Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-01-20
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A sermon BY tho Rev II. ParmeIee,
Pastor of New Jerusalem Charch-
DIR. CaldweIEs Attack In Two Ser
mons.
Sunday evening Rev. ]. B. Psrmelee, at
New Jerusalem Church, preached sermon
touching the recent lecture delivered by
bob" Ingersoll In this city. He first
read portions Of the first aud second chap
ter Of Genesis, and explained apparent
Inconsistencies by the key furnished in
the faith of Swedenborg. As text for
bis sermon he selected the ninth verse of
the 145th Psalm: 1.-The Lord IL good to
all; His tender mereies are ever all His
works.
The common idea, he said, in opening
is that while God is good he is filled with
what we would call malevolence OF anger
That ID the argument used in nearly all
revival meetings, and which l unwittiigly
used for II years in my ministry. Il is
argued in pulpits in this city that you
must accept Jesus and you will be saved
in one night otherwise you may be suffer-
ing in hell before morning, As if God
would let man die who, il he had
lived, would eventually have been
happy in heaven. 1t is wrong: he could
not do that. His tender mercy ia over ali
his works. 1t is impossible for God 10
make men, without any sign or desire thst
he should do SO on their part, aud then de-
stroy or burn them forever. Such God
l would take delight in hating. God
knows what this end of mans life will be:
He cannot be surprised. He has not
created us for that. do not blame Mr.
Ingersoll for hating such God The
| preacher did not wish to be understood rs
saying anything against religion, but only
| against the dogmas which some Of the
| Christian churches o.day are preaehing
Some Centuries ago men arose and com
menced to doubt the dogmes of the then
dominant church-the Roman Catholic
Church: and began TO preach doctrines
opposed to the dogmss of that church.
Gallileo was made to curse the doctrine
that he had discovered that the earth
moved, on pain of SLOW torture by burning
to death. But it is said that after having
cursed it and thus avoided his
danger, he said, But the earth
does move" l. did, whether
he was made TO curse it Oh not, the fact
remained the game. Some people may
call G4llileo cowsrdiy, because he cursed q
truth for his lfs's sake, But the speaker
was not disposed to deuounce Gallleo on
that account, for men as q general thing
are not much inclined to become martyrs
and while Gallileo cursed his own doctrine
| il was only from the lips, not the heart
1t was not his act 1t Was that Of those
! who coCrced him
The church has been obliged to recede
| from it's positions repeatedly. II vas held
| years q. o that God some & 600 years ago
| created ths world out OF nothing, empii-
nes, that is not held so strongly now
Every man, woman and chlld ktows that
even GOD cannot create something ont Of
nothing. That is utter folly. He eau
create something from himself You csn
| go back a5 far AS the mind OF men Can
travel, and then you will tind an eternity
back of that. Il is utter folly for tIan 10
endeavor TO think how long tli- word va,
Ill forming. It's matter Of NO materitl
const quence 20 hun; it won't hurt bim
not to know it, 1t would o. satisfaction
to know and would hike to know, for IL
would enable rs to enjoy higher
knowledge
There ere evidence u..t 5lal hogan TO
he ~ villa animal. More than Ba nulul i
OF e1ucss, bsoauss b. was q man, aut
iiviag a. az animal Sciouo: has learn. q
US that, and hundred gears nef5rs
science found It out s. denbory told "
the same by revelation from the spirit
world, II couldn't be- otherwise. The
race of man had TO 60 throl b It's ini4ncy
The earth kept goine on to a higher state
of development aud animals which
lived upou it 10 its crudsr state
because extinct and fiaer grade ap-
peared, until finally tho earth became
prepared for it and the orier Of man
came. As the world progress i4ore and
higher orders of men We're developed,
until science nov tells Us there are eleven
distinct orders of men. Those vino arg IN
the highest grad, of excellence 10 Heaven
are those who came there froa the
infautile state Of the world. They are
celestials, aud have reached !. development,
which it will take us much time to acquire
il we ever reach their state
! There are souls in he'll who would moi
; change their place for that OF an arch.
angel, Just Is in this city there are meu
who would not change their place for thai
OF the present Christian, but VINO go on
making their own hell on earth God il
lovely. He will do all the good thar evel
: man VIII let him, He loves them. He love,
! Robert G. Iugersoll, md ii would not b,
l right in me to call him hi;Ant flGl
dare not do it. just 10 long MS We hear
innuendors on men W. have hgli In Uul
hearts. We mustn't do il.
Q Step by step the world and tine churcl
are coming ;Tst to that point about wAicl
r Swedenborg wrote 100 years before lui
time. We don't ask you 10 believe wuai
i. Swedenborg said he had received flop
= the spiritual world We ask you 70 loci
! at what he said and believe what is reason
c able. Some peopl tell US, you must hol,
: your reasoning powers in sub
' lection to faith. You can't d.
it; you may attempt 70 do $,
but you simply can't do it. The prophet
said they saw the spiritual world, and tn
: Christian Church believes them to-day
. When Ezekiel announced what he saw
= however, in that time the people said 'yol
a lie;" they did not beitve it aud they on
L him to death lst ~ they billed Other
who claimed similar things, So peop
o.day say Swed. nborg lied, and tl-y nl
: prosecuting tine lit'ie handful of IN
: New Church just as much q
}. hey feshionably can II va
S deny what SSrdenborg said of himself
/ Why not throw away thet '.hicu Ez lIo
n said of him 'elf, and what the de-epI
!, JOIN said he SAP in the Revelation
L What have you but these books ou aLle
e to roly2 You cant believe Sweden Gf
/ BECAUSE he lived too near MS; lbGt Is uI
= love these Christian people, bnt they ~
ID rejecting the second coming II Chrisf. ia.
as the jews did the first. They are arGo
flying tue Savlour eEaiD As far as il f.ehim,
n able. Some ~ yeurs aye d PIrshtteria
is couldn't preach sarI!0,i wgHuut e,tlci
It ing the Methodist, Gud the letlr could b
it preach without fr'rg into ite Pf,..u,
d terrain, or some nihrr denominations. bu