, 1874-05-04
REASON AND RELIaION,

Sermon by The Rev. Df. Th6n1ns, Of the First
NEefhodfet Church.
The nov. DR.. Thomas, Of tho First Methodist
Church, proached yesterday morning OF The Sub.
1ecs Of "Reason and Rougion." Al the ground
work OF hin discourse ho chose double taxi, is
followa:
oons, now, ina 1st iii rshson t6soshef, aGith tho
Lord; Though your 4ns bo ~ scsrltt they shall ho
.lall be Il woo.-isaiah i, IS. ,,..s
tosyef things kro honest whatsoever thlngs aro nat
o ggs sss
pe Thomas iii II Ii: limo Of thought w.s
chiefly suggested by the words. "Con,o now, let
us roason toEothor," and "think on these
things" though tho remainder Of both pasaagsa
was applicable to the subject. "Reaaon aid TO-
ligion." The Reformation Of the efxtecnth
denturY was ESSENTIALLY the outgtowth Of indi-
vidualis1n, the protest Of the individual mind
and conscience against tho authority Of the
Church. Under the era Of superiority Of Church
and State Combined, individual rights had long
been suppressed, and; In tho violent change
which enbued, Il would hate been sttsngo IT
reason aud liberty had not gone to extremea; It
would havd boen strange 1t thoae grand old
teformers, Luther and Melanoht1on, had not
overdone many things, and left unaone man ,
shingh. But b long the line Of Thought and I'M
pulse which they gave to tho world bud conio
religious and oi II liberty. It wAs tt,io that the
old ideas against which the rsformers protosted
had hold % their slow. way II hlatoty,
ney A. t5o r'aoe'hx asxb.S Saa & IN tho he &c.,
grand d asylum tss $en too t by 10 thiak fot
th6mseyou Tho Roinish Church. whatever
might bo laid hghinBt it, was bSttetn61y logloAt,
and darod to carry it1 doamaa to their complete
conclusion.
The work of tho Reformation was not COM
ploto; thura remained much to do, hid not .
Nttl4 to undo. Tho conditions under which
Luther iabored Rere such aa to tandor him liablc
to extronaea, Ind Ills work wis CARRIED to et-
avon when ha called the EpiBtle Of Jamea In
"opisIle Of htraw." Ho called It DO bocAuso hia
great doctrine WIS faith, while he found James
bringing In works. aa hgainAt faith, In our
%ss na afs,s.t, asss wore pseas vital
sponblblitioa. It was not hupriaing that
during tho past: hundred years reAsol. had
appeared one Of tho most UNREASONABLE os
thinga. Along thla porioa oaIaa ihto tue World
naanio mind Of Tho hint given By the Ratotma-
tion to reason and to think, to question hnd
galnnay Tho aupremo authority of the ohhtoh;
question religito3n, had, haying, aaesttohe.a r.
Of roaaon though not Reasonable roliglon.
There were many grades Of nationalism; bit nll
might bo condensed into two divlhiops, tho
ultra form, whioh, rejects all revelation, and
Looks upon the Savior oithor as a myth oF i Do
coiver; and tho nildor and moro pteyalent
form, which sdmits that Qhrlst WIS Great moral
trutha, but leuios anything supernatural Or III
spirattohal In Christ OF tic Dibla.
ghould pa rssscaab!e, I'D lst tAo aestiesks q
Tho Bible should admit Of Intelligent belief, to
that aohool Of naionalism tho speaker Wished to
belong. W. opuld mol rauiand tho world hack
to the sixteenth oontiry, bud ratnstate tho Abso-
Lutte and ulquostionod' authority ot. kinEa 4nd
i,iiehla. There would bo more thinking Ia Tho
world before there WAS less, Millions 1ete out
liz tha Bln 1ooking fot the truth, mid thoy Wodl
never como bAok 70 Willingly S6hr The. shaokloh
OF. King, or ptleat, OF ropo, OF trsabytery.
FCsles of " Amen |" from eov5tal voidoa Ia tho
congregational. The world would not ha turned
back.
nsnt naa that wo must adoel,t tho niietoonth
Uent,itY aa It VIA, And plaht ohraolvoa uhder tho
standard Of truth and right. Frst, hold On to