The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-07

will be that they are people who dis
believe the existence of Cod" This
answer is hardly correct, as we shall
lsee. Doctor Cudworth in his Intel
Ilectual System" we are told "reckons
four species of atheists among the
ancients.
list The disciples of Anaximander,
lcalled Hylopathian, who attributed
every thing to matter destitute
of feeling. His doctrine was, that men
were born of earth, united with water,
and vivified by the beams of the sun;
his crime seems to have been, that he
made the first geographical maps and
lsun-dials; declared the earth movable,
and of a cylinder form.
"2d. The Atomists, or the disciples of
lDemocritus, who attributed every thing
to the concurrence of atoms. His
crime was having first taught that the
milky-way was occasstoned by the con-
fused light from a multitude of stars.
sd. The Stoics, or the disciples of
Zeno who admitted a blind nature
acting after certain laws. His crime APP
pears to be, that he practiced virtue
with unwearied perseverance, and
taught that this quality alone would
lrender mankind happy.
"4th. The Hylozoists, or the disciples
of Strato, who attributed life to mat
ter. His crime consisted in being one of
the most acute natural philosophers Of
his day, enjoying high favor with Ptolmy
IPhiladelphus. an intelligent prince
whose preceptor he was"
1t will readily be understood that
these ancients were not deniers of God
but ignorant of Him. Any doubt
along this line is at once dispelled by
the apostle Paul, who in his letter to
nc dra a IN ho
fact that prior to becoming Christians,
these people were atheos, that
is atheists, or as the authorized version
has it, without God" See Ephes. Ii,
~.
1t seems to me that ancient atheism,
and modern atheism, as we find it in a
Helmboltz, a Haeckel or a Huxley, are
identical in at least one aspect, viz
that Notwithstanding the useful discov-
Ieries, that these systems have brought
to public notice, yet both have failed
to apprehend or grasp God. Here, we
again have evidence that an atheist is
one who does not know God.
But" some one may argue, there is
now, no excuse for a person remaining
ignorant of God since He has mani
tested himself to the world in Christ
Jesus" Under these circumstances it
may be claimed that an atheist will
fully refuses to know God and that this
constitutes him a denier of God
There appears at first sight to be
some force in this argument, but it
should be remembered that though in
Jesus was seen the image of Cod vet
this image has become so marred
through crude notions taking the place
OF Bible truths, and pernicious specu-
latlons being substituted for the teach
ing of Christ and his apostles The
ATHEIST, as he is called, will not ac-
cept the popular conception of the
Deity. His utter contempt of the theo-
logical conception may be seen in
what here follows:
No man" says an atheistic writer,
in his proper senses can deny the
Ienergy of nature, or the existence of a
power, by virtue of which matter acts.
by which it puts itself in motion; but
no man can, without renouncing his
reason, attribute this power to an i'm
material substance; to a power placed
tout of nature; distinguished from mat
ter; having nothing in common with it.
is II not saying this power does not
exist, to pretend that it resides in an
unknown being, formed by a heap of
unlntelligible qualities of INCOMPATIBLE
attributes, from whence necessarily re-
suits whole, impossible to have exist
ence? man. who denieth the
existence of power, inherent in MAT
ter, without which we cannot CON
celVe nature" is according to this
writer, not an atheist but a fool"
From what l have already written I
think it will be seen that the reason we
! nave atheists among us. is to be found
/ in the fact that, God has not been eff
nclently presented to their minds, they
tail TO apprehend Him. to them this
universal frame of nature is without A
mind. No doubt the atheist has erred
in accepting theological notions. as
Bible teaching. While we lament that
men are without God" yet we rejoice
to know that God has destined that all
shall know Him, from the least to the
greatest.
Now as concerns the principles of
atheism. Do they tend to anarchy?
In what follows let the reader judge for
himself. -''
The principles of atheism saws M.
DE Mirabaud, ARE not formed for the
mass of the people, who are commonly
under the tutelage of their priests: thew
are NOT calculated for those frivolous
capacities, not suited to those dissi
pated minds, who fill society with their
vices, who hourly afford evidence of their
own lnutility; they will not crafty the
ambitious; neither are they adapted to
lntriguers, nor fitted for those restless
beings who find their immediate infer
est in disturbing the harmony of the
SONleii ColIpdcts mucn less are thew
made for great number of persons
who, enlightened in other respecfs
have not sufficient courage to divorce
themselves from the received preiu-
dices."
Now in concluding it may afford the
public some satisfaction to know. that
In the purpose of God, governments are
destined to endure longer than tbe
church (See Rev. xvii, y, 16. II. 1S1
Ihere need be no surprise at this as
the church, on the one hand cannot
progress, owing to her fixed creeds
while on the other hand governments
especially the government of tbe
united States) are progressing rapidIv
IN that they act on the best princinIes
mat the human mind can conceive
Inc more government looks to the well
rare OF her people in general. the more
immovsable will it become, and the
more enlightened the people become.
the more will they realize the necessity
OF government during this time
state: and be it observed this time
state, of which something is known.
must of necessity command more at
tention than that future-state. of
which We know so little
Perish anarchy, perish ignorance. but
long live government. and enlistment.
JAMES STOKES.