Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-08
SUPERSENSUAL KNOWL-
EDGE.

SUPERSENSUA AL hNOWIA-
EDGE.
Faith, According to Mr.. Beech
err, the Highest Function of
the Reason.
Mr.. Beecher's text was from |. COrin-
thians, H., ): That your faith should
not stand in the the wisdom of men,
but in the power of God" This, said
Mr.. Beether, sis a revelation on the part
OF the apostle OF the aim that he had
and the method. 1t was TO establish
men not by the cogency OF human rea-
sonings of the ordinary character by
logical strain, not to win them by rhet-
orical preaching, not to draw them by
any CT the lower methods by which the
human mind Is drawn In any direction,
but it was to bring them into such re-
lationsbip to God and to the circle OF
truths which surround him that the
power of their life should be derived
from him, from the great minds OF all
minds, and not from lower things which
act on the human mind. There are two
tendencies constantly at work. One
tendency is to turn physical facts into
ideas, aud this belongs to men. We
discern the first as animals, but human
beings so beyond that. When they see
they also see what is not to be seen.
Man looking upon forest generalizes
tends to convert things to something
different. He deduces. When satisfied
that certain things are, we reason about
them. There is no science in a tree, no
botany in forest or garden, but there
is a great deal in the man who looks on
them, and that is true of every material
thing on the globe. We have material
things which are presented to us by the
evidence of our lower senses, and We
carry them into the higher regions OF
thought where We think OF them scien-
tifcally as it is called. Now, there
is another tendency, cooperating
with this, namely, to reduce ideas that
are of the Imagination to the
level of matter again. 1t its largest
definition iaith is that condition OF mind
which accepts nOn-material truths, just
as our lower senses accept physical
truths with all their natural tendencies.
1t is that action or condition OF thS
mind by which il accepts for truths
things that are not true TO the ear, TO
the eve, to the nose, TO the mouth or
the hand. They are true to the
thought, true to the Imagination, t. ne
10 aerated emotions OF the soul. They
are not Il ne TO the lower nature. That
state of mind which recognizes truths
which are supersensuous-that is faith,
and il is defined in the eleventh chapter
of Hebrews as the substance OF things
hoped for; the evidence of things not
seen Now, the opposition which has
been made and accepted by
theologians between the reason and
faith is not well founded. There lis no
opposition; reason and faith are not au-
thentic. They are not opponents they
are not different one from the other;
they are the same thing, only what is
called the reason by scientists is reason
acting on matter and demanding for its
the evidence which matter
is able To bring to our senses, while faith
is the reason acting upon relations and
qualities, present things, things future
and past. all that great realm in which is
found mans nOblest development. Rea.
son acting on these elements and eXhib-
iting their nature according to the laws
which belong to them-that is faith, and
faith and reason are one and are not
separate. Reason is 10 our inward ma
ture what the ewes are TO the outward.
The eyes are not simply to see with, but
they are TO see for the good OF all other
parts of the body. Now the proof of
the existence of unseeable things is Just
as reliable as the evidence OF seeable
things. Faith does not demand that We
shall believes in contradictions, for no
man believe in contradictions; that is,
no man outside OF a lunatic asylum or
a theological seminary-(laughter)-
nor does faith call for us to believe
things, but We accep,
things as facts without being able to eS-
plain them. 1t has been objected that
God is not visible to the
senses, and It Is asked |
Can YOU see God?" No. "Can you
hear Cod" No. Can you taste God?'
No. "Can YOU smell God?' No. "Can |
Won feel God?' No. Well, then there !
is no God to your senses, and if was a
mud-turtle that would be my way of
but | see man or think |
do. | see his head, his shoulders, all |
parts of him, but do not see the man.
| see only the case-the real man is in
side, and | know that it is real. although f.
can't see it. | know that he thinks,
but I can't see him think or hear him
think or taste him or smell him think. |
| know that he feels; | make him sQueal |
when Irun pin into him, but l can't |
see him feel or hear him feel. II / see a !
big giant of man swelling with rage l !
run. | know he is in a rage just as well !
as If he had struck me three or four
blows, and act on my knowledge. |
% A wise man foreseeth the evil and hid !
eth himself" Laughter.l In judging
of Christ we are too apt to consider him
from secular StdlupOlul, Out NHlIst 10
the embodiment of the feelings and pur-
poses which exist in God, and his state
is not to be determined by the law Of
succession or power. What we are TO
consider is, was he not in the elements
of being transcendently above all other
men, and does he not represent the
highest conception of divinity itself.
And the message that he brought was
that there was divine power brooding,
the whole world. he
sOnship, and whether good
or bad we are all sons alike; more than
that, he brought us the assurance that
in the conduct OF affairs We are IN the
hands of a Father, and that all things
shall work together for good to those
who love him. This Is our faith, this
we believe, and who would want to take
from the world this faith? If an illusion
will make men nobler and better and
purer, then let illusions reign; but IT is
no illusion. have been young, but
now am old;I have had my share OF
trouble, as you all know; have had my
share of youth and buoyancy; but