made arrangements to hold a service the following day for the four families who live in the Peace River Block. Mr. Heilman drove on 23 miles to Progress to tell the Ted Hawleys and the Healdon Starkes of the service on the following day. (Healdon enlisted in the army in February, and is now in England.)

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     Sunday, July 21st, we had a grand service at the Millers with the Hawleys, Starkeys, Hendricks present a total of 25. A class and singing practice with the children had preceded the worship and helped to make it go with real spirit. After church we had a chicken dinner and a fine social time. We took out our instruments and had many a hearty song. Mr. Heilman had brought in the Hawleys and the Starkeys, and Mr. Miller had gotten the Hendricks. The threat of rain now broke up the meeting earlier than any of us desired. Before the guests departed, it was arranged for Betty Hendrick to stay with the Millers, so that I could give a confirmation class to Leona and Marjory Miller, together with Betty Hendrick. Thelma and Billy Miller returned with the Hendricks, and the plan was for me to go down to the Hendricks on Tuesday for classes with the younger children. Heavy rain, however, made this journey impossible.
     Mr. Heilman was now marooned by the rain in Progress, where he divided his time between the Hawleys and the Starkey's, while I spent my time at the Millers. On Monday I had classes morning and afternoon with Leona and Marjory Miller and Betty Hendrick, and on Tuesday morning they had their confirmation service.
     On Thursday. July 25th, the weather cleared up sufficiently for me to be able to call on the Erdman Hendrick family, but the time was all too short as I had to get up to Progress the same day for a service at Gladys Starkey's. Mr. Heilman met me at the Millers, and together we went out to Progress. On the way we stopped to pick up Mrs. Mudiman and her three children, a family who had been interested in the doctrines last summer. Mrs. Mudiman seemed very anxious to have her children attend the service. We arrived at the Starkeys at 4.00 p.m. and at five we held a church service, with the administration of the Holy Supper. There were 18 present, several of the neighboring families having come by invitation. I preached on the subject of the "Three Marys." After the service Mr. Heilman took the Mudiman family home and I stayed with the Starkey's. We talked of the doctrines and of our mutual friends in the church; when it came time for the children to go to bed I conducted family worship for them. At 9.15. I commenced my walk home to the Hawley's; Mrs. Starkey accompanied me part of the way, and we had an interesting chat about the problems which life in the far Northwest presents to New Church parents. When I arrived at the Hawleys, they had refreshments prepared, and we had a jolly social time.
     The following day Mr. Heilman drove me over to the Starkeys, where we had school opening exercises with the children. I spoke of the story of David and Goliath, and Mr. Heilman about "Quarreling." Mr. Heilman then took the children for a ride, while I read two sermons to Mrs. Starkey and two young ladies that are staying with her. In the afternoon I had school with the children, interspersing their classes with the learning of songs. In the middle of the afternoon we had a recess, and the children took me for a walk through the bush; we gathered more than eighteen different kinds of flowers. After recess we had another class on the Ten Commandments, and then I returned to a turkey dinner at the Hawleys, prepared by Mr. Heilman.

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In the evening I gave a class on the "Apostle John."
     The next morning I returned to the Starkeys, and it was a touching sight to see all of the children waiting for me at the foot of the mountain, about a mile from their home. Another day of school followed, with instruction in the morning and afternoon. During the afternoon recess I read four sermons to Gladys and the two young ladies. Supper was in the form of a banquet in honor of the wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Starkey. We had a toast to the Church and one to Conjugial Love, to which I responded. The absence of Healdon was keenly felt by us all. Here, as elsewhere, the time was all too short, and we parted with reluctance. Mr. Heilman had spent the day calling on the Hendricks at Pouce Coupe.
     Sunday morning. July 28th, we had a Holy Supper service with the Hawleys and their two guests, a lady and her daughter from Scotland. Following the service we found it difficult to part from their hospitable home. Mrs. Hawley was Laurina Doering of Kitchener.
     We had lunch with the Millers at Dawson Creek, B. C., and then proceeded with them to the Erdman Hendricks at Pouce Coupe, B. C., where we held another church service. The sphere of this service was enhanced by an organ, which was played by Mrs. Miller. After the service we had a delightful picnic on the lawn of the Hendricks. Threatening clouds, however, made it necessary for us to leave earlier than we had planned, and for eighty miles we managed to keep ahead of the rain; then, suddenly, without any warning, we struck a wet spot on the road and found ourselves traveling along in the ditch three feet below the level of the road. Fortunately it was wide enough to hold the car, and no personal damage was sustained, but a good Samaritan who offered to get the car out for us succeeded only in burning out the bearings, the transmission, and the rear. We limped into Gorand Prairie, where we left the car at a Ford garage to be repaired while we took a taxi out to Johan Lemky's. We arrived at ten o'clock and received a cordial welcome. John, Herbert, and Arthur, unmarried sons, live with their parents, and Monday evening we had a class for the family. I spoke on the subject of the "Internal Sense of the Word," and Mr. Heilman on "A True Conscience." Tuesday had been set aside for a church service and the gathering of the clan. After an elaborate meal we assembled in the living room for church. There were present, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Johan Lemky and their three sons, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lemky and their child, Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Binx (Katherine Lemky) and their child, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Mackey (Anna Lemky) and their two children, and Miss Leona Miller of Dawson Creek. At this service the two children of Mr. and Mrs. Mackey were baptized, and the Holy Supper was administered. Mr. and Mrs. Jean Gaboury (Mary Lemky) and their five children arrived too late for the service, so we held a second service for them. That evening Mr. Heilman, the Mackeys, and I were invited to supper at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lemky, where we spent a most enjoyable musical evening. On Wednesday evening we held another class for Mr. and Mrs. Johan Lemky and their three sons.

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     Thursday noon found the car at last repaired, and we were on our way to Ed Lemkys at Crooked Creek, forty miles away. It is hard to describe just how far off the beaten trail Ed lives. One leaves the main gumbo road for a five-mile drive over a country lane. Then a barbed-wire gate is taken down, and we enter a field with only wagon ruts to follow. For six miles the trail goes up and down and along the top of a 150-foot precipice. Many times we nearly gave up, but when we finally arrived the welcome that we received more than repaid us. It was five p.m., and as soon as Ed had been introduced he said, "Mr. Alden, I want a service right now, another after supper, and one after breakfast before you leave in the morning!" Such enthusiasm could not fail to stir us. At the first service, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Lemky and their two children, Mrs. Lemky's adult nephew was present. At the evening service, which lasted until midnight, Mrs. Dixon, a trapper's wife, and her two sons were present. The sphere of the church in this household was delightful. After breakfast we held a final service, and here again it was hard to say "Good-bye."

     Return Journey.

     It was August 2nd when we turned our faces definitely toward home, with about 4,500 miles of road to traverse. It is not necessary to mention the details of this journey; it is enough to say that we were unable to keep our engagement with the Edmonton group, although we did have the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Madill again. From Edmonton we traveled down the Jaspar Banff highway, and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
     At High River, forty miles south of Calgary, Alberta, we stopped in to see Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gilbert (Anna Peppler of Kitchener), an adult son, and a niece from Winnipeg, Man. We arrived in time for supper, and were urged to spend the night. Mr. Heilman gave the two young folks a class that evening, and I had a service for the family the following morning. We were treated most cordially and urged to return again next year.
     Our final contact was with Mr. Joe Hill, brother of the late Ed Hilt of Kitchener. He lives about seven miles south of the Gilberts on a chicken farm, and we had an interesting half hour's conversation with him.
     From noon of August 6th to midnight of August 10th we were busy driving to Glenview, Illinois. Oft the poet's words, " And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep," came to my mind.
     On Sunday evening. August 11th, we gave an account of our trip to the Glenview Society, and Mr. Heilman showed them the moving pictures be had taken last year.
     Monday we visited Carrie Louise Alden, a member of the General Church in Gorand Rapids, Mich., and later in the same day Guy Smith Alden at Lansing, Mich.
     Tuesday found us at the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Childs in Saginaw. Mich., where I gave a class and Mr. Heilman gave an account of our trip.

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     Wednesday we were entertained by the Sons' Chapter in Kitchener, and I gave an address to the Society on New Church Education, while Mr. Heilman told them of our trip.
     Thursday we spent in Toronto, and addressed an informal gathering at the home of Lenore Bellinger.
     A four-hundred-mile drive on Friday brought us to Lake Wallenpaupack, where our wives awaited us, and it seemed good to be home once more.
     To both of us the trip had seemed immensely worth-while. We had spoken to upwards of 330 persons, baptized eleven, confirmed three, and administered the Holy Supper wherever it had been desired. It is a pleasure to minister to these people, and it is our hope that circumstances will never again make it impossible to carry the teachings of the New Church to them.
     In concluding, I should like to say a word of the work that Mr. Heilman did on this trip. He is a missionary par excellence. Through his efforts more than 150 copies of the Writings were distributed, together with many copies of the Pastoral Extension Pamphlets and other collateral works. His ability to meet strangers and talk to them about the doctrines of the Church is a rare gift. As a traveling companion, his unfailing good nature and kindly ways made him a friend to be relied upon and deeply appreciated.
EFFECTIVE POWERS OF REVELATION 1940

EFFECTIVE POWERS OF REVELATION       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1940

     THE WORD, THE INTERNAL MAN, AND SPIRITUAL ATTENDANTS.

     In the dark ages that prevailed between the Flood and the Lord's Second Advent, the Divine Revelations given to men were written in correspondences. Man's reading of them was thereby potent to project an internal sense upon the spirits who surrounded him. This stimulated good spirits and angels intellectually and as to their uses, and put a quietus on the operations of evil spirits. As a return to the man, an environment of good spirits, with their good affections, was secured about his mind. In this return from the other world, there was also an important operation upon the concupiscences and the astutenesses of his internal man, thus upon the inclinations he had inherited from his mother. We may even conjecture that when he read the Word in the Hebrew, which affects the celestial angels, the return from them upon his mind must have had some effect upon the deeper loves of self and the world which are the paternal heredity.
     But when human traditions had nullified the power of the Word, the Lord descended into a body of flesh, out of which He openly taught truths.

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He restored then the veneration for His Word, and renewed its capability to affect men's spiritual attendants, and by the return from these to act upon men's internal man. By His Second Advent in the Everlasting Gospel," in which Swedenborg has recorded in natural language the thoughts and affections of angels and spirits, so that it is the New Jerusalem descended from heaven upon earth, a transparent instrument has been given by which the Lord directly addresses the concupiscences and astutenesses of the internal man of him who devoutly reads it. He had also done this previously by the relatively rare unclothed passages in former Revelations where the internal sense stands forth in the letter to disclose the things necessary to salvation; but not universally, as is the Writings, where nearly every passage is an unclothed one, and hardly any are covered. (De Domino, Preface; T. C. R. 508.)
     A New Churchman's spiritual attendants are not therefore those who are mainly affected by his reading of the Writings. They are not the necessary intermediaries by which the Lord must operate in order to have some effect upon his internal man. For the Writings, in their transparent presentation of the internal sense, of the spiritual glory in the cloud of their verbiage, are the voice of the Lord to the internal man, in order to reorganize it and make it a fellow servant among those enrolled in the Lord's service in the other world. The very character of the Writings, in their continual unrolling of misleading appearances and fallacies, so that the essential truth may be clearly seen, is a striking witness to the fact that they have been composed in such a way as to impress their message strongly upon the conscience of the reader's internal man; as when they declare that not the person, but the good in the person, is the neighbor who is to be regarded, and that it is not the deed, but the spirit or intention behind the deed, that determines its quality.
     By the previous correspondential Revelations an external tabernacle, constituted of a man's spiritual attendants, had been draped about his internal man. The subsequent result was to produce some regenerative effects in that mind.. But little progress in that direction was made during the forty centuries in which those Revelations held sway, and their chief use was merely to maintain the consociation of the spiritual world with the natural world, and to put a quietus on the seditions of evil spirits, which would have led to serious disturbances in both worlds.

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     But now, by the Writings, quite apart from the mediation of spiritual attendants, the human will and understanding are directly spoken to by the Lord. The concupiscences and astutenesses of the internal man can no longer skulk in their lairs, which could only be approached warily, but are haled out to continual last judgments under the clear light of the Heavenly Doctrines. Only those who willingly submit themselves to this ordeal by repeated self-examinations will persevere to become faithful workers in the Lord's new vineyard. Delivered from being the sport of stubborn passions, secretly sustained by concupiscences and astutenesses, they are led by the Lord, who instils spiritual principles in their internal man as they read the Writings. And then, as they battle against evils and falses, He further strengthens them by imbuing the external or natural man with a corresponding spiritual essence.
NEW CHURCH LIFE 1940

NEW CHURCH LIFE       G. A. MCQUEEN       1940

     Sixtieth Anniversary.

     The Report of the editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE to the recent General Assembly gives occasion for much satisfaction to all who have been interested in the journal for many years. The undersigned has read every volume from the beginning to the present time, and was interested in the editors reference to the origin of the magazine as shown in the letters of Mr. Charles P. Stuart, one of the five young men who constituted the first Board of Editors. One of these editors, the Rev. George G. Starkey, is still with us, and attends our Glenview "Life" reading meetings; the others have passed to the spiritual world. These men could not have imagined that their efforts would result in establishing a magazine which for sixty years would stand as the permanent record of the work being done in the name of the distinctiveness of New Church teaching as found in the Writings. It can be seen as of the Divine Providence that the material means for publishing the journal have been provided all through the years. The LIFE has become the finest record of the life of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to it must go the future historian who would learn of the teaching given from the pulpits of our Church, the various steps in the progression towards a more interior understanding of the Word, the reports of our ecclesiastical and educational work, and our social doings.
     Newcomers should be given the LIFE to read, if they show the necessary affection for the spiritual quality of the New Church. It is assumed that the pupils of our schools are made familiar with the magazine, but this is not always as apparent as one would expect.

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As to the question of the circulation of the LIFE, it all depends upon the appetite of the people; like the reading of the Writings, this cannot be brought about by compulsion.
     The present writer has always felt thankful that the Rev. William Henry Acton and the late Rev. Edward S. Hyatt, when they were Conference students introduced the LIFE to him so early in his membership in the New Church. May the good influence of the LIFE be increased for many years to come!     G. A. MCQUEEN.

Glenview, Illinois, September 1, 1940.
LOVE OF DOMINION FROM THE LOVE OF SELF 1940

LOVE OF DOMINION FROM THE LOVE OF SELF              1940

     The love of self is of such a character that, so far as the reins are relaxed, that is, so far as external bonds are removed, which are the fear of the law and its penalties, and the fear of the loss of reputation, honor, gain function, and life, so far it rushes on, until it not only wishes to have command over the whole world, but also over heaven, and over the Divine Itself. There is never any terminus or end to it. This lies hidden in everyone who is in the love of self, although it is not evident before the world, where such reins and bonds hold it back; and every such man, where he is met by impossibility, waits there until it becomes possible. The man who is in such a love does not know that such an insane cupidity without limit lies hidden within him. That it is nevertheless the case, everyone can see with potentates and kings, for whom there are no such reins, bonds, and impossibilities, and who rush on and subjugate provinces and kingdoms as far as success attends them, and aspire to power and glory without limit; and still more with those who extend their domination into heaven, and transfer all the Divine power of the Lord to themselves, and continually desire more." (N. J. H. D. 71. See H. H. 559.)
LOVE OF DOMINION FROM UNSELFISH LOVE 1940

LOVE OF DOMINION FROM UNSELFISH LOVE              1940

     "There are two kinds of dominion, one is of love towards the neighbor, and the other is of the love of self. These two kinds of dominion are in their essence altogether opposite to each other. He who rules from love towards the neighbor wills good to all, and loves nothing more than to perform uses, thus to be of service to others. To serve others is to benefit them from willing well to them, and to perform uses. This is his love, and this is the delight of his heart. If he is elevated to dignities, he is also gladdened, not on account of the dignities, but on account of the uses which he is then able to perform in greater abundance and in greater degree. Such is the dominion in the heavens. But he who dominates from the love of self wills good to no one, but only to himself and his own. The uses which he performs are for the sake of his own honor and glory, which to him are the only uses. To him, serving others is for the end that he may be served, honored, and have dominion. He is ambitious for dignities, not for the sake of the goods which he may perform, but that be may be in eminence and glory, and thence in the delight of his heart." (N. J. H. D. 72.)

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     Although Australia is actively engaged in the present struggle, in the outcome of which her welfare, too, is involved, and her people may be called upon to make and assume increasingly heavy sacrifices and responsibilities, we are still so far from the actual scene of conflict that the changes brought about by war conditions have not yet affected the life and work of the Hurstville Society in any way. During the three months that have passed since Easter, the program outlined in our last report has been followed without change, and with considerable success. Classes, study groups, and other meetings have had the active support of members and interested friends, and in the last few weeks there has been an increase in attendance at public worship.
     From among the general happenings of this period the following are perhaps deserving of special mention as adding some detail to the outline just sketched in. The series of doctrinal classes on "Angels and Spirits with Men," with which we began the year, was concluded at the end of April, and is being followed by a series on " The Doctrine of Reflection. The series of evening sermons based on the Invitation to the New Church was also ended during this period, and will he followed by a new series under the general title, "Permissions of Providence."
     To their other activities, the members of the Ladies' Guild have added the very useful and practical one of knitting for the armed forces, and needles are now being plied busily at every meeting.
     Although the local Sons have not seen their way to extend in this direction, they too have had some interesting and useful meetings. Papers given have been off the beaten track, and the Chapter has heard addresses on "Mohammedanism," "The Diesel Engine," and "Christian Science," from the Pastor, Mr. Fred Kirsten, and Mr. Norman Heldon, respectively;-interesting if mixed fare which is not without its use in a program of adult education.
     A most enjoyable party was given by the Heldon family in April, and on a recent public holiday the young people staged a tennis tournament in which some of the young people of the Sydney Society also took part.
     We have had a most welcome visitor in the person of Mrs. Bengt Carlson (nee Martha Schroder of Chicago), and we regret only that it was impossible for her to visit Hurstville more often. Another visitor, Miss Evelyn White, returns shortly to her home in South Australia. She has been here long enough to become a member of the congregation, and will be very much missed.
     In concluding this miscellany, we might mention that the church building has at last been heated. A gas unit which circulates warmed air at a controlled temperature has been installed and is now in operation, and we can face the Winter without trepidation.
     Of course, the principal events in this period were those in which we celebrated another New Church Day. A sermon on the three essentials of the Church (Divine Providence, no. 259) delivered on Sunday, June 16, prepared the way for this celebration, which began with a service of praise held in the evening of the 19th of June.

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The sermon was on the text, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men" (Rev. 21: 3), and it was heard by the largest congregation that has ever assembled here for this special service.
     The children's banquet was held on the following Saturday afternoon, and was a liberal and appetizing feast, planned and prepared by the lady teachers, assisted by some of the children. At the close of the meal the Pastor told the children the story of the first New Church Day, his talk being illustrated by a series of pastel drawings made by Mrs. Henderson, and these, illuminated from behind, were most effective.
     The Holy Supper was administered on Sunday morning, June 23, at the close of a service in which the subject of the sermon was "A Woman Clothed with the Sun." (Rev. 12:1.) This service also was well attended, as was the children's service in the afternoon, at which the Pastor spoke to the children about the Second Coming of the Lord. As on previous occasions, Mrs. Fletcher had held singing practices for the children, and their consequent familiarity with the music added much to the beauty of the service.
     There were twenty-eight guests at the banquet held in the evening, which brought our celebration to a close and to a fitting climax. Mr. Lindthman Heldon, who acted as toastmaster, is to be congratulated on his preparation and handling of a fine program, as are the ladies of the social committee for the excellent meal with which we were provided. A particularly inspiring message was received from Bishop de Charms with vigorous and sustained applause, and we were delighted also to hear from our old friend in South Australia. Mrs. Martha White. Mr. Sydney Heldon read a fine paper entitled "The New Church is Born," and his brother Lindthman followed with another of the same quality on "The Perpetuation of the Church." Both papers led to some interesting discussion. Toasts to "The Church," "The Nineteenth of June," "Friends Across the Sea," and "Our Society," were proposed by the Pastor and Messrs. Norman Heldon, Fred Fletcher, and Ossian Heldon, and were honored in wine and appropriate song. Some informal toasts were also drunk, and the banquet closed with a short address by the Pastor, followed by the Benediction.
     In every way, perhaps because of tragic contrasts, our celebrations this year seemed to be particularly inspiring; and we go forward with gratitude to the Lord for this renewal of our trust in His Divine Providence, and our confidence that that Providence is operating no less effectively now to continue the work begun on that "day of all day's" which we have been privileged again to celebrate.
     W. C. H.

     NORTHERN OHIO.

     August 10.-By this time I suppose everyone in all quarters of the globe is aware that we have finally succeeded in "ettin" the Rev. Norman Reuter to settle in Akron as our resident pastor.
     It came about in this way. On Sunday, June 23, just before the General Assembly, Mr. Reuter conducted cur service at the Portage Hotel in Akron, which was followed by a feast at the Arthur Wiedinger's home and a general meeting afterwards to consider the advisability of accepting Mr. Reuters offer to locate in Akron. Everyone present agreed to put his shoulder to the wheel, and to try out the noble experiment for a year. Ben Fuller explained that there was a war in Europe, and we allowed that any offers of support would be subject to conditions and unexpected events, but that it was up to everybody to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and do the best he could. A spirit of willingness to sacrifice to that end was manifest. Finally it was unanimously voted that Mr. Reuter convey to Bishop de Charms at the Assembly our humble thanks for the opportunity given us, which we gladly accepted.

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     It was further resolved that the secretary and treasurer send out pledge-cards to our members, and this has been done. Arthur Wiedinger is our treasurer, and somehow or other he manages to get results. He doesn't know how to build a house but he is a good treasurer.
     So now Mr. and Mrs. Reuter have moved their belongings to the "rubber city" and at last we have a full-fledged resident pastor in a peerless town, with a peerless group, and his address is 920 Peerless Avenue.
     At Youngstown. Ohio on July 28th, a service of worship was held at the old Pioneer Pavilion in Mill Creek Park. Through the generosity of Mrs. Alice Harrold, this pavilion was leased for our exclusive use, and it seemed to be especially adapted for our purposes, with a large room ideal for the service, and a banquet hall beneath-the whole in pleasant natural surroundings.
     What made this event a particular success was the presence of the Rev. Ormond Odhner, who preached an excellent sermon on the subject of "Prudence" which was exceedingly enjoyed by all members of the group. We felt specially privileged to welcome him whole-heartedly to our midst. He leaves us shortly, however, for a continuance of his uses with the group at Wyoming, Ohio.
     After the dinner, there was a lengthy discussion of plans for the meeting of the Pittsburgh District Assembly, which is to be held at the Portage Hotel in Akron, October 5th and 6th next. We hope that many will attend, and we are waiting to see whether the Pittshurghers will come in force to a Pittsburgh Assembly not held in Pittsburgh.
     W. C. N.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     We are happy to be able to report progress in the activities of the Michigan Group. From now on we expect to have a service and series of doctrinal classes regularly each month.
     Our visiting pastor, the Rev. Norman Reuter, who for some time has been an overworked young man, has finally been granted the services of an assistant in the person of the Rev. Ormond Odhner, leaving Mr. Reuter free to devote much more of his time to the Northern Ohio and Michigan groups. We of the Michigan group are anticipating a very successful year, now that we can look forward to regular and more frequent meetings, and we are thankful for the opportunity to increase our activities. It marks a definite step nearer to our goal of becoming an organized society with a resident pastor.
     Our last meeting prior to the Summer vacation period was held on Sunday, June 9, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Childs in Saginaw. Perhaps it would be unkind to suggest that the large attendance in spite of the distance to be traveled may have been due in part to the excellent dinner provided by the Childs, but it seemed that everybody was on hand with astonishing appetites.
     The service, conducted by Mr. Reuter, was impressive and beautiful, and was followed by the administration of the Holy Supper. It was a delight to have with us on this occasion our old friend and leader, the Rev. Fred Waelchli. He took no part in the service, but bestowed his blessing by worshipping with the rest of us Afterwards, at the dinner, we had the pleasure of bearing him in an extemporaneous address.
     Unfortunately, Mr. Childs was ill, and unable to take part in our activities. Later he held a levee in his room, where everyone went to chat with him and offer various remedies for his ailment. That he did not take any of them probably accounted for his speedy recovery.
     With holidays Out of the way, Mr. Reuter resumed his visits to Detroit on August 22, remaining through the 26th, conducting evening doctrinal classes on both dates. At the Sunday service we had the pleasure of listening to a sermon by the Rev. Ormond Odhner, who delivered a very practical and helpful discourse on Psalm 37: 1-3, commencing with the words, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers."

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He pointed out the Lord's purpose in bestowing riches and honors upon some, even the evil, while withholding them from others, and in the course of the sermon gave a most vivid and graphic description of hell, so harrowing in its details as to make a most profound impression. Certainly it does no harm, even to New Churchmen, to be reminded occasionally that there is a very real hell, and that it is not a pleasant place. Mr. Odhner succeeded in doing this very realistically.
     Our pastor's next visit will commence on October 10th, and continue through the 16th, on which day we are to be honored with an episcopal visit by Bishop de Charms. In the evening there will be a banquet, and we shall have the pleasure of listening to an address by the Bishop.
     A welcome addition to our group is Mr. Guy Alden of Bryn Athyn, who is employed by the Michigan Sugar Company, at Lansing, Mich. In spite of the long distance, Guy manages to get to our meetings, and is a very popular addition to the younger set.
     Visitors we were very happy to have with us at our August meeting in Detroit were: Miss June Macauley, of the faculty at Bryn Athyn, and her sister, Mrs. Bertil Larsson of Nutley, N. J.; also Mr. Kent Hyatt of Bryn Athyn.
     W. W. W.

     OBITUARY.

     Mrs. F. R. Cooper.

