The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-10-18

the Memorial Presbyterian church.
The Rev. James Grammer, of West virginia, viii
address young men In Association Hail thus even
ing
Drs. Snodgrass. Mcdonald and Paxton will
preach at the dedicatory services to-day in tn,
Phillips Presbyterian church.
The Rev. U. G. Tlrany win preach In the Church
OF the Atonement this morning. and Dr. Hunting
ton In the same place this evening.
Bishop Bissel OF Vermont, in the morning. and
Dr. Van Deusen. OF Utica, N. Y. this afternoon
Will preach in the Church OF the Heavenly Rest.
'rhe Progress Of Faith In the Soul" and "The
Manhood OF Christi will he discussed to day by
Rev. $. b. Rossiter in the North Presb5 terrain
church.
The Rev. w. T. Egbert is again in the harness in
the Wainwright Memorial church. His pulpit will
be occupied to-day by Bishop Robertson or Mis-
souri,, ana Bishop Wilmer, OF Louisiana.
The First Baptist church will De mnstered to
at the usual hours to-day by Dr. Thomas ID. Ander-
son.
Services viii be held this morning and evening
as usual In the Protestant Episcopal church OF the
Holy saviour.
The Rev. j. W. Bonham will speak about the
great awakening in the Church OF England TINS
evening in the Chapel OF the Atonement, West
Forty-drst street.
A conference OF Spiritualsts and liberals win be
held in Harvard Rooms this afternoon. Christian
spirituansts will meet there in the morning and
evening.
Bishop Beckwith. OF Georgia, and Bishop Wilmer,
] OF Louisiana, will preach In Grace church this
morning and afternoon.
The Rev. w. T. Clark viii preach on "Authority
4 in Religion in the Church OF the Messiah this
morning.
/ "A New Heart" and "outside and Inside" are
topics to be discussed to-day by the Rev. George
/ II. Hepworrh In the Church OF the Disciples.
/ Modern Crimer is DR.. Flagg's topic for this
| morning in the Church OF the Resurrection
Bishop Pierce, OF Arkansas. Will preach there IN
the evening.
The Rev. II. R. Nye. OF the Church OF Our Father
! Brooklyn win answer the question this evening
! III We Limit Everlasting Punishment, Must We
Not Limit Everlasting Life ~
i There will be "high celebration in st. Mary
\ the Virgins church this morning.
Dr. Porteous will discourse this evening in All
Souls church, Elm place. Brooklyn, on Defects OF
Modern Theology An old folks concert Will be
\ given there on Tuesday evening to help forward
the finances or the church.
| DR.. Lambert will lecture on "Woman" at Bed
ford street Methodist Episcopal church on Thurs.
day evening.
The two Drs. Tying, father and son, will preach
in the Church OF the Holy Trinity this evening and
morning. Dr. Irving Will preach in the afternoon.
! Trinity chapel this afternoon; Bishop Howe Will
preach In ST. Johns chapel this morning, and Rev.
E. R Atwell in st. Paul's church this evening.
/ Bishop Lyman, or North Carolina, and DR.. Sull-
van, OF Chicago will occupy st. AIMS church pull
pit this morning and evening. In the afternoon
the Rev. Mr. Hinman and his Sioux Indian protegs
Waumdishon VIII address the Sunday school.
DR.. J. W. Rogers will lecture this evening in st.
Bernard's church hall on the "Catnolic Citizens Ia
America"
Meta PHI sical Essay ON the Creation.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD u Ill.,
What Is IL thar materiallsm, though set forth by
some OF the most cultivated intellects of the age,
substitute for the Christian philosophy OF the
universes The great objection made to the notion
OF creative act by modern as well as by ancient
materalists, Is that 1T involves an aDsurdity-the
producing OF something out OF nothing, the bring
ing of whole world OF realities out OF blank
void, in which absolutely nothing pree xisted.
This a most "unscientifc OF the imagina-
tion,n as a moments reflection will convince the
reader.
In the supposition Of q God-eternal, seiexistent
and IN every way infinite in HIS substantial real
ity-there cannot be anything like this 'nothing-
ness,r this absolute and immense void OF being,n
out OF which the creative act is imagined TO bring
forth the visible and invisible universe. We pic
beginning His work, standing on the brink
or some dark and empty space, out OF
whose bosom His voice calls or His hand educes
the shapeless masses Of the material world.
Nothing can be more fatal to right conception
OF the truth than such fantastic imaginings. The
power TO create is as essential to God as the act
by which the Divine Word Is generated but the
exercise of the latter is necessary and eternal,
that OF the former Tree and contingent. But when
God wills to exercise His creative power 1t is abb
solutely true to say that the sum OF being
and reality is not increased by the production OF
any number of cosmic systems. Even In pure
mathematics tyro will tell you that
by adding to the Infinite finite quantity the
sum or total Is not increased. And yet the math-
ematlcal Infinite Is at best but the indefinite or
the Intellectually great. But, before any conceiv-
able beginning Of creation. the intellect perceives
In the Divine Being the infinite reality, to whose
perfection nothing can be added. Whatever the
divine mind concelves possible Is only so
because 1t has its type In the imitabihty
OF the divine nature; and when that
type s realized outside OF the divine
conception the creature thus called into sub
stantlve existence has no positive reality per-
iection that does not already exist In the Creator
in an infinite degree. And what is said OF one
creature may be said OF worlds. They only re-
produce, in limited degrees, the reality, the
beauty, the life, which the one infinite, living
reality OI the most perfect God.
1t Is true that the world which just this moment
began 70 exist ~ distinct world from that which
the divine mind but the moment before conceived
as possible. II Is distinct In substance IN It's mode
OF existence. In its forms, the forces with which
it is clothed and the laws which they must obey
But all these correspond to and are the re-
production OF the essences OF things In
inc Creators mind Making OF our
Imagination legitimate and scientific use,
we can intellectually behold behind every existing
world and every one being within its compass the
infinite reality which II copies and rejects In
every substance, material or spiritual, in every
form and force, IN every display OF inorganic
energy or vital act, Ia every successive ebb and
flow oil tue mighty tide OF created energy and liie
/ can but behold the pervading presence OF the
uncreated substance sustaining every being, ener-
. giving every force, controlling by necessity
/ the action Of irrational creatures, directing by
love and generosity the aims and acts OF tree
agents, but SUM- a. God, the central principle OF