The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-12
cERfAIhTlEs OF RELIGION.
RsI. Il. Hess Delivers Bis Fourth Dts
course 70 Young Men.
The BIBLE STANDS FIRM, SAYS he.
Believed In the Scripture, and Chris-
tians Need Not Fear That Religion
Leaders ofthc Worlds Thought and Action
Cannot Withstand All Attacks.


Leaders ofthc Worlds Thought and Action
Cannot Withstand All Attacks.
l,ev. DIR. Hogc delivered the fourth
OF his series of lectures 10 young men on
.'rhe Certainties of Religion" Sunday
afternoon. The discourse was listened
to with close attention. and proved an
able effort. full of valuable instruction.
Or. Hoge commenced by saying that
IL we wondered ut the number and the
variety Of the attacks on the system OF
truth contained in the Bible, we mad
equal cause to be grateful for the num-
Der and variety OF the deferces which
had been made OF the divine origin OF
the sacred records. These detcnces are
not only numerous. but dissimilar ana
indtT.rcont OF each other They be-
come cumulative with advancing time.
The providence of God is the Interpreter
OF the truth OF prophecy, Tor as the
centuries move on, the fulfilled predic-
ton OF holy writ become more and more
impressive. The continued triumph OF
the gospel over all the forms of oppo-
sition; the superiority of It's morals as
they are contraste1 with all other
ethical systems: the perfect ideal present.
cd by the life and character of Christ 10
all the human ideals which are proposed
for study and imitation, the confession
made by writers Of all rationallties era
degrees OF culture; OF all faiths and I'M
beliefs, by men unlike each other ]"
all the respects in which men can be
dissimilar who after the strictest scrutiny
have been unable to ind any flaw or
blemish in the ineffable purity anf
beauty OF the character of Chris> ~ iher
who came TO villify and misrepresSnt
but who, as they contemplated II, became
filled with tender and irrprsssib'e ad-
miration and ended by admitting that
his was the matchl~,s IDEAL which Sat
isned both the intellect and tie s"art,
Evs.y now discovery of archaeology, every
fresh light thrown On the accuracy II
the Mosaic records. every disentelI~d
and deciphered inscription which gives
confirmation to any part of biblical his
tory. adds both 10 the number and the
strength of the ever accommodating cvi-
den1cs OF the truth OF ous holy religion.
LITTLE CAUSE TO FEAR
II there were a fortress any where on
,arth which rad been beseiged IN every
generation for one thousand years Dy
all the engines Of destruction without
having any break made in its walls; ana
If on the contrary. during the intervals
between these attacks, its defenders sue
ceeded I'm erecting new bast.ons ana
towers and strengthening the citadel.
they could have little cause TO FEAR that
surrender would ever be necessary.
Such is the fortress OF our venerable
faith
It Is certain that no system was ever
proposed TO human credence which had
81 ch a long and brilliant line OF de-
fehGers and advocates as the Christian
religion.
II any young man has doubts with re-
gard TO its divine origin, let him remem-
Der who and what the men were VINO
have believed II and found strength aud
joy from their trust
IL is true we are not to pin our faith
10 the beliefs of others. however. wise
and good they may have been. or trat the
authority OF great names can settle de-
batable questions. but it is also true that
the array of learning and genius and
virtue on the side Of Christianity IS so
formidable as 10 afford at least strong
presumptive evidence Of its credibilty.
LEADERS OF THOUGHT BFrITyr.
Among them were rot only the great
thinkers and scholars of the world, but
men OF affairs. practical men, scientific
men, men who by their own discoveries
had enlarged the boundaries OF useIui
knowledge, who had made their own
original contributions TO what gave ad-
vancement TO human progress. and VINO
added new territory 20 the domain OF
truth.
II has well been said. there was no stop
in the great organ of nature, which
they d6 not draw out; no note when
they did not sound: no depth which they
did not fathom; no shore On the great
ocean of knowledge they did not eX-
plOre.
In what age o. country was there a
man of mere patient research, more ca
pable OF weighing evidence. more cau-
tious in making irductlons than Bacon
And yet how clear end unqualified was
his testimony to the truth OF religion.
When there was an Investigator more
cautious. moro conscientious, more scru-
pulously careful in reaching his conclu-
sions than Sir Isaac Newton? or this
his biOoraphers give Us n remarkable IL
lustration He had formed an original
theory Of grayitation and he believed II
10 he the true one but he would not
publish II until IL could be verified in
every particular by mathematical den on
stration. However. he found thot tnetc
wss one discrepancy in his calculations,
and therefore he would not announce
that the great law, on which ne pased
his theory OF gravtatiOn was established
centered until at length hearing or new
measurement OF degree or the merlnlan
BY a continental astronomer, Whlch dii-
fered from his own. he went over his
ca lcriaticns again, on the basis or me
new measurement and found the result
exactly what he hoped for but failed I'M
til then to find.
With equal patience, caution ana
conscientousness be investigated all the
problems connected with revelation. lie
was not satisfied until he reached con-
cusion as firmly established In the spirit
ual as in the physical world. His maj
deduction was, II account the Scriptures
Of God TO be the sublimcst philosophy
AGAL,xY OF p LIVES.
what a galaxy of lllIstratrlous. jurists..
linguists, and metaphysicians Of devout
picty. we have represented by such
names IS Sir Matthew Hale. the learned
Selden. Sir william Jones. John Locke,
and the cen mentator Blackstone.
In the realms of science, where snail
We find nobler examples both OF learn
ing and religion than by such men as
Herschel. Agassiz. Guyot, Miyart, Farfa-
day. Lenotnent Dana, La Conte and
Principal Dawson.
In the profession Of medicine we find
It's annals Illuminated by such physicians
as Sydenham. Boerhavc, Gregory. COOGe,
| Cooper, Ambrose Pare, Laennec Sir VII
liam TurgussOn, J. Marion Sims. j..
Hayes Agnew. ami Sir James simpson.
All these are among the departed ana
have gone 20 their rest and reward.
How easy 1t would be 10 extend the LIST
almost indefinitely by the enumeration
of the illustrous physicians san living.
who stand as lights and landmarks IN
their noble calling.
During orc of the Meetings Of tho
British Association for tho advancement
OF science. during the sessions of the
Congress there was an Afternoon meet
ing called for the purpose Of devotion
4 prayer-meeting, with appropriate adj
dresses, conducted by some OF it's most
distinguished members.
L,our Of the sly who ccUp1 Tho NJ nor