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THE E^I^TH
J
SMICAL SYSTEM
A Unit
ROBERT CURRY,
A.M., Ph.D.,
BEING
A BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
LINCOLN:
JOURNAL COMPANY. STATE PRINTERS.
1882.
"rM
By ROBERT CURRY,
In the
office
'
Pope.
THE
If,
in the light of
modern
science,
we
ment of Pope,
So that the
senti-
that
although
not
is
regarded
as
good
very
when taken
Pantheism,
is
never-
ture in
all
more
we examine
her manifold
na-
and pleasing
of
manifested therein,
THE EARTH AS A
pressed with a belief in the existence of a
God who
would cause
all life
to cease
God and nature at least somewhat analogous to that between soul and body.
To
and
man
of
abundant
evidence that not only this world, but all
the other worlds of which we have any
knowledge are, in the mind and plan of
the Creator, but parts of one great system
to which we apply the name universe, a
term which literally signifies turned into
one, and implies not merely an aggregascience and reflection there
is
their
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
KTow, since
all
follows
it
we must be
thing,
in
it
its
relations
able to
to
all
comprehend
things
thus
scale
of being,
we must
first
gain
to enter
ex-
we
shall
ciate
scale of being.
This
is
a subject
whose consideration
little
attention,
man's
THE EARTH AS A
in-
vestigation.
discussion
tically useless.
of
lies at
human im-
all
was made
tion,
accommoda-
own
and of his
possible for
him
to
make any
real prog-
ress.
It is
observed by persons
who have
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
hood.
But,
takes place.
current of
into
When
human
sympathy with
its
influence, the
citi-
is
community
in
THE EAKTH AS A
is
pre-eminently
universe, so long as
aspirations
bounds.
are
all
rest of the
their thoughts
restricted
to
and
terrestrial
gance and
But could
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
It
may
we have no
direct
means of knowing
that
And
by direct
immeBut it must be rememdiate knowledge.
bered that man has been endowed with
reason, inventive genius, and ability to
beings.
means
is
meant
this is true, if
original, direct, or
as
reliable,
and
is
quite as
obligatory
as
from
as that derived
pow-
of astronomical instruments,
men
of the
greatest
ability
some
beings.
Of course
it
is
not
10
THE EARTH AS A
claimed that
all
of
them
are so peopled at
them at all
For example
its
turn.
step
being
as physical,
itself,
chemical,
with
man
at
head.
its
cullife,
be an abode of living beings; while Jupiter has not yet arrived at the condition
of habitability; and when with the aid of
the spectroscope we examine the heavens,
we find other worlds in analogous stages
of progress.
And
thus
it is
that science
has a lifetime of
doubtless each, in
its
its
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
11
form any proper estimate of his own relaimportance as compared with them ?
For it is admitted that we can estimate
the relative importance of anything only
by comparison, and hence that, in order
to form any adequate conception of man's
relative importance in the scale of being,
we must compare him with the other intelligences of the universe and it may be
truly said that we have no direct means
of thus comparing him with them.
The
plan of my lecture assumes, however, that
although this cannot be done directly, inasmuch as we have no direct means of becoming personally acquainted with the
tive
may
it
THE EARTH AS A
12
it is
all
these elements.
chemical
All the
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
13
And
is
every
member
a billion of
them can
a needle's eye,
ganism.
And
is
all
ments of one another, have a regular order of superposition, and are so harmoniously arranged and nicely adjusted that
when we thus examine the earth as to its
mechanical laws,
its
its
relation of all
THE EARTH AS A
14
with
all its
riety, as a
mos in itself.
But our world
similar bodies
is
known
only one of
many
as planets
which
the
common
satellites,
and the sun, constitute the solar sysIn order to form an approximate
idea of the magnitude of this system it is
belts,
tem.
bodies
much
it
large;
and
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
yet discovered,
15
nearly 3,000,000,000 of
is
distant,
years to
make
its
Now,
as the constitution
cal
life
forms of existence
ours.
much
as
as
And
inas-
on a grander scale,
and more highly ornamented than ours,
larger, constructed
it is
fair to
And
yet, not-
which revolve round the sun, their immense magnitudes and distances, and the
multiplicity and infinite variety of the
planetary existences,
all,
when taken
itself.
which
tois
THE EARTH AS A
16
But the
tem,
is
stars.
And
it
may
naked
And
is
imparts heat
life
it
the center
as
And
as
many
times as
large
as
this little
the
sun,
in-
significance?
If we carry our investigations
still
further
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
we
17
naked
exam-
of revolving
mere point
As
these systems, or
on,
And
its
all
is
it-
self.
On more
careful examination,
we
find
THE EARTH AS A
18
And some
a stronger glass, to
embrace hundreds of
And
with
all its
worlds,
is
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
19
mon
cosmos of the highest order yet discovand which is sometimes called our
ered,
universe because
tion
known to
in order to
us
it
comprises
till
form a
all
very recently.
of crea-
Now,
it is
only neces-
our firmament
is
more than
20,000,000,-
its
light
THE EARTH AS A
20
it
round
the earth more than seven times in a second, is nearly 3| years in reaching us;
while the more remote stars even of our
moment!
But our whole
but a mere
speck in the scheme of nature, a kind of
island universe in the infinite ocean of
space.
Over 5,000 such universes have
its
apparent magnificence,
is
common
revolution around
some
still
ascending scale,
till
motion
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
originates,
and where
tuting
all
forces
21
and laws
is
de-
the
if
in
imagination
we
take our
THE EARTH AS A
22
us
now
in imagination
till
in
we behold
and when
this
mere atom on
approaching
still
its
surface,
nearer,
man
and then,
observe
him
and swelling and bidding defiance to all the laws of nature, and even
belching out blasphemy against the great
Creator, and then reflect that, while the
heavens declare the glory of God and
the firmament showeth his handiwork,
perhaps this is the only world that has
been marred by sin, and you will have
some faint conception of man's relative
strutting
we
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
THE EARTH AS A
24
And
if
not a sparrow
more
will
Besides,
many
falls to
if
we
the ground
are of
sparrows,
more
how much
He
take care of us
we
life is
ty, is
wreck of
may
be our relation to the present and to the future life, how important
is it that we should be up and doing, and
But,
if this
of existence has
its
development and
own
peculiar laws of
discipline.
And
if so,
COSMICAL SYSTEM.
25
the present
and
difficulties
pecu-
life.
much
in
any event;
him how
teach
little
all
creation!"
acquired
all
the knowledge
and thus disciplined all our faculby the most judicious application, we
earth,
ties
shall
tellectual
point of view, to
threshold of eternity;
have
this
many
for doubtless
mundane
sphere.
We
in-
enter the
we
we
leave
have reason
26
life
tality,
field
may be much
of vision greatly
enlarged.
"Lo!
We may
B -89
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