The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-05-13
How Science Discovers God.

A French naturalist declares that IL
there were no birds man would be starved
out in nine years; for in spite of all that
he could do the insects and slugs would
multiply so rapidly that they would de-
stroy all vegetation in that time. We owe
our very existence. therefore, to the birds
which in seeking their own living destroy
daily myriads of these destructive Great
ures and so make it possible for plants and
trees to live.
This is only one of multitude of mar
Vicious provisions by means of which the
forces of nature are adjusted so as to make
possible the existence of an infinite va
riety of plant and animal life on our globe,
and more especially to fit the world for
mans habitation.
Every new discovery of science brings
out more and more clearly the fact that
infinite wisdom has worked out an inf
nitely complex and marvelously beautiful
system OF machinery, if one may call it so,
IN this world of ours, that every valve and
pulley and belt. every bolt and rod is adj
Justed to the particular work assigned to
1t, and that all work together for the &C.
complishment of one great design.
Man cannot hope, however, TO find out
the ultimate purpose of the Architect of
Nature by studying nature We need to
look upon the Architects own plan to see
what HIS purpose. is. That plan. which is
spread before us in the Bible is so trans.
cendant!y glorious that it is worth while
even for God to spend thousands of years
in working it out
All truth has its origin in the thoughts
OF God; therefore, any truth when fol-
lowed back to Its source will necessarily
lead to God. IL the researches of science
seem for time to lead men away from
God, 1t is only because n half seen truth
usually points in the wrong direction and
the true remedy for the evil is to pursue
the study which has led to a false conclu.
Ell lo1~ IL
iect with which it deals corrects the false
impression derived from partial informa,
tor.
We find a very good illustration of this
in book called ''The Influence of Christ
IN Modern Life" by DR.. Newell Dwight
pany. DIR. Hills says:
1T is said that when Jacquard first e-.
hibited his loom to the wondering specta.
tors. and the streams of water, by means
of the belt and hy-wheel, started all the
spindles upon their task of embroidering
howers and leaves upon the silk texture,
the onlookers were so entranced with the
wonders of the loom as utterly to forget
the inventor. The myriad spindles toiling
on without any help from without made
jacquard seem superfiuous. But soon the
mechanism needed repairing. and then the
spectators came to feel there was no
greatness IL the loom that was not first in
Jacquards mind.
Thus for brief period this earthly
mechanism mature with it's forces and
their laws) seemed to abolish God. But
afterward with knowledge, reverence grew
until the time has now come when biolo.
glsts, physicists, historians alike confess
that there is no theory of evolution which
does not demand God to make it worka-
BILE"
DIR. Hills is particularly able as well
as aggressive exponent of the school of
theology which is in the ascendant at pres
ent-the school which appeals to reason az
the supreme judge of truth and accents
the teachings of revelation only as far as
they are considered reasonable. The ad.
herents of this school believe in God be-
cause they find Him in nature, and in
Christ because He satisfies their ideals with
regard to the possibilities of human nature.
Well, 1t is better to believe even so than
not to believe at all. But that sort of be.
lief will not satisfy the needs of our spirit.
ual nature. We need a God concerning
whom we can have definite KNOWLEDGE
through a direct revelation, which we can
feel to be authoritative aud Trustworthy
in itself and superior to and therefore quite
independent of any discoveries or impress
sions concerning Him which can be Oh.
tanned from the ratiocinations of the hu.
man mind even in its highest development,
New y ork Witness. .,,,,...-. -,