The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-22


ious but emphatieally Christian. In
this case the pendulum which had
passed the point of rest returned in
its necessary search of it. 1t is abso-
lutely true, as one has said, that, the
law of moral gravitation cannot be
moeked or ignored" And there is a
grayitation of the soul Godward. which
must in the end prevail over Material
istic speculation, providing that mys-
terious line of demarcation be not
crossed, over which, if one once passes
there is no return, as in the case of
Charles Darwin.
Romanes was for years devoted
collaboration with Darwin in his Nat
.uralistic researches, and seconded him
in all his utterances regarding the
origin of species, in fact the whole
evolutionary system This man has
given his confessions in his celebrated
work "A Candid Examination of Re
ligion." The bearing of this, Romanes
last work, on the reaetionary move
ment in the world of scientific thought
is of such Importance as to justify a
somewhat extended notice of the same,
and of the conclusions to which he
points. He begins his Candid Exam
ination of Religion" by acknowledge
ing the tendency in scientific men to
dogmatism. On this he remarks:
Scientific men rs class are quite
as dogmatic as the straitest sect of
theologians. Never was any
one more arrogant in his claims for
pure reason than | was-more arrogant
in spirit though not in letter, this be-
ing due to contact with science
My object in writing this last treatise
lis not to impart any philosophical sys-
tenn, or even positive knowledge, but
a FRAME OF MIND free from undue
influence in merely syllogistical con-
elusions in regions of high abstrac
tions."
He then goes on to ''deplore the over
sight of which he had been guilty in
not being sufficiently careful in exam
ing the FOUNDATIONS OF HIS
CRITICISM. namely, the validity of its
premises" Il recognized that the
question of Theism fro mthe side of
Reason turned on the question as to
the nature OF natural causation, but
ERRED IN NOT CONSIDERING
WHETHER HIGHER CAUSES ARE
NOT NECESSARY TO ACCOUNT
FOR SPIRITUAL FACTS, i. e., wheth-
Ter the Ultimate Being must not be at
least as high as the intellectual and
spiritual nature of man. l. e.. higher
than anything merely physical or me-
chanicaI He further says:
Il honestly confess. with Pascal,
that MAN WITHOUT GOD is MIS-
ERABLE. Some men are not con
scious of the cause of the misery; but
this, however, does not prevent the
fact of their being miserable. For the
most part they conceal the fact as well
as possible from themselves, by oc-
cupying their minds with society
sport, frivolity of all kinds; or, if in
tellectually disposed, with science, art
literature, business, etc. This, how
lever, is but TO fill the starving belly
with husks KNOW FROM ExPER-
IENCE the intellectual distractions of
scientific research, philosophical spec
ulation, and artistic pleasures; but am
also well aware that even when all are
taken together and well-sweetened to
the taste, in respect to consequent rep
utation, means, social position, etc,
THE WHOLE CONCOCTION is BUT
HIGH CONFECTIONERY TO A
STARVING MAN. He may cheat him
self for a especially if he be
strong man-into a belief that he is
Inourishing himself by denying his nat
ural appetite; but HE SOON FINDS
THAT HE WAS MADE FOR SOME
ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT KIND
OF FOOD, even though of much less
tastefulness as far as the palate is
concerned. There is vacuum in the
soul of man which nothing can fill
save FAITH IN GOD
In relation to the question of the
evidence of the truth of Christianity
Romanes quotes John Hunters char
aeteristic saying, DO not think-try."
And adds; TRY the only experiment
ayailable-THE EXPERIMENT OF
FAITH. DO THE DOCTRINE. AND
If CHRISTIANITY BE TRUE THE
VERIFICATIoN WILL COME, not in
deed mediately through any course of
speculative reason, but IMMEDIATE
LILY BY SPIRITUAL INTUITION" IF
any man will DO His will, he shall
KNOW Of the doctrine, whether it be
of God" (John 7:17).
AS to his deepest personal conviction
he declares, that only to man who'll
ly destitute of spiritual perception can
it be that Christianity shuld fail to APP