     By the passing of Mrs. Laura Cooper to the other world on August 11th, we have lost one of our great supporters, one who has been a very staunch member and has performed a very great use in the church from her earliest days.
     Mr. and Mrs. Cooper came to Colchester about sixty years ago from Ipswich, where they already had some knowledge of the New Church. Here they met Mr. G. A. McQueen, who introduced them to the Conference Society in Colchester and to the lectures then being given in the town by the Rev. Joseph Dean. Several years later the General Church was introduced, and most of the members of the Colchester Society, including Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, left the Conference and formed a society of the General Church.
     Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have always been most hospitable, never a Sunday passing without some of the friends being invited to their house. We recall especially the time when we first received the new music to the Psalms. by Mr. Whittington. We practised them until we mastered most of them, Mr. Cooper conducting and Mrs. Cooper being the leading singer. We had wonderful times at their home.
     Mrs. Cooper is survived by her husband, Mr. Frederick Ryle Cooper, three sons. Frederick, William, and John, and three daughters, Florence (Mrs. R. G. Cranch), Olive and Phillis-all staunch members of the Church.
     W. E. EVERETT.

     COVERT, MICHIGAN.

     About thirty years ago a Meeting House was built upon a sand dune near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan by several New Church families who had bought lots and erected homes in this place of wondrous beauty and charm. It was W. W. W. dedicated to the uses of the New Church. Among the trustees were members of the General Convention and the General Church.
     The land was laid out by Mr. Olaf Benson, well-known New Churchman of the early days in Chicago, collaborator with Mr. Swain Nelson in the landscape gardening of Lincoln Park. Through Mr. Benson came his pastor, the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck, who interested the Seymour Nelson family and that of Dr. Harvey Farrington, also Miss Emily Wallenburg, who brought the W. L. Gladish family. From Detroit, through Mr. Schreck, came the Wunsch family, the Grahams and Gurneys and the Fields. The family of the Rev. Louis Hoeck was among those who came first bringing music and social charm not soon forgotten.

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"All, all are gone, the old familiar faces." Yet not all. A few are left and the church work has been carried on for years by the Rev. W. L. Gladish.
     In the early days, when there were many children to be cared for, the Meeting House flourished. I recall one Sunday, years ago, when the congregation numbered ninety-an all-time high. We had weekly Friday suppers and class and also Ladies' Meetings. One Summer the Rev. and Mrs. David Klein held a daily class for several groups of children.
     Occasionally we have visitors at the Sunday service from among those of other faiths in the Summer colony of Linden Hills (Covert, P. O.) and Palisades Park, who are very kindly disposed toward us, though we cannot claim that any great impression has been made.
     If ever the services in the Meeting House should cease to be held, the ownership of the property would revert to the Covert Company which gave us the lot.
     During the present Summer, the Rev. Victor J. Gladish and his family have spent six weeks or more with us, and Mr. Gladish has done the work which needed doing with earnestness and zeal, and has delivered excellent sermons. On one Sunday in July there were twenty children in the congregation. The largest attendance this year was thirty-nine persons.
     L. W. G.

     LONDON, ENGLAND.

     The following is gathered from the "News Letter" of August 15:
     A congregation of some sixty friends gathered on Sunday, August 4, for a special celebration of Michael Church in place of the usual British Assembly. The pastor preached on the words of Psalm 28: 9, "Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; and feed them, and lift them up to eternity." The Holy Supper was then administered to a large number of communicants.
     Immediately after the service a tightly packed, but congenial, gathering partook of lunch in the schoolroom. The reading of a " Special News Bulletin ` (Announcer, Mr. Philip Waters), prepared by Mrs. A. Wynne Acton, added to the joviality of the occasion; not to mention the
     Postscript" given by Mr. John Cooper. An hour's interval followed, during which most of the people had a walk around Myatt's Park.
     The Rev. Martin Pryke, after conducting the morning service at Colchester, joined us in time for the afternoon meeting at 2:45. After we had sung the 9th Psalm, Mr. Victor Tilson presented a musical programme, taken mostly from the Psalms. Those contributing were Mrs. Wainscot, Miss Edith Cooper, Mr. A. Cooper, Mr. W. Lewin, and Mr. Tilson himself, who also introduced and appropriately connected the very delightful numbers in a way to make us feel more fully the power of the words and of the music.
     Mr. Pryke then read an interesting and comprehensive paper on the subject of Prayer, which was heartily received and called forth a good discussion. The members also took this opportunity to welcome Mr. Pryke in his new use in this country.
     Tea followed, being provided by a committee of ladies, and after it Mr. Wainscot read to us a very amusing
     Archeological " skit written by Miss Edith Elphick.
     The day closed with a short Evening Service, the theme of which was
     The Stream of Providence,"-an appropriate ending to a most encouraging and delightful day.
     Attending our celebration, besides ten visitors from Colchester, and one from Brighton, we were delighted to be able to welcome Mr. Healdon Starkey, who is serving in the Canadian Army.

     JONKOPING, SWEDEN.

     At the time of writing, the Summer period of decreased activity is coming to a close, and on September 8th we shall again resume all the regular activities of our Society.

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     For the third time in as many years we are to move to a new place of worship. In itself, this nomadism is certainly to be regretted but owing to various circumstances there has been no alternative. Nor is it a matter of major importance. In the forthcoming year we are to occupy a larger room in the lower apartment of the same house where the pastor and his family have their residence. The whole house has been rented in the pastor's name, and therefore we shall be undisturbed by any strangers. This arrangement will provide for the continuance of our public activity, the interruption of which appeared as a threatening possibility before this. Moreover, in a sense it opens up a new field, for the house is situated in Kortebo, two or three miles from the center of Jonkoping. A slight inconvenience for the members is involved in this move, but there is only a five minute train ride from town As we have found it most difficult to bring the town people themselves to our services and classes, our hopes now turn to the Kortebo settlers. The personal contacts already established will help in this regard.
     The latest event in the life of the Society was the Baptismal Service on August 18, when the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Erik Bryntesson (Elisabet Sandstrom) was brought into the sphere of the New Heaven. The sermon dealt with "The Gates of the New Jerusalem," and correlated the teaching concerning these with the teaching concerning Baptism as a Gate. It was stated that the knowledges of truth and good are the spiritual waters by which man is baptized, and also the entrance gates into the Heavenly City; yet that these knowledges themselves are not alone introductory, for the Spirit of Divine Truth within these knowledges must be released, which is done when the seed of knowledge is allowed to fall into the soil of a humble and willing heart. Then man is baptized also with the Holy Spirit, and the Angel-Guards above the gates permit him to enter into the City.
     The whole Society was present at this service, which was followed by a social tea.
     This last mention of Jonkoping in your Church News department calls for the comment that, so far, the pastor has been away on Army duty only seventeen days in all, and therefore the society life has been very little affected by the war conditions in Europe.
     ERIK SANDSTROM.

     BRYN ATHYN.

     The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Eldred E. Iungerich and their three children arrived from abroad on September 7th after a trying journey from The Hague by way of Berlin, Switzerland, Barcelona and Madrid to Lisbon, where they sailed for New York. Dr. Iungerich addressed a public gathering on Friday evening, September 20.

     THE BISHOP'S RETURN.

     Bishop and Mrs. George de Charms, together with the party of friends who accompanied them on their South American tour, returned to Bryn Athyn on September 17th. At a meeting to be held on Friday evening, September 27, the Bishop will give an account of the journey. In our next issue we shall hope to publish a report of this Episcopal Visit to the General Church members residing in Brazil and British Guiana.

     CHARTER DAY GUESTS.

     Arrangements will gladly be made for the entertainment of those who desire to come to Bryn Athyn for the Charter Day Exercises on October 18 and 19. Please write to Miss Celia Bellinger, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES 1940

DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES       Rev. NORMAN H. REUTER       1940




     Announcements




     Members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are cordially invited to attend the following Assemblies:
     Pittsburgh District Assembly.
     At Akron, Ohio.

     The Pittsburgh District Assembly will be held at the Portage Hotel, Main and Market Streets, Akron, Ohio, on Saturday and Sunday, October 5th and 6th, 1940, Bishop George de Charms presiding.

     Program.

Saturday, 11 a.m.-First Session.
          1 p.m.-Luncheon.
          2 p.m.-Address by Bishop de Charms.
          7 p.m.-Banquet.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-Divine Worship. Administration of the Holy Supper.
          REV. NORMAN H. REUTER,
                    Secretary.
Ontario District Assembly 1940

Ontario District Assembly       Rev. ALAN GILL       1940

     At Kitchener, Ont.

     The Twenty-seventh Ontario District Assembly will he held at the Carmel Church. Kitchener, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday October 12th, 13th and 14th, 1940. Bishop George de Charms presiding.
     REV. ALAN GILL,
          Secretary.
Chicago District Assembly 1940

Chicago District Assembly       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1940

     At Glenview, Illinois.

     The Thirty-fifth Chicago District Assembly will he held at the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, from Friday evening, October 11, at 7.00 p.m., to Monday evening, October 14, 1940, the Right Rev. Alfred Acton presiding.
     It is desired that all members and friends of the General Church within reach of Glenview attend and take part in the proceedings, and help to make the program by communicating their suggestions in advance to the undersigned.
     REV. GILBERT H. SMITH,
          12 Park Drive,
          Glenview, Illinois.
CHARTER DAY 1940

              1940

     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held at Bryn Athyn. Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th, 1940.

     Program

Friday, 11 a.m.-Service in the Cathedral, with an Address by the Rev. Dr. William Whitehead.
Friday Afternoon-Football Game.
Friday Evening-Dance.
Saturday 7 p.m.-Banquet in the Assembly Hall. Mr. Stanley F. Ebert, Toastmaster.
WANTED 1940

WANTED              1940

     The Academy Library would like to obtain a set of "The Social Monthly,"-the Manuscript Paper issued in 1879 and 1880 by the Young Folks' Club of the Advent Society in Philadelphia, and afterwards published in printed form as NEW CHURCH LIFE, beginning in January 1881.
     We would appreciate hearing from any of our readers who possess single issues or a complete set of the publication. If necessary, typewritten duplications of the original issues can be made if they are loaned for the purpose.-EDITOR.
SELF-DENIAL AND ITS REWARD 1940

SELF-DENIAL AND ITS REWARD       Rev. F. E. WAELCHLI       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
NOVEMBER, 1940
No. 11
     "Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (Mark 10: 29, 30.)

     He who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word, as revealed in the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, will believe that in this text by house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands, such are meant literally. But not so. For by them are signified, first, various evil qualities pertaining to the unregenerate man, which are to be "left" or overcome, and, then, various good qualities received instead of the former from the Lord. Everyone may see that if he leaves a mother he is not to receive mothers, in like manner neither brethren nor sisters.
     Similar things are here meant as where the Lord says: "Any man that cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, yea, his own soul, is not my disciple." (Luke 14: 26.) Again, speaking of what they who would be saved must endure: "The brother shall deliver the brother to death, the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death." (Matt. 10: 21.) And where He tells that He came not to give peace, but division: "The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (Luke 12: 53.)

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     In our text the Lord says that man is to leave "house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands." By the "house" is meant the man such as he is as to his inmost quality, which is his ruling evil love; by "brethren" and "sisters" are meant interior evil thoughts and affections; by "father and mother," these same interior evil thoughts and affections as origins, or parents, of others more exterior; by "wife " is meant falsity conjoined with the evil ruling love; by " children " are meant derivative evils and falsities more exterior; and by "lands," evils and falsities on the most external plane.
     These man is to "leave," says the Lord, "for my sake and the Gospels." For "His sake" is for the sake of Him who is Jehovah God, the Eternal Father, Himself come on earth for the salvation of mankind; Who came in His love, in that love which is infinite; Who in that love endured all the bitterness of suffering and temptation, even to the passion of the cross and the pangs of death; and Who, the trials o'er, rose in His glorified Human, as the one only God of heaven and earth, and, now and forever, in His Divine love bestows salvation and eternal life upon all who open themselves to receive this, His mercy. For "His sake," to leave all things that are evil is to leave them for the sake of that love, to leave them because in that love there is a wondrous appeal, to leave them because there is a desire from the heart to be conjoined with that love, and to find therein the blessedness of life eternal.
     "For my sake and the Gospel's." The Gospel is the Lord's Love revealing itself, making itself known to man in the Holy Word as Infinite Wisdom. For it's sake is for the sake of receiving from that Wisdom the truth of life and of faith, the truth to guide in all thought, spiritual and natural, having its application to all events and circumstances of life, and ever leading to that intelligence and wisdom which are angelic, enduring forever. The man to whom that Truth appeals will, for its sake, strive to overcome all those evils and falsities in himself which prevent its reception.
     He who, for the Lord's sake and the Gospel's, renounces all that is his unregenerate own, "shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

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He will receive from the Lord a good ruling love, and good thoughts and affections-thoughts of truth and affections of good-on all planes, interior, exterior, and most external. But it is said that he will receive them "with persecutions," that is, in the midst of temptation- combats induced by evil spirits, who endeavor to keep him in evil and to prevent him from coming into good. It is only by passing through these struggles that man can attain to the states of good and truth which the Lord promises; for it is only in these struggles that evil is rejected and good received. Victory is certain for all who wage the combat for the Lord's sake and the Gospels. The new houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children and lands will be theirs, and this "an hundredfold," that is, in all fullness,-"good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over." (Luke 6: 38.) This will be given them during life in this world; for it is said they shall receive it "now in this time." And having received it, it will be for them "in the world to come eternal life," with all its joy and happiness.
     It is the Lord's will that everyone should attain unto the "hundredfold" blessings of life "in this time" and "for eternity"; and therefore the guidance of His Providence is ever to this end, in so far as consistent with man's freedom. It is for the sake of this end that He causes all manner of good states to be implanted in the innocence of infancy and early childhood, so that in later life these good states may, if possible, be led forth and influence man to cease to do evil and to learn to do well, to depart from hell and to journey towards heaven.
     The good states of infancy and early childhood which are implanted seem, when that period has passed, to be lost. Yet not so. They are stored up by the Lord in man's interiors. In the Heavenly Doctrines they are termed "remains," that is, things remaining to serve a possible future use in man's regeneration.
     But considerable time must pass until those remains can be led forth in any degree of fullness. Two preparatory states must precede. Then comes a third, in which there is a beginning of the leading forth of remains, and consequent regeneration. And after this a fourth state, in which the leading forth can be full, and thus a full state of regeneration, wherein the houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children and lands are bestowed an hundredfold.

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     The first of these states, following infancy and early childhood, is in later childhood, say, from the seventh to the fourteenth year. In this time man knows only by memory the things contained in the Word, and in like manner the things in the doctrinals of faith. He also believes himself to be good, because in a general way he knows what is good and what is bad, and has something of regard for the former and aversion for the latter. But his application of his knowledge of the good and the bad is scarcely at all to himself, but rather to others. He regards certain persons as good and others as bad.
     In his second age, approximately from the fourteenth to the twenty-first year, he is not content to know only by memory the things contained in the Word and in doctrinals. He begins to reflect upon them for himself, and to form certain ideas of his own. This pleases him. It flatters his conceit and pride. Yet this very conceit and pride calls into activity something of an affection for truth, which leads him on to learn more truths, which otherwise would be left unlearnt. However, there is still but little thought of the application to life of that which is learned. In fact, there is likely to be in this period considerable indifference as to whether what is done be good or evil.
     During these two periods the Lord has led man in a manner accommodated to his state, even making use of loves that are not good, in order to awaken a certain delight in spiritual thoughts and reflections. And now adult age is at hand, when man will either progress along the line of his previous preparation for spiritual life, or will depart from it. Such turning the one way or the other will be gradual, with some persons much more so than with others.
     With those who are willing to enter upon regeneration there now comes a third state, either soon after entrance upon adult age or after a considerable delay, perhaps even of several years. When it does come, man begins to think about the use of the spiritual truths, which he has learned. He reflects upon what he has read or reads in the Word, and on what he has imbibed or imbibes from doctrinals, and meditates on their use. And now it is that the remains, implanted in early life, begin to be led forth. It is the Lord who leads them forth, and by them He calls into activity with man affections which pertain to love to the Lord and to the neighbor, as also affections which pertain to reverence for the Word and its doctrine.

517


There dawns with man the desire to live for the Lord's sake and the Gospel's. The Lord's love towards him, and all that that love is ever seeking to bestow upon him, makes its powerful appeal to him; as also does that wondrous wisdom, which reveals that love, and guides into genuine intelligence and wisdom. And so, for the Lord's sake and the Gospel's, he begins to leave house and brethren and sisters and father and mother, and wife and children and lands, and to receive in their stead those that are new,-"with persecutions." Temptation-combats come severe and ever more severe. Yet at the same time the states that are new, bestowed by the Lord, approach ever nearer to the measure of being "an hundredfold."
     We have said that the third state, coming at about the time of entrance upon adult age, has its beginning in man's thinking of putting to use the truths which he learns. It is well with man when there comes to him such thinking. In it there is the promise of regeneration and of eternal life. But if there does not come such thinking, then in time will the truths that have been learned he lightly esteemed and finally rejected. The person with whom this takes place will never know what is meant by a life that is for the Lord's sake and the Gospel's. Never will the Lord's Love and Wisdom, and the reception of them into heart and mind, appeal to him as anything worthwhile. He will not attain unto the hundredfold blessings, and with them eternal life.
     As man progresses in his third age, there comes a great change in the order of his mind and its operation. Previously, what was intellectual has predominated. The acquisition of truth and reflection upon it occupied the first place: and good was regarded as secondary. But now that order begins to be inverted. Good begins to occupy the first place, and truth is regarded as the subordinate means for the ultimation of good. We say that this inversion now begins. It will come to its completion in the fourth state, which is to follow,-the state which is in fullness that of the hundredfold blessings and eternal life.
     The fourth state or age is that in which love rules. Man now loves the good of life; likewise, he loves the Word and doctrinals for the sake of the good of life. And not only does he love truths for the sake of the good of life, but from the good of life.

518


Good in him loves truth. Good is now in the first place, and truth in the second. Yet thereby truth does not become something less than it was when it held the prior place; on the contrary, it has become something far greater than it was before. In fact, not until now has it become really and genuinely truth. It is in this fourth state that the hundredfold blessings are given in fullness; and then eternal life.
     From what has been presented, it may be evident how marvelously the Lord leads man to that true order of life which is angelic, and wherein good reigns supreme and truth makes one with it. That order already exists, in a measure, in the beginning of life; for in infancy and early childhood good is implanted. Yet, because of evils, which afterwards come to the fore, it must needs be withdrawn within, and there guarded. In the meantime, truth, apparently prior, must fulfill its mission of leading to the state wherein good may again rule, and man's life be that of love to the Lord and to the neighbor, with which truth is conjoined.
     The good and the truth are gifts of the Lord's mercy. Day by day He bestows them upon those who love to receive them for His sake and the Gospel's. They are the new houses, brethren, sisters, mothers, children, and lands,-spiritual affections and thoughts, from most internal to most external, coming from the Lord out of heaven and imparting heaven. "Now in this time," that is, so long as man abides in this world, "persecutions," or temptations, will indeed continue to come-permitted as the means of further progress. But these will cease when life here is completed. And then, free from every disquietude and trial, and in all tranquility and peace, there will be the happiness and joy of blessedness everlasting,-in accordance with the closing words of our text: "And in the world to come eternal life." Amen.

LESSONS:     Micah 7. Mark 10: 13-31. Doctrine of Life 94-98.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 440, 455. 467.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 19, 113.

519


SACRAMENTS AND DERIVATIVE RITES 1940

SACRAMENTS AND DERIVATIVE RITES       Rev. VICTOR J. GLADISH       1940

     In the True Christian Religion the three uses of baptism are told and explained. By examination in the light of the Writings, these three uses can be seen to be bound up in the internal sense of the words of John the Baptist: "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16.)
     John preached repentance-a turning from the things of this world, and a facing toward the goal of eternal life. He baptized "with water," in the spiritual significance of which is involved the first use of baptism, that is, "introduction into the Christian Church, and at the same time insertion among Christians in the, spiritual world." (T. C. R. 677.)
     The second use of baptism is: "That the Christian may know and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior, and follow Him." (T. C. R. 681.) This is the "baptism with the Holy Spirit." It involves instruction and illustration. The instruction should follow on in an orderly course after the sacrament of baptism has been administered in the genuine Christian Church; and something of illustration, or enlightenment, should open as one approaches adult life, and the rational mind comes into function.
     The third use of baptism, "which is the final use, is that man may be regenerated." (T. C. R. 684.) This is the "baptism with fire." It is the essential life which man was placed on earth to live. For the Holy Spirit operates by the truth of the Word, and this truth becomes good with man by a life according to it. (A. R. 378.) It is written: "To 'baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire' means to regenerate by the Divine Truth that belongs to faith and the Divine Good that belongs to charity." (T. C. R. 144.)

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The life of regeneration opens with man when the genuine affection of the rational mind,-the spiritual love of truth,-begins to sway his being and it carries on through the whole course to the heavenly goal, through the battle of life, through recurring but progressive cycles of vision temptation, and victory.
     The uses of baptism are thus seen to extend throughout life. But in the nature of these uses other offices of the church are indicated, which follow on in the spirit of this sacrament; such as preservation from the worldly sphere, instruction in the things of the Word and confirmation in their sphere, and the orderly introduction into the Holy Supper, and into the life which should make a one with this second sacrament.

     The Two Sacraments.

     The Lord has enjoined two, and only two, sacraments or most holy things of worship. We are told in the Heavenly Doctrine that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two universal gates of entrance into heaven, and that there "are no other universal gates." (T. C. R. 721.) Let us see something of why this is so, but let the avenue of appreciating the reasons for the two sacraments be that of understanding the relation of these two to all worship and all religion,-that is, the true life which should flow from internal worship.
     The will to shun evils as sins against God is the internal of the church, but it must have an external. The essential relationship is expressed in the Arcana: "Where there is a church, there must needs be what is internal and what is external; for man, who is a church, is internal and external. . . . The internal without an external would be something indeterminate unless it were terminated in some external. For the most part, man is such that he does not know what the internal man is, and what belongs to the internal man. Wherefore, unless there were external worship, he would know nothing whatever of what is holy. . . . The internals of the Christian Church are exactly like the internals of the Ancient Church, but other externals have succeeded in their place, namely, in place of sacrifices and the like the sacraments (symbolica), from which in like manner the Lord is regarded; and thus again internals and externals make a one." (A. C. 1083.) We are also told that the Lord reduced the multitudinous rituals of the representative Ancient Church to that of the two Sacraments. (T. C. R. 670.)

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     The life of religion must he based upon external worship, which should have definite form or ritual, in harmony with the truths of doctrine. The worship should be orderly in form, regular and perpetually recurrent in observance. In the Christian era-whether of the First Christian Church, or the Second and Crowning Church of the New Jerusalem-it should be based upon and interiorly related to the two sacraments enjoined by the Lord at His First Coming, and confirmed, renewed and interiorly opened at His Second Coming. The use of all external worship is to be a sign and memorial, as was the Passover to the Israelitish Church,-" a sign upon the hand and a memorial before the eyes,"-something stamped upon the will, and ever present in the thought. This memorial is summed up for us in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper.
     We are told in the Heavenly Doctrine that all internals have corresponding bodily acts. In view of this law we can readily conclude that the Lord would not have instituted and commanded two, and only two, sacraments-supremely holy rituals of the church-unless the external acts corresponded to two fundamental processes in the spiritual life. When the Lord, while on earth, inaugurated Baptism and instituted the Holy Supper in the Christian Church, they were not ceremonies wholly new and unknown to men, but primordial acts, anciently associated with religious observance; the acts in essence being washing and eating, that is, cleansing and nourishment, without which no living thing can continue its life. And just so there can be no spiritual life without the cleansing and nourishment for which Baptism and the Lords Supper stand, and which may be found in fulness by the genuine use of these universal gates to the church and heaven.
     But let it be noted that, although the Lord took ancient rites for Christian use, He made of them something new-new in quality, in power and efficacy. Not only this, but when the first Christian Church left untapped the great proportion of their power and virtue-first approaching them in genuine charity, but with a simple unenlightened faith, and later sinking into falsifications, perversions, and even mockeries of these supreme rituals-when the seeds of Christianity thus failed to develop into the true fruit, the Lord again made these rituals new, in a newly instituted church.

522


He took these ancient ceremonials of cleansing and of eating, which He had commanded for inauguration and for remembrance, and made new their internal, and renewed their virtue, but without any further change in their external form.
     He Himself then opened up the symbols within which the First Christian Church had never really looked. "This do in remembrance of me," He had said in instituting the Holy Supper; and while the words were preserved and the ceremonial of remembrance, Who He is, and what spiritual remembrance means, had to await the Revelation made at His Second Coming. So it was with Baptism. He told His disciples to "baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." And while it is recorded that the Apostles baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (remembering that He had said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Lo I am with you always"), the church came, in time, to baptize in the name of a supposed Three Persons of the Godhead, and it remained for the New Church to combine, both in form and in understanding, the recognition of the sole Divinity of the Lord with the recognition of the Divine Trinity of Love, Wisdom and Use which exists in Him.
     Baptism is essentially a sacrament of introduction-the undertaking to know the Lord and follow Him; and therefore, when one has been introduced thereby into the true Christian Church (which we are told has existed in name, but now begins to exist in fact and essence, T. C. R. 668), it is not needed that this ceremonial cleansing be repeated. But the Holy Supper, which belongs to the life of regeneration, and represents the opening of heaven to man, was given as a sign of remembrance of the Lord and His redemption such as could be continually renewed. Throughout the earthly life there is real necessity for a memorial, fixed, established, and displayed in recurring ultimates. It is by the sphere of things present before the senses, especially if all the senses take part, as in the Communion that intimate and full conjunctions are effected. For this reason the sanctified bread and wine must be a continual offering, to be partaken of frequently, or whenever the state requires. Men in the world have need of an ultimate sign, a physical reminder, something before the eyes of the body, to signify that which the eyes cannot see.

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     The sign, which has power, is the external symbol (and still more the external act), which corresponds to a fundamental spiritual thing. The bread and wine of the Holy Supper correspond to the outflowing, perpetually given, Divine Good and Divine Truth-the "Body" which the Lord gave and does give for man, the "Blood" which He poured out and does pour out for us. Man's part is to take this that is offered-resolutely and reverently to take the Divine gifts for the uses of eternal life.

