Daily Republican., 1880-05-29
Free Agency Therefore Neral As.
C0mmfMbflffy.

: cemmtAbth1ty.
Ged is immutable, the same yestel
day, to day and forever. God 10 law
spiritual and physical, his physica
Law Is manifest. The one Is as unds
Iviating and unchaDgsable as the Other
The spiritual law is not so well under
stood--it might be defined by stating
that no wrong, no evil, no injustice, III
cruelty is Of God, or in other wordi
God is the truth and anything that i;
not Of the truth Is not of God. No
form Of belief, no conception Of the
brain, no form Of words can ever &C.
complish aught, unless in harmony
with his law. Slowly, but surely doth
this fact become apparent and self-evi-
dent; aud as we look along the line Of
the ages we perceive a continual
change.
Generation transmits to generation a
greater and more definite knowledge of
God. Bigotry and superstition are
slowly disappearing, and the age. of
thought and reason and understanding
is beginning to dawn. We are learn
ing that humanity Is in an imperfect
state, the result Of inheritance, that
the bsnighted and bigoted mental con-
ditions were in measure transmitted
from parent to child, and the change
accomplished for the better, has been
the work of time. A belief or supposi-
ton never changes a fact; God Is law,
and his laws never change.
The great underlying principles
that control his universe moy stead fast
y onward; nothing but unity with God
,an bring man into harmony with him
belief and education never change
his neutrality-suspicious. of the bible
% suit the isms and doctrines OF men,
lever change the effect or result Of
aod's immutable laws. We fail topper
eive as we journey through life, that
legative conditions or the evil must of
ecsssity exist, in order to give vir.
ne to the positive conditions of the
aw OF good. If We were created with
ut one power, the power to do good
there would be no virtue in obedi fence,
ut having the power to do evil, and
acting IL under our feet, fills us with
irtue; from the performance of the ,
ight we are to-day the recipients of .
nod, the result Of the work Of ages. We d
sein to perceive that changes will I
ill 60 on in the centuries to come.
As with children developing from Y
lildhood to old age, so has it been t
ith mankind. Beginning in great ignor S
lcs this earth has grown into greater q
I'D greater knowledge OF God, thus fi
ave the nations progressed to their il
'esent state. God is perfect in spirit CT
I'd in intent, but perfect consumation b
OF necessity the work of time. God fc
uld not have created man perfect In tt
s fulness, II so man would have h
en.like unto God. The germ principal, fo
9 grain Of mustard seed, was created n
rfact in manfulness, completion
consumation is one of development
the work Of time. The material or
'ysical world is not one of complete. ca
ss, but one Of development. in
In the armament above and the earth VI
meath, there is continual change and Ir
velopment. God is law. God is the gr
lnciple that originates material le
lngs, he ia perfect in his conception, -
t perfect consumation is the work of
ne.
It has taken ages to accomplish !
Iat has already been attained, and it [,Sl np
i necessarily take untold ages ye. to at at
ne, to consumate. God creates an
n,plants in him the grain of mustard RI
d, gives him free agency, and holds r.
q accountable. In the earliest lna
ges of the world almost all their rec
g and thought were taken up in TO-; TO-;
vidiug for the wants of the 4"
y, subsequently the supply be- Inv
le greater, and in our day Sal
,reat struggle for material things {
exists, but we also discover that sure
'e are 2 large number with an abun- Mo Mo
oe who have time for the exercise of sub
d and thought; this state Of affairs ~ ~
ing been attained, the world has ''S =,
nged; man has found higher objects CHI
lfe than gratifying the desires and Pre-
is of the body, and the senses; the day
'faction coming from the denial of .. L ia
and obedience to the law of truth at attn u
eater than all else, and with which F,
desires Of the flesh (and senses) are sire
tu ba cnm arod [O Ser