The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-06-17

ryv1sHntrafsa.
Unreeefi efstesl Reason"

| anti .ch,istisn world, and the "rest Of
mankind. would be Under lasting
obligations to yen for an explanation
Of The eraet idea If there is one) i'm.
bodied in the thrase that heads this
article. Il is one which you uttered
with contumacimis disdaip and con-
tempt, on late Sabbath evening in
Rev. Mr.. Castleton's pulpit, and clcr-
gvmen universally do the same. A
RATlorAt Man, [ think. is the noblest
work Of God. Man is the Flower Of
creation, and his chief superiority to
the lower animals is bis towering In
tellect, bis Reasoning Powers. Now
when you disparage and speak de-
trac'ively and opprob'icuslv Of Heav-
ems Master pieces Reosoning mind
@-you virtually impeach the Wisdom
and Goodness Of God. Clergymen are
professional condemners Of Man and
the works Of Deity. They speak as
reprphepsibly Of the free use Of our
noblest faculties as they could Of the
grosssst immortality. They try to fix
in the mind, the idea that The TN
tran,neled action Of the rational pr,n-
c,ple is dangerous.
But perhaps you mean that "unre
gen. rated reason " is not correct in
it's deductions, not pure reasonings,
not logical, not 'rue. IF you mean
that, then you call it by the wrong
name. for mrony reasoning is not true
reasoning, but sophistry. You do
wrong toadenounce "human reason"
just because The faculty can be misdi.
rected, for every faculty man possesses
can be abused. Il you mean bv ere
generated reason, that the ,a'iocina-
i've principle is properly and logical.
" exercised, that II il educated and
disciplined in the rigid analysis aud
syn'hsis Of Thoughts, principles and
propositions. then admit such tegeD-
Grafton to be " desid.ratum most de-
voutly to be wished. " But If yo,'
mean that Reason can be thus unfold
ed by any sudden mental, psychology.
cal or emotional impulse, such as tbs
popular rel;g'ons idea Of regeneration,
then | respectfully demand the evi-
denee Of such fact. Point to the
fruits of regsnerated renson. =" DO
yon refer unregepersted reasoners "
to Christian Theology as monument
Of the " regsnerated mind? IF YOU
do, all sane minds must stand aghast
at the spectacle. and be struck with
the conviction that the god-like attri
butte Of Reasop has most pi'iably de.
generated. Yea, has been entoiDbed.
The fact Is, If person cannot rea-
son correctly, 1t is not because he
needs regenerating. but because he has
no. tho proper mental structure or de.
pelopn,ent. and tho only regenara-
ton such pcrsons requires, is men
tai discipline. cultivation, develope-
ment, by eulightening the mind with
every species Of idea, by studying the
relation of fact to fact and thought to
thought, Of causes to effects and effects
10 oanses.
But instead Of finding in the I" Study
Of Divinity" the logical analysis and
philosophical research which radia'e
SO beautifully from the brow Of Sci
ence--the true Basis Of all Wisdom
we find u heterogeneous mass of disor.
der and confusion. In place of phil.
osophy we find foolslness. aud il.
stead Of Science. only senseless dog.
mas. Instead Of analy'icsl reasoning
we hear only fanatical railing against
human and "unregenerated fea.
sou. 5"
None but Mun, are made in the
Image and Likeness Of Cod and
Mans distinguishing quality is his
REASONING PRiscrrLr, therefore "Hu.
man Reason" is Of all created things,
pre.eminently eop.L1KE md SACRED
This position / hold to be invulnera.
bic.
Reason is essentially THE human
faculty. and the highest expression Of
Deity in Mankind or in Nature. Il
alone can reveal the existence of God,
Order, Design, Immortality.
1t is certainly most unbecoming and