The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-05-20

laws vi us eAiSttHCo aTTdUSeS ito O"h
parts, and conserves its own energies;
these functions being coeternal with mat
ter needs no external superintendent
That which rever had beginning can
never end. The design notion unde,lies
all the dissertations on what is called
natural theology. Butten, Paley Fur
gas and the author of the BridgewaterI
treaties, have all held this idea. BY their
mode of reasoning the simplest form OF
mechanism not being SELF x stent, there
lore the universe is not sell existent, but
must have had Creator. They trium-
phantly refer you TO your watch,and say
if so simple thing as q watch must
needs have maker,1how much more this
vast ard complicated universe. When
you refer them to the law of the exis.
ence Of things, they will reply that law
necessarily implies law-giver, associa-
ting the idea OF law with the acts of pa'-
liament. By law we mean the eternal
mode of being. Nothing can exist only
as its existence is dete, mined by law, a
law which is uncteatcd and unrepealable,
the eternal relation OF things. But the
design notion is exploded, II does not
answer the purpose for which lis advo-
Gates claim. Ii watch necessitates a
watch maker, and universe necessiIates
"a universe maker, the maker Of q watch
must be a more complicated piece Of me-
chanism than the watch. Tue universe
maker must he more complex than the
universe, which they clai.n is selt-exist-
EN-.
Now it is not claimed by any intelli-
gent person that time or space was ever
created. No rational person can enter
tain the thought Of the noif- 'Xistence OF
time or space. But they say these are
only, conditions Giant that time and
space are only conditions; they are cor
ditions that creator is bound to comply
with. II The Creator ordained that the
earth should revolve around The sun, he
had to have time and space for the elrth
to revolve in. All philosophers cnncede
that that there must be law Of contir-
uity, and we know by cc' 'ual experience
that there is law of Evolution. Tie
law OF continuity is manifest in the inde-
structability of matter; the law Of Evu-
luton is manifest in the perpetual tran :
formation Of matter; the law Of contin
uitv renders creation Impossible; the law
of Evolution renders creation unneces-
sarv.
/ What idea the writer Of the book OF
Genesis intended to convey bv the
phrase, "The earth was without form and
void," is more than we can conjecture.
| Form is one Of the eternal laws or condl-
lions of the existence Of matter II is
| impossible to conceive OF matter exis'-
ing IN a condition destitu'e of FORM
When we come to consider the word
iFsvOIu, We are az an equal loss 10 KflfW
how to apply it to the earth to be void il
must be empty,or having no effect on is
parts and none on anything else, and not
effected by anything else,i,s several parts
having no reciprocal influence on each
other and its whole having TO reciprocal
influence on other planets. But this sci
ence has shown not to he the case. We
are sometimes asked if we ignore first
cause. We ignore the adjective irst.-
Cause and effect are cOtemporaneous and
may be said to be simultaneous. Moth
! ing can exist without cause no cause
can exist without its effect. Whatever
is is so, because its position, relation and
environments won't permit it to be any
thing else. Cause is always an effect, and
effect is. always cause. "All being is
eternal while all modes of being are
transient" All that ever was is now
and ever will be. The law of continuity
don't admit of any loss; the laws OF ev-
olution demand eternal transformation,
1t is claimed that the Creator is Omnl.
present and Onniscient How can be.
ing be everywhere without being every
thingl Can a being know everything
without being everything that knows
If God is everywhere and everything
what need is there for anything further
1t is sometimes claimed that the adapta-
lion Of things proves the wisdom and
goodness OF an Omniscient and Omnil
otent Creator. But when we consider
the war of elements, the strife among ar
mals, tho struggles OF vegetation tc
MAINTAIN existence, We can see nothing
that indicates intelligence in their guild
ance, while all are forced into their sew,
raj states of being by the irresistible ill.,
aaence of their environments: the weak
succumbing to the strong; desire sue.
cumbing to necessity every animal hay
J ing to contend with the changes of tn,
weather and with opposing animals, botl
, of their own and other species. Ever,
plant has the same difficulties to contend
, with until they are forced into state o
! adaptation to the surrounding circum'
stances, or until the weak die and Civ,
place to the strong; thus we have th'
survival Of the fittest," which is prom
J ise Of a better future.
: Adaptation proves evolution, but no
! creation. Everything We behold will
the eye or is perceptible to any OF ou
} senses have evolved into the condition
they present themselves to US through
evolation, and they still are evading ant
adapting themselves to their environ
: ments, or succumbing to the same. T,
say that evolution is sell evident, is onl,
5 to express our daily observation O
E things / believe it was Sterne who said
: God .empers the wind to the shorr
lamh" But it is the wind that forces
/; contraction of the pores of the skin an,
t a coagulation of the fluids, and adapt
z the lamb to the existing circumstances
| but should the vital energies of the lam
t be too weak to bear adjustalion of itsel
1 to the temperature of the wind, deaf
: must ensue. There is no pity exercises
b in the case, and this is law which pre-
s walls throughout all the economy of NJ
t ture, not admitting of solitary excep
5 ton. What the condition of the univers
D might have been in former geologics
: periods we shall make no conf jlcture
! but that the present condition Of thing
| have been brought about through the o.
| Grafton of the laws Of evolution, W
q have no doubt. And that animal an
! vegetable life have been forced into a
y adjustment or adaptation to the su'
e rounding circumstances, all such as d
: not readily adjust themselves to thei
surroundings must yield to force and be
s come extinct This law is equally az
e plicable to the mineral kingdom, produ