Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-14

Respectfully yours,
ROBT. II. WARDLAW,
r. A. FAIR,
THOS. THOMSON,
REV. E. A. BOLLES.
ABDEvILLE G. H.,
July 20, 1868.
MEssRs. RoBT. II. WARDLAw AND
OTHERS Gentlemen I'm Difference to
your wishes, and With the hope that
tho Address may accomplish some
good, herewith transmit a copy for
publication.
Respectfully yours,
w. A: LEE.
My FRIENDS OF THE BIBLE SoC1E-
II, AND RESPECTED AUDITORY 1T is
with feelings of profound diGiiencc
that approach tho discussion of a
subject appropriate to this occasion.
They who are accustomed to minister
ut the altar, may approach with bold.
moss, Dut stranger,
~ pause, and enter awed, the temple of my
theme"
Briefly propose to consider some of
evidences which Natural Theology
offers of tho boing and attributes of
God, next the con nection between Nat.
ural and Revealed Religion, and last:
~ tho most striking proofs and dis
tinguishlng characteristics OF Revela-
lion.
~ had rather believo," says Lord
Bacon, call tho fables in the legend,
tho Talmud and the AIcoran than
that this universal franc WAS without
mind; hence God ncver wrought
miracle to convince Atheism, because
his ordinary works convince it,"
Who that surveys the starry heavens
above us; who that looks npon the
broad earth beneath us; who tha.
regards the myriad forms of existonce
that surround US; who that feels the
pu!sations of the physical and intellect
nal life within US; who that is conscious
of the moral law, that regulates every
heart; who standing in this temple
of universal nature, SO replete with
evidences OF tho being and attributes
OF God, himself the highest nantes.
tation, and the most convincing proof
OF The Divine power, and wisdom and
goodness, can be guilty of the anna
zing blindness, the supreme folly of
unbelief; can refuse his tribute of
faith to the great Creator, who set
his consultations in the sky,
~Andthe we'll balanced earth on hinges hung,
And cast the dark foundations Deep,
And bid the welteriug waves their oozy chan
mel keep"
But great as is the folly of the
atheist, he.stlll stops far short of the
tremendous presumption of anti
theism. He does not positively affirm
that God is not, but asserts merely
thatthere is no adequate proof of bis
existence. Any other position would
be IN the highest degree absurd 1,
would be to assume the attributes o.
tho Deity himself;-the very omni-
cienco and omnipresence of the God
head. To be able to say that there is
a God, we haze only to examine .tht
proofs Of his presence and power ir
some definite territory of his wide
dominions, but to be able to affirm tina
there is no God, We must have ransack
ed tho countless ages. of eternity
sve must have traversed the wide
fields Of universal existence; W,
must have sounded the depths of al
knowledge, and comprehended tn
inGnite ITSELF In other words, unless
tho anti-tbeist would preclude anotb
or Deity, by being one himself, he can
not know that the being whose exis.
tence he denies, does not exist.
But whilst he is guilty Of the ab
L: surdity Of arrogating to. himself, th
nbiquity and omn:science Of the. God
head, the atheist in bis blindness an
insensibility. TO the proofs of the .Di
vine existenee, sinks beneath the Ieve
of our eoramon nature. These proof
are 80 many, 30 various aud SO over
wKelming, that veknow Of no truth
,sShich are better established, or NOR
universally capeeded, than the ybein
and attribusssof God They. .sFes 8
ReAepss o. 10 nderstood by th
@AaseaualestesedJ .st the same tim,
Ahs they derive additional illustra
ton and fresh confirmation from tt
researches of-seienoe. Theinstinctiv
feeling and, ,intuitive, perception, thu