     Derivative Rites.

     From what has been shown it can be seen that all things of worship should have some inner relationship to the sacraments. Only a part of the teaching bearing on the theme has been presented; but when the whole is considered, there is manifest evidence that all the other rites or holy ceremonies in the true Christian Church should grow out of the two sacraments, having a certain derivation from one or the other or both. It is the purpose of this treatment to deal with the relationship of the other rites of the church to the sacraments.
     The other rites, which have become established in our body of the New Church, are those of Confirmation, Betrothal, Marriage, Ordination, and Burial of the Dead. Another formal ceremony that is well established in the church deserves to be called a rite, namely, Dedication,-the dedication of churches or houses of worship, of schools, and of dwelling houses. This is not among the rites listed in the General Church Liturgy, nor is there any dedication service therein as yet, but priests of the third degree have drawn up their services for the dedication of churches, and pastors have arranged dedication ceremonies for homes, usually of a simple character.
     The rite, the relationship of which to the sacraments can be seen most readily is that of Confirmation, or Confession of Faith. In the consideration of the three revealed uses of baptism, at the outset of this paper, there was indicated the need for an intermediate between the two sacraments; namely, a solemn confirmation of the infant baptism in which the person speaks and acts for himself, and by which the life of the church and the regeneration for which it exists is freely chosen by the adult for himself. The three uses of baptism have already been spoken of as bound up in the three phrases of the text-"with water," "with the Holy Spirit," and " with fire."

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The first use is inauguration into the church in both worlds. But while the infant is introduced by baptism into the sphere of the church in the two worlds, he is not yet inaugurated organically into it. This organic entrance must be by his own act of free will, for which the rite of confirmation furnishes an orderly opportunity.
     The second use of baptism is that the Christian may know and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ. But the infant, by baptism, does not know, and cannot make this acknowledgment. The knowledge and acknowledgment is in the minds of his parents when they confess for him, but this is to be established and confirmed later by a solemn ordinance in the presence of the Lord and of his fellow men whereby he is introduced to the third use, which is regeneration in adult life, and which is represented in the Holy Supper.
     Baptism is nothing but an empty ceremony unless there follows that which is contained within it,-the acquisition of truths by instruction, for the sake of reformation and regeneration. When this period of instruction is completed, and the youth is ready to enter into the serious uses of adult age, or the active life of regeneration, it should be closed by the rite of confirmation,-a formal confession of faith confirmed by priestly blessing. Thus baptism and confirmation are, rationally considered, one act; and in that act the first and second uses of baptism are accomplished. The third use is then entered upon, which is regeneration, extending through life in the natural world; the first and second uses still present and operative, but not occupying a leading place as before. Confirmation, or confession of faith, is an ancient ceremony, indicated in Divine Revelation, though not expressly enjoined.
     Before leaving this summary reference to the subject of confirmation, it should be mentioned that the essential things involved in that rite are also contained in the sacrament of baptism when it takes place in adult life, as a result of conversion to the true Christian Church.
     The rite of Betrothal as a solemn religious preparation for marriage has largely fallen into disuse in the former Christian Church. In the New Church it has thus far acquired no firm establishment, except in the General Church. Nevertheless, it was universally recognized and generally practised in ancient times, in both the Ancient and Israelitish Churches, to which the Old Testament as well as secular history bears witness.

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It was common in the Primitive Christian Church, but, except for a certain amalgamation into the marriage service in the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England, it is now chiefly reserved for royalty. But what the practice of the New Church should become scarcely admits of doubt, if one reads carefully the chapter on Betrothals in the work on Conjugial Love, with full admission of its Divine authority.
     The teaching in this chapter, and the description of a betrothal in heaven contained in no. 21 of the same work, together with the similar testimony of other passages in the Heavenly Doctrine, had such a powerful effect upon enlightened leaders of our body in its early days that we are in the fortunate position of having in our Liturgy a service for the rite of betrothal, simple, but effective and beautiful. Much might be said on this subject, if time and the scope of our theme permitted it. But now we shall say only a concluding word on the relation of this rite to the sacraments.
     It has been seen that the sacraments are the two universal gates of entrance into the church and heaven. Baptism is the outer gate, or the gate of first entrance, and the Holy Supper is the inner gate, or the gate of final entrance. We have seen that confirmation is intermediate between the first and the second gates, though more closely related to baptism than to the Lord's Supper. The other rites have not such a connecting relationship between the sacraments, but each stands more nearly related to either one or the other. The relation of the rites to Baptism or the Holy Supper are to be determined by their relation to what is initiatory or introductory, and to what is essential, conjunctive or final; for the characteristic nature of the two sacraments may be so compared. Thus weighed, we can see betrothal placed in relation to baptism, just as marriage stands in relation to the communion, because of its conjunctive and completing rather than introductory character. Indeed, betrothal stands in a preparatory and introductory relationship to marriage, just as baptism does to the Holy Supper.
     In comparison with the practice of other bodies, our rite of marriage does not hold such a remarkable place as does the rite of betrothal, which as a generally practised ceremony is unique with us. In all nations and in all religions the ceremony of marriage has been treated as primarily a holy and religious rite.

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It was not until very recent times that there arose any widespread questioning that such a place rightfully belongs to the ceremony of marriage. Even now there are not many of the professedly religious who claim openly that marriage is primarily a civil contract. It is rather the freethinkers and agnostics who do so, together with the totalitarians of dictator states, whose attitude toward religion is difficult to characterize until it has had more time to find its own level. It may be remarked in passing that the present-day onslaughts on marriage as an ordinance of the church afford to the New Churchman one of the most manifest evidences of the continued decay of the consummated church in Christendom. The reason for the place which the ceremony of marriage has held through the ages as a religious act lies in its being of manifest Divine institution, established by the Lord in the Most Ancient Church, as recorded in Genesis 1: 28; 2: 18, 24, and established anew by Him when He came on earth. (See Matthew 19: 5, 6.)
     That which at once stands out in the New Church conception of marriage is the clear teaching we have as to its eternity. That which has gradually grown to be a vague hope or dream since the distant days of the Ancient Church, when conjugial love in its purity was common on earth, is restored as an essential doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Of the many things, which might be said as to the doctrine of conjugial love and the character, which it gives to the rite of marriage, reference shall now be made only to something implied in what was said in regard to betrothal. A knowledge that the internal character of the marriage ceremony gives it relationship to the Holy Supper, rather than to baptism, aids us to see the suitability of completing the ceremony by the administration of that sacrament to the married pair. The strength and stimulus that may thus be added to the sphere of worship may be observed, both by the rational view of the matter and by experience.
     In regard to the rite of Ordination, little need be said here. In the Word of God, alike in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Heavenly Doctrine, it is enjoined and provided that there be in the Church of the Lord an established priesthood, to be instrumental in the Divine work of saving souls. The ceremonies for this purpose in the Israelitish Church were solemn, explicit and particular. Our Lord, when on earth, charged and ordained the Apostles whom He had called, breathing on them, and saying, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit!" (John 20: 19.)

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In the Word of the Second Coming, we are instructed that priests are to be duly inaugurated and set apart for their sacred office by prayer and the laying on of hands. One of the many general passages in the Heavenly Doctrine on the subject is as follows: "A cleric, because he is to teach doctrine from the Word concerning the Lord, and concerning redemption and salvation by Him is to be inaugurated by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and by the representation of Its transfer. . . . The Divine which is meant by the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Lord through the clergy to the laity by preachings, according to the reception of the doctrine of truth thence, and by the sacrament of the Holy Supper, according to repentance before it." (Canons, Holy Spirit, IV: 7, 8.) In general, it would seem that ordination bears relation to baptism more than to the Holy Supper, because it is the rite by which there is introduction into the priesthood; that is, it is an introductory rite.
     A rite of the church at the Burial of the Dead is a thing which every nation in every age, heathen or civilized, has always employed. At such a time when one passes from natural sight, and when there is wont to be a common perception, even on the part of agnostics, that it is a call to stand before one's Maker, the solace and help of a reverent religious observance is a universal desire. Surface and temporary attitudes on such an occasion vary according to the wide variety of circumstances, but the essential and underlying attitude depends upon the quality and strength of the belief in eternal life. Brought face to face with a departure from the natural body, all depends upon whether one sees and is able to believe that it is the death only of the natural body, and actually a continuation of life.
     Revelation has ever borne its winged words on this theme, but men have been fearful, and, though clinging to hope, have been chary of abiding belief. The Old Testament contains little explicit teaching on the subject, though the Lord said, "That the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto Him." (Luke 20: 37-8.) The New Testament contains more manifest teaching, but men have been slow to believe, and have confused the letter with the spirit.

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The teaching concerning eternal life in the Crowning Revelation is clear, explicit, expressed in rational doctrine, and moving in its reality and beauty. In the New Church, the most manifest departure from surrounding beliefs is the sure knowledge that the resurrection takes place shortly after death, and does not wait on an age-long sentence to a ghostly existence before a return to the material body.
INFLUX 1940

INFLUX       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1940

     Especially concerning Mediate and Immediate Influx.

      (Delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly, 1940.)

     It is acknowledged by all Christians that God alone lives, and that in Him we live, move and have our being. But how God gives His life to created beings is not known, and therefore the truth that God alone lives is called into question, and denied by many. For any general truth which is not composed of particular truths has no foundation upon which to rest, and in time falls to the ground. It is therefore incumbent upon each one of us to infill the generals of our faith, by learning, study and reflection, with scientifics and cognitions from every source whatsoever, that our faith may rest upon a sure foundation, and be able to withstand the winds, the rains and the floods of fallacies and falsities arising from self-intelligence. The Doctrine of Influx, as now revealed, gives the means of acquiring this foundation.
     It is an obvious truth that He who is life itself cannot communicate His life to another, so that the other will have life in himself; for, if so, it would mean that life itself could create life itself, and thus that there would be two beings possessing life itself, thus two infinites and two eternals,-a palpable falsity. But life itself can create that which receives life; that is, it can give its life to another, so that the other may feel it to be its own; but still it remains always one and the same with that from which it originated. For "it is an eternal truth that the Lord governs heaven and earth; also that no one lives from himself except the Lord; consequently, that the all of life flows in,-good of life from the Lord, and evil of life from hell.

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This is the faith of the heavens." (A. C. 6325.) "Ye can receive nothing except it be given you from heaven." This is true not only of life in general, but also of life in particular. There is not anything that exists in living or apparently dead forms that has not its life and existence from the One Only Life. All thought of influx must begin with this eternal truth.
     It is common for men to acknowledge a Supreme Being, but at the same time they think of life as adhering in created forms, thus nullifying their acknowledgment. We must see that every created thing is finite and dead, and that anything of life existing therein is of the Lord alone. There is no such thing as finite life, and the term is used only in appearance to mean infinite life adjoined to finite things, so that the infinite life appears to belong to the finite receptable. To illustrate: The soul is infinite life adjoined to most pure finite substances; the mind is infinite life adjoined to less pure finite receptacles; and the body is infinite life adjoined to least pure finite substances. This leads us to the conclusion that it is not the eye that sees, nor the mind, nor the soul, but the Infinite Itself. For this reason, we are taught in many places in the Writings that the Lord alone sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches, in the whole of His creation, and that He communicates these senses to man, so that man feels them to be his own.
     The opposite of this is the great falsity that exists in the learned world and if it is not denied in fact, it is at least ignored; and yet without this acknowledgment as a basis, nothing of the true nature of creation can be known. We read: "There is but only one life, and this is not creatable, but is supremely capable of inflowing into organic forms adapted to reception; such are all and singular things in the created universe. It is believed by many that the soul is life, and thus that man, because he lives from the soul, lives from his own life, thus from himself, thence not through influx of life from God; but this cannot do otherwise than tie up a gordian knot of fallacies, in which they entangle all the judgments of their mind, whence is mere insanity in spiritual things. . . . From thence come forth innumerable fallacies, each of which is horrible; as that God has transfused and transcribed Himself into men, and that thence every man is a Divinity that lives from itself, and also does good and is wise from itself. Likewise that he possesses faith and charity in himself, and also that he exercises them from himself and not from God." (Influx 11.)

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And again: "Those who derive the origins of things from nature are in such deadly principles that the phantasies of the wild beasts of the forest may be said to be more rational." Such men are regarded at the present day as wise, and are courted by those who profess to believe in God.
     The eternal truth that God alone lives is of such importance that without it, and without thought from it concerning creation, all the secrets of nature remain forever closed. Why, then, is all our experience and sensation contrary to this truth? The reason is, that we may feel life to be our own. The Divine alone lives, but it wills to give itself to others, so that in receiving it they may feel it to be their own. This is the essence of Divine Love. As man cannot actually live from himself, it is only by the living perception that life is his own that he can have it as his own, and thus be blessed and happy. In order to receive the blessedness and happiness of life in reality, man must see, acknowledge and believe that all life comes from the Lord. Otherwise he perverts it by turning it into himself and as it were deadening its effect. Man must acknowledge that every faculty, every thought, every affection, every sensation with him, is of the Lord alone, yea, is the Lord's. This acknowledgment must lie inwardly hidden in all that he thinks and does as if from himself. It is to be as the "prolific in a seed, which inmostly attends it, even to the new seed in the same manner as pleasure in the appetite for food, when once man has known it to be wholesome for him. In a word, it is as the heart and soul in all that he thinks and does." (D. P. 321.)
     We are accustomed to think of this and other truths as abstract and as having no bearing upon that which is usually called a "good life." Yet this is so universal a truth that there is not a single phase of life, which is not affected by it. If man really believes that the Lord alone lives, if he really believes that all life is of the Lord alone, then in all external things he seeks the reality, namely, the Lord; in all the thoughts and affections of the mind he regards the presence of the Lord. For the Lord alone lives, and therefore it is only the Lord that is real in all natural forms and activities. Things in themselves are dead and lifeless, and that which man would seek as delightful is dead and lifeless. Therefore the living of this truth is not as easy as the abstract acknowledgment of it.

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For the living of it involves regulating all thought according to it and from it; also an affection that it be so; and a seeking in the senses of the body that which is of service to the Divine therein.
     If, on the other hand, man believes, according to the appearance, that his life and the life of his senses are his own, then he seeks their enjoyment, not as a service to God, but as a means of self-gratification; and everything that is of life in them is, as it were, destroyed. Thus we read: "There are two things which produce all effects in the universe, life and nature; and they produce them according to order when life from within actuates nature. It is otherwise when nature from within induces life to action, and this is the case with those who place nature, which in itself is dead, above and within life, and thence seek only the pleasures of the senses and the concupiscences of the flesh, and think nothing concerning the spiritual things of the soul and the truly rational things of the mind." (Influx 10.)
     As this truth directs the mind to that which is living in all creation, therefore it also has the effect of lifting man's mind out of the things of the senses and refreshing it with the thought of living things. For when man thinks from interior truths, even though he himself is not in them as to life, he is in association with angelic societies, and is withheld temporarily from natural and sensual things, and thus renewed and given strength to make them of his life. (A. C. 6311.) This is one of the essential uses of our Assemblies. We come together that we may raise our minds above the things of sensual and worldly life, and be refreshed, to go forth into the service of the Lord and the Church from a living internal. And it is essentially our consideration of spiritual doctrines, our thinking together about them, that performs this use; for when man thinks about spiritual things, he is raised by the Lord above sensual things, and is for the time withheld from them. In this sphere he is endowed by the Lord with a delight in interior things, and is given strength to seek them in his life.
     This is especially needed at the present day, for we are told that "there are many in sensual love who indulge in the pleasure of the body, who have altogether rejected thought beyond what they see and hear, and who reject thought concerning eternal life, on which account they hold such things in small esteem, and when they hear them they are nauseated.

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At this day such men abound in the other life, for crowds of them come from the world, and the influx from them causes man to indulge his native genius, and to live for himself and the world, and not for others, except in so far as they favor him and his pleasures. That man may be elevated from them, he must think about eternal life." (A. C. 6201.)

     Order of Influx.

     It is important to know, not only that all life inflows, but also how it inflows. The true order of influx is called in the Writings "spiritual influx." Spiritual influx is influx from what is interior into what is exterior. The sensations of the body do not flow into the mind, and there produce the affections and thoughts; but the mind flows into the body, and produces sensations. Thus it is the mind in the body that sensates. This, as may be seen, follows as a logical consequence from the belief that all life inflows from God, for "what is lower cannot but think from what is higher, although, while what is interior or higher thinks in what is exterior or lower, it appears as if what is external or lower thought from itself; this, however, is a fallacy."
     This same law applies not only to man in particular, but also to the whole of natural creation in general. There is nothing in nature that lives from itself; therefore there is nothing in nature that has any sensation from itself. All sensation inflows from what is higher; but when received by what is lower, the lower appears to have it in itself. Thus it is said that all vegetable and animal life inflows from the Lord through the spiritual world, and is received in the kingdoms of nature according to their form. It appears in every case as if the influx from the Lord were different, but this is a fallacy. All difference and distinction arises from the form of the receptacle. "Variety does not come from the influx, but from the reception." (A. C. 3890.) And this is true on every plane. For the Lord does not inflow with part of His Divine, but with the whole of it, into everything of creation, and each receptacle receives according to its form.
     This influx is said to be twofold,-immediate and mediate. In general, there is immediate influx from the Lord into all planes of life, and mediate influx through the spiritual world. Both are from the Lord, and the goal of life is the conjunction of the two in man.

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In this way the Lord in firsts is conjoined with the Lord in lasts, and the purpose of creation is fulfilled, -an angelic heaven from the human race. An understanding of the distinction between these two modes of influx is essential to a grasp of the means of man's regeneration, and of the preservation of the universe. But before proceeding to this explanation it is necessary to have some idea of influx in general.
     In a conversation in the world of spirits, Swedenborg told certain spirits, "Except our philosophers, in the world where I am in my body, men do not think or speak of any influx except that of wine into cups, of food and drink into the stomach, of taste into the tongue; . . . and thus if they hear anything concerning influx of the spiritual world into the natural, they say, 'If it inflows, let it inflow. Of what help and use is it to us to know this?'" (T. C. R. 695.) Such is the ignorance that exists today concerning the nature of influx.
     All influx takes place by correspondence, and correspondence is the relation between two things of discretely different degrees. Thus there is a correspondence between the thought and the speech, and therefore the thought flows into the speech and produces it; not that anything material of the thought, or of the subject of the thought, flows in, but rather that the thought sets up an activity which moves the organs of speech according to the order in which they are. There is never any influx of a quantitative substance, for this would be like pouring water into a glass; but a superior substance from its motion produces an activity in a discretely lower substance, and the latter receives this activity, feels it as its own, and reproduces it according to its form.
     Influx, therefore, is a word spoken according to the appearance. (Index to Marriage, under "Influx.") For, properly speaking, we cannot speak of distance in regard to influx. This may be seen from the teaching that the Divine is everywhere present in the whole of its creation; and, being everywhere present, it cannot, except according to the appearance, be said to inflow. However, when a lower form receives the activity of a higher form, the higher form then for the first time appears present in the lower, and in consequence it is said to inflow. This may be seen from the atmospheres. The air and ether are everywhere present in our sphere of life, but until their activity has been received by our material organs, they are as it were absent; and so we say that hearing inflows into the ear, and seeing into the eye, but this is according to the appearance.

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There is never any influx of a substance into a substance, but the activity of a superior substance or of an organic form flows into a lower form, and, if it is received, orders it according to itself. When it does this, it is said to correspond and to inflow. If, on the other hand, the lower forms are such that they cannot be so formed by the higher, there is no correspondence, hence no reception, and hence no influx. To give another example. If the eye is injured, it receives the influx of the understanding in accordance with the nature of the injury. The influx is not different from that which flows into a healthy eye. It is the organ of reception that causes the difference. In the consideration of influx, these two things must be ever present in the thought.

     Immediate and Mediate Influx.

     There is said to be an immediate influx of the Lord, or of the Divine Good and Truth, into all things of creation. And there is also said to be a mediate influx through the heavens. Thus we read:

     "That there is an immediate influx of the Lord where there is also a mediate, thus in the ultimate of order equally as in the first of order, has been told me from heaven, and living perception of this thing has been given me." (A. C. 7004.) Again: "It must be known that Truth Divine, which flows into the third heaven nearest the Lord, also and at the same time inflows into the ultimates of order with successive formation, and there, from the first, also rules and provides each and all things immediately; thereby the successives are held together in their order and connection." (A. C. 7270.) "Influx is such that from the Divine of the Lord there is influx into every angel, into every spirit, and into every man, and that in this way the Lord rules everyone, not only universally, but also in most singulars, and this immediately from Himself, and also mediately through the spiritual world." (A. C. 6058.) "Influx is according to existence and subsistence, for through influx all things subsist; and through influx all and single things subsist from the Lord, not only mediately through the spiritual world, but also immediate as well, in middle things, as in ultimates." (A. C. 6056.)

     Immediate influx, then, is the presence of the Lord on or in every plane of creation, both spiritual and natural, holding that plane in its essential form and order. Some understanding of this may be had from a consideration of the order of creation as given in the Principia.

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From this we may see that the first natural point is the very heart and soul, as it were, of all successive forms; that it is therefore present in the whole of creation, even down to ultimate material substances. And as the Lord is immediately present in this first natural point, so much so that at times it is identified with Him, therefore the Lord is immediately present in every thing of His creation. This presence is not perceptible to man. He may know that it is so, and rationally see it to be so, but he cannot consciously sensate it, except as the sensation of life as being his own.
     It is, therefore, from this immediate presence of the Lord that man has the sensation of life as being his own; and it is also from this that things on every plane are kept in their order and connection, so that Divine things through the heavens can flow in. If it were not for this immediate presence of the Lord, man from perversion would destroy creation itself. It is for this reason that no man, by his life, effects the immediate presence of the Lord; otherwise he would pervert his very soul, and thus destroy himself. Thus again we conceive of the immediate presence of the Lord as being immutable order throughout the spiritual and natural worlds; for order is defined as being the Lord Himself. "That the Lord rules the lasts of man equally as his firsts, is evident from this, that order is from the Lord, which is successive from firsts to lasts; and, in itself, order is nothing but the Divine: and because this is so, it is necessary that the presence of the Lord should be in lasts equally as in firsts, for the one follows from the other according to the tenor of order." (A. C. 6473.)
     Order, then, is Divine. This does not in any sense mean that the parts of substances ordered are Divine, for these are finite and dead; but the order of these parts is that by which the Lord continually gives His life and light to men, immediately from Himself. It is therefore further said that it is through immediate influx that all faculties are given,-the faculties of rationality and liberty, the faculties of receiving faith and charity, the faculties of thinking and willing, the faculties of speaking and acting. There is no faculty with man that is not present by the immediate influx of the Lord, and this immediate influx is that which continually holds the faculties in their order and connection. Man, therefore, cannot destroy these faculties as they are in themselves, but he can destroy them as to their use.

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In themselves, these faculties are Divine, and are said to be the Lord's dwelling place in man.
     Mediate influx is said to be the influx of the Lord through the angelic heavens. Mediate influx is therefore accommodated to the form of man's understanding and will; and being received there according to this form, man may react to the Lord's immediate influx, and receive the Divine blessings consciously. Mediate influx, because it is received consciously, as thought and affection, is under man's direction, as it were; consequently it can be perverted. Therefore mediate influx is said to come to man through heaven, and also through hell, according to the form of the mind receiving. Mediate influx, as well as immediate, is from the Lord alone, for He alone lives; but in its reception it can be perverted. For "it is well known that one and the same power and force produce different motions according to the construction in media and extremes."
     Mediate influx, then, is the immediate influx of the Lord flowing through the spiritual world, in which it is accommodated to man's conscious reception. It is therefore that by which and from which man consciously thinks and wills. All thought and will inflow, even as all sensations from the world inflow; for thoughts and affections are nothing but spiritual sensations. The necessity and use of mediate influx is illustrated by the following statements:
     The truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine cannot he heard by anyone, not even by an angel; for in order to be heard, the Divine must first become human, and it becomes human when it passes through the heavens, and when it has passed through the heavens it is presented in a human form." (A. C. 6982.) Again: "From the Lord proceeds Divine Truth immediately and mediately. What proceeds immediately is above all the understanding of angels; but what proceeds mediately is adequate to the angels in the heavens, and also to man; for it passes through heaven, and thence puts on an angelic quality and a human quality; but into this truth the Lord flows also immediately, and thereby leads angels and men both mediately and immediately. For all and single things are from the first Esse, and the order is so instituted that the first Esse may he present in the derivatives, both mediately and immediately, thus alike in the ultimate of order and in the first of order. For the Divine Truth itself is the only substance, the derivatives being nothing but successive forms thence resulting." (A. C. 7004.)

     The immediate presence of the Lord is through the soul, and holds all planes of life with man in order, while the mediate presence of the Lord is through the will and understanding, and accommodates the Divine Good and Truth, which in themselves are above man's reception, to his consciousness, so that he may think truth and will good.

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He thinks truth and wills good when the things flowing in mediately are ordinated by the immediate presence of the Lord. He thinks falsity and wills evil when the things flowing in mediately are withheld by man's evils from being ordered by the immediate presence of the Lord; all that then remains to him are the faculties of receiving, present by the immediate influx. That which inflows immediately is that which orders all things, and that which flows in mediately is that which is ordered; or, in the case of an evil man, that which is not truly ordered, because of the man's evils. "That which inflows immediately disposes, and that which flows in mediately is disposed." (A. C. 5150.)
     It has been said above that the end of creation is the conjunction of immediate influx with mediate through regeneration. This takes place when man, from powers with which he is endowed by immediate influx, shuns evils as sins against God. There are two things with which man is continually endowed by the Lord,-the power to shun evils as sins, and the ability to think that there is a God. Unless man had these, he would in time destroy himself. For this reason it is said, that "the Lord continually flows into the will with power, that man may be able to shun evils, and into the understanding that he may be able to think that God is; but still none can receive the one unless at the same time he receives the other." (D. P. 329.) When man, as from himself, exercises these two powers, the Lord, inflowing immediately, is conjoined with that which flows in from Him mediately, and the man, from inmosts to outmosts, becomes an image and likeness of his Creator.
     In connection with man's regeneration, the words "mediate and immediate influx " are used in several series, and there are certain apparent contradictions. For example, in one series it is said that the truth proceeds both mediately and immediately, in another that good proceeds similarly; and in still another, that truth proceeds immediately and good mediately. I think that these teachings can be seen to be harmonious when it is seen that good and truth, in proceeding from the Lord, are one, and that therefore both must proceed immediately and mediately; but in regard to man's reception, they are apparently separated, and therefore, from this point of view, they can be spoken of separately.

