The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-25
The Difference Between Them,
Rev. A. 0. Brickmai, or the "New.
Church, Gets Down % First Prfn.
ctple-An Interested Audi
ence-Another Lecture To.
night ON "The spirit
nal WORLD

The court house held q big audience
Of ladies and gentlemen last night, and
many were unable to get seats. Rev. A.
o. Brickman, the "New Church" minis
ter discoursed tor an hour and half on
the difference between man and
animals. Fully thirty minutes OF the
time was taken up in explaining
to the audience the ground taken by the
new church regarding The bible, but
more especially with reference to the
firs. chapter of Genesis. The lecturer
prefaced this by slight review of the
position taken by the orthodox christi
ans and the one taken by scientists. re.
earding the creation of man. He said
that much was owing to Darwin and
his CO. laborels in scientific research, by
the wo:Id, for the immense
mass of information and truths
spresd before civilization by
them. He said he accepted all the
scientific facts developed by these men,
but he could not accept their conclusions
or the deductions which they made and
drew from their Investigations and ex-
periments. Then taking up the religious
theory, as drawn from the first chapters
of Genesis, he showed that the first eleven
chapters of that book were not written by
Moses, but quoted by him from other
more ancient works. Reference Is made
in the books themselves, in one place, as
follows .for are not these things written
in the Book CT Jasbar?" He showed
that the entire first eleven chapters OF
Genesis were symbolical; that every
word, every line and every syllable Of
the literal sense contained a higher and
spiritual sense which is the embodiment
of the divine wisdom from which
it sprsng This is evidenced in
part by the seeming inconsistencies
of these first chapters. For
instance, we read that the evening and
the morning were the first day. Yet the
evening and the morning could not pos.
sibly be day: Then, the:sun and moon
and stars were created on the fourth day.
Now even it the evening and morning
did make the irst day, did the light come
from to produce it? Some pretend to
say that preliminary light was first
created exclusively Tor the use
OF these first three days, yet
the succeeding chapters are not har-
monious with this idea. The same
Genesis informs us that serpent spoke.
Now, if you believe tibet the serpent
spoke, then you will have to give way to
the eyoiutionis,s. Yes, my orthodox
friends, If the serpent talked then there
is u probability that man sprang from an
animal. The record says that God
cursed the serpent, yet it says that 1t was
the devii that spoke through the serpent
that should no on its belly and eat dirt
all its DAY. Now tho serpent does not eat
dirt. Then, too, why did God curse the
serpent? Why did he not curse the
devil-even granting that God would
curse anything he mad nader There
are hundreds OF just such Inconsistencies
throughout Genesis, and merely in their
literal sense they cannot instruct man
how to live q better lite, or even give
him a plausible account of the creation
OF the material world.
The new church teaches that all
these chapters of Genesis and the bible
contain a.spiritual meaning. 1t teaches
that there is no personal devil, but that
the word signifies the evil that is in
the world.
Speaking of the devil, am reminded
of a conversation a new church minister
had with an Episcopal clergyman white
travelling down the Ohio river. Said the
latter:
81 understand that your people do not
believe in a personal devli?".
"No; we do not"
"Well, then you don't believe the
Bible. 1t teaches that the devil is n
fallen angel; that he WAS tempted and
expelled from heaven"
"Let me ask you question" answered
the new churchman. How could Nh
angel, pur. and IN the highest heaven, be
Ii such was the case there
must have been a greater devil in exist.
ence than the devil we are supposed to
have now, and how could he, even
granting his existence, get into the high
est heaven to tempt this angel, and If he
20. there, why did he not tempt more
and why was his presence permitted by
God?
But must now get down to the point
of my discourse. | have made these
remarks that you may see
that we believe wholly in the Bible and
base our foundation of belief upon
grounds and upon truths that embrace
all that ls oi Sc ience and religion upon a
logical and elevated basis. If the world
ever needed new theology it is in
these days of doubt, when mems minds
are beginning to investigate what was
formerly accepted in mere faith. A re-
ligion is needed that will tell us how to
live truly and uprightly, and will har-
monte Gods moral and natural laws.
To the consideration of the question of
the difference between man and animals.
maintain that science has made one
grand mistake in entirely overlooking
two of the most important Of natures
laws, Eyolutionists claim than man has
been developed up by a gradual process
of improvement from the lowest form Of
animal life. We ask these geHtlemen
one simple question, What Is life?'
And they have nothing to reply.
Their theories regarding force
and matter cannot be focused to single
rational explanation. They attempt to
show US the operation of it, and that is
all. The New Church teaches that there
is bat one life, and that life is God
From God proceeds an sffluence, and in
all creations are present his life in more
or less degree. If God is a beng Of in
telligence and love and not phantss-
mag ora, then It must be evident that in
his creations the lower cannot go to the
higher, or the higher to the lower The
question OF life itself is love; love is life,
and the form of love is wisdom. .
As the natural sun warns the physi-
cal life so does the spiritual sun of the
God, flow down into mems
spiritual lives and give it light and heat.
:.
Now why, regarding the plan as sd-
vocated by the evolutionists, do not
plumtrees develope into palm,
or a gooseberry bush into
An oak, or an apple into Il pear tree.
Thasa obiacts have life and seem 20 have