The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
Religion as q Force.

There Is not upon earth another force so
strong as Religioc, 1t is supreme over all
other forces. 1t rules the soul Of the world.
1t c directs the life and the thought of the
human race. 1t is the transcendent energy
of all the ages. "High as heaven" said
ZopuAR; what canst thou dot deeper
thar hell; what canst thou knowf The
measure thereof is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea-"
1t is because of this mystery Of religion,
concerning which ZoPHAR the Naamathite
spoke in the days Of JOB, that 1t has for
ever been, and always will be, 40 powerful.
The existence Of an Almighty Being is dis
cernible in nature, but no living man can
look upon Him; He hides Himself, as
1t were, from mankind. We learn from
nature nothing of His essence II that
word can be used in speaking Of Him; we
learn nothing whatever of His mode of be-
ing, II such a phrase Is permissible; we
learn nothing of the purpose Of His provi-
dence in creation. We cannot grasp the
thought Of eternity or of the infinite. We
are e-ncompassed with arkness In the pres
ence of the Almighty. The Scriptures cast
no light upon these mysteries. The prophets
and Apostles were not permitted to know
of them. They lie beyond the scope Of what
we call the reason n no clue to them Is
| afforded by the imagination. We are told
that 1t was out Of a cloud that Con spoke
unto MOSES while Mount Sinai quaked. 1t
is a description hat fills the spirit of man
with awe. From the Bible we learn some
thing of the Almighty's attributes and de-
signs but even there the mystery of his
hypostatic existence Is never revealed 1t Is
ever yelled from sight. We are led to be-
lieve that It is inconceivable to mortals,
and SO 1t may be to the angels In heaven.
There arc other mysteries In religion be-
sides the One mystery which Is supreme
among them all. Wherever we look in re.
ligion there is mystery; there Is tho in
comprehensive. The question "Whyr' is
as unanswerable as are the questions
"WbenceT' and "WhitherY" In dogmatic
theology we confront mysteries on all
hands, Just as we. confront them every
where else. Who al fathom the mystery
of creation. the mystery Of the world,
the mystery of life, or Of man, or of his
spirit, or of his dcstinyf Only the Omnis.
Client. To the Christian, above every other
mystery, is that of tho incarnation.
Instead of lessening our view of religion
as a force, mystery magnifes It. For,
through its mysterious character, Its con,
s~istency with all other things, visible and
invisible. is made manifest. The Divinity
is a mystery to man, as is man to himself,
OF as are the phenomena Of creation, or as
IL the relation between spirit and sub
stance. or as Is religion.
Religion may have many forms and mani
festations, hut the essential idea of every
rational or transcendental form of 1t is the
same: the existence of a Supreme Being, to
whom worship and obedience are due. This
idea existed in Egypt before the time o.
MosEs; 1t has existed always and every
where. Some peoples in old times mad'
unto themselves minor GODS but even II
the religions of most of such peoples Their,
was One; there was OSIRIS, or BAAL. Of
ZEUs, or ALLAH, or other name. And ther'
! was worship. And there was sacred law