The New York herald., 1877-02-05
swEDENBORGIAN CHURCH.

SWEDENBORG1AN CHURCH.
THE APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS OF THE BIBLE
ACCOUNTED yoR-sERMoN BY THE REV.
cHAUNCEY GILES.
Rev. Chauncey Giles preached yesterday morning
at the Swedenboreian church, ThrtyGnh street, be-
tween Fourth and Lexington avenues. The subject
his the apparent contradictions oi the
Bible He insanced several passages OF the Scriptures
OF which referred to God as kind, loving and
bcnccent deity and others God OF and Of
wrath angry with man, and procalming chastiscmcnt
for his offences The contradiction OF these passages
had, he said, always furnished an argument against
tho divine character and authenticity OF the Scrip
tures How did Tho cruel and implacable qualities
attributed God differ from tho wrath and anger and
hate OF mani surely they had nothing to do with
divine and II could be fairly argued that
M impossible two sets vi attributes totally op
poste In themselves could exist IN the Divine mind.
II the passages OF Scripture which represented God as
loving and bcnehcent, and those others which de-
scriUed Him as wrathful and vcngeui, were true
IN the same sense The Lord would be exercising
two distinct qualities that were WHOLLY Incompatible
with each other. Then would HIS mind be u Kingdom
which would be divided against ITSELF and which,
therefore, according His own word could not stand.
There must said the preacher, be some means OF
reconcling these apparent contradictions Of the scrip
lures. some satisfactory reasons winch would recon-
tho ways OF God to man. Tho new Church, he
SAID, had solved the difficulty by taking the ground
both representations OF the dlvine character
"a
Tho solution based on the dicrence between
Lutte relative truth. IL absolutely true that
tive truth that He times angry. The difference
was not The same existed between what was true
what alse, but WAS rather the dIstincjon be-
different degrees of truth. The highor degree
OF truth appeared TO be TO the lower For
instance, IL was true 10 The eye that tho acts
In the evening anu that It did not shine AT night
The senses were designed 70 apprehend
the higher truths OF SCIENCE but the appearances
were as true to them as the actual forms
IN tho iuna a iriu crlNs
to the Interpretation oil the Word It was manifest
what good could be obtained from H. The changes IN
mood and disposition attributed " the Lord true
as they appeared and they affected but the
absolute truth that the Lord did not change, but
mon Ueng evil felt that he full Of hate and anger.
Umniprcsent, He was represented as coming and ong
omniscien He made INQUIRIES; imnutaolc, He was de-
scribed frequently changing; endowed with INFINITE
wisdom, He was represented as disappointed In HIS
plans and repenting OF tnem. But It should be borne
In mind that these changes In ourselves To take
a material example, sad the preacher When the eye
was sound the light was pleasant It, but when
diseased then the light became torment and rc to IT,
But there change IN the light; the change was
In the eye.
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE REV. DIR. ARMITAGE ON RATIONAL IDEl
OF HEAVEN.
Man naturally desires to know something OF the fu
ture wo:ld said DIR. Armitagc In beginning his sermon
yesterday morning Much inquiry is excited IN tho
Christian mind with reference TO heaven Is II state
or place? Shall enter heaven Immediately aeI
death? Shall we recognize our friends In heaven
Memory is perfect knowledge; therefore VIC must rec
olcct earthly condition Shall we all attain 10 the
measure OF Joy and glory in heaven or shall We
be psrtakers Of different degrees OF glory? This Is the
theme OF the text Consider II. That there will be
different degrees in glory gather from Mark X, 35-
49, and other similar texts Now let US weigh few
OF the principles upon which this graduation IN glory
Is based and then few OF the lessons
which II teaches. THIS ooctrine stands upon the
sovereign love and wisdom OF God IL Is uIiicalt
10 comprehend these except as we SEQ them man l.
tested. But even on earth we discover the wisdom
God. hut even earth we discover God in
The measure OF intellectual and moral d,stIncti ION
which OBTAINS among his SAINTS. They honor Nc
them will | honor Is one oil the principles OF Gods
administration earth All the glorincd will be en-.
dowed with capacities for enjoying and glorifyi my
God. All these capacities ior happiness will be luy
satisfied. They shall be like the stars IN heaven
| Each star sheds forth all tho glory Of wnicn its
nature Is susceptible They are all Celestial In
their origin, anj nature and glory characterize them
all; so that none Of them complain. Neither tho
saints OF God complain more thnn His stars But, az
one star dilerch from another IN glory the capacl
ties OF the goried IN heaven for the different degrees
in glory will vary keeping with their earthly attain
mens grace. Mans social nature 10 " w retainss