Year: 1875

ANTIDorEs TO ATHEIsM-sERMoN BY MR.. o. D.


FRoTHNGHAM.


The subject OF Mr. Frothngham's discourse yester
day Antidotcs to Atheism his illustrations being
largely drawn from John Stuart Mill Tho atheism OF
the heart the increase he sad while the atheism Of
the mind is the decrease Mill saysThe fact is that
nature pcrpetrates things which would send the
ordinary mortal into lunatic asylum. Nature outdoes
ordinary human rufaans; she freezes them with cold
bures them under the avalanche stretches them the
rack, tears them to pieces; and with the same
ncxorablc cruelty she deals with the saint and with tho
sinner" Now this is terrible arraignment OF God
You believe in God Well, II He is omnipotent Hc
not prevent such sufrerngsY And If Hc can and will
not is He not deficient in infinite goodness An omni;
potent being is one that can make everything that is
possible,


An EVERYTHING THAT is POSSIBLE.


Can he make circle like square; can no make tubo
be gobc at tho same time can no make black OF
white; he make thing bc and not be at the
same time? Suppose there Is such an infinite, abso-
Lutte being whose aim is his glory the pcrfec-
tion of mankind, anything else His being is still
limited by that AIM therefore the ancicnts put fato
behind God 1t is manfcsty unfair to another
being whose conditions arc supposed be far superior
to ours by those of our limited understanding.
The folly OF the child retng under its lessons is wis
dom compared the complaints OF at the actions
Of tho being who holds in His hand the destines OF
the world. Miss Frances Power Cobbe, in argument
for the immortality of the SOUL cites two instances
which 10 her mind are those OF unadultcratcd evil
Take Jesus. In the first place his life short,
miserable and cut OFF by the most shameful mode OF
death Now saws Miss Cobbc can we accept
this rs n conclusion without looking forward to the
compensation OF another worldS But can see that
Jesus accepted gladly the sorrows OF His position as
Messiah, that this man, in consequence OF having
bravcd His prosecutors has been glorihcd beyond all
human prcccdenis Must then call in extra
power which shall grant extra compensation An
other OF these furnished by Miss Cobbe Is the
far greater severity with which women are punished
for sins TO which men have tempted them. But when
remember the exgcncies OF society, the awful con-
sequences Of such sin, much severer in the one
than in the other, cannot but acknowledge the jus
tce of this state things Ii would be difficult IN the
whole realm OF knowledge TO find thing in which the
scales of divine justice not evenly held Talk of
copying the example OF God When people understand
what He does and why 1t Is done then men shall be
able to copy It, But the divine example was never in
tended to bo copied by men. Suppose men we're only
intended TO be mouthpeces agents for divine goodness
and love,


This is always true. The healthiest mind always
takes tho cheerfuest view Of life The brightest eye
sees beauty, of course than tho dim and feeble
eye. Look Mt the bright side of things In the last
century there lived German philosopher who took the
view that this about the worst possible world that
could ever have been made. But what sort of
was ths2 Maudlin solitary, goomy-a man wfcless,
Europe this had his carpet bag ready to fee from
to town in order to avoid being swept away from





took up the book Of man who died Of consumption
man who had prodigous zcst for the world and
ioycd its wonderful beauty He says in one OF his let
ters:-"When in my wintry walk can hear the chirp
of the last sparrow and can sec the last falling leaves
my heart is full Of infinite content Time
which everybody complains OF, which gives
to no unmlxcd enjoyment, does still
give undimmcd joy to MS. There is
one fact ccrainwe are all unwilling to die. Is this
not universal confession Of the human heart that life
is fair noble aud worth living forS Is there any salts
faction, then, in believing in this God? The atheist
says ''No; for have observed that the more people
worship tho less they work. Well II this true,
should be glad II we were all atheists.


WORKING erHEIsT


Is better than lazy priest Qaughter) But II is pre-
cisey here that the theist calls in his faith IN God
When have learned n few million times than
we know now then may obtain Interpretation OF
His qualities Only those who utter fools have the
audacity to define His intentions.


with what steady step the progress OF the material
world goes Go back thousand years. Soc how much
richer how far more beautiful the earth is now, how
the weeds have changed into flowers, how the human
race has improved This proves that there is power
outside Of US that works toward righteousness. The
thest is satisfied All he wants to know is that tho
good work goes There is less vice, there is less
crime, there Is


4 HIGHER LEVEL or SOCIAL EXISTENCE


than before Tho aboltionist did abolish
human slavery. but there behind him this power
that works for righteousness the accumulated con
science Of generations Of the past Men and women
purcr and better and nobler The great
underneath has lifted up We say, them there Is
power working for good. Very few men In this
world stand alone and when there comes the last
there only left a dozen in generation who
do not shrink from death The bravest feel that they
must be sustained by some ono and IL seems to me
that IL is great thing to believe In thus power that
works for righteousness. When friends turn away
die and hopes disappear and dreams doludo thon II s
worth while to remember that We live in Eden still,
that the OF God still speaks from the trees offering
tho immortal fruits and flowers yet wet with His
tears.