Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-06-02

Rev. j. II. Parmelee speaks of the
Difference between Swedenb0rg-
inna Auxll AnfriIuaIisdu

At the New Jerusalem Church Sun
day morning Rev. j. B. parmelee preached
from the parable of the rich man and
Lazarus in Hades. The former he con-
sidered not as one rich in worldly possess
sions, but as one who had lived lif OF
selfish enjoyment, and had, therefore,
entered the spiritual world without any
capital of good, while Lazarus, whose life
in this world was constant struggle
with the evils, typified by sores and
poverty, had accumulated a capital OF
good that fitted him for q life OF spiritual
enjoyment hereafter.
The speaker opened his sermon by
assuring his congregation that there is
not the slightest similarity between
Swedenborgianism and Spiritualism.
They have nothing in common.
Swedenborgians reverence the Bible.
They, with other Christian churches,
accept the epistles of Paul and the other
apostles as given by inspiration; but,
infinitely above and beyond this, they
accept the books of the prophets, the
gospels and the Apocalypse as the direct
word of God, in which human agency
had no more part than the pen OF the
author has in the writings of that author.
The prophets We're only the instruments
through which God spake to men; they
were most probably no better, in them
selves, than many men of the present
day. Indeed, some of them, Balaam for
one do not appear to have been good men
at all. David was at one period OF his
life very bad man, and he did not 60
to heaven for hundreds of years after his
death. Peter says, 800 years afterwards,
"David is not assembled to the heavens. f."
Spiritualists, on the other hand, do not
accept the Scriptures but accord prefer
enee to the teachings of those spirits to
whom they give themselves up.
They regard the prophets as mediums
and accept modern communications At
more authoritative because more recent.
These communications emauate from
those on the borders of the spiritual
world, who would return to this life ii
they could and who earnestly desire to
bring as many of the human race as they
can into their societies. They are lying
and hypocritcal spirits, who deny the
inspiration of the Scriptures, the divinity
of Christ and seek to subvert all good and
truth to their own selfish purpose. Spirit
ualism is hurtful we detest it.
When God has anything to communi-
cate to man he does not transmit it by
such spirits as are called up around
tables in darkened rooms. He calls his
messengers He does not wait for them to
call Him. As the angel Gabriel said t.
Ezekiel 1.-THE commandment went forth,
and came.'
Mr.. Parmelee then proceeded to say
that the real man does not die, but lives
on after the death of the body, first in the
intermediate world, the Hades of the New
Testament, and, after he has there been
Invested of all that belongs to his earthly
life, he goes to the heaven or hell tol
| which he has fitted himself by his life il
| this world.
He spoke Of the three heavens, inter
entially mentioned by Paul, who spok,
of being Caught up to the third heaven,
the celestial, spiritual and natura
| heavens, all the inhabitants Of which
| We're originally men on this or some othel
earth. The most ancient men OF tli,
earth went to the highest or celestia
heaven But, after the flood, which h,
described rs a spiritual and not u natura
Hood, this heaven was closed to the in
| habitants of this earth. because celestia
good had disappeared from among them
After the time of Heber spiritual goot
disappeared from this earth and tn
| second or spiritual heaven was closed Il
its people. From the days Of Heller t.
the crucitixion, the good remained in tn
intermediate world. During the cruel
dXion, Christ went tlither and "preachc,
to the spirits in prison" and those tina
received the spiritual truth which the,
had no opportunity to receive under tn
Jewish dispensation wsre admitted int
the first or natural heaven. This wa
then closed, to the people of this earth
and a second natural heaven, known a
the Christian heaven, opened.
In 1851, the year Of Christ's secon,
coming in the unfolding of the spiritua
meaning OF the Word, all the heaven
We're reopened to the human race an,
meu are now privileged to fit themselves
by life of good in this world, for even
the highest celestial heaven.