The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-30

knowledge OF ali that is involved in this general
truth and his practical use OF It may be proper:
tiOnably restricted. But faith in the truth will
keep him from presuming beyond his knowledge,
and so insure his safety But II on the other
truth and insists on making his own individual
taste and opinion the sole rule for deciding on
what he shall eat or drink. his faith is positively
and lnfailbity, instead oil In the real TACT and lt
would not he very surprising Ii he shoad g on to
choose the sweetness ofpoison In which case he
would have p0body but himself TO blame IN its con-
sequences-sufierIng and death. Precisely so in
laton are Gods trurhs-truths that do not depend
| upon and are not at all affected by the notions or
fancies OF men. For instance that there is living
and true God; that He Is our Almighty Creator
ana Father; that He cares Tor US, loves US. yet
holds US accountable by tho laws OF righteousness
that when we had fallen under the power OF sin
He sent His only begotten Son TO take our nature
upon Him, ana In it TO live and die ior us; that IN
the person OF Christ Jesus was God the son
incarnate and dwelling In our hesh that His lie
was for us true fulfilling OF the law OF righteous
ton for our transgresslons; that He rose from the
dead and assembled again to the right hand OF the
Father in Heaven, where He now lveth 10 inter.
ce1e for US that before His ascension He ordained
and constituted sacramental ordinances-cne lor
for continued fellowship and communion in its
spiritual lille that so was established for universal
ana perpetual extension his Gnurc9 on EARN EARN
Grating and sanctifying Spirit in which he is re-
vealed and impaired to every faithful soul as the
way, the truth and the lie, ana that the cond,
! lions OF everlasting salvation are thus pr01ered
to every one Of us. These, and such as these are
the truths revealed. They are truths whether we
receive them or no. II we had never received
revelation of them we should not be held respon-
not blinded BY miserable sefdeceif can iau to see
that II revelation OF them have been vouchsaled
providence within the light OF that revelation, it
does, 1t must, make mOmentous and vital dlifer-
ence TO us whether we rightly believe them or no.
II, in the light OF such Q revelation, you throw
yourself back on your individual fancies and
opinions, and determine to exercise your inde-
/ Ia INV frn I'm onh tnIl on
do not, and cannot, change the truth In the least
by your conclusions, put you put yourself, in rea-
tion precisely analogous to that of the case pre-
viOusly supposed in relation to nature. In ASSUME
the mental temper is wrong It is an attitude OF
absurd self-conceit-an assumption that you have
apart from al the common relations OF tne
economy in which the Divine providence has
cast your lot; that you can subsist without
dependence any OF its resources. and lind
your way clearly without accepting Its light. The
vanity OF such an assumption Is not more remark
BILE than It's oily, and these are both surpassed II
possible, under the claims OF the Christian revela
ton. by its inSrattude. For mere the withholding
also reputation OF a Person, and that Person,
HIM who claims to be the only begotten Son OF
GoA incarnate for our salvation. His claim TO our
faith involves also claims to deepest gratitude
and our most dutIlui and loving devotion; claims
entire submission OF ourselves all that Is ours
to His service. under the direction and guidance
Of His holy spirit And it is not possible for you
as consequence. the refusal OF your gratitude
aud your alegiance; 1t is not possible to be deh-
cient IN your iath without an exactly proportion
ate detracti0n from all your religious principles
and affections. TO these considerations it is 10 be
added now that there Is no doctrine which comes
to us as doctrine OF revelation-I mean. simply,
on that assumption, no article OF the Christian
at ALL OF the utmost practical consequence.
Take the great fundamental truth OF
all @ in there na Is one Almighty any
to whom are all things. This, If 1t be truth-a
truth the knowledge OF winch involves obligations
lar beyond that OF q mere theoretical Opini0D-it
demands the devotion OF all our faculties TO Him,
aud our most implicit trust in Him. And, on the
other nand We cannot disbelieve IL without being
lett, in our unDeiet, without God in the word;
and our very existence becomes TO US, in conse-
quence, mere accident OF ttme-without principle,
without devotion, without hope. SO with the re-
veaed character OF God, the doctrine of the
Bbie in relation to His attributes of OmnipOtence,
Omnipresence, omuiscience, goodness, holiness,
justice and mercy. II your belief strip Him OF any
OF these attributes, or substitute others OF char-
acter Inconsistent with them, IL is plain that both
your serv ce in relation directly 10 Him. and also
your whole character in all its relations, must IN
which are distinctively CHRISTIAN; the alter;
falsehoOd, and the practical consequences
are just diverse. II the doctrine OF the divinity
Hin even as we honor the Father. But ii that
doctrine be not true, then The rendering OF such
idOlatry. If the doctrine OF the atonement by His
blood be true, 1t demands repentance OF sin and
such repentance is needless and sucn faith vain
II the doctrine OF the resurrection and future Judg-
ment be true, II Is our wisdom ana our daty 70
ance OF eternal llIe If 1t be not true, We may as
well adopt our mOtto-"Let US eat and drink,
for to- morrow de-"
When SUCH alternatives are at issue it must not
be pretended or thought tnat II Is unlmportant-
that IL is less than vitality mpOrtant-to know and
believe the truth. This, then, we repeat, should
be held ever as settled. fundamental principle
that true beiiel-belief that is, of the trutn-in
indifference.
utm 0st Importance.
Third-And now there is a third fundamental
principle. which Is this That in religion, as IN al
science the truth is to be AUTHENTICATED by certain
legitimate rules, and has its vitality in organic
institutions. There Is large and quite preten-
tious class OF religious philosophers in these days
who are continually talking about searching Tor
the TRUTH the truth were something which Is
adrlft somewhere In the wide universe and which
every individual is to spend his LIE in seeking
each one In hls own way and on his own account.
But, surely, there some things tried and proved
In religion as in everything else. Truth has laws
to be ignored and continually reargued, but on the
contrary, to be accepted and relied upon with un.
doubling assurance. suppose one should adopt
similar philosophy in the matters OF the present
lie. Suppose we should take the ground that
every man must find and test Tor himself all truth.
suppose we should compel every one to md out Tor
hlnsef whether fire will burn, whether water Will
drown, whether there be any such thing as poison
any difference what we eat or drink, and in all
other matters demand from every man-nay,
from fn every boy ana grwiae exerGse 81
is quite probable that it would not be very long
before our philosophy would, by its own practical
conclusions, efectuauy demonstrate It's absurdlty.
No, brethren, truth is not thus adriit, without
local habtation or name. 1t is not thus subject
ever to individual emplricism. II Is established IN
laws and Institutions. II has the attestation OF
testimony and the prescription OF common con-
sent and woe 10 him who presumes, without very
good reason, to contradict any fact or doctrine
which is substantiated by the weight OF concur
rent authority TO do 1t under any circumstances
Is to assume tremendous responsibility. True,
II Is possible, that doubt OF some principle,
which is apparently thus established, may cross
nor only that, but lodge itself in ones mind, ana
evidence against It, seemingly new and credible,
individual responsibility requires that he should
not plunge at once into general scepticism. nor
sufer his mind to betake itself indefinitely and