Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-01-02
geaains fpr he gabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Origlnal.l
fGOD.!HIs; EXISTENCE.

p I GOD. HIS; EXISTENCE. l0's'"''F'l
There either is or is not Supreme Being.
If there is Supreme Being, then he is enti-
tied to the alteration and worship of all his
intelligent creatures. If there is no Supreme
Being, then what is called religion is vani-
ty. Such being the case, it must be evident,
to any rejecting mind, that so much is in-
volved in this question that it is by far the
most important inquiry that can be presented
to us. By far the greater number of the hu-
man family believe there is God, and rem
der to him some sort of alteration and wor-
ship. This has always been the case and,
perhaps, always will be So In all 'agesithere
have been few individuals who have in
words, at least, denied the existence of God.
Such persons are called atheists. Practical
atheists always have been numerous and
practical atheism common. 1T; has been the
opinion that those who say they
are atheists are not, in fact, what they say
they are.
1t is manifest that it is the duty of each
member of the human family to be satisfied,
upon good and reliable evidence, either that
there is or there is not God. Of those who
profess to believe in the existence of God,
many, no doubt, have never investigated the
subject. They, have simply assented to what
Others have stated to them! III this they
have exhibited great credulity, but not much
wisdom. The existence of Supreme Being
is a matter of too much Importance to be
treated so lightly. .-....-., ,.s~0...-,
That theresisa God may be inferred from
the existence of the universe. With regard
to the vast universe, a part Of which con-
stantly comes under our observation, and a
part of which each one of the human family
is, it may be remarked that it either created
itself, is selfexistent, or was created. 1t will
hardly be claimed that the world created
itself. If so, we may conclude that at some
period it did not exist-it was nonentity; yet
when it was not, it .shad creative power--a
power sufficient to produce itself: Such rea-
souing is too absurd to be accepted as cor
rect by any sane mind. To say that thing
could create itself, is the same thing as to say
that thing is and is not at the same time.
1t is little, if any, less absurd to'say that
the universe always existed, and existed in
and of itself, or is selfexistent. To suppose
that the universe is self.existent is to suppose
that it possesses one of the incommunicable
attributes of a Supreme, Being. If the uni
verse is selfexistent, then it is not under the
control of laws outside of itself. Selfexis-
tence includes absolute independence This
is contrary to facts. We see that every por-
ton of the universe which comes under our
observation is controlled by laws which nei-
ther originate in it nor reside in it. Every
one of US is conscious that we are controlled
by laws over which we have no control.
These lawsio not reside in US; they arelodged
in some one outside of US. We may safely
conclude that the universe neither made itself
nor is eternal in its being. 1t had a begin
ming, and consequently was, at some period,
It matters not when, created. If ereaied,
hen it had creator, and that creator was
9od-the Supreme Being. -
Another proof uf the existence of a Su-
preme Being, is the marks Of design which
ire manifest in all things. No one will deny
hat there are evidences Of design in: the uni
verse. We see design in the animal kingdom.
Some animals are designed to live on the
and others in the air; others in the water,
md some animals are fitted to live either in
The water or on the land. The same is true
the vegetable kingdom. Some
vegetables are designed for tropical climes,
while others flourish only in temperate lati-
udes. In those regions where the apple ma
ures to perfection, the orange will not bear:
Wheat will not reproduce itself in equatorial
,egions. 1t is manifest that the animals and
vegetables are adapted to the places where
hey are found.
Manifestations Of design are seen in the
park and leaves of trees in the stalks Of
yrass in the coverings and teeth of animals,
md the very structure Of the earth itself. If
here is evidence of design, it is clearly evil
lence of designer Who, then, designed all
hese things? The only satisfactory answer is
God. 1t is vain to say that nature designed
Ill things, for we may ask what is nature?
The harmony which is seen in the universe
S another proof of Supreme Being. This
harmony is so great that amongst all the
parts which enter into the vast whole, there
s not the least conflict. This earth on which
we live and in whose. bosom We are soon to
ind our long home, has two motions. The
one is called the daily and the other the year.
y. The daily is its revolution on its own
axis. This takes place every twenty-four
hours and produces night and day. The cir
,umference of the, earth at the equator, is
more than twenty-five Thousand miles; hence
At the equator the earth moves at the rate Of
more than one thousand miles each hour.
Think, for one moment, of a locomotive NOV
ing at the rate of one thousand miles an
hourl This would be more than sixteen
miles per minute. Such a train would be
heard by the inhabitants of the whole region
through which it would pass. No human
being could act as its engineer. But great
as is this speed of the earth in its daily mo-
ton, what is it when compared with that in
it's annual revolution round the sun. In eve
ry three hundred and sixty-6ve and one
fourth days, the earth makes circuit round
The sun. This annual revolution causes the
change of seasons. The distance passed over
is six hundred millions of miles What dis