SWEDENBORGIANS 



5652 



SWEET PEA 



having been raised to the nobility, he took his 

 seat in the house' of nobles. Subsequently he 

 traveled widely in the interest of scientific 

 knowledge and published valuable treatises on 

 metallurgy and anatomy and a diary of his 

 experiences. 



Always of a deeply religious nature, in 1745 

 he turned himself almost exclusively to the 

 study of a peculiar system of theology and 

 spiritual philosophy which he claimed to have 

 received through direct intercourse with the 

 spirit world. He wrote many books supporting 

 his mystical theories, and while those who ac- 

 cepted his system as a whole have been com- 

 paratively few, he has undoubtedly made a 

 strong impression on modern religious thought. 

 Kant admits having been largely influenced by 

 him, and Goethe embodied much of his teach- 

 ing in his masterpiece, Faust. 



Swedenborg died in London, but by royal de- 

 cree his body was removed to Sweden and in- 

 terred with honors at the University of Upsala. 

 The most .important doctrines advocated by 

 him are stated in the article SWEDENBORGIANS. 



Consult Worcester's Life and Mission of 

 Emanuel Swedenborg. 



SWEDENBORGIANS, swe den bawr' ji anz, 

 the religious sect that follows the teachings of 

 Emanuel Swedenborg, organized by him in 

 London, in 1787, as the New Church or the 

 New Jerusalem Church. Their belief, as set 

 forth in Swedenborg's writings, regards the uni- 

 verse as one whole, the outward world being the 

 counterpart of the inner and spiritual. Beneath 

 the literal meaning of the Bible is the spiritual 

 meaning, which is open to those who have in- 

 ner discernment. Justification is not attained 

 by faith alone, but whoever fears God and 

 works righteously shall be saved. God is one 

 and the real Trinity is in Christ. The last 

 judgment has already taken place, and the New 

 Jerusalem has descended in the form of the 

 New Church. There is no physical resurrec- 

 tion, but at death men's eyes are opened to the 

 spiritual world of which they are already a part. 

 They are drawn to heaven or hell by their 

 own affinities. Angels are the spirits of de- 

 parted human beings. 



The first Swedenborgian Church in the 

 United States was organized in Baltimore, in 

 1792. The American societies are grouped into 

 state organizations called associations, and the 

 General Convention of the New Jerusalem 

 Church is composed of twelve of these associa- 

 tions and cf nine separate societies. There is 

 a smaller organization of the sect known as the 



General Church of the New Jerusalem. The 

 larger body has about 8,500 communicants; the 

 smaller about 800. See SWEDENBORG, EMANUEL. 



SWEET ALYSSUM, alis'um, a low, spread- 

 ing plant of the mustard family, bearing clus- 

 ters of tiny white flowers, and having four-sided 

 stems which contain a bitter juice. It is a 

 hardy little 1 plant, blooming until late in the 

 fall, and is often used as a border for gardens 

 and flower beds. There are single and double 

 varieties; some are dwarfed, and others grow 

 eight or ten inches high. Sweet alyssum is 

 easily raised, for it grows from seeds or cut- 

 tings, and thrives in any reasonably-fertile soil. 



SWEETBREADS, sweet' bredz, certain 

 glands in the calf which are esteemed as an 

 appetizing food. There are two kinds, neck 

 sweetbread and stomach sweetbread, the first 

 being the thyroid gland, and the second, the 

 pancreas. The latter is the more easily di- 

 gested, and can be assimilated in less than half 

 the time required for an equal amount of beef- 

 steak. Great care should be taken in the prepa- 

 ration of the sweetbreads in order to make 

 them palatable and appetizing. They should 

 first soak in cold water for two and one-half 

 hours; this water is poured off, and fresh, cold 

 water placed in the pan, which is then brought 

 to a boil on the stove. Boiling is allowed to 

 continue for five minutes, after which the 

 sweetbreads are again placed in cold water, to 

 preserve their color. Now the fat and skin are 

 carefully picked out, and when this process is 

 completed the delicacy is ready to cook. Braise 

 for one hour with meat stock and vegetables, 

 then transfer to an oven and allow to brown. 

 Sweetbreads may then be served with any 

 sauce the taste may dictate. C.B.B. 



SWEETBRIER. See EGLANTINE. 



SWEET FLAG, a tall, reedlike plant of the 

 arum family, which grows along brooks and in 

 marshy places in almost all parts of the north- 

 ern hemisphere. Its stiff stems are tipped by 

 spikes of green blossoms, and it has flat leaves 

 shaped like a two-edged sword. They spring 

 directly from the rootstock and grow to be 

 two feet long. From this rootstock, which is 

 fragrant and has some medicinal value as a 

 tonic, perfume, hair powder and other toilet 

 preparations are made. See ARUM. 



SWEET PEA, pe, a favorite garden plant 

 belonging to the same family as the edible pea. 

 It is cultivated for the beauty and exquisite 

 fragrance of its flowers, which are colored blue, 

 red, purple, pink and white, and in shape sug- 

 gest the butterfly. In the year 1699 seeds of a 



