The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-18
Prof Proctor,s Idea.

In his last lecture in this country
Prof. Proctor gave his idea Of the at
tributes Of Deity deduced from astrouo
my.
1--WE come" he said, ITO the concep-
ton that there is in the universe, quite
apart from all ideas of God, infinite
power. We have been led then from
the thought Of innate occupied space
to the thought Of infinite time occu-
pied by events, and now to the thought
Of infinite power; and yet } all
these ideas are utterly beyond our
powers of conception. Why, then,
dismiss the idea OF a God merely be.
cause He is beyond our powers OF con-
ception2 The materialist is right
when he says this or that doctrine is
inconceivable, but he is wrong when he
says l will not admit it; the idea Of
space ia iuconceivable, that we must
admit; the idea of infinite power is
inconceivable; but, taking the view
that infinite space aud Infinite time
are brought to our knowledge, We must
admit the idea OF Infinite power.
why, then, stop short of the idea
of infinite wisdom and beneficence ssot
the design OF the Creator merely be
cause,t is uncomfortable to US? 1t seems
to me, then, We may fairly turn from
this 10 the consideration OF the posi-.
bic attributes OF Deity without being
disturbed by the thought
that the very notion OF the
Deity-of q being infinite in existence,
infinite in space, infinite in time, intin-
lite in power, is uncomfortable to us.
Why, these very attributes that are
ascribed to Deity are the things we
have been forced to zee. We began
with infnity OF space, and it is infnity
of space we attribute to the Almighty.
We are led from that to infnIty OF
time; thence to an infinity OF power !;
and it is by that we are led to the
mere physical consideration OF the
qualities OF the universe. Thus, then
naturally we may turn to the thought
OF possible qualities on the part OF the
Deity and in the way in which, IN
some sense, his authority may lie ex-
ercised over the dominions OF the uni
verse. Take, for instance, the senses
by which we become acquainted with
the nature OF the universe, AVID let US
remember how utterly i;eu!t those
senses are; on how narrow a basis We
form all our conceptions OF the universe.
There are five feeble senses on = one
Of those senses, the sense OF sight,
brings us to any knowledge OF outy-
.ng space; and that sense existing only
in two small pupils which are 10 tell
us OF the universe We may, indeed
extend the powers OF the eyeslght by
means OF the telescope. bu! then we, in
point OF fact q do not use the word in
iest,) see as through glass darkly
because we have only small part, q
small portion OF the heavens brought
into view; and it is only by combining
the views thus formed, combining them
| in the Imagination. that We can form
an eslima,e ~ the real wonders which
appear; so we caA Imagine what can
be seen if the power of the eyes were
increased to that OF the largest tele-
scope; the wonderful displays of the
dark clouds and masses OF matter gath
eriug in various portions Of space, the
| power of recognizing their motions as
the telescope enables the astronomer
to DO, learning the harmony existing
in their motions. That is something
that the feeble sense OF sight only ade'
quately extended might bring before
US"