New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-09
THE INFIDEEs DIFFICULT TASK.

BflUp CLaryon II Nebraska al Cdltdry church tFo'sid
Eptscop9ll
Bishop Clarkson, of Nebraska. preached at
Calvary Church yesterday mor-e. His text was from
H. Kings H. 10: "And he said, hast asked hard
thing"
There is no doubt said the speaker but that there are
men in the world who IN doubt az to whether there
is a God and who cannot accept Christianity honestly
ami Justly to themselves. Yet, when Christian speaks
TO mn nfdel OF Divine Saviour, the certainty OF resur
econ and the eternity Of the human soul, II is nyaria
bly, acknowledged that the question is hard one to
decide 1t sometimes taken FOR granted that tho man
who cuts clear Of Christianity frees himself from many
doubts and dinlculues Such admission Is to be de-
p,ored Instead Of escaping, by doing this, one only
surrounds himself with greater darkness aud problems
more difficult 10 solve than II nc were 10 auht inc uuth
of the Divine doctrine.
The in1de who dcuie, the divinity has indeed hard
position. To sustain himself he must explain how the
world came to be asst Is He must tell whence came
man and the countless order OF ANNALS emu he must
hor how the earth was clothed In such beautiful verdi
urc All this and much moro has the inhdel TO 10 DIM
cult SIT is the unbcnever endeayors TO explain how,
vhy and wherefore came all the mighty mysteries.
What IA IL believer ia God saysl He does not advance
many theories he does not hesitate to say 81 believe
there is a God omnpOtcn being from whom Oil TINS
comes" What does the inhdel say He stamIners out
that by chance and gives other doubtful reasons
why things exist. Ho will say that there existed an in-
verse by chance. Can any believe IN chancei such
concet is III for maD except for hin who I'm deny
Ing Goa DID at the cost OF his reason 1t Is far
harder 10 believe that everything created by nat
ura law than by allpowerfnl God In certain mech
anisms there absolute knowledge, but IN the
ton OF the universe facts not admitted but supposed
10 assume bndly certain thpgs and then TO state that
the results what men see, i hundred fold more df
ncut Than 70 attribute the origin OF the world " q
tor Lord Bacon believer aud De said that he
would rather believe IN all tho fables than 10 believe
that the universe had beCl created without mind.
Another thing that the Christian point 10 IL the
preservation, through ages OF most adverse CirOum
stances Bible. The believer asserts aBt the Bible
God work the uubeevCr that II IL NOT and that
preservation the est chance, The result Of ufoIe
then il a falsehOod II divine, then is the worst
book IN existence No other book hes over been written
that has grown obs0rte But the Bible lived On, IN
desructLe and gathered freshness from every genera
ton.
Another thing which proves that God exists is the life
Of Carist rs factor Ia tho worlds life, without regard
for his doctrines teachings liza without
army without family OF without pr0pcftyi born In
village that would bring contempt upon llis name,
man who offended rulers. being misunderstood By His
own, and yet rose 70 be master OF tho whole thinking
world. That fact alone Is proof enough Of his diy ny
Four hundred millions Of people believe ia thnt man,
who ia three years lifted himself 20 throne
greater than Caesars and which has outlasted all others
How can unbolioyer account for all TING Up must
be sDeeohleas only answering, "Thou hast indeed
asked A hard question:" II anyone should map ont
the boundaries OF Christianity, h5 would ind that 70
embraced all that was most Intelligent And mAi al WI