The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-03
IN HIS OLD PULPIT.
Rev Matt S. Hughes at Chestnut Street
Church Yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon Rev. Matt S.
Hughes filled his old pulpit at Chestnut
street church. For some time before the
commencement of the services Mr..
Hughes stood in the vestry and was SUR
rounded by the members OF his old
parish, who pressed forward eagerly to
greet him.
The church was fillod to it's utmost
capacity. The sermon was upon the
Laboratory Method and Its Application
TO christianity" The text was taken
from Psalms XXXIV. g. 80 taste and
see that the Lord is good; blessed is the
man that trusteth in Him."
The search for truth is the business Uf
life Two methods have been used by
men In their efforts to discover truth.
The first method is that of argument,
the second that of experiment. The one
is the basis of the deductive philosophy;
the second the basis of the inductive
philosophy. The one is the method OF
Aristotle; the other the method of Bacon.
The one uses the syllogism; the other
observation. The one belongs to the
study, the other to the laboratory. The
one deals in metaphysics, the special
province of the other is physics.
Modern science began with the shifting
OF method from argument to experiment.
This is the age of experimental science.
Thus the natural sciences are constructed.
Theories Of all kinds lust submit to the
practical test. For this great change in
dealing with the phenomena of the world
we are indebted to Francis Bacon and his
new philosophy. Before the time of
Bacon the world followed the methods af-
ter the deducSiye logic of Aristotle Bacon
declared, that system essentially weak
and faulty. and substituted for it his
own better experimental methods. He
showed the world how to find and test
truth.
So now in education and In scientific
research we use what is commonly
known AS the laboratory method.
Science is taught by experiment.; no
longer matter Of text book and teacher,
must stand the test of the Baconian
philosophy. Christianity must answer
the universal challenge of induction.
Each recognized silence has certain
data or materials out of which the science
enerees. Geology has to do with the
earth's composition and history; botany
with the fora and fauna of.the world;
chemistry finds its materials in the con-
stituent elements of earth, sea and sky;
astronomy has for it's province the
heavenly bodies and their relations. So
there are certain facts or existenoes
which afford basis for a scisntiflc study
of religion. Spiritual science deals with
soul facts The religious nature Of man,
conscience, the feeling of moral obliga-
ton, the longing for Immortality, the
sense of sin, the desire to be at one with
God, these are all real existences that
correlated with the revelations of Scrip
ture, give the material for out study.
To these we seek to apply the expert
mental method OF proof. We have numer-
GUS organs and faculties by which we in
yestigate the phenomena of life. The five
senses serve US in material things In
the higher things of the intellect l use
appropriate method of Investigation and
demonstration. / do not attempt to mark
a problem in mathematics by the
syllogisin, nor do attempt to apply
mathematica tests to logical PROPOSE
tions.
The facts of our religious natures be-
long to the sphere of consciousness. Pro-
eesses necessary elsewhere, here fail. I
aspiration, nor handle a DESIRE Nitric
acid will not test moral character. Here
we have a peculiar class of phenomena,
demanding an appropriate test and
method. 1t would be unscientitic to at
tempt the use of a foreign method of de-
moIstration here. We know moral
obligations, we know the desire for i'm
mortality, we know the sense of sin. we
know joy, sorrow and peace by the testi-
mony Of consciousness. From this there
is no appeal. We know, we know.
Now the promise is that just as you
know these eXistenoes of the religious
nature, in just the same satisfactory way
you shall know the supply for those
wants just as you are conscious of sin,
go shall you be- conscious of the forgive
ness of sin; just as you are conscious of
unrest, SO shall you he conscious of peace;
just as you know you are q wanderer
from God 80 shall you know you have
come back to Him; just az you know
you are not Christian SO shall you
know you have become disciple Of
Christ so taste and see THAI the Lord Is
good.''
This method is purely scientific and up
to date. I am not talking a foreign
tongue in a Methodist pulpit. Our
fathers were philosophers in their presenta-
tion of truth. They always preached the
experimental mothod, and urged men to
an "experience Of religion" This is
superior method Better than the
me- them atical. There Is always room for
mistakes in calculation. Better than
logical. logic is sure science if the
promises be correct. But that is the
weakness and the difficulty of the method
of Aristotle. The reasoner may have
false promises and ell sins in logic nre
objectionable sins. Logic, itself musu
stand the test of the laboratory method.
This Inaken religion practical and gives
each individual who tries it q satisfac-
tory ground Of assurance. 1t is also a
proof of the geuineness of religion. You
Cannot prove = atheism, skepticism or
aguosticism by experience. Coleridgs
said "If you wish to know the truth of
Christianity, try it," The Psalmist says:
"Oh taste and see that the Lord is
good" Philip said to Nathaniel when he
asked If any good thing could come out
of Nazareth: Come and see.' And in
the last chapter of the Book is this in
vitation: "And let him that is athirst
come" Hunger satisfied thirst quenohed
must be the test of the genuineness of re-
ligion.
In the morning, notwithstanding the
heavy showers. there was large congre-
uQ to b Nv