The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-25
ALMOST A SERMON.

The following inimitable paragraph from
thepen of Prof. HUXLEY describes certain
phases of animal development: Examine
the recently laid egg of some common ami
NAL, such as salamander or a newt. 1t is a
minute spheroid in which the best micro
scope will reveal nothing but a structure
less sac. enclosing glairy fluid, holding
granules in suspension. But strange pos
sibilities lie dormant in that semi-tluld
globule. Let a moderate supply of warmth
reach its watery cradle, and the plastic
matter undergoes changes so rapid and yet
steady and purpose-like in their succession
that one can only compare them to those
operated by skilled modeller upon form
less lump of clay. AS with an invisible
trowel, the mass is divided and subdivided
into smaller and smaller portions until it is
reduced to an aggregation of granuIes not
too large to build withal the finest fabrics
of the nascent organism. And then it is as
if a delicate finger traced out the line to be
occupied by the spinal column, and moulded
the contour of the body; pinching up the
head at one end, the tail at another. and
fashioning flank and limb into due sala-
mandrine proportions, in SO artistic a way
that, after watching the process hour by
hour, one is almost involuntarily possessed
by the notion that some more subtle aid to
vision than an achromatic would show the
hidden artist with his plan before him
striving with skilful manipulations to Gem
plete his work.
After reading such an exquisite descrip
tion. it is disappointment to find that
Of
is such ''hidden artist as a mere obser-
walton of the wonderful process Of devel-
cpment seemed irresistibly to suggest, fin
ally concludes that natural laws are suffi-
Gent to account for this mysterious and
purposelike phenomenon and for all such
phenomena, though they occur in the devel-
opment of every living thing.
This disappointing conclusion, which
seems to rob the phenomenon of nearly all
its beauty, is fully and fairly met and an
ewered by the philosopher HERBERT in a
series of demonstrations too long Tor quota
ton, but of which the following may serve
TO exemplify the method.
A watch is likewise accounted for by the
operation of pur ely natural Metaphysical
laws that leave no more room for an intelli-
gent designer than in the case of the evolu-
ton of the salamander from the spheroid
germ. 1t is true that, prominent among
the physical causes that have produced the
watch is the manipulation OF its parts by
human hands. But in this there
is no interference with physical causation
for if the series of sequents be traced back
wards from the watch makers hands,
through the muscles and nerves of his
arms, and thence to his brain. and thence
again to the nourishment which was main
condition of the brains actiyity.-the ply
steal changes necessary to the result, not
only may but must occur with perfect reg
ularity. without a break anywhere, and
hence without any place whatever for the
interference of intelligent design. The
watch, like the animal or plant, is strictly
the product of physical causes operating
without interference.
Some particular change in the brain is
held TO be the physical cause of thought,
which, as being mere effect, contributes
nothing to the result, which would take
place just as truly il the mental fact called
design were not in the series at all 1.-THE
circumstance that, in the case of human
works, certain antecedents in the brain are
believed to be accompanied by facts of cou-
sciousness and intelligent purpose, is not
pertinent to the physical inquiry" because
the facts of consciousness are not links in
the physical chain, and so do not affect the
physical result.
We thus conclude that the works of man
exactly resemble the works Of nature in
their entire subiectlon to physical causa-
ton; and all human results are natural
productions as much as shells and clouds,
effected by bodily movements governed al
together by physical causes.
1t is equally clear that the same argu
ments which Danish design from external
nature, by showing that physical causes
are adequate to account for its productions
also exclude all the evidences of human in
telligence.
''If we hold that the natural course of
events admits of any interference by in.
telligence, we leave room for the purposive
interpretations of the Creator as well as for
those of man; but if we maintain that il
would contradict all our experience of na
ture TO suppose that the Creator steps in
to alter IT'S course, we must not concede tt
the mind OF man the slightest power tc
modify events. Either of these two promo
sitions may consistently be held; but we
cannot hold both; we cannot assert the
physical impossibility of the Creators in.
reference. while we freely ascribe human
productions and contrivances to the intelli-
gence of man"
But we know that man has intelligence
and we therefore ascribe intelligence to tht
Author of nature, or rather, we hold thai
nature has anintelligent author Nor is thi.
a case of mere analogy between two simila,
sets of facts. The things compared are ar
entire set of facts aud portion of the
same" Man being portion of nature
what holds true of nature holds true of man
ssWhat is affirmed to be possible in th,
case of man, is thereby affirmed to be DOS
sible in the case of nature" and the sur
prise and difficulty would be- to suppos,
minute portions Of nature exhibited intelli
gence, while the vast aggregate. affordins
UNNECESSARILY richer and greater indica
tions of design, exhibited none
.
The GOOD people of Boise city have in
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