Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-06
And where authorities or those claim

And where authorities, or those claim
ing 10 speak from authority, differ on
| such questions all that such men and
women can do is to judge according 10
common sense and the best light that
thew have. And hence il is that some
people upon all great questions, and
all people upon some great questions,
must depend exclusively upon author:
ty for the source OF their knowledge and
the foundation OF their faith. But men
and women should be ever diligently
and earnestly putting forth their best
efforts to attain more and more power
TO reason. The simple fact that they
have not the power TO reason upon
this. that, or the other subject
now is surely no proof that they may
not vet attain to such power. And the
rise 10 this power and the increase oil II
will be gained by the acquisition OF ever
wider and clearer knowledge. Ana
hence reason is restrained or conditioned
bv the extent and clearness of the
knowledge. Ii is surely utterly incon-
sistent for man TO profess TO reason
upon subject, and especially Tor
him TO pronounce dogmatically
upon if. unless he has at least
endeavOred 10 examine that subject IN
all its phases and TO acquire all the
knowledge upon it that he possibly can.
The views which he entertains upon
that subject he may have formed simply
from authority. And his views may be
rigidly correct, and the authority may
have been legal and valid. All this;
and vet if he has not used his best pow
ers of mind and heart To examine the
foundation of the authority it will sure
" be very unbecoming in him to de-
nOunce as heretical and 10 deliver to
Satan for destruction the man or woman
who entertains, equally as honestly and
decidedly and perhaps far more intelll-
gently, other and opposite views. The
man who after an honest examination
of a subject has arrived at conclusion
somewhat erroneous is undoubtedly
worthicr of the regard of all true men
and women than is the man whose
views may be according to truth but
which have come TO him simply by. in
heritance and from authority OF whose
claims he has never had a serious
thought; vet who in his bigotry and
acknowledgements will damn the other
for his heresy. In the former case
while we reject the conclusions we COM
mend the spirit; in the latter case while
we accept the opinions the spirit merits
only the severest reprobatiOn. True
reason is restrained or conditioned by
knowledge. That a man has made up
his mind is not in itself enough to COM
1 Al f,,1l NJ 10
have made it up after an honest ana
earnest effort to acquire all the knowl'
edge upon the subject that he possibly
could. And surely in these days when
books are so numerous, and means OF
knowledge are so available, and ques-
tons may be put upon all subjects with
such sanction and freedom, no one can
plead successfully his ignorance as an
excuse for his inability to reason upon
any of the great subjects which relate
to his faith or the practical guidance OF
his life.
But reason in religion must be re-
strained or conditioned by the state OF
the heart and moral nature. The sub
iects which religion presents to us APP
peal not exclusively to the cold intellect.
In anything like full and thorough reas-
oning upon them the heart must be in
terested and be indeed the movingpo pow
er. And the heart must be dominated
and determined by a sincere love OF the
truth. To know the truth must be its
sincere, devOut, and determining aim.
And it must be pure and holy. An un-
holy and impenitent heart cannot reason
Alright upon questions religious and that
make for holiness. Selling by vigor
Gus faith upon Jesus Christ in His per
son, life, and atoning sacrifice, it must
draw Him into itself as an eXpulsive
and dominating power; and from Him
as the centre OF its being and the spring
of its energy must throw out its radla-
ting lines of thought.
My brother, these are some OF the
Liberties and of the Restraints OF your
Reason. Exercise these liberties UNI
der these restraints, and YOU will know
the truth and the truth will make you
frap