The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-16


Of mans condition. II SO, how do you ac-
count for the introduction of the word elm
mortality" A. That word has not escaped
my attention; its etymology shows that it
means both life and death.
Q. What do you understand by the word
"Godr" A. The ever living, not subject to
death.
Q. Have you believed in the evidence
of such a being as one ever living? A. At
times have at other times not early drew
lines; on the one side was the movable, on
the other the unknowable.
Q. How early? A. Before 1 was twenty;
and then l made up my mind that could
believe nothing that l could not demon
strate.
Q. What do you understand by religion?
! A. The acceptance of God as the author of
all things His worship as a being infinitely
good; the acceptance of what is called Chris
tianity.
Q. Do you believe in that? A. don't say
that.
Q. What is your faithP A. 1 never had
any hobby about faith; 1 make distinction
between faith and knowledge.
q, Does your idea comprehend the exist
ence of a God who made the world? A. Yes,
as mystery.
Q. Do you accept as fact or on faith that
God is revealed in nature? A. do not, as q
fact is only possible by faith.
Q. What then, is the foundation of your
faith in the possibility of q God D.? A. Reve-
lation-what is called the Bible.
Q. Do you believe the Bible to be q revela-
ton? A. At times l have; at others not.
Q. Do you hold yourself responsible to
! future in your conduct A. At times do:
at others not.
O. What is the foundation of morality in
this world, and its necessities apart from re-
hgion ? A. The rights and interests between
individuals.
O. Is there any authority beyond the nature
and necessity of things for code of morality?
| A. This implies a matter of belief aud there
would be no merit in faith if it was founded
in knowledge, as knowledge excludes the idea
of faith.
Q. What, in your view, is faith? A. 1t is
a condition of mind.
Q. Do the Scriptures rest upon facts, or
upon facts and faith? A. To attempt to
prove the Scriptures by facts in nature would
be illogical
Q. How, then, can belief in Scripture be
reached? A. Only by faith.
q. Can the facts we see ia nature be proved
to exist? A. They cannot.
O.. Can you account for mans being
brought into existence? A.. No; it is beyond
thought; we can neither conceive how man
could be created, or how he could remain
uncreated.
O. Do you place this all beyond the bound
ary of the movable? A. do. The origin
OF man is no more to be known than the ori-
gin of the materiality of this pen. Forms of
matter constantly change; matter never
| changes
Q. Is there anything from which we can
argue the existence of the world or of matter?
A. There is not; it is only speculative.
q. What is 1t in man that leads him to con-
template things outside of himself, and the
necessities of his present existence? A.
have thought of that but it is beyond the
scope of mans knowledge
Q. Is the contemplation of God beyond the
scope of man? A. No, for there are men who
lead religious lives and spend their time in
contemplating God.
Q. Have their studies, their contemplation
and their lives realized anything toward their
knowledge of God as a creator and governor
of the world? A. No, for they all have diff
ferent idea of Him.
Q. Have you ever attempted in your own
mind to represent what you would call God or
the author of nature? A. l should think 1
was making an idiot of myself to try to repre-
sent God, either internally or externally
Q. Have you ever, in idea, contemplated
the probability of a being who now rules the
| world? A. No.
@. Do you believe that such being exists
| A. l don't know. l assent to nothing but
what is reducible to mathematical precision.
l must prove it to my senses. I cannot ac-
cept anything not cognizable by the senses.
Q. Have you never gone beyond the range
OF the senses in your Investigations in the
way of speculation and theory? A. / have
and have also read works on the subject,
especially German metaphysics.
Q. In what view have you studied them,
and have they thrown any light upon Spirit
ual creator or governor of the world? A. No;
they have only tended to perplsx my mind I
| They did arouse me to thought, and 1 read
them for this, in the hope that from the knowl-
edge should thus obtain, might attain re-
lief.
Q. To what particular works do you refer
A. To Kaut and Comte especially, although
read other writers.
Q. Did you accept their philosophy as con-
elusive? A. l did. am aware that man
who arrives at their conclusions may be as
sumed to be an infdel by some people. I do
not admit this.
Q. Did any of these philosophers give you
any data by which you could better account
| for Nature as existent than through the works
of Creator? A. Certain things are within
the sphere of my mind; others beyond. 1
cannot take up the smallest insect, examine
it under the microscope, and view its mysteri-
GUS structure, its beautiful adap alton of
parts, without acknowledging its mystery. 1
am not blind to all this | recognize this
wonderful world, and admire its beauties.
! Q. Can you any better understand how
| this insect can come into existence without
admitting a Creator? A. appreciate the
! drift OF the question, and might be misun-
derstood SHOULD answer it.
q. Are you spiritual being yourself-an
existence independent of your body-or is
what We call mind in you simply the result of