Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-21

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- truth and mems conceptions of truth.
Mr.. Miller gathers up bundle Of quo
taiions TO show that the church disbe-
lIeved In grayitatIou Of the sArth's
and astronomy. Il simply
proves 81 at those men we're mistaken.
Were religious teachers alone IN oppos-
ing these bow lf-evident truths Z
Have all unscieutiic men been reIi-
gious presume II would hardly he
pIOfifabie for ne 10 give my conception
Of the nedsval church as q political
body. IL certainly forssek its Masters
principles when Il psrsecuted the seek
ers after trsth. for He advocated the
greatest freedom in its search. Sci
ence has marched steadily on in spite
Of all opposition" True, bot the very
men who wrought its greatest victories
we're Christian believers.
The Papal rule may be ridiculed and
den unced, yet II was under the pat
ronaQe and direct order of the Pope
that Michael Angelo began a course OF
painting that has made him immortal.
Calico was sentenced by a mistaken
church, yet that church had been his
foster mother, and had placed in his
hands the very tools with which he
proved her theory false.
She vas mistaken then, but she has
acknowledged her error, and has be-
come q patron of the science.
Copernicus thought IL prudent 10
withhold the publication of his book
until he dieo natural death, but Keep
Ter. the greatest name Of astronomical
sciences, was stirred 30 investigate the
movements Of the planets by bis leve
a. A. 49, a - - Ri
ing that the trinity OF sun. planets and
stars might illustrate the trinity Of IA
Their, son and holy spirit, he spent II
years in studying the heavens, and
brought out trinity of laws, which
quote from memory, ss follows, not be
| ing at present IN my library:
l. All heavenly bodies move in clip
teal orbits, with the central body io-
| Gated in one Of the foci.
2. The squares of their distances ara
proportional to the cubes of their peri
odic times.
3. Their radius victors pass over equal
| spaces in equal times.
Upon this trinity of law rests The
whole present system of astronomer
| science. IL this discovery came through
a search instituted by religious faith
why continually represent religion a:
always opposed to scienceI
| Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest phil0S
| opher of bis day, said: Il count til,
| Scriptures to be tue sublimest philoso-
| ply" Why should We small philOso
1 pliers base our structure upon a denia
of a statement By rrince of philoso
pliers!
| Michael FaradAy was devout readel
| OF the Bible, and found in ii his DAILY
| solsce and everlasting hope. Mr.. Mile
| finds defense of Mr. Ineersoll in til,
| fact that be incItes Christianity to New
| activity.
So did the Disclesian persecutori
multiply the power of early Christianity
by the evidences of sincerity, righteous
ness and religious power which i
brought out: bat We pass no vote o
thanks 10 the Roman Emperor for hi
| cruelty.
"Ihe blood of the martyr has eve
proved the seed of the church." bu
this fact hardly renders the martyr
killer hero. Mr.. Miller very oandidl
calls in question several passages of tn
Bible. like such candid examinations
because, while they may modify GU
conceptions. they are sure to multipl
truth. He thinks that the visitation q
the fathers sins upon the children, Ex
odus xxxiv, y and the individuality .
criminal responsibility Ezekiel xviii
2, 0) are contradictory
| The first has respect to the natu al
laws of heredity. watch We all are g,ac
10 accept when We tind our childreI
looking like US, instead OF negroes o
Chinese.
| The second rsfers TO the equally evi
dent fact of Law that hoy is not hun.
for murder committed by his father
bat is In a separate personality answer
able for his fathers sins no furt b.
than by his own actions he has sane
toned II.
The subsequent verses of Eze,sis
xviii. make the difference plain ensu Il
Repent and turn from all yoHr tra us
gressions, 40 iniquity shall not be you
ruin" ", 30.
Again, Numbers XIV, 1, representa-.
a judicial punishment as necessary 10
those hayward people as capital pun
| ishment or life Imprisonment Is at tht
present day, rs IN contrast with
john. w., 16: :" God is love-"
Does the State become naisanthro ii,
when II executes justice for the protec
ton OF the multitude
Does the father hate his child wEeI
be severely corrects his waywardness
Amalek was to be slain, old an,
young, male and female. II bad be
come evident, from their perfect lax
lessness and cruelty, that either Amalel
or Israel must perish.
When the same relation existed he
tween Indian and white man. was th.r,
any question which should BE- sacri
heed Men who feel their q nder CON.
passion moved for these old infant
burners often call for the ex.ermina
ton of the Indian even in our scier.
titic, compassionate, civilized age.
The descriftion of God as burnine
With anger against the wicked, etc.
may be understood ~ representing hi:
unchanging opposition % crime.
Our change Of position or condition
brings the unchanging God into a
changed relation 10 Us. To illustrate
The sunbeam Is everywhere symbol Of
the smile OF love. IL is the source OF
all life, the birth Of all joy, the conce q
tration Of blessing to man. Bot how
mercilessly il withers the fields not pro
vided with water How ferceIy i
burns" the Inflated traveller in tn,
desert Is il dual or does the contai
ton of the object decide whether il
shall be a blessing or curse
The Hebrew mind dealt not in sylIo
gisms like the Greek. bat in picture,
which TO the poetic mind are more DO
tent and no less accurate, when ID,
genius of the language is understood.
As to the figures OF the battles of Is
rael and judah, they change no NOR
truth and are of no imp rtance TO me
| do no, feel called upon. like an ok
olassmate. to believe in the "inspira
ton of every comma" or figure, for
learn that vowels were pat into the He
brew after thousand years, points a
still later date, aud sranscrlbers nevel
claimed inspiration. The difficulty O.
Ahajlah's aga, which svamps nv friend
is readily explained by references q
Kings, viii, 70. where twenty tvo~ i,
given instead of forty.
The story of Jesus ride into Jerusa
lem, 50 far from proving the inaeeurac,
| of the gospel. Is an incontestahle proo
of four independent witnesses, which
n produced in our courts concernine
MIR. Miller. 10 prove charge Of stealing
| q donkey or a mule, would convict hilK
beyond the possibility Of a clearance
even though be bad the hero of Sta
n A.