The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-05-08

IA
Human Progrc>.--No. 5.
A wrong application Of the powers OF hu
man reason. in matters Of revelation an reli-
gion har been the source OF numerous errors,
and no doubt lies al the foundation o. modern
skepticism which has presented Itself IN vari,
Gus forms and under dlferen. mod dca:onS
The most prominent, OF these. are the Phases
of Faith, 'bv Newman, the Psrkerism Of The
odore Parker. The Historic doubts'' OF
Straus. of Germany; DeiSm Of Paine Material
ism Of Owen and Andrew Jackson Davis, and
the Atheism Of Holyoake; in short. al Who
iect the a'onemeut or yicarioas Offerings =
Christ Men have always been prone ID ultra
ism, which IS pushing idea or a genera
truth beyond its legitimate bounds. Thus tie
general truth tha, eacA should Investigate for
himself and surrender his own reason . the
dictates Of 10 merely human authority IS car
RED TO the extreme Of Independence AMI re
ices even t!.e authority Of God, aid r. :uses
the dictates aud teachings which come from
tie eternal unless they accord with oar pre-
conceived notions OF proprety- This IS 10 say
to the Almighty. Il vii receive 10 f-yela
tons from thee. unieSs j! be in N l.teg ana
manner such | shall prescribe Q hgw
modes. Is poor weak human reason. aus IL
dictate 10 the God Of the universe
Tie French Atheists ieihed reason under
the form OF a youthful female, wEon they in
;roduced into their assembly yelled, and
placed upon the throne. paying their dese.ious
At her shrine. Modern skepticism. without an
emblem dsiHes reason. placing it above the
throne Of God and making it absolutely su-
p-ene To is tribunal the b bic ami lie G Cd
Of Nature are summoned to judg nca.. and in
this assize. the passage OF the sacred text,
which fails to pass the scrutiny, ], rejected
from the sacred canon Book after book is
banished until the whole Of the Bible goes By
tie board. Proud reason. on borrowed pin
ions. scars and gazes mprudently. Wv here
angels bashful look -
Learn hence what honors, what loud peaas due.
Those boasted friends 10 and 10 man
Whose fatal 10 e stabs every 10Y and leaves
Death : terror heightened. craving on the heart
These pomp0us sons Of rtlSoa idoizHd
And vilified at once; Vt reason dead
Then deifyt - nonarchs were Of old:
w lille Tore 9f truth thro all their camp gro unds.
They draw prides curtain DER the noontde ray,
Spike up this inch Of reason the point
OF phIosophc Wit, calf argument,
And then eXultirg in Their taper cry
Behold the sum and, lndau-l.ke, adore,
The true province of reason. in regard 70
revelation, is to Judge the evidences AIRY
to authenticate a revelation; and W hen II Is de
cided that the communication is sufficiently
accredited, as coming irom the Creator, II l.
the office of reason TO interpret The language
and symbols employed, that We NAV under
stand what God has revealed; ard in he third
place. where different meanings and Iuterpreia
tons are given. to determine which is the true
one or more. in accordance with the text
When the mind has settled these preliminary
matters. that the evidences proving the au,hen-
ticitv of the Bible are sufficient. and where the
meaning of the communication Is clear, 1t j
not competent toI reason to pronounce this or
tia: portion OF revelation no. the word OF
God, because We cannot comprehend how
matters should be, as thus revealed, be
cause il does not agree with our tancies OF
what the word of God should be. This is to
assume that equal, At leas. IN knowl
edge, to the almighty. and are acquainted
with all the possible states OF being. and the
relations OF the different parts Of the Universe
10 Sod. and 10 each other; and that we are
qualified to Judge before i. is given, Just what
kind OF revelation /. would be suitable for
God 10 make 10 man. Now if We possessed
such Astonishing powers, revelation would
be unnecessary, for it could add nothing to
our knowledge.
That there should be difficulties in the word
OF God. things which beyond human rea-
son, ought not TO surprise Us. since there
So many things in the natural world that we
do no. understand. ihat is we cannot comprr-
bend them. Ia the science and the laws Of
nature. and in all the works Of the Deity,
unfolded in crea.ion, there are many fac:s We
cannot explain. Shall We then deny them,
oil say tina they are no, OF God: The great
error Is this instead Of listening resercntly at
the foot Of Sinai. TO the voice OF the Savior,
and TO the living oracles, spoken by the in
spired prophets aud apostles, these liolatrou<
worshippers Of reason, a. their stand point
the middle Of the nine eeu.h century. with
their minds mbued with the mid teachings Of
the cross. and in the radiance that beams from
the sun Of christianity, looking back yard Oh
the darkness Of six thousand years, they open
the Old Testament without regarding the ex
ternsl evidences OF lis divinity, considering
the circumstances OF the human race IA thas
remote age. or the nature aud design OF the
old dispensations and because they de not
ind the full glosies OF the gospel Of Christ
shining there. they are disappointed. aud
close the volume, and say it IS not Of God
How great the folly .! such course! More
anon HI MANI AZ.
Fvr the PalIa iiu,Tt.
Yellow S0fiucs