New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-17

unnportant adyerb merry. INC Dio.o AZ "
asserts that the Fixed stars were created mercy
TO give light upon the earth. II cannot even be
,oa3a opt sv sny fair Interpretation, that they are
said TO be created for giving light upon the earth
ar all The passage in Genesis that might be re-
ferred to- states that the sun and moon were made
for that purpose, and in connection with this, we
we are told, in what mas clearly the aspect of q
parenthetcal clause that he made The stars also.
But irres pectve of this is the Doctor with all his
large professions 10 science utterly Ignorant OF
that higher philosophy which reaches that the
whole is made for the parts as we'll az the parts
for the whole-and that no portion of the Uni
| verse, or OF any work which has stamped Spon it
tina, unity of purpose, which results from It's be-
| ing the production of mind, can be viewed as
having nocoanecion with ordependence upon every
other portion This night seem TOO meta physical,
or too much of an q PRIOR view to come under
his narrow definition of science; yet still we may
| believe on higher evidence than any thing con-
tanned in geology or astronomy, that the remotest
stars that twinkle in the armament were made for
the souls of men, also that the relations of our
| own insignificant planet extend far beyond the
| range of its domestic utilities. 1t is no where
said that they created for no other purpose.
On the authority of the original text, az we'll as
the translation, we leave out the adverb, and the
whole argument falls to the ground.
We charge this lecture with infdelity in the old
and established sense of the term. We care no.
thing about the Doctors affected respect for rev
ela,ion, and bis bland assu pton that twas not
| given to teach US any truth of science We
shall not dwell upon the narrow meaning ne as
| signs to this term. He may, if he chooses, in
| his definition of science include cspetology and
exclsde theology. He may, if he pleases, give
the lowest facts of natural history precedence to
those sublime truths which relate to the fall and
l restoration of man, the sanctions of the Divine
law, and the awful scheme of redemption. These
(if ne chooses to have it SOY may have no part in
| mis- idea of science. Other minds think different
| y, and regard all other knowledge as utterly
worthless, unless illumined by rays reflected from
these sublime objects of the souls contemplation
There those who feel that the Scriptures pro-
pound truths Of science, higher than any ever dis
covered by geology astronomy, when it declares
that in THY LIGHT shall we see LIGHT-that the
| things which are seen are temporal but the things
which are unseen eternal"
Waving all this, let US examine the conclusion
which follows directly from the Doctors premi-
ses. Our philosophy is of that barren sort,
which has to do with facts alone, irrespective of
consequences. The Mosaic account is contrary to
the facts of geology. Therefore the Mosaic &C
count is not true,-No empty pratte about the BIZ
Die having been given to teach US morality in
stead of science, can avoid this conclusion. We
proceed step farther. The Mosaic account, not
being true, could not therefore have been given
by inspiration. This first and Fundamental re-
cord being convicted OF falsehood, we have no ev-
dence Of the truth of any subsequent supernatural
fact contained in the same history. We have
therefore no evidence of the hood-of the pas
sage of the Red Sea-ofthe awful transactions on
Mount Sinai, All these events appealed to by
subsequent historians and prophets. Being utter
ly without evidence, and some of them proved to
be false, we have therefore no evidence that those
who refer TO them were inspired by the Holy
Ghost, or rather we have evidence to the contrary.
Jesus Ch,i.t appeals to the Old Testament proph-
cts, and especially Moses, as inspired authorities,
and as prophetically testifyng of him. But Mo-
ses, so far from being inspired relates actual false
hoods Christ therefore refers to erring authority
His own claim to inspiration Go say nothing of
any thing higher,) falls of course and now where
are we? Alas, we are enveoped in darkness
visible in which ray from chemistry or geolo-
gy can guide way. The gloom is thickening
around us. We cannot return to the light of ma
ture. By the aid oftho decaying embers of Prm-
tive Revelation, it snce shed feeble and gim-
mcring light until Shiloh came;" but it can
longer serve now. Its day has gone by. Man.
in these latter times of the world, must have Rev
citation or Atheis n-the Bible or nothing. Where
now is the Immortality of the soul 2
Our lecturer, Gy way of some atonomcnt for his
of the Bible, dwells upon this as its
great and only doctrine, a doctrine TOO which, he
says, cannot be proved without it. We say moth
ing here of the cool simplicity with which he as
sumes that this is the great and only purpose OF
revelation, but we would ask, on his own hypothe-
sis, what becomes OF the doctrine when the Book
that reveals it,, and on which Gas he says) it alone
depends, has stamped upon its very frontispiece
the brand of talseheod. invalidating its claim to
authority throughout in consequence of the indis-
soluble connection and dependence of its parts?
The Immortality of the Soul, then, is gone with
the authority of Revelation. And what now is
left? The belief in God What God? The
God of Spinoza-or the Sentimentulist's Spirit OF
Nature--or the Naturalist's Dynamic Energy--or
the Transcendentaists First Truth? But what
is he 10 US or we 10 him7 Beings of an hour,
what, have we TO do with God what have we
TO do with any thing? wha, interest any longer in
Geology or Astronomy, or Chemistry? Atheism,
then mast follow the loss of the belief of the souls
immortality. Better TO have it so--better 10 be-
!ieve in no God, than in who cares not for
lls,-who has shed no ray of supernatural light
upon our dark path-who has given US the fleet
.ng existence of moment, only TO sink into the
nothingness of IN eternity. Better to believe that
we are borne on and crushed down by the wheels
of blind and relentless Nature. Better, in such
case, to say al once
cont, out brief candle -
suicide becomes the highest act of virtue. But
Why talk of virtue? Moral distinctions are gone.
Nothing is eternal but Matter and its uis movens.
Right and Wrong no longer exist. Whatsoever
things are pure whatsoever things lovely, all,
ali are gone. Truth longer possesse. an in
far, b., 49,