Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-19
Religious department.
ceasrs,.a " nEv. 9. NJ. sovrnaATn.
The SAFE sIpF.
ny ELIEABETu STUART PHELPS.


There is some deadly truth 10 the cry Of
those who are not Of us, 10 the sharp relig.
ious conflicts Of today alt is impossible
10 prove that you kRoD anything Of any life
beyond this bitter, blinded, passing one, II
is impossible 10 demonstrate God"
There is blessed truth in the Christians
quick and calm reply: "You may be right.
may be wrong. II is true that my faith
compes my confidence in facts unseen, un-
felt, observation-disclosures to my Ave
senses, or TO yours admit that il is alto
gether within the bounds Of human possibilis
ty that my Interpretation Of the Scripture
should be incorrect. Town that it is con-
conception of our Creator. understand
your reluctaDceAlacking as you do, GER
tain inner sight in which we who call our.
selves Christians fondly Tor foOlishly) place
some confidence as being in itself spiritual
proof Of spitual Tactic credit details OF
my belief which are important to me-
But cannot understand what you have
10 offer me any better in the place Of them
IF they are net true, | do not see what you
possess that is any truer. If am mistaken,
can not see that you are any less likely to
be found so, wherever and whenever our
honest mistakes are recti6ed
You may be right. l may be wrong
But you will consider that there is a vast
difference in the consequence of accepting or
rejecting your creed or mine There is this
peculiarity, you will observe, in the disa-
greement between us. The denial Of your
premises involves no conclusion Of any es-
pecial Importance, which oversteps the limits
Of this present life. An eternal future
hangs upon mine, If you are right and l
am wrong, ut least shall have lost nothing
Of vital import to myself in failing to follow
you. 1t is one Of the improved" but very
serious considerations Of my belief, that, il
you are wrong, and l am right, and if |
shall desert my right for your wrong,
shall have lost that improved" but, to me,
very serious and precious possession, which
call my soul If there be--by any law Of
natural or revealed religion, by any argu.
ment from analogy, by any force Of internal
or external evidence---any presumption what
ever in favor Of Christianity--the most rea.
sonable thing which can do is to accept it.
If there be none at all--if your dreams
and my "dogmas" stand on q hair.breadth
level /; il you have no more reason to be.
ieve yourself in the right than l, and | nc
more reason TO believe myself right than
you--still l say, the most reasonable thing
which can do, is to believe 10 God the
Father, maker of heaven aud earth, and il
Jesus Christ His Son, In sin and forgiveness
in heaven aud hell.
| These truths, If they be truths, imply ire
mendous risks. Your truths, If they be
truths, imply none, or none which can com.
pete with these in magnitude. have cho-
sen the safer side. In matter involving
the employment. or the existence, Of an eter-
nifty, the safe side is the wise side. pre-.
fer the comparative security. 1 choose the
lesser danger defend my righteous eau
ton. 1t is the reasonable service of my in
tellect
When you have to offer me anything al
once SO probable aud so worthy to be toilec
for, and trusted in, as the life everlasting,
will reconsider these things. When yor
present to me anything so necessary to be
avoided as everlasting death, / will consul
again with you. If your faith conceived Of
a Saviour who mediates between these two
l, perhaps, would parley with 1t. As thing
are, cannot risk it.
Do you tell me that my method of inquiry
and inference would justify any superstition
on the face Of the earth ? 1t may be SO
Bot let me tell you would rather be pi.
ously putting paper dinners and paper UNI
brellas in the collins Of my dead friends il
Chioa-trusting that the symbol might feec
: and shield the shade upon its journey to th'
: world Of souls; would rather be the de
} vOut, self.sacrifcing Catholic servant-girl
telling her beads to gilt-paper Virgin OF
, her chamber-wall; | would rather be tn,
honest and innocent victim Of any Jugger
naut Of human creeds, whose clumsy wheel,
rolled towards Immortality than to run tn
risks Of a soul hopeless of heaven, empty o
.-COu0Te0afionaLiSt ..lf