The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-29

Hence we may Justly conclude that the Hon. MT.
did 1 not either directly 81 indirectly favor lathe
ism, sin or crime" ..Presbyterian" tells us that
GUS In Its logical consequences" For the sake OF
argument we win say let IL appear 90: On page ten
sembly we read the following question and an
swer-
Q. what are the decrees Of oods A. The DEGREES Of
Of Ills win. whereby for ills own glory he hath fore
Here 1t Is very plain that whatsoever comes to
pass is foreordained BY God II Is decreed, and de-
s5ss Ur hs Sy Nov may w e pass
der, or should thrust Ills New Testament down the
throat o. my child Or that o. Jew and II should
dained "fresby would be but the tool or the
manner be held responsible for the act or the
execution OF the eternal and fatal decree. Hence
irresponsibty sheer fatality; since atheism Is
irresponsibitty, and since Presbyterianism 10
be- are anna 20
third are equal TO each other. And all the woes,
and all the SINS and al the basphemies which our
logical consequences Of Presbytcrianism.
your Valuable time and space but there are lew
questions for which ask solutions and In which
dificulty which has now become widespread and
dangerous. Ftrst-D0es there exist IN Infinite
Being distinct from the universe to whom we are
atlon than that chat expressed S in the natural
order, or In other words, has he supernat-
urally revealed Thirds the Bible OF the Rev Mr.
McAilister and OF APresbyteran'' an authentic
the Zcndavesta or the works OF Emmanuel Sweden
bOrgs FOurth-We wish "Presbyterian" to show
Sw or can IsS tSe rrs
OF conscience. Filth-To show how or wherein the
civil authorities have the right to decide upon the
N a N n II
ural truths, to reject some and to adopt Others.
Sixth-To show how civil authority can force obe-
urallaw without union Of Church and State. When
presbyterian" has answered all these, there Is
which we viii cali the seventnEIf there shall be
recognition Of God and His Bible IN the c0nstitu-
ton u Is put fair to ask whether IN that G0a shan Dc
Shall lie be the God OF Isaac or the God Of shmael
Shall lie be the God Of Christ or the God Of Monam.
OF Z0roasterS Shall He be the God Of Luther OF
Calvin Shall lie be the God OF tho English Parlia-
ment or the Westminster Assembly, Shall He be
the ,God OF Thomas Jefferson or the Atheos OF
Payne Shall we recognize the Bible Of Joe smith
the Be q tSs Ss T. sns Be the BD
be the Bible OF Rome or the Bible OF London All
methinks hear "Presbyterian answer II shall be
the true God and the true Bible; 1t shall be the
| God and the Bible Of predestination OF foreor-
dination and faith; it shall be Presbyterian God
notwtnstandine: These questions, Mr.; Editor
| tell you beforehand, Will be evaded in "ProSby-
terans' reoinder should he favor US with nn any
| A Criticism on "Athe0sv-IIis Physical
Character.
| To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
In reading the reply Of "Atheos" to "McAllister''
in your Sunday issue OF the 18th inst it occurred
to that men differ in religious belief in exact
ratio to their physcal--take note, say physical
ability to receive It, in the several degrees Of ad
vanccment in which it Is prescribed by the differ
ent sects, denominations, crecds, &C., now strug
Cling for the universal dissemination on earth Of
the same great truth. We're 1t not for this differ
cnce Of physcal-not mental or spiritual-abilty to
receive. all men would centre upon one common
4 point Of belief and sectaran differences would
have no ground for existence.
Thus, we have in "Atheos" man who admits
| the absolute existence Of God, while in the weak
effort Of denying Him. when he speaks of that
"sect-in the article above referred to-which
shall teach the non-existence Of any other God
than nature and Its lawsr he actually believes in
God and declares God though he don't know it
himself, and Is much more profound perhaps in
his desire to believe Alright than many OF our pro-
fessed Christians. In fact, they are the same; in
degree only they differ
Now, ] propose taking this man on his own
ground and from his own objective point of view.
by the above quoted declaration he, In common
with all atheists, infides, &c. prOclaims himself
believer only in his physical or natural condition.
and therefore can only draw deductions, infer
ences and conclusions from the external state Of
| things which in tangible form surround him. This
is not fact Of the man. as searcher OF truth
ceive the truth when presented. This is, In fact
the frst or highest form OF animal perception
where the brute ends and the man divine begins
The brute takes cogniZance or things as
they are, man as they might be, which
difference marks the possession OF a higher order
nfr mi NnWn ruhf nh mot
only weighs causes and effects, but goes beyond.
away beyond, from effect to cause. The pet dog
the crumbs or delicate morsels as they fall Think
you that 1t ever occurred TO that dog that were
nS for the law law q ~ saS or
ing Up instead Of down. Or think You that
the lot Of any dog ever suggested to any
OF his race the existence Of said law,
as the falling apple did to Newton think not.
The dog accepts the crumbs as q matter OF course,
| as, indeed do many men, and, when hungry, he
feels very grateful, as also does man. The dog
man as naturally looks up TO God-that is, II he is
properly ana proporrtlonnateIy in advance Of the
far as he Is at present capable OF believing: but,
were he further advanced in the order OF creation,
evidence or his own natural senses, he would at
/ once understand that nature and its laws are the
selfevident results Of the existence of a God-but
not Cod
Just as a great invention is proof Of an intei-
gent inventor just SO Is the presence of nature
and its laws q proof OF God, and even as the
thing invented is not the inventor, nor part
proper OF him personally even so is not nature God,
| nor part absolute OF His personality.
But the subject is too extended for full discussion
| at this time yet IL ''Athe0s,n or any OF the many
1 who have been quoting from the Bible in the
HERALD OF late desire 60 look further into the sub
! ject 1t oan be shown even from their own stand
I point (materalism) that there is God without
/ referring TO the sacred Writ at all. j. SESE
Ministerial Movements and Changes.
BAPTIST.
The Examiner and Chronicle tBaptisD and the
Iateat1encer dsciormed, both OF this city, are at
loggerheads the question OF infant or adult bap-
tism and the relative merits Of sprinkling or i'm
merslon. In the FIRST, Fourth Sixth, Eleventh and
seventeenth wards Of Philadelphia the Baptists
have not single church, Sunday school or mission