The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-07-02
QUESTIONS OF DESIGN.
THE CREATION, WITH AND WITHOUT
A CAUSE AS DEFINED.
All Is Void without an External Influence
All is Naught without Cause--God
Works Through Laws of FOrce-Ev-
luton is as Man EvOlutes.

New YORK, June 2S.-Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher's sermon was upon the questions of
/ design IN creation, and Of general and spa
cial providence, as they stand related, not
only to scripture testimony, but to what we
+; now know Of the course of National law in
/ this world. The view OF the famons Ger
man scientist, Haecksl, that the world needs
no God, that it has in Itself provision for all
the phenomena that have taken place, seemed
to MIR. Beeeher not to simplify the problem
of creation, but to make it still more difficult
to comprehend.
| Nothing in human experience furnishes
basis for believing in the origin and progress
| of the world of its own self, without any ex-
ternal influence. The belief that back of
every effect there must be a cause has been
wrought into the very common sense of
mankind. And Haec&ers theory leaves the
origin of matter still unaccounted for The
| origin of matter AMI the existence of tendsn-
| cies or laws in matter seem inconcoiva5le
The same is true of thu origin of the Divine
! Being, but confessedly this is removed from
human investigation, which can only take
| hold of that which has some relation to the
| organization Of the mind and body, and God
| has not
''8ut we gain nothing by excluding
divine intelligence, and to include
| it smooths the way Of investiga-
| ton, and is agreeable to the nature
| of the human mind. Il is easier to conceive
personal God, with intelligence, will and
! power, than to conceive of a world Of such
vast and varied substances as this, perform
! ing all the functions OF intelligence, will and
power.
s'The doctrine Of evolution at first seemed
! to destroy the fact of intelligent design in
creation. So the agnostic school, which in
cludes some of the noblest spirits Of our day,
sprang up. God may exist, but we do not
know it, they say. But this is what the
Bible said from beginning to end. It is
what philosophy is now beginning to explain.
We cannot understand the Divine nature, so
exalted above anything yet developed in us,
except it dawns upon us when we are our
selves unfolded, and riss to such a higher
elevation as does not belong to the great
mass of the human race.
s'God is to be seen only by those faculties
that diverge upon the divine itself; and by
them, moral in tuition does come, with
certainty as great as any that scientific in
vestigation brings to the senses of men.
"The question Of design in creation is be
ing restored in a grander way. II adapta-
tion to special uses was an evidence Of di-
vine design, how much more it is an evil
dence of design when We sea such adapta-
tions proceed from universal plan of devel-
opment.
"Paley's celebrated argument Of design
was illustrated by man finding a watch,
and infarring from its adaptation to the pur-
pose of keeping time, that it was tho work
of an intelligent being. But suppose the
same man should be taken 10 q factory whers
Thousand of watches ara turned out by ma
chinery every day, without being touched
by human hands, except to put the parts to-
gesher, would he not be still more profound
ly impressed by the evidence of intelligence
in the designer of the machinery, adapted to
such wonderful work?
'.As to special Providence, no doctrine
was more explicitly taught by Jesus Christ
than that of Gods personal care and inspec-
ton of individuals and communities II
science should overthrow this doctrine, it
would make serious breach in our faith, .
not only in the new testament but in the di-
vinity of Christ itself. Men say that God
would not Set aside natural law for the ben
eft of any favored person, family or COM
munity.
"Thsy say God works through laws of
force and never otherwise. This Is impu-
dent. We don't know what God thinks nor
what He does. Some parts of His ways have
been let down within the reach of our obser-
vation, but not ali; and while we have no
right to affirm that He does. we have noright
to affirm that He does not.
'sThe popular idea that natural laws are
Interchangeable, irresistible, and uncontroll-
able, is an illusion. Nothing is gentler,
more pl;eble and us;lable than natural laws.
Obey them and they become your servants.
Natural laws are constantly checked, direc-
ted, made imperative. They are set in con-
flict one against the other and made to com
promise. Ali make wind and water grind
for us and carry us Electricity, this great
buffoon of the north on winter nights, or
flashing about in storms, ths pyrotechnics of
the world, in its untouched state was useless
and barren. Now it doctors toe sick, lights
our dwellings, plays postboy, carries news
in a twinkling round the world. 1t has be-
come fruitful because the viii of man Learned
how to use it.
"Men can, by using, not abusing or violat-.
ing natural laws, maze Of them prov licences
for the advantage and elevation not only Of
themselves, but of those around than. The
invention of Single machine may change
the industries and the des.inies OF nations
Civilization itself is but wise subsection OF
natural laws by human intelligence and
will. And if God cannot create providence
by using, not violating, natural laws, then
he cannot do what the meanest creatures on
earth can do in some degree.
StHe can exert directly or indirectly upon
the consciousness of men that which will
make them the enactors Of His own decree.
Some hold that God takes care of the system
only, and does not heed incidental results
But I hold that there is another teac hing in
the Biole, namely, that all things snail WORK
together for good to then that love God In
other words, hold thai the laws We have
learned up to a certain point are doubtless
surmounted by other and statelier laws
which have relation not so much to flesh
and blood, to ths mind and spirit Of man.
''Ard when msn love God and live in the
attitud, of the divin. nature and will, they
are b.sten upon there by invisible influences
that are more really natural laws than AMI
Of the lower and grosser ones that pertain to
the body and external conditions l find
nothing in science that sets this doctrine
aside, but I find much taere thar corrobor-
ates it. )"
Tramped Into Eternity.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, June 27.-Mrs Will
son, who, with her two daughters, wore run
down near North Salem, this state, was tine
wife of an ex-brakeman, and was tramping