The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25

reason and philosophy assure us is impos-
sible. 1t is therefore easily under
stood that physical organisms were con-
densed and framed out of that portion of
Gods omnipresent substance suited to
such material existences their vital parts
out of the higher and finer grade of God s
substantial nature, while the mental ia
cultles and powers, including that highest
OF all the substances constituting mans
dual -spiyit-were but drops
out OF the higher qualities of Gods intel
lectual and spiritual essence. In this
way man, receiving his higher spiritual
substance as an atom of Gods divine in
telligence, and higher spirit was
made in the image of God" (P. So
This way of assuming" is sometimes
wonderfully convenient Haeckel cas-
sumes' that all this divine essence in man
had its origin in monera-little unorgan-
lied PARTICLES of matter-and is simply
one OF the many results Of Spontaneous
generation"
Mr.. MILFORD Halls theory of creation
differs from the old "nebular theory in
several particulars. The old theory cas-
sumed" that only our solar system was
one vast unitary mass of gaseous matter,
or nebula, from which the sun and all
the planets, with their satellites, were
first differentiated" and then econ
densed" into about their present sizes
and shapes. Then it never undertook to
account for physical organisms being
condensed and framed" out of the same
material by the same kind of evolutions.
Hall, on the other hand, "assumes" an
"all-pervading substance" in which he
embraces the Deity Himself and all the
material of his physical creation-in
ne6uIouS condition, as far as his meaning
can be gathered from his language Ont
of this he assumes that all the heavenly
bodies, including our earth with all its
flora and fauna, were evolved" by
process of condensation and some super
added mechanical and spiritual appli-
ances in the case of animals. 81 have
not the least mental hesitation" he says,
page 81, in viewing the progress of this
condensation of mere atom, compare
lively, of Gods substantial but external
being, downward through all the grada-
lions and amplifcations necessary to the
creation of this solid, liquid, and gaseous
world, with its manifold and multiform
grades of animal and vegetable organ
isms." He had previously assumed"
that matter must have been eternal in
the form of STAR dust or some other grade
of nebulosity"
If then l comprehend his philosophy
it is this: CD That all forms of matter
are nothing but condensed portions of
God himself; (2) That the only differ
ence between the soul and body of man
is, the soul is made of finer grade of
material than the body, and not SO highly
condensed; (3) That the vital part Cor
souD of horse differs from that of a
man in being formed of a less refined
portion of the Divine essence; az That
the Deity is only the uncondensed por-
tion of the divine essence.
Such mate11ahstic and pontheistic doc
trines can hardly be accepted by any
sound Presbyterian-after due reflection.
AS to sound, he assumes" Qike he
does great many other things), that it
consists of substantial corpuscles instead
of being constituted of the undulatory
motions of the medium through which it
passes" (P. 154) The same old "cor-
puscular theory" of light and heat is re-
vlved; and then he undertakes to show
that of the ten thousand physicists, who
are engaged in teaching science and con-
Quoting experimental researches in. Light,
Heat, Sound, etc., he (Wilford Hall9 is
the only one who has ever reached any
thing more than a superficial view Of
these subjects.
He then makes the great lights on un-
dulatory motion-Tyndall, Helmholtz,
and Mayer-the special targets for his
shafts of denunciation and ridicule, which
he is about as skillful in hurting, as Tyn-
dali is in manipulating his beautiful APP
paratus employed so successfully in illus
trating and establishing the vibratory
theory Of sound. If any one will read
Tyndall's interesting little book on sound,
he will see at once that there is no neces-
sity for assuming" the existence of Sub
stantial corpuscles,' as the essence of
sound.
After proving, as he supposes that
scientists generally, but Darwin, Tyndall,
Huxley ETC., in particular, are unreliable
in their Investigations of Light, Heat,
and Sound, he assumes that they must
be unreliable generally, and especially
when they undertake to discuss questions
in Biology. But as he (Wilford HalD |
knows all that is movable" on ali |
scientific subjects-physical and meta
physical-he is the only proper man to
urapp1e cuoooSofu111y ,u;tL Al. DBL