Litchfield enquirer., 1846-07-16
SPECIAL PRovlDENCES. sersus TIE
LAWS o.. NATURE.

LAWS o. NATURE.
A large. proposition OF cummnnity ascr'ee
many events at the present day directly I" the
hand Of God, in preference to accounting ior
them by the laws nf nature, as might easily be
done. Though this applies more PARTICULAR!
to tie better portion vt society. to wit: the
moral and religious, yet it is relic trans
mit,ed TO US Of the superstition Of the dark ages,
which time has not yet ersdcsted.
On all funeral occasions we hear remarks
like the following: "ThIs is the Lords d"ings.
He has afflicted You for your good. Whom the
Lord lOveth he chasteneth. We must submit
to the divine chastisement with becoming hu-
mility." On the succeeding Sabbath it is att
nounced from the pulpit, that God having
removed by DEATH" &C.
would inquire Of those who think these
views correct, can man shorten his life ty
cutting his threat, by incompetence in ealing
or drinking, BY taking too mnch or too litr
exercise, by blowing out his brains with pis-
toll, or in any other way' If so. are deaths of
this description providentisl? Are they the
Lords doings'" In other words does the
Lard kill man who cuts his throat, or docs
he kill himself? Suicide is generally supposed
to be sin-but if it be the g Lords dolngs"
man is not accountable, neither is he if the
Lord compels or Influences him TO commit the
act: for 1" who can stand against the Lord ?"-
He is no longer free agent. ard is as guiItless
as the knife he applies to his throat
Though remarks similar to those above quo
ted are made at every funeral ceremony, ana
none dissent from the doctrines advanced, yet
some will claim that they do not think all
are" Of such would enqnre their authority
for saying one is more so than another. and fit
be, how do you know that You make the prop
er distinction? To say that death is prodn-
ced by the svisitation Of Cod" is grace
charge to bring against the Almighty, and il
called upon for proof, you might find it diff
cult one to substantiate. Is it certain that be-
cause death occurs, Of which you are not &C
quainted with the natural cause, that no such
cause exists? May it not possibly be your ig.
norance of the laws of nature. and OF Phvsolo-
gy in particular, that leads you to this conclu-
sion Insanity was once thought to have pr-
glnated with the Dew, Luther ascrbed thnn-
der to the same source. Eclipses also were
forlnerly supposed to have been produced by
supernatural agency. Though science and
common sense have dispelled these errors, vet
Others nearly as absurd still remain, of which
this belief in special providances is not among
the least Is it probab!, that the unchangea-
bic God would establish laws for the governing
OF the universe, ard then repeatedly violate
those laws, as these providences would indi-
cate? 1t is preposterous! We all feel, all
know, and at times all say, that sickness and
death are produced by natural causes We say
that children will kill themselves by eating un-
ripe fruit. and that we think the life ola friend
might have been saved had different course OF
Treatment been pursued, or a certain physician
been employed. Still those same individuals
will lislen to a sermon on providences, and
give their silent assent to every part , though in
direct contradiction of what they know 10 be
the truth.
In conclusion, let nc remind those who be-
Iieve sickness and death 10 be provldcntial that
all efforts to save life must be utterly futile
the height Of folly Medicine and ply sicians
are wholly useless and besides it must be tx
trcrnely sinful thus to endvavor to thwart the
divine will! "Consider the error of your
ways" YERIrAs.