, 1877-01-29
or intuition ot the conscience, then the reason ts

bntchS, LncH+ We hEt pFcThFcH 10 AtCC6k LUG
extreme tl,ttrine ri Fa.aii.ra, sul deny ali FREE
dom and responsibility in human actihns, We
tcem compelled to recognize The personality Of
God, and His .s.'t,'crintciN!ing providence.
In4ury:' l. the oversight ot usAl OF snch n M
tnrr that any agency OF otsrs can alter Or change
HIS plnna1 DEUS tl!s oversight of, Its ainst
itself 10 our nccls md cOns!ltlonsa In other
words, IS this oversight simply Law, or Is 1t that,
anil great deal mnre7
Tho subject thus orsaed to cur ,yiev ,
.. .. Of ret ssw mrHt'',se % Ssc fItn Ts ',.oe s,
iIes by the lido d tic opsrp1e1lns
and Human Freedom. t'ud fs sovereign, and
Srt tan Is responsible moral a.cnt, nni In tf!e
right use Of his luwcrs ean obtain from Gol
dressings which lie woult not otherwise hare.
There arc certain faets III nature and human
ttrnct 4 theory. hut these facts ti,at W. kn1w
arc hut few of the nanT To he known. For
.4nr, to rs,so" s;ssr1'ey @ to outline nst the ESs
within, its grasp all Inc facts In reference TO tic
nature Of GtH1, Ills PURPOSES toward Ills csea-
turcs, anl the mcsho!is Lie employs to mike
those purposes operative. But tlnsc no Que
knows That much, ant never can know that
much, who n competent to ttog.uattzc r,ron The
subject, anil 10 say. on the 1asls Of the little VIZ
knnw+ tlMt rcasun las settled tho .Qttcstion7
llnC luSt AS%ul40llultf LO
nil the phenomena of the Universe hs c1au,in-
| pretend Tic Mind AMI ways OF God
un the basis Of wllat Nc tall scientific lnyestga-
| tipn.
In all questions relating to thc Being of God,
| the morn ignorant ono is tho n,u1c really lie Is
| to'lort.attzc: l.uoisIng straight nt = few rods
Of earth Just nbout Inn, o,'c may fee! quito
| eyes from the ground u,ncr his fcet he will
| soen discover that while within limited dis
| lance ub;ects arc clearly defined, outside tlMt
limit all IL slal,clrss. And II, TO extend BIS
discover that, wi,ilc Its atrht reaches further
than bcfnrc, not less rcnl and seemingly more
extensive IS the al.rrnunlng darkness md
| mystery. The moro VIC study tile less wu fccm
4 10 know; the more VIZ kaOw, the more clearly
VIC realize the mitch there 1a to DO known. What
we call science, However valuable 1t may he, Is
but tho orderly arrangement Of certain facts
which ohsrrgntInr thnws to bo true. So far as
these facts 70. ant 80 fur as they aru fa"t., they
arc authoritative. and, l!:c all other facts, arc
truths; they arc ,ssc[ul. But tho one fatal diff
culty With tnany is this; they seize upun these
fncts Of naturc, ap1 upon TIE conclusions.
tllr cyi,ienre TINT cntcrs into tho case. This
with Uiir fliistc nntf ever VARYING kHowcdce We
arc secEi! to solve TIC 1nnsstcrIcs nf eternity.
The task IL l!speless. Aud IL ia hopeless mt
simply beca.lsc tic information is Inadequate,
hut because tho reason Il Incompetent. Dignity
tlsc reason as mitch as wewlll, II is nut The ng-
est test uf truth. The highest element IN na.
t,Irc. anil thu tegnant alhl rcgNlatiyc prn,1 ,1pt2s
! nf mans nature, aro his moral and religious
I faculties.
The reason Is continually altering lis verdict.
