Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-03-17
Previous to this had been describing the gross

Previous to this had been describing the gross
ignorance and superstition which prevailed some
five or six centuries B. c. when all the phenomena
ofthc outward world sunshine and tempest, plenty
| and famine, and all important changes in HUI
man affairs, were ascrbed to the agencies of super
sensual beings-gods, as they were called.
In the progress of time, however, the more en-
ghtened observed that certain effects always fol-
lowed certain causes. This led them to reason
that the was the natural sequence ofthe other,
and then followed rational and scientific investi-
CATION
These considerations led to the sentence above
quoted, Immediately after which follows They
saw in the Phenomena of life, exhibited in
matter, not demonstrations of the anger or pleas
ure of capricious gods, but the harmonious work
ings of fixed and immuable laws"
certainly cannot understand how any person Of
ordinary intelligence can fail TO comprehend the
full meaning of the above, and | cannot believe
myself responsible for the stupidity of those who
do not. Without stopping to notice such petty
quibling and nonsense as my. critics definition OF
''protoplasm" and "moecule" farther than to say
that any one who has even superficial knowl-
edge of physiology and chemistry must under
stand their meaning, | pass to notice the second
quotation, which is a garbled extract involving
part of quotation made by me from Prof. Tyn-
dall's writings, followed by a brief comment OF my
own, which is simply my Interpretation of his
meaning This comment and also several others,
placed directly after extracts from Tyndall and
Huxley, was intended to place those extracts in
stronger light, to make their real and true mean
ing more apparent, in order that mtght more .f-
fectaa9y rJute them. But how the intent and
meaning OF the last quotation made by my critic
could have been SO misunderstood | cannot under
stand.
In my paper, after quoting from Hu1ley's
materialistic doctrine, / comment as follows:
at was such reasoning as this, clear, concise
and logical, apparently, which produced such an
uproar in the theological world. Because i this
reasoning be established, then Immortality be-
comes a dream and theory of the past" I'm
mcdiately after this | proceed to point out the
fallcies in the reasonngs of Tynda Huxley and
Darwin, and the whole subsequent portion of the pa
per is devoted to refuting the doctrines of these
writers, in which l attempted to show that (!fe,
not only in man, but in every organized form, Is
10 its essence spiritual. For this am called lin
cal descndent of the schools of nfdely of the last
century and laboring to overthrow the religion of
the bible. If my critic means by this that am la
boring for the overthrow fsuperstiton, ignorance,
religious intolerance isms and traditions which
make the commandments of God of none effect,
he i. right But real true, vital religion, the
gon Of life, tie religion Of the bible, is power
which wish to see ruling in the hearts and minds
Of men Ny object in writing the paper in ques-
ton to refute by scientific reasoning the
strongest arguments which materialists have ever
presented against the immortality of man, and thus
silence them by the use of their own weapons.
If my critic really read carefully the abstract in
the Journal which he aiirms he did, then | must
concede what he himself claims in his article that he
is too stupid to comprehend its meaning. For the
last eighteen hundred years, more or less, bitter
controversies have been raging between theoog-
lAns and scientists, the one seeing only what he
belt VS., the other believing only what he sees.
But happily this is coming to an end. We are en-
terlng upon new era, an era in which the truths
of science and revelation are seen to be component
parts of grand whole If my old fogy friend is
unable to "read the signs of the times " he must
fall behind, for " the world moves" now as it did
.I,nA o,- Of .bSta tb.nra
those who would compel US to abjure the grand
truth.
The merciless sway of the scepter Of ignorance,
superstition and intolerance will become a
thing Of the past. God is seen to rule the world by
Divine order, and not by arbitrary fiat, to act from
infinite love and not from a kind Of justice ground
ed in hate.
j. l.. WILLIAMS.