The New York herald., 1873-12-15
COLLEGIATE REFORMED CHURCH.

The Witness of URbciicG-The Thcoiogf-
cal Theories OF Hurley, Spencer, Dar-
win and Mil Combatted-sermon by
the Rev. DIR. j. w. Manning.
In the beautiful church at the intersection OF
Fifth avenue ana Forty-eighth street the Rev. DR..
j. W. Manning, OF Boston, preached last evening,
and chose as his subject "1he witness or UnDe-
liei' He spoke OF the necessity OF keeping God in
sight in all our actions. lie said it was Just as
necessary we should remember the Cod above
during all the work ana pleasure OF our daily life
as during the actual time that we went on
Sunday for the express purpose or praying In
church. The man VINO let God pass out from
his inner consciousness was man who would 20
wrong. 1t might not be to-day, nor the next, but
1t would happen some time or other under the
accident or very extraordinary circumstances.
Some person becomes exposed to strong tempta-
tlon and, not having religion within lie yields.
We often wonder why men throw themselves
away as they do without apparently any sufficient
reason. 1t is because their conscience is not
properly balanced, and they so blind that they
do not know the difference between right and
wrong. Why does trustee spend the money
gwen into his carer Simply that these sums be-
come the
INSTRUMENTS or A coRgrPT WILL.
His conscience aud love OF justice we're overcome;
hls soul was al this time sinking deeper ana
deeper, and God was not near him. He had not
spiritual thought enough; II he had nc would have
resisted II God lad been at ats side In all this He
would have rescued him RON this sin. Tie con
duct OF this man Is an example Of what it is TO be
without God. lie would not have behaved
50 IL his nature had not departed The
corruption OF large bodies OF men-and
We see them every day--are examples
Of the want oi goodness. No matter what our
crimes our SINS and transgressi0ns, the source is
iu TINS one Is a thiei another defaulter another
a murderer. Each win snow 1t in his own way ana
according 10 that nature which Is his. what
makes one q murderer and the other defaulter,
and third dlsbelleyer II IL be not THIS Tne
man has no ear. Beng ABSORBED III the realms
sense, he refuses TO believe IN things TO winch
his soul rs dead | am aware that many scientists
will put this In the category OF natural re-
suits. But wltn this very scientist wcrId-
ness IL his SIN. The spiritual part OF him
IL dead to God. How contemptibie their dis
coyerics IN comparison with that infinite realm OF
which they have lost siahtl When | hear Mr..
Herbert Spencer say, "Uod is UNKNOWN only
feel q cam contempt. This man knows nothing.
Our belief - to him mystery. He thinks us de-
ludcd. so thinks the blind man when lie hears US
gladstone sight OF nature. All these men
spencer Huxley, Mr. Darwin, Mr.. MIL Mr.. Alex
andcr Payne-speak IN the same way. To them
man lS
MERE REASONING BRUTE,
ana they only say That thought is funtion of the
brain. All tnat we find In Shakespeare in saiah
IN John Milton, exists in the reptile winch we
..lusn beneath our heel. Sooner doubt the tcst-
unohy OF our senses than listen TO the prompiings
VI thcse ren We cOulo sooner doubt that the SKIES
cxisC ABOVE us than that there rs no God. Ine
eSes auu tnc ears Vi the sclcQlc man are closed.