The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1882-12-16

you put your case into the hands Of
the man whom your reason recon-
mends.
What does he now dor Drug you
and go to work on your oyer No.
He talks to you, gives his views,
tells you what is to be done, appeals
to your reason, and gets its farther
consent to his measures. He docs
not force you. He docs not hide
from you that be will do things
which you do not understand. You
know little about the optic nerve
or the retina or the iris. You trust
him IN this. You have reasonable
evidence that he knows what you
do not. And if he is capable and
sensible man your confidence in
him increase as he talks but il IS a
reasonable confidence. If, for ex-
ample, he told you that you saw
double with the sore eye, when you
know that you do not see at all, OF
that he would cure by putting a
plaster on your leg, your reason
would question him, and your con-
fidenoe would be impaired. In all
this your reason is not laid aside,
but used and honored.
He proposes his plan. You are
satisfied that is, your reason is
satisfied that his proposal is tho
best for your eye, and you submit
to it. He will tell you, perhaps,
the principle of what he will do,
the mode of operation, and perhaps
say: off you had learned certain
things you would understand it as
well as | do" But you have not,
and you submit to his methods, with
the best results. This is a process
through which thousands have gone
without feeling that they had de-
throned reason.
b.. this. is sabs.an:;aNy wkss 20
ligious men do. They employ the
reason given them in examining
the evidences in favor OF q book
being divine guide. They are sat
isfed. AS to its date and author
ship, for example, they arc more
sure than they can be regarding
Plato, Virgil, Horace or Tacitus.
Along other lines of evidence their
reason travels till convinced
that the contents are true and
Trustworthy. All Christians of
every name are supposed to do this,
Reason is used and honored in ali
this. If the book is true and trust
worthy, then it is surely a reasona-
Bile thing TO act on it-as reasonable
as to act on an official "time-t table,"
or list of stocks.
But does not the book then re-
quiro you to shut your eyes and sus-
pend your reason 7 Not at all. 1t
says, "Como and reason;" and it
means it. 1t is always exercising
and strengthening the reason.
"But does it not require you to
believe things entirely contrary to
reason ?" Not at all. 1t offers
things above reason, but that is very
different from things against reason.
For example; Your oeulist tolls
you that electricity can be used in
the operation on your eye. You do
not, in the least, understand 1t.
Your reason has not yet been lifted
up to it. 1t is above you. 1t is not
contrary to your reason. But sup
pose he has operated and failed, and
your sight is clean gone, and that
no declares to you that you see per-
fectly. Now he is against your rea-
son. He is denying the veracity of
witnesses which you have tho best
reason TO trust, which the Creator
meant you to trust. Now kindly
settle this in your mind, the book,
or its religion, never makes such
demand upon you. 1t honors, uses
and strengthens, but never ignores,
contradicts or degrades your reason.