Telegram-herald., 1886-10-04
UNTAIKLIKt FACTS
Sermon by Rev. r. II. Brooks,
OF the Second Baptist Church.
CHRISTIANITY The TRUE RELIGION
lnfideiitY and Modern Free thought
Oeno0noed- Things Unshaken and
lmmosable AFTER the lnfldei
has Spoksp, What Then9"


al the Second Baptist church yesterday
morning was After The lnhGel Has spokea,
What Then His text Was p4u of the
second verse OF the Eighty fourth Psalm
My heart and nay flesh crietA out for the
living God" lie said.
After in6dehty has attacked the
Christian religion charging upon il many
superstiti0ns and delusi0ns, pr0nounung 10
merely a man made system exciting by rdi-
Cule anu Carlcature the laughter and
applause of unbelieycrs and eApen0lng us
force in the attempt 10 enthroWn modern
free thought ia the place of the GOSPEL
what them IL other words how shall one
meet ia his own mind, his bold attack
What shall young men aud women be led
IA conclude after hearing their adverse and
sweeping declarations.
In answer 10 these questions IL should be
impressed deeply Oh the minds Of az that
whatever these negative teachers may say
and do, certain things. remain mistaken
and immOyable. Alter the storm Is over
aud while II is raging there are mountains
like fac which come 10 view a. in the
clear light of the noon day sun. il is my
desire this morning 10 present some
of these facts ia the name
of system which has something positive
miss9n il is 10 build up rather than de
stroy. A part of the many facts which
abide through all the earthq quake shocks Of
lntidel teaching will appear IN tbs follow
ing propositions.
First After the skepiic has done his
utmost against Christianity il remains that
man possesses a religious nature whose
claims are urgent, whose demand must be
met That which we call the religious ele-
l.. a
from without. 1t did not arise IN the world
by any arbitrary enactment. Man is not
called thereby 10 perform an unnatural
service. 1t is no human contriyauce or
invention for selfish ends. 1t inheres in
human nature as truly as the mind itself.
The prOcliyitv 10 worship the creator of the
universe, the tendency 10 search for the
supreme being. the exercise OF the alice
tions towards MIN. the sense of
obligation 10 do his VIII. the con
victiOn as 10 reward and punishment
are Just as natural for human beings As il l.
for such 10 eat food, 10 love earthly child,
or parent, or friend; as natural a. II Is 20
seek for knowledge Of any kind and 30
regulate conduct by moral distinctions. II
Is true, the religious instinct may be clouded
aud overwhelmed by degeneration, just As
any principle of our nature may be weak
ened and destroyed by abuse or neglect.
But in the history OF the world among men
today religion holds a conspicuous place.
mo principle is more universally mani
fested" as an able writer atiirms. The
love of knowledge belongs 10 the normal
activity of man, but il may wholly disap-
pear and take the form of british ignOr-
ance, when men abandon themselves 10
gross indulgence of appetite and passion.
Parental affection is grounded in human
nature, but 1t may be 50 completely de
str0yed that parents impose all sorts of
cruelty on their offspring. In like manner
the religious nature may be so ignored that
little or no trace OF it Is left, as among Ger
tain heather tribes in far-On lands
and as with mutitudes in our own commu-
nifty. But the root principle OF religion Is
never utterly destroyed, and could not be
short of total annihilatiOn. In all human
history religion holds conspicuous place
NO principle is more universally mani
| tested as an able writer aiiirms. In the
| darkest ages there are some rec0gnitiOns of
| a superior power. Man feels that there is a
| being above himself, and he clothes that
| being in what to his rude conception, is
great and venerable The earliest guides
| and leaders Of the race looked to the heav-
| ems for security and strength TO earthly in
| stitutions. They were compelled 10 speak
| to men in higher name than mans. Rel
| gion was an earlier bond and a deeper
| foundation OF society than government. L.
| was the root of civilization. 1t has founded
| the mightiest empires" 1t has been the
| dominant force in the history Of the
world, because it formed a part and the
| highest part Of human nature. Reason tells
| us that the religious faculty is active on
| the highest plane OF mans endowments.
| PhrenOlOgv locates il above all the other
| faculties-abOve the animal, above the
| social. above the intellectual, above the
esihetic and above the moral.
As an inherent power OF man il present.
| certain phenomena which cannot be ignored
| by impartial reason. A truly scientific
| spirit and thorough scientific method
| which would look TO all points of the COM
| pass for its data, which would gather all IN.
| before reaching a final conclusion. cannot
| ignore these facts Of the religions nature
| They are Just as real. and 20 say the least. a.
| important as the facts and forces and laws
of the material world. Man must be stud
| ed indeed a. an animal. social. intellectual.
| moral creature. but 10 less as a religious
| being ANY science which would st0T
short of this is partial and one sized, anC
above all things incompetent 10 teach in the
religious department.
Nothing Is more evident than this highe'
| proclivity Of human nature and a wide
array OF indisputable facts. and forces aDC
| laws appear in connection tbere0 TIA
II will ever confront us with its problem'
and It's claims. As a race we shall never b'
| able 10 lay these aside Mankind a. i
advances SAYS one does not leave religion
| behind H. As IL leaves its shelters of care
and forests. does not oufgrow faults. doe
not see IL fading like the mist before ii
| rising INTEL gence tgn the contrary
religion opens before the improved mind il
new grandeurs God. whom uneiviiize.
man had narrowed into a local and tuiela'
deity rises WITH every advance r
| knorledge. % a ioftier throne ard s. seer
10 sway might scepter. The eoBi ~
| proportion a. il enlsrges its faculties an
refuses ifs affections possesses auf
! dizoerns within itself . more and NOR
glouons type II the Divinity ThDs dee
i. The foundation ~ worship 10 hums
nature.
such 81 endogment ss THIS las Ste Re
mands They cannot - ignored wi
impunity any more than ~ 80 of i1e bod
or mind. The laEs q uafurs from fh
bottom - ifs TOP clear from ihe uhfsic.
70 the spiritual are vigorously exsc'iD DE
j. thou 3esif and ibeu shalt not flrrn
source ~ authority higher shan fhat ~ %
2 FzVrfisn wilderness Its claims z s'
4esr long after the noantains - esrfh bsf
crura5.sd. away
Consider noT second VroFfs d
! After the irfdel has SPOKEN it rfrasfns fhs
G. / nothing uil satisfy this existing re sier
nature in uar. IT meet re csfrrs. t1f @
I / s1soiute truth in That f,gro rtirn cerre
I r-cn5s vi;h this gher iacalty fre-r 81
i ~ rne heirH ls Teisrad 40 othaF raffs
tbs uriesrse In ifmsef he Is iocsrF II