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Hence whether good is being treated of, or truth, or both together, or one in relation to the other, the whole still makes one from the fact that in the Lord they are one, and in proceeding they are one; it is only in reception, in regard to time, that they are separated. Thus we read: "When the influx is immediate, the Lord does indeed flow in with good and truth, but then it is not good that is perceived, but truth. Therefore the man is then led by truth, not so much by good. But when the influx is at the same time mediate, then good is perceived, for the mediate influx is into the man's exterior sensual; hence it is that the man is then led by the Lord by good." (A. C. 8701.)

     The Word and Influx.

     The Lord is present with man immediately by His Word. And when man, from the Word, shuns evils, then through the heavens the Lord inflows with good into the truth with man; thus the mediate influx is in this way conjoined to the immediate. This might again be stated in regard to truth alone. When a man is in possession of scientifics and cognitions from the Word, and his external life only is affected, then the Lord is immediately present in the external; but when man from these shuns evils, then the Lord inflows through the heavens with interior truths, and the scientifics and cognitions become open even to the Lord, so that the interior truths within them are seen in spiritual light, and, being so seen, they are said to inflow, for the light of heaven then orders the lower truths according to its own activity. Hence we read, that "what is meant by influx is sight from the light of heaven." (A. C. 954.)
     The Lord, as was said, is immediately present with man by the Word; but unless the truths and goods drawn from the Word are infilled by mediate influx, they are closed, and the Lord remains present only in the external. For every good and every truth, to be good and truth, must be open even unto the Lord; and this opening takes place by mediate influx, in so far as evils are shunned as sins. However, there is no immediate presence of the Lord with the man who has the Word, but who does not understand it in its own light; for the Word is immediately and mediately present only with him who is in a genuine understanding of it from the Lord. This is evident from the following passage:

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     "There may be with man truth proceeding mediately from the Divine, and yet it may not be conjoined with the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine. But this subject, inasmuch as it is a mystery, shall be illustrated by examples. With those who think and teach according to the doctrine of their church confirmed in themselves, and who do not know whether they be truths from any other ground than that they are from the doctrine of the church, and that they have been delivered by learned and enlightened men, there may be truth in such case proceeding mediately from the Divine. But still it is not conjoined with the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine; for if it were conjoined, they would then have the affection of knowing truth for the sake of truth, and especially for the sake of life; hence they would also be endowed with perception as to whether the doctrinals of their church are truths, before they confirm them in themselves, and would see in singulars such doctrinals, whether the things that confirm are concordant with the truth itself or not." (A. C. 7055.)

     This number teaches the necessity of everyone's going to the Lord immediately as He is revealed in His Word. When man does this, and from the truths there seen shuns evil, then the Lord, by mediate influx through the heavens, inflows into these truths, and endows man with a new will, or brings about the conjunction of mediate and immediate influx.
     When it is said that man is led by both immediate and mediate influx, it must not be thought that the immediate influx is from the Lord and the mediate from angels, for both are from the Lord, the one immediately from Himself, and the other mediately through, not from, the angels.

     "Good does not inflow from the angels, but through the angels from the Lord." (A. C. 4096.) "By inflowing from heaven is meant that it is through heaven from the Lord; for the whole of the life appertaining to the angels is from the Lord; . . . and because the all of life with the angels is from the Lord, the all of life with man is also from the Lord; or, man is ruled through angels and spirits in particular, and through the heavens in general, from the Lord." (A. C. 6466.) "Angels are such that they wish never to bear that the influx of good and truth is from themselves, but that it is from the Lord; for they are in manifest perception that it is so, and they love nothing more than that they should will and think, not from themselves, but from the Lord." (A. C. 6193.) "The ministries which the angels fulfill are not from them, but from influx from the Lord, which the angels also unanimously confess." (A. C. 6482.)

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     In conclusion, a few words might be added as to where in man mediate in flux is conjoined with immediate. It must be that in man which first has the sensation of life as its own. This, we are taught, is the rational; and so the rational is said to be that degree in man where the human begins. The degrees above the rational are beyond man's consciousness, but in the rational the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual, when they flow in, are given to man to feel as his own. Here it is, then, that immediate and mediate influx join in the heavenly marriage. And here it is that man is to learn truths and to do good as if of himself. For we read: "The Lord can arrange things in internals only in accordance with the disposition that is effected by means of man in the externals." (D. P. 174.)
     Man must go to the Word, and learn its truths, that he may become a vessel for the reception of mediate influx from the Lord through the heavens. For let all know that the heavens cannot inflow except into that which a man knows, since only so can the influx or rather the delight and affection created in the vessels by the influx, appear to be his own. We read: "That the angels may be able to avert the influxes from hell, there must be in man truths of faith joined to good of life, into which they may flow; these must be a plane for them into which they may operate." (A. C. 6213.) And again: "The influx of the angels is into that which man knows and believes, but not into that which he does not know and believe; for it is fixed only where there is something appertaining to man." (A. C. 6206.) From this it follows as a logical conclusion that the more the receiving vessels present in man, the greater may be his extension into angelic associations. But let it be known that knowledges themselves do not form the vessels, but the affections of those knowledges. Yet man cannot have a living affection of that which he does not consciously possess.
     So let every man know that, in order that immediate influx from the Lord may be conjoined in him with mediate influx, also from the Lord, he must first learn the truths of the Word, and, by shunning the evils thereby revealed, open his mind to receive the mediate influx from the Lord out of heaven. This influx then joins as in a marriage with the immediate influx of the Lord, which lay hidden within him. From this union is born the new or regenerated man. For this reason man is compared to an uncut diamond, which is as it were cut and polished by the process above mentioned.

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"As man instructs his understanding," we read, " he prepares it for the reception of light, and hence of wisdom from heaven. As man does the goods of charity, he prepares the will for the reception of the heat of heaven or of love; like one who cuts a diamond, he makes preparation for the splendor of light to be diffused from himself. As man makes himself an organ of influx, heaven flows into him, and thus that which is from the Lord out of heaven." (III Docu. 302 d., p. 763.)
     In this state he acknowledges from the heart that it is an eternal truth that the Lord governs heaven and earth; also that no one lives from himself except the Lord; consequently that the all of life flows in. This is the faith of the heavens. When man is in this faith, . . . then evil cannot be affixed and appropriated to him . . . When man is in this state, he can be gifted with peace; for then he will trust solely in the Lord." (A. C. 6235.)
     Thus man comes into eternal blessedness. For "since with man there is connection with the Divine, and his inmost is such that he can receive the Divine, and not only receive it, but also appropriate it to himself by acknowledgment and affection, thus by reciprocation, therefore man, being thus implanted in the Divine, can never die; for he is in what is eternal and infinite, not only by influx then, but also by reception." (A. C. 5114.) He then fulfills the Lord's teaching, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Let us, then, always acknowledge and believe that "Ye can receive nothing, except it be given you from heaven."
SELFISH PIETY 1940

SELFISH PIETY              1940

     There are those who are in a life of piety, and in no life of charity, who meditate piously, and thereby affect sanctity. They also study the Word and the doctrine of the church, but only for the sake of themselves. They say, also, that everyone ought to sweep his own doorstep. They appear in external form like saints, but still they have no life of charity, and are not willing to communicate their meditations to others, either by speech or writing. In a word, they live for themselves, and not for others. They cause anxiety with others, and an aversion for the things of the church, because they despise others in comparison with themselves, and also place merit in their piety. They lament exceedingly when they are rejected in the other life, believing that the all of the church consisted in a life of piety alone. (Spiritual Diary 5070:5.)

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EPISCOPAL VISIT TO SOUTH AMERICA 1940

EPISCOPAL VISIT TO SOUTH AMERICA        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940

     Subsequent to the General Assembly in Pittsburgh last June, I visited the New Church centers in South America, in response to a cordial invitation from the Rev. Henry Leonardos, Pastor of the Society in Rio de Janeiro. In doing so I had a threefold purpose: (1) to dedicate in Rio the first building ever to be erected on the South American continent for the worship of the Lord in His Second Coming; (2) to ordain the Rev. Henry Algernon, who is conducting a General Church Mission in Georgetown, British Guiana; and above all, (3) to strengthen the bonds of our unity with these widely scattered centers of our Church. I was accompanied by Mrs. de Charms her sister, Miss Guida Asplundh, the Misses Karen and Bethel Pitcairn, and their brother, Mr. Michael Pitcairn.
     We sailed from New York on the S. S. Uruguay, July 26, in company with the All-American Youth Orchestra under the direction of Leopold Stokowski, who greatly enhanced the pleasure of the journey by rehearsals and concerts on shipboard. After a voyage characterized by fair weather and calm seas, having made but one stop of a few hours at Barbados, we arrived at Rio de Janeiro on August 7, entering the most beautiful harbor in the world at about five o'clock in the evening. Passing the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain that guards the entrance, we came into view of the city, which is surrounded by densely wooded hills and dominated by towering Mount Corcovado, on the summit of which is a gigantic statue of the Christ, with arms outstretched against the sky.
     Unfortunately for our friends who had come to meet us at the dock, the Orchestra was to give a concert that evening, and it was necessary to delay our landing until the musicians and their instruments had been disembarked by tender. When at last we reached the dock at eight o'clock, we found a representative group of the members of the Society to give us an affectionate welcome, after having waited for three hours.

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Among them were the Rev. Henry Leonardos and his wife, Ministro Joco Mendonca Lima, Snr. and Snra. Silva Lima and their daughter Stella, Snr. and Snra. Hugo Hamann, Snr. Oliveiro Leonardos, Snr. Henry Leonardos, Jr., and Snr. Castilho. Snra. Mendonca Lima and several others had been compelled to leave the dock, because of other engagements.
     It was indeed a great delight to meet these warm-hearted friends on our first arrival in a strange country, with no knowledge of the Portuguese language, and we were most grateful to them for facilitating the inevitable difficulties of passing through the customs and bringing us safely to the beautiful Copacabana Hotel which was to be our home for the next two weeks. But this was only the beginning, for throughout our stay they showered us with hospitality even to the point of embarrassment, and took unending pains to make our visit in every way delightful. Henry Leonardos, Jr., who once attended the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn, and who now works in the office of the Rev. Mendonca Lima, Minister of Communications in the cabinet of President Vargas, was granted leave of absence from his regular duties, in order that he might devote himself entirely to our needs. He speaks English fluently, and was invaluable as a guide and interpreter, as well as a charming companion and friend.
     At first the language barrier was a serious obstacle to conversation. But many of our Brazilian friends, while they have small opportunity to speak English, and therefore have difficulty with pronunciation, are quite able to read it. As we became better acquainted, they spoke more freely, and we soon found it possible to converse without too great difficulty, although Henry was continually in demand to help us out.
     On the morning following our arrival, I had a long talk at the Hotel with the Rev. Henry Leonardos, on matters connected with the Church. It appeared that the construction of the new church building had been unavoidably delayed. While it had been hoped that it would be completed in March, it was still unfinished, and Mr. Leonardos was greatly concerned lest it might not be possible to have the dedication. The delay was due largely to the fact that various parts of the building were being donated by individual members of the Society, and this had created unforeseen difficulties. When it became clear, however, that the roof was on, and that it would be feasible to have a service in the building, I suggested that it would be quite in order to hold the dedication as planned.

544


The date was fixed for August 18, to allow the builder as much time as possible.
     I learned that there are about two hundred receivers of the Heavenly Doctrine in Brazil, and of these about one hundred and twenty (counting children) are resident in Rio de Janeiro. The Rev. Henry Leonardos and the Rev. Mendonca Lima divide the pastoral work between them. Mr. Leonardos, who, because of advancing years, has retired from his business activity as a banker, devotes himself largely to the work of the Church. The Rev. Mendonca Lima occupies a very responsible position in the Brazilian Government, which demands a great deal of his time and energy. He is, however, an eloquent speaker, well versed in the fundamental doctrines of the New Church. And while his opportunities for original study are limited, he preaches as regularly as possible, translating the sermons of other General Church ministers from NEW CHURCH LIFE and NEW CHURCH SERMONS, and speaking extemporaneously from them.
     Only a few of the Writings have as yet been translated into Portuguese, and of these the manuscript of The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine is still awaiting publication. But many of the members read the French translations, all of which are available. Snr. Castilho is very active in translation work, and in view of the fact that Mr. John Pitcairn, many years ago, gave a fund now in the hands of the Academy for this purpose, it is hoped that financial help may be forthcoming to publish the results of his labors.
     Rio de Janeiro is a city of over two million inhabitants, and is spread out over a large area. The members of the Society, being scattered in different sections of the city, can meet for worship only in a central location. For a number of years they have held services in a hall rented for the purpose, situated not far from the main business district. On Sunday, August 11, I took part in what was hoped would be the last service to be conducted in this hall. There were about seventy people present. I opened the Word, administered the Sacrament, the Revs. Leonardos and Lima assisting, and closed the service with the Benediction. Rev. Leonardos read the Lessons, and led in the ritualistic portion of the service and the Rev. Mendonca Lima delivered the sermon. There was singing by a special choir composed of society members. While I was unable to understand the language, I could not fail to be impressed by the effectiveness of the teaching given and the evident interest of the congregation.

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After the service, we were introduced to the members of the Society present, and then all were asked to gather in the street below, where Michael Pitcairn took a number of photographs to commemorate the occasion.
     On the following Sunday, August 18, a much larger congregation gathered to take part in the dedication. The site of the new building, though a considerable distance from that of the hall, is still very centrally located, and is easy of access from all parts of the city. Yet it is removed from the main arteries of traffic, being set well back on a new dead-end street. It is thus well protected from noise and disturbance. It is on a hillside, considerably above the level of the street. At the time of the dedication, the building consisted simply of walls and roof. It is built of stone, and is of simple and dignified architectural design. The roof is supported on both sides by pillars, between which a temporary wall has been erected, and this can be readily removed when the time comes to provide for a future enlargement of the building. As it stands, it will seat about two hundred people.
     The chancel is raised above the floor of the nave. At one side of it is a room to be used as a library, and at the other a vestry. Over the entrance of the church is a balcony designed to seat about fifty people. The plans call for a floor and interior trim of marble. When we arrived we found the unfinished floor covered with greens. A carpet had been placed in the chancel. Chairs and chancel furniture had been brought from the hall, and the repository was decorated with flowers. In spite of the unfinished condition of the building, the effect was very pleasing. The prospect is that, when completed, the church will be extremely attractive, well appointed, and beautifully adapted to the present needs of the Society, with suitable provision for future expansion.
     Rev. Leonardos, in discussing with me the appointments of the chancel, the inscription to be placed over the door, the hell for the tower, and other details, showed his eagerness to make the building in every possible way distinctively representative of the New Church. He told me that throughout the process of erecting the building the entire membership of the Society had entered into the project with the greatest harmony and cooperation.

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[Society Group Photograph at Rio-August 11, 1940.]

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Knowing how often such undertakings lead to temporary difficulties and temptations, I could not help reflecting that this was a great accomplishment which hears testimony to the unity and devotion of the members of the Society. I am sure that, with so auspicious a beginning, the inauguration of services in this church, dedicated and set apart for the worship of the Lord as He has revealed Himself in the Heavenly Doctrine, will mark the beginning of a new era of development, opening new possibilities of growth, both spiritual and natural, for the New Church in Brazil.
     The building was crowded to capacity. Every seat was taken, and people were standing under the balcony and in the aisles. Music, both vocal and instrumental, was provided by the choir seated in the balcony. Notable among the singers was Snra. Mendonca Lima, who has a beautiful voice. At the opening of the service, Rev. Leonardos entered first, carrying the copy of the Word. In front of the Altar he handed it to the Bishop, while the congregation stood in silence. The Bishop placed it open in the Repository and pronounced the opening sentence: "The Lord is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth be silent before Him." Rev. Leonardos then proceeded with the service in Portuguese, reciting the prayers and reading the Lessons. Rev. Mendonca Lima delivered a sermon by the Bishop, which had been translated into Portuguese by Snr. Castilho. The text was Revelation 11: 19: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant.'
     After a musical interlude, Snra. Mendonca Lima came forward to the Chancel, and on behalf of the Society presented the key of the church to the Pastor, the Rev. Leonardos. Having accepted the key, the Pastor presented it to the Bishop, who placed it upon the Altar. Placing his hand upon the opened Word, the Bishop then pronounced the words of dedication:
     "And now, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only God of heaven and earth, the Builder and the Guardian of His Church, and in the presence of this assembly, I do declare this building dedicated and set apart for the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and living God. This act of dedication is performed in obedience to the laws of Divine order, and according to the doctrine and ritual of the General Church of the New Jerusalem."

548


[Photograph of the Church at Rio-Dedicated August 18, 1940.]

549



     This was followed by the invocation of a blessing upon the building, and upon all who would gather to worship therein. The same words were then repeated in Portuguese by the Pastor, that all might understand, after which the service closed with prayer and benediction by the Bishop.
     Before the congregation broke up, the Bishop spoke briefly in congratulation, and presented to the Pastor for the Society a General Church Banner, and a plaque of the General Church seal donated by Mr. Raymond Pitcairn, explaining the significance of each. Outside, Mr. Michael Pitcairn took motion pictures of all the members as they descended the steps to the street. We all felt that we had witnessed a very impressive ceremony of great historic significance, in which we were indeed privileged to participate.
     It is impossible in the space at our disposal to describe the delightful social times that have left such happy memories of our visit to Rio de Janeiro,-the concert given by the Youth Orchestra, the opera "Aida' the dinners and social gatherings in the homes of Rev. Leonardos, of Rev. Mendonca Lima, and Snr. and Snra. Hamann, and of Snr. and Snra. George Leonardos, auto trips to view the beautiful surrounding scenery, the motor boat excursion to the island of Paquita in the bay, and the airplane ride around Corcovado. The impression that remains is not merely of external delights experienced, but, what is far more cherished, a sense of wonder and gratitude for the opportunity to associate for two delightful and crowded weeks with such open-hearted, sincere, and devoted New Church friends, who surrounded us with a sphere of unbounded generosity, kindness, and hospitality. Our only regret was that, because of our ignorance of the language, we could not come to know all the members of the society, with many of whom we could only exchange formal greetings. We are happy indeed in the anticipation that some at least of our new-found friends are planning to visit the United States in the near future, and that there is prospect that more than one of the young people may attend the Academy Schools. As we bade a lingering farewell to those who had gathered at the dock, our sense of gratitude to all who had showed us so much kindness was exceeded only by our thankfulness to the Lord for His providential leading in the establishment of the New Church in Brazil, and for the great promise of future development that He had permitted us to see there.

(To be concluded)

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REPOSE, READING, MEDITATION 1940

REPOSE, READING, MEDITATION       Editor       1940


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

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

Editor     Rev. W. B. Caldwell, 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.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     Help in Adversity.

     In spiritual temptations the man of the church fights from an inner peace of the soul, and in defense of that peace against the assaults of evil spirits who would destroy it. He has that inner peace from an enlightened trust and confidence in the Lord's power to deliver him from his spiritual enemies; and by victory over them with the Lord's help he is brought to a new peace and tranquility. Just as he begins each week from the Lord's Day,-a sabbath of rest, of spiritual instruction and meditation, refreshing his internal life in preparation for the six days of outward activity and labor,-so he returns at the end of the week to another sabbath of rest and spiritual refreshment.
     Especially in the midst of great trials and distresses of body and mind, and in times of natural calamity, does the man of true piety seek comfort and light in the presence of the Lord, renewing his faith in the all-wise dispensations of Divine Providence. With a New Churchman, that faith is a confidence that violence and disturbance in the world are signs of a judgment upon the evils of a vastate church, whereby preparation is being made for the descent of the peace of the New Jerusalem among men.

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     When "the hour of temptation cometh upon the whole world," when widespread conflict and dislocation betoken great changes in both worlds, the man of the New Church will have recourse to the revealed knowledge of the ways of Providence, and thus strengthen his faith in the survival and triumph of good over evil. To the individual, the prevailing conditions in the world, which may touch him closely, are a form of natural temptation which may beget something of spiritual temptation,-a trial to his faith and his charity. Doubt of an omnipotent Providence may arise when he sees endangered a civilization in which there is promise of the establishment of the New Church-a civilization which promotes an ordered society of free men, enjoying liberty of speech and writing and thus that freedom of thought and action in which alone a spiritual faith and charity can have birth and existence. But such a doubt will be dispelled, if he will seek from the Word of God to fortify his trust in the all-wise government of the Lord, who leads all things to a good end, whatever may be the appearance of the means, and who permits the evils of a judgment as the only way of deliverance from great evils. When the Lord forewarned His disciples that they would meet persecution and adversity, He said to them, "In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21: 19.)

     The Sabbath Day State.

     It is essential to man's natural and spiritual welfare that his outer activities be suspended at certain times, not only every week, but every day, that he may be renewed and strengthened for the tasks ahead. And these periods of repose afford the man of the church an occasion when he may commune with his God, by going to Him in the Word of Revelation, that he may learn anew the Divine Law, that he may be instructed in the things of heaven and the life of regeneration, that his mind may be purified of fallacy and falsity, removing obscurities in the light of truth, that he may be empowered with new courage and vigor in resisting his evil inclinations and the infestations of the hells which seek to destroy his spiritual life, and that he may thus be brought by the Lord to a foretaste of heavenly peace.
     It is only in states of mental and physical repose that a man can read and meditate in the books of Divine Revelation, and he can come into this state only when his bodily labors and pleasures have ceased for a time.

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These outer activities are essential to the performance of uses, and necessary in their place, but if they are excessive they become the "cares of the world which choke the Word that it becometh unfruitful."

     "Who runs may read."

     "There is a Book who runs may read," the poet has said. But the expression is derived from the Prophets: "The Lord said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it." (Habakkuk 2: 2.) In a superficial sense, the writing was to be so plain that a man running might read it; or, as we might say, the Word should be so plain that the "man in the street" can learn and understand it. In a better sense, however, it means that anyone sufficiently interested to give his attention can read and understand the things written in the Word. For this is the spiritual meaning. When spirits have an ardent desire for a thing, they are seen to run toward the object of their desire.
     "To write the vision upon tablets" means to "provide in the Word the things which are to be impressed upon the memory and life, and thus remain" (A. C. 9416e), and they are so impressed when they are read with an ardent desire to know and understand. And then the truth, thus learned, leads a man forward quickly in the spiritual life, that "he who reads may run."
     This is not the case with one who is over active in the external pursuits of life, for he is then like those impatient and restless spirits who were seen running hither and thither (A. C. 4050)-"gadding about," as we might say, and giving little serious attention to anything, least of all to matters of spiritual import.
NAME OF OUR JOURNAL 1940

NAME OF OUR JOURNAL              1940

     In our editorial Report to the recent General Assembly, we quoted from the notebook of Mr. Charles P. Stuart as follows: We spent several weeks raking our brains to find a suitable name. . . . At last one gentleman one day remarked rather abruptly, 'Why don't you call it New Church Life?' And nobody could tell why not. And so it was adopted with little opposition, and I fear with little enthusiasm.

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We began to see how fortunate we were in our selection when the title appeared in print."
     We have now learned who it was that proposed the name. "To Mr. John Pitcairn belongs the honor of having suggested the name of this journal, in which, to the end of his days, he took a most keen and unfaltering interest." (Rev. C. Th. Odhner in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1917, p. 597. The fact is also mentioned by Mr. E. P. Anshutz and Mr. Walter Childs in the BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY, 1916, pp. 1, 35.)
SPIRITUAL LIFE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 1940

SPIRITUAL LIFE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS       CHARLES A. HALL       1940

     An Editorial in The New-Church Herald, August 17, 1940.

     There is certainly a danger that various means of stimulating Christian affections may be sorely neglected under stress of war activities or of constant thought about the war. It is so perilously easy for our minds to be obsessed by the war to such a degree as to cause us to be deprived of our spiritual perspective. All of us are in what is happening to a greater or less extent; we are compelled to do what we do not have to do in times of peace; the even tenor of our easier way has been broken. Some of our people are so intensively engaged in the stupendous war effort that they have no time to take advantage of the routine services of the Church, thus being deprived of a means of inspiration, which they greatly need.
     Any one of us may become a physical casualty; that, however, is a minor matter in comparison with the peril of becoming a spiritual casualty. The spiritual dangers of war are vastly greater than its physical perils. Someone has said that the first casualty of war is truth: that in itself is an appalling thought which history proves has great support in fact. But anyone becomes a spiritual casualty when his vision of the spiritual and the eternal is blurred and his religion becomes impaired. We all need Divine Grace to enable us to do what we are compelled to do in the hellish business of war in a truly religious spirit. It is not an easy thing to resist aggression without hatred towards the aggressor, yet that is what true religion demands. This, indeed, cannot be accomplished in the absence of Divine inspiration, and to secure such inspiration we need to establish contact with the Divine.

