The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-02-12
BASED UPON FACTS.

to line OF facts, but so does Christian
ity. The Christian faith is never with
out it's fact Begin with this present
hour, and is not the church itself stu
pendous fact? Here are millions of men
and women believing, worshiping, obey
ing the precepts Of the Gospel, teaching
them to the young, toiling, giving, sac
rifcing and praying for the up-building
of spiritual kingdom, is not this fact
to be accounted for? And how do Chris
tians themselves attempt to account for
it? By theory? No, but by two-fold
investigation of facts. First there are
the facts of the human consciousness.
Man thinks, wills, loves. He has mind,
will, affections; these are the contents
of the human soul, and out Of these come
the marvellous combinations and phases
of his rational life. So far as Christian
ity is connected with these-and it is
never for an instant separated from
them-it is just as much connected with
facts as the science Of botany or chemis-
try. Certainly no one will say that the
inner life Of plant is any more fact
than the inner life of man; and how
can it be held that the thought, purpose,
love and hope of human spirit are less
significant than the color and fragrance
of rose or the chemical affinities of
drop of water?
But the reply is that science deals
with the tangible, with that which may
be handled, seen, tested in the crucible,
the refining pot. Well, the qualities of
faith have been tested. If the fiery
furnace can reveal that which is real,
then the religious belief of the soul is
real. But if science recognizes only
that which is tangible, visible, it is sim
ply materialism. But it does recog-
nize more than this. 1t is forever in
search of that which lies back of what
it sees and handles. Plan, purpose, the
| reason of it all, are not material ele-
ments, but they are the goal of all
science. In fact, strike human investi-
cation where you will, whether in the
realm of spirit or of matter, and you al
ways find mind on this side or the
problem looking for mind on the 9th
| er side.
In the next place Christian faith is a
| belief in historical facts. Follow river
and you come to its source, it may be a
spring among the mountains, of sun
lit lake bordered by the plain. Follow
back the Christian belief and you will
find historical beginnings. Christ was
born, lived among men, died on the
cross, rose again. These are facts which
we find by tracing up the history of His
church, with its prayers, its service,
self-sacrifice and hopes. There is not a
single Christian doctrine or belief or
practice which is not in some way con-
nected with these historical events.
Every Christmas celebration is a dec
laration as broad as Christendom that
Christianity is founded on fact, not on
theory.
Again, the teachings of the Gospel are
themselves facts. The Sermon on the
Mount is as much fact as the bowlder
which lies by the way side, or as the
fossil which crops out of the broken
stone. The geologist says, whence and
how came that she'll? The Christian
says, whence and how came that mar
velous sermon? If it were not for the
unreasonableness of much of the skep-
ticism of the day, it would be seen that
the latter inquiry is as legitimate as the
former and infinitely more important.
The fundamental article of all relig-
ion, belief in the existence of God, is
never separated from fact. 81 believe
in God, the maker of Heaven and earth,'
fact. No man ever thinks of God
without having the image of the created
universe consciously or unconsciously
wrapped up in his thought. In the
mind of the Christian believer the uni
verse is fact so large that all the little
discoveries of man but touch the hem OF
its garment. God alone explains it.
As to the great facts of human exist.
ence, the problems of pain, sorrow and
death, and the solemn mysteries Of the
soul, Christianity alone attempts to deal
with them. All else is mere curiosity
or dreamy sentiment, as destitute Of
sound conviction, as it is of moral earn
estness. Chicago Advocate.