New-York daily tribune., 1859-02-15
Nsm7lnrk Dailu Gribrure
THE RELIGION OF REASON
A DISCOURSE BY GERRrT SMITH,
IN PITERBoRo, JAS. q, 1859.


A year ago I gave you discourse in favor Of the
religion Of reason. To-day give you another. Ina,
oiscourte wherever it ereulsxd, was severely crit
cissd and this will probably experience more ten-
der treatment tnan did that.
Were nen but mere macbines, they could reflect but
little honor their Maker. II because thsy free
seents-fiee to choose TO know God, an free to be
ignorant Of Hm-frse To grow either in hkeuess or
unlksness to Him-that they are capable OF doing Him
large honor That dsy, if 1t shall ever come, in which
all the intelligent creatures of HIS universe shall choose
this divine kno ledge, will realize present concsp-
tons Of the highest possible gorihcston of God For
the power Of this knowledge is to produce 10 ell who
choose it Likeness 10 Him: aud likeness to Hun the
greatest honor that can be rendered to Him. Indeed
far see 10 not the making OF this hkenes
perfect and universal the work Of God and of al
who through II renova atDg grace become " worker
" together with Him 7" The prophet says: And ne
"sbsll cit as refDer and purifier of silver beau
fu fancy connected with these words is that as the
silversuth has sufficiently purified the metal when l;
ia brought TO Sect his face perfectly, 80 God vii be
ss,i,fed with the progress Of human character when
lie shall IN II nis own
AS, then, our likeness to Coed is tn highest honor
we are capable OF yieloiIg Him, so, to grow in this
lkeuess 81 ould be rcessant and absorbing aim.
That i. s aso bighess enjoyment ls manifest
Though Of this 10 make comparatively triVlal
account. Slice there is DO other way in when we can
60 unequvocally and fully testify our regard for our
earthly frerd in studying his character and copy
ing his virtues so the best praise can offer God s
that likeness to Him which results from oar deep In
terest in his character through our Knowledge anaoVe
Of il.
That the one great duty Of life ia 20 grow in resem
bance to Goo was deeply felt by the Psalmist, when
he exclaimed "I shall be Satisfied when awake with
"tby liz eness." Nor lees deeply vas 1t felt BY the
OH MI cd IN
"wheD He shall appear, we SHAH be ike III ln.
The law Of assimilation to the ruling interests OF
our hearts operates 10 less surely ami rapidly 10 up
ward than in doWnward directions. All see how GER
tain and WITT is the msers process for sbrveibg his
soul. All that the sensualst silks hls wnoe nature
to the level of his sensuay All zee that the charac.
ter of the ambitious man derives its color and cast
from 10 higher objects than those which come within
the range Of bis ambition But no less true is it that
he who makes God his study and desire becomes god
Ike lie dscerns, cOmprshends and conforms to the
divine principles. Thankfully and joytuly does he
fail in with The divine methods and arrangements.
Uabualy and impressively does his life reflect much
of the divine wtdom and beauty. Thus does he go
forward fulfilling the one grand Purpose OF his exist
assimilation to his heavenly Father-untll, at
lepgtb bis heart freed from all evil, and his intellect
emerged from all darkness, he stands like the Angel
of the Apocalypse in the very sun.
That Likeness To God results from knowing Him, is
taught by the Apostle when he Gays: We snail be
Z" like HIM, for we shall see Him as de is." 10 know
God is to love Him; and we cannot love Him without
being ike Him. How, then, we can best study the
Divine character to the end that our own shall most
resemble it, is the great problem winch every man is
to solve and with tue practical solutions OF which he s
TO make beautiful ana blessed every day of his life.
The sun moon and stars, and the globe We nhabit,
are all witnesses for God. lnDumerabe other sources
are there which flow with oiyine knowledge. Zoe
whole course Of providence testes that God is strong
and wise and good. Very emphatic is such testimony
throueh those men and wO nen who, here and there
in all sges have by their large partaking ana faith,
full illustration tf the Divine Spirit tsught the world
the character and excellence of that Spirit PROPHETS
there have been whose mighty words aud sublime
lives were rich manifestations OF Goo. High above
them all is bis beloved SOP, Jesus, "fuil OF grace
and truth" Jesus 'lled with eli the fullness of God,
Jesus such an incaTnston OF the divine wisdom and
goodness and lovel1ess such matches exhibition
of the divine character made 1t no exaggeraton IN
the Apostle TO call HIN God manifest IN the flesh.
Looking unto Jesus uato this brightest and fullest
expression Of God is preeminenty toe means for in-
creasing in the knowledge, love and likeness OF God.
Thus abundant are the means for acquainting our
selves with God. We cannot remain Ignorant of Him
if we are disposed to study Him. We may kno" Him,
if we will and ss We have already said, TO know Hum
il to love Him, and be Ike Him. The dilgent AMI
honest student can learn " by the things that are
made" what is that perfect law that converts the
soul. Bot in the words and hVes Oi prophets, anu
above all in the words and life Of Jesus ne can learn
il more surely, coDpreheDsively and accurately.
Such are the circumstances OF men. Now, which IN
these circumstances Is the rehgon best adapted 10
TO promote their likeness to God Ihere are Da' Two
religions in the world One is that of nature or rsa-
ron; and the ten Thousand varieties OF the other all
come properly under the name Of the conventional or
dOCtrDal Religion. .
/ MADE preeuinent the "looking unto jesus"
might with truth have sad tnat 1t surpasseS the sum
total Of all other for producing likeness to God
But alas Il religious world, instead OF looking unto
Jesus, is chiefly busy with the doctrnal sysies ana
questions which sectsries and creed-mongers nave
coupled with lis name Immeasurably more import
ant 90 Il ey count to have orthodox views 10 regard
TO the trinity the atonement, and the future e tnan
TO imbbe the spirit OF Christ and to submit al the
relations and departments ard duties OF lie 10 the
sway Of his pin cipes.
The prevalent idea is that Jesus introduced a new
religion and made essential to salvation faith IN hls
Godship the atopement, and IN otner doctrines pecu
lar TO tho religion. But he did not.
The religion which Jesus 80 perfectly Illustrated
with his Gps and life was other than the religion Of
reason-that ore and only true religion which is
adapted to all ages and all peoples and which stands
opposed to all those fabricauons OF the cunning ana
Al those superstitiOns of the credui0ns, which are
csled religion These fabricatons and supersttions,
and in short every other religion than that OF reason
Jesus confronted. No cabalsm or mysticism found
any favor with him. The religion he taught was 80
obviously true to ms ke lis appeal 10 nGdra sense
and universal intuition. So simple was II that he
found no occasion for sending men TO books ana preste
TO acquire understanding OF II. On the contrary,
be put them upon their own CONVICTIONS tor the solution
of It's problems, anG asked them: why even oi
" yourselves Judge ye Iot what Is right :! lie found
reason outraged by monstrous claims in the name OF
religion: and the one work of his minlstry-the one
work which, amid all the storms OF passion ana preJu
dice ard biCotry be pursued so uufslteringly and
calmly and subliuely-wssto TO retstabish the dominion
OF real op He found common sense reduced TO rum
ous discount by its concessions TO religions tricks ana
fooltries and he undertook TO restore II 10 par sue
vas then and is now the whole of the religion of Je-
sus. 1t is a commOn-sense religion. Wide as Is It's
realm il is but commensurate with common sense,
and one with il. To brig the whole man and the
AZ. q ia