The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-07-13

universally of positive religious acts
among men through all time and space.
Seek where you may, you will never
succeed in meeting a people devoid of
faith, worship, morality. You will
find some isolated, perverted creature,
who has flung from his lips the horri-
bic blasphemy that between earth and
heaven there is no tie, no bond what
soever, but this dire. this calamitous
cry is overcome by heavenward
strains of the universal hymn of praise
and benediction.
The creator of man has put upon
him the impress of the great laws to
which he bound him, so that he should
turn within his moral orbit, with the
same innate gracefulness, as the plan
cts revolve within their physical Or
bits, and the finding out of the impress
is the finding out of the law. and of the
direction. which the law commands.
For this whole universe is constructed
in magnificent order, one contrivance
calling for some other, and this other
sure to be near tendency suggesting
an objective goal and the goal sure to
be IN existence, and so when nature
impels to religion, religion is the law,
and religion exists in all that the word
implies. he suniyersality= Of religion.
as have already said, puts beyond all
cavil the fact of the religious tendency
of human nature. and confirms most
victoriously the conclusions it sug-
gests. This universally. too, is an
evidence that the intellect of the hui
man race approves the lessons which
the instinct teaches. The verdict of
mankind upon matter so vital to it's
Interests as eligion-where passion is
opposed-cannot be easily set aside.
Since therefore, religion interpene-
trates all thought, all love and aspira-
ton, is part of all human nobleness
and excellence, of all struggles of truth
and justice, of all hope in the presence
of death, to scott at it, in its highest
form with shameless assertion. is a
sin, not only against the Creator, but
against nature itself.
The idea of an intelligent cause is an
element Of all thinking, and hence to
be rational is to believe in God. We
cannot think that God is, without per-
ceiving our dependence on him: and
this is the root and origin of all reli-
gion. Religion therefore, is the nee
essary consequence of the idea of God,
which is impressed upon the mind by
the law of nature itself: God is my
I am His creature. Therefore
must adore and worship Him. It is
my imperious duty to confess my de-
tendency, to acknowledge His proprie-
torship of my whole being. I must
proclaim the truth; I must look back
to the origin and source of my life and
publish my allegiance. "Religion."
said the Pagan Cicero, sis Justice
towards the Gods.' IF I am your
father" said Jehovah through the
prophet, :'Where is my honor?:" The
child bows before the parent, the citi-
zen before the power of the State; shall
not the creature bow before the Crea-
tor? The idea of God is impressed
upon the mind of man by the law
of nature itself; religion there
fore, is the law of both,
his thinking and acting. He can no
more escape from it, than from Gods
presence, and the more truly human
he is,-the more he is under the con-
troll of reason and conscience,-the :
more completely does he realize that
religion is the very soul of his exis-
tence.
The neglect of divine worship is
practical atheism; it is the setting
aside Of God and the implied substitu-
ton OF self in Gods stead. Hence ir-
religion is. the capital sin, the great
iniquity: for it denies the chief, the
first duty and thereby cuts off the an
chorage of all duties. Simply polite
ness dictates marks Of difference before
merit, position, superiority, and he