St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-11
REASON IN RELIGION.
Sermon by the Rev. =. G.. Smith, Yes
terday, at Jackson Church.

ton in jackson street NJ. L. church, and the
following is an abstract of his remarks:
Peter, III, IS. ''Be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asks a reason for the
hope that is in thee, with weakness and fear
desire to set before you the province and
limitations Of reason in religion.
While travelling in Italy, some years since,
in company with two young ladies from Rus
STA, the conversation turned upon re-
ligion. sob, said one, II am not a Chris
tian; | prefer to reason" ''And II said
the other, ''do not reason. prefer to be-
icve. | think the church is so beautiful"
think these remarks very well Illustrate
the attitude of many, not only in the Greek
Catholic and Roman Catholic churches, but
inside and outside of all communions
But reason is that faculty of the soul by
which we discover and apply truth. 1t is
therefore essential to the Christian. The
material of knowledge with which we work
may broadly be stated as two-fold, facts and
principles. Facts may be verified to us by
experience, or by testimony. There may be
in them great elements of mystery. Indeed,
events are so bound together that to under
stand one we should know all. That the grass
grows in one of the simplest
statements of fact. Yet it has its own mys-
teries for how and why it grows, we may but
partly understand. In like manner the mir
acles OF our Lord may have in them elements
of mystery, but of His work, and death aud
resurrection, are facts, assured by indubit-
able evidence, we are bound to accept
them.
But principles, foundation truths are for
light and explanation. They N ust, therefore
themselves, be luminous and explicable.
Forinstance, Hogarth af1irms that the curved
line is the law of beauty. Now this is gener-
alization from facts But if beauty can be
exhibited without curved lines it will not do
for Hogarth to cry, 'this is a mystery,''
'your principle is false, you cannot be our
teacher
The application of the discrimination to
the uses of reason in religion will readily
appear. The guide to a Christian faith and
life is reason, the organ of knowledge In
the first instance it scrutinizes the existence
OF an era of revelation form Moses to Christ
and his apostles. Then it pursues the in
quiry as to whether the Bible is an authen-
tic record of that revelation.
The whole scope of evidence from miracle,
prophecy, morality, an d effects of Christian
ity belong to the realm of reason.
But more-it is through the reason that
man compares himself with the standard of
the Gospel, and learning his sin and need,
he turns to the historic, but ever living
Christ, who is authenticated to HIM by his
reason, and then reposes his soul upon that
Savior and Master. This attitude of soul is
the result of reasonable conclusions in the
Christian act of faith.
/ may say with reference to the relation Of
| reason to faith that both words are used
sometimes in an accommodated sense.
When say that believe certain doctrine
l mean that the reasons for its acceptance
are weightier than those against it. 1t ex-
plains things to me. The better statement
perhaps were, 81 accept this doctrine. But
faith in a person means that the reason
brings information that such an one is trust
worthy, and sol rely upon him This trust
of the Savior is evangelical faith.
Doctrine, being in the realm of principles,
must come to make the work of the soul
ca sier than 1t otherwise could be. The only
authority possible for doctrine is its claim
to the allegiance of the reason.
Our community is favored with visit from
Mgr. Capel, who comes from afar to instruct
our people as to the dogmas of the Roman
church. Not to be discourteous to a stranger,
we may say that If there be works of super
erogation, this coming is one, for the Cathe-
dral pulpit has presented to the public with
more vigor and ability these same questions,
and they have met abundant refutation.
Monscignor, however, furnishes me an illus
trution for my theme in his treatment of the
dogma of transubstsntiation, and from one
| learn all.
Professionals are freely accused of misrep-
resenting Catholic doctrine, but | will read
to you from the decree of the council of
Trent, the canons of the holy eucharist; for
never combat position without first stat
ing his claims out of my opponents own
words. Here followed the reading. Now
we are told that the bread and wine In the
eucharist are changed into the body and
blood, bones and nerves, OF Jesus Christ
This seems to be a question of fact. 1t is
proven, however, out of the Scriptures We
are asked to accept as literal the words, ''this
is my body" spoken Of the bread used in
the last supper, although Jesus had not yet
been put to death, because Monsignor
Capel has been to Palestine, and asked the
people if a mans flesh could be eaten fgur-
atively. A man must be sure of his audi
ance, when he uses such method. In the
first place, the question Of fgurative or literal
is out of the range OF common people. In
the next place the the language of Palestine
to-day is not the language Of the New Tesla
ment. Finally, the people with whom Mon
signor conversed must have been Christians
to have known what the drift of his question
was. If Christian, and Catholics or Greek,
their answer was an echo from the priest
hood Had Monsignor widened his travels,
and held the conversation in the South Sea
islands, the cannibals would also have in
formed his ordship that it is not possible to
eat mans flesh fguratyely. We are told
that we need 'the simplicity and confidence
Of Peter in the goodness Of God" in order
to find out that the wafer is no longer bread,
but is "body and blood bones and nerves"
think not. We need sim
ply, an analysis 1t is question
of fact. 1t will be found
that the wafer, after the blessing has the
same weight, size and constituents that It
had before. 1t is still flour and water; it Is
not bones and blood. But we are told, this
is great mystery. I tell you, it is a great
humbue The talk Of reverence and mys-
terry is out of place. A man says to me:
Here is round stick, but it will fit this
| square hole. reply, oh nonsense. Then
| suppose he looks solemnly at me and says
''Great is the Lord; great is mystery; great
is round stick" wont talk with such a
man. go away and say, great is humbug.
] am told 10 believe characterization, be-
| cause the infalible church says It, though It
contradicts every test of the senses, and OF
science, ] say, so much the worse for the
infallible church. If you make an issue like
that, will neither believe in your wafer,
your councils, nor your pope.
Butt pass on to notice the relation of rea-
son to the Christians life. 1t is the basil
and defense, so We learn, because Of the dis