The New York herald., 1879-09-15
CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH.
THE ABsURDITIEs OF MODERN INFIDELITY-

SERMON BY REV. DIR. NEWMAN.
Rev. DR.. Newman preached in the Central Metho-
dist Church ''The Absurdities of Modern
1nfdelity," taking his text from John, K. 81
"Ir do not the works of my father, be-
lieve mo not" 1t is a mistake. said the Doctor.
that inhdels have belief. They have q creed
positive and formulated, which they defend with
tenacity. Infdelity has positive side and while it
rejects things 1t asserts others. Let u.s. there
fore. give our attention this morning to compare
tive belief. Who is the more credulous the Chris
tan or the infdelf Who is the more absurd he who
believes according to tho laws of evidence and the
lacts of the case, he who ignores the facts and
does violence to that law which governs the oivi-
lized world? Let take the Christians
theory of creation and contrast it with
that of the inAdel The Christian believes in
an all wise Creator; he believes that He created
two units. mind and matter, and subjected them to
beneAcent laws; that the universe produced by
sufficient cause, and that that cause Is God And
because everywhere there Is evidence Of thought
there must be thinker. and where there 10 thinker
there is q person. The inhdel believes that that
which the Christian calls God is an unknown power
inherent In molecules. which are infnitesima atoms
representing the primordial condition OF matter;
that by an unknown process those original atoms
arrange themselves into worlds, with all their vege
tation animals and intelligent creatures that those
molecules were such accurate mathematicians that
they observed the law Of proportions in massing to-
getner the formation or planets TO be held
orbits by the laws Of the discovery OF which
was the glory of Newton; that those original atoms
were such skilful designers that they devised the
most beautiful adaptation Of means to ends which
fails to excite admiration in the nobest minds,
and that unknowable molecules arrange themselves
into men like Milton. Shakespeare. Bacon. Newton
and Napoleon, and that those atoms produced
'Paradise Lost Hamlet" induction and the
calculus and fought the battle of Austerlitz. Nay.
than that. they divided themselves into offices
such as love and hate, hope and fear, JOY and sor
row. Which now Is the more creduous, the Christian
or the infdel? Which Is compelled TO exercise be-
lief most consistent with enlightened reason?
RESURRECTION.
Let us now take the resurrection OF our Lord. It
is the Christians belief that Jesus divine
person i'll human form; that He rose from the
dead; that He was first seen by Mary OF Magdela,
who informed the twelve apostles. who lived and
and who Him ascend into heaven. This is a
great belief. But what Is the tax the
belief of the infdelf His explanation Is that the
dead did not rise; that Mary of Magdela was
cited by her long and wasting vigils at the tomb OF
her friend that she tancied she Him alive again;
that under this joyous hallucnation she persuaded
the twelve apostles to believe the same and under
their hallucnation they fanced they their risen
Lord, lived with Him forty days, and, rather than
recant. each died martyr. Which belief Is the
probable and consistent with our knowledge of
men? woman might be deceived but could twelve
men be so deceived by her. aud that to the death?
Lot take the character OF Christ which is either
ideal real. The Christian believes it real. All
conceive that II Is the most marvellous porraiture
in the annals of the world; that He was the most
perfect and universal man that appeared among
men; that He retracted word regretted
deed. recalled error; that He violated no law
trampled upon no human right; that in Him ali tho
noblest qualities united in their maturity and
blended harmoniousiy; that His life was full Of
charity toward man and devotion toward God IL
this picture real ideal? IL ideal, who is tho
author? The fishermen of Galilee? Is 1t the pro-
duct of Maryl Its sublime unity forbids. The
creed OF the ndol requires him to believe that the
authors of the tour Gospels have created character
unapproached and unapproachable.