554



     Failure to acknowledge the Divine and to obey Divine Law is at the root of all our troubles, and only by such acknowledgment and obedience can they be satisfactorily resolved. In the present emergency there is the danger of confusion becoming worse confounded because we are so much in the confusion that we may not see the things, which belong to our peace. Many are so busy with external activities that there may seem to be no little justification for present neglect of spiritual exercises. Some may be disposed to say we had time for spiritual thought before the war and hope to have plenty of time for it after it is over, but in the meantime we must be otherwise engaged. True it may be that those in whom spiritual principles are already established will be supported by them as a heavenly undercurrent while they are not thinking of them but it is equally true that spiritual principles need to be fortified at all times, and at no time more urgently than when the impact of external events is so forcible as it is to-day. Fair-weather religion is a poor thing in contrast with the religion, which can survive the test of hard times. At this juncture we need more heavenly thought and feeling, not less; our contact with the Divine calls for reinforcement. Each one of us must find some means whereby heavenly affections and thoughts may be strengthened.
     The fullest possible advantage should be taken of our services of worship and instruction, and it may be advisable to adapt them so that they may be of a really intimate nature. But more is needed. Each one of us needs a substantial spiritual feast at the beginning of the day, if one is to maintain spiritual poise and effective morale during the many hours in which we have to face our duties with their sometimes trying and irksome experiences. Poise, to be upheld amid the stress, perhaps the irritation, of the day, cannot be gained by a mind divided between a radio talk, the morning paper, and letters which have just arrived. So much depends upon the temper in which we set out for the day's work. Can we imagine anything better calculated to fortify Christian resolution, beget a Christian temper and a proper dignity and purpose for what lies before us, than a short time in the early morning given to reading of the Word and meditation upon it?

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     Power from the Lord is mediated to us through His written Word as by no other agency: pity it is that we are so tardy in availing ourselves of it. Devout reading of the Word brings us into heavenly associations, and the fragrance of such associations lingers about us long after we have been compelled by the demand of the day to close the Sacred Book. But if the soul is really to be nourished by this agency, our reading must not be a matter of routine: to it must go holy affection, earnest aspiration, intelligent thought, expectant prayer. Only to him who approaches the Lord in His Word with "shoes off his feet" are the windows of heaven opened and the showers of blessing outpoured.
     He who feasts his soul upon the Word at the opening of the day is not only blessed, but he becomes a blessing. His spiritual poise affects others who cannot help remarking the calmness of spirit in which he tackles his difficulties and turns them to good account. We can all make time for this early spiritual meal if we like, and once we have come to realize the blessedness of it we shall not be likely to allow anything to distract us from it. And as we begin the day with the Word, so should we end it. We most earnestly exhort our readers not to go to bed haunted by war news: let the last waking thoughts be concerning news from heaven. Tired as we may be at the end of a hard day, we shall find sleep more refreshing and peaceful if, just before putting out the light, we read a few verses from one of the Gospels and, after composing the body for sleep, allow the burden of what we have read to haunt our last thoughts. Such a practice sets our spirits in heavenly places, and assists the angelic spirits who minister to us in sleep to do their lovely work. After so heavenly a feast on retiring, one awakes in the morning as one happily emerging from a heavenly experience, sweetly refreshed, and with a song in the heart.
     CHARLES A. HALL.

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Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     NEW YORK, N. Y.

     Opening the Fall activities, the first gathering of the New York Society was held in a room at Steinway Hall on Sunday, September 29, and was marked by two particularly welcomed features. Firstly, it was our privilege to have a visit by Bishop George de Charms, who preached for us at our regular monthly service and later presided at a business meeting. Secondly, the service and meeting were marked by one of the largest attendances we have enjoyed for some time,-29 people (27 adults and 2 children), including quite a number who were with us for the first time. Thus our season started off with an inspiring service conducted by the Bishop and an extremely interesting business meeting. The service and meeting were held in a new location for us, which promises to help us in a rather mundane and earthly, but quite important, respect-economy.
     After the service our meeting came to order, and with a great deal of enthusiasm and interest we attacked the problem of the coming season. We anticipate many new activities-expansion, reorganization and revivification; and the interest expressed by all our members promises a most successful and valuable year. The meeting was featured by discussions on our membership problems and on the action necessary for reorganization. It was agreed that we hold elections for the Executive Committee at our next meeting, and the society regretfully accepted the resignation of our loyal and hard working secretary of so many years-Mrs. Florence A. Wilde-who was given a rising vote of thanks for her stalwart services.
     Our intense activity had a doubly gratifying effect. Not only were we inspired for the job ahead of us, but Bishop de Charms very kindly expressed his interest in our activities, and has promised to help us to the extent of being present in the chair when we convene next month. This honor we appreciate greatly, and it is our enthusiastic hope that we may deserve this by following our course through to the most constructive and active season in our history.
     Following adjournment of the business meeting, as many as didn't have to hurry home to take a roast out of the oven convened in a nearby restaurant for a sip and a chat, which would have, I'm sure, continued for hours, had not an annoying train schedule snatched the Bishop from our midst. His promised return appeased us, and we are looking forward to his next visit and our next assembly, at which time we shall take pleasure in sending another report to our friends of the Church through the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
     LEON RHODES.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     During August and September a steady stream of welcome visitors continued to flow no less than 32 of them-from all points of the compass.
     At the Son's meeting on August 18, Mr. Harold Cranch presented a paper on Missionary Work. Here is a digest of it: (1) All church work, of every character, is necessary, presenting the truth where it is lacking.
(2) To bring anyone to the Church, he must come through the acknowledgment of the Lord and His Word as the sole source of authority. (3) For the New Church, the Writings are the source of this authority.

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(4) Evangelization is both internal and external. Our first job is to evangelize ourselves; then we can teach others. That is what is meant by the statement that the membership of the church will increase when its internal growth is sufficient. By teaching ourselves we increase the internal church, and from our learning its truths we can teach it to others. (5) Those under the influence of the false doctrines of the Old Church cannot come into the New until the power of those dogmas is broken. When the Old Church has lost its power over a man, through truths revealing its fallacy, then the New Church can be established with him. (6) We should not be fanatical, and bore others by teaching when they can not or will not learn; but if we are sincerely interested in the truth, we should make it known when a good opportunity offers.
     The following Sunday, the Rev. Karl R. Alden and Mr. Otho Heilman were with us, and in the evening gave a most interesting account of their trip through the Canadian Northwest.
     On Saturday evening, September 7, the society was invited to the marriage of Miss Barbara Gyllenhaal, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Gyllenhaal, to Mr. Robert Carlson. After the service a most delightful reception was held in the parish hall. A few days previous to the wedding the parents of the bride celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and were presented with a silver gift from the society.
     With the approach of Autumn, meetings have started again: Friday suppers-school--a doctrinal class for high-school students-young people's classes-etc. All are once more in full swing.
     Our school opened with an enrollment of 65 in the 9 grades. Miss Venita Roschman teaches 5 in the first grade, 7 in the second grade, and 7 in the third grade. The 4 children in the fourth grade and the 8 in the fifth grade are in Miss Lois Nelson room. Miss Volita Wells teaches the 6th and 7th grades, with 4 in the former and 14 in the latter. There are 9 in the eighth grade and 7 in the ninth, under Miss Gladys Blackman. This year there are 7 in the kindergarten, in charge of Miss Susan Scalbom.
     And now we are looking forward to another Chicago District Assembly! Bishop Acton will be with us, and we know we may confidently expect an inspiring series of meetings.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     The Olivet Society held its annual meeting on September 25, following the first Wednesday supper of the new season. Our elections started off in fine style with the swift reelection of last year's secretary and treasurer,
-Messrs. Desmond McMaster and Frank Wilson respectively; but when we came to the Finance Board and Social Committee, more competition developed. As a result, we are still hearing a few of the endless reports after each Wednesday class!
     The treasurer's report showed that our income was still below par," but the work of the Finance Board seemed to offer hopes of a more favorable situation by next year.
     The report of "Olivet Estates, Ltd.,"-the legal name for our community project-showed that, although our margin of safety is very narrow, we have almost completed the purchase of the property.
     The Pastor has very modestly left his report to the last, and that is still before us as this goes to press.
     The Son's Chapter has decided to push the sale of War Savings Stamps in the Society this year. For the time being we have been forced to abandon any idea of selling the Academy Tuition Stamps, but we feel that the sale of War Savings Stamps, besides helping Canada's war effort, will take the place of the Tuition Stamps for those who wish to save for an Academy education.
     The Ladies' Circle is continuing with their Red Cross work, after finishing the last year with a financial record that amazed the male section of the Society.

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It was even suggested that our Society treasurer might call on his wife (who is the ladies' Red Cross treasurer) for a little advice and assistance!
     The Day School is in full swing again, with a somewhat larger attendance than last year. Miss Korene Schnarr, with some assistance from Mr. Gyllenhaal, is carrying the main work of the school, while Miss Peggie John has kindly undertaken to teach the kindergarten, and music to all grades.
     L. T. I.

     ENGLAND.

     Colchester.

     From the "News Letter" of September 15 we learn that a celebration in place of the British Assembly was held at Colchester in August, opening with a social and dance on Saturday evening, August 24. The Rev. and Mrs. A. Wynne Acton had come from London and were warmly welcomed by the Rev. Martin Pryke and the members of the Society.
     Forty-seven persons attended the Service on Sunday morning, and the Holy Supper was administered.
     At a session in the afternoon, a paper on "The State of the Christian World" was read by Mr. Acton, and followed by a short but very interesting discussion. The meeting closed with the singing of the 48th Psalm.
     After Tea, Mr. Alan Waters, presiding as toastmaster, presented a programme on the theme of " Friendship," three papers being read, as follows: "Friendship in England," Mr. John Motum; "International Friendship," Mr. Alwyn Appleton; and "Friendship in the Church," Miss May Waters. The song. "Friend o' Mine," was rendered by Mr. Sanfrid Appleton. The programme proved most interesting, and the theme of the papers seemed to fit in with the paper presented earlier in the afternoon.
     A service of worship was held in the evening, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton delivering the sermon, this bringing to a conclusion a very happy, useful, and interesting day.
     We hear that the work of the Colchester day school has been suspended, owing to the evacuation of the children from the region.

     London.

     Since the "Assembly Sunday," August 4, there have been no activities at Michael Church except the Sunday morning services, and these will be L. T. I. maintained, except when air raids make it impossible. The pastor states: "The difficulty of long travelling for our members is realized, but the continued holding of services will enable all who can to come and enjoy that spiritual nourishment which we all need, and will form an ultimate centre of influx for us all."
     Bishop and Mrs. Tilson, we hear, have moved from London to a place in northern England.
     The Messenger of October 16 states that two New Church buildings in London have been seriously damaged. "Argyle Square Church has been partially unroofed by a direct hit. The windows of Kensington Church have been shattered, and the building is in danger of total demolition from a delayed time-bomb. Sabbath services are being continued under grave difficulties; the congregations, though small, are full of courage."

     FLORIDA.

     Death of Mr. Fritz.

     Joachim J. Fritz, who died at Apopka, Florida, on October 7 at the age of 84, was a remarkable character and a notable figure in Florida. He went from Baltimore to Miami in 1898 and by various business and farming enterprises amassed a large fortune. Much of this, however, he lost in the collapse of the Florida boom in 1926, when he retired to his fine estate near Apopka.

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     His passing removes to the spiritual world a member of the General Church who was long a staunch believer in Academy principles and a constant reader of the Writings. Though little known to our members at large, his ardent New Churchman- ship is bespoken by those who visited him in recent years, among whom were the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, Mr. J. A. Fraser of Atlanta, and Mr. Charles G. Merrill of Cincinnati.
     Mr. Fraser informs us that Mr. Fritz accepted the New Church faith about thirty-five years ago. He had become dissatisfied with the Old Church, and was made acquainted with the Heavenly Doctrines by Miss Elizabeth Simons of Philadelphia (afterwards Mrs. E. E. Iungerich), who was studying the flora of the Miami district at the time. She sent him copies of the Writings, but he was so incensed at their teachings that he destroyed them-all but one. Later, when his state had changed, he found this book, read it with keen interest and delight, and fully accepted its revealed truths. He never could understand why others to whom he talked were not equally impressed.
     The Rev. Enoch S. Price visited Miami in 1916, and on April 4 baptized Mr. Fritz and two of his daughters-Caroline Elizabeth and Martha Julia.
     Mr. Waelchli paid several visits during the years 1925-1930, and we quote from his report in 1925:
     "In zeal and enthusiasm Mr. Fritz is equal to a large society. Only one formal meeting was held, but the entire four days of my visit was a continuous meeting, from morning until late at night, or rather until early the next morning. Riding about the city all day, seeing points of interest, and my host at intervals attending to business matters connected with his great projects, we conversed on the Doctrines and their application to the various planes of life; and in the evening there would be a session, combining the qualities of a class and a social.
     "Mr. Fritz's optimism as to the future of the Church in Miami may be evident from the fact that he plans that his present residence shall some day be that of the minister, and that the church will be built on the corner lot adjoining. May it all come true! It will, if his energy can accomplish it."
     In 1928 Mr. Waelchli wrote: " Mr. Fritz called at the Hilldale home in Oak Hill, and took me by car to his country home near Apopka, where he has a large and beautiful estate. It is his ambition that in time the place shall become a resort for New Church people, and especially for New Church ministers, where they may for a period find rest and quiet and renewal of strength."

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS.

     Enrollment for 1940-1941.

Theological School          1
College                    31
Boys Academy               60
Girls Seminary               76
Elementary School               167

     Total                    335
Enrollment Last Year          333

     THE CEREBRUM.

     Volume II of Swedenborg's work on The Cerebrum, translated and edited by Alfred Acton, MA., D.Th., will be published on November 1st by the Swedenborg Scientific Association, the price being $2.00.
     The first volume, entitled Three Transactions on the Cerebrum, was reviewed in NEW CHURCH LIFE for April, 1939. It was accompanied by a Book of Anatomical Plates. The second volume will include a continuation of the text in the form of a specific treatise on the functions of the Dura Mater, an Index of the whole work, and certain appendices.
     The price of the complete work, plus the Book of Anatomical Plates, will be $12.00.

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ORDINATIONS 1940

ORDINATIONS              1940




     Announcements



     Algernon.-At Georgetown, British Guiana, September 1, 1940, Mr. Henry Algernon, into the First and Second Degrees of the Priesthood, Bishop George de Charms officiating.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1940

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS              1940

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn, the Hospitality Committee of the Bryn Athyn Church wishes to state that Rooms are available at moderate rates, and that meals can be arranged for, if desired. Please write to Miss CELIA BELLINGER, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
CELEBRATING THE ADVENT 1940

CELEBRATING THE ADVENT       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1940



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LX
DECEMBER, 1940
No. 12
     That the Lord was born into the world and lived on earth, is known to men from Divine Revelation; and this revealed truth has been confirmed and kept alive by the perpetual evangelization of His earth-life and His redemption of mankind, and, since the middle of the first century, by the annual celebration of Christmas. The making of a calendar beginning with the year of the Lord, and now adopted throughout the world, has also helped to perpetuate the knowledge of His Divine work, and has provided opportunities for all men to learn about Him.
     These facts show that a knowledge of the Lord's life on earth is the most important of all knowledges. There is nothing of greater importance for man to know, to understand, to believe, and to make the foundation of his life. And this knowledge is of so great importance because it makes known that the infinite, invisible God became Man, and thereby made Himself known and visible to men as God-Man. Only when men know that there is a God who is Creator, Redeemer, and Savior, who has from the beginning revealed Himself and His purposes, who has Himself been born on earth as Man, and only when they understand that all this was for the sake of their well-being and happiness in this world and the next, can they truly understand the purpose of their creation and birth, the kind of life they should live on earth, the reasons for the death of the body, and the reality of the life after death.
     And so our celebration of the Lord's birth is not merely in remembrance of an event long past, and now of no real importance for us, but of an event that is the foundation stone of every man's spiritual life.

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The Lord's birth and the work of His earthly ministry should be with us as really as though He were actually born and ministering among us now. And this will be the case with every man who loves the knowledge of the Lord's coming, and seeks to understand the meaning of it, in order that he may become a disciple of the Lord and do His will. Such a man will rejoice over the Lord's advent; and by celebrating it will receive added strength of purpose to live according to the teaching of the Lord's Word. There will be renewed with him the spirit of good will towards men; he will see in the light of Him who is the Light of the world; and inwardly he will feel the peace ever given by the Prince of Peace.
     The reasons for our hearing anew each year the stories of the Lord's birth and ministry on earth are the same as the reasons for His coming. He came to redeem and save mankind, which He accomplished by His own combats against the hells, and by His teaching the purpose and way of salvation and regeneration. We are constantly in need of redemption and salvation, which should be plainly evident to us from the present state of the world, and from its states ever since His coming. We are able to see the evil conditions outside of ourselves, and in other men, far more clearly than we can see the same conditions within ourselves; and so we are apt to think that all other people need redemption, salvation, and regeneration more than we do. They do need those Divine works, but so do we,- every one of us; and those Divine works need to be done in us over and over again. They are all perpetual works, having to be done in men ceaselessly, just as life from the Lord must flow in perpetually to sustain our life.
     It is true of all work, of every use, that it must be done perpetually and as it were unceasingly, for otherwise there is death and damnation. Rest from work is required only for the sake of renewing our vigor and returning to the work with increased energy and skill; but there is no rest in the sense of a complete cessation of work. This is especially true of spiritual uses, and supremely true of Divine operations. The Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps, and in emulation of His omnipresence and ceaseless activity we must constantly dispose ourselves to receive His ministrations and operations, which we do by the diligent reading of His Word, and by the constant endeavor to apply His teaching to our daily lives.

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     Reflect upon the remarkable fact that, as long as we supply our bodies with food, water, air, clothing, shelter, though it be the same every day, year after year, the Lord flows in perpetually with life, and enables us to do innumerable different things, to have numberless different feelings, to experience a wide variety of states. The material means may be much the same throughout life; but the effects can be of endless variety. It is similar with His Word, which is a Divine medium by which endless spiritual states can be produced with us. Over and over again we read the same stories, the same internal meaning, the same doctrine; yet these can produce ever-new thoughts, ever new visions of the Divine Providence and of eternal life. To perceive these ever new things, and to experience ever new delights, we need only be willingly receptive of the Lord's influx and operation; that is, we need only prepare for it by shunning as sin against Him whatsoever will prevent His influx and operation.
     So long as we enjoy natural health and cheerfulness, we have a good appetite for the same food day after day, especially if we are also contented and happy in our work. It is much the same when we are spiritually healthy and cheerful; for then we have a spiritual affection of truth, and everywhere in the revealed Word of the Lord we find food for our minds and souls. Yet today, even with those who are blest in receiving the Lord in His Second Coming and the Heavenly Doctrine, which makes plain all the mysteries of faith, there may be less spiritual than natural health, and little appetite for "the bread of God."

     Prophecies of the Advent.

     We need to bring into the present time the events of the ages long before the Lord's birth on earth, in order to understand this most wonderful of all births. The numerous prophecies of His coming, beginning in the decline of the Most Ancient Church, and given with increasing frequency and definiteness during the ages of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, were essential signs to the people of their times of a Divine Being and government; they were also Divine promises of His redemption and salvation of mankind; and at His coming they served as witnesses that He was the promised Messiah. During His ministry the Lord said, "I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

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And the Father Himself, who hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His word abiding in you; for whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not." (John 5: 36-38.)
     The works which the Lord performed bear witness to us of His Divine Humanity. Therefore must we know those works, and by them know Him. And these we learn over and over again in celebrating His birth. "The Father" bore witness by the Prophets, by means of the signs given through them,-signs that are also called "prophecies." A few of those many signs or prophecies were: that God Himself would come upon earth as a Man, born of woman, to conquer the hells, and that His body would suffer death; that there would arise a kingdom of Judah which would continue until His coming; that a star would guide men to Him; that He would be begotten of Jehovah, and born of a virgin, and be named "Immanuel," that is, God-with-us; that He would be God and Jehovah, by whom alone is salvation; that He would be born in Bethlehem, that He would be a man of sorrows, afflicted, despised, bruised, and crucified; that He would be the ideal King, who would redeem Israel and rule the world justly. In the Psalms especially are found prophecies of the all-conquering king, of the king of glory, of the universally reigning king. "Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me." (Psalm 40: 7.)
     By the prophecies He was known at His coming, but by them He can be known now. The obvious natural meanings of the prophecies were used by the Lord Himself as witnesses that He was the promised Messiah; for He said that they were all fulfilled in Him. In both their natural and spiritual meanings they enable us to perceive the truth of the Word, and to know and believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth.
     When we reflect upon the reasons why we believe in God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ as the one God, we note the steps by which such a belief is implanted in us and grows to rational conviction. First, we are taught this in our childhood and youth. Then we read about it for ourselves in the Word and the Writings, and think about it much or little according to our love of truth, and so far as the remains of childhood are stirred to activity in us.

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Throughout life we also receive an influx from the Lord out of heaven, disposing us to believe; not a teaching influx, not an influx of thoughts, but one of affections, of longing, which, if not perverted and checked, causes us to want to believe, because it is reasonable, helpful, a basis of security, and a beacon of hope for eternal life and salvation.
     But how can we know that what we believe is the truth? Only by reading Divine Revelation and meditating upon its teaching; only by humbling ourselves to the point of acknowledging that of ourselves we can know nothing; only by doing uses from good motives and to good ends, which " doing" will bring light from heaven; by shunning evils as sins against God and the neighbor, which "shunning" will open the way into the spiritual mind; and by prayer, which is a speaking with the Lord, who answers by satisfying perceptions and peace of mind. We believe as of ourselves, which is true of all things good that we do; for into our acting as of ourselves the Lord, who alone is good, flows down, and teaches, reforms, regenerates, and prepares us for eternal life in His heavenly kingdom.
     We must also realize the need of a Savior. We must be conscious of the inadequacy of human effort against the powers of evil within us, and realize that only a Divine Human Savior can help us, can overcome the powers of evil within us. Only by experiencing many times in life the complete cycle of the human race, from man's fall to his redemption by the Savior, Jesus Christ, can we be redeemed and saved individually. The entire Word of God alone is adequate to save us. This is why we must know the prophecies of the Lord's birth; why, year after year, throughout our earth-life, we are to read, hear, and meditate upon those prophecies and their fulfillment. In so doing we live, not in the past, but in the eternal present. In our knowing and understanding the ancient prophecies we are not turning backward. On the contrary, we cannot rise up, except from them as the foundations of our own life and of our new knowledge. We cannot know living Divine Truths, except by them as means, teaching the essentials of life. We cannot become truly human without their spirit.
     Therefore the Lord said of His coming, that it is foretold in the Word, and that the Word must be searched, because it testifies of Him. Only God can reveal Himself, and He has done this from the beginning in many ways, and finally by birth into the world and the glorification of His Human.

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And though, before His coming, there was constant forward looking to the future fulfillment of His promise, and since His coming a looking backward to what has come to pass, still, to every man individually His coming is ever in the present. And the realization of this, and of man's ever-present need of a Savior, will awaken our affections to eager desire to celebrate His birth with holy reverence, glad thanksgiving, and "great joy."
SPIRITUAL ARMOR 1940

SPIRITUAL ARMOR       Rev. W. B. CALDWELL       1940

     "When a strong man armed keepeth his house, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." (Luke 11: 21, 22.)

     The meaning of this parable in its natural sense is plain. The man whose house and possessions are not adequately protected will be overcome and despoiled by one whose armor is more powerful than his own. With an individual or a nation, trust in an inadequate defense begets a false sense of security, and invites the aggression of enemies. Nor is the natural lesson of the parable confined to the material plane. Hypocritical goodness in man or nation is a vain defense, but genuine integrity is a strong armor in the final day of reckoning. It is the same in the spiritual life of man. Spurious good is helpless when evil spirits infest. Only genuine good from the Lord can resist them. (A. C. 5023g.)
     For in speaking this parable the Lord taught a spiritual lesson for the man of the church. The Jews had accused Him of casting out devils by Beelzebub, the chief of the devils, and He answered them, "If Satan be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub." And further He taught them that He alone, by His Divine power, could cast out devils, thus that He alone can deliver man from his spiritual enemies,-the evils of hell-and introduce him into the goods of heaven. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."

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He then taught the same truth in the parable of the text, where the "strong man armed" is the natural of man, and the "stronger who overcomes" is the spiritual, which gains the victory by virtue of the Divine presence and power.
     The general doctrine involved is that the Lord alone, by His Divine omnipotence, can resist the hells and deliver man from evil. Man thinks he is strong enough to do this himself when he has learned truths from the Word, and has removed evil and done good in outward speech and act. But if he has not acknowledged the Lord, and effected an interior removal of the evils of the natural man by combats against them, the outward removal begets a pride of goodness and a pride of power, and also a state of self-righteousness and self-satisfaction which in reality is weak in itself,-a prey to the hells of self-glory and merit, even as vanity is a prey to flattery. Such a man adds new evils to his original sins, and his last state is worse than his first. "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he will return to the house and find it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." (Luke 11: 24-26.)
     And such a man is meant in our text by the "strong man armed who keepeth his house, and whose goods are then in peace." Because he is armed with truths which he outwardly lives, he imagines that he is without sin, that he has power over evil, and is secure from the attacks of evil in temptation, and so is saved by virtue of his own goodness. "His goods are in peace." But it is a false peace. "For when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."
     It is otherwise with those who regenerate, who by a life of repentance put away the false armor and put on a genuine armor, and the " stronger one " overcomes the former.
     By this "stronger one" is meant the spiritual man, which has power over the natural,-power from the Lord, power to overcome the natural, to take away the self-power, the "armor" in which the natural man trusts, to remove by interior combat the sense of power and merit in the natural, and yet to retain for itself the external good of the natural, to "divide the spoils,"-dividing them by rejecting the evil and false in the natural, retaining the good and the true that is there.

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     It is only by combat from the spiritual that the natural can be purified of interior evil, reduced to subjection, and introduced into the order of heaven. Any other purifying and ordering of the natural than that which is accomplished through the spiritual is from man outwardly, not from the Lord inwardly. The Lord enters to accomplish this only through the spiritual internal of man, operating thence into the internal of the natural, where the will of evil resides. The natural is then placed under an internal bond from spiritual love and conscience, whereas before it was only under an external bond from natural love and fear,-the fear of the loss of reputation and gain. "No man can enter a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house." (Mark 3: 27.)
     This placing of the natural under an internal bond is the beginning of regeneration, which beginning is made when man is internally affected by the truth, when he begins to will the good of the truth of the Word, when charity begins to inspire his faith, when he enters a state of internal humility before the Lord and the neighbor, realizing his own unworthiness. Before he does this, he acts from truth separate from good, truth serviceable to his love of self, truth according to which he has lived well outwardly for the sake of worldly gain and favor, truth only in the memory and thought, not yet in the will and life. And so long as man is in this state preceding regeneration-a state of truth alone conjoined with an external good of life,-he is apt to consider himself spiritually a "strong man." For a time he is not conscious of the evil that lurks within, having covered it up and hidden it away, even from his own reflection. But an hour of temptation arrives, when this man, in his fancied strength, finds himself weak in the presence of an incitement to evil, when an awakening of spiritual conscience moves him to the acknowledgment that he is in the presence of a "stronger than he," and that he himself is helpless without aid from the Lord.
     We know that the natural good of the moral and pious life, into which a man is introduced by education, may to a greater or less extent cover up and suppress the evils of his heredity. It is well that it should do so, for his own sake, and for the sake of civil society.