The Judgment 1t renders depcntla wholly upon
the evidence brought bcforclt. Tile vayarics Of
even An huWtrct! years ago were regarded as
truth, because they seemed the icgt.i1,a.e rom
illusions from stlc facts rs then testified before
SONG of our theories, w,Il, seem warrantcc.l BY
fucts:, will, l doubt not, be regarded Ms
equally Gruundlcsss, anl ns unnesitating-
y set n.i,te. Ne do not affirm that
NJ Ne,hns e'i'!s II suma e 'o ls 1's hst whj tt t"y
nrc lot infallble, they arc certainly 1rss rl.!i-
bio III their Judgments than tlic ticcisi sinns Of
the reason. Al any ratc. any tticury Of snnn,
t!Ic1n, !s i':otHplc.ct and very likely untrue.
| Man Is not II trec-nnt Il mere animal. ltn y II
living. responsible, moral n@ent No religious
in;trtns rsn l'c true, anil should not bc hela 10
wcll.csta51:shc.l truth ii SHINE; hut It is just
as evident that no scientific proposition
Eau be true that contsa.Ltets a we'll
established moral or religions truth, or the
The mornl and religious nature, their intui-
tio1,s and awA are, % VT have said. the highest
gifts Of man. They. know tnstsettycIy. The
reason knows nothing Of ltself i Renders
| l}y what right. th'., does n'y o1c wEio sccks to
know the truth bai out f,ohl his investigation
| tlic iutuitil. Ut our iloral and religious iln-
turs, mil tiat class Of fats which como tht
nearest to tho throne Il seeks to rcachf
Nature Is mot tho limit of l|.H!'s nhitity. What
We cali tic universe .lucs not fence Him away
from us. Nature Is not trradn,fl out OF
il plant 10 ('ul. surely thc puwer that creates
thu machine ls auperor to the machine ithclf.
The wisdom reca:nl 10 contro tt,e nisatcst de-
tails Of tils tinlSersr IL certainly less than that
required tn cr,Ate 1t as It II. Gns law Is slslt-
| p1t tt1p thavht pf (st,l cInrnSsrt1
Fur these nliI for u,ahy other reasons, ! 10
not bcl:eyu ll the isnnutah!u rigitlity Of law.
Instead III saying, "t,at thu uf,icr iu which
by the sicor Of na,nantine la,s, mil that there
r. therefore, no pacn e:t Tor tile free lntcrrsi-
tim "f divine wtIi,' prcfcr tn say TINT II tho
government ot tiMi, az It tochcs human ltlc.
lind Infinite plastIci,y u1,d IN. i.nilsutahle rig
| k!ity. The at!nnanltno reign Of laW ts easily
stated a. u l!tosy, but tho principle whi:h II
assssta is IN m intclll:lltlu fetlac true. There
REASON, there II ln,nc tn your consciousness. 1t
ls fnt t;'at 'nun's a.etlry I'ollhes tho. opcra-
tIon Ut the Laws Of Nature IN :, t!luasanl ways,
ho as 70 pro,iuec change and variety thut would
Atal1es In unc's llfr, and that perhaps protected
lntn II out Of tic lfa q: aHotcr, may modify
lIs whale esistescr. We linow,--we do hot bc:
| lleye, hut We now,-becausc NC have tho proot
spiritual power ly tlle will We ure constuhtly
rrnlu,1ng physical results. mud iHakng
use Of and !, varying ths iorses .!
rlature through the uet!Dn Of tie will. Gods
plan asld nut 'a.'s, Il alln to take III a that Is,
anl IS to lc; aud to provide ior every cfnergcll.
cy .t"m the fouM!nt!on OF tue world.
~ say thcr1 arc no Special providcnccs IL
mDrU thAn any human being In. tic right u
at1irln. Nun4nfsFt1nlprtc'ltt to Jrtsareit 6cienri
tukcs hut u few steps toward tho realm Of The
nnkuuStl brfuEe II meets with thu cyrr'recur.
| ring, AMI yGt cycr.unllis@DVcrrtl, Whyi
! tlHLVn nil n r,t hn rM that thN