The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-01-18
Lecture on Genesis and Geology.

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Rev. George Field, of Adrian, Michi-
gan, has been delivering a very interest
ing and instructive course Of lectures on
the creation Of the physical Universe.
at the New Jerusalem Temple, on the
corner of Franklin and Walnut streets.
The lectures on Sunday evening was
one Of the most important Of the course,
being upon the true meaning OF the FIRST
chapter Of Genesis. The lecturer began
by stating in substance that the chapter
was not intended to treat Of the Gre
alton Of the physical Universe, but OF
MAN as a mental, religious, spiritual be-
ing, and of his growth, nature, and duties
to God and his fellow man, and of his i'm
mortality. The sun, moon. and other
objects are mentioned because they are
the types of things in man, of thought,
qualities,& &c. Man is the microcosm of
the Universe, realizing everything that
is typifed throughout the Universe.
Symbolic representation was the style
of writing used among the people first
living upon the earth. Mans retrogres-
sion from his first state is the reason
that we have lost the true meaning Of
these symbols, and consequently Gods
Word is misunderstood. The key to
this early method of representing ideas,
must be restored before we can fully
understand the record.
The first eleven chapters Of Genesis
are entirely symbolicai, have no literal
sense, but represent and typifiy conven-
tional ideas. The very ancient style of
writing was symbolical. This style was
different from our present way Of ex>
pressing ideas by pictures We use the
picture of natural object to convey
the idea Of that object, G. g. the picture
Of a horse to convey the idea of horse,
city to represent city. Neither was
it symbolical representation like that
used by the American Indians. They
used some natural object to convey the
idea of some natural object or operation,
.. e. they would represent a battle by
arrows on drawn bows, march by
series or foot prints, etc. But the early
symbolical writing used some natural
object to represent some mental thing,
e. g. light for knowledge. and darkness
for ignorance. warmth for affection, etc.
This is governed by law-the outward
form is the express similarity of spiritual
things, e. g. the feeling display them
selves in the features, etc. In creation
80
sive form Of ideas, and corresponds to
inward spiritual things. Causes are
spiritual effects are natural, and the
manifestation of things that are in the
spir itual world.
The symbolic style Of expression de-
generated and finally was forgotten, and
then the race began with the lowest style
of alphabet and has gradually come
upward.
BY imagery the first chapter of Cen
esis pictures knowledge of moral,
mental and spiritual things There is
certain arrangement. Of ideas that they
may convey sense. There is syntax of
words aud so there must be of symbols.
Throughout the entire works of God
every thing is tri parted. There are
three degrees in nature-mineral, ami
NAL and vegetable kingdoms.
Man and higher animals have three
parts-head, body and limbs. Plants
have three parts roots, trunk and
leaves, &c, DC. A symbolic language
must recognize these general IDEAS
A second great characteristic is that
every thing is duplicate c. G. man has
two arms,two feet two eyes, etc.onc side
the counterpart of the other, and so
on. This idea the symbolic language
also recognizes.
{ So there were really but three days in
the creation Of man, and these days
were double. Tho lecturer illustrated
this with diagram thus.
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