New-York tribune., 1878-05-11

nv
spoke the truth when 1t taught that the Pope
was on which the decree rests namely, the Patrarcal
EEonnci proves utterly rotten and worthless
pnason is the prelude Of faith Let us pass, then TO
,bn other support which the decree rests namely,
he assertion of tue Pope himself Prior to me lsth
Az ~ Juiy the question TO be decided was whether or
{ the Pope was iufalbe On the 18th day OF July the
Pope himself settles the doubtful question How Why
oI oI am i1falljblc" Whyi because am ufallible"
here gentlemen born in the womb of an occasion
stateliness robed splcndor and soemniy; has rarely
had s equal this fragrant instance OF the failacy known
as Begging the very question at lssue; AN instance
which is perhaps the submest IN its presumption ana
the most ABSURD in its simplicity, that the world ever
stood amazed at
is THERE ANY AUDIBLE SOURCE OF TRUTHT
It's no less then, gentlemen, than the Divine voice
that you geek to you the truth You have come UP
here to reason within and to consider whether
there be, anywhere earth any channel OF the DIVINE
voice-any audible source Of nallibe truth; and If so
where you are to go find it, For such, and such only
will neither deceive fail you with slch ana euch
only, will you be satisfied; before the presence
II is very difficult to dscngago oneself from the iniu
cnce of education and from long habits OF thought
Ideas and prriudces which have gained III our clld
hood youth and early manhood, root themselves INTO
us until they become almost part OF the very fabric
you to join with me TIE dlncglt task Of utterly
ali impressions of every and nature touching even
God which have had all your INes ana tOuchlns
The fnture life revelation Christ or salvation IN order
way where wish to take you. In that pathway
at least we wish no disturbing elements. shadOwy
forms of previous notions and preuces btckonng us
hither and yOn, as we cautiously move on
out a Bible without Christ, without church, with
sacramcnts without religious uotons-and see
Yet we say in the first place. then, that az We stand
surrounded by the mnumerable sec;s and foiihs OF
Christianity, the plain man IL utterly peWndeitu WIZ.
the conflicting voices lie thinks there are thousand
and one questions which he must carefully settle II he
would get out OF the maze ana reach lhe Lrut. 40,
gentlemen. tins is mistake Numerous as the forms oI
Christianity are and certainly their name legion thcy
fail as inevitably and niaiby apart INTO classes, orders
genera species, the innumcrahlc n2Wers nl the
vegetable Kingdom. sctte thieo queitt1s, "i| m 3Oai &
trouble is The first two are not dlg1t 9f con-
pex questions either And l. up 10 them lhat would
bring You face to face tonight. ,....,, .,.,.,,.
all chains reasoning must nHE upon slapltH.
II is Impossible to conceive OF cham OF reasoning eS
tcnaing back lhalteN INTO the P"sI an" f
Wnere. In the milheiaUts, ItdeoLluE st2i T. = % r
aXiuns | start then with certain aNloHS, WllcH dSh
Taat there is q God; g. dhat 'nat Hou Is ! PT,-
feet God Of love; (3J That We each OF US
abiy accurate intelligence Of that by which We
are surrounded Bear in uind, gcnleinen th3t We az
Importance. Indeed. Noa're once sand tnat cyen II
taere were Goa, would he necessary to invent one
self in a vast temple. Above me Is Its mighty
dome; spread out beneath iue Is us Nast
/ get here l know not ! only know that
entered il through the gateway Of 6ntn and sha Go
out OF 1t through the gateway OF death within thls
Temple Of Nature 1 hnd nnumherablc objects, ana
physical, mental and moral laws operating. can 90.
