National Republican., 1881-08-03
ANOTHER SHADE OF BELIEF.
MANS Future Existence what IL Cod. (.
IL It LnW.

IL u Inv.
TO the Editor Of THE REPuBrIcAS:
Since spritualists, inhdels, and Chris
tlans are all discussing their opinions about God
and hereafter, win you give space for another
shade OF belief for that is all any of them have put
forth as yet Surely IL is only q belief when they
cannot furnish one fact TO prove that man has a
future existence, or that there.s personal God or
that man has n life beyond the life Of tho body, or
that Christianity is founded on justice. Let us see
five can make others see II as we do: criminal
isbrought before ajudge ian earthly judge) and he
Is not only proven guilty ofthe murder,
BUr AckNowLgDGEs HIS GUILT,
saying Yes, my anger mastered me for the time,
and killed him" Now, that Judge. instead OF SEN
fencing him to be put to death, MS the law requires
orders his own only -begotten son TO be slaughtered
that the guilty man may live. Now, what will that
man be likely to say, If he is n high-toned man
land many such an one commits murder IN anger
He would say TO the Judge: mo, sir will not nc.
cept salvation on such terms. committed the
deed and let me pay the penalty, but do not kill
that poor, innocent being, who never committed Il
wrong, and could not, according TO the nature OF
thingsW That Is the foundation OF the Christian
religion, and where the justice is We cannot see
Now, as To personal God, we cannot believe In
such God because he would have to be created
and that we do not believe.
THE GOD WE BELIEVE IN
always existed that is, simply law. which was
not created, but always existed to illustrate two
and two make four, which Is law which exists oi
necessity; and that is God, for God IS law, which
was not created but always existed. To illustrate
more clearly what l mean, watch n chemist who
has two fluids in tumblers he pours one into the
other and 1t becomes solid BY what principle?
By the law of capitalization. Who is the God
doing that before your eyes? Its God Is In
ITSELF its law is in itself No mechanic, with
oil the tools he is master of, can build
such beautiful prism shaped crystals. Again
who Is the God inside of the egg, building up the
bones particle by particle7 Its God Is in itself; law
Is in itself All the egg needed was heat. plant
hgrain Of corn; what does II need but heat and
ssoisture? The earth supplies the moisture, the
fun the heat; then fermentation takes place, and
the particles begin to arrange themselves accord
ing TO It's law, which Is In itself There is
NO GOD BUT LAW,
which is everywhere aud In everything and forms
everything. This God, we know does exist; but
The Bible and personal God who gets tired and has
10 rest, gets angry and must be pacned, has moi
one fact to stand on, but begins and ends with be-
lief How Is II that the gloomy dogma Of an eter-
nal hell has taken such strong hold on the minds
OF the people? 1t is because you have taken our
infant children before they had ideas of their own
and warped them ip the Sunday school, and filed
their little heads not with knowledge, but beliefs
and when they get older they cannot throw 1t off
To illustrate: Teach child about ghosts, witches
and hobgoblins, aud you may aftcrward educate
him, put him through college; but let him pass a
graveyard at night, see something he cannot ac-
count for; what the first idea that comes into his
mind? ghost He stops and begins to reason
with himself: "Why, there is no such thing in ma
ture as ghost; my education tells me better than
that; where did get that stupid idea from?" II
will
TROUBLE HIM AT FIRST
to think how he got IT. at last he brings his mind
back to his childhood days, when his old nurse
or some one who had the care of him, used to
frighten him with ghost stories. Now, that absurd
idea has clung to him in spite Of all his education
and that is why so many believe as they do. Even
the school-books are sectarian, All the religion
which should be taught is to do right here below
We do not require preacher to teach us that II
may be that all matter aud all mind, and these Of
course include what we call law--the way that all
things act-I say II may be that all these are God
III this is So OF course God outside of and inde.
pendent of what we call matter, mind, and law 1.
simply impossible. M,