Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-06-05
The Problem of Prayer.
MIR. Newton Finding Nothing TO Show
that II is Not Answered.
New York Times, April q

New York Times April 21.
In his sermon yesterday morning
on the problem of prayer and its
availability in the realm of physics
or the laws Of matter the Rev. II.
Heber Newton said: Prayer for
rain is at once set down to-day as
mere superstition, yet man can ere
ate prayer. Every one knows how
apt it is to follow battle. A French
savant desired some time since to
contract with the Government to
secure rain whenever needed in
specially parched districts by lib
eral use of artillery. We may yet
have established in our States bu-
reaus of what Homer would have
called rain compellers.' Cannot
the higher powers do what man can
do in the way of using natures laws i?
| do not care to pray for rain, be-
cause think nature is administered
far more wisely than the wisest man
could administer it; but when l am
told that to pray for rain is relic of
superstitntion, / am inclined to
smile. A good deal of rubbish is
talked to-day about the impossibility
of altering natures action without
producing iEcalculab!e disorder.
One might imagine, to hear some
learned men talk, that if a suffering
peoples cry for rain were actually
heard and answered, and refresh
ing thunderstorm called up, the
everlasting order of the universe
would be broken up. Is there then
no elasticity in natures mechanism :?
Such a season as that through which
we have passed might we'll then
bring about an end of the world"
Mr.. Newton argued that man
must hold as fundamental princi-
pie to the uniformity Of nature.
When a stone is dropped from the
hand it falls to the ground. That
was as true yesterday as it is to-day,
and it will Le as true through the
ages to come. Upon this prluciple
Of an inviolable order life shaped it.
self. Without it men could have no
knowledge Religion can Introduce
70 element to disturb the tuuda-
mental principle. But this uni
formity Of nature is by no means SO
rigid as men might at first suppose.
There is more than one law in crea-
ton, and combination of two laws
might produce an effect which nei-
ther alone could have produced.
Nature is ever playing surprises
There is room left for actions beyond
present conjecture. unless all her
laws and forces have been mastered.
Within man there is realm of prac-
teal freedom where the will acts
upon the laws and forces of the ma
terial creation. This makes him
really a supernatural agent. He
uses intelligence to make natures
laws and forces accomplish what
alone they never could achieve. He
never violates law He cannot do
so. But he does combine laws to
produce effects which he desires.
If man can thus use nature" said
Mr.. Newton, is it impossible that
other and higher intelligence can do
SO? Plainly some power does thus
use nature. But for the action of
the mind which is in nature there
could be no evolution. Granted a
mind within and back of nature and
that mind can always use natures
laws to fulfill its will.
In considering the question wheth-
er, granting that prayer can be
heard, there is actually an answering
OF prayer, Mr.. Newton pointed out
that one successful instance might
prove a theory as we'll as hundred.
"One of the most invincible beliefs
of mankind" he said, is that pray
er is at times answered. 1t cannot
be designed that prayers should be
invariably answered. That would
be the degradation Of spiritual act.
Prayer would then be simply con-
ductor OF the infinite energy of na-
ture. The power of prayer might
then be capable of storage, as cleo
tricity is now stored. and como to
have a commercial value in the af-
fairs of earth. Saints would prove
very useful members of society.
Such invariability in tho answers of
prayer would rob man of all self-help
and would stop his education. He
would never rouse himself to do that
which he had but to ask to have
done for him. Concerning specific
failures to receive answers to prayer
it is enough to bear in mind that we
may ask unwisely for ourselves;
that when We ask for that which it
would not hurt us to receive our re-
quest might bar the way to some
higher good and that our own good
must be regarded in the light of the
welfare of others, thus necessarily
limiting the qualification Of our own
desires. The summing up of the
whole matter is that there is nothing
known TO us which denies the possi-
bility of prayer being answered. aud
there is nothing experienced by i'm
pugning the goodness of God in un.
answered prayer"
SECRETARY Endicott's first official
proclamation in the War Depart
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