, 1873-03-30
tions and formulas get the better of our minds,
But pray continue; l only listen and pardon

me for interruptlnB you.
"What say has direct relation to the ques-
tions Won were asking when 1 entered. There is
grain, often many grains OF truth in every system
OF religion, but complete Truth IN none: II Wo "als
until ne attain the perfect before adher1ng TO
one, we shall never arrive at any Each age
has it's religious ideas, which aro the aggregate
of it's moral perceptions influenced by its ImeS-
native bias and thoso are shapen into formulas
or systems. which serve as innB or churches, OF
temples OF worship. These begin BY represent
in. the highest reach OF the best thought Of tho
ace. but soon degenerate into coInmonplaces,-
thought moving Oh beyond them and OF Its very
vitality Of nature seeking beyond them. AZ
these inns the common mass put up, end the
host or priest controls them while they are there
and society organizes them, and SO certain
good is attained. In what you call the ancient
days, when lived on the earth, found systcn
already built and surrounded by strong bulwarks
OF power. 10 strike ut that was to strike at tho
existence of society. religious reSolntion
is social revolution; ONO cannot a!iee
Faith without altering everything out
OF which il ia moulded. r. 40 ann, tna.,
moro evil might result than good. Mans nature
is such that i you throw down the temple OF his
worship at once assaultiDg its very foundations
| you do not improve his falth,-you but too often
nnnililate it. so implanted is it Ill OLD preJuaces;
in tile forms stamped on tho heart III youth, anu
| in the habits Of thought. It is only by gradual
changes that any real good can De done'-pJ en-
| largng and developing the principles o. truth
which already exist, and not by oEcrthro"1ne LILO
| whole system ut once
:But. in the religious system to which you
rave yonr adherence" exclaimed, ''what was
| there grand and inspiring! What truth was
thero out Of which you could hope to Develop n
true system? for certainly you could not oenc'e
! in the diynties OF your day.
.;Kevercnce to tho gods that wore, he an-
| syercd. "to power above and beyond us.
Recognition Of divine powers and attributes.
This lay us the cornerstone Of our Worship as II
docs of vonre'
IN mn
worship such gods AZ yours than to worship none
| at all. Their attributes were Mt best only hu-
man, and their conduct 10" and unworthy; their
passions sensual and debased. Any good man
would be ashamed to do tho acts calmly atfrio-
rted to tho diviuities you woishipped. This i'll
itself, must Aayo had degrading influence on
tic nation. How could any man he nsGan..d OF
any act allowed aud attributed to tho Sodb ;,
s.Your notions on this point arc natural, he
calmly answered., :" but they c7o completely mis-
tasen. There ia no doub. that in every System
OF religion the tendency ID to hr'1'arlIe and. TO
certain extent, degrade God. 10 attribute to
, Him our orn passions il, with the 1nas3. uni
yersal TO defy man to lul1nallizc God il the
, rule You defy tl.at beautiful character named
, Christ, and YOU hunanizc God by representing
Him az inspired with anger and cruelty beyohd
anything in our system You attl1oute 10 i11n'
: a scheme of the universe which is to mo abhor-
a rent Will ycu excuse me if l sta:o thus PLAINLY
| how it strlkes ons who belonged to 2 different
: ago and creed and who, therefore, cannot entel
into the deep-Graiued prc1uclces afid laeas "
| your century and faith ::
"Spcal boldly" I ead ''Do not fear to
t shock me. am 30 deeply planted that do not
fear to DO uprootel my faith. And, besldce'
that is not truth which! does not court assault,
, sure to be strengthened by it. II yon can over
throw my faith, overthrow it,
"ThdfI should be most unwilling to 40, lie
) answered ''No word would I Say to produce
such result. LII your faith there ~ anoble ara
beautiful truth, which sheds soft lustro over
life; and in my OWL day tie pure and phl!osorl'-
ic spirit of Jesus of Nazareth was lccoSn,zed by
: NC ard roverenccl. 'Tis not Of Him l
would speak. but rather Of the genera sehed Gnd
!, that alluded to; and yet pause. fearing r. r
shock YOU bv simple statement Of this creed.
