The New York herald., 1878-02-25
Rev. DR.. Armitage on the
Church of God.
JESUS READING MEN.
Mr.. Rockingham on the Growing
Grace Of Humanity.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

Rev. George Il. Hepworth preached. taking his tex
from Genesis H.. 7:-.And the Lord God formed
man out Of the dust Of the ground and breathed
his nostrils breath of lfo and man bscamea NV
ing soul" Some years ago. said Mr.. Hepworth II
substance, We startled by the exhibition OF wha
was styled an automatic chess player. For some
time no was puzzle to all Of he could turn his
head apparently will and In the way hit his
hands Besides this he displayed a degree OF intsli
Repce which excited our curiosity. Nov. suppose
that q man sufficiently acute to discover
the secret should mako . careful investiga.
tion OF all The appliances OF the machinery
that was hidden within that body. He would, oi
course. with THU idea, that every effect must
have an adequate cause. whether that cause can be
discovered not In other words, he would sweep
chance away from ms investigation Looking IN the
wires, and no would notice that every time the arm
moved II caused change In the different parts OF tho
machinery. He would notice tho same phenomena
IN she movements OF the eyes and head SO far ho
partially account for what is done by
Ism OF tho machine. Now he sits down to play chess
with tho automaton, and he sees. with small
prise, that The idea OF machinery fails to explain the
tne regularity which should characterze them as tho
efforts OF AN aut0maLon. The automaton's play de-
pepds entirely upon that OF his opponent The latter
then arrives this conclusien that that which he
has discovered docs not account Tor all that done
Tor the Intelligence that mas been exhibited in win
ming the game He then concludes hat there
thing hidden away in that manufactured body which
he has not been able to discover And In this concu
and the SHADES Of night have darkened tho earth
sher door In that body opens and The Invisible and
meuls and ncliigence are accounted or on safe and
scientific grounds " Is encouraging 10 know that
your science eective-that there must be That
BODY intelligent agent.
SCIENTIFIC REASONING.
want TO apply the same reasoning to human Or
Eanization. lnat Is q very complex machine. Wecap
learn great deal about H. We have not yet learned
everything. Tnore are some things which we
count Tor III way We can account for tho
movements OF the automaton-on The ground Of ma
chinery, but there are other things which we cannot
account for except on the ground that there is man
insido whom YOU canno. una In 4 recent conyerss.
ton with professor OF microscopy asked him II he
could account Tor the vitality Of The mind on the
ground or any chemical force In its His
WAS not evasive. He replied In substance that vitality
and mind are mysteries WHAT they are man
scientinc men 70 attempt 10 explain these matters
on the basis OF physics only. There are
other works IN the human organization besides
and Iorce Scientists admit this, and best
thought OF science Is IN that connection Stand on
q rock. No doubtful thought can shake your
position. The nervous system proves the existence
Of . God TO my MIND most conclusively. The gray
matter OF the brain is The central teleg rapnic ofice
from which commands are sent all over the body
Now, there must be in every well regulated tels-
graphic Office something beside the wires and the
vOitnic pile, tor neither OF lneso could De effective
without the other. SO that you must suppose
In the O1ice who works the wires Jour whole ex.
PLANTATION OF the problem tails TO the ground You
must suppose the man, else leave some
Of mysterious problems OF lilo uuaccounted
for l do NOT believe the most advanced thoughts
OF the age Can njure even by little finger any we'll
established biDhcal TRUTH because am not afraid OF
any pronem which sciencc presents When we have
tue whole truth we have Gods way OF putting IT, and
she " hole truth IL combination OF the stern, invin
ciblc truths stated In that book. Man to certain
tent resembles The lower orders OF animals and that
ts q fact ell established OF which
need be ashamed. We have mysteries OF vitality with
like machinery. You don't know what vitality Is IL
10 N mysterious principe-an enigma. But you do not
Know now 1t will act unless you know It's laws
Now let US take the next step. Hero Is an animal
Some animals arc mere autonatons, governed by nero
instinct Wnen bird perches on limb and goes TO
sleep why doesn't II Iall offS Because there
automatic IN Its feet which OF themselves hold
u there. The young female wasp caterpillar for
the first time ana 1t kDows just TO approach anu
sting H. In oraer to produce muscular paralysis. This
IL animal instinct Among other animals we hnd
memory and something iiko reason.
