The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-29
Fey 7z< ArkGnsaw 7ravtLey.
 CHRISTIANITY DEFENDED.
Second Part of Answer to "Ingersoll
 Catechised"
BY REV. S. H. BUCHANAN.


 The second question in the list pro-
 pounded by the .SaS FraHeiseaa is, Do
 no, the evidences ofdesign in the universe
 prove a CreatorT The answer by Mir
 Ingersoll begins as follows: "If there
 were any evidences of design certainly they would prove designer, but they would not prove creator. Design does not prove creation. A man may make a
 machine; that does not prove that he made the material out of which the ma chine is constructed. You find the planets arranged according to what you call a plan. That does not prove that they were created. It may prove that they are governed, but it certainly does not prove that they were created"
 In this passage we have the first thought of the answer. Let it be noted that the evidences of design are neither affirmed to be or not to be. But MT. Ingerson proposes to reason upon them as if they did exist, treating them as an hypothesis which is to be shown as ab- surd, by showing the sequences to it ii true. The first of tbese sequences used to show it's absurdity is the reasoning that design would not prove creation, would prove only use of material and government of the universe. If this were true the Designer and Governor would be in relation to mankind as God by the exhibit of possession of the universe, aaa all of the questions of obligation and duty would be unto Him as unto God, and the great question of practical re- Ggion would stand as if He created the universe.
 But MT. lngersoll, in this reasoning, assumes. and so far bess the question, that the evidences of design are all to be found in the construction of the universe and not n ithe characteristics of the ma terial used, while the evidences Of design are as definitely in the characteristics of the primary substances and force of the universe as in the methods of organiza- ton. For illustration, the properties of oxygen and nitrogen are such that they combine to make air, and the proper ties of oxygen and hydrogen are such that they combine to make water. All animal and vegetable growths and structures depend upon one or both of these. Adaptation and design for SUD- port of organized existence must be re- cognized in the properties Of these pri. I mary substances. Besides there Is a record of a time in geologic tablets be- fore there was any animal life. The life, which is a tqrce distinct fom matter used In tAs living organism, has be- gang on earth, and in any sivea struc- ture it ants-dates the structure. The life itse'f is the product of creative action, and its adjustment for dependence upon air and water, extends the testimonS ofl design back into the properties Uf pd- mary substancea There is tc-dAy a gsaeral recognition, among msA of learn ing, that light holds in combination all of the properties of color, heat and cleo tricity, and that this great one force is the mechanical forcs that is used in the de- velopment of the universe. There are sub stances through which this force is inop- srative as aselectriciry, and others which do not alloy of the transmission of this force as iight or heat. Its action is variable hy the properties of the material with which it comes in contact To illustrate, . compound ofe equal parts ofsalt and water, conducts electricity one hundred times better than land and fresh water, which have about the same power, and water saturated with salt conducts elecuicity 7so tm8 better than hesh water and land. O. this account all saline wafers have tides, while fresh water has none, ur an exceedingly small tide. which is proba- hay due to air currents more than to direct electric force.
 The universe nov sands slowing that tAe properties of the saIine water, in its power Of conducting electric currents,