The daily gazette., 1879-01-04
Joseph Cooks Lecture.
A Deep analytical Discourse on Ger
tdinties in Religion.

Il Deep AndtyftcW discourse on Ger
tainties in Religion.
The persons who had determined to
hear the lecture by the renowned Joseph
Cook, at the Grand Opera House, last
night, were not deferred by the extreme
cold weather, and as a consequence an
audience of respectable proportions as
sembled. The lecture was given under
the auspices of the Protestant clergy of
the city, and the lecturer was escorted
upon the >tage by the following well
known clergynen: Bishop Lee, and Revs.
j. II. Caldwell, Lafayette Marks r. NJ.
| Eastwood, Alex. Macarthur, w. j. Stew
enson, j. Howard Nixon and T. +. Plum
mer.
Bishop Lee presided, and introduced
Joseph Cook, a man of massive form and
broad, kindly face, from whose eyes fash
ed the genius of knowledge aud inspra-
tion, as step by step, he unfolded the rich
thought and unanswerable deductions of
his mastery arguments. His subject was
"Certanties of Religion" and for nearly
two hours, he held the closest attention
of his audience, while with deep and syl-
logstlc argument he developed the full
lest beauties Of his theme.
| lie commenced with the proposition
that as man in time, must leave this
world, he wants to hence in peace I; but
we cannot 60 in peace unless we 90
harinOniZed with the events We cannot
escape from. Herbert Spencer has said
that every man must be satisfied with his
environment, or he cannot be at peace.
Accepting this as a fact. and we find
there are three things we can't escape
t ON, and therefore mus. be harmonzed
with-self, God and our records.
Continuing, the lecturer illustrated his
points by instances of the unerring in
stinct found in animal life. BY instinct
the birds and fishes turn to the South on
the approach of cola weather, knowing
unerringly that there is south to match
the instinct. Apply spencer's philoso-
ply that instinct is the result of educa-
tiou, ard the bird. instead of flying to-
wards the south, might conclude there
was no south, and would therefore be
frozen by being good Spencerian. But
Sp~nce was wrong As the bird finds q
south TO match her instinct, so man,
knowing that his conscience is Gods
work, can lean on his instinct and seek
the south, assured that the God who
keeps His word with the birds and fishes
will keep his word with man.
Another proposition was that as life
existed before organization, and is indie.
pendent OF 1t, how can We believe that
life cannot exist after organization. Ii
is existed before organi zation, can it not
exist after disorganization? The spir-
itual existence is not more wonderful
than existing at all. Disorganizatlon il
no proof that life is ended. The ques
tions, tnen ar e: Is the soul immortal
Does death end all? There is a spirtua
body death is merely the sepaI alton OF
the organic from the fieshy body, aud by
and by II shall assume the spiritual robes
As organization does not begin all sc
death does not assuredly end all.
The lecturer next advanced the propo
sition that while we must exist " mus
stay within ourselves. He compared
the soul with our system of politica
government. As one State cannot de
clare war without the consent of all tn,
other States, so one part of the soul can
not declare war without the consent o.
the other parts. 1t must be in a state o
, continual peace. There must be fire,
lectures from the lakes to the gulf; M
, gerrymandering, north or south +; no tis
sue paper ballots in the south or manipu
lation OF figures in the north no intimi
, dation on the plantation or IN the facto
ry. There must be peace bet ween all tn,
sections, and the only way to get peac
lS TO give way 10 tne reasoning faculties
We must agree with God love what IL
. loves, hate what He hates, and be ii
entire consonance with His hol
spirit
Then comes the question, how are w
, to be at peace face to face with our pas
( lrecoris? How can we harmonize then
a with God? In the light of tn. Scrip
, tpres we seek our answer. God cal
erase our records, perhaps he can screel
u5 from it. The substitution of the SUI
ferings of Christ for the penalties of TIL
, sinner stands between man and his pas
, record. The arrangement by which oH
Lord became our Saviour-the accept
ance by Him of a chastisemeut in lieu o
our punishment, IL the means by whicl
he can escape his past record and be a
peace with God.
Throughout, the lecture, of which tn
above is very Imperfect synopsis, wa
= listened to with almost breathlcss atten
!. ton, and many of the conclusions wer
greeted with spontaneous bursts of ap
plause.
On next Friday evening, at O'Clock
Mr.. Cook will deliver another lecture o
: "Ultimate America subject broa'
y and comprehensive enough to inieres
. | all plasSas of pppplp