The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-20

hLuWATI nb AnPle ptoHs Oeu1 Ntoet
over what is going on at Washington.
The Origin Of Liie-Dr. George'i
Lecture at the Fourth Stree
Church Last Night.
The question, the lecturer said, Of th
origin OF life is a question Of personal
peculiar and transcenden. moment. Ev
cry thoughtful man has sometimes in
auired, Whence am II and whittier do
tendH The interest in this subject ha
been increased by modern researches ant
discoveries. The telescopic world Ia no
more marvellous than the microscopic
Every where Is life. Whence came 1t
There can be no satisfactory theory o
the universe without an answer to thi
question. There are only three concep
tions in regard to the origin of'liie.
!, 1t Is held that on this subject ",
have no sufficient resources Of knowl-
edge. This theory need not be discusseC
for the human mind can never rest In II
2, Life has come from organization
and living forms have been evolved from
non.living matter.
8. Life is the gift Of God, and organi.
zation Is It's result, and not It's cause.
Many who have opposed the dogma o
q universe by creation have held strong
" TO the theory OF spontaneous genera
tion. This sentiment gained ground from
the first disclosures Of the microscope
But Prof. TyndGll, BY carefully con
Quoted series Of experiments effectually
exploded this notion. The doctrine has
not u shred left on which TO hang
"Where," inquiries Prof. Tyndall, "amit
the multitude Of vital phenomena il
which her( Nature's) operations have beer
clearly traced, Ia the slightest counte.
nance given to the notion that the sowing
Of dead particles can produce a liyinl
crop"
Prof. Tyndall does not by any means
accept the Christian doctrine in respec,
to the origin Of life. He expects TO find
"the genesis and development Of man'i
moral nature" in "the interaction OF 80
cial forces.n But mans moral nature
must arte-date the existence OF mora
forces and, Of course, their interaction;
and cannot possibly, therefore, account
fer the origination OF that nature In
which they root. It Is not only true that
science furnishes "no trace Of evidence
in respect to the origin Of life, but It ID
also true that 1t is not the business oi
science TO furnish any such evidence. Sci
euce deals with facts, not with origina-
tions. She never finds the ultimate parti-
Gle with all her chemistry. She takes us
back through the geologic ages, but she
does not disclose the beginning Of things
she scars through the starry heavens, bui
she fails to fnd the pillars Of the uni
verse. She explains the methods OF being
but at the gateway OF life she must pause
for in that awful sanctuary God dwells
Only His eye sees the beginning Of thing
only His ear listens TO the first faint
pulse.throb Of life; only His mind mir
rors the universe from It's conception Il
its consummation.
scientists, according 10 Prof. Tyndall
have "a growing repugnance to invoke
the supernatural in accounting for the
phenomena Of human life" This Ia true o.
the sceptical class. Infdelity is unity
IN its opposition TO the supernatural, and
rationalfsts are doubtless desirous to find
some solution Of the problem Of being
without admitting the existence and
work Of the Creator. But does not thil
growing repugnAnce" disqualiiy thest
men "a honest and impartial inquirers'
It Is the business Of scientific inyestiga'
tors to search for facts, and to accept re
suits. They have no right TO feeling o.
"repugnance." II Is their work TO show
the demonstrated truth, no matter wha
system, scientific or theologic, shall crum
bic or be established.
The Christian dogma on this subject j
that life has lis efficient cause 10 the di
vine presence and power. Lille Is re,
garded, TO use the words Of Sir Lione
Beale, that eminent physiologist and
microscopic, "As trAnscending mer,
matter and its forces, and as distinc
gift OF an all wise 0mnipotence." scienct
and Revelation accord in these state
ments:
l. Life precedes organization aud main
tains Il. Life is the organizing force
the mode Of the divine operation.
9. Dead matter increases by aggrega'
tiou; life has q selective and assimilAtiy
power. It makes every needed thing 1t
own, and distributes its forces withou
mistake, overflow or deficiency.
8. Life resisb dissolution. The deal
body falls TO the earth and decays. Th
living body deies grAyitation and th
chemical forces which would diSintegrat
and destroy Il.
4. Life comes only from life. A chem
ist can make = grain Of corn, but he car
not cause Il TO germinate. Vitality
required In order TO growth, and yitalit
IL precisely what he cannot create.
| 5. Dissolution Ia destruction. Whe
the life has DISAPPEARED, in plant or ami
NAL, no human skill or power can restor
II.
6. It follows that life must have an ad
equate cause, and must be sustained b.
an eyer.present power; and that sutf
cient cause and that omnipotent poWe
: we call God.
In perfect harmony with these conclu
sions Of science are the teachings OF III
inspired word. A number Of passage
were quoted to show this fact. The Be
ginning Of life Ia a. mysterious as its clos
The most rudimentary existence il
miracle Of design. The great Arti6ce
sees the end from the beginning, an
wisely plans Tor every necessity and e1
igency. The law Of adaptation Il every
where diseerned. "rhou hast clothe
me with skin and aesh,5 said the Patri
, arch, @and hast fenced me with bones an
/ sineWs.n @The spirit Of God hath mad
/ me and the breath OF the Almighty hat
given me life." There IL no other expls
nation ot the stupendouS fact Of humN
existence. The oracleS Of science ar
! Idnmb hnk Revelation ahawa ra = .,,N,