by experiment ascertain MS laws aud come to hXed ana
certain concusionsfor have senses which place me III
teligent concerning tho abode within which ain ILL
closed. know that shall exist mere but lew years
and then shall 20 OF this temple through the door
Whittier shall got cannot see beyond, aud do
not know can follow a fCllOw-man up 10 death; but
the moment has passed away NY lalntes' Whisper
my loudest cry does not reach Aim Is there an exist
ence beyond and outside of this Temple OF Nature
a s and da;,gcr1 there Tor me To escapei What are
] hoir hat 1--we lp
What the facts and phenomena that prevail
in the supernaturall know not an, 9gm!ift@en @ Cus
about them cannot bring those theories TO the test OF
experiment aud so am totally cut of from ascertain
ing whether my theories are true or not How then,
Standing Al the door of death can, indeed conicc
ure concerning facts laws and requirements INTO
which to plunge; can conjecture about an the
unseen supernatural about the law OF the forgiveness
of sins and Justification and the means OF salvation
| And SO, too, another man conjecture. And
! his mere guess though 1t Contradcts mine in
! every particular, is as good as mine, for
both our >guesses are mere guesses, and are really
worth far rs certainty Is c0necrnsd lnst honng u,
ALL Why SOW seed in cloud land Why waste time
Let me turn m eaGh e a. S aTe re whep GST eTc a. s d m
thing positive; where, II form natural theory, can
clusion. AS for supernatural TACT ana law
and process, We, smut up as we are
ing in an ocean OF fruitess conjecture aud
work. And yet If am TO live ciernaily In the realms
II its laws play here unknown to and unseen by me-
aud have bearing upon me, then that should have
tive and nalbe truth concerning them, Is 10 me OF
the very vastest Importance. .
step along the pathway with me. II Is this God Is
love; admitted that Therefore there ne escape
from the logical conclusion that lie cannot leave Ia
nv miserable plight OF frutlcss guess-work. He cannot
my awful position OF drowning III an ocean
Of mere conjecture and incertude about topics. con
c.rninr which IL II OF the yastest importance
that should have knowledge no less than exactly true
for ANYTHING short iufability itself in the matter
leaves s in uncertainty ana danger can run no
nd Lave, and ,
must and mas done something to help me- Ana, lur
IaeInSTs 9T 1t m must ss e'c,nsF ss 1e1 eepHs II: Wi
make no mistake He IL not going to attempt to help
me and cheat me by leaving of than before.
For c IS perfect and knows what the real help will be
and apowerfu, and able therefore, TO engct or nc
cannot sec any ana '''''' - '''' y" say -
How HAS GOD HELPED MANI
Very WELL the next point is, How has IIa helped me
Gentlemen there arc only ways possible aud only
three ways thinkabe. One to place that can
help myself; tho second Is TO allow some else to
help me the third is to help Himself II He has not
done the rst then no must have done OF the other
two II He has not done the second then there il no es
cape for me; for He must have done iIe thrd FIRST
He could take me temporarily out OF this Temple OF Ma
ture give such new senses aa w0nd put me en- rap
port with invisible facts and phenomena OF grace and
the superuaura leave me TO ascertain OF myself lts
laws, just as ascertain mere the iaWs OF nature ana
then, when | am equipped with the knowledge OF
The truth put to ,s e PACK and o NJ die Is ssi tef Rn
know lie has not done this THEREFOR lie must have
adopted one OF tho Two OtAer Only uinkaoie ways
Here, then, our pathway forks And here, at
ilis point YOU are face TO face with
your first great question. How will you de-
eide it II you decide that lie sent
else YOU are a Unitarian. II you decide that lie
Himself, you are d TriuitaTian. But / am not here
addressipg Untarans. | an addressing those whore
God is not the God Cicero and Of MiOmet IL long
since decided and admirably set forth by the great
French dominican, that there only three possible
religions viz: one whose posluate Is, Man
is Cod" second, whose posiuate Is, " God
IA God :" and n third, whose pOsulate IL
"God IA Man" The fTst is the religion Of Poyhcism :;
the second is the religion Of MOhammedansn the third
is CbrStiauty Christanty declares that GOd has be-
come Man, and communicates with Ms directly. Mo-
hammedanlsm says this IL impossible; God remains aud
* only God and his communication with man is only
tllrnuph a nrnnhet-thrOugh q second camsr. Through a