The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-09-23

is forced to say: "The laws of nature
is another phrase for the action of the
ever present and sustaining God"
DIR. Carpenter says: "Ail our science
is but an investigation of the mode in
which the Creator acts"
Ii is cause for devOut gratitude to all
truth-lovers that the recent researches
and advances of natural science have
thrown increasing light upon the text !:
"He upholdeth all things by the word
of his power, and 10y Him all things
consist" The doctrine of the "Con-
servation and Correlation of Physical
Forces" by which is meant the ipde-
structibility of both matter and force,
is shedding new luster on the great
questions at issue. Not a particle of
matter can be destroyed, neither can u
single force of nature. Changeable but
not destructible. The force of motion
propeiling the steam engine Is trans
formed and re-appears in heat, when
motion ceases. 1t is now regarded by
all accredited scientists, that One
Force in the whole vast and compli.
Gated universe, creates, guides and
governs all things.
Faraday, prince Of chemists, after a
life of profound study and the most
splendid discoveries, believed "all force
is will-force." Sir John Herschel, fore-
most OF modern astronomers, said:
"The force of gravity is the direct or
indirect result of a Will Power" Prof.
William Whewell, distinguished
mathematician, said "The agency of
the Divine Being pervades every por-
ton of the universe" Surely then no
candid eye, however keen, no honest
mind, however searching, can discover
a single discrepancy between the record
of science and the record of christianity.
The Bible states facts, adopting no
system of human philosophy, facts that
have stood aud will ever stand in sub,
lime simplicity and undying splendor
while the fierce-voiced winds and foam
capped waves roar and dash harmlessly
at its base and the hymnless wrecks of
a thousand false systems of utopian
philosophy are scattered in the DEEPEN
ing shadows of its ascending dome.
Let him who aspires to stand on the
sunlit crest of faiths citadel fling the
gauntlet of fearless heraldry at the feet
of the false templars of an unequal
warfare, sweep the Titians from his
path, and press to the company of the
true and brave Newton, Davy, Fara-
day, Owen and Agassiz, and shout the
clarion OF an immortal conquest over
the dark, dismal plains where dream
and die the dupes of ignorance de-
servedly doomed.
Ratiohalism is system of belief de-
duced from reason and discards the
principles of empiricism which regards
the dictates Of conscience and the die
tum and data of consciousness in man
hood. Kant, of Germany, its mod
ern advocate and boldest expounder.
Reason the sole and sufficient guide
in man, for man, through time aud to
all eternity. Is reason n discoverer, a
creator? Is it the province of reason to
reveal that which Is, or to create that
which was not? Rationalism offers
intellectual incense on the affairs Of
nature to the god of reason. 1t accepts
nothing as fact that cannot be observed,
analysed, and explained by the senses
of body and the talisman of reason.
Materialism its only text book, reason
Its only interpreter. The test of ex-
pertinent has no place in its philosophy
of mind and matter. II postulates
without proving, assumes without
arguing. Its strongest reason is "a
guess, its last result an incertitude.
The Baconian dictum that nothing
is To be accepted as a fact until il has
been subjected to the touch stone of
an experiment" is repudiated by ration
alism. Therefore the Bibles dictum,
"Come, let us reason together" (see
Malachi III, l0l falls by the same un-
just principle.
Let US look for. moment into the
Wanted pretepsions and audacious as>
sumptions of rationalistic philosophy.
We can hardly hope to go over all the
ground ia the time allotted us. We
shall consider the most important, and
if the strongest assumptions are shown
to be untenable the weaker points must
fall by the same logic. Christianity has
a controversial side. 1t makes no
to the enemy and refuses
none. Itself the product of the high,
est reason it invites the keenest scrutiny
and fosters the highest culture, and, in
turn, produces the clearest thought,
deepest convictions, broadcast concep-
lions and most liberal views of nature.
man, and God. Living III the noOntide
glory Of the nineteenth century We are
the students of four-fold Testament
Of God, man, and nature. God has