The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-09-20
For the New Era.
MORAL EFFECTS OF SCIENTIFIC
KNOWI.EDGE


site. than the contrast of the moral character of
the nan ct cultivated mind, who '.louKs through
Nature. up TO Natures God" and that of him
upon whom the light of Science never beamed
The one finds himself placed upon the earth he
knows not huw, or why. ignorant of his own ori
gin, he observes within himself, and in passing
events around, what he considers evident NANTES
tations ol the power and operations of some super
human agency. Seeing that the impress of
change is stamped upon the face of all things, the
mental darkness in hich he is enveoped. induces
urmr-strcken NC dread of the Being or Beings
by whom he imagnes all transpirlug events to be
dispensed, and that too. with direct view, in
each individual example. tn the punishment of or.
r"rs, either Intentionally committed or otherwise,
or with macioh- de>r. of turmenting for mere
grai'hcation, the inhabitants of earth. To ap.
peaSe their ,crath, has human blood most freely
lowed, and many sacrtcial altar Smoked
AS is natural for the human mind in such cir
cuinstances, he imagines that the mure severe the
penance performed, the dearer To himself the of.
lerlng he presents, The greater avur he will there
! by secure. Hence ties of friendship no cum
neXnns ut relationship have been found too strong
to be severed by This all conquering fear of imagi
nary DeIiies in fend like furn And what have
been the effects of this upon the character of the
man why. as might he supposed. he par,akes
at the characteristics of the Deiiies he wnrships
He becomes dislruslful, muruse, and rplpntlessly
cruel His own qualification, so far as his fellow
men are concerned, is his rule of acinn.
How widely different from this is the character
of HIM who Judges of the attributes of Deity from
all his works. Here he fluids most indubitable
evidence of the unbounded wisdom and beneficence
at Him. whose iIlimi,able munfccnce has confer
red the buun of existence, not only upon the incon-
celvahe multitude of individual beings. that since
time hogan. have upon this earth spnIted IN the
gay sunshine ri life, but WIN, upon the strict and
rigid construction and application of the principles
ut analnglcal reasoning cannut but he supposed in
| he manner, 10 have bestowed similar blessings
upon the planetary world. He considers himself
subject not Ia Being acting from impulse. but To
One whuse operations are directed by certain fixed
laws as immutahle as Himself These laws he
invariably finds, np'n investigation. To he directed
| To one great end, which is the enjoyment of all
animated beings. From the smallest insect the
microscope discovers tn him. Ia the opposite limi,
! in The scale of being, the mus, profound research
discovers not one part "r appendage in the natural
| krn Of single creature, The design of which is
any other than the securing TO the posSessor The
greatest am0un, of happiness. And il is worthy
of remark. that every means necessary to cuntinu.
ed animation. is productive of pleasure. not of
pain. The food upon which each species is natu-
rally inclined to suhsst, Is in every respect adap
ted to the support of animal lite. Not only so,
hut the organs, by the operation of which. this OBJ
jecl is attained are in every instance best fitted
fT procuring this food and for the peculiar course
of life, which instinct bids the creature follow
Farther, in the case Of human kind, it is evident
the senses designed To convey qualification To
the mind. The organ of sight, and that of hear
ing, we'll as all others tend TO this point The
m,lerial world around is p'rftcly adapted, to ST.
cure the same in very high degree. Add to
these, the atmosphere. the medium by which we
are surrounded, is of precisely the kind necessary
10 the attainment Of the same end, and we have
chain uf evidence concerning the cha racier of the
Great Designer, which skepticsm itself can nei-
ther break or weaken.
Here, is opened a wide and extended field in
which The moral feelings are cultivated. Study
only presents 10 The mind at each successive step.
such evident manifestations of benevolence ON the
part of the Creator. as naturally TO induce cores
poning sentiments of phIlanthrnphy. IN the bosom
Of him WIN looks that he may learn. Conside ri nor
ii incumbent upon himself To act upon similar prin
cipIes within his own appropriate sphere. he be
cones the centre of comparatively happy circle ::
while his mind, radiant with trilh. eleyates tbuse
around, in the scale of created intpllIpences
From the same source the profound scholar learns
a most important lesson of humility. Insirni6
cant indeed, to him appear the petty scramblings
for momentary distinction among the inhabitants of
earth, when he contrasts their nothinyness with
the vaslness nf the universe which lies outslretcb
ed before him.
Whenever beginning to he elated with his own
Importance, he finds an immediate remedy for all
his pride, by rrArcling for a moment upon the sum
total Of the influence he exers upon the deslinies
/ o. the myriad systems Of worlds extending nm
/ numbered millions Of miles through the reoiuns uC
spare IT cannot fal Of It's effect if he attempt 10
Judge of the Consequences that would result ia the
/ Nhoe, were he. with all his imagined greatness