The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-01-15
AN INSTRUCTIVE DISCOURSE.
Delivered by FER. CIcnry Ere His De-
pNrture for Montana.

Delivered by Fr. CIcnry Er. Iii. De-
pnrture for Montana.
The unreasonableness Of Cnbelief"
was the subject of Father Cleary's dis
course last Sunday evening. His church
was crowded with an intelligent
audience, who gave their undivided at
tention to exposure Of the tricks and
illogical methods Of unbelievers in re-
ligous truth. The following is a brief
synopsis of his lengthy discourse All
men understand what is meant by an
Gnbeliever. one, namely. who refuses 70
give the assent of his reason to all, or
at least to some of the truths of divine
revelation. We meet with no class of
men who boast so loudly about their
loyalty to human reason, as unbelievers
and sceptics do. In fact their conten-
ton is that it is because they are so de-
voted to the rights of human reason,
they are compelled to deny the doc
trnes Of supernatural revelation. But,
as a matter of fact, no men exist who are
so disloyal to the claims of human rea-
son. and who are so guilty of unreasoa-
able methods as they. No man is so
illogical as the unbelevcr He claims
that he will not believe anything that
lie cannot understand, and he assumes
that religion is made up of confused
and unintelligble tumble of doctrines,
that are repugnant to reason and COM
mon sense. Religion, he asserts is full
OF mystery, and mysteries are phantoms,
conjured by superstition and ignorance
unworthy of serious consideration, on
the part Of intelligent beings
All honest, and intelligent men know
very WELL that belief, faith, is not the
result of understanding. or comprchend-
ing, anything. We do not believe be-
cause we understand but because we
have confidence in the testimony pro-
scented for the support of the truth Of
any fact. or statement. Belief faith is
Wv ~ "It VI lSollHIOllS. IL lIlt lSSll-
mony be divine, our faith will be super
natural and divine. Tho richest bless
ing that can come to gladden. the rca-
son OF man, Gods best and highest gift
in the order of nature, is the Joy Of
knowing facts and principles that ire
true. Truth is the light and life Of
the human mind. Ignorance is death
and darkness to the human soul. The
man who cannot use his reasoning
powers, either because they are dead
eneu by the paralysis OF idiOcy, or
shadowed by the clouds Of ignorance,
sits in darkness and gloom for the soul
Faith is conviction of the human rea-
son because of the irresistible force of
the testimony presented A reasonable
man believes because his reason con-
vinces him that the testimony offered
is reliable. not because he clearly under
stands facts and principles in all their
relations.
Mans ignorance OF natural truth often
deludes him into the suspicion that Ger
tain facts of natural science presented.
are utterly absurd, are repugnant to
human reason, or to the evidence of his
senses. The repugnancc, however, is
only apparent, and disappears from his
vision. as he becomes properly enligit-
ened. The rotundity of the earth, and
its revolution upon it's axis seems most
rcpugnant to the untulorcd mind Of
the savage, or to the ignorant observer.
We are constant witnesses Of marvellous
mysteries in the natural world around
us. If we will believe only what we ca:l
clearly understand, we will make but
little progress indeed in the acquisition
Of knowledge. In fact The greater part,
by far. of the information we enjoy
has come to us on the testimony uf
others. not as a result Of personal OK
porience. observation and study. Our
reason. properly enlightened. is able
to discern absurdities, and contradia-
lions, but our reason can but seldom
show us the motive, or reason why, or
existing facts.
Scientists of the highest culture are
unable to explain the Wontlr0ns mystery
of that flash of light we call existence,
so marvelously begun, 50 mystcrously
ended. Yet with no fact of nature are
we so familiar. No scientists can cy-
plain how it is that the seed that IS
planted in the soil, decays and dies, but
sends forth rich fruit for the benefit of
man. The facts of electricity are quite
familiar to ns in our day but science,
advanced as it is, cannot tell us what
this mystery in nature is. Science can
not explain the method. OF the reason
why, OF the tiniest blade Of grass The
nnbeiever Dretends that he will not be-
lieve in the existence of anything he
cannot feel or see. He must have the
testimony Of his senses to convince him.
VIII he for this reason refuse to be-
lieve In the existence of thought, or OF
ideas, Of human reason itself? Who
has ever seen or, felt an idea? Who
has seen human reason, Or touched
human thought? We know Of these
things from their Influence or THAN