Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-12
Practical Certainty in Religion.

THERE is a difference between prac-
tical certainty and positive or demon
strative certainty. In the latter case
all possibility of the contrary is ex-
cluded; in the former, it is not. We
follow out a mathematical proof, and
we are positively certain. We are in
formed of fact, and we are practically
certain of it.
Now, we know ten things practically
where we know one positively. We knows
positively scarce anything, except some
things that we have actually seen or
have mathematically proved. Even
what we see we may misapprehend, and
what we have seen our memory may
treacherously record. An error may
lurk even in our mathematics. IL is
not every mind that can attain the Ger.
tainty of Professor Pierce. After Le-
verrier had computed the place in the
heavens of the missing planet, and the
telescope had found it at the very spot
predicted Professor Pierce found that
Leverrier's calculation was an error and
that the discovery of Neptune was an
accident. A friend told the Professor
that he hoped he would not publish his
conclusion, because it was exceedingly
improbable that the coincidence could be
accidental. at is more improbable, -
said Professor Pierce, "that my calcu-
lation should be wrong" For most
things we are abundantly content with
practical certainty. Whatever we learn
because we have been told-history,
geography, science--whatever we read,
whatever we hear, we believe on prob
able evidence, on evidence that satisfies
us enough to liYe by it, even though it
be not complete. If the evidence pre-
ponderates, we trust it. We do all our
business on it. We imprison men, we
hang men on nothing better than prob
able evidence.
And yet, in religion men ask a sign
from Heaven. If they cannot see, like
Thomas, the print of the nails, they
will not believe. But the practical evil
dence should be enough; and the prac-
tical evidence should be the preponder-
ating evidence, even though not COM
pletely conclusive to us. You cannot
see God, to be sure; but, on the whole,
when you look at Nature about you,
when you look at the demands of your
own nature, when you think what the
great and good of all ages have be-
| lieved, does it not look probable to you
that there is a GodP Then act on that
evidence. 1t is a practical certainty
that there is God. Worship Him
Obey Him. Love Him.
You have never seen Christ. You
have never even seen and heard the
men that saw Him when He was in the
world. You may not have the certain
! ty that the record of Him is all true and
that you must believe everything you
| find written in the Bible. What of thatg ?
If you have not demonstrative certainty,
have you not practical certainty II
| you cannot quite read the Bible as one
infallible record, then read it as sixty
six fallible books, by you don't know
how many writers-just as you would
read Tacitus, or Xenophon, or Macau-
lay, or BancrOft-and tell us what YOU
learn. Let it be, il you please, as falli-
BILE as the contradictory evidence which
twelve very common men take with
them into the jury-boX, which they sift
just as common folks do, and on which
you hang man or acquit him. You
read the history, and you find, by
similar evidence to that which con.
vinces Il jury, that Jesus Christ
lived and taught and suffered and
died. All this is so certain that
no man living denies it. The same evi-
dence exactly tells you that He wrought
miracles and that He rose from the
dead. Is not the certainty practical, il
not demonstrative? At least, is not the
evidence preponderating and the con,
clusion probable? If so, do not wait tC
make it absolute. DO not complain be.
cause you may think you find errors in
the Bible. So there were errors in the
testimony on which the Jury hanged
Chastine Cox. YOu can find out, witt
all practical certainty, what Jesu,
taught, what His disciples taught &c
and learn, and then let the practica
certainty control you. If the Grea
Teacher commands repentance, con
secration to God trust in the Father
and His Son, and your own cOnscienct
cries Amenl then repent, consecratI
yourself, believe. Do not wait for un
necessary demonstration. Were you t,
wait for absolute certainty in this world
you would starve. You don't know alb
solutely that the sun will rise tomorrow
Had you absolute certainty that ever,
word in the Bible was infallibly true
yet your translation is fallible, you
faculties, that must interpret it, ar
fallible. All you need, all God o
Nature gives any man for ordinary o
religious guidance, is practical as
surance. That is enough. That yo
have. There is a God. There is
Savior. The Bible contains His rev
/ elation, Only through the one wa
of service of God can you be saved
Repent of your sins. Conseorate you
life to God; trust in divine mercy; fol
get yourself; live for others. There
, reason enough for this, and IL is tn
only worthy life. Y Independent
The Cologne Cathedral.
THE Cathedral at Colopne. the orant