The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-15

is mysterious TO us because III lS ndC-
ural. It is the work of God, and its
mystery does not deter our belief in
it any more than the mystery sur
rounding the flowers prevents us from
enjoying their exquisite perfume,
beautiful shape, or delicate color
We are often certain, but can give no
satisfactory proof of our certitude.
knowledge sometimes transcends
reason. That fine saying of James
Martineau expresses this thought,
that I'VE do not believe in immortal
ity because we have proved it, but we
are forever trying to prove it because
we believe it." The source of this
knowledge is the heart, not the brain,
the feeling not the intellect.
Principal Card says "that what en-
ters the heart must first be descerned
by the intellect to be true" Human
experience, however, contradicts this.
The heart intuitively lays hold of
the truth, and the mind afterwards
attempts to justify the hearts decis
ion by an elaborate intellectual pro-
cess. Immortality is one of the mys-
teries of God; SO are the flowers, so
is the grass, so is all life. But all
these are natural and mysterious be-
cause natural.
Garry this analysis into another
field. Creeds are artificial, religion
natural. Religion is from God;
creeds from man.
Hence, religion is mysterious, while
creeds are not--although there are ex-
ceptions to this rule and some creeds
are quite mysterious; especially that
one where we are taught to pray, 20
holy, blessed and adorable Trinity"
But, however mysterious creed may
be, it can be analysed, it's origin dis
covered, it's destiny predicted. Re-
ligion has life, while creed, with the
external form and shape of religion
is dead. Religion, being alive, will
grow to greater beauty and to loftier
heights. Creeds being artificial, can
never grow: so men, ever and anon,
tear them to pieces and form new
ones out of the debris, twisting and
gluing the several parts together till
they more nearly represent the natu
raj product,-th ever growing reli
gious instincts of man. And then
this new creation is placed before us
beside the living faith, and we may
be troubled in our soul to make a
decision between the two. But if we
trust our instincts, heed our higher
nature, they will take us to the living
religion as surely as the bees were
led to the real flowers.
Where is the high-minded person
whose natural instincts do not lead
him, whether he acknowledges it or
not, in the beautiful faith or sweet
hope that God is good to all, and
that "His tender mercies are over all
his works?" That the child will at
last receive paternal blessing and
be brought safely home? Our religi-
GUS instincts lead us to this as surely
as the bee is led to the flower.
Why do so many battle against
this natural religious instinct, and in
stead cling to an artificial creed. This
is one of the inexplicable phenomena
of man, probably due to the fact
that our fathers manufactured the
creeds, and out of respect for them,
they adhere to it rather than to the
work of God. These artificial creeds,
so grotesque in comparison with real
religion, are ours by inheritance and
we have not yet reached the
mental condition in which the
mind is emancipated enough to
renounce the inheritance and to
accept the natural faith, the in
born hope. Many people find itmuch
easier to inherit property than to earn
it. Especially is this true in the re-
ligious field. They would rather in
herit religious beliefs already
formed, and thus save them any
mental effort whatever, than to earn
their religious faith by personal
study and meditation. Hence, the
most ignorant, or the mentally most
indolent, are'generally found embrac-
ing the most artificial creed, because
it requires some mental effort to let
90 the inheritance, and to formulate
religious faith for ones self. True,
the living flower has tangible form
through which life appeals to our
senses. Likewise the living faith
which is in our breasts cannot be ex-
pressed to others without the use OF
speech formulated into propositions,
or the use of thoughts crystallized
into actions. But care should be had
in discerning between the form of
the living and the form of the artifci-
al; between the real and the unreal,
between the creed which encases a
living faith, and the creed which sur