USA > Massachusetts > Sketch of the history of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem ; with a list of its members > Part 5
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When, more than fifty years ago, our Society was organized, it was called simply the Boston Society of the New-Jerusa- lem, the probability of another New-Church Society within the limits of the city being so remote as hardly to enter the minds of the founders of this.
Jan. 2, 1871. - At the recommendation of the Church Committee, a Committee on Music was appointed, to have general charge of the musical affairs of the Society.
April 3, 1871. - The Pastor having requested a vacation for the purpose of travelling in Europe, the Society cordially and unanimously acceded to the request, at the same time in- structing the Church Committee to provide for the pulpit dur- ing Mr. Reed's absence without leaving upon him any part of the burden.
Mr. Reed left for Europe in May, and returned in the Sep-
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tember following, having visited England, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the northern part of Italy, and having attended the General Conference of the New Church at its session in London, in August, to which body he was accredited as a messenger by the General Convention.
April 3, 1871. - It was "Voted, That hereafter the meeting for the annual election of the officers of the Society be held on the Monday evening following the third Sunday in April, instead of the third Sunday, as heretofore."
April 30, 1871. - At a meeting of the Society, the Pastor stated that the eighth day of May following would be the fiftieth anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Worcester's coming to Boston to take charge of the Society, and that he had been requested to propose to the Society that notice be taken of the day, by as many of the Society and congregation as could make it convenient calling upon Dr. Worcester at his res- idence in Waltham.
The Society voted to adopt the plan proposed, and ap- pointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements.
On the appointed day a large number of friends visited Dr. Worcester, in accordance with the plan proposed, and offered him their congratulations and wishes for his continued health and prosperity. At the same time an elegant coupe, which had been procured by private subscription, was presented to him. Appropriate remarks were made by Mr. P. W. Chandler, and responded to by Dr. Worcester. The whole occasion was one of great interest, and will be long remembered by those who were present.
The remarks of Mr. Chandler and the response of Dr. Worcester were published at length in the New-Jerusalem Messenger for June 7, 1871.
Oct. 2, 1871. - It was "Voted, That the Pastor and Sec- retary take into consideration the matter of recording upon the Church records the baptisms and confirmations in the Society."
At an adjourned meeting of the Society, held January 22,
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1872, the subject of the introduction of one or more hymns into our Church worship having occupied the greater part of two evenings, informal votes were taken, which were decidedly adverse to the use of hymns.
At a meeting of the Society, held April 8, 1872, the follow- ing recommendation, presented by the Church Committee in the annual report, was adopted :
" That the Pastor be requested to report at the stated Monday evening quarterly meetings the names of those members who have died during the previous quarter ; and that the Secretary be requested to enter their names on the records of the Society, and also to place against the signatures made by each on joining the Society the date of his or her death, and the age, so far as ascertained."
The report closed by reciting the names of those members who had died during the past year, stating that they could not be read without calling up many tender recollections. This portion of the report called forth a recital of many in- teresting reminiscences of those whose names were thus read, and feeling remarks were made respecting them by the Pastor and other members.
The practice which had prevailed for many years of report- ing the names of deceased members, with short obituary no- tices, to the Massachusetts Association, was at this time discontinued.
At the regular quarterly meeting of the Society, held October 7, 1872, the Pastor delivered an address upon the subject, "How can we as a Society receive the greatest amount of good?" suggesting the holding of weekly religious meetings for the consideration of the doctrines of the Church in their application to the various relations of life.
This recommendation was unanimously adopted, and a committee consisting of four gentlemen and four ladies was appointed to cooperate with the Pastor in carrying the plan proposed into effect.
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The following Address, delivered before the Sabbath-school at its Anniversary, June 12, 1870, is printed agreeably to a Vote of the Society passed Nov. 14, 1870. See pp. 50 and 53.
