The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-16
SCIENCE AND PRAYER.

visited by long drought, and afterward
with copious rains and harvests, an
entire family healed, a raging fire
quenched, Gods purpose to destroy a
stiff necked people changed, the sun
and moon apparently stopped in mid
heaven for an entire day, a thunder
storm made to burst right in wheat
harvest, a leprous hand cured, a dead
child revived, a good kings life length
ened, and, for an assuring token, a
dial's shadow actually turned back
ward.
The Bible Enthusiastically teaches that
God both can and does interfere in our
behalf, that his interference often is a
direct result of III asking, that all
reasonable prayers offered in a right
spirit are certain of a favorable answer.
Some scientists smile at what they
style the childish credulity of the
Christians creed. Our Investigations,
say they, have disclosed a universal
reign of Interchangeable law, not only in
the production of material but ever of
mental, phenomena. We have found
that within the walls of every particle
of matter there is lodged a force; that
these forces are of sixty-four Or more
different kinds, and their difference in
nature and effect make all the differ
ences in the substances about us; that
they bear to each other certain unal-
terably fixed relations, and exert over
each other u~nalterably fxedinduences.
These relations we have been able by
our experiments to reduce to mathe
NAUTICAL formula. We have found that
these forces never manifest themselves
unless certain conditions are fulfilled,
and that, when they are, the forces in
variably appear, and act always in pre-
cisely the same way. It is also claimed
that, as far back as we can peer into
the past, this same order has prevailed,
that whatever is, is the natural and
necessary consequence of pre-existing
conditions; that the earth itself is an
organism, unfolding with as regular
gradations of growth as those through
which the corr passes in the evolution
of the giant oak. How idle then it is,
they claim, for weak, blind children of
a day, to presume to break in on this
grand order of the universe. Has the
Almighty so sadly Numbered in his
plans. they ask, that man can discover
to him their defects and induce him to
make a change at this late day? Can
God spare any thought now for sueh
infnitesimal interests, so long as the
concerns of this vast swinging universe
are upon him? He has LAID down
broad general plans. Wecannotreason-
ably expect him to listen to our baby
prattle about the petty details of our
vanishing lives. If we thrust ourhands
into the fire, or live in a malarious dis
trict, we must suffer the natural con
sequences, and look about us for a more
congenial environment.
Such, in brief, is the attitude assumed
at this present day, by a majority of
scientists on this, one Of the most vital
and interesting of questions. This
their creed is, as I think a be clearly
shown, a most mischievous mixture of
truth and error. In the present paper
[ will confine myself to the argument
that the laws of nature, as interpreted
by scientists, harmonic perfectly with
the scriptural view of prayer, and
readily suggest how God can interfere
in nature without destroyinga any force,
or abrogating a single law.
There is hardly a waking moment in
the thoughts of any of us when we are
not conscious that we exercise volitions,
and that these volitions effect changes,
and, sometimes most important ones
in the world about us. Our volitiOns
are simply supernatural, not contra
natural. Our wills act Indirectly by
complying with the conditions that I'M
fetter natures forces. Back of our
will power there exists a well-informed
intelligence, enabling is to turn all the
forces of nature, to practical account
for u own benefit. We find nature
everywhere plastic. Every facility
has, seemingly, been provided for the
interference with our will. Is it con-
ceivable then, that in a world whereso
many doors have been so invitingly
left open for the will of the creature to
enter and occupy. the will of the Crea-
tor has been studiously excluded?
There is no reason that miracles may
not be wrought by acts of divine will,
precisely analogous to those of the
human. The IKE that was made to
float ON the water by Gods command.