New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-24
MODERN SKEPTICISM.

AN ADDRESS BY THE REV. DIR. NOAH PORTER.
TIE NECESSITY AND EVIDENCE OF SUPERNATURAL
REVELATION NOT OUTGROwN BY THE CUSTOMS
OF MODERN SOCIETY.
fpRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
ROCHESTER, May 2O.-The Rev. Noah Porter d. d.,
L. D., President of Yale College, delivered an adj
dress before the students of the Rochester Theolog
cal Seminary Tuesday evening last, reference to
which has aleady been made in THE TRIBUNE. Be-
low will be found full abstract Of President POr-
ters address. The speaker began with the announce
ment that his address would consist of an argument
designed to prove that tho Necessity and Evidence
of Supcrnatural Revelation not outgrown by the
Customs of Modern Society," His text was from
the LIST Epistle of John, ", 8: "Who is he that
oyercometh the world but lie that belieyeth that
Jesus is the Son Of Godp
There question said the speaker that the writer
of these words had intimate personal acquaintance
with Jesus when He was earth. Faith in the ever
living and allpOwerful Christ had made new man OF
him in all tho springs Of his life. He spake from bis own
experience when he said, Whoever beeveth that Jesus
Is the Christ is born Of God" The text Ia the record Of
his own observation Of Others, with lis experience OF
what he felt in himself This is tho victory Shiloh
coneth the world faith There is, If possible,
still less question that in all the centuries which have fol-
lowed faith in Jesus the risen and regnng Son of God
believing souls Whatever may think Of the reason
ableness of this faith intelligent and correct student
Of the past will deny its ranscendent power the one cen
trail and sense exclusive agency which has given
humanity it's best conquests over evil But while oil this
is conceded, there many who tell that faith in
Christ In this form must now be abandoned because 1t
has been outgrown For the future they assert the his
orc Christ must give place to the ideal Christ the OBJ
jectve to the subjective Christ, the personal to the na
mary Christ THIS transition must begin with the of
scie indeed,
conclusion they enforce i this Men In past ages have
natural Christ Of history but in the future they can and
must overcome 1t by faith IN Christ, WHO at once SYM
bozed and fulfilled the lofies and lowliest OF human
We hold tho opposite. We contend that in the past.
in the future the moral power OF Christianity lies in
faith In Christ as supernatural person. The necessity
for this faith has not been outgrown, but made more
manifest by the advance OF the world In culture and sci
In the proportion has the evidence that this
faith is well grounded become more convincing. 10
the world Is to understand the controlling
moral laws and To adjust ourselves To them that
them and wre from them the hidden blessed
to these laws must overcome and conquer HIMSELF
ss a aSsr his @
his selfsuihciencyall must DO overcome, and We as
work out We assume the truths which the legislation
the selfrespec the public sentiment OF the world have
always assumed and In which all the higher aspirations
and atainmonts OF men ind their air and sunlight Now
what are the conditions OF SUGGEST The world is scene
Of struggle. What need Is belief In person who
moves US to love and helps US to achieve what Is good
who nclnes us TO hate the evil; who orders our lives IN
favorable 10 WIN hclcNco
can 10 to discover the means OF good, life Is truly
conflict from beginning to end first Culture ripens
senslbtes and enlarges our capacities for happ
ness, but neither physical social science has yet
learned how to keep pace with the enlarged cravings Of
the heart, still ess TO adjust the conflicts within and
without Tho world still abounds Ia temptation. The
discoveries OF science the appliance OF art the bland
Of artificial life. increase thousand fold tho danger Ia
the integrity OF strength and honor The strong man
falls in the high Of his strength and honor sin and
guilt their sentence Of condemnation and despair
The srfes science bitter the Drawings OF the
maj k.t md he
and unworthy because their speech Is exqustely
reeQsd TRe sypy VI yeW9Tse V peyey less keen " us