IT is found on the records of this Society, Feb. 6, 1836, that the Standing Committee had been instructed by an unrecorded vote, during the previous year, to consider the subject of Sunday- schools, and religious education. It is added, that the committee read a report on the subject this day, proposing the early estab- lishment of a New-Church school, for the education of children within the Society, in all branches of education, on New- Church principles ; and the same committee was instructed to inquire into the state of facts on the subject, and to ascertain what could be done in relation to it. This unrecorded vote was probably the result of much careful thought and deliberation, and of several meetings of the Society. The Standing Com- mittec (meaning the Church Committee) consisted at that time of Caleb Reed, John II. Wilkins, and Theophilus Par- sons ; and was immediately increased for the purpose of the school, by the addition of T. B. Hayward, and a few months after, by that of Sampson Reed.
In the following April, the Committee on the School was instructed to look out, and prepare for reading in meeting, hereafter, all those passages in the theological writings of Swedenborg which relate to education and instruction. In the following July, it was voted that the Committee on the School be directed to establish a school for the Society to be conducted on New-Church principles. A school-room was ac- cordingly obtained and fitted up, it being the lower part of the building now occupied by Mr. F. W. Small, in Mount Vernon Street, as a grocery store ; and the school was opened Oct. 17, 1836, under the charge of two ladies of the Society,
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Miss Coburn, now Mrs. Dr. Guernsey, of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Little, now Mrs. Zina IIyde, of Bath. The week-day school and the Sunday-school commenced their existence at the same time. Indeed, although the former was intended to embrace all the branches of education usually taught in other schools, the primary object for which it was established seems to have been New-Church religious instruction.
This may appear from the following extract from the rec- ords of the Society Oct. 7, 1836, a few days before the school was opened : "The Committee on the New-Church School submitted a few propositions, and it was agreed that the school should be opened by the reading of the Word by the elder scholars, and the repetition of the Lord's Prayer by one of the teachers, all the scholars joining- that after recess, the elder scholars should read in ' Heaven and Hell,' or some other of Swedenborg's works - that the larger pupils oc- cupy the front seats in the hall on Sunday, attended by their teachers ; and that the children of the school all assemble in the school-room, Sunday afternoon, with one of the teachers, attended by one or more of the ladies of the Society, and that they be occupied in reading the Word and Swedenborg, in singing, and in such other ways as shall be found instruc- tive and innocent."
There were five ladies who are understood to have under- taken the duty of Sunday-school teaching, in connection with the teachers of the week-day school, only one of them being usually present on the same day ; and all the scholars being assembled together - the late Mrs. Wilkins, the late Mrs. B. T. Loring, Mrs. Nathaniel Hobart, Mrs. Theophilus Parsons and Mrs. Sampson Reed. This was the beginning of our Sunday-school. It was at this time, and for the benefit of these children, that Mrs. Wilkins wrote and read on successive Sab- baths, her lessons, afterwards published, and making a small volume of New-Church religious instruction adapted to.a tender age, and written with great simplicity and beauty.
As has been already said, the New-Church school was
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opened Oct. 17, 1836. I find in my possession a manuscript book, entitled "Calender of the New-Church School, begun Oct. 17, 1836"; in which are written the names of the pupils, the day of the month, and the year in which they were born, and also in which they entered the school. In this book I find the following entry : " Francis A. Dewson, born July 30, 1828, entered the school Oct. 17, 1836." So it appears that our Superintendent was a pupil of the New-Church school and of the Sunday-school at their very commencement, being then eight years old. A little farther on in the calender, I find the following : "James Reed, born Dec. 8, 1834, entered the school April 4, 1837"; by which it appears that the Pastor of the Society commenced his education at the New-Church school, at the age of two years and not quite four months. Ile was the youngest pupil, and was called the baby of the school. The New-Church school, as first established, being under the care of ladies, was confined to small children. After an experiment of two years, it was thought expedient to extend