Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1879-03-28


VIII there never cease to be
mysteries None but the infin-
tie God can give positive an
swer to that question. But we
can reach an answer which is SO
probable that we can scarcely
discover a difference between
that amount of probability and
a .Rell-assumed certainty.
In the first place there are
abundant evidences that the
greatest human mind is finite,
and if mind be not infinite it
cannot inclose, it cannot COM
prehend every possible thing
that has bounds and limits, that
is, every finite hing. Whatev-
is not thoroughly and utterly
known is mystery.
Tacitus says that the ancient
Germans were superstitious and
took everything that was I'M
known to them as a marvel and
a mystery, oniAe ignOtnm PRO
mi,tfc0. Well, does not even
the most scientific mind do the
same thing? The difference be-
tween the savages that original
ly inhabited the German forests
and their highly cultivated de-
| scendants, is that the former let
the unknown thing remain I'M
known, and the longer it was
unknown the more marvellous it
became, and the more settled
became their conviction that the
thing could never be known;
while the modern thinker sets
himself to the work of finding
the thread which connects this
marvel with the already ascer-
tanned laws of the universe, or
to use it, in connection with
other facts, for the discovery of
some other law.'s
But there is this other thing
which has marked every step of
the progress of science; the So
luton of one mystery has been
the discovery of another and a
greater mystery. A line of hills
has seemed to bound our world,
and view from the top Of that
has promised US a sight of the
beyond, and when we have
climed to it, we have seen Alps
on Alps, in endless chains, and
ranges OF mountains. There
fore, such men as Locke, in
the department of intellectual
science, and of Earaday in the
department of physical science,
have died feeling'that they were
children gathering pebbles on
the shore of an ocean which
contained unreasonable treas
ures.
And look what words we use
in science to express in con-
ceivable ideas! Take the atomic
theory. Itteaclles that all mat
ter consists of particles so small
that they cannot be made small
Ter. If any matter can be con-
ceived to be smaller, then that
is not an atom. As we cannot
think of matter without dinen-
sions, it follows that an atom is
an uncomfortable thing. Relig- |
ion asks men to believe in Moth
ing more mysterious than an
atom of matter. And yet scien-
ie men are all the week cody
teaching the mysteries of the |
material world to be young gen
tlemen in their class, and then |
decline to come to hear US Cos
pei teachers. because we teach
them and their scholars the
mysteries OF religion, and de-
cline simply on the ground that
what we teach is a mystery.
The professor even undertakes
to weigh atoms and to count
them, and thus has there been
introduced into chemistry a
nomenclature of marvellous use
fulness, and theories that are
almost POLITICALLY beautiful. But
does he not see that he is soon
by a mystery" He believes
that divisibility as an essential
of matter. He defines matter,
anything which has extension"
Then it is Invisible. But one of
the highestsseientific authorities
says: "The view most consis-
tent with chemical facts and
theories is that there is a limit
to the divisibility ofmatter, and
to that limit the term atom Tan
indivisible particle] is applied.
is believed that at this point
matter is no longer divisible.
What that limit is cannot be
defined, and it is unnecessary
for practical purpose to in
quire."
The science of religion no
more stops than the science of
nature. 1t is every mans duty
to do all he can to extend the
knowledge Of mankind in both
departments. 1t is. thus that
each man stands on the Shout
der of him who went before, and
the horizon of humanity is
widened, SO that the modern
Charles Wesley can sing as
known what Isaiah and David
harped as mystery.-Sunday
Hagasine.
In progressive Kansas, where,
says the Haspkeye, they allow
women RI vote in elections for