SWEETHEART
356
SWETCHINE
him from his evil ways. These efforts were useless,
and God clothed Himself with a human organism and
redeemed man, opening anew his faculties to the
influx of Divine life. Men are admitted into the New
Church through baptism; they are strengthened in
the spiritual hfe by the reception of the Eucharist.
Justification cannot be obtained by faith alone; good
works are likewise necessary. The seclusion of the
cloister is not a help but a hindrance to spiritual
growth; the healthiest condition for the latter is a life
of action in the world. Miracles and visions produce
no real spiritual change because they destroy the
requisite liberty. The hope of reward is not to be
recommended as an incentive to virtue, for good
actions are vitiated when prompted by motives of
self-interest. Death is the casting off by man of his
material body which has no share in the resurrection.
Immediately after death all human souls enter into
the intermediate state known as the world of spirits,
where they are instructed and prepared for their final
abodes, heaven or heU. We need not expect the Last
Judgment for it has already taken place; it was held
in 1757 in Swedenborg's presence. No pure spirits
exist; both angels and devils are former members of
the human race, have organic forms, and experience
sensation. The hturgy of the New Church is mod-
elled on the Anglican service. The Church organiza-
tion in Great Britain is congregational; in the United
States most of the various religious societies are
grouped in state associations under the charge of gen-
eral pastors, while the "General Church" (see below)
is avowedly episcopal in government.
III. History op the New Church; statistics;
EDDCATIONAL AND PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES. Sweden-
borg made no attempt at founding a separate Church; he presented his doctrinal works to university and seminary hbraries in the hope that they might be of service; how far ahead he thought is uncertain, as he seemed to hold that his followers might be members of any Christian denomination. But his views were, in many respects, so entirely new that their adoption made the foundation of a distinct religious body inevitable. Few accepted his opinions completely during his lifetime. They found zealous advocates, however, in two Anglican clergymen, Thomas Hart- ley, rector of Winwick in Northamptonshire, and John Clowes, rector of St. John's at Manchester. These divines rendered his works into English and through the efforts of Clowes, who never separated from the Church of England, Lancashire became at an early date the Swedenborgian stronghold which it still remains to-day. The formal organization of the New Church took place in 1787, and James Hind- marsh, a former Methodist preacher, was chosen by lot to officiate at the inaugural meeting. The first public service was held in 1788 in a chapel at Great Eastcheap, London. Swedenborgian societies were soon formed in various English cities, and in 1789 the first general conference of the New Church met in the place of worship just mentioned. The number of adherents did not increase rapidly. The conference has held annual meetings ever since 1815. Its min- utes for 1909 contain the following statistics for Eng- land: 45 ministers, 70 societies, 6665 registered mem- bers, and 7907 Sunday scholars.
In America the Swedenborgian doctrines were first introduced in 1784 at public lectures delivered in Philadelphia and Boston. The first congregation \vas organized at Baltimore in 1792. Since then the prin- ciples of the New Church have spread to many states of the Union. The first general convention was held in Philadelphia in 1817. It meets annually at present and is mainly composed of delegates sent by the va- riousstateorganizations. In 1800 the General Church of Penn.sylvania severed its connexion with the con- vention and assumed in 1S97 the name of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. It numbered, in 1911,
24 ministers, 16 churches, and 890 communicants;
whereas the main body had 107 ministers, 130
churches, and 8500 oonununicants (Statistics of Dr.
H. K. Carroll, in "The Christian Advocate", N. Y.,
25 Jan., 1912). Congregations of the New Church are to be found in all civilized countries; but their membership is small. In Germany the Protestant prelate Ottinger translated (1765-86) numerous writings of Swedenborg, but the most important name identified with the history of the denomination in that country is that of Immanuel Tafel (1796-1863), professor and librarian of Tubingen, who devoted his life to the spread of Swedenborgianism. His efforts were mainly literary; but he also organized a congregation in Southern Germany. The religion was proscribed in Sweden until 1866, when greater religious freedom was gi-anted; the churches are still very few, and the membership insignificant. New Churchmen claim, however, that there as well as in all other countries the influence of Swedenborg can- not be gauged by the enrolled membership, because many communicants of other denominations hold Swedenborgian views.
The denomination maintains for the training of its ministry the New Church College at Islington, London, and the New Church Theological School at Cambridge, Mass. A preparatory school is located at Waltham, Mass., and an institution for collegiate and university studies at Urbana, Ohio. The Gen- eral Church conducts a seminar}' at Brj-n Athyn, Pa., and maintains several parochial schools. The denom- ination has displayed a remarkable publishing activ- ity. The Swedenborg Society was founded in London in 1810 for the printing of Swedenborgian hterature and in celebration of its centenary the International Swedenborg Congress met in the English metropolis in 1910. Other publishing agencies are the New Church Union of Boston, the American Swedenborg Printing and Publishing Society of New York, and a pubhshing house at Stuttgart, Germany. A monu- mental edition of Swedenborg's scientific works is in course of publication under the auspices of the Swed- ish Royal Academy of Sciences. His theological works are available in complete Latin and English editions and have been partly published in numerous modern languages, including Hindu, Arabic, and Japanese. The New Church publishes two quarterly reviews, some monthly magazines, and several weekly papers.
I. Tafel. Documents concerning the Life and Character of Swedenborg (London, 1875-77). Numerous Biographies of Swedenborg have been written: in English by Doughty (London, 1857); Fletcher (ibid., 1859); Htde (ibid.. 1863); White (ibid., 1867); Wobcester (Boston, 1883); Wilkinson (London. 1886): Odhner (Philadelphia, 1893); Trobridoe (London, s. d.) ; in French by Ballet (Paris. 1S99) ; Byse (Paris, 1901) ; in GerDaan by Ranz (Scliwabisch Hall. 1851).
IL These biographies usually contain an exposition of Sweden- borg's doctrine; a more complete presentation will be found in his own works, particularly in: The True Christian Religion; Arcana Calestia; The Apocalypse Revealed; The Apocalypse Explained; Divine Love and Wisdom, Divine Providence; Heaven and Hell. Parsons, Outlines of the Religion and Philosophy of Swedenborg (Boston. 1894); Transactions of the International Swedenborg Con- gress (London, 1910).
III. HiNDMARSH, Rise and Progress of the New Church (London, 1861); Dole, The New Church. What, How, Whyt (New York, 1906).
For further bibliographical details consult Hyde. Bibliographi- cal Index to the Published Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (Lon- don, 1897). Catholic writers on Swedenborg and his doctrine: Gorhes, Emanuel Swedenborg, seine Visionen u. sein VerhdUnis$ lur Kirche (Speyer, 1827); Mohler, tr. Robertson, Symboliam (3rd ed., New York, s. d.), 353, 436-67.
N. A. Weber. Sweetheart Abbey. See New Abbey.
Swetchine, Sophie-Jeanne Soymonof, writer, b. at Moscow, 22 Nov., 17S2; d. in Paris, 10 Sept., 1857. She was a member of a noble family, and became asso- ciated with French liteniturc through her correspond- ence and other writings. Irajiressed by her preco- cious intelligence, her father gave her a very careful