the privileges of the school to older pupils, and it was deter- mined to employ a male teacher and obtain enlarged accom- modations. Mr. Beaman was accordingly chosen master, and the upper room in- the building now occupied by Mr. Small, was obtained in connection with the lower. Both rooms were occupied by the Sunday-school, which was now provided with male and female teachers, all meeting together in the upper room for the religious exercises at the commence- ment, after which a part of the pupils withdrew with their teachers, and formed classes in the lower. It was the cus- tom at the opening of the school for the teachers and older pupils to read consecutively the two chapters which had been read by the Pastor in the morning service, from the Old and New Testament ; after which the Lord's Prayer was repeated, all the scholars joining, and a chant was sung. The pupils again assembled together in the upper room, and closed with a chant. At a very early period of the school the number of selections which could be sung was limited to two or three ;
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but they never grew old or wearisome. In 1838 the New- Church school was placed by the Society under the charge of a standing committee of five members. This committee made quarterly reports to the Society of the condition of the school, including that of the Sunday-school also. They elected the teachers of the Sabbath-school, and reported their names to the Society, and had a general supervision over it. I find on the records of the Society, May 12, 1839, that the Com- mittee on Education rendered a supplementary report relating to the Sabbath-school, and it was voted that this report be offered to the editor of the New-Jerusalem Magazine, to be pub- lished with such omissions as may seem proper to the editor and the chairman of the committee. It was so published, mak- ing eleven pages of the 12th volume of the Magazine. This report enters largely into the subject of the Study of Corre- spondences, this study having been introduced into the oldest class. The little book on the Correspondence of the Sun, of HIeat and of Light, published about this time, consists of arti- cles which had been previously read in the Sunday-school. In the report June 21, 1840, it is said " there has been some uu- avoidable delay in making the selections from the Memorable Relations in Conjugial Love for the use of the Sabbath-school. This selection has now been made by the aid of Mrs. Loring and Mrs. Hobart, and it is hoped that it may soon be used in the school." The selections were printed from the stereotype plates and used as proposed. Another report was ordered to be printed, and a copy to be sent to every parent or guardian of the children in the school. It is doubtful whether a copy of this report is now in existence. In a list of the teachers and pupils of the Sunday-school, as I think of the year 1841, I find recorded the names of 13 teachers and 107 pupils divided into 14 classes. The names of the teachers in the order of the classes, are as follows : Sampson Reed, T. B. Hay- ward, W. A. Wellman, Francis Phelps, Elisha Faxon, E. A. Beaman, Mrs. B. T. Loring, Miss Susan G. Foster, Mrs. Na- thaniel Hobart, Miss Miriam Worcester, now Mrs. Dike, Miss
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Rebecca M. Marsh, now Mrs. Herrick, Miss M. II. Gardner, and Miss E. Baxter, no teacher being assigned to the youngest : class. Of these, Mr. Faxon, Mrs. Loring, Miss Foster, and Miss Gardner, have since died. They were most useful members of our Society, and deeply interested in the school. I remember to have been somewhat surprised at the time to find that Mr. Faxon was using the work on the "Last Judg- ment " as a text-book in his class. I have since used it my- self with much satisfaction. My own class, which was the oldest at that time, consisted of Harriet Wetherbee, the late Mrs. Calvin Clark, Catharine C. Marshall, Mary E. Dewson, the late Mrs. Badger, Elizabeth C. Lowe, Emily E. Parsons, George Cutler, Edwin Faxon, Benjamin Worcester, and Ed- ward Cobb. They all became members of our Society ex- cept Edward Cobb, who is a member of the Society in Abing- ton, and Elizabeth Lowe, who would have been, I think, among the foremost to join, had she not died at an early age. Of the nine members, five only are now living. Of the pupils of the school at that time, 47 became members of our Society, including the Pastor and Superintendent, and 11 are understood to have joined other New-Church Societies. Some died young, and the circumstances of others were not favor- able to their becoming members of the Church. And here let me say, that by becoming members of the Church I mean not merely joining an external organization, but the uniting with others, in the spirit and light of the New-Church, for the purpose of helping one another to become better men and women, and of doing more good to other people.
