The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-08
iTH RELIGION OF MAN.
sTks Idea Of The Infinite Is a Fruitful
& Idea Invoking Ulterlar Principles.
PRAYER is THE RECOGNITION OF GOD.
mankind Has Been Pr"eticai! he '
livious, for While Beifef Has zee"
81 General Unbclier Appeas Only In
Individual form-Thc S""i OF VIA"
Naturally Acknowledge God.

Bv REV. d. j. STAFFORD, ID. D.;
RSof st. Patrick's Church, Washington y.
ssS5F For there is one God of all; VINO Is
- above all and through all ana In us al
Ephesians w., 6.
Il From the pillars of Hercules TO the
pagodas Of China, from the tenpies VI
= Egypt to the fanes OF lndia, from tne
EXTREMIST north to the EXTREMIST south,
( from the EXTREMIST east 10 the extremes
I west, all over the continents oil the
world and the islands OF the ocean ,np
8 earth is everywhere numbered Win the
4 works of religion. Good or bad. high
z. or low. refined and elevated or impure
and degrading man. as matter OF fact,
has everywhere had religion. and
Z eyerywherd manifested II outwardly.
A certain school Of scientists left no
stone unturned hunted the universal
globe looked into every corner. Granny
and crevice of the earth 10 find human
being-or thing with that form and
7 seeming-without reason and without re-
liG!on but no such man has been found.
Darwin confesses It. Dawson establishes
It, Mivart proves IT, and Tyler. who
has discussed the question eShaustively
in his primitive Culture" leaves no
doubt upon the subject.
Man everywhere has n religion. He
has lost the arts; he has lost the sci
ences; he has gone backward instead of
forward In the question of civilization.
Nay, he has descended to a depth and
Y degree in the abyss of moral degrade
4 tion fearful to contemplate: where the
. light Of reason becomes q fitfu and I'M
certain glimmcr; where every trace
and lineament OF his once perfect ma
ture seem to be obliterated. But the
light burned, 1t ilumined the darkness
Man looked up and still called to his
maker. And that God who is above all
and through all and III us ALL" that God
who Inspired the prayer, heard the voice
of faith crying in the darkness OF error
and lifted man out of error and vice
10 truth and virtue.
What boots 1t to argue against re-
ligion beca use of the multiplicity, tho
contradictions of religion? The princi-
pie remainder behind all corruption
behind all contradictions. The super
flcial acknowledgements OF error could
not destroy 1t. Behind all remained
deep In mans rational nature those
principles upon which religion depends.
guarded and protected In the whole hu-
man race by that God who Is above
all and through all and Ill US ALL"
d But man could not and did not stop
with bare recognition. The idea OF
God Is the most fruitful of ideas, the
greatest OF ideas. 1t protects the wea k
against the strong; II consoles the nfllict-
fed, and when everything else fails man
finds In God refuge and strength. Such
an idea should have II great expression
ss The mind OF man could not stop with
1.-THE bare recognition of God as existent
+ and did not SO stop. But went on, and
I. would go on by its natural light and
power, even Independently of the added
and additional light of revelation to
clothe the idea with attributes: or, IN
other words, TO form for and to Itself q
sufficient and satisfactory idea of God
{ thus, if existent and eternal and crea.
tor, then Intelligent, infinite and rnerci
4 full.
The human race has not stopped witt
Z q bare recognition of God. for the idef
OF the infinite is q fruitful idea, involv
: ing Interior principles and consequences
y The intelligent soul of man by Il natura
and spontaneous impulse sought to Civ,
Ito God an intelligent recognition, an,
d the lips OF man moved in prayer.
d For what are men better than sheep o
IL goats,
That nourish blind life within til
& brain.
s. II, knowing God, they lift not hands o
81 prayer.
I'd The human race has prayed, and pray
4 er is the intelligent recognition of a
intelligent God by an intelligent crea
4 ture.
g$ Thus mankind has been. not only the
J Oretfcally, but practically. religious. Fo
3 while belief has been general. unbelie
( appears only in individual form II ha
never even reached national importance
There has never been, as Plutarch AM
/. Cicero testify. q nation Of lnffdels. An,
I, even the individual who processes unbe
lief will, In unguarded moments, Civ
Il testimony to the innate righteousness o
man. The soul of man. naturally Chris
/ tian," left TO It's unbranded and spon
taneous action. acknowledges God ans
man is naturally religious. or that he (
s5.'a religious animal"
IS But not only has the human race pray
ed; not only has man acknowledged
9EGod by speech and given expression I,
L the sentiments OF his heart in prayer
Z but he has done more. For, side by sid
with this universal custom and practice
z Of prayer, appears another institution
or right likewise uniVersal-sacrifice.
is dogma of every religion, II Is per
y formed In every temple. 1t Is the occupa
tion Of every priesthood and the prac
tice of every people.
The human race. all nations, all men
have in some way or other acknowledged
original sin. For the universally @
sacrifice ito placate divine anger, sup
poses the universal consciousness of gull
g and wherever the incense of prayer Ila
mounted to heaven, the smoke of sacri
4 fee has assembled with 1t.
W. Now, II the universal consent and ties