Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-04

tho disaster was wrought by an "lm-
personal force, over which neither God
nor man had any control II was sim
ply an accident without any moral les
son, because no part OF the divine plan.
The other is hat the visitation was
due to the moral status OF the city.
4 Kansas city clergyman Is quoted as
having said
"oiod was teaching the people of san
Francisco q lesson when He sent the
earthquake. san Francisco was one Of
the most corrupt cities In the country
and God visited His wrath upon Il Just
RS He did IN the case OF Sodom ana
tiomorrah The people Of SodOm and
Gomorrah dwclt IN magnificent build
dlsobedient to the laws u God. So var
San Francisco
Another had this TO say:
81 know what I say when declare
that San Francisco was the most Goo.
defying city IN the United states. Thu.
sabbath Is shamcfully desocrated there,
Its people We're not church going peo-
pie ! agree with others who say that
its destruction was the work Of q dis
pleased God
Against this representation il IL
poiutel out that san Francisco was no
more corrupt than some other cities
that enjoy peace and prosperity The
question is further asked, what about
the innocent babes that persisted? Or
the churches that were demolishedP
About eighty buildings used for re-
ligious purposes. belonging 10 every de-
nomination represented In the city
were ruined. Did God. IT Is asked, XIII
innocent children and ruin sacred
buildings in order to execute judgmen,
upon sinners? The question has not
been satisfactorily answered and w'
presume Il cannot be.
There are things connected with tho
World-goyernment Of God, which nec-
essarily are iucomprehensible to human
understanding with It's present incom-
plotc stock ~ knowledge just as to
the child who has but commenced It's
preparatory course Of study in a COM
mon school, much "a the government
of the state and the principles of law
must appear puzzling. As knowledge
increases the dealings of Providence
with the children Of men appear In
new light and the mysteries will ulti-
mately be solved to reason as cerlain-
ly as they are now to faith.
Both sides To this discussion have 10
very large extent lost sight of mans
free agency. Rosseau seems to have
had this IN mind when he said Of the
Lisbon earthquake that mature had
not crowded together at Lisbon twenty
thousand tall houses TO fall and crush
their tenants The Lord IS the SOW
ereign ruler In heaven and on earth
and over oil contained therein. visible
aud invisible. but lie has been pleased
to give to man free agency and His
government Is regulated IN accord
ance with this. A view that takes no
account Of the free agency OF man can
not be Correction that IS fact even AZ
the sovereignty Of God Is a fact one
thing must be remembered. 1t Is not
for man TO pronounce judgment upon
fellow-mep, nor TO put his own inter-
probation upon calamites he may Wit
ness, as did the foolish friends OF Job.
The Master taught this lesson when
he said Ia His disciples;
"Or those eighteen. upon whom the
tower Of Sloan fell. and slew them,
think We that they were sinners above
all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
tell you. Nay but. except We repent, We
shall all likewise perish