The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-24
THE PULPIT AND THE PEW.
The Individuality Of The Right Rev. Phil
lips Brooks,
THE NEW BISHOP OF MASSACHUSETTS,.
yhe Empire of Christianity Has It's Sure Bull
warks In the Necessities OF the Soul.
other Selections.

The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks is oroao
man phvsically. mentally and spiritually.
His robust and majestic frame IL the tempe
OF catholic and luminous indiwdu"hy' ii''
faith is built on foundations that cover INC
whole area of mans immortal longings' III
the invisible basilica which he has conse-
Grated there is an altar where every soul may
find God. regardless of race, creed OF 1eu'-
ooyaI condition. His official vestments are
The vcstrnents of bishop of the Protestant
Fp;scopa Church. but to him belong the
robes of priest whose re ligion spurns al oe-
pominational metes and bounds ana Is rs
universal as soul, life and aspirations his
cathoKcity and depth OF insight were con
sraciously manifest IN the few remarks msue
nv him AZ the seventy ninth anniversary
meeting of the American Bible Society
wherein he touched upon the subjects Una, 1ua'
now so profoundly agitate the mind oil ITO
testant Christendom. ,e. Ia;
AS that agitation presents itself IN us ultl-
mate phase il must be regarded as the resuiS
of the ceaSeleSs conflict between iaith ana
reason. The words IN which he refers 10 IL
are Enthusiastically iDcislve and compreheh-
sive. Tho supernatural can never be as
proved Ii is in a higher sense the natural
IL il in the atmosphere in which we confess
ourselves the children of God. Men say we want
a Bible with no miracles, no inspirations Dut
the time IL coming when we shall want no otheI
Bible than one of miracles and lnsprau0h'
because il brings man nearer 70 God Inc
supernatural is the believer nome. IheIe
will always be testing Of the Bible. reason
ing men will resolve around II with theH
questioning but alongside OF these VIII move
those who trust and who 90 on opening deeper
and deeper truths 10 feed mankind.
E.II hag nTCfOUn0
utterance in 50 few words. The cloud OF
mystery that envelOps the great facts OF lie
and death ever has been. is and must forever
remain impenetTable to human reason. 10
what we Will we cannot disslpate II. II the
human mind were constituted of no other
element than reason 1t might be content 10
wage the futile contest and ind all sum
Gent recompense in delight at It's own IN
genuity But its constitution IS lar from
being so simple On the contrary, II IS
mixture of a vast range OF elements. III Is
susceptible of hope and fear; 1t has lmagi-
nations and inspirations that inhnteiy
transcend the scope of reason; the alb
solute deductions Of logic are IN
capable of supplying it with the
nourishment 1t requires: 1t yearns IN
cessantly for something which ratloclnation
cannot afford 1t has needs which merely IN
tellectual mama is incapable OF satisfying
In other words. there is in mortal union with
lecture Of il. that which we call the soul. 10
answer the demands of that element reh-
giOn not the creation OF reaction Is necessary.
Hence the significance Of the bishops re-
mark that the supernatural IS the atmos-
phere in which we confess ourselves the chill
dren of God"
Reducing these thoughts to the plane of our
everyday lives we find that the sorrOws, suf-
ferings and disappOintments that are the COM
mon lot of humanity neceSsltate consultations
that are not within the most generous bounty
of reason. You cannot extract from the lat
ter any such balm as that which religion
Yields and therefore you cannot so long as
human nature aud human sorrow and suffer
ing abide with us, make reason sub
stitute for religion. The empire OF Christi
anty has its sure bulwarks III the sovereign
necessities of the soul. If Christ had never
appeared the Infinite that stirs within us"
as Addison calls it. would have created a
faith to serve IN the absence Of revelation.
That is why Dr. Brooks declares that the
supernatural is in "a higher sense the natural. "
We ascend to il by an uncomfortable impulse
because il brings us nearer TO God, and be-
cause it is THE believers home"
Such considerations are replete with COM
fort and reinsurance TO the Christian mind
that is alarmed by the apparent rapid growth
of unbelief and agnostlclsm. You may shat
ter the fragile fabric of dOglnatlc theology
and obscure or obliterate the arbitrary de-
marcation of sect and creed but there is no
power in any earthly agency to weaken or
destroy that temple of faith whose celestial
proportions glorify the horizon of Bishop
Brooks spiritual vision. If there has never
been a time when the activity of the human
mind so tempted men TO question the lnsplra-
ton of Scripture as it does now, so there has
never been a time when the cardinal truths OF
religion were more firmly intrenched against
the attacks of intdehty. Wisely said the
bishop: There will always be testing of the
Bible. Reasoning men will revolve around
it. but alongside of these will move those
who trust and go on opening deeper and
deeper truths to feed mankind. Brooklyn
Eagle.