, 1874-11-04
formor holds out to tho inulvidunt tho certainty

formor holds out To tho individual tho eestaInt,
Of llfo aftor dcnth. Tho skopt'o loses by LII
a&optfcaa only. "shc hope of roanion sitl
lilo before him !" but cvun this loss IL ain ,aa,S
caHoa beyond tho roach OF comparison or osLt
1nate," and at will always sui1ice to keep allvo
IN tho moro Bonsitive natures, tho Imaginative
hope Of lttnrlty1 which, II thoro is hothing to
prove, thsro ~ allstla AZ IL our hhoweaso mud OK
Tho asusy on ''Tleinm" fl1lu nearly orc.l,alf
Of tllo who1o book. It. discusses lhe "Flrst
ccnuHo" argument. the " Design argument, mud
tho tsual argumonts for Immortality aud royela-
tion,
Tho notlon Of q presidential governncnt by Rn
stuHf DE- sAr1hslr p1s4lssEp.
have other guarantee than Tint be cannot 10 s,t-
tect TO the Ian of death which aocts terrcstral ho-
{ o 4 ts% 10 s.s Ts rsS 5 as hE
ha NtiDg, not hclns osnnlpoeat, may hhyo produced
asaAchluary falling short Of hta Intentions, mid which
nakers hana s superstition not in {sselt absurd nor
tmpossibie ttnugh m loue Of tho casea in which such
denes sueh - seuld yessists pross It; i romsns ma %
i yiels eomfoH, % SUPPOSE lbat Ilesslngs wl,icS
ordinary human power in inAtc1nato TO nttM!n
may conse, not from extraordinary human rowsr,
htls from Tue bounty of an Intelligence heyond
possibility Of fo after deah rcata the sa,ne foot.
lngof boon which tlts powerful beiug, wll wsiics
vel! to man, may haro tho rowcr TO grant md which,
II Tho mceHage alleged tn hayn bern sent by hin.
really sent. ho has actually promised. Tho whole do
nan raaa o. ~ e y THUS removed from tue
sIMrLE HOPE;
snd n Mst for anything NC can se, 1t ts koy ssss
Wo must not believe. but may hope; md thuB
We mny rot
The Old Idol on hta bars again, the Grand rcrbsps.
As further illustration OF tho great part as.
stgned to tho Imagination In Mr.. Mills Hcheu.ei
rcnd The following passago:
Thore is most imp porant exercise of imagination
gh r. the nas1 y s has been ks Up rin
1nitsy precious to manknd 10 much 20 TINT hnsnsn
excellence greatly depends pou tho suticieuey of The
ity uI tbs imagination with tho conception Of lnu1.
ally toffscs being sna tie habit Of taxing the apiro-
SiSn o. rss shsh oes M Il s - Or , st4ra 70
nctsrs aud llvns. The deaI4a.Un Of our standard
Of excellence IL person ia quito possible, when
religion since ta birth Of Christianity hsa ioulcatod
the l,elief that onr hsghcst conceptions of coutei
being, who tss hfs eycs us aud cares Tor our goud
=. !. It cannot DO questioned that tho uudoiUttnE
belief OF the rcn! existence Of boinH wo realizes
hands Of that being as sle ruler o tho uiyerse giycs
Az ISchEasE or r0nCr
70 !uesa 1eengs n1soha waat tley can receive from
ar advantage 1t % not possible Tor those cnjuy WIG
take rational Wow Of the nnture al nn1ouut Of tho
crdonte for tho existence and attributes Of the Cru
asor, Oh tho other haud they are not 1nc,sn,bcrc,l
ett fe moral contradictions which esc oycry form
OF strw Tho whole g0yarnlMeut Df tho world. They
arc therefore enabled to form far trher nnd more
consistent conception q ideal goodness than Il is
gooaness Ia al olnipo!cut ruler Of tho worlti.
Ar. Miii, Of coussc. las something to say shout
JESUS OF NAZARETH,
sometimes called tho Christ. and tIts ia what ho
says:
Tie most yaabc par: of the effect cu the character
vne petaon standard Of excellence mud nfoe1 for
Imitation is available even to thu absolute unIsliever,
and mover 1HprB bA lost to humanity. For It ia
Chsiet rather than God whom Chratiunity has held up
10 believers the pattern OF perfection for hnsanit.
Or Of nature Who being tealize hus taken 10 great
and saltstars hold vi tho modern mind. And wlla-
over else may DO takoa away from LIE by raoual crtf
ctsn, 0hrat Is still left unique iigurc not Mpre
{1ke an his VFecraofs hau al Afa foliowas efen uBe
sho had tue direct lcncht Of Ills perao1n teaching II
pels moi histofca and that wo know not how much
Of what 10 admirable has been hpcraadea By tho ira
on Of hs followers Tho tradition Of followers suf-
Inserted MI tho nlrBs1es which be is repntel ID bayo
wrought. but who among his disciples or a.ncng thcr
WAS oArApLE OF 1SvEu11So
to sayings ascribed to Jcs's Or OF imagining the life
lnd character revealed III the Gospels Certainty
&hoeo character and idtosyncraaics were Of totally
linerDnt sor, still less The eYrly Christian vrtlcrs in
whom notling Is tnore evident than thnt tho gDol
shch was III thcm was ali derived, IL they always
protcssca that IL derived from tho higSr source.
What could 10 added and tnterpolacl 6y disciple
may SEQ In tho mystical pars OF the Gospel Of st.
John, matter imported from Phio and tho Alu1a1-
lrtan patonsts, aud PITT into the mouth Of tic
savoF In leng sreechca about himself sueA "a tie
,tler Gospes contain not tho slightest yesige Of
though pretended to have been delivered occasions
7f the deepest interest, aud when hts Principal fol-
owers woEo oil present--nost prominently at the Latt
Supper. Tic East full OF men who could havo
!anous Oriental aecta Of uuosttea afterwards did,
but about tho life and sayings Of Jesus there I'd
stamp Of Personal originality combined with pro-
nndity Of insight which, If We abandon tho Idle ex-
peetation Of finding scientific precision where eoe-
hfug very different WA aa1nod nt must place this
Prophet OF Nazareth fl tho estimation Of tnosp
Tho Lave nU belief III his inspiration, III
1HE VERY FIRST n4Hr
u the en q sublime Eenua Of whom our species
,oABt. When this pre- -eminens gcninJ is cumbiubl
former and martyr to tlat Midslun who ever existed
1pou earth. religion canuot bG Bad 10 ,avc made bad
shoice in uchlAR On this man the ideal representa-.
I've anti guide Of humanity; nor evon would 1t
alton of tho rule OF yrtuo ffon tho abssracs into the
.escrate than to cudeavor so to live that Christ would
!rrroye our life. Rhcu to tls We add TINT, to tho
sncep1ion Of 1e rational akepc, 1t remafuB posi-
1tity that Christ actually what ho supposed HIM
el to be-not God, for he nsyer n.ads t4e smallest
1reenson to that character and wo,ld probably have
hought such rretchslon AZ baapncinu.ia ns IT
'ecned to the men who condemned him, hut mnn
hnrged With special, express, and unique comtnis~
ion from God to lead mankind 10 truth ind VIRTUE
he charactcr which will remain after <ational c1it
an has done B utmost against tic evidences OF re
,gtons 1fn well worth preserving, aud that Whit they
aek IN diseet strength, az eompated Win thoso Of
knffu irt,