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But because of this suppression he easily falls into the belief that he is good, that he is without sin. And in the comfortable security of this state, pride steals in like a thief. The conscience is asleep, and the enemy sows the tares.
     Many are permitted to remain in this state, lest, if their evils were manifested to them, they would come into temptations in which they would succumb. (A. C. 2380.) But in the case of one who can be regenerated, sooner or later something occurs to manifest to him the existence of evils in himself, the presence of which he had not suspected. The truth in his mind is attacked by spirits who enter through the evils of his natural and stir them up. He feels this as the anxiety of conscience. And it is then that the spiritual in him must prove stronger than the natural, must defend the truth against the evil of his natural man, and must overcome that evil in the combat which ensues. In those very temptations the old state will assert itself, in the form of a comfortable assurance of victory based upon a belief in his own power. Here again it is to be met and conquered, even through anxiety and despair in the giving up of confidence in his own strength for a reliance upon the Lord. Otherwise he will remain as the "strong man armed keeping his house and his goods in peace,"-the false security of his own power.

     II.

     In the spiritual sense of our text, by the "house" of this "strong man" is meant the mind (A. C. 5023), but especially the natural mind, because the term used in the original means the "court of the house,"-the outer court. And the "armor" in which he trusted for a defense is truth from the Word in the mind,-truth only in the "court" of the mind, the memory,-truth hiding evil, thus keeping that mind "in peace." Truth is a spiritual shield and weapon protecting and defending good, but it may also be used as a cloak for evil. For the first state of man is one of truth in the understanding not yet in the will,-truth known and understood, and imparting the false strength of self-intelligence, hypocritical good, and trust in self.
     It is a fact that self-confidence and courage, as opposed to a morbid distrust of one's self, is a moral virtue,-a natural strength which a man should cultivate. But true spiritual strength begins with a trust in the Lord and a humiliation of self before Him.

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And though this may appear to the natural man as weakness, in reality it is true strength when compared with that trust in self which expresses itself in pride and boasting. A man may boast of his power over evil before he has undergone a single spiritual temptation. But "let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off." (I Kings 20: 11.) "There is no king saved by the multitude of a host; a mighty man is not delivered by much valor. A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy." (Psalm 33: 16-18.)
     Trust in the Lord,-the acknowledgment that all power is from the Divine,-this is the source of all spiritual strength with the man of the church. For this trust is only with one who lives the Lord's Truth from love, from good, which brings into the truth that life which is the only origin of its power. In man this causes that the will of good is in and acting through his understanding of truth. This is the life and strength of the spiritual man, which has power to overcome the natural, to take away the armor in which he has trusted, to take possession of the goods of the natural and impart new power unto them,-a power from the spiritual in the natural.
     It is a familiar teaching of our Doctrine that all the power of truth is from good. (A. C. 6344, 10182.) Truth without good is spiritually powerless and dead. On the other hand, good has no power except through truth. It is through truth that good exercises its power; and it is from good that truth is able to exercise power. By way of illustration, good is to be compared to the vital fluids in the human body, while truth is like the containing vessels. A muscle or nerve has no power except by virtue of the vital spirit within it. Similarly an engine is powerless without steam, a ship without wind for its sails. It is the same spiritually with truth that lacks good. It cannot move or act, still less resist the onslaught of evil. And so it is with the spiritual mind of man, if it has received impressions of truth, but has not lived according to them from love. So it is with the spiritual man and his faith, if he is not yet inspired by love and charity. For until the good of love enters the truth of faith from within, until man actually wants to live the truth, the truth is an empty form and vessel with him. And then it suffers itself to be a vessel for evil, having no power over evil; for evil cannot cast out evil. Nor is evil willing to cast out evil.

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How can Satan cast out Satan?
     We know that this state of truth unconjoined to good precedes in the regenerate life, and is called the state of the natural rational as it is before the spiritual rational is born, which state is one of truth without good, in which state man glories in his own power; whereas the state of the spiritual rational is one of truth conjoined to good, in which state a man becomes "mild and clement, patient and yielding, full of love and mercy." "Rational good," we are taught, "never fights, even when attacked; and although it never fights, still it conquers all; for it is safe of itself, seeing that no evil can approach good, or subsist for a moment in the sphere of good." (A. C. 1950.)
     Yet this state of man, in which good has been implanted in the truth with him, is apparently one of weakness, and not of strength. But it has in it the power of wisdom from innocence-infantile simplicity within which is the acquired power of adult years. In the other life, we read, "an angel, because he is in Divine Truths from the Lord, even though as to his body he is as weak as an infant, can put to flight a whole troop of infernal spirits who appear like giants, pursuing them to hell, and thrusting them into caverns there." (T. C. R. 87.) Such is the spiritual power of truth from good, of wisdom from love and innocence. It is the power that conceals its strength,-the yielding exterior concealing the strong interior, the gentle firmness that conquers all. Even in the natural world among men the same power of innocence and truth triumphs by its very sincerity over the arrogant boasting and vaunted strength of the evil. When compelled to resist aggression, it fights reluctantly, and only from a good end.
     Spiritual strength, therefore, begins with man in humility, in the renunciation of the pride of power and the ascribing of all power to the Lord. The angels have from the Lord such great power that they can disperse thousands of evil spirits with a look. But they have this power in proportion to their acknowledgment that it is from the Lord. "If one of them believes that this power is from himself we are told, " he immediately becomes so weak that he cannot resist one evil spirit." (H. H. 230. See D. P. 19; S. D. 6037.)

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     But it is to be carefully noted that the acknowledgment of the Lord through which such power is given to angels and men is not a merely passive acknowledgment, but an active one in the doing of the Lord's will, in doing His Truth, and especially in the effort to overcome evil in a life of repentance. This is the practical acknowledgment of the Lord which puts away all belief in self-power. And the man of the church is introduced into this spiritual power by acknowledging the Lord, not only in faith, but also by doing His will in the life of charity from love towards the neighbor, from a love of the neighbor's freedom and an unwillingness to exercise power over him, but rather to perform uses to him.
     We are taught that the first of charity is to look to the Lord and shun evils as sins against Him, and that the second of charity is to do goods. This plainly involves the necessity of man's full co-operation, as of himself, with the Divine action and influx, first in repentance, and secondly in the doing of uses to the neighbor. Otherwise man's will is not involved, but only his understanding; the truth, but not good. And into such a mind the Divine cannot inflow with power over evil, because evil reigns in such a mind, and evil cannot cast out evil.
     How necessary man's co-operation with the Lord is, may be evident from this statement of our Doctrine: "It is a law of order that it behooves man to introduce himself into faith by truths from the Word, and into charity by good works, and thus to reform and regenerate himself. It is a law of order that man should purify himself of sins by his own work and power, and not stand still believing in his powerlessness, waiting for God to wipe away his sins. And further, a man should love God with his whole soul and his whole heart and his neighbor as himself, and not wait and expect these loves to be put into his mind and heart immediately by God." (T. C. R. 71.)
     And so, if the man of the church is to receive spiritual power from the Lord,-the power to shun evil and the power to do good-he is not only to look to the Lord in the spiritual man by faith, but is also to act as of himself in the natural man from the spiritual in the uses of life. Power is from the Lord through the spiritual man, but it is received and appropriated by man only when the natural acts as of itself from the spiritual, when man shuns evils and does goods in his every-day life. This is man's actual acknowledgment of the Lord,- his active response to the Divine inflowing. And by this both the spiritual and the natural in him become strong together.

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By yielding up what is our own in the service of the Lord, we are blest with an ever-increasing sense of individual strength, freedom and delight.
     This is the reward of one who is not willing to remain in the comfortable peace and power of the natural man before repentance, who is as the "strong man armed whose goods are in peace," but who suffers the spiritual man to rule the natural in himself, that the Lord may lead and govern his life, and bring him to the peace of heaven. For then a "stronger than he comes upon him, and overcomes him, and takes away all the armor wherein he had trusted, and divides his spoils." Amen.
LESSONS:     I Kings 20: 1-21. Matthew 12: 14-30. A. C. 1661.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 429, 465, 484.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 82, 88.
BEELZEBUB 1940

BEELZEBUB              1940

     Originally a man who performed miracles, Beelzebub was among those in ancient times whom the gentiles " first worshipped as saints, afterwards as deities, and finally as gods." (T. C. R. 292.) In the Second Book of Kings we read that "Ahaziah, King of Israel, was sick, and sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Beelzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease." (1: 2.) For "he performed more miracles than other gentile gods." (luritation 55.)
     In the time of the Lord, the Jews held Beelzebub in contempt, and regarded him as the "chief of the demons" to whom men resorted for healing miracles. But Jesus, when the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, called him "Satan" (Matthew 12: 24-28), and the spiritual meaning of this is now revealed in the Apocalypse Explained, as follows:
     "Here the term 'Satan,' and not 'Devil,' is used, because by 'Beelzebub,' who was the god of Ekron, is meant the god of all falsities. For Beelzebub, by interpretation, means 'the lord of flies,' and flies signify the falsities of the sensual man, thus falsities of every kind. This is why Beelzebub is called 'Satan.' Wherefore the Lord said, 'If I in the Spirit of God cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.'" (A. E. 74010. See T. C. R. 630e.) By His Divine miracles, the Lord manifested His power over that chief of falsities-that "prince of demons"-that man has power apart from God.

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PRODIGAL SON 1940

PRODIGAL SON       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1940

     A TALK TO CHILDREN.

     The story we have just heard from the Word tells us about a man who had two sons, and one of them wasted the money and other things, which his father had given him. He went away off to a far country, and fell into hard times. But then, after he had spent all that his father had given him, he decided to go back to his father and confess to him all the wrong things he had done. He thought that his father would let him work for him as a hired servant. But his father was so rejoiced to see him returning to him that he made a great feast, and dressed him in the finest clothing, and invited the friends and neighbors, and killed a special calf for them to eat.
     This father was like the Lord, and we are like the son who went away from him. For we often go far away from heaven and the church where the Lord is. Whenever we do what is wrong or speak what is not true, and whenever we try to deceive people, or take from others what belongs to them, that is what is meant by going away from our Father's home. For the Lord our Father's home is heaven, and it is also the church. In the church we are all like the Lord's children.
     But whenever we have done things that are wrong, if only we are willing to say and confess that we have done wrong, and at the same time make up our minds that we do not want to do those wrong things again, the Lord will always rejoice and forgive us.
     The Lord is like the father in the parable. He is always glad when anyone who has done wrong is willing to come back and confess to Him that he has done wrong. The Lord never wants to punish anyone, but He does want us not to waste the good things, which He gives to us. He gives us everything we have, but the most precious things He gives to us are the knowledges of truth that He teaches us in the Word, he gives us these knowledges so that we may know how to live well in this world, and be happy in heaven forever.

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But we waste these precious riches when we forget what is right for us to do, and when we do something that is against His teaching. But if we feel sorry for anything we do that is wrong, then the Lord is glad, and He helps us to do right after that.
     The Lord gives us so many good things, both worldly and heavenly riches, so many knowledges about heaven and how we ought to live in this world, how to do good, and what things are not good! This is the best kind of riches or wealth that He gives us. And He wants us to make good use of all this knowledge, and not waste it. These knowledges are the same as were meant in the Parable of the Talents, which a man gave to his servants, while he went away, and told them to make good use of them.
     The Lord gives us a great deal of knowledge from His Word, and then He leaves us to make good use of it or not. If we do not do what the Lord tells us in the Word, we waste the riches that He gives us. This is what is meant by the prodigal son going away and wasting his father's money in riotous living. to be prodigal means to be wasteful. But after he saw what he had done, and how he had wasted it, he was sorry, and he returned to his father's home, and his father forgave him, and was very glad to have him back. So we may sometimes waste the knowledges of truth, which the Lord gives us. But if we are sorry, and go back to the Lord, and ask Him to forgive us, He will always do it, and will be glad. This is what the parable means.
     Do you think we can be trusted to make good use of the knowledges of truth, which the Lord gives us? No. Sometimes we forget, or at least it seems as if we forget, that we must not do any harm to other people, by lying or stealing, or by making fun of them, or by giving them a lot of trouble. Still the Lord forgives us, if we are really sorry, and try not to do those things again.
     The other son of this man was not bad, and he never did anything that would displease his father. He, too, received money or riches from his father. But he stayed at home with his father, and worked for him, and did not waste what his father had given him. And yet, when he saw how well his father was treating the son who had gone away and come back, he was angry, and did not want to go to the great feast.

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But his father persuaded him to go; for he said that the son who came back was just like a person who had been lost, and now was found.
     This teaches us that we should not be angry with other people, or be jealous of them, when they seem to be treated better than we are. The brother who stayed at home thought that he was much better than the one who went away, but that is where he was wrong. The Lord does not want any of us to think that we are better than other people. No matter how bad other people may seem to be, we ought not to think that we are better than they are, for we all have many faults. The Lord is the only one who is good and when we do anything that is good, it is always the Lord that makes us able to do it. So we should never be proud of ourselves, or think that we are better than other people.
     A good deal depends upon what we think and do when we are alone. The Lord wants us to be able to be trusted when nobody is watching us. If we can be trusted when nobody is watching to see what we do, that is one of the finest things that can happen. The Lord wants us to be able to keep our word. If we make a promise to anybody, He wants us to keep our promise. Suppose you have promised to do some piece of work, and then you are left alone. Then, even if nobody kept watch over you, you should do what you promised to do.
     This is what is meant by being honorable, and being honest,-that you can always be trusted to do what you have promised to do, or that you can be trusted to keep your word. That is what an honest person is,-a person who keeps his word.
     I know that sometimes a person might make a promise, and then find out that he cannot possibly keep it. Sometimes we are not able to keep our promises, because something happens to prevent us. But then, what should we do? The thing we ought to do then is to go to the person we promised, and explain why we cannot keep the promise. You see that prevents other people from being disappointed. A good man always keeps his word, if it is possible to do it. And if it is not possible to do it, then he wants to tell the reason why, so that the other person will not be disappointed.
     The Lord is the one most of all that we do not want to disappoint. For He loves everyone, even those who are not good.

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And think how disappointed He must be when He sees people doing things that are wrong. But think how glad He must be when He sees people doing what is right and good, even when they could do what is evil if they wanted to. We all want to be the kind of people that the Lord can trust. These are the ones who do not waste the riches that He gives them.
     The Lord gives us many things, and wants us to make the right use of them. One of His greatest gifts is our tongue to use for speaking. But we can make a good use of it or a bad use. Suppose we use it for bad words, and to express bad ideas, or for swearing or taking the Lord's name in vain! Think how disappointed the Lord must be when our tongues are used for such purposes! But how He must rejoice when people use their tongues to speak the truth, and only for good words, and to praise Him in worship.
     Our hands are especially wonderful gifts from the Lord, who is like the father of the two sons in the parable. We can use them for doing good things or for doing bad things. The Lord leaves it very largely to us. And how disappointed He is if we use them for doing had things, for hurting others, or for taking the things that belong to others, or to destroy good things! And how pleased He is when we use them for doing good, for protecting things that need to be protected! Every part of us is also a gift which the Lord wants us to use in the right way. And if we use them in the wrong way, we are like that son of the man who wasted his father's riches, or the gifts that his father had given him.
     But if we do make the wrong use of the gifts that the Lord gives to us, then, if we realize it, and are sorry for wasting what the Lord gives us, and go back to Him, and ask Him to make us like one of His servants, He will be glad, and will forgive us, and give us even greater gifts.
     What the Lord wants us to learn from this parable of the prodigal son,-the wasteful son,-is for us to make ourselves trustworthy, able to be trusted, to keep our promises if we can possibly do so, and not to waste the good gifts that He gives us; and also not to become so proud of ourselves that we think we are better than other people.
LESSON:     Luke 15: 11-32.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 422, 440, 442.

578


EPISCOPAL VISIT TO SOUTH AMERICA 1940

EPISCOPAL VISIT TO SOUTH AMERICA        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1940

     Georgetown, British Guiana.

     On leaving Rio our party was divided. Miss Guida Asplundh and the Misses Karen and Bethel Pitcairn remained behind to sail the next day for Buenos Aires, while Mr. Michael Pitcairn, Mrs. de Charms and I headed north for Georgetown, British Guiana. We returned by the same ship, "Uruguay," as far as Trinidad, where we spent two days before continuing by Pan American Airways to Georgetown.
     Awakened at four o'clock in the morning of August 30, we reached the airdrome by five, and at just six o'clock the hydroplane started with a full quota of passengers. Rising from the water, it ascended rapidly to an altitude of ten thousand feet, giving us the opportunity to see a glorious sunrise from above the clouds. It was a wonderful sight. Flying weather was perfect, and we made the journey in two hours and three quarters. We came down on the Demerara River and taxied to a floating dock, from which we were taken ashore in a tender. We had followed the island of Trinidad to the point nearest the South American coast, and after a short distance across the water came to the low and swampy shores of British Guiana, which we followed to the mouth of the river. Here was no breath-taking scenery such as we had seen in Rio. Only miles upon miles of rice fields and sugar cane, dotted here and there with villages.
     At the dock we were met by Mr. Henry Algernon, who had no difficulty in recognizing us. He is a man past middle age, a native of the Guianas, who was ordained into the ministry of the Baptist Church. He became acquainted with the Doctrines while living in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, and, forsaking his former faith, became connected with the General Convention. Being recognized by that body as a missionary leader, he worked for a number of years with a small group of New Church people in Paramaribo.

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But being seized with a serious illness, which also attacked his children, he was advised by his physician that he could not continue to live there. He then moved with his family to Georgetown, and endeavored to carry on the work of the Church in that city. The Convention, however, was already supporting a leader there, the Rev. Walter E. Fraser, and did not wish to have two missions in the same place. They asked him to go back to Paramaribo, but since this was impossible because of his health, he found himself without a position.
     Meanwhile he had been reading NEW CHURCH LIFE for several years, and had come to accept the doctrinal position of the General Church. He therefore applied to the Bishop for admission to membership. This was granted, but it was not possible to give him financial support at that time. In spite of this fact, he joined our body, and for three years has been endeavoring to support his family by means of teaching and other secular work, while attempting to establish a center of the General Church. He has a wife and four children-three boys and a girl, the eldest being seventeen.
     On Friday evening, August 30, a short service was held in a rented hall, a congregation of 20 persons being present. Mr. Algernon conducted a simple service, consisting of an opening prayer and a lesson from the Word, followed by a doctrinal paper on "The Relation between the Spiritual and the Natural." It was a clear and accurate statement of the general teaching of the Writings on the subject. Being introduced by Mr. Algernon, I spoke extemporaneously on the General Church, describing Bryn Athyn, the Cathedral, the Academy Schools, and the Societies of the Church in various parts of the world. At the close I emphasized the essential distinctiveness of the New Church.
     The following evening a similar meeting was held at another hall (the regular place of worship) with 30 persons present. After a brief opening service, conducted by Mr. Algernon, I gave a talk on the Tabernacle of Israel, illustrated by the models of the furniture, which I had taken with me. There seemed to be considerable interest in the subject, especially in the spiritual significance of the Tabernacle.
     On Sunday morning at 10.30, a service was held, using the General Church Liturgy, Mr. Algernon conducting. Arthur Algernon, the eldest son, played the piano for congregational singing. There were 16 present.

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I preached an extemporaneous sermon on Malachi 2: 4 dealing with the subject of the Priesthood. Mr. Algernon was ordained into the first and second degrees of the Priesthood, and was received as a Pastor of the General Church.
     At two o'clock I conducted a children's service for 12 children speaking on the opening of the seals of the Book, described in the Apocalypse, and centering the instruction on the holiness of the Word.
     At 3.30 o'clock I administered the Holy Supper to 12 communicants, the Rev. Algernon assisting. The children remained to witness this service. Following it, Mr. Michael Pitcairn took moving pictures of the congregation.
     Meanwhile, I had met the Rev. Walter E. Fraser, who had been an interested attendant at the previous meetings. He is the representative of the General Convention, and I accepted his invitation to preach at his mission on Sunday evening at 8 o'clock. He has a building devoted largely to the work of the Church, though the use of it is shared by one or two secular organizations. Here he has a study, a recreation room, and on the second floor a place for worship. When we arrived the church was crowded. There were 96 present. Mr. Fraser conducted the service in accordance with the Convention Book of Worship; Mr. Algernon read the lessons; and I preached an extemporaneous sermon on John 10: 4, speaking of the leading of Divine Providence in establishing the Church. There was a choir and an organist to lead the singing, in which, however, the entire congregation joined. Afterwards I learned that thirty-six of those present were members of the Church, and the rest were people who had answered the advertisement in the newspaper.
     The work of both missions is conducted among the native colored population, which is greatly predominant throughout the city. The conditions under which these people live are very primitive, and the task of establishing the New Church among them is in its pioneer stage. There are a few who, under Mr. Algernon's instruction, have done some reading of the Writings, and who give evidence of grasping the fundamental Doctrines. Aside from these there are a number who show some interest, but as yet have very little knowledge.
     What the prospects of growth may be under such circumstances, it is difficult to say. But Mr. Algernon himself is an intelligent New Churchman, a real student of the Writings, fully accepting their Divinity, and earnestly striving to impart a knowledge of them to his people.

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In the fact that such a man has been raised up to implant the seeds of the New Church among these people, we recognize the hand of Providence. The work Mr. Algernon is doing deserves our sympathetic encouragement and support.

     Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana.

     On our return to Trinidad by ship, we stopped for two days at Paramaribo, where we called on Mr. Cerpentier, the Convention leader. He is a Hollander who served in the army during the first World War, and, after retiring, came to live in Dutch Guiana. He became acquainted with the Writings by chance. Having to undergo an operation, and anticipating a period of convalescence in the hospital, he went to the library to get something to read. Happening to see the title, Heaven and Its Wonders, and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, he borrowed it, thinking it was some kind of imaginary story that would while away the hours during his illness. Finding that it was not, he at first discarded it but being strangely attracted, he took it up again, and read it three times. He had been a Catholic, but was utterly dissatisfied with that form of religion, and had sought in vain for something that Would satisfy his mind. Here, for the first time, he discovered a truth concerning religion that he could believe. He spoke of the matter to his wife, who also accepted the Doctrines with great delight. Some time afterwards he came in contact with the Convention, and is now conducting a mission while studying by correspondence with the Theological School in Boston.
     I found him a very interesting man-extremely earnest, and sound on all the essential doctrines. He has been in correspondence with the Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer at the Hague, and has read the Dutch Magazine recently published in Holland by Dr. Iungerich. We met his wife and three children, his son-in-law, and the Secretary of his mission church. The Secretary and Mr. Cerpentier spoke English; but with the others we could communicate only through an interpreter. Yet it was a real pleasure to meet them, and to become acquainted at firsthand with these beginnings of the New Church in a far-off land.

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     All here mentioned were present at the dock as we started on our homeward journey; and deep in our hearts, as we waved farewell, was the hope that the Lord might cause these pioneer efforts to prosper, to the eventual establishment of a strong Society of the New Church in Paramaribo.

[Photo]
REV. HENRY ALGERNON.

583


LAST JUDGMENT 1940

LAST JUDGMENT       F. E. WAELCHLI       1940

     A Detailed Account in 'The Spiritual Diary.'

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     In the General Church calendar of Daily Readings, the portions in the Writings assigned for November and December, 1940, are from the work on the Last Judgment and its Continuation, where a general account of that event is given. Readers who would like to learn much more about that Judgment can find detailed descriptions in the Spiritual Diary, nos. 4925 to 6022. (Vols. IV and V of the English Edition.) A great part of this was written during the year of the Judgment, 1757, as indicated in the text. Thus, at the end of no. 5239, "These things took place during the last days of the year 1756"; in no. 5336, dated January 6, 1757, "This began at the end of the year 1756, and in the beginning of the year 1757"; and in no. 5762 we read: "This lasted from the beginning of the year 1757, and the elevation of the good to constitute the New Heaven took place at the end of the month of April, and in the month of May." (See L. J. 45.) Illustrative pen-and-ink sketches by Swedenborg will be found at nos. 5291, 5303, 5468, and 5471.
     If the Spiritual Diary is not available, those who have access to the Potts' Swedenborg Concordance will find a most excellent summary of those Diary numbers under "Last Judgment" in Volume IV, where thirty-seven pages, 129-466, are devoted to it. The reading of these detailed accounts will give a greatly enlarged understanding of one of the most stupendous events in the history of mankind, and of the preparation thereby for the establishment of the eternal New Heaven and New Church.
     F. E. WAELCHLI.



584


WHAT IS TRUTH? 1940

WHAT IS TRUTH?       EDWARD C. BOSTOCK       1940

     A Review.

     ("The Spiritual World and the Natural," by the Right Rev. Alfred Acton, published in New Church Life, October, 1940.)

     In the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of John, the 37th verse, Pilate asked, "Art thou a king, then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice." Pilate said unto Him "What is truth?
     For many ages men have been asking the same question, "What is truth?" Many believe truth to be a relative matter, depending upon man's own point of view. Almost all think of truth as the speech of the mouth by which a statement of fact is conveyed to others.
     Pilate sensed that truth related to Jesus as a king, but he did not understand that a king, in the internal sense, signified the Divine Truth.
     We are taught that the Word is Divine Truth; but too often we think of it as merely a statement of Divine Laws, rather than the Lord Himself proceeding in His creation.
     The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom come to man by means of the Lord's proceeding in creation; and only in the forms of creation can Divine Love be accommodated to man, and be perceived by him.
     The Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom is a substance, and it is a form; consequently everything in the created universe has its origin from the Divine by means of the Spiritual Sun, which is the first proceeding of the Divine Love and Wisdom.
     In order to understand the nature of truth, it must be seen that Divine Truth can only be perceived by man in finite, created forms. There is no such thing as abstract truth, apart from a substance.

