New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-19
SERMONS WORTH READING.
CHRISTIANITY AND AGNOSIICIsM.
BISHOP NEWMAN DISCUSSES WHAT HE TERMS

"TIE LAST PHASE OF MODERN INFIDELITY'
Owing to the gathering Of the bishops OF the Meth
odIst Episcopal Church in this city, several pulpts
wcrc filed yesterday by these clerical dgnitaries In
the Bedford Street Church Bishop Vincent preached IN
the morning and Bishop Warren in the evening Bishop
Warren had preached in the morning in the Madison
| Avenue Church. Bishop Foster was heard In 81.
Paul's Church. In the Hedding Church. In East Sew
entcenthst., Bishop Newman addressed a large au-
dcnce in the morning, speaking on Christianity and
| Agnosticsm.n The church building was remodelled
during the summer, the many improvements being de-
| signed in part by the pastor, the Rev. A. C. More
house, who was formerly church builder. His sue
cess preacher and pastor in many parishes shows
that he is still church builder"
| Bishop Newman Is known so well in NewYork that
passing reference TO his public life will be sufficient.
He was born in This city in 1896 and early in his min
stry went abroad spending year In study at Rome.
and travelling also in Egypt and the Holy Land On
his return he published From Dan to Becrsheba-"
But as the friend Of General Grant he achieved his
widest popularity. He was chaplain OF the Senate
when General Grant President and later came to
this city, preaching in tho Central Methodist Church
in sevenh-ave which he left TO accept the pastorate
| of the Madison Avenue Congregational Church. The
Newman Ranney episode ended In the resignation Of
the pastor followed in short time by the sale Of the
church property and the dissolution OF the society
DR.. Newman elected Bishop last May, while sta
toned for the third time in the Metropolitan Methodist
Omaha.
WHITENING REBUKE TO AGNosTIcIsM.
Dr. Newman preached yesterday from the words of
the Saviour: Thou shalt know hereafter" The fol
lowing Is an abstract Of his Sermon
Christ is the wisest of religious teachers. His re-
ligon is the most intelligent known to our race TIC
appeals 10 reason. He Is not Urant 10 ehsIave
but teacher to instruct. He invites our assent JIG
of our mental faculties. He says. Como and let Us
reason together" For ave speak that We do know
/ az. ufi
rcbuke tbs is 70 the agnostic's universal doubt Ag
Mysticism is the last phase OF modern nfidcllty IL
and literally means do not know While this form
unbeef IS the latest IS only so In the sense that
years older than our era. Its repuied author was
Pyrrho of Flea, Greece. who followed ALEXANDER nc
Gurus and proclaimed his universal doubt that true
wisdom consists in doublng everything He sought
between virtue and vice, but exposed himself 10 nd
iculc in that he acted what he doubted He finally
doubted that he doubted. Pyrrho Is the antltypo OF
ArHosficsn is a fearful challenge TO tho reliability
mental fsc,,lties and of our consciousness. Philos
ophers agree as to conGd In the testimony Df
sec the sounds we hear, the thoughts We THINK the
emotions feel The sources OF our knoWledge are
RECOGNITION that rely upon our pysical ana men
TAI powers as being Trustworthy All science rests upon
what The astronomer secs Comparative physiology and
anatomy; the whole system OF maeria medlca comes
within the range this great fact. History IS bur the
record of what men have thought and said and done
While IT is true the eye may be deceived 10y OPP
teal Illusions the by aurculai disturbances. Tho
taste by similarity OF 4lvor and the smell by SIMILARITY
of odor yet the consensl o. Inc "oria i IS ina do
NAV be perverted, the reason may be contracted, the
warned the understanding limited, yet the verdict
Of tLc ages IL that caa trust these menat powers
Conscience may be stupefed by long habits OF trans
the will may be rcbeous, fears may be groundIcss,
chdIy and melancholy for remorse; yet the world &C
ccps tho action Of these great passions OF our nature
tlnw AZ The ordinary constitution of He
undcrmincs what Is essential 10 law, 10 phliosUpHS,
from iLcse other grand factors in the mental and
moral structure of the universe
TWO SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
The sources Of our knowledge are internal and ex-
ternal Tho internal relates to our consciousness
which primarily signifies to know. thought is as
truly fact a star fear as a storm, a hope rs
flower There facts Of our mental being that come
10 us with oil the attributes of facts, and must bo so
esteemed Tho external source Of orr knowledge re-
laes to what men have and heard and fcl and to
what has been communicated 10 them our religious
knowledge Is a. certain as thet Of me heavens or
Gr WI tbe Istence Of realizes Appearance ordinarily
correspond with substance In p lcllcaI ne me AZ
nosc H.. ' Viz but his agnostieisn would lead
him 10 question her existence. He believes that she
hui he Is moi sue tlat she Is She, he IS only sure
Of the appearance OF she Uncertainty 81 Wclieh loye
3
drcn, reputation and propery' ne ucaoauS ms
the last, not because they are appearances, Dt thS
gre grand realities TO him. lis life gives inc lie 10
The great truths Of religion equally facts He
pliro.ophical lie ouiets himself by saying that The
Almighty Is unlnOwable and unthinkaDle: bui Goa
tween comprehension and apprchenson We can
comprehend nothing; we can aWrhend inuch 10
comIiehcnd IS 10 contain 10 apprenend Is 10 touch,
10 fakc hold Of We reason from the known 10 The
unknown. II IS an old method, and true as venerable.
al mort
tain signs OF the zodiac He predicted the cause ne
reasoned from the known to the unknown, ana sM
presence Of a hitherto unknown planet. so We argue
from the to the unseen. hold IN my my hand ma
vision of the world, but here is his Grafton Their
was the orator Nature is grand oraon WIZ W.,
her thousand voices proclanng the presence OF the
Divine lie IS invisible, but We infer The un-
from The Sse9 70 we argue R have n po%er pnd
goodness and purity, and infer that He has these IN
an infinite degree.
LIMITATION OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
The Limitation of our religious knowledge does
not impcach that which we Know
There are limits TO all human knowledge.
Who docs not wish for morcl Nnetenths of what
we know comes from others. He who rejects In
telligenco because he has not experienced the same
is Intellectual poor-house. He is stricken with
mental poverty. Take from any scholarly man what
he claims 10 have learned by personal observation
OF geography, history, science, and what Is l ,
The truth IS tho world IS full Of revelations Man
the past, the scientist transmits what he has dis
covered, the traveller bears testimony To what he
has seen. In religion we simply ascend from The
human 10 the Divine revelat0r. II IS communlca.
ton of information beyond the limited powers OF
the human mind to discover. II Is supernatural IN
the that It IS above nature and not contrary
thereto. 1t is mental fanatcism OF tho worst form
TO reject knowledge because IL comes from anotheri
The agnostlc says. a do not know. Job says W.
know that my Redeemer liveth" Christ says So dIt
tcrencel Ignorance is ptted against knowledge
There is nothing moro uplifting and conso'ing than
There is mind in tho world today than ever
before. There is to be increase OF mind. The
tender and eloquent Pascal has said that humanity
IS as narrower living, ever learning. Compare
a hundred years ago and now. We OF today laugh
at those who lived a century ago. Those who live
century hence viii laugh at u.s. and thus the
laugh goes down through the centuries. ] believe