The San Francisco call., 1896-02-10
il there be such beings; all bear that attribute

if there be such beings; all bear that attribute
OF divinity.
Next, natural law is divine, because it is om-
nlpresent and eternal; but permit me to note
as human legislation and law govern man.
NO, nature is infinite and complete in herself,
ana law unto herself, and SO far as may be
known there is no power superior to nature.
Nature being eternal had no lawgiver, and
is hersef the divine and infinite. And what
we call natural law is not the arbitrary fiat OF
the gods, but simply the uniform action OF
matter and force.
All bodies tend to the center of the earth.
Llght bodies float; heavy ones sink; water
mas It's level by grayitation; fire burns; water
crowns; poison kills, and all violations OF na-
lures conditions bring adequate punishment
1or every lnfraction-not because any OF the
gods said SO, but because it cannot be other
wise In the nature of things. And 1t is be-
cause that matter and force always, under
similar conditions produce similar results,
That we call this uniform action, law = the
result or conditions-and not conditions the
result of natural law, as some ,suppose-but,
peing property of matter, had no beginning
OF laWglVer and is eternal and dlylne. NOW,
then. the universe, alone being infinite, is the
only dlylne power which can reveal dlylne
truth to mankind
An infinite revelation is an universal reVela-
ton, a constant revelation, an eternal revela-
ton-not something which happened 1000
years ago, but something that lSp here now,
something that happened last year, and this
year, and will happen next year and through
not simply to few Hindoos, Jews, Moham-
medans and Catholic Christians, but to all
mankind.
A divine revelation or message to man must
be addressed to his reason and not to his
Ignorant fears, and in no sense can salvation
be contingent on faith and belief when belief
must depend upon evidence and Is not subject
to the human will. And to save my soul from
hell cannot believe that the Christian system
is OF divine origin any more than Buddhism.
And If deity inspired men to write a rev
nol l1Qd fha c
true and Gods word would be In perfect har-
mony with all other truths in nature, else how
can we tell what truth is?
To say that God once spoke to somebody a
long time ago, is no revelation to US to-day.
To say that God gave over the salvation of the
world into the hands of Peter and the succeed
ing Popes is a travesty on true religion and a
source of priestcraft and theological claptrap
which has degraded the intellect of the world
in the name of God and religion.
To say that Mathew, Mark. Luke or John or
Peter, or even Jesus of Nazareth, ever held in
his hands the salvation of the world is mis-
take, and cruel mis- take, which has held the
world IN bondage to religious superstition,
and sad reflection it is that the old gentle
man IN Rome should WELD such power over
the minds and conscience of millions of people
who seem to regard his voice as the voice of
God. Not that we deny the voice OF GOD in
nature, but do deny that any particular re-
ligion is the voice of God only so far they
utter truth, susceptible OF demonstration. as
the teacher of natural science is our high priest
and the schoolhouse and college of learning
our most holy places.
And to my mind all absolute truth, however
revealed, is divine revelation who ther in the
Bible or outside the Bible, and is til voice of
the eternal God speaking to man. Mathe-
MATES is a divine revelation because 1T carries
with it its own proof, and no faith is required
to stamp its divinity. Chemistry is a divine
revelation. because it asks no blind faith and
is susceptible Of demonstration a thousand
times. if you wish. Thus it is, science and
knowledge are the only divine revelations and
real saviors OF the world. So, also, art and ill.,
vention are divine revelations, greater than
the Apocalypse of John or Dante's Inferno
And there is not useful art or invep ton but
has moral side to it relating to our well-being
and development.
The discovery of steam as motor-power in
relation to civilization has been greater force
than all the missionaries on earth.
The discovery of gunpowder, and the Krupp
and needle gun, are greater divine revelations
and have done more TO stay the tide of war
among nations than all of the bibles, tracts
and testaments ever giveE to the heather
world.
Now, word about inspiration, and you will
see at glance that inspiration and divine