The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-02

the DOOk variety is one OF the 6lecL66t.
We love to browse in libraries-if in any
stage OF his wriggling worm may be
allowed to do that;-and next the COM
fort of dipping and slipping here and
there in boundless collection of books,
is the satisfaction of following some dis
cerning chronicler who has been much
on the track of the book worm. Mr..
Browne is himself second and revised
edition of particularly bright first
Brunonian imprint. We have never
found any OF them more to our mind
than Irving is in his chatty, witty and
pretty Bookworm.
We have read with much interest
and profit Joseph Henry Crooker's
paper on the "Atheism of Religions
He makes it clear that all religions and
all theologies have erred, not by believ-
ing too much but too little in God. But
his study starts and does not answer
some deep questions. II God is equally
present in all nature" does it not fol-
low that there is no ground of discrimi-
nation between the beautiful and the
ugly, the helpful and the harmful, the
good and the bad? If all humanity is
divine and therefore to be trusted and
reverenced, are we not under the same
coercion to trust and revere Herod as
Christ? Granted that Jesus docs not
stand outside the race" but within it
and part Of it, does it follow that he is
not fuller of God and therefore more
godlike than other men? And if he lie,
can it be called atheism to confess and
proclaim the fact?
When you take the large view of it
nature includes everything; and if we
are to worship nature who shall say that
we are not to bow down. before lis
plaques, catsclysms. horrors? 1t must
not be supposed we escape the difficulty
by placing all the real evil" and misery
to the account of man for on this theory
man is part of nature, and his So
called evil deeds are as legitimate an
outcome of nature as his so.called good
decide. Perhaps more legitimate, as in
the course of his history hitherto they
greatly out-number the good. On a
thorough going theory of nature wor-
ship there is no such thing as improve
ment and progress, and no room for it.
The "all' Of today gives as good reasons
for itself as any all of any other day. II
there is to be better "all" by and by.
that discredits the nature that has been
and now is, the only nature we know
anything about, and so upsets our philo-
sophy. The truth is, faith in nature is
not the same thing as faith in God.
Nor, concisely, does faith in God carry
with it implicit alteration of nature.
The State Republican committee
has met and registered the opinion of
Senator Platt on the mayoralty of
greater New York. 1t has whatever
merit attaches to the view of that emf
nent stateman. He was not consulted
in regard to the candidate the citizens
OF the proposed municipality should
want. They have selected with great
unanimity distinguished gentleman
known to be able. impartial. incorrupti-
BILE. That kind of man, nominated in
that sort of way, is more offensive to the
Senator than an ''out and-out Tammany
candidate" Simple souls ask them
selves what Senator Platt has to do with
the question any way; or. for that no after,
the Republican state committee. But
in these days OF government, not by the
people but by the boss, it should be
known that the first and really import
ant inquiry is. what would our master
have US do?
1t is sort of second chapter in the
meteorological story begun by Benjamin
Franklin with his key and kite. which
the present experiments with the Blue
Hill box kites are telling. They send up
these flutteripg aeronauts to height of
10000 feet; and by the aid of delicate in
struments for recording the temperature,
humidity, air currents. let US know even
more exactly than if we went up in
balloon how it is at two miles elevation.
Preparations are making for using the
box kites at all the more important
points of weather observation in the
country. AS they can be sent up almost
every day and, if need be, several times
in day, it is apparent that vast ex.
tension of the range of meteorological
data will presently be secured. This is
kite flying to some purpose.
CANTON THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL.