Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-11-30


the soul while in this state. Confu~
cius, Mahomet and Jesus were alike
inspired, and their words revelation
more or less true. The Hindoo
mother who threw her babe into the
Gqnges to be eaten by the crocodiles,
because she felt she must, was mors
ally, just as much right as the Chris
tian mother who nourishes and pro-
tects her babes life.
This philosophy sweeps away the
very foundations from beneath US,
and makes our nature itself TO be
lie. Truth, an objective reality, sep
Grated from and opposed to all error,
must exist, because l have faculties,
natural, and inherent in my SOU, that
whenever reused to action at all, at
once begin to ask for and search after
the truth. Lock me in dungeon
dark as midnight, but leave me the
full enjoyment Of my bodily powers,
and the knowledge of their use, and
then try to convince me that light
has no real existence; that the dark
ness is as really light as the brightest
shining of the sun, if will only hon
estly believe it, and l know that it
is not so. My eye is lie if it were
true. know that it was made to
see with; it cannot see except through
the light; therefore light must exist
and exist where l could reach it, if l
were free. My eye was no more
made to see with, than my reason
was to apprehend the truth. The
moment l begin to think. begin
to seek for the truth, and do it in
stinctively. Now truth must exist,
or my reason is lie, not in its de-
auctions only, but in its very nature.
Any philosophy, the fundamental
principles of which makes nature a
lie, must itself be false.
God having endowed man with
reason, and thus impaired to him the
5 power both to apprehend and COM
: prehend the truth, He justly holds
him responsible for its proper use.
We glory in the gift of reason, but
3 we ignore its responsibilities. / not
3 only can think, but l must think.
t God commands me to "Prove all
things" He challenges my reason
g as well as my faith. "COme let Us
Y reason together saith the Lord" i
I we do not think for ourselves, and
: think earnestly, we stand guilty be
r fore Him. But we must not only
y think, but think rightly. We mus
n let reason act freely according to hel
g own laws, and in her own sphere
!. Take reason and put out her eyes
y force her along the line of false prom
V Uses, loose her amid the dark mis-
q and wild moOrs of speculative phil
It osophy, until she fall into the ditcl
q of falsehOod. and give you lie TO
= your faith, and see if God does no
e hold you responsible for your lie. |
n is perverted, prOstituted, outraged
e reason that embraces the lie. You d.
l. her as the Philistines did Sampson
re you put out her eyes and say to he
Il make us sportw Reason was neve
k intended to make sport for man. Sh
q was never designed to spin out fine
st spun theories, nor weave wild specu
q latiOns. She was designed to tax
q facts, certified to her, and from ther
d draw out the solemn truth. Dare t
2, pervert her from this sphere, an
N God holds you to strict accountable
ity for the sin.
IL This responsibility upon me to us
IN my reason creates n moral respons
" bility upon every system
IN thought to verify itself by evidenC
u at the bar of reason, when it cha
ct lenges my faith, and a responsibilit
s. upon me to examine the evidence,b
ID fore give my faith. This is trr
tn whether the system be scientific, phi
'h osophical or religious. There is
~ disposition in the current literatul
of our day to put religion to the S
tie verest test, and to decry the eviden,
tie she furnishes; while at the san
~ time our faith is demanded for a
as doctrines of science upon the me
re authority Of scientists. Religion the
tn tell you'll blind faith to mere autho
&, ity. Science is free thOught-reasC
~ untrammelled. Yet demand the ey
of dences of the truth of any of the 81
We entific theories, and the answer
es such is the teaching of the school
he Now, subject your religion to Il
er closest scrutiny; weigh we'll her ey
CHI dences, and giving her your fat
It. let it be free, and an intellige