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     The Spiritual Sun was the first finition of the Divine-Divine as to essence, but the first of finition in relation to the spiritual world and the created universe. From the Spiritual Sun, spiritual atmospheres were created-also a natural sun and natural atmospheres,- the first living, the latter dead. It is noteworthy that in the work on the Divine Love and Wisdom, and elsewhere in the Writings, not only is a careful description given of the two suns and their proceeding atmospheres, but it is stated that in the spiritual world there are atmospheres, waters and earths, just as in the natural world; but the former are spiritual, whereas the latter are natural. Our conclusion must therefore be, that whatever the difference between the spiritual and the natural, it must apply equally to atmospheres, waters and earths.
     Truths, then, are all created forms, both spiritual and natural, and goods are the corresponding activities accompanying these forms.
     It may be contended that this is a purely materialistic idea of good and truth; and indeed this contention would be correct, if it were not for the fact that man is created a spiritual being with the faculties of liberty and rationality. By means of these faculties, man may see Divine Love and Wisdom reflected in creation. It is these faculties, wherein the Lord dwells, that enable man to see the Divine uses projected in the forms and activities of creation.
     A study of Part III of the Divine Love and Wisdom reveals that there are not only atmospheres, waters and earth in the spiritual world, just as in the natural world, but that there are degrees of love and wisdom, and therefore degrees of heat and light, also degrees of atmospheres-that there are degrees, both of altitude and latitude, in the greatest and in the least things of all things which are created.
     In a scholarly paper, delivered at the Seventeenth General Assembly in June, 1940, Bishop Acton has given an interpretation of the nature of the spiritual world and its relationship to the natural. This interpretation differs from his former interpretations in that it approaches the subject by analyzing the causes of spiritual phenomena rather than the effects.
     His address opens with the statement that in outward appearance the spiritual world is so like the natural that one cannot he distinguished from the other. This fact is well known to all New Churchmen. He then refers to the underlying differences, the nature of which is the problem of his paper.

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Broadly, the differences are, that "the things that appear in heaven are from a spiritual origin, while those that appear in our world are from a material origin"; or, we might say, the difference between the substantial and the material.
     As an approach to his subject he then defines the essential factors of human life, by virtue of which man, whether before or after death, lives as if of himself:

     "First: Such a being must be a finite vessel receptive of life."
     With this we agree.
     "Second: This vessel must be constituted of a series of finite parts, by the first of which life is communicated to all the others."
     This is according to the general doctrine of degrees.
     He continues: " Thus the inmost of man is constituted of primitive finites from the spiritual sun which are created by God, and are spontaneously active and living because perpetually receptive of life. In the father's seed these are clothed with compounded finites derived from the natural world, whereby they are conveyed to the ovum of the mother, where they are clothed with more and more compounded parts, even to the ultimate flesh and bones that are born into the world. In the whole of the body thus born, the only truly living things are the primitive finites proceeding from the spiritual sun. These are indeed created finites, but they are finites immediately receptive of life from God." (Page 466.)

     It is not my purpose to debate the question of the manner in which the soul of man enters into his body, but it is essential to point out that the above statement is a derived doctrine that omits much that is said in the Writings regarding the infilling of the natural body by the spiritual body. It is used as a springboard for a theory that entirely omits an organized spiritual world, just as it omits all degrees of spiritual life between the primitive finites of the spiritual sun and the material substances constituting the body of man. We read further:

     "Third: This life is aware of every change of state that occurs in the parts below itself."

     If the primitive finites are aware of every change of state that exists in the material body or mind of man, we would like to know whether it is God that is aware, or whether these finites operate as the soul of man without any spiritual mind or body. It is distinctly stated in the Writings that every spirit has a spiritual mind and a spiritual body.

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     "Fourth: In order that the vessel or human being may become conscious of life, that is, may feel itself to have independent life, the changes of state induced on its organism must be produced by causes which the vessel perceives to come from without; . . . but the vessel itself is not aware of them until its senses are opened to the outer world.

     Returning to the general subject of the difference between the two worlds, he then says:

     Granting that man, whether in this world or after death, is a vessel receptive of life, and that his conscious or sensitive life consists in his perceiving changes of state induced upon him by causes that come from without, it necessarily follows that the difference between the natural world and the spiritual is not a difference in respect to the sensation or perception of changes of state, but is a difference in the nature of the objects that produce the changes of state. It is clear, therefore, that an understanding of the difference between the objects sensated in the spiritual world and those sensated in the natural will give us an understanding of the difference between the two worlds." (Page 467. Italics mine.)

     This would seem to be a fair and reasonable proposition, and we would again inquire as to the difference between substance and matter, as applied to all the degrees and phenomena described in Heaven and Hell, Divine Love and Wisdom, and elsewhere. But from Bishop Acton's point of view, man as an organism is purely material, with a soul of primitive finites. Moreover, after describing the objects of sensation in the natural world as from a material origin, and the objects in the spiritual world as existing from the Sun of heaven, and therefore immaterial or substantial, he says:
     "Here let me note that by the objects of spiritual sensation or, as they should more properly be called, the subjects of spiritual contemplation, I do not mean the appearances of the spiritual world so frequently described in the Writings." (Page 467.)
     Here is an about-face in approach. First we were to discover the difference between the two worlds by seeking to understand the difference between the objects sensated in each world, and then we are given to understand that the spiritual phenomena are not what are being considered. But we must follow the argument: "These appearances are not the subjects of spiritual perception or sensation; they are but the effects, even as the words and mental pictures in our mind are not the subject of our contemplation, but are merely the objective appearances produced by the subject."

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     We have, then, a man, composed of material substances with a soul of primitive finites, who is to contemplate spiritual subjects, either abstractly or from his natural memory; for Bishop Acton later says: "Moreover, the teaching of the Writings is, that the compounding of finite, created forms takes place only as a link in the chain of creation that extends from firsts to lasts" . . . "I know of no teaching which even remotely suggests that spiritual atmospheres are compounded into any other ultimates." . . . "There is no compounding of spiritual created forms into ultimate spiritual appearances." (Page 471.)
     We do not pretend to understand clearly all the differences between the two worlds, but we are quite sure that several passages in the Writings, if quoted in full, not only teach that there are spiritual atmospheres, waters and earths that are substantial and actually exist, but that they are compounded and formed according to discrete and continuous degrees, and that an understanding of these degrees, and the difference between what is living and mobile and what is fixed and inert, must be had, if the two worlds are to be understood. Let me cite the following from the Divine Love and Wisdom:

     "In the spiritual world there are atmospheres, waters and earths, just as in the natural world; but the former are spiritual, whereas the latter are natural. That the spiritual world and the natural world are similar, with only the difference that all and singular the things of the spiritual world are spiritual, and all and singular the things of the natural world are natural, has been declared in the preceding pages, and shown in the work on Heaven and Hell. Since these two worlds are similar, therefore in both there are atmospheres, waters and earths, which are the generals through which and out of which all and singular things exist with infinite variety."
     As regards the atmospheres, which are called ethers and airs, they are similar in both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, with the difference, that those in the spiritual world are spiritual, and those in the natural world are natural. The former are spiritual, because they exist from the sun which is the Prime Proceeding of the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom of the Lord, and from Him receive in themselves the Divine fire which is love and the Divine light which is wisdom, and carry down both to the heavens where the angels are, and cause the presence of that sun in the greatest and in the least things there. The spiritual atmospheres are discrete substances, or least forms, originating from the sun; and because singly they each receive the sun, therefore the fire of the sun, divided into so many substances or forms, and as it were enveloped by them, and tempered by the envelopment, becomes heat, adequate at length to the love of the angels in heaven, and of spirits under heaven. So likewise the light of the sun.

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The natural atmospheres are similar to the spiritual atmospheres in this, that they also are discrete substances and least forms, originating from the sun of the natural world, which also singly receive the sun, and treasure up its fire in themselves, and temper it, and carry it down as heat to the earth, where men are; and in like manner the light." (D. L. W. 173, 174.)

     Here we should note the deliberate grouping of atmospheres, waters and earths in both worlds, and the close comparison of the two,-"Since these two worlds are similar, therefore in both there are atmospheres, waters and earths, which are the generals through which and out of which all and singular things exist with infinite variety."
     Should the reader still doubt that spiritual atmospheres are terminated in spiritual forms, he should read Divine Love and Wisdom 176, 177 and 178, part of which we quote:

     ". . . All things of the body with angels and spirits, both the external things and the internal, are held together in connection, the external by an aerial atmosphere, and the internal by ethereal atmospheres. But for the circumpressure and action of these atmospheres, it is clear that the interior and exterior forms of the body would melt away. As the angels are spiritual, and all and singular the things of their bodies are held together in connection, form and order by atmospheres, it follows that these atmospheres are spiritual. . ." "That in the spiritual world there are also waters, and there are earths too, and because these are spiritual, they are actuated and modified through the heat and light of the spiritual sun of their world by means of its atmospheres." . . ."The atmospheres are the active forces, the waters are the middle forces, and the earths are the passive forces, out of which all effects exist. That these three are such forces in their series, is solely due to the life which proceeds from the Lord as a sun, and which makes them to be active."

     Does this sound as if the spiritual atmospheres were the only integrated or compounded elements in the spiritual world? Note that it is out of atmospheres, waters and earths, all spiritual, that all effects exist.
     As regards the subjects of spiritual contemplation, these in essence are Divine Goods and Truths; but such goods and truths cannot he sensated or contemplated apart from a finite vessel, and in terms of finite forms. This is true both as regards the spiritual world and the natural, with the distinct difference that in one world the forms are substantial, while in the other they are material. And this does not preclude the fact that spirits, as well as men, think from the memory, and from their associations with other spirits.

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     As to substance and matter, state and space, we should endeavor to learn from the Writings the relative meanings of each condition but we have no obligation to go beyond these teachings, in the hope that we may visualize something more interior than they seek to portray. Nor should we seek to modify teachings because our knowledge of natural laws does not give us a clear understanding of spiritual laws.
     For instance, space is space only because it can be measured from one fixed point to another fixed point. Eliminate the quality of fixity, and space ceases to exist, but not extense. Time, also, is dependent on fixed bodies and fixed motions, aside from which time does not exist, but we have state. In this case, it is easily recognized that an hour may be very long to one, and short to another, according to his state. The rotation of the earth on its axis is the factor that makes the hour.
     And so we have a spiritual world without time and space, but not without extense and state.
     Actually, the natural world is surrounded by the spiritual world, although as to form the spiritual infiltrates and penetrates the natural. How, then, shall we say that space or the lack of it is any factor in judging whether a spiritual world is integrated or not?
     We do not wish to fall into the error, pointed out in the Writings, of thinking of a spirit as a breath of wind, or as a memory in a concentrated cloud of the finest things of nature. But if we eliminate an organized spiritual world, what is left of man but the interior parts of his brain and some primitive finites that are common to all mankind? Certainly there would then seem to be no spiritual mind or body such as the `Writings describe.
     What is spiritual insight or thought? Is it not the ability to love the Lord as He is portrayed in the uses of His creation? And can those uses exist in any other manner than in spiritual created forms- which, of course, have their foundation in the natural universe. If the spiritual world is a real world, it cannot be merely a memory of the natural, which affects certain groups of primitive finites. It must be a real life, most highly organized, so alive and so vital that in comparison everything we know and sense is dead. We cannot judge it by these dead laws, but must accept the testimony of the Writings themselves regarding its actuality.

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DIRECTORY 1940

DIRECTORY              1940

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

     Officials and Councils.

Bishop:     Right Rev. George de Charms.
Secretary:     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner.
Treasurer:     Mr. Hubert Hyatt.

     Consistory.
Right Rev. Alfred Acton,
Rev. Karl R. Alden,
Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom,
Rev. W. B. Caldwell,
Rev. C. E. Doering, Secretary,
Rev. F. W. Elphick,
Bishop George de Charms.
Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal,
Rev. E. E. Iungerich,
Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner,
Rev. Gilbert H. Smith,
Rev. Homer Synnestvedt,
Right Rev. R. J. Tilson.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Bishop George de Charms, President.
Mr. Edward H. Davis, Secretary.
Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Treasurer.

Mr. Kesniel C. Acton,
Mr. Edward C. Bostock,
Mr. C. Raynor Brown,
Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs,
Mr. Randolph W. Childs,
Mr. David F. Gladish,
Dr. Marlin W. Heilman,
Mr. Walter L. Horigan,
Mr. Alexander P. Lindsay,
Mr. Nils E. Lovin,
Mr. Charles G. Merrell,
Mr. Hubert Nelson,
Mr. Philip C. Pendleton,
Mr. Harold F. Pitcairn,
Mr. Raymond Pitcairn,
Mr. Colley Pryke,
Mr. Rudolph Roschman,
Mr. Paul Synnestvedt,
Mr. Victor Tilson,
Mr. Frank Wilson.

Honorary Member.

Mr. Seymour G. Nelson.



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     The Clergy.

     Bishops.

DE CHARMS, GEORGE. Ordained, June 28, 1914; 2d Degree, June 19, 1916; 3d Degree, March 11, 1928. Bishop of the General Church. Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. President, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
TILSON ROBERT JAMES. Ordained, August 23, 1882; 2d Degree, June 19, 1892; 3d Degree, August 5,1928. Address: 7 Templar Street, Camberwell, S. E. 5, London, England.
ACTON, ALFRED. Ordained, June 4, 1893; 2d Degree, January 10, 1897; 3d Degree, April 5, 1936. Pastor of the Society in Washington, D. C. Dean of the Theological School, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Pastors.

ACTON, A. WYNNE. Ordained, June 19, 1932; 2d Degree, March 25, 1934. Pastor of Michael Church, London. Address: Altora Lodge, 45a Groveway, Brixton, S. W. 9, London, England.
ACTON, ELMO CARMAN. Ordained, June 14, 1925; 2d Degree, August 5, 1928. Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Visiting Pastor, Advent Church, Philadelphia, Pa., and Circle in Newark, N. J. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ALDEN, KARL RICHARDSON. Ordained, June 19, 1917; 2d Degree, October 12, 1919. Principal of the Boys' Academy, Academy of the New Church, Bryn, Athyn, Pa.
BAECKSTROM, GUSTAF. Ordained, June 6, 1915; 2d Degree, June 27, 1920. Pastor of the Society in Stockholm, Sweden. Address: Svedjevagen 20, Appelviken, Stockholm, Sweden.
CALDWELL, WILLIAM BEEBE. Ordained, October 19, 1902; 2d Degree, October 23, 1904. Editor of New Church Life. Professor of Theology, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
CRONLUND, EMIL ROBERT. Ordained, December 31, 1899; 2d Degree, May 18, 1902. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
DAVID, LLEWELLYN WARREN TOWNE. Ordained, June 28, 1914; 2d Degree, June 19, 1916. Secretary, Council of the Clergy. Instructor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
DOERING, CHARLES EMIL. Ordained, June 7, 1896; 2d Degree, January 29, 1899. Dean of Faculties, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ELPHICK, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Ordained, February 7, 1926; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Acting Pastor of the Durban Society. Superintendent of the South African Mission. Address: 44 Toledo Avenue, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
GILL, ALAN. Ordained, June 14, 1925; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Pastor of Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario. Address: 37 John St., E., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

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GLADISH, VICTOR JEREMIAH. Ordained, June 17, 1928; 2d Degree, August 5, 1928. Address: 73 Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois.
GLADISH, WILLIS LINDSAY. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, June 3, 1894. Address: Glenview, Ill.
GYLLENHAAL, FREDERICK EDMOND. Ordained, June 23, 1907; 2d Degree, June 19, 1910. Pastor of Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario. Address: 2 Elm Grove Ave., Toronto, Canada.
HEINRICUS, HENRY. Ordained, June 24, 1923; 2d Degree, February 8, 1925. Address: R. R. 3, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
HENDERSON, WILLIAM CAIRNS. Ordained, June 19, 1934; 2d Degree, April 14, 1935. Pastor of the Hurstville Society. Address: 107 Laycock Road, Penshurst, N. S. W., Australia.
IUNGERICH, ELDRED EDWARD. Ordained, June 13, 1909; 2d Degree, May 26, 1912. Pastor of the Society in Paris, France. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
LEONARDOS, HENRY. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, August 5, 1928. Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society. Address: 42 Prc Eugenio Jardim, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
LIMA, JOAO DE MENDONCA. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, August 5, 1928. Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society. Address: 123 Rua Dezembargador Tsidro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
MORSE, RICHARD. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, October 12, 1919. Address: Dudley Street, Hurstville, Australia.
ODHNER, HUGO LJUNGBERG. Ordained, June 28, 1914; 2d Degree, June 24, 1917. Secretary of the General Church. Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Professor, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
PENDLETON, WILLARD DANDRIDGE. Ordained, June 18, 1933; 2d Degree, September 12, 1934. Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.
REUTER, NORMAN HAROLD. Ordained, June 17, 1928; 2d Degree, June 15, 1930. Pastor of the Akron Circle. Visiting Pastor of the General Church. Address: 920 Peerless Ave., Akron, Ohio.
RICH, MORLEY DYCKMAN. Ordained, June 19, 1938; 2d Degree, October 13, 1940. Pastor of Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois. Address: 5220 Wayne Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
ROGERS, NORBERT HENRY. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2d Degree, October 13, 1940. Assistant to the Pastor of Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario. Address: 18 Union Street, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
SANDSTROM, ERIK. Ordained, June 10, 1934; 2d Degree, August 4,1935. Pastor of the Korteho Society. Address: Lundsberg 3, Kortebo, Sweden.
SMITH, GILBERT HAVEN. Ordained, June 25, 1911; 2d Degree, June 19, 1913. Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois.
STARKEY, GEORGE GODDARD. Ordained, June 3, 1894; 2d Degree, October 19, 1902. Address: Glenview, Illinois.
SYNNESTVEDT, HOMER. Ordained, June 19, 1891; 2d Degree, January 13, 1895. Visiting Pastor, Advent Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Professor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.

594



WAECHLI, FRED EDWIN. Ordained, June 10, 1888; 2d Degree, June 19, 1891. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
WHITEHEAD, WILLIAM. Ordained, June 19, 1922; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Professor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Ministers.

BOYESEN, BJORN ADOLPH HILDEMAR. Ordained, June 19, 1939. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.
CRANCH, RAYMOND GREENLEAF. Ordained, June 19, 1922. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ODHNER ORMOND DE CHARMS. Ordained, June 19, 1940. Minister of the Wyoming Circle. Assistant to the Visiting Pastor of the General Church. Address: 227 Grove Avenue, Wyoming, Ohio.
ODHNER, VINCENT CARMOND. Ordained, June 17, 1928. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
PRYKE, MARTIN. Ordained, June 19, 1940. Minister of the Colchester Society. Address: 167 Maldon Road, Colchester, Essex, England.

     British Guiana Mission.

     Pastor.

ALGERNON, HENRY. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, September 1, 1940. Pastor of the General Church Mission in Georgetown, British Guiana. Address: Buxton, E. C., Demerara, British Guiana, South America.

     South African Mission.

     Xosa.

KANDISA, JOHNSON. Ordained, September 11, 1938. Minister of the Sterkstroom Society, Cape Province. Address: P. O. Sterkstroom, C. P., South Africa.

     Zulu.

BUTHELEZI, STEPHEN EPHRAIM. Ordained, September 11, 1938. Minister of Hambrook District. Address: Hambrook, P. O. Acton Homes, Ladysmith, Natal, South Africa.
LUNGA, JOHANNES. Ordained, September 11, 1938. Minister of the Esididini Society. Address: Esididini, P. O. Kalabasi, Dannhauser, Natal, South Africa.
MATSHININI, TIMOTHY. Ordained, August 28, 1938. Minister of the Society at Alexandra Township, Johannesburg. Address: 165 11 Avenue, Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa.

595



MCANYANA, MOFFAT. Ordained, August 12 1928; 2d Degree, September 30, 1929. Pastor of the Mayville Society, Durban. Address: 104 Oakleigh Drive, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
MKIZE, SOLOMON. Ordained, August 21, 1938. Address: P. O. Mahlahatini, Zululand.
NZIMANDE, BENJAMIN ISHMAEL. Ordained, August 21, 1938. Minister in the Deepdale and Buiwer Districts, Natal. Address: do Inkumba Government School, P. O. Deepdale, Maritzburg, Natal, South Africa.
SABELA, PETER. Ordained, August 21, 1938. Missionary. Minister to "Kent Manor." Address: "Kent Manor," P. O. Entumeni, Zululand, South Africa.
STOLE, PHILIP JOTIANNES. Ordained, September 29, 1929; 2d Degree, August 7, 1938. Pastor of the Turner's Avenue Society. Address: 19, Turner's Avenue, off Berea Road, Durhan, Natal, South Africa.
ZUNGU, AARON. Ordained, August 21, 1938. Assistant Minister to Kent Manor Society, Headmaster of the School. Address: "Kent Manor," P. O. Entumeni, Zululand, South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION 1940

SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION       Rev. F. W. ELPHICK       1940

     Our last account of Mission activities, written September 1, 1939, appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE for November, 1939, page 526. Since that time much has happened. There has been war in the world and war in the church. Events with us have moved so rapidly that even now, on July 30, 1940, it is impossible to make any implication of the lessons which Providence means us to learn from the upheaval which is now convulsing the Mission.
     All of those who have been associated with the Mission work, both in South Africa and overseas, will doubtless have their own particular views of the changes incurred. The writer, who has been intimately connected with the Mission for eighteen years, can only state what he sees and perceives. If others wish to contribute their views, they are, of course, free to do so. It is certain, however, that such accounts would be interestingly different.
     Some day we hope to relate more fully the story of this Mission undertaking. But here we can only summarize. And this summary is, in part, the Address delivered by the Superintendent to the Native Ministers in December, 1939, when they had to face the greatest crisis in the history of their work. The address was given to the Zulu Ministers in Durban, with one Native Delegate from Basutoland.

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The Rev. Philip N. Odhner also attended. The meeting was held on December 13 and 14, and on the 15th an auto journey of nearly 400 miles was made to Ladybrand, where meetings of the Basutoland, Transvaal and Cape Province Ministers were held on December 16, 18 and 19. In this way, with a Zulu Delegate from Durban, the Ministers of the Mission were collectively informed of the changes, and we avoided the heavy railroad expense of a general meeting in one place.
     The address, in part, was as follows:

     When we are called upon to meet a crisis which calls for serious and conscientious decisions, it is well, in the first place, to review briefly the developments of the past.
     This Mission has been steadily growing for twenty years, or since the year 1919. It was in that year that the late Bishop N. D. Pendleton and the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn visited South Africa for the first time. They met the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, who was then Pastor of the Durban Society, and who had done pioneer work in Basutoland since 1915, and had organized a Basutoland Mission. (New Church Life, 1915, pp. 731-771.)
     As the majority of you may know, your own people found the Writings of the New Church. After so finding, endeavors were made to reach Europeans who were also interested in the Doctrines. These conditions eventually led to the formation of two New Church Missions, one under the guidance of the General Conference, of England, the other under the General Church, with its headquarters at Bryn Athyn, Pa., U. S. A. The English section helped the late Rev. D. W. Mooki and a number of ministers associated with him, while the American people helped the late Samuel M. Mofokeng and a number of ministers associated with him. In those early days, the Rev. M. B. Mcanyana, of Durban, and Joel Maduna became associated with the General Church people.
     It was in the year 1919 that the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn took active interest in the Native people, and, under the late Bishop N. D. Pendleton, became the first Superintendent of the General Church Mission. In 1920-1921, Mr. Pitcairn was assisted by the late Rev. Reginald W. Brown, who was succeeded by. your present Superintendent in 1921. From that year until now, and under the guidance of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, with its Bishop at Bryn Athyn, the Mission has attained its present status. But all the time it has been generously supported financially by the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn. During the last seventeen years, therefore, the two centres of "Alpha" and "Kent Manor" have come into being, in addition to about twenty-two societies scattered throughout South Africa.
     In 1927, the Theological School was instituted at "Alpha"; and we have endeavored to provide courses of study in the Doctrines of the New Church. Eighty per cent of that training consisted of the consecutive reading of those Doctrines themselves, as given by Emanuel Swedenborg, who was the Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Second Coming.

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Indeed, the whole purpose of such training was that the Basuto and Zulu people might have New Church Ministers who realise, perceive and teach, in their own way and according to their own genius, the wonderful Revelation which the Lord has now given.
     In addition to such training, which the majority of you have had, two of you-the Revs. J. M. Jiyana and Jonas Motsi,-had their training at Bryn Athyn which was also at the wish of the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, and made possible by his generous help. Others of you had training under the Revs. F. E. Gyllenhaal, R. W. Brown, Hugo Lj. Odhner, Theodore Pitcairn, Elmo C. Acton, and your present Superintendent. After the Rev. Philip N. Odhner became Pastor of the Durban Society, he also assisted with special classes in Latin, and in visiting a number of the Zululand and Natal groups.
     This is a very brief outline of our development. But recent years have brought changes that we little expected when the Mission in this country was founded.
     In 1930-31, the Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer, a General Church Minister at The Hague, Holland, together with other Dutch students, developed some new ideas and applications regarding the New Church Doctrines. The Rev. Theodore Pitcairn also became interested. By the year 1933, as a result of these studies, a great discussion had developed in the General Church and spread through the Societies in Holland. England, America, and South Africa. The discussions centered around the status and structure of the Writings, the nature of the reception of the Divine in man, and the quality of that process known in the Writings as "regeneration." By 1937 a climax was reached, which resulted in a division in the Church. No Council of Ministers decided the issue formally, for such action would have been contrary to the teaching in the True Christian Religion, no. 489, where it is stated that we are to "put faith in no council, but in the Lord's Word, which is above council." Yet a division came. The result was that the Bishop of the General Church and a majority of the Ministers took one view, and the Revs. Ernst Pfeiffer, Henry Boef and the late Albert Bjorek took another view. As you all know, the views expressed by "The Hague Position" were, and are, published in a journal known as De Hemelsche Leer.
     This division of opinion eventually touched the Mission, so that during 1938 many of you ministers received the "Hague" literature, and the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn communicated with a number of you concerning points of doctrine. I need not go into more detail than this, for most of you know about the discussions and movements to which I have referred.
     It is not necessary at this time to go further into the doctrinal situation. Yet it is very necessary that we realize what we are called upon to decide. I will therefore quote the message that Bishop de Charms wishes me to convey to you. In a letter dated October 9, 1939, received in Durban on November 18, he writes as follows:

     "It is necessary for you to advise the Native leaders at once that Mr. Pitcairn has announced his intention to withdraw his entire support, that we have a few months in which to make the necessary adjustments, and that the Mission be reorganized.

