Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-12-05
For the Herald.
INFIDELaTY.

I SAoAAACd " GLAC tAttIASAAAB
withstanding the simple and cooperative
| truth of Faith and Reason.
The distinctive feature of Infidelity, is
a claim Of reaching all conclusions By act
of reason alone. It's basis of reason is
observation and experience. It taeknowl-
edges no interest in, nor allegiance to the
principle, Faith. It afirms that Faith
dwrafs the intellect, that it fetteEs the
freedom of the mind Reason and Lib
erty of Thought" are the banner words
of modern Infidelity. Faith Is the object
| i've feature of ridicule and attack.
Letus examine, in brief, some of the
arguments adduced by the In6del. He
| says that Natures laws are uniform ;that
cause and effect are inseperable, that they
an effect, this effect becomes cause, and
so on continuously. So far as his expert
ence goes, the above premises may be
true. He next afirms that miracle is a
violation Of Natures laws. So It may be
in reference to any previous human
knowledge. The IHfidel concludes, then,
that miracle is myth, and all human
enee. How utterly inconsistent such an
argument is to an intelligent mind. Hume
did not aim to deny the impossIbility of a
miracle, but merely to assert that it was
| impossible to prove its performance. He
says a miracle can never be proved, SO as
| to be the foundation of a system of relig-
ion. But there may be miracles, or viola
tions of the natural course of Nature, of
such a kind as to admit of proof from
human testimony. This destroys the
whole argument.
Again, the entire Bible narration is re-
fiected, because of much that seems to be
Inconsistent with human organization
but, if we consider the condition of the
human mind, and recall the slow pro-
gression it has made since mans creation,
we shall cease to wonder at much that is
surprising in the civil and moral govern.
ment of the Bible nations. And to deny
that men were deceived by what trans
pired during Christ's life, is a mere as
sertiOn, for which no proof has yet been
/ found adequate. The evidence for any
truth is tWofold, viz: such as our finite
minds can comprehend, and such as has
an amount of evidence sufficient to over
whelm all conflicting probabilities. Man
questions the sanity of him who denies
| the veracity of human testimony. And
to assert that no evidence is sufficient to
establish question of disputes and to re-
fuse to investigate the evidence offered, is
a simple begging of the question.
Such there are, who say that Faith
forms no part of our reasoning. Let any
one attempt to demonstrate a geometrical
theorem. How great an exercise of faith
is needed in order to give the various nee
essary steps. To question the validity of
every axiom, principal, relation and con-
clusion involved, would require deal of
mental labor. We rely upon our faith in
the numerous admitted operations. So in
any question of like kind. In the intel
lectual and moral culture of the mind,
the union of Faith with Reason is certain
and continuous. Constant exercise OF
them is imperative and unavoidable. Not
only whilst the childhood advance in
knowledge is fitting for mature life, not
alone in the study and reflection of ripper
years, but always and forever shall it be
said of us, that we believe more than We
can possibly prove for ourselves. And sc
institutions, or axioms, are believed, be-
cause man cannot avoid accepting theil
truth; and If denied, it is not by any
thing said, which is the opposite of Rea
son, but rejection of Faith and Reason
And this is Sceptibism and Infidelity.
The relation of Faith and Reason i!
such that one is the complement of the
other; neither can exist alone. It is a.
Impossible to exercise an acceptable faitf
without reason for so exercising it; tina
is, without employing reason while W,
employ faith, as it is to apprehend by on
reason, exclusive of faith, all the truth
which we are continually discussing
And Faith is always at hand wheneve
conflicting probabilities are at issue. He
position is nearest the strongest. Conf
dence in reasoning demands her pres
ence. The truth of Nature, the reasoning
of our own conscience, and the reEealet
will of divine power furnish cumula
tive force in opposition to Scepticism;
: force whose strength is supported ant
confirmed by Faith. So, also, Nature
Conscience and Revelation unite to prov
certain questionable matters. If takel
singly, they might have little weight ii
convincing doubtful minds. We admi
no question that sets aside faith in on
reasoning; and we reject any conclusion
not sufficiently sustained, unless our faitl
in the reasoning is such as to preclud
doubt. All proof for any assumed trut
must be adequate.
In reasoning, we embrace institutions
necessary deductions from admitted prem
ises, and truth from direct experience
Faith concludes all truths and propos
tions, which are accepted, not withou
reason, indeed, but for reasons unde
} rived from intrinsic evidence of the quet
tions themselves. Now, in respect t
knowledge, both intuitive and acquired,
separation of Faith and Reason in form
ing opinions is arbitrary. For the ev
dence of experience can be reduced
testimony, that of sense, or reason, an
; testimony can be reduced to experience
that of human veracity under certain ci
cumstances, or faith. So any attempt
solve Reason and Faith absolutely sep
rately will prove abortive. The exerei
of one without the other is impossible.
1t is necessary to enumerate the par
doxes, that Intidelity must believe in o
N der to sustainthe opinion, that ''Chris
anity is fraudulent product But '
must credit the Infidel with strong fait
Most certainly, it is a faith which e
cludes reason, since faith has no place
his reasoning. When man shall be al
to deny the existence of Divine Bein
g and can solve the "PrOblem of Life"
- other data than those furnished by \
ture. Conscience and Revelation. sustaj