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ally took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757; from which era is dated the second advent of the Lord, and the commencement of a new church, which, they say, is meant by the new heaven and new earth in the Revelation, and the New Jerusalem thence descending.
The Swedenborgians use a liturgy, and instrumental, as well as vocal music in their public worship. They are numerous in England, Germany, and Sweden, and many of them are also to be found in America.
TRACTARIANS.
The Tractarians are a sect of recent origin in the Church of England, but whose principles have appeared from time to time, under various modifications, since the establishment of that church, and the settlement of its articles and formulas by Queen Elizabeth. The term Tractarian has been applied to them in consequence of the publication of their views in a series of pamphlets, entitled Tracts for the times. When these had reached the number of ninety, their authors issued one entitled "Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-nine Articles," in which it is admitted that the tenor of the explanations is Anti-protestant. Indeed the obvious tendency of the "Tracts," appeared to be the establishment of as close an approximation to the Romish Church as could legally be tolerated within the pale of the Church of England. This opinion is amply borne out by many of those who held Tractarian views going over to the Church of Rome, while such as retain their livings adopt every means of showing how great importance they attach to external forms and ceremonies. Their teaching is characterized by extravagant views of the efficacy of the sacraments, of baptismal regeneration, and of the actual presence of Christ in the communion; while one of their chief writers look with favour on the celibacy of the clergy, and even on auricular confession and monastic vows; at the same time they claim for the clergy a spiritual power equal to the highest which the Church of Rome secured for its priesthood in the most ignorant of the middle ages.
There was no further issue of the "Tracts for the Times," beyond number ninety; and that one, in which the whole force of the Articles of the Church was attempted to be subverted, has been withdrawn and nominally suppressed. Since then Dr. Pusey, one of the chief leaders of the new sect, and from whom it is frequently termed Puseyism, has been suspended from preaching for three years, and various other means have been adopted with a view to counteract the heretical tendency of these opinions.
