Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-22


opinion than it seeks rebut Proane history records
and sacred prophecy predicts the progress Of
progress in knowledge and progress in virtue Never
was there shallower sentiment than that Of the poet
when he sings, 4
And reason raise o'e instinct as you can,
i In this tits God directs, in that 4is man !"
for is by the virtue of instinct that God has
lowed the animal world with power to be law unto
themselves But the human and finite reason moving
it does to some faint degree within the sphere of the
preme and universal reason is not left to be Law unto
itself but is subject to the moral government Of Him who
is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working" To
deny the doctrine Of human progress part of mans
nature whether considered with reference to the ndi
vdua or the entire race deny that which most
distinguishes him from the brutes which perish it is to
fasfy the record of history; and, what Sir
David Brewster would reco from doing, 1t to ignore
the voice Of prophetic revelation.
In the second place, Sir David attempts parry the
conclusion Of the essayist by denying that there is any
thing unique in mans nature and position as to
haust the creative power and skill Of 0mnscience and
Omnpotence He does not think it necessary that the
planets, if inhabited should be occupied by any thing
like men" But Sir David conceive Of any created
intelligence which is not like by either being
thing less than something greater. Must not all
rational intelligence be thing Of degrees rather than Of
intelligence, must always be comparatively identical All
abstract truths the necessary truths Of geometry, the IT.
reversible distinctions between right wrong between
good and evil, the primordia elements Of spiritual
being These incapable of change because they are
ntuions Of the sovereign and creative Mind itsef and
conceive Of other diversity in spiritual beings
than that which depends the relative degrees by which
they apprehend these anpesal truths the relative
grandeur these conditional truths that grow out of their
position and organism with reference to the wordin which
they live, move have their being together with the
relative completeness with which they apprehend these
conditional truths These we imagine the limits with
in which possible to graduate the varieties Of spiritual
being The question therefore recurs whether it ismore
philosophical people other worlds with spiritual beings
like man, adopt the alternative superstition that
man is in especial and eminent manner the object of
Gods care while his place in creation is to be ascertain
ed not by saying that he occupies among millions Of
similar domciles but by showing that he is the servant
subject and child of God in way unique and peculiar
If could bring to the calculation Of this question no
other analoges than those supplied by the science Of
astronomy the essayst thinks the whole question, as
above stated would be involved in doubt perhaps the
analoges Of nature might incline the INQUIRER to believe
that other planets were peopled with spiritual beings as
well the earth But from the evidences and analogies
Of astronomy he turns 10 those Of the science of geology
throw light upon the place Of the earth the scheme Of
creation and show whether is in its present condition.
thing unique, or only one among many like it.
We now approach the palmary argument Of the acute
and ingenious cssayist What does geology teach
corning the cosmogony Of the earth and mans historical
place in it If there BIO any truth in geology, there is
founded better evidence than that which teaches
the antiquity Of globe; and if any reliance is be
placed on the researches Of BIOLOGISTS we compelled
admit that earth has been inhabited by success
sve series Of creations in successive periods Of its his
toy nasmuch that the groups of strata which compose
its surface to certain DEPTH far explored may be
regarded the cemeteries Of extinct creation of ami
NAL and vegetable FORMS creatures which have lived
and died the existing upon the earth live
and dies and of which the living exstences may, and
corjDg oil appearances must have occupied ages and
series of ages have been occupied the
living generations Of tho earth Now the e1istence Of
man upon the earth, the birth Of intellectual moral
religious and spiritual intelligence being event of
order wholly different from any previous contempora
part of the earhs history the question occurs hoy
long has this state Of things endured How long has the
earth been the habtation of rational reflective, and
progressive race?
Geological evidence with reference to the date of mans
existence is wholly negative But if it ascertain
the period of his creation it show that according
all evidence and analogy the Of man is novelty
upon the earth and in this geology but speaks the Ian
guage Of history There is obscurity in the records Of
both of the stony science and Of historic tradition but
of the comparative regency of mans advent this stage
of being we entertain no doubt.
Here, them exclaims author brought to the
view which would to offer complete reply to the
difficulty which astronomical discoveries appeared to
place in the way of religion; for find that has
occupied but atom Of time he has occupied but
atom Of space When therefore, geology informs that
even on earth is but Of origin she has the
right to meet the analoges of the astronomer with
loges of her own Shall it be said that it is unworthy Of
the greatness and majesty Of God to bestow any peculiar
care on SO small part of His creation? But We know
from geology that He has bestowed upon this small part
of His creation, mankind such especial in making
ther period though only moment in the ages Of past
animal life the only period Of intelligence, morality and
religion Shall it be said that suppose the earth alone
to be occupied by intelligent inhabitants is to suppose all
the other globes of the universe to be wasted turned
no purpose But if this be waste we End the like waste
in the long periods of the earhs earlier occupation. Shall
it be said that it is contrary to the analogy Of creation
that such peculiar dignity and Importance should be given
to the earth when there myrads of globes similar
her like her revolving round the sun like her revolving
round their axes several Of them like her. accompanied
by Satellites and when besides there myriads Of
each perhaps like the sum- the centre Of many systems
Of planets But if this objection be Of any force would
equally avail to prove that because the earth in its pre-
sent condition is the seat of an intelligent population il