The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-14


Al the morning services yesterday Il ths
congrsganon Of the Second rfssbysssian
church in North Seattle. Rev. Benianin
Parsons gave IL 6rst q . ssriss Of ser.
mons - .simmcessiity." He took his ar.
gumsnt from nature ard reason. ths sexs
being. u man die. shall - live again p
Rev. Parsons opened his discourss b.
SAYING that the confdsncs With which
some ahts sxpoundsrs al ths Bshis aGlrm.
ana fhe equal con6denco with which
equally abe sxpoundsrs dsny, that Job IN
dsrstcod and believed tie doctrine Of The
rssuETection Of the dead. and coupled with
Of the immortality Of Tie soul,
should compel hIs hearers 70 agitats
and answer, each for himseaf, he profound
question - asked-ss Z man die. shall he
i've aeainf" Whatsvsr vss The
view a JOh and thu patziarchs, said the
speakg. and csstainly Il would be pre-
sumpt1oa for him 70 b ovsrpositivs By
snpposing and thsn stating their visw-yst
people nov hsys advantages dsnied 10 them
for the solution OF the great problem.
Christ bas shed great light upon many
Questions thst had up 70 His day been
involved IN obscurity. That before His
coming The question Il mans future beyond
the grave Vas IN open one Is evident from
St Paul's declaration 70 Timothy that
"ChSist abolished death aud brought life
and Immortality through the gospel All
heathsu thinkers and writer's we're altc-
gethsr uncertain, and the obscurity of the
Old Testamsnt wss also very marked re-
spscttng mans future state. II he lives
again. ne when. how and whore exceeded
the knowisdes Of the ancisnts.
Let me suggest" said the speaker.
that II II far easier 70 receive and adopt
any doctrine coming to US BY tradition
and in order the grounds Of ones convic-
ton Of fts truth. The annihilationist
argues that Ill classes OF animals die; their
bodies turn to dust and 60 far - appears
70 The contrary. death 10 10 them IN
absolute anslity. Bus man 10 m animal
and Ike IN animal dies and turns 70 dust:
and - far - appears to the contrary his
dsash cleo totally terminates his career.
Eternity isi nothing moro TO him than an
everlasting sleep. or rather non-sxistance.
He once vas not; then was. and
now u not and never shall be.
Such doctxine suits nobody bat The per-
son whose character compass him 70 choose
humiliation In prsfssencs 10 bslief in =
divine judgment followed by retributiou.
Believing list vhatsssr h. hes In common
with animals, pet u man much more than
. mere adimal. ~ leave he annihilationist
behind NJ 70 proceed 10 study man him.
ell. then Tia universe that has been fitted
up to b IN arena or thsatsr for the exsr-
ciss Of his powers, and then The book Of
divine revelation"
The preacher then spoke Of the wonders
Of mans nature. character and career
The thinking principle In him is that which
gives him dominion ever this world and
which h essentially immortal II aught Be
immortal. His physical frame can b
snaiy ssd: but this u The msrs scadoid Of
The rel baildine. The powers and facul-
ties. mental and moral. which man pos
sssss are such that Il In the sxsrciss Of
than they ars limited to his short and un-
certain life on earth and In time. then the
wisdom and even the benevolence Of
God might b called into question for Civ
ing him such Grand and noble endowments
as matsrialists claim. the human soul II not
spirit at al. but only the product Of ma
terial substances. then il cannot be inn
utoft81s ~ - only part huu Parcca Oh the
body. and perishes with it But IL on the
other hand the soul Is . distinct social
spiritual existence, independent of organ
ixatiou undsr the dominion OF spiritual
laws. and belonging TO . higher sphere
than the material body. then. at death. il
retains its own integrity, unframed and in
destructihle.
The unequal distribution Of rewards and
punishment in the present state seems to
foreioken for man another state of exist
ence wherein impartial justice shall have
full sway.
Add 10 ali these considerations the scien-
tific doctrine that. amid the changes of
form that all earthly things may undergo,
nothing is absolutely lost, and that. there
fore, the mind or soul, though il may
change the form of its habitation, yet IL
never ceases to exist
But this line Of argument after Ill only
defines . stepping stone up towards the
broad and solid platform OF revelation. on
which the doctrine Of immortality rests.
This higher source Of light on this subject
- N All rpf~r IN mart Sa hhath