The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-03-13

against an aliwise, an allknowing God.
| to refuse to believe what he teoches.
Hence, as the Apostle says, without
! faith it is impossible to please God
Mans duty of believeing, however, does
| not rest entirely upon his obligation to
give due respect to the truthfulness OF
God. It rests primarily upon this it is
true. but it rests upon the necessity
which confronts him of knowing, With
| absolute certainty, the guiding princi-
| pies, that will save him from the fate
of those who entrust themselves to
''blnd leaders, Faith is necessary to
salvation, for without it man lives in the
darkness and shadow of death, with no
light to guide him tosthe eternal shore
Faith is the substance OF things hoped
for, the conviction Of things that ap-
pear not"
Through the principles Of eternal truth
which Christ has impaired to the human
mind he is the light that enlightenment
every man" Mans eternal destiny is
a matter Of too much Importance to risk
it's irreparable loss simply through CUES
sing ct what mans duties may be, in
stead OF enjoying a firm conviction con
corning what God may desire him to
know. The popular assertion that it
makes little difference what man believ-
es, if he only does what is right. is moi
only rnerile sophistry. forgetting the aim
and the purpose Of mental enlighten-
rnent, bit it is an Insult to human in
tel}igence.
Mems convictions are the foundations
!, Of their conduct Mems morals are gov
erned by the principles to (which they
! Give the LOYALTY of their reason. How
can men do what is right unless they
first know what is right for them to do?
| Their knowledge Of right is the result OF
the principles they believe in. Ii they
believe their souls are not immortal. and
that there is no future life beyond the
| cold and silent grave, that X. can there
! fore, be Of little Importance whether
good Or evil may be done by them while
this uncertain life may last, what incen-
| tive will many have TO lives of virtue
and WelldOing?
It is quite true that not all men are &C
tuated by hope of heavenly reward foI
their good deeds, and not all are deferred
| from evil through fear Of punishment
! An enlightened conscience that prompts
men to acts of honesty Or honor. is in
most cases their guide. But what is i,
that enlightens The conscience but faith
What is it that deters thousands from
evil deed but the consciousness ct God
presence and q realization of the conse-
uuences of sin? The man who schools
himself into total emancipation, as he
may think it is, from the influences OF
religious faith, soon is able to deaden his
conscience, and make It subseryient tC
his deprsved wilt. Faith Is the substance
Of the things we hope for, the conviction
OF the things We Go not see. There can
be no virtue witnout faith, nc morality
without religion Faith is absolutely
necessary for eternal salvation, withou!
it we cannot please GOD.
| Although as the Apostle says, 1.-THE just
man lives by faith yet faith alone vii!
not save men. They must live accord
ing to their CONVICTIONS, according tc
their faith. Faith without god works
! is dead Among the chosen people OF
| God in the olden time, all OF whom had
! i,,;+,1 fr
ny with whom God was not well pleased
! Say not that you are children Of Abra-
! ham, God can raise Up from these
stones children to Abraham" Church
membership in itself will secure for nc
man eternal salvation. He must live &C
coI'ding to the law Of God. Membership
III the true church OF Christ will give him
that protection and shelter which the Sa-
vior of mankind provided for the chill
dren Of men. Il will insure him nourish-
| ing food Of wholesome doctrine, and give
refreshment to his weary and anxious
soul. The true Church OF the living God
''the pillar and the ground OF truth will
! DE for him pillar af fire by night and a
luminous cloud by day to cheer him on
his journey, and guide him 70 the land
Of eternal promise.
! The truths taught BY the church. and
taught by divine command aud with di-
vine authority give to the inqulring mind
| of the honest man clear and unmistaIa-
BILE knowledge of his duties to God and
of his final destiny. The ceremonies and
Obseryanees of religion exert benign
! influence on the imagination aud the
heart Of man. All these are the power
! full aids which Christ intended they
should be for drawing all things unto
himself They are means to an emu, moi
! the enl itself.
Although the true church of Christ has
always contended, as it must, and be true
| to it's charge, that he that will not hear
the church let him be to thee as the
heather and the publican, that all are
bound to belong to the church which
! Christ established on earth. that il we re-
! fuse to hear the church. we refuse to
hear him who established the church yet
| never has the church so far forgotten her
duty and divine mission, as to attempt
| to make men believe that membership in
the church will of itself secure for them