The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-09-03
Che selarietta SouruTl,
Marietta, Georgia,
Friday Morning Sept. 3, 1860,
MATERIALIsM,

an article showing that the conception
of God is not universal-that there are
people living in tribes without such an
idea. European writer's of great emf
nence assert that we have no evidence
no facts upon which to found the con-
ception of God, and we have just re-
ceived a large and handsomely printed
paper from Chicago devoted to the Ere
ligion of ftctp which it thus distinguish
es from ordinary Theology. 1t is of the
school of PosIrvIsTs. 1t applies to
mental as to physical science the same
rigid rules and inductive nethod-noth-
ing admitted which does not rest upon
we'll established facts.
The devotec whose mind is panoplicd
in faith may avoid the arena of reason ;
but it is useless to suppose that the hui
man mind will not be more and more
accessible to and influenced by reason
as time advances. DR., PALEY forcsaw
this and gave us his admirable work on
Natural Theology; but even his admira--
bic reasoning is insufficient for the con
Aictnow being wagcd. Analogy is not
the source of argumcnt-it must be fact.
Very well let those who believe in an
over-ruling Providence meet the issue.
HUMBOLDT thought he could show
"way and how this world and the uni
verse itself is kosmos--a divine whole
of life and intellect namely, by its al
pcrvading LAWS. Law, he said, is the
supreme rule of the Universe, and that
law is wisdom, is intellect, is reason,
whether viewed in the formation Of
planetary systems, or in the organization
of the worm"
The matcrialiSt never reaches, and
yet, can revo4 nuoil. tho immaterial-
Observe: if it be CONCEDED that LAW is
the supreme rule of the Universe; that
il is wisdom, intellect, reason; then we
must conclude that it is God-that God
is law and law is God. The inference
is unavoidable that, if matter, by virtue
Of its laws, has not only developed rcas-
on, intellect; but actually possesses all
those attributes which we are capable Of
concoiving as belonging to Deity, then
we but find in Matter the Infinite Intel
ligence-the Power Wisdom, Goodness,
which we ascribe to the Creator. Is it
not more rational to hold that His IN
seen things from the creation of the
world, His eternal power and Godhead,
are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made )" that though we
may not understand all of the conditions
Of spiritual life, that God is a Spirit;
that mind may exist Independent of mat
ter; that though
"All are but parts of one stupendous whole
Whose body nature Is and God the Soul
Yet, that man, through whose organ
zation has been developed, "wisdom,
intellect, reason" has derived these at
tributes, not from matter, but from the
essence of the Great Spirits
"Law," says Justice BLACKSTONE,
Sin its most general aud. comprehcn-
tive sense, signifies rule Of action
md is applied Unfortunately to all
kinds of action, whether animate or in
rational or irrational. Thus
We say, the laws Of motion, of gravi.a-
ion, of optics, or mechanics, as well as
he laws Of nature or nations. "-"Thus,
when the Supreme Being formed the
Universe and created matter out of
nothing, he impressed certain princi-
oles upon that matter, from which it can
never depart, and without whichit would
cease to be. When he put that matter
nto motion, he established certain lawS
# motion, to which all mo yeable bodies
must conform. If we further advance
rom mere inactive matter to vegetable
ind animal life, we shall find them still
governed by laws; more numerous, in
Iced, but equally fixed and invariable.
The whole progress of plants, from the
eed to the root, and froy-ssins1ce to t.
iced again-the geThod Of animal p...l
ion, digestion, sscretion, and
of vital oconomy-afs hot lsE1'
o chance, or the wW oEthe .e,eoizfe. a, /
eff but are performed IA ..wonar5as
manner, and guides BY uni
,rring rules laid tcw4s-asss'--riargsagsteai cres
tor"
1t is no longer questionable that all !
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