Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-08-08

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Maker and gets not even a temporary reward
from Satan. >,..,...,.,. ,...., ,..........
a THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.I
Theological writer's generally, take 1.-THE
ground that the existence of God and some
thing of correct notion of his character,
can be learned from the works of creation
and providence, without the aid of the Scrip
lures. We hsve@no inclination to call this
position in question and thus array ourselves
against the opinions of, perhaps, the majority
of religious writer's, atill we, have grave
doubts whether the generally received opiu-
ion on this subject is correct The effects Of
the fall were SO many, go extensive and 80
complete, that man is morally blind, as we'll
as physically miserable. 1t certainly admits
of doubt whether the human intellect, as it
exists since the fall, is able to make, from the
works Of God in and around him. the dis
covery that there is Supreme Being. We
have no example Of any one of the human
family who was absolutely destitute of, the
Scriptures making the discovery. 1t is, ad-
mitted that the great majority, if not all
of the human family, have some idea that
there is Supreme Being; but where did
they acquire this noton?c- From the Bible,
we think IT. would be difficulty if not
impossible, to find "a single individual of
the human family who has not, in some way
or other, learned much from the Holy
Scriptures. The laws of all nations show
that their authors knew much of the Scrip.
lures although many of then, bad no knowl-
edge 81 Of their existence0 csome bfl The teach
ings of the Scriptures have been dissem
mated amongst all nations. Even the North
American Indians, whose very origin is in
volved in, perhaps, hopeless obscurity, had in
some way acquired some of the historical
facts contained in no book but the Bible, and
they had imbibed some Of the precepts of the
Scriptures. = J..
Whether we are able or not to obtain,
without the Scriptures, "a knowledge of the
being and attributes of God, one thing issab
solutely certain, without the Scriptures We are
unable to acquire correct notion either Of
the being or character of God. It is true that
the Scriptures do not, ia any place, enter up.
on an elaborate argument to prove the exist
ence of Supreme Being. The fact is sta
ted ), not proved or demonstrated. If we
were asked, what are the Scriptures r., we
might reply, a revelation Of the will Of GID
to man. From this will of God, as revealed
in the Scriptures, we are able to decipher the
character of God So soon as the fact of the
existence of a God is made known by reve-
ation from Heaven, then the works of crea-
ton and providence come in as so many
proofs of the fact. .. .I....
The atheist or the man who denies the ex-
istence of Supreme Being, must prove two
things before be can establish his position
He must prove that the Bible is not revela.
tion from Heaven, or that it is simply the
production of men, and that the works Of Gre
alton and providence are not in harmony with
the teachings of the Scriptures. This has
often been undertaken. Men Of prodigious
intellectual powers and vast erudition have
labored with untiring energy to prove that
the Bible is only a human production. So
far, at least, they have failed, and we may
safely say the failure has been most signal.
The effort to prove that the Bible is contra
dicted by what we see in the material world
has only served to demonstrate the very oppo.
site doctrine.
With regard to the existence of Supreme
Being, it may be said that it is the primary
article of religion. Whoever denies the ex-
istence of some God cannot be even superst.
tious Such being is destitute of everything
which resembles religious feelings, and is in
no respect superior to an irrational brute.
Whoever admits that there are more Gods
than one, may be superstitous, but not intel
ligently pious. .,
Theoretical atheism never had many, if, in
deed, any adherents. Many, it is true, have
said that there is no God but these individ-
uals said what they did not believe.
The first article in every good mans creed,
! Is tnaC tneTe IL Oue, duu UuC Que, living anu
true God. This starting point he gets from
the Bible. Practical atheism is very COM
mon. There is vein of practical atheism
in, perhaps, all men. 1t consists in giving
to God different character from that he re-.
veas of himself in his word. He is practi-
cally athestcal who acts toward God as if
/ n od uera Eko himaelf
Nothing is better calculated to develop
piety in the heart than correct Scriptural
knowledge of the being and character of
God. Before we can approach God we must
believe that he is or exists.
@ An in6del on his death. bed, felt himself
adrift in the terrible surges of doubt and un.
certainty. Some Of his friends urged him to
hold on to the end. He replied II have no
objection to holding on but will you tell me
what to hold on by?
sa@ An ignorant teacher is like blind
torch. bearer with an unlighted torch he holds
it up, but it gives no light, and he does not
know it. . .-.--... a.a
p8" Every trait Of beauty may be referred
to some virtue, as to innocence candor, gen.