Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-05

car OF Jugyernaut for you approve of the conduct
OF Jephthah, who probably sacrificed bis daughter
IN leinllment OF vow Judges II, so that he
SAFE return he should meet coming forth from the
doors OF his dwelling
Now the whole force OF this rejoinder depends
upon our supposed obligation believers 20
approve the conduct OF Jephthah IL IL therefore,
afeIy serious question whether we are or are not
80 oolsea But this question the reply does not
conuescehd eiiher 70 argue or even % state. IL
jumps TO an extreme conclusion without the
decency OF an intermediate step. Are not such
an election than 10 disquisitlons on fhese most
soiemn sublectSf Colonel Ingersolls scheme OF
argument seems 20 be In the line or glttering
generalues. lie does not argue seriously from
point 70 point. but he sets out In masses. without
the labor OF proof, crowds OF imputations which
ma, may Userwneim an opponent like balls from
THE QUESTION or EVOLUTION
venture In remarking, adds the cx-premier,
mat the doctrine OF evolution has acquired both
praise and dispraise which IL does not deserve.
one stirling eject OF the Darwinian theory OF
sefiaes leaps or bounds; all from protroplasm
up 70 Shakespeare, and again all from primal
whereby does this docrrine eliminate the IDEA OF
erestioni Does the new philosophy teach that
the passage from pure reptile TO pure bird is
This implies and requires creation: hut that n
reptile passes into bird and rudimenJal into IN
isnea oird oy thousand slight aud but just dis
ceInlpie tnodlncations, each one OF these IL 50
small that they are not entitled 10 name so lofty
and may be set down 70 any cause or no cause as
we please. 10 me IL appears no less than ridicu-
lous TO hold that the broadly outlined and large
advances OF so-called Mosaicism are creation, but
the refined anu stealthy onward steps Of Darwin
ISM are only manufacture, aud reegate the Ques-
tion OF cause into obscurity. instgnifcance or
oblivion.
! admit that great believers. who have been
aiso great masters OF wisdom and knowledge are
not able 70 explain the inequalities OF adjustment
between human beings and the conditionsi In which
they have been set down 70 work out their destiny
The climax OF these Inequalities is perhaps 10 be
found In the fact that whereas rational belief
viewed at large, POUNDS the providential govern
ment OF the world upon the hypothesis OF free
agency, there are so many cases I'm which the
oyerbearing mastery OF circumstance appears TO
reduce ft to extinction or paralysis.
NOW, IN one sense without doubt, these difficul-
Ties are matters for our legitimate and necessary
cognzance. IL Is duty Incumbent upon US, re-
e TO e,ae ar 20 our m means ana 9pportnn
" OF reason given us the great questions OF ma
tural and revealed religion. They 10 be decided
according 10 the evidence, and n we cannot trim
the evidence into a consistent whole then accord
ing 10 the balance Of the evidence. We are not
emitted either for or against belief. 70 set up In
as common sense teaches Us 10 use In the ordinary
conduct OF life.
THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE
As In ordinary conduct 30 In considering the
| basis OF belief we are bound 20 look at the evil
demonstrative proofs, or the removal al all con-
nlcting elements either in the one sphere or the
other. What guides US sufficiently IN matters OF
common practice has the very same authority 20
guide US In matters OF speculation. Does the gen.
eral reason or the case make it probable that q
Unite being, with Unite place, In a comprehen-
Sfyc scheme devised and administered by a being
who is infinite, would be able either 10 embrace
within his view or rightly 70 appreciate all the
| motives and the aims that may have peen IN the
mind OF the Divine Disposer?
II is moi iiicllt 10 sec that while the rerlv aims
at uplifting human nature, IL In reality punges US
into the abyss OF degradation by the destruction OF
are justly told that treason Is the supreme and
nnal test" Action may be merely Instructive and
haoitua lt passes over so soon as II Is challenged
into the other category and finds a basis for IL
self In some form OF opinion. But says the reply,
we have no responsibility FOR our opinions-we
cannot help forming them according 70 the esi,
doctrine embraces every kind OF opinion. II dis
| unctton be taken between conclusions 70 which
and conclusions to which these have nothing q
say, then the whole ground Will be cut away from
under the feet or the reply, and IL Will have u
build again at i'suio. Let US try this by test
case.
NUTS FOR rSGERsoLL TO CRACK.
A father, who has believed his son TO have been
| through life upright suddenly finds that charges
| are made from various quarters against his In.
tegrity. Or a friend. greatly dependent for tae
friend, is told that that comrade Is counJerwork-
ing and betraying him. i make no assumption
now as 70 the evidence or the result, but ash
which OF them could approach the investigation
without feeling desire 70 be able TO acQuit: And
what Shall we say OF the desire 10 condemn!
Would Elizabeth have had no leaning toward ind.
ing Mary stuart implicated in a conspiracy? Did
English judges and.juries approach with an un.
biased mind the trials for the Popsh plotf Were
| the opinions formed by the English parliament
on the treaty OF Limerick formed without the In
| PREVENTION OF the will? Did Napoleon judge &C.
cording TO the evidence when he acquitted himself
aatta poffh a NM No.. 81.
intellect SIT In a solitary chamber like Calico In
| the palace OF the vatican, and pursue celestial
| earthly business is raging everywhere aroundi
| According TO the reply 1t must be mistake tc
| suppose that there is anywhere In the world such
To sum up. There are many passages in these
| noteworthy papers, which, taken by themselves
are calculated to command warm sympathy.
Toward the close or his tna or latest letter the
| writer expresses himself as follows:
Neither In the interest Of truth nor for the ben.
not know. No cause is great enough 60 demand
| a sacrifice OF candor. The mysteries OF life and
death, OF good and evil have never Yet been
| solved"
How good how wise are these words But CON-
ing at the close OF the controversy, have they not
some or the Intellectual features OF death-bed re-
pentence? few pages earlier it Is pronounced
that ian Infinite God has no excuse Tor leaving
his children In doubt and darkness
Candor and upright intention are indeed every
where manifest amidst the flashing corruscations
which really compose the stapleof The articles and
eandor and upright intention also impose upon a
commentator the duty OF formulating his aniinad-
versions l sum them up under two heads
Whereas we are placed In an atmosphere OF mys-
terry, relieved only by little sphere OF light
round each OF Us, like clearing I'm an American
forest (Which this writer has 50 well described
and rarely can see further than Is necessary for
the direction OF our own conduct from day TO day
we find here, assumed by particular person. The
character Of an universal judge without appeal
And whereas the highest sef-restraint Is neces-
sary In these dark but therefore, all the more ex-
ctff NO ypr
Quiverfng balance OF our faculties. this writer
chooses 10 ride an unbroken horse and 10 throw the
reins upon his neck. have endeayored TO give a
sample OF the result. w. Il. GLADSTONE.
Saturday smiles.
Dude (bad pay1-"That stripe looks wel-so does
this WHAT would you prefer yourself II you were
choosing." Loug-sunenng tailor-"A check
Philadelphia CuA
In the theater-"But why do you weep? The
acting Is certainly not so touching" EXCUSE
me: am bewalling the money paid 20 come