The New-Church school was discontinued at the end of the year 1843, having lasted a little more than seven years. During the latter part of the period it was under the charge of Mr. T. B. Hayward, and for the most of the time it was favored with instruction in singing by Mr. Webb, which was considered a great privilege. It was not till this school had ceased to exist, and with it the Committee on Education, that the office of Superintendent of the Sunday-school was estab-
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lished, in April, 1844. I was then first chosen to that office, the duties of which I had partially discharged as Chairman of the Committee on Education, for several years previous. As has been already said, the week-day school and the Sunday- school had a common origin. Indeed, the religious element seems to have been equally strong in both. It was not thought expedient for children to attend our New-Church school, who went with their parents to Old-Church meetings, and thus received doctrinal instruction from those to whom they should look for guidance, opposed to that which was taught in the school. It was proposed by the committee that baptism into the New-Church should be recommended for all children who had not received it, on their joining either school; and the Latin Arcana was substituted for Cicero, for those who were studying Latin. The Sunday- school has always been regarded as the nursery of the Church. So long ago as September, 1840, it was said in the report of the Committee, "It is peculiarly gratifying that six of the members of the Sabbath-school are very soon to become mem- bers of our Society ; and it is hoped that it may become more and more the gate of the Church."
It was concluded, after much deliberation in the Society, at a very early period, that twenty-one years was a suitable age for young men to join the Church, and eighteen years for young women ; and in no inconsiderable number of cases those of each sex have left the school, sometimes leaving with great reluctance, to join the Church at these ages. According to my recollection, there was considerable discussion as to the age of young men, whether it should be twenty or twenty-one years ; and much weight was given to a reason suggested by Mr. Wilkins, that twenty-one years was the time fixed by the civil laws of our country, at which they should take upon themselves the duties and responsibilities of citizens. I think that the following extract from "Conjugial Love " had much to do in making a difference of three years in the age of the sexes : "That those who die infants grow up in heaven, and
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when they arrive at the stature in which young men of eight- een years and virgins of fifteen years are in the world, they stop therein, and then marriages are provided for them by the Lord, I can solemnly affirm as certain. " - C. L. 444.
After the school was discontinued in Mount Vernon Street, the Sunday-school was held at our place of worship in Phil- lips Place, till we were prepared to remove to our present place of worship, in the year 1845.
I cannot doubt that our Sabbath-school has been always doing a good work, but there has been imperfect organization and system, and many defects which it is hoped may be rem- edied hereafter .* That " the child is father of the man " is true of a society as of an individual. Our Sunday-school was commenced more than a generation ago, when Sunday-schools were comparatively a new thing in the world, by those who were without experience, and who had everything to learn. Its foundation was laid in an undoubting faith in the distinc- tive doctrines of the New-Church, as now revealed, a deep conviction of their unspeakable importance, and a correspond- ing desire and endeavor to make them the governing princi- ples in the minds of our children. It has been favored with conscientious and devoted teachers, not a few of whom, as as well as of the pupils, have passed into the spiritual world, where any real good which they derived from our school on earth, cannot have failed to bear its appropriate fruit. To some who have died in childhood, the lessons which they have learned from the Word have come in their last sickness, bringing peace and consolation, like a foretaste of heaven.
My connection with the school extends over a period of more than thirty years, and I regard it as a great privilege to have been so connected. When fruit is ripe it is easily gath-
* The superintendent and teachers have had meetings together more or less frequent during the whole period of the school, for the purpose of giving and receiving aid in the discharge of their duties ; but it is much to be regretted that we have had no secretary till lately, and no record has been kept for most of the time.
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ered, or falls off of itself; and it has given me great pleasure to relinquish the office which I have, so long, very imperfect- ly filled, to other hands. I think that I see in the future of the school, the promise of great and increasing usefulness. The Pastor of the Society and the Superintendent having been part and parcel of it from early childhood - the latter recently called to his office by a spontaneous vote of the So- ciety of great unanimity - with faithful and devoted teachers, some of whom have been pupils of the school, and others who are not less deeply interested in its success - having weekly meetings - all working harmoniously together, with great earnestness and conscientious devotion, and a deep sense of the importance of their duties, and the responsibility of their position-there is certainly cause for hope and encouragement. For we know that the blessing of our Heavenly Father, without which nothing can prosper, will not be withheld from any faithful endeavors of his children. We learn from Swedenborg that all who die in infancy and childhood are saved - that is, they are led to put away their hereditary and acquired evils, and the love of the Lord and the neighbor become the ruling loves of their lives. But this is accomplished with their own free cooperation. Such is the love and such the wisdom of the angels, that the means of instruction and education in the spiritual world are so wisely applied, that they never fail of this happy result. Far, very far are we from this state of things on earth. But when we pray to the Lord that His kingdom may come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, do we pray for less than this consummation? and should not our endeavors go forth with our prayers? The children of the Society of our own Sunday-school, are those whom Providence has placed most directly under our charge and keeping, and they should command our first and chief at- tention ; and this attention should be extended to others as opportunity and evidence of its useful results warrant.
