The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-27
CALAMITY AND PROVIDENCE
REV. 4. W. MARTINS FIRST LECT-
IRE ON POPULAR PALACES.
All Tyres 81 suaering asa Misfor-
tune Are, He says. Inetdentat %
the Evslution Of the Uniyerse-
Arguaemts Of Ingersoll Related.

Al Ranke hall last night Rev. Alfred
w. Martin, minister Of the lately organ
lied Society for Universal Religion. DE-
liysred the fourth in his series of four
d.sceurses on Popular Faliacses. II
was upon the age-long problem of "Cai-
antilles and Providence. The speaker
cited four different groups OF misfortune
and suffering In the world--tAe disasters
that occur in the mechanical on-gotng oi
natures processes, sucn as cyclones
earthquakes and storms: the diseases ana
sufYerings by which physical man . at
nicted; the conflicts and temptations OF
mans moral nature. the dlsappointmenss
and spiritus. anguish arising from blast-
ed hopes and unreaiized ideals.
These" said Mr.. Martin. are the
dark facts men have IN mind when they
say a good God and a suffering world -
He cited the arguments of Mil. Conway
and Col. ingersoii, all Of which end IN the
belief that this contradiction Is attested
by the facts OF experience and oosersa-
But" he continued, "Iugersoli and
others of his Tx are forty years behind
the times IL TIER Argument ,,,y siee ana ss
creation has been before the public. but
evidently fngersoli and his followers have
not yet taken Ia this conception and It's
application 10 the problem of calam!ties.
Their objection TO q benefcent God con-
trolling the universe Is entirely Ranked
by the doctrine OF evolution, which
teaches that the universe is not com
pleted creation. but stiii In the making.
and IL, therefore no. to he judged until
finished any more than the apples IN an
orchard are 20 be condemned in June.
We wait till October before passing sem
tence upon them.
$50 with the universe we must wait till
the creation process has been natures to
completion before condemning Il as evil.
The fact Is that all the various types Of
suffering IN the world are incidental TO
this evolutionary process. and when we
see the beauty. the good, the JOY that
has already been achieved by IT we real
ize that all the disaster and suffering
We're elements. n the causing of these
Is nowhere 50 grandly Illustrated az in
the fact OF pain. which is danger signal
warning ur 10 know and obey the laws
OF nature. and as fast as We profit from
that signal pain Will gradually disappear.
'fsed could not make man capable OF
JOY without simultaneously making him
capable or par This Is outside the
reach of omnipotence. Similarly He could
not give W. character without submitting
us 20 temptation. because the very idea
of character implies choice of what is
right IN The presence of what is wrong.
rs for our unreai.xed ideals. instead OF
proving that God Is net good they prove
the reverse. because the crownsng glory
of man Hes In his reach exceeding his
grasp. And the very existence of an ideal
Indicates that power whence all things
proceed is good.
Aga n. the universe. to be such. must
be under law God must conform to his
own laws. Were he to interfere with the
forces that create the cyclone aud the
cooling breeze. the storm at sea ard fhe
earth-revtsfns rain, there would be chaos
instead Of a universe That is TO say, To
prevent a lesser evil greater evils would
ensue by Interference with the orderly
operation OF law. Consequently I'm each
and all OF these types of suffering We see
that IT God was To create n universe and
10 make men and women rather than
automatic He could not possibly have
prevented suffering and pain
God Is the naternai teacher, the uni
verse school. the race His pupils. and
the processes of experience our education
Ana God ~ never so tender with us as
when by the discipline OF iif. he makes
US worthy TO be His Children"