II pray you do not hcstate speak l Am
ready and anxious to hear you
, "it is only in answer to what you say OF the
acts and passions attributed by us to our dlvll,,
ities as constituting clear reason Why we slono
; not reverence them. that speak. 1ou astrlpnte
to your God omnipotenco, omnlsclenco, and n.
first q world, and then placed in it man and
woman, whom he also made and pronounced 7
good In this, according to your bcslaf, Ae
was mistaken. Tie man and woman proved
Immediately not to be good and Ie, omnro.
tent as he waH, was folled BY another rowel
} PANIED Satan, who upset at once lus Whole
) scheme. After Infinite consideration, and in 7ty
for man, Ho could or did invent no pe:tG!
scheme Of redeeming him than for l11nseli
or an emanation from himself, to tnke the torn
, Of man, and suffer dcnth through their wicked
o ness and at their hands. Thus ulau, by adding
to the previous fault the CRIME OF killing Goa OF
0 the Garth, acquired claim to bo saved from tilt
3 coueeauences of his first fault A new crlmo af
, fords cause of pardon for previous fault sim
: DIV of disobedience. What WAS this firEt faul
: which induced God to drive the hrst man alle al
= woman out of the Paradise he had nado 1o1
them? Simply that they ate an apple Wien tho,
Q were prohibited. Is any Pagan lcgoud more ab
II surd than this ? Then for tho justice Of God
J on what principle Of right can the snbseqnen
s crime and horror without example OF killing
u God or person, as you say, OF the Trinity
t afford reason for removing from man penal
+ ty previously incurred? When one ren'cnl1er
d o,nnipotent, and that lIo might haye mad
d any other scheme, BY simply forgivln|
d man, or obliging him to redeem llmsel
), by doing good and acting virtuonsly, instead
20 committing crir1o and horror, TINS teliel po
y comes still more strange. Nor can you explain
1e it yourself you only say it is mystery While
D in beyond your reason but mono The less trus
y Yet, though it oirends al ecnre OF justice IN
st right in my 1nind you believe it and athore to
as a cornerstone 81 yor faith. Are you suro
IN do not offend you Z"
=. "pray go on" said. "When yon have sai
~ it il mystery, you have said all. Shall mar
with his deficient reaeon, pretend to understali
- God? This is truth revealed to US by His onl
10 10 bcgotten Son, Jesus Christ, who was Himself /
n63 6 a human form; and when God reveals to MS
.;p Gp mystery, shall ne not believe it: Shall "
A40 measure Him By our feeble wits =
at do not mean to argue with you. This
~ ~ furthcst from my intention; though might sa
this holds good Of us in the ancient days, as well;
w with you now. Ionly wish. however, to show &c
nu that YOU believe what you acknowledge to be b.
We We; yond reason-a mystery, es you call it. You b.
lieve this and yet you despine the Pagan for
no no lieving what his gods told him, simply becaut
20 20 it yas unreasonable or ridiculous
- "The question said, It is very different
ca but let it pass. Pray so OIL"
~ j" Your God is q God of infinite love, you sa
j.. Yet in the opinion Of many OF YOU, at !cast th
~ infinitely loving God, o1nnipotent, and having II
ST power to make man as He chose-omniscient, ar
~ knowing how to make him good and happy if
of wished to-has chosen in his lore to mako hi
3 weak and impote,,t, to endow him With passion
y, which temptations to evil, to aflict him ri,
et disease and PAIN to render him susceptible
" torments Of every kind, and suirerings beyoI
Of his power to avoid, however ho stri'
nd to DO good and virtuous and obedien
"a And then at the last, after life Of .auffe
&C. ing and struggle here, either to save litn al
in make him eternaly h:ppSy; Or, if Ho 80 cleo