Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-06
REASON In RELIGION.
ITSLlBERTlES AND ITS RESTRAINTS
Eloauent and Liberal Discourse by Mr.
Armstrong, at ST. Matthews
Church Last Sunday,

OUulSu LdSA
Il speak as to wise men; judge ye what
SAY. -. Cor. 10. 10.
These words must be accepted as a
pointed and emphatic appeal on the
part of st. Paul TO those to whom he
was writing to bring their full reasoning
powers to bear upon the subjects that
he was discussing. 1t matters not for
our present purpose what those
subjects were. All that we are concern
ed with here is that he called earnestly
upon those to whom he was presenting
them TO exercise their reasoning iacul-
ties upon them. He would not have
them accept the doctrines that he was
putting forth in blind, passive, or sla-
wish spirit. He would not have them
receive them simply and exclusively on
his statement or assertion. Rather
would he have them by the ireeeXerclse
of their own reason examine the fOunda-
tons on which the doctrines rested, and
understand clearly and fully their mean
ing and force.
But those TO whom he made this APP
peal he addressed as ",ciSe msR." He
evidently felt that they possessed the
ability to reason upon the subjects that
he was discussing. He felt that their In
tellectual faculties were keen enough
and strong enough to perceive
and grasp the meaning oil the
doctrines that he was teaching, and 10
weigh properly the arguments by which
he was maintaining and enforcing them.
Had he felt otherwise than thus, IN APP
pealing to them to reason upon his doc
trines he would have been but hooking
them. and his appeal would have been
utterly Ruthless. Vain would It be, as
il would be heartlesS, TO call upon men
10 exercise their reason upon subjects
that are utterly above their grasp, or
who are destitute Of the power to rea-
son.
And in making such an appeal, and
with such conditions and limitations, |
take st. Paul rs so far representing and
embOdying the spirit Of Christianity.
The legitimacy or warrantahlenesS oil
this cannot | think be intelllgentIy
questioned. To represent Christianity
i'm the fulness of its spirit and IN all Its
phases, next TO its Divine-human FOun-
der Himself there is no one whom we
should sooner and more safely select
than st. Paul Strong ana deep as he
was by nature, and pure and broad aS
he became under the transforming IN
fluence of the Cross, this man 1t must be
acknowledged contained IN himself and
actually exemplified more OF the power
and breadth of Christianity than any
other mere man who has ever lived.
And so whatever appeals he made TO
mems reasoning faculties. as by him
those faculties were conditioned
and restrained, the same appeals TO rea-
son, with the same conditions and re-
straints, are we 10 regard whole Chris
tianity rs making.
And hence the theme which this pass
aye presents for our consideration Is
THE LIBERTIES AND THE RESTRAINTS OF
HUMAN REASON N RELIGION.
By the liberty of human reason in re-
ligiOn we understand simply the free
dom OF the mind, rs unlmpeded by any
human power and as not influenced by
the fear Of any punishment because Of
the character OF the conclusions ut which
il NAV arrive, To investigate the grounds
of the authority OF religion, the evil
denceS of the truth OF Its as
1 ~ an
doctrines. The exercise of such a
liberty is not Incompatible with the
idea or subverSive of the fact OF either q
Divine revelation or q Church Divinely
organized and clothed with Divine au-
thoritv To teach. There are not few
both inside and outside of the Church,
both friends and foes OF Christianity,
who seem TO think that as soon rs we
assert the liberty of human reason IN re-
Gyion We are necessarily at the same time
impairing the authority of the Bible and
the Church. And this suspicion has
not unirequently taken So strong hold
anon ecclesiastical authorities and pow
er- a. actually Ia impel them where they
had the power 70 prosecute those who
maintained and exercised the right To
enough To cause US to lament that there
are such drawbacks to our free age AMI
such blOtches OF intrmitieS upOnit, 1t Is
vet true that there are still those who
would iasten the OpprObrious epithet OF
RationaliSts il not of inidelS upon the
men and women who, however honest
" and reverentlv, would dare 10 assert
their individuality in the exercise OF
their reason. The exercise OF the ireeSt
reason is not Incompatible with the idea
or subversive of the tact OF either Dl-
yinely authoritative Revelation or Di-
vinely authoritative Church. BY what
means are we 10 know To moral GER
tainty that prOfeSsed revelation Is Di-
vine? When Spiritualism comes TO us
with its table-rapplngs and protested Jdc-
Simls writings, and processes 10 bring to
US communication from the invisible
world. how are We to decide whether Its
communications are genuine and au-
thentic or the basest fOrgeries and false
hoods? Surely only by bringing TO bear
upon the subject the energy OF a free
reason and all the tests which reason
can command. And this is in the strict
est accord with the direction of st. John:
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits whether they are OF
God" where too the word translated
try has the meaning OF thoroughly prov
ing by the most searching tests OF reas-
on. And so while we firmly maintain
that the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testament are a veritable revelation
from God, and ought to be accepted as
of supreme authority in matters OF faith
and duty, it must not be forgotten that
when first given they submitted to men,
as indeed they do still submit to men,
such evidences of their Divine origin as
appeal to their highest reason, and call
ed upon men to exercise their reason IN
n - /. Al \