Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-11-14
For the Herald.
of science and Religion.

ITO him whose mind has become imbued with
fectiOn of the Supreme Architect
Science has always been a subject of
much speculation, which has led to theo-
retical knowledge. But certain specula-
tions may have widespread belief and still
have no material truth. From the phe-
nomena of mind and matter in cause and
effect, observation respecting them leads
the scientist to infer certain laws. Often
he goes farther, and without sufficient ev-
idence, assert that the prinspna mobile is
proved by these phenomenal exhibitions.
The scientist has failed to recognize the
F'why" and the "whence'' of the phe-
nomena.
There is a class of speculative persons
who say that all nature has been evolved
from the life existing within a single
atom. One of the strongest advocates of
this belief says: EsThere is grandeur in
this view of life, with its several powers,
having been originally breathed into
few forms, or into one; that whilst this
planet has gone cycling on, according to
the fixed laws of gravity, from SO simple
a beginning, endless forms, most beauti
ful and most wonderful, have been and
are being evolved" And still more he
says: Natural Selection is silently and
insensibly working-whenevera and wher-
ever opportunity offers-at the improve
ment of each organic being"
Granting that Nature is of a higher or
der than at some former time, yet the Gre
ative principle of the atom, the self-evolv-
| ing life-theory remains to be proved. We
are at liberty to admit an assertion when
proof sufficient is offered to us. That some
force exists and keeps our earth revolv-
| ing in an elliphical orbit, no intelligent
person denies. But if the scientist saws
that this force is power existing within
the planet, and is self-existing, self-sus-
tanning, he assumes more than reason can
warrant. Let one practical or eminent
in physiology, chemistry or biology, as
sert that any one,- or all of these sciences,
gave evident criteria for inherent first
cause principle, and soon the error would
be noticed, that the scope of Natures
laws had been unwittingly limited.
! All life must have an origin. So, then,
there must have been a time when the
F'action" of the evolutionist did not exist.
If the scientist says, that the life was en-
gendered by God, that laws were impress
ed upon matter, upon the atom, and then
! left to Natural Selection, to self-creative
power-he robs the Creator of his attri-
butes and makes him fill an honorary pO-
sition. 1t Is pure Atheism thus to con-
ceive of God. For the personality of God
is ignored. Hence, to admit the evolu-
tionist's theory is to deny the authen-
tic revelations. With reason and the light
of revelation, men are yet much like the
ancients, who deified the phenomena of
i Nature. The works of the Creator are
made above Him. The thunderbolt and
the mystery of gravitation receive the
homage due to one able to direct and
change the path of light law of gravity.
The varied character of Nature is a
source of pleasure and benefit to man.
Heis able to employ her resources. His
mind is admirable in its adaptation to Sc
curing qualification of its wants. How
much, then, should we worship that Be-
ing, who has created all things, who is
natures supreme architect.
''Depth in philosophy inclines to rea-
son." How much more true and worthy
of belief is the evidence of such men al
Kepler and Newton. After nearly score
of years of ceaseless Investigations ant
toilsome labor, which gave to the worlC
those three grand laws relative to the or
bits, motions and periodic times of plan
etary bodies, Kep1er, seemingly los
amidst the grandeur of his discovery anC
the vastness of Power he did not fail t.
recognize, exclaimed: ''I think my
thoughts after Thee, o God" Such tes
timony is worthy of consideration, sine
it gives us the feeling of one truly goOC
and great. And Newton, as a true phi
losopher, distinctly says, "that every tru
, step made in inductive philosophy bring
us so much nearer First Cause" The or
der, the methods of Nature, the principl
: of cause and effect argue design, al
adaptation of means to an end. Tn
consative power cannot exist in Nature a
aself-moving, independent force, as mat
ter is thus given an intelligence to di
rect, power we have no authority to as
sert. AgassiZ speaks Of the subject NOR
concisely when he says, that the logica
connection of form, beautiful harmony
and the infinite diversity of unity, is rep
resented by some scientists as the resul
of force alone; ''a force,'' says Agassiz
(Which exhibits no intelligence, no powe
of thinking, no faculty of combination
no knowledge of time and space.' 1t
A. ,J-, -
nature; and he is limited in powed {
changing his physical and mental status
Such being mans condition, and he b.
) ing superior to all else in the range
nature, there must be an intelligence,
reasoning, directive, creative power ths
is higher than anything existing in ns
ture. Yet there may be notifications
the evolutionist's theory that may be r
= ceived as true. But any theory that r
cognizes no power outside of the materi
- object, most certainly will meet with /
favor from the Christian world. SUI
belief is antagonistic to divine revelatio
What changes there have been in scien
and religion. hypothesis, both moral al
physical, have become as rubbish of hi
tory--being on record to show the spec
lative tendency of mans mind, and
= warn, lest they prove stumbling blocks
other inquirers. The earth is no long
- held to be a vast level plain, support
by creature of mans Imagination.
Physical phenomena no more bear DC
tentous aspect to man. Unseen force
turned to use by man; though undefir
BILE, yet it is made definite in its appli,
ton. Divine revelation has changed I
philosophy of morals. The truth is ga