, 1879-05-26

to convince others Or ourselves, and that ttlsaf.
Rutncnt must be made over aud over by and fof
each generation. II tho human raco fs 6,oM
Tcart old, then We are presented with the
spectacle Of COCO year Inquiry a. to whether
tho race camo from 4 person or from sub.
stances. THIS has the appearance of being
great misfortune, for It would seem TINT, with
the human family As perfectly convinced OF tho
being md moral quality Of n Creasor u It is Of
the existence Of the continents or tho oceans,
NC should havo before us a spectacle Of morals
nt,d Of development differing greatly from the
fiumiltatiug scene re now behold. ii atheism
or the denial Of a God be an Injurious form Of
oplnlon, then an uncertainty as to the presence
OF 6uct, q Being would resemble atheism, as d
part alwaYs resembles tic whole. II the denial
Of Col be Injurious, d partfa1 belief ia also
held Il. loss.
am aot declaring what would hayo been Or
wt,at should have becn, for It is not given to
know or say how the universe might lave been
better ordered. No ono dnres declare iflat 4
perfectly manifest Deity would havo given tho
saFth 4 better human race, for such a positive
declaration would invoe the ability ot
maD to measure The uniyurse, and
10 suggest to ita Author certain
suggest amendment, Yetwe art all competent to
confess what see.Ms to 1ur limited powers OF
survey form OF mental md spiritual nisfos.
tune. And It "a with fhe full confession OF the
i;npcrfectton Of man as Judge that stato that
tho perpetual necessity Of attempting to prove
the existence OF Creator hccms to bo Que Of
cart!i'e rntsfUrtunes.
Having thus pointed out O seeming calamity.
Of the Individual and Of civilization, !ct us sccsz.
the test .ccmlng antsdoto TO this III. When
lace, .or ruEl in upon tic people from tlye
outside. wave, tlot ot frost nor OF lood, tut
Of diseasc, racn cnaeayor at once to seek tho
best possthle curc. After the body fs taeke1
with thu fever, attcr the plaRuc-sDot has rcl-
dcel In the forehead, It Is too latu to think OF
prevention; alc question Of tho hour becomes
one Of etro. 80 In our moral world, unable
to prevent any longer tue tnroal ot doubt, 'tt'-
able to have q visible and tangible God, wo
must seek sone power that will cast the tn[ul
md heart the most possible townrd Ills prcs-
clcc. Whit leader most Ike God sisail wo
In thts cmcrecncv for nyselt feet that 80
tracing cut pcrputualty and oboglnE faithfully
tho lnws Of tue uslsscrse 80 far ~ they can DO
learned An assumption that these arc tho
next thing to IN audihlo voice, aud Tlslbia
form will 70 far toward preserving LIS from nlt
the forms Of mental anl physical md spiritual
loss. Unable to commune fully with the Luw-
glYor, shall VIC not amcnd tho bad effect OF such
the laws1 WI! not tic faithful study
and observance Of thcso laua lead to The best
conviction anl best conception of Crcatora
And will thcy not bring us to the best terminus
tIon Of this lfe, eren should religious doubt ne
company nun to the ond1 It Is most probable.
Que OF the best explanations OF tue abaenca Of
the Heavenly Father from mortal scnao lies In
tho assu.D otion TINT lie passed adequate laws
for human good, ami, therefore. left man alono.
ftherc are rules os conduct for each day aud
hour, then In that fnct might bo found somo
reason why tho face Is withdrawn Of Hin. Who
made tho rules Of being mud actton:: Do these
ef1rn1apA n thcv khH wnrIU nj IA1Y nnV11-
opcs tie, and hs the generations pass the envcl-
opmcnt scems more and moro grand and CON-
pictc.
sarily obey soma yotce through all the centuries
Of lis existence. It has never bGGn without q
guiding voice, and It never will bo without such
4 commander. Look back, asld you .w!ll tlud~
Egyptan. "nd ludiat', ttnl Greek, and Roman
OF mysterious oracle. THO Greeks md Romano
asked the flying birds, md tho entratls Of brutes,
the roar Of scyltn. thy muttcrlngs Of Dclphos,
ths t!nkllng ol bells, hung upon sacrcd oaks, to,
Held OF private or public ltto. Thunder al tho
lcft hani Of general, Or tic ~iraan 9f . cap
tu!n, or tho sncerlnEs Of man III tho ranks
sht M make % ar9y ary halt Tane a,n4, Ih4,
Is held firmly by this phenomenon Of manIdnd
batig led br sotne external guide This being
90, VIC can clakstfy these popular lcadeEs under
the two hcads Of supcrstltion and Law. Re-
lIgiou ycu will say Inns been nil1 Is great cater
OF uian, anu this shall bc admitted but would
PLACE tic re!Gion which must enter Into this
iurm Of argument under tue eamc two general
hcads,-superatttlon md Law. Tue rc!lxtou
conformity to law, al1d free from superstition.
affirm, therefore, that tho human raeo drrlng
ttilB part!nt ubscnce Or eclipse Of tts God must
follow one Of Two gudcs, suocrstttton or Law.
Religion being essentially reasonable, It cannot
oo lnalo pecltiar form Of life.
Thu reaction In favor uf law ts In these DAYS
becoming very great. Tic Kings which oncu
studied tic flight Of birds, Of listened for ,ha
ing tho laws of Industry and commerce, nnt
force anl liberty. and feel tl,at they must u1.
just their Elnpircs to tleso dictates Of reasoti.
Therefore it has come to pass that abso!utss'n
democratic, monarchy has come. tn its stral.
What absoIutstn remains I'll Russia nnd Ger.
many Ia, 1t seems, on tho verge Of decay aud
death, being thus brought low ny tug iact tha'
ysrse nora than 1t Is studying ttls rights Of
Kings. All the laws Of Industry. ct puEaoaat
Independence, OF sctf-doveloptncnt, OF popular
rights, are rising up to overthrow throncs found.
1he unoplu once thought TINT tho samo
jehovah which had s'adc for them surl' .
atsange Hea7e1, n1sd yet morc strange Hell,
wr,ng, but all tlIesu entities lavc been Affected
by deeper study of universal principles; and
By US lnucll nj both rulers aud subjects cast
themselves upon tic statutes OF ihc great lsul-
ycrac. by 80 much 10 they all ana nitro ot buc.'
eoas and lappincss. 1t has hetn ,rerfecslY de''
nIns,stratel tint the moro tAu people hare to do
with .l!e laws Of education and lapor, tho moro
they call 70 their nd tho truths Of ss!e"ec. and
and iio houost tilcsa OF reciprocal right, ths
creator md happ'cr hey neeone It demo.
have discovered, and aru oboying, the most
natural iuws. And Tho natlons under tl.a dark-
est cloud to-day aro those which, like Russia,
and Turkey, md india, lure attanlptsd to mako
ti.rone stand firmly upon t.p qutcksana of all
nosaIblo furtns uf caprice.
Under tlIIs head ol law would placo Chrts-
tianEty itself; and ,nake It lender, not 10 MUCH
by lts iuluret authority as by tts rational quail
tiles II in t!lu abscnce Ut God from sei,su wa
nru to fullow tho laws, thcn wo must bring MI
thugs to thnt law. for should We not. then wo
luyo no trustworthy standard by which to tn-'
terpret tllu commands Of Christianity. II was
oneo !Aouuht most shocking ee'.tinsnt s M Vt TUG
taught Nc Right Of slavery, ho should DECLARE
that sumo error bad crept into the Testament,