MAN NOT AuToMAT0M
Man stands alone. And not only Is he physoloa-
icaly aone but by his m"ntal faculties he IS far
and brute creation there is chasm that
be bridged. We snare certain automatic actions
with the animaia We walk and they walk. But We
can also shink NJ the samo tme while they cannot.
We arc automatic when In a reverio. Many men talk
10 themselves apd gesticulate when they are alone.
But man does not simply vitality and action.
lie possesses something more-sometning higher,
something nobler. For instance some one unexpect-
sdiy does him kindness. and he humoly thanks him
Tor it When he gets home he thinks OF 1t then feel
Ing Of gratitude sways MIN, and ne stands ready TO
return The Kindness Now, those higher steps not
AUTOMATIC. Your will itself went IN those directions.
Far the plain iAct there something which
science cannot account or and that Is The man HIN.
selt ls not this truef Are you not more than sure
that you have free viii; that you are responsible
Tor your actons that there are dim reachings within
you Tor something outside OF and far above you; nat
therc Is within you chasm that can never be
bridged except oy toe tressIe work OF iaith2 Now.
knowing that you are u Tree agent, the Bibic comes
you gives you the benefit OF revels-
tion. Mans higher nature and the Bible are Twins.
II we're to 1--we Thousand lives and every lie
IEOughtiul one experience would tcach me good
aeaL should al certain fundamental truths,
would mud that certain ways OF life eud III depict on
while another Increased my force Tho result OF tue
former would be remorse, ol the latter happiness.
An important question TOR US TO answer Is this,
WHAT happens ut aeath? In presence oil this mystery
you and i walk With nushed tread. We are looking
secrets OF The inner temple oil God.
We are standing face To face with an enigma which
faith alone account ior Let then, inspired by
that faith, believe what We are taught by It-that
peace and happiness como with the dread angel who
summonses as IRON our earthly sphere.
MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
JESUS READING MEN-sERMoS BY REV. DR..
ARMIrAGE.
The Rev. DR.. Armitage preached in tho above
church, exchanging pupits with the Rev. Dr. Rob-
inson. He took his text from John l., 24-25-'Jesus
did not trust himself to them, because knew all
men, ana had need that any should testify Of
man for he himself knew what in man." What
is reason, asked the reverend Doctor that Sir Wal
tsr Scst, Thackeray, Dickens ana other authors
chant the great OF their rcaders, as they waved
magic wand apove them and hold them in a charmed
spell wbicn nothing seems able 70 break The pens
Of such fascinate all minds. but their
NANCY fervid passions aud glowing fancss OF
the young 10 something marvellous. Ana wnyY DO
they briDg US and strIking information
about tnugs that VIC never ncard Of be-
foref Have any of them visited the strands
newly discovered natonsf Have they fallen Ia with
strange orders OF beings who have revealed secrets TO
them, but Of rucn breasts never beat against our
Ownf" No, nothing at all OF tins They have neither
sailed 10 unknown worlds penetrated into the
explored regions OF this, been into the weird
and mysterious companionsnips OF new orders OF be-
Ing but they have been busy Lravcrsing the secret
pssssgeways oil bosoms. ExplorIEg the deep
ost rocesses souls threading out chamber after
ebamber Of hie disclosing all ncir concealed
imagery, sketching pictures In one gallery alter an
sther until the closely scaled cares Of human
thrown wide open TO our gaze, AZ II actually
endowed with supernatural discernmenI
CHRIsT's PERCEPTION.
Now take this thought and apply u 10 tho great sub
|ect which We attempting 10 handle to-day and
you icel rressbIe force VI the Evangelsvs words
relation to the confessed power vi vnrist 70 read