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They must realize that the General Church cannot possibly support the Mission in future as it has been in the past. We recognize, however, our obligation to give spiritual help and guidance to those who ask for it, and to supplement this with financial help so far as we have the means to do so, Everything possible will be done to give some little material support to those who sincerely believe in the central doctrine that the plain teaching of the Writings alone has Divine Authority in the Church, and who, in loyalty to this principle, wish to remain with our body. We offer no external inducements, however, A serious financial sacrifice will be involved, and only those who are willing to face this sacrifice for the sake of their convictions can be encouraged to stay."
     This, gentlemen, is a very hard test, both for you and for me. In this message, moreover, we learn of the Rev. Pitcairn's decision. He has helped thus far. Now he leaves us-at the end of June, 1940. We are faced with a doctrinal and economic crisis at the same time, and during a period of World War, when the cost of living is rising. But the decision has been made. We have to meet it as best we can.
     Personally, I feel that the Rev. Pitcairn is honestly convinced that the advances made by the Rev. Pfeiffer and others are correct, and that the General Church position is wrong. On the other hand, our Bishop and the majority of the General Church ministers, with all charity, feel that the Rev. Pitcairn and those with him are mistaken in a number of their views. Yet freedom has to be given to develop their mode of thought and application. But your Superintendent, in correspondence with the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, has asked whether it is possible that some reconciliation may be made for the Mission field, since so many of the doctrines which have given educated Europeans so much concern are, for the most part, far away from the state of your people. But, so far, no notice has been taken of that request.
     Circumstances, then, force us to make a choice. The choice is this: 1) Do you wish to follow the organization known as "The General Church," with its recognized Bishop, and with the belief that the central doctrine is that "the plain teaching of the Writings alone has Divine Authority"? Or 2) Do you wish to associate yourselves with the new movement, as known to you by its journal, De Hemelsche Leer, and supported by the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, who has been communicating with the majority of you during recent months?
     I believe in the principle of freedom for all people. And so you are free to do as you wish. I do not persuade, because the Writings tell us that persuasive faith is of no avail to any man. We must see and perceive as if of ourselves. Nevertheless, the changes which are placed before us have to be met. . . . With the curtailments in funds, and the uncertainty of the year 1940, it is quite clear that we cannot guarantee the up-keep of the Day Schools as they are staffed at present. Accordingly, we have given all School Teachers three months' notice, and the Schools will close down on December 31, 1939.

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     Personally it has been a great disappointment to me to see this change come upon the Mission in this way. Also that we have so little time to make changes. The delay is partly due, I think, to hindrances in the mail, owing to War conditions.
     In conclusion, I wish you to consider well the Bishop's message. Remember that no Minister can serve in two organizations. " No man can serve two masters." Remember, too, that your aim and ideal is to establish the New Church in yourselves, and in and among your own people, giving them the teaching of the Scriptures, the realities of the spiritual world, and the need for the regenerate life, as given in the direct teaching of the Writings-the Divine Revelation of the Lord's Second Advent. And so, gentlemen, the issues are before you for your heart-searching consideration.

     Seeing clearly that the issue involved, not only a doctrinal aspect, but also an economic one, suggestions were made at the Zulu meeting in Durban for a land settlement scheme. The Rev. Philip N. Odhner therefore addressed the meeting on that topic. In his opinion, the Mission was "not in an economic state such as is required for independence of thought on the dispute that is now progressing between different bodies of the church." Hence, after the Zulu Ministers had held their own meeting, it was decided to send a resolution and signed letter to both the Bishop and the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, pointing out the difficulty in which the Mission was placed. This was done.
     During the meeting held at Alpha on December 16-19, 1939, the Basuto, Transvaal and Cape Province Ministers composed, typed, and signed their petitions to the Bishop and the Rev. Pitcairn at a meeting presided over by their own Chairman, the Superintendent absenting himself. At both Meetings-Durban and Alpha-every endeavor was made to preserve freedom of thought,-freedom of conscience. But my personal appeal to the overseas authorities for a reconciliation in the Mission failed.
     The months have passed. Choice and decision have been made. The land settlement scheme had to be abandoned on account of its expense and the complex problems of land transfer in Native and European areas. Today the result of all these proceedings is that four Zulu and seven Basuto Ministers have resigned, and have joined the new body known as "The Mission of the Lord's New Church which is Hierosolyma," with its offices in Durban and at Alpha. The Representative of this Mission is Mr. J. H. Ridgway, and Mr. E. J. Waters is Assistant Representative.

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     The Native Ministers who are remaining with the General Church Mission are continuing their usual services. The Day School at CC Kent Manor " is maintained by the Natives themselves; but all the other day schools have closed. It should be noted that all the School Teachers who have been dismissed by the General Church through the withdrawal of funds have been compensated by the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn with small bonuses, according to the length of service. There was co-operation between the two Missions to make this evident duty an easy one in administration.
     To one who has been intimately connected with the upbuilding of the Mission work in this country, and endeavoring to make it a useful arm of the Church-externally, and, so far as can be known, internally as well-this division is both painful and sad. For, in the end, the simple teachings of the Scriptures and the Writings contain sufficient for the difficult transitory period of natural, mental and spiritual growth through which the Natives are passing. And, in my opinion, the elementary teaching in both Missions will be the same. Division has come about where no division was necessary. It might have been avoided, but the change has been made, and the near future will unfold further developments.
SCHOLARSHIP STAMPS OR CERTIFICATES 1940

SCHOLARSHIP STAMPS OR CERTIFICATES              1940

     Academy

     SCHOLARSHIP STAMPS OR CERTIFICATES.

     An Ideal Christmas Gift.

     What more useful Christmas present can you give your children, your grandchildren, or your nieces and nephews, than Sons of the Academy Scholarship Stamps or Certificates?

Stamps are sold for Twenty-five Cents,
Certificates for Ten Dollars.

Address: Hubert Hyatt, Treasurer,
Academy of the New Church,
Bryn Athyn, Pa.

601


Church News 1940

Church News       Various       1940

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     September 15, 1940.-July in South Africa is a holiday month, during which the schools are closed, and in Durban the pupils of Kainon High enjoy a rest from their labors until they resume in August. The Durban Society, however, has continued its activities as usual, now under the excellent leadership of our Acting Pastor, the Rev. F. W. Elphick, who has given us most interesting and instructive classes and lectures on those doctrines of the church which are being very much discussed at the present time.
     It is a lamentable fact that the attendance at services and doctrinal classes has fallen off to quite an appreciable extent, as we are experiencing most abnormal times owing to the war, and the fact that our eligible menfolk, married and single, are away on Active Service.
     At the beginning of July we were happy to extend a welcome to our Conference friends, the Rev. and Mrs. Edwin Fleidhouse, who were here on holiday; and those who heard Mr. Fleldhouse's lecture on Palestine, which took the place of a Wednesday evening doctrinal class, were loud in their praises of an outstanding address.
     On Friday, August 30, a few members of the Troops visiting Durban were invited to a very pleasant social function in our Hall. Altogether about forty persons were present, and, after enjoying the table tennis, dancing was indulged in to the music of Mr. Melville Ridgway's radiogram. Light refreshments were served at 10 p.m., and a happy evening came to a close just before midnight.
     During August, one of our members, Mrs. Kathleen Kisch, accompanied Miss Monique Raffray, who is blind, on a trip to Mauritius. We were most relieved when Mrs. Kisob arrived safely back in Durban after her voyages, as we had heard rumors at that time of the suspected presence of an enemy raider in these waters!
     The members of Theta Alpha were busy again in September, and this time they held a Bridge Drive for the Teachers' Fund on the 10th at the home of Mrs. Scott Forfar. Those ladies who did not play Bridge attended with their knitting, and altogether a most enjoyable afternoon was spent. A noticeable feature of our gatherings these days is the amount of knitting our ladies are doing for the Troops. Large numbers of socks, scarves, balaclava caps, jerseys and cardigans have been made, and no man in the Society has been allowed to leave us without the necessary comforts which make such a difference in Army life. In addition to the making of these comforts, the ladies are working hard for the next Church Bazaar which the Women's Guild has arranged will be held in November.
     P. D. C.

     PITTSBURGH DISTRICT ASSEMBLY.

     This year, for the first time of which we are aware, the Pittsburgh District Assembly met outside of the city of Pittsburgh. On Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6, seventy- three members and friends of the General Church gathered at the Portage Hotel, Akron, Ohio, for what was felt to be in fact as well as in name a real district assembly. In attendance during the course of the assembly were 35 members and friends from Ohio, 27 from Pennsylvania, 7 from Michigan, and three from relatively distant Glenview, Illinois.

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     As we have no church building in Akron, nearly all the meetings were held in the Portage Hotel, where the majority of those from out of town were accommodated. The credit for the highly satisfactory nature of the arrangements, and the efficient way in which every detail was foreseen and cared for, must largely go to Mr. Randolph Norris, but there was not a member in the Akron area who did not contribute thought, time and labor to make a success of this occasion; for it was their first opportunity to entertain a district assembly.
     On Friday evening, October 4, preceding the formal opening of the Assembly, twenty-five New Churchmen who do not often have the opportunity of meeting together in one group enjoyed a very sociable evening at the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Norman H. Reuter. No program was provided, and none was needed, as the early arrivals among the visitors and the resident members mingled and conversed, first with this little group, and then with that one, until all too soon midnight began the dispersal of the convivial gathering.
     Business Session.-On Saturday at 11.15 a.m., with an attendance of 43 persons, the Assembly was opened by Bishop de Charms with prayer and a reading from the Word. He then presented the main problem which the meeting needed to discuss and solve, namely, to seek out ways and means of developing a real Pittsburgh District Assembly, and to set up the necessary organization to assure the continuance of this objective. He pointed out that, for a while after the principle of assemblies had been announced by, the late Bishop W. F. Pendleton, their value was seen, and a representative gathering of members in the various districts produced genuine district assemblies. But in later years many of these occasions lost their district representation, and an assembly quality was missing from the gatherings. As the meetings had always been held in the large society of the district, and too frequently was planned entirely by its members, it had been found difficult for the members throughout the rest of the district, when they attended, to feel otherwise than as mere visitors, rather than as members, of the assembly.
     Bishop de Charms believed that it would be wise to endeavor to extend the sphere of district assemblies, and that it would be useful to include all the groups, both large and small, in one district, not only in the matter of attendance, but also in the plan. Ding and preparation for these events. In this way we would promote the feeling among all the members that it was their assembly, in which they or their representatives took an active part. Each member in a district needs to feel that it is his assembly which he is attending, and this regardless of where the meetings are held.
     The Bishop therefore proposed that, in order that the fine district representation which was gathered at this Assembly might not be an isolated effort to attain these desired ends, he appoint representatives from the various groups involved, to act as a cooperating committee for the whole district. This committee would meet with the Bishop once or twice each year to plan and prepare for the annual assembly program, keeping in mind the interests and convenience of the members of the entire district. Such a committee has been in operation in the Philadelphia District for several years, and as a result genuine district assemblies have been revived in that area.
     A number of speakers discussed the Bishop's proposal, all agreeing with his analysis of the situation, and emphasizing the need for such coordinating action as was proposed. Some pointed out that the time and the circumstances were now ripe for this step forward, as had not been the case in the recent past. The Rev. Willard D. Pendleton then moved that a representative committee be appointed by the Bishop to act for the whole district in planning and preparing for assemblies.

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The motion was seconded and unanimously carried. The meeting then adjourned.
     Luncheon.-At one o'clock a delicious luncheon was served in the ballroom of the hotel, and was much enjoyed by the 53 persons present. While all were still seated around the tables, a spritely program in charge of Mr. Daric Acton, now of the Pittsburgh Society, succeeded in stirring up that spirit of good fellowship which is to be expected when a group of New Churchmen from various centers collect for mutual inspiration, consultation, and instruction in the sphere of a feast of charity. In the spirit of good fun, be called upon a series of speakers whom we suspect he had not forewarned. One, at least, surprised him, and had some very pertinent things to say about the Academy, which Mr. Acton had announced as the theme of his program. Mr. Geoffrey Childs warned us that, owing to national and world conditions, the time was not far distant when the Church would have to call upon its members really to support the work of its right arm-the Academy. He expressed the belief that, when this call came, we all ought to be glad to step forward with assistance, as through this added responsibility we would come to a fuller realization of the vital work of the Academy, and be able to sing with deeper feeling the words "Our Own Academy."
     Episcopal Address-Reconvening at three o'clock, the Assembly listened to Bishop de Charms' address on "The Road to Freedom." So directly did the Bishop speak to those problems in this unsettled world which are active in all our minds that the sixty people present listened to the address with rapt attention. He compared the revealed definition of freedom with some of the false concepts abroad in the land and the world, and pointed out that the road to genuine freedom is only through the spiritual regeneration of man. In this brief report give cannot give any real idea of the penetration, power, and aptness of this address, but we hope that the whole Church may have the opportunity to read it in the pages of the LIFE. [See January issue.-Editor.]
     Banquet-Evening found the ballroom filled with the happy social sphere which is engendered when the ladies, gowned in their finest, delight our eyes, when laden tables stimulate and satisfy our appetites, and the joy of friendly conversation warms our hearts. In this sphere a program of speeches and songs was introduced by the toastmaster, the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, on the general theme of three practical fields of human thought and endeavor as viewed by a New Churchman in the light of the Writings.
     Mr. Norman Synnestvedt, of Detroit, spoke on "Modern Business"; Mr. Arthur Wiedinger, of Akron, on "Modern Economics," and Mr. Charles G. Merrell, of Wyoming, Ohio, on "Modern Government." All three stressed the need and stimulated the effort to think from the principles of revealed truth in these practical planes of everyday thought and activity. Several speakers, notable among them the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen, contributed to the thought of the evening in the discussion which followed.
     On the motion of the Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, the secretary of the Assembly was instructed to send Messages of Greeting to the Chicago and Ontario District Assemblies, and also a Message to our fellow New Churchmen in England, expressing our sympathy for them in the trying situation in which they and their country now find themselves.
     Bishop de Charms closed the evening by expressing his delight in the sincere effort of the speakers to think from the Writings on their various topics, saying that this attempt to apply the principles of Revelation to all the practical and daily phases of life had been one of the marked characteristics of the early Academy days; and although mistakes in judgment and application had been made, and will continue to be made, the attempt to do just this thing must never cease among us.

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For it is through the effort to see and apply the principles of our Doctrines in the various fields of daily activity that we make our religion of life.
     Following the banquet a great many of the 69 people who had been present found their way to the home of Dr. and Mrs. Philip de Maine, where one of those delightful "after" gatherings carried the sphere, sociability, and conversation stimulated by the banquet into the early morning hours.
     Divine Worship-Sunday morning at ten o'clock a congregation of 77 gathered for worship. Bishop de Charms preached on "The City of the Great King," the text being taken from Psalm 48: 2, 3. The sermon and the whole service turned our minds to the thought of the Lord appearing in the Writings as our mental and spiritual refuge in a disordered and troubled world, and thus beautifully prepared the state of all present for the partaking of the Holy Supper. The Bishop administered the Sacrament, and the Revs. Willard Pendleton and Norman Reuter assisted, as 58 of the congregation came forward to climax the Assembly with this most holy act of worship.
     NORMAN REUTER,
          Secretary.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     Chicago District Assembly.

     Favored with fine, warm weather, the Thirty-fifth Chicago District Assembly met at Glenview on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 11-13. Bishop Alfred Acton presided, and at the opening banquet addressed us on the subject of "Charity"-an inspiring talk that was followed by remarks from a number of those present. A session of the Assembly was held on Saturday afternoon, when Bishop Acton spoke on the subject of "War." On Saturday evening, the Rev. Morley Rich read a paper on "Exploration and Manifestation" which was well received and discussed at length.
     The Service on Sunday morning was marked by inspiring features: A sermon by Bishop Acton, the Ordination of the Rev. Morley D. Rich into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, and the administration of the Sacrament of the Holy Supper. On Sunday evening, a buffet supper preceded another session of the Assembly, at which the Rev. Victor J. Gladish read a paper dealing with what the Writings have to say about the various nationalities, with special reference to the English, and expressing what he thought should be the attitude of the New Churchman toward the war in Europe.
     One of the very pleasant memories of the Assembly will be the visitors, among them Mrs. Paul Carpenter, who came from her home in St. Paul, Minnesota, bringing ten young people with her. They showed real interest in the meetings, and we were certainly glad to have them with us. The Rev. Clyde Broomell, pastor of the St. Paul Convention Society, was also with us and spoke at the banquet.
     On the following Friday evening, October 18, Bishop Acton again addressed us, choosing as his subject Swedenborg's teaching concerning the Pulmonary Artery.
     Our pastor has begun a series of doctrinal classes for young people of high-school age, and Miss Lois Nelson has resumed her Sunday School classes.
     H. P. McQ.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     Oct. 1, 1940.-After the sudden departure of the Rev. Victor Gladish last May, we kept up our Sunday services, two laymen taking alternate Sundays. Providentially, however, the Rev. Martin Pryke was sent to us by our Bishop, to minister to us for the duration of the war at least. On his arrival in July, Mr. Pryke was welcomed at a Society Tea, after which he gave us a colorful account of the General Assembly which we all enjoyed.

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     During the Summer months a weekly reading meeting was held, and we have now begun the Winter session, with regular singing practice and doctrinal class. Our young folk are coming along now, and this will increase our numbers. We are studying The True Christian Religion, and they are manifesting great interest, which is encouraging.
     We could not let the usual time for the British Assembly pass without some observance. So a "little assembly" was held on Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25. (See November issue, page 558.)
     As to the effects of the war upon our uses, I may mention that air raid warnings have been sounded during two Sunday Services, compelling us to take shelter for a time, although nothing happened.
     Colchester has also had a voluntary evacuation order of children and mothers for a few weeks. The Alan Waters family with ten children have gone; Mrs. Wyncoll and three children; Mrs. Pike and two children; and Mrs. Kesel Motum and one child. We hope they will all return soon.
     In place of the customary Harvest Festival, we have just held a Thanksgiving Service, on September 29, with an excellent and appropriate sermon. Unfortunately the attendance was small, owing to an air raid warning just before 11 o'clock. We are all hoping for better times, so that we may carry on all our uses and activities.
     E. M. B.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     The third week in September always marks the beginning of a new calendar year in the society. The children return to school and the adults once again enter into the various uses which comprise society life. This year our program is even more ambitious than last year, but this is as it should be in a growing society. We wish that we had the space to consider each of these uses, for this- is the only way that we could present an accurate picture of our society life, but for the present we must be content with a few words concerning the most important functions.
     District Assembly.-It is not within our province to give an account of the District Assembly, held in Akron early in October, but we would like to speak on behalf of the Pittsburgh members who attended. From our point of view the occasion was a great success, and each one of us returned from the meetings with the feeling that at last the Pittsburgh District Assembly was assuming the significance that the name implies. In this we owe a debt of gratitude to our friends in Northern Ohio, who gave both the leadership and the impetus to the new development.
     Friday Class.-For many years we have encountered difficulty in establishing the institution of society suppers and doctrinal classes on Friday evenings. Our problem was the burden that it placed upon such a small number of available women. With the recent growth of the society, however, and continual persistence, we believe that the institution is now firmly established. With all credit to an active Women's Guild we now gather around the board every Friday evening, and then adjourn to the class, which follows. At present, the Pastor is giving a series on "Creation," which in some respects is a continuation of those studies that he presented last year to the Women's Guild and the Philosophy Club. During the same hour Mr. Boyesen conducts a class for the high-school children who are not as yet at Bryn Athyn. Following these functions, the choir holds its weekly practice, and is continuing with the effective work begun last year.
     The Arcana Class.-At this time we would like to speak in some detail in regard to the special classes and study groups, but, as noted, we cannot demand the space. Just a word, however, about the Arcana Class which was organized last year by the Pastor.

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This group of some twenty persons has shown real progress, and is gradually mastering those essential truths of the glorification. Each month a chapter is read at home and then discussed at the class. The interest and the regular attendance attest to the success of this undertaking.
     Ladies' Doctrinal Class.-Held under the auspices of the Women's Guild, this class also meets monthly. The Pastor is presenting a series entitled "The Home and the Church,"-a consideration of the relation between these two institutions, and their interdependence.
     Philosophy Club.-This function of the local Chapter of the Sons began its season by entertaining Bishop Act on, who addressed us on the subject of the "Bronchial Artery." Needless to say, this was a special occasion for us, and one which was deeply appreciated by all of our members. Our program for the year includes other visiting speakers, and a continuation of the study of the Principia under the Pastor.
     Social Events.-To date, our organized social life has been restricted to the planning of future events. Anyone who is interested in a good party is cordially invited to visit us during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Both seasons will find us in session.
     "E. R. D."-For many years, those of you who have followed the activities and vicissitudes of this society in these pages have enjoyed the notes by our faithful correspondent, "E. R. D." Also, many of you have probably wondered to whom these initials applied. As she has now retired from active service, it is both fitting and proper that the veil of mystery be withdrawn. So here are many thanks to Elizabeth Richardson Doering for her faithful and accurate services of the past!
     W. D. P.

     KITCHENER, CANADA.

     In spite of the war our society carries on its usual activities,-Friday suppers and doctrinal classes, the Women's Guild, Men's Club, Theta Alpha, Sons of the Academy, etc. But several of our young men have been called away from Kitchener for war work and the army.
     In our school this season we have an enrollment of 34 pupils, who are divided into six grades in two rooms. Miss Phillis Cooper teaches the younger grades, and Miss Phyllis Schnarr grades five, six and seven. Mr. Gill gives religious instruction to the older pupils of four grades. Miss Lucille Schnarr conducts a dancing class on Friday afternoons, and Mr. Rogers gives physical training to the older boys.
     There are nearly forty young people in the society, and they are divided into two groups for their doctrinal classes. The senior group is studying Heaven and Hell under Mr. Rogers every Tuesday evening, and the junior group is receiving instruction in the fundamental doctrines of the church from Mr. Gill on Thursdays. The two groups join forces for social purposes. Five of our young people are attending the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn, in spite of the war restrictions which make it difficult to cross the border.
     In the passing of Mr. George Scott to the spiritual world on November 3d. we have lost one of the oldest and most earnest members of Carmel Church. He had been in poor health for several years, but attended services as long as he was able, and was ever ready to lend a helping hand to further the uses of the church.
     The Ontario District Assembly, held here in October, was a wonderful occasion which will be described in a separate report.
     D. K.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     It does not pay to be too specific about future events and dates in these W. D. P. reports. So often things happen which change our plans, no matter how well laid they may have been. In our last report we told of a visit of Bishop de Charms that was scheduled for October 16, and of how we were making preparations for a banquet on that date.

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Well, it didn't come off, the Bishop finding his schedule so full that the Detroit visit had to be cancelled, much to our regret.
     We had a regular pastoral visit of the Rev. Norman Reuter, covering the dates of October 10 to 14 inclusive, with Divine Worship on Sunday the 13th, and doctrinal classes on Thursday and Monday evenings. We were personally unable to attend any of these meetings, but gleaned from others that they were very well attended, and that the subjects presented proved unusually valuable and instructive.
     On Saturday evening, October 12, the marriage of Miss Edith Cook, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. F. Cook, to Mr. Willard Burton McCardell, of Detroit, was solemnized, the Rev. Norman Reuter officiating. A very large group of relatives and friends of the young couple attended the wedding which took place in an auditorium of the building in which our services are held.
     The marriage idea seems to be gaining in popularity among our girls, Edith being the fourth to take the step since the group was organized. We are wondering who is going to be next. Of course, we have our suspicions, but it is too early as yet to offer even a hint.
     Mr. Geoffrey Childs has been receiving the congratulations of his friends on his remarkable escape from what might have been a very serious accident. In a collision at a highway intersection near Detroit, Mr. Childs' car was overturned and completely demolished, but Geoffrey crawled from the wreckage with nothing worse than bruises and shaken nerves. Our firm faith in Divine Providence was surely vindicated in this instance, and we are thankful and happy that our friend and fellow member was so miraculously spared.
     Our next group of meetings will be held-but giving specific dates is taboo for reasons already stated. So we will just say, sometime in November-we hope-and let it go at that.
     W. W. W.
PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1940

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE              1940

     PRICE LIST No. 3-DECEMBER, 1940.

     New Pamphlets to be issued early in December include the following: Several Sermons; several collections of Talks to Children one pamphlet containing Addresses for Christmas, Easter, and the 19th of June; three Doctrinal Classes on phases of Charity; two advanced Doctrinal Discussions; and an Academy Extension Lecture.
     For Price Lists Nos. 1 and 2, listing 45 Titles, and Price List No. 3, apply to MR. RALPH KLEIN, Secretary, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Christmas Gifts 1940

Christmas Gifts              1940


     We suggest that these Publications would make suitable Christmas Gifts.

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ORDINATIONS 1940

ORDINATIONS              1940




     Announcements



     Rich.-At Glenview, Ill., October 13, 1940, the Rev. Morley Dyckman Rich, into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, the Right Rev. Alfred Acton officiating.
     Rogers.-At Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, October 13, 1940, the Rev. Norbert Henry Rogers, into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, Bishop George de Charms officiating.