The divine development is conducted, and continually reinforced by the will of the Omnipotent God; the atheistic development evolves only the forces of matter.
5.

The divine development has a moral character, and terminates in the highest holiness and happiness of all obedient men and angels; but the atheistic development contemplates and promises only the evolution of animal instinct and passions, the eternal death of the individual, and, for the universe, only purposeless cycles of progress, and catastrophies of ruin.
In this chapter we discuss only the theory of atheistic evolution.

In the discussion of all questions affecting human life it is advantageous to trace them to their origin, and to follow them out to their practical results.

Thus we get a clear view of the whole subject, and are enabled to assign to it its proper influence.

It is also a great benefit to the mass of mankind to conduct such discussions in plain language, and to translate the roundabout phrases, and the Latinized words of scientific men, as much as we can, into the vulgar tongue; to state the subjects of discussion so as to be understood of the people.