mitchell-P044_A-4_9

The ignorance and folly the Atheist, apparent from the study of nature!

In every generation, from the primeval state, man presents the aspect of a religious being. "If you go over the earth," says Plutarch, “you may find Cities, without walls, letters, Kings, houses, wealth and money; devoid of theaters and schools; but in City without temple and gods, and where is no use of prayers, oaths and oracles, nor sacrifices to obtain good or avert evil, no man ever saw." Notwithstanding this religious character, of the human race, this universal persuasion of one Great First Cause, there have arisen, in different ages, professed atheists; men ignorant of nature, and unbelievers in natures' God. Whether they were regarded, by their contemporaries, as men of exalted intellect or not, it is certain that the study of nature will expose their folly, and make it notorious, that their acquaintance, with organized nature, was indeed very superficial. Wherever the contemplative mind turns itself, wethth wthether in the vegetable, or animal Kingdom, or into that immencity of space, where sun and planets and stars are seen, it is struct with signs of intelligence and design displayed in all. Entering the vegetable Kingdom, what wisdom does it not see put forth exhibited? The seeds are preseved with paternal care, their dispersion and germination regulated by wise laws; The mechanism, visible from the tender sprout to the full grown plant, displays consumate skill; and their nurishing and medicinal qualities, so exaxtly suited to the animal system, besspeak a provident care. While the devout mind yields to the conviction that there is a contriver, a designer here; so ignorant is the atheist of the wonders of this Kingdom that he ascribes all th to senseless chance! Oh, how ignorant of the wonders of this Kingdom!!

VERSO

If one of those, who is acute in pointing out the wonders of nature lead us into the animal Kingdom; if we follow him that to survey the extensive dominion, the ignorance and folly of the atheist will appear still more glaringly. If he lead us to the school of the anatamist, what wonderful organization will he there point out [to us], in the formation, the growth, the adaptation, the strenght, the use of the bones; What admiration will not he excite in our mind, in pointing [to us] to the relation, the disposition, motion, the number, and diversity of muscles? With what attention, and eagerness do we follow him, as he describes to us that delicate, yet powerful system, by which the blood is again and again conveyed thro' the animal frame, with an almost incredible velosity? In fine, while we learn the number, the conviniences and use of the various vessels in this fearful system, we recognize such matchless skill, such amazing wisdom, such benevolent contrivances, as proclaim, "What, but God? Inspiring God! ----- Adjusts, sustains, and agitates the whole. Yet, the atheist sees no skill, no wisdom, no contrivance here displayed. He owns no creating hand; no upholding arm. Oh, what inexpressible ignorance! What consummate folly!

If we leave the vegetable w Kingdom, and the animal structure, and ascend to the sublimer works of nature, to contemplate the wonders discoverable in the planetary and stary region, "we feel a present Deity" in every step. We meet with huge masses of matter ballanced as were in the empty space, of such magnitudes, and of such relative distances, operated upon by such such an indiscribable principle momentum agency;. that that though they revolve round their centre with

RECTO

irrisistable velosity, yet regularity and order is are observable in all their vast movement. We discover that by well fixed laws, and established principles, in the course of their revolution, phenomena succeed phenomena. Directing our attention still further into the immensity of space, we are attracted by miriad of luminous bodies, where, probably, other suns illumine other worlds. As we roam range along this immeasurable space, and gaze on these numberless worlds, we are convinced, that they have a divine original; A Creator, whose power is infinite, whose wisdom is incomprehensible. We call on the atheist to gaze with us; we hope that he will awake and own, that a God! God is here. But all in vain; he owns no wisdom in the contrivance, no power in the execution, no Creator as the original. We wonder not, that inspiration should denominated that being a fool, in whom the universe cannot produce the acknowledgement of a God.

Mitchell

Declamation -----