Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-01
H. B. PHILLE0. Editor

wherever there passed a conqueror, q
tribune, or poet, the people asked If
this was what they hoped for. Alex.
andria brought togather the ideas of
the East and West, as if to form q
new dogma. The Eblonites and Essences
were scattered about Jerusalem, max.
ing public profession of poverty, with
the presentment of the rich renovation
of the spirit. The Gnostics brought
in vague echoes of the oriental relig-
ions, reflections of the early twilight of
the religious conscience And all this
crisis was collected and personiied in
youth of the most benighted region,
the most oppressed people, the divine
youth who annihilated religious caste
and gave his life for the two grandess
ideas of future civilization, for the
moral liberty of our souls and religious
equality before God for all men
Castelar,.
God educates us for-himself; teaches
us how to love him, by teaching us
first how to love our brother. All true
love educates US for Heaven. The love
Of nature Is a nascent piety. The de-
light in Gods sky and land, His stars
and flowers, His sunrises and sunsets,
educates us to love Him, the giver of it
all. He sends us little children to teach
our hearts tenderness ; He takes them
up to Himself, and our tenderness goes
up to Heaven. The love for Heaven,
for books, for children. for friends,
leads US towards God. Every patient
watching by the bedside of those we
love teaches the heat something.
Every tear dropped on a friends grave
is another step toward Heaven. Every
generous effort to do right, every noble
struggle against evil, every warm throb
of love for what is good, true. fair,
every patriotic and courageous act of
devotion to our country, are clothing
US with house from Heaven. These
may, indeed, be only tents to live in till
We reach the promised land {; but We
know when these are struck and folded
we have building of God, a higher
love waiting us beyond the vail of
time. God, who provides the tent for
us here, will provide us the house
there. He who gives us in this life all
the wonders and beauties of nature, all
the lessons Of truth, all the opportuni-
. ties of action and eneavor, all the help
of friendship, all the charm of love,
the nobleness of life and pathos of
death, will provide for us better things
beyond, (which eye has not seen, nor
ear heard. ri f. Clarke.
Science no more than religion can
2 claim to build on reality. For what is
reality Who will define it? Who
wia prove it? Do not all proofs refer
us at least to Subjective tests7
Sensible experience is no more proof
: of reality than spiritual experience.
: The scientist builds on sensible expe-
S rience. He claims for that experience
0 an answering reality, he supposes a
E world external to himself, correspond
; ing to his sensations. But the existence
' of such world is mere hypothesis.
D Profoudest thinkers have called it a
4 vulgar prejudice--a prejudice with
| which [ confess | am somewhat infect
ed. But when we come to demonstra
: tion there is absolutely none. A CON-
t Went working theory for scientific and
: daily use that is the best we can say
i Of it. The religionist builds on spirit
ual experience. He claims for that
: experience an answering reality; he
J supposes a God external to himself as
y we'll as internal; an intelligent will
: over all, corresponding with the voics
Y in his soul Such being is not dem
:, onstrable in scientific sense There is
i no mathematical demonstration of it !;
0 but surely we can say of 1t, and the
j. least we can say of it, is, that it is a
e good working theory for spiritual uses,
f those uses without which man, with all
, his endowments, is little better than
t the brute. The being of God is inca
i pable of demonstration, but the
f existance of an exteranl world is
b equally so. Nay I think more
!, SO; would sooner undertake to DEM
n onstrate the former than the latter.
: So far from inferring the of being OF
S God from an external world, as the
: thelogians have attempted to do, |
: need the belief in God to assure the
existence of things withoat.-Reo. Dr,
q f.. FL. Hedge.