Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-25
COM N ENCEMENT
Continued from page -

weli-ordered physical law, and behind
them sits our God who ''hath prepared
His throne in the heavens, whose king
dom ruleth over all. and whose tender
mercies are over all His works"
But there are mysteries other than
those of the material world We see a
universe about us ordered with wonderful
skill How came it to he? Whence came
it? WHY is its order disturbed nv eviI2
evil. other than what may he found in in
human intelligencc and viii? orr com
panions. our race drop out of sight. We
shall follow them. What then? WHITTIER
are we ho1ndo These u1estions must he
answered
Vet neither phiIosophv nor science have
any light to throw upon these questions.
lirhf mon Them Ent men m11st bare
answeri 70 theen ouestione not hacnI,se
Of clriositv nor Of ednration The nced
of answers to these nurstions is fnund in
the very nature of the mind, and can no
more he er1dicated than can the bodv's
need of FOOD and rest.
Some of The most terrible sins and
deeds that darken the pages of history
have been the result of mans attempting
TO answer these questions and answering
them falsely instead of truly. What has
been hc!d TO be truth and sanctioned BY
the nobility. the learning, and even the
religion of the times. has. in fact. borne
the fruits or cruelty, corruption. and uni
EerSaI despair. we can the past times
dark ages. we call the time IN which
speak truly. 1et IN the darkest ages the
sun was as bright. the blrds sang as
SWtetIN, the lrult ana flowers We're as
III ~ ~" ne utlhiithS MI u SOU
ana nlnu. Nhence mas tht ilSnt come !:
JoD saw me nGhi nut could not ten us
source. we see the HSht, anu we can De
certain ~ 10 us origin.
consider me question OF the material
universe Inc world Is Wonderfully
adapted 10 us lnhalhtantS. How dld II
become Sof 1t IS evident alike To OBJ
SeINdtlOn ana To the lnuuctlOilS OF science
th3L tne WnFlu Is d piece Oh workmanship
ut.i ~ ~ "a orGar di
nose and arranCement Every nook and
corner is stocked with life. and every
form Of 1if. Is perfertIy nroyidcd for vet
none could exchange with others Most
wonderful of ali is mans admiration TO
naturn Every science declares that In
~ bnildinr ~ tbp world man wns an-
ticinatad IInw ala ti,is w6ndnrfr,iIy- ar
RANGED world come into cxistanccP Where
is thr Hrht which will make the answer
We turn to materidliSm; that Is, TO the
view which refuses to accept anything
not atteSted by experience and the tcstl-
mony Of the senses the view that de-
clares that matter has in 1t all the forces
and agencies necessary to produce the
world as We find it,, and that we may as
sumo that the world mas come TO De what
1t is without q experimenting intelilo
gence Does TINS expIahation give Iignt
is II IN harmony win Int uidllerdpie III
luitipHS VI tH' Hllil'' "itii ny 80 iii'S
OF reason. or the conclusions OF science
We stand beside a splendid locomotive;
we admire us model, tnc nhlsh OF us
parts. its adaptation to do It's work; we
see what splendid result of mind and
of skill this is. But some one assures US
that this Is not the work OF nina AT az:
Inat II ca mo neIhS 90 ho,ti
ana I"I"r No. rnn9 into being snonta-
IN ,,,, ~ ~. founH trnIr 1Iares bv
,,tIrai' s a.Ie mar behind the ma
INV. No Mood infer mo- mind ar nurpose
tt,. IN ragrnrcn ,n ei,rh assertions
Mh"l,Ntt. :" ~ P'' ~ IA, halia,,a ,hon'
we simply say we 90 not DciieNe thtll'
and we do not believe them because we
cannot believe them. They are contrary
cry induction of science ana experience
There is no reason why we should be
lieve them; there Is every reason why
we should not believe them. Ana 50
when one asserts that the world has
come to he what it is without supcrin
tending intelligence. we say We do not
believe it. It is contrary to every actlv-
ity of the mind. Again, there Is no rea-
son why we should beiieve II mere 7
very reason why we shoulu Hol
heNe II. - :. NOT irn,or+,n+ ia deter
~ course, II - ~ P,,.t; ,,nrni,.
mine the answer 10 thla IueSti'.it ii'cn,iS
to decide as To the origin vi Lilis UNI
verse Of things. me Things aIc heid ar,,i
our nam cQnCerm - y nnrii'aa ,bat
God made the world, there 1olloWs me
conclusion that Coo, ana hoi man; Is w
absolute owner OF the World ln, eIG -
Constituted cons authority over u. The y, words
ought" and duty become vital III our
scheme of life; vital not pf &c G ipa
world declares lie is-sunremely Wise ana ma
good. The ought Is felt to be riGht anu
We cheerfully acknowlcdge it. con Ana ma th nd
GGnyict2 P b mq9l oP wi when # freed
from all conception of authority, works
selfishness and Al nnrishteq % rtgn Tn ne
,n,rrhv C;odlcssncss is disordcr-fOr we
ourselves are part of this ordered uni
verse. Are we. then, the only part Of the
universe that need not GonfGrm to its this bf
der? Has God sad 'nytnlIfi upon o,,is
That lie has given us minute dlrcc nitnaI