The herald., 1894-08-26
| PLEA FOR STIRPCULTURE,
Providence Has Little Regard
for Ignorance.
The Necessity of Studying in Gods
Workshop.
VANS Efforts to Improve All Forms of
Animal L.fs Except Humsn-
kind-some interesting
Deductions.

BY LADY COOK, NEE TENNESSEE CLAFLIN.
we hear great deal about the designs
OF Providencs, and moat frequently from
those who arc very ignorant of Natures
operations. For, as a rule, they, who
know least of natural science, are most
dogmatic as to Gods wishes and pur-
poees. 10 listen to them, one would
think they were in the cabinet councils
OF the Almighty, and sre, therefore. the
httest to direct mankind. They may
nave drunk freely OF theology, whose
acFid and braekish waters nourieh no
plant OF useful or pleasant growth, but
they have never gone into tiod'o work
shop, where every moment the choicest
giita OF beauty and utility are wrought
now as they were millions of years be-
iore man appeared. II we desire to
know Him, we must go where He is, not
In stately buildings made by human
hands. but in the woods and fields, by
mountain and river, in sunshine and
storm, and study His works as they ex-
ist in Nature. For there is only one
God-the God of Nature-but the
Gods of theologians are many and di-
verne, and are often rather devils than
deities. This venerable mother Of US
all. in whom we live and move and
hsve our beiug," is. in her entirety, ths
whole work and wisdom of God, and
when her language is understood she
speaks to us ia no uncertain voice.
Syatems OF theology differ and creeds
vary, because sthey are the fruit of
mana Imagination and ignorance. Books
tt,p Eot t.,,,x
nsver falsifjee end never deceives. Her
laws are written by the finger of the
Great Architect himself, and are old as
the hills and eternal es the stars.
Should we, then, 60 to perishable books
and buildings to know His will, or to
the everlasting map OF nature which He
has spread before us? Shall we localize
Him by saying this is His house, when
the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain
Him?
1t ia the policy of empiricism to pro-
Tess to go beyond nature, to rely on the
so-called supernatural, and on the suu-
pension OF known laws. This, however,
is mere sophism, by which men de-
ceive themselves and others. For ma
ture includes all things within her uni
vereal dominion. Nothing can go be.
yond her, therefore the supernatural
has no existence. Nor are her laws
ever changed or suspended even for
moment. Strong. immutable, everlaet-
ing, they testify to man the invar;able
purposes, the same yesterday, today
and forever.
We learn from them that nature
makes no allowance for ignorance. All
must conform to her laws or perish.
shs q II 90 aespssqtsg sof p@srsons @ To her.
a race or an individual, lowly plant or
q great philosopher, whatever or who
ever fails to conform to her require
ments suffers or dies. The morally good
have no immunity over the evil, nor
does she stop to enquire into motives.
Socrates, poisoned through malice of
enemies, and Tyndall, poisoned by acci-
dent from loving hand, perished alike.
The uncleanaed sewer Stays prince
and peasant equally. Her benefits
are as impartial es her punishments,
even as the sun shines upon the just
and the unjust. Against ignorance the
forces OF nature are cruel, pitiless, and
destroy without remorse. II we know
them and use them wisely, we can make
them our slaves to minister to our hap
pinees and enjoyment; but If we are
ignorant or neglect them, they become
our masters, tyrannizing, mutilating,
numbering and devastating. One would
suppose from all this that. if God de-
sires anything, he desires us to learn as
much as we cen of natural laws, to |
mediate upon them night and day, and
to bend them to our service; that H0
forces us, as it were, by awful warnings
and examples to investigate them with
oil our mind and soul and strength. |
But, strange, to say, they are little
taught in our schools, and scarcely
heard Of in our churches. Millions
OF men and women grow from child
hood to old age with a very elementary
knowledge Of the most profound and i'm.
portant truths, or even none at all. They
are left to solitary students here and
there, who pursue thsm with much en-.
thusiasm and little reward. The pa
tient Investigations of men like Darwin,
Huxley, Lord Kelvin and others, are
neglected or scofed at by the many, and
appreciated only by the few. And the
loudest and noisiest opponents of our
physical and physiological apostles,
who preach the new doctrine OF human
salvation, are the teachers OF meta
physical Christianity.
Ignorance OF nature then may he
called ignorance OF God, and is the
primary and never-iorgiven sin. Ma
ture aims at perfection of development
in all forms of life. BY slow and almost
imperceptible stages the most plastic
and most adaptive march on until the
goal be reached, but the unfit perish by
the way. Let one show signs OF weak
ness or impaired vitality, and Provi-
dence let's loose thousand emissaries
to e1tinguish him. The parasites OF
disease are ever waiting to faeten upon
him. The most vulnerable epot in his
organization becomes the seat OF attack.
Millions OF invisible enemies prey upon
him, and he dies, alowly it may
be, but with more certainty than if
traneiixed by the fargs OF wild beasts,
or embraced by the deadly coils of the
boa. Ia nature cruel in this aud similar
operations? At first sight it might
seem 70. She is pitiless to individuals,
but that she may perfect the race. She
condemns q part for the cake Of the
whole. God in nature cries aloud.
avoid concentrations. destroy the evil,
perfect the good, let the ignorant perish
L.