And, children, pupils of the Sabbath-school, who among you are to become active and useful members of the Church,
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and thus aid in giving to others the blessings you enjoy your- selves? Who are to be the future teachers of our Sabbath- school? I do not ask this question to excite your ambition ; far be it from me to do this. It is not by seeking to be supe- rior to others - by gaining a victory over them - that you are to become prepared for those important uses ; it is over your- selves that the victory is to be gained, by shunning every wicked feeling, thought, or deed, as a sin against God. It is for you so to live, as to take the school hereafter from your elders, and carry it forward to still greater perfection. The Church is your spiritual mother. It is her office to feed and clothe, not your bodies, but your minds - to feed you with an- gels' food, and to clothe you with the beautiful garments of truth. There are many myriads of children in this great world, but nowhere on the face of it, as it seems to me, are they more favored with the greatest of all blessings, good religious influences and instruction, than on this very spot. A few years more, and you too will be fathers and mothers - and a little longer, if you live in this world, you will be old men and women, and then you must surely soon pass on to the spiritual world, where we all hope to be young again in heaven. Now, in your childhood, is the seed sown which will bear fruit, either good or bad, which will go far to deter- mine your future usefulness and happiness, not only while you live in this world, but forever in the other.
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THIE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CON- DITION OF THE SOCIETY.
IT has been stated in what has preceded, that in February, 1823, the Society was incorporated by the Legislature of Massachusetts, by the name of "The Boston Society of the New Jerusalem "; and it also appears, that in 1845, after the erection of the Church in Bowdoin Street, the pew-holders were incorporated under the General Statutes of the Common- wealth, by the name of "The New-Jerusalem Society." There are, consequently, two corporations or legal bodies con- nected with the Church or Society in Boston. As many who have joined the Society in late years have not understood the subject, it seems well that it should be explained, and the functions of each corporation defined. The Society, at a very early period, felt the want of a suitable place of public wor- ship devoted and dedicated exclusively to the worship of the Lord ; and the act of incorporation in the year 1823, was un- doubtedly obtained primarily with a view to this purpose. Early and repeated efforts were made to accomplish the object, which proved unsuccessful from the lack of adequate means or from other causes, till the years 1844-45, when a church was finally built. In the mean while, the Corporation known as "The Boston Society of the New Jerusalem " had been duly organized, and had taken charge of all the financial concerns of the Church, such as providing a place for public worship and for the wants of the Pastor ; and had held meet- ings quarterly, or more frequently if occasion required. . It had also become the recipient of legacies from several individ- uals. By the rules of that body, any male member of the
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Church may become a member of the Corporation, on appli- cation to the Clerk, by subscribing to the By-laws; and it was almost or quite a matter of course, up to the time of the erection of the house of worship, for every male member to avail himself of this opportunity, regarding it both as a privi- lege and a duty to take part according to his ability in aiding and sustaining by his counsel and his means the uses of the Society. When, however, the time came in which a success- ful attempt was made to build a Church, it was thought, by a majority of those who had the direction of affairs, that it was not the wisest course to have the ownership of the building vested in a body so constituted ; or, perhaps, it may be said with truth, that the object could not have been accomplished on this plan. Some of the subscribers, including the one who subscribed the largest amount, were not then members of the Church, and consequently had no right to become members of this Corporation. It could not be expected that they would contribute their money, and have no voice in its control and no ownership in the building ; and the building could not well be erected without their aid. The plan then usual in this Commonwealth was therefore adopted, by which the Church was the property of the pew-holders ; and a new Corporation was organized, under the General Statutes, by the name of " The New-Jerusalem Society. " After the house was built, the pews were appraised, so that the appraised value should cover the whole cost of the building ; and each subscriber took the amount of his subscription in pews, the right of choice being determined at auction.
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