New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-13
DIR. SAVAGE on INFALLIBJLJTy
HE DECLARES THAT SUCH A REVELATION
IN RELIGION WOULD RE A CALAMITY

IN RELIGION WOULD BE A CALAMITY
The Rev. DR.. Minot j. Savage preacbed at the
''nhs service yesterday TO his congregation at
"o Nnuich OF the Messiah on the text. ''Whatso-
ever Goa hath said unto thee do" DIT Savage
started out by saying that he did not believe there
was man IN all the world who would refuse to
90 thing II he felt perfectly certain that God
nau gwen the command. He said that which is
charged so frequently as intentional disregard Of
Dou Is doubt as TO whether or not the command
really comes from God-whether or not II Is genuine
ne then gave consideration to the ways in which
II Is claimed that God has in the past revealed
himself The speaker continued:
1t Is said and this is the greatest claim held bv
Shrlstendom to-day, that He has given the world
an al. infaliibe book But when we look at this book
we hnd II full of historical and scientific mistakes
dull OF contradiction; the early parts OF it a re-
lection of the worlds immaturity. not to say bar
as countenancing things which the conscience OF
6ne world to-day utterly repudates partial
cruel as unclean, as inhuman. We find no end Of
0i W0d Of that sort in accepting the claim
little people in a country the Size Of Massachusetts
ana not give 1t 70 any other people until two thou
reach out and let certain other people hr some
thing about the fact that He had written a book
such ignorance of 1t that less than a third Of the
worlds inhabitants have heard that there is such
book be SO uncertain that the best scholars. the
most earnest thinkers, the most devoted worship
its claim to infsllibity? What kind OF a revela-
ton II that comes 10 In fashion like this ,
What kind of Father in Heaven is it that reveals
Himself so htfully so partially, so uncertainty?
/ am ready to declare here this morning that not
only do We not need any infallibe revelation In
could be given to the world, would be nothing less
than calamity, 20 be mourned instead of wei
There is only that can be given for it,
and that is based on an assumption instead OF a
fact. 1t is assumed-it is assumed, say-that God
is going to damn people forever for making In
than do in medicine. or astronomy, or chemistry,
or geography. or mathemetics or any other depart
II is assumed, the basis OF old tradition,
infallibIe revelation to tell US how TO escape
the wrath and anger Of God. and that Il We do
not get IL there is no hope FOR US rms; / say is
assumed. There Is not one scintilla OF proof IN
favor Of such belief on the face OF the earI n
The world is not lost, the world Is not UNDER 600
wrath, and there Is no reason for our suppos1ng
that He is going TO punish people in another ne pc
cause they make intellectual MISTAKES, Dect 80,
they do not happen to believe this particular thing
When men have claimed to have infallibe and
unchanging standards IT, any other department OF
thew have stopped the wo-lds thinking, hndered
its growth stood in the way OF develoPtnenT %
OF infalliblity in religion makes towards OF men
1t turns preachers into criminals, makes mem I
mem nnlpjt some OF them. as they write me
sionaliv on peril of making their wives and chill
ps heen prodUctye OF the most colossal spiritual
eaf Cen II develops cruelty hardness Of
heart and the shedding Of blood: ,.
Now, does God reveal himself? Yes! r OIeEer
new, advancing and progressing rSVe by
have swept so many things out OF existence Ie.
me say there are many revelations or Goa lnat
have come through the Catholic Cnurch' many
came through the person OF Jesus many are IN
the Bible; many have come by nle Ss v5L ~
have brought the world message from me IN
seen Whatever is truth is In so FAR a reNelatloIl
of the Divine and IL it be known to be true 1u h
in so far It is infallible STUDY the mountains b
seas the trees and the riVers-aH the beauty, Ihe
majesty the sublimity-and you get so taT a rev ,
with it's stars, its worlds It's suns 30,
systems: its order, its might Its glory, ana you
Verse Is capable OF holding and manifesuhs the
Divine , ,1a Go ., ,Ipstra
ton Of what can flower and blossom on IN, me boiS
Him in the spiritual and moral realm supreme
so far-not that do not believe others haNe n'eS 80
what II is possible for man TO become ke 4i
His NE trace Him from the beginning or ms
ministry: see that human tenderness, pity IoI hu-
man weakness; love and sympathy for the poor
eli that is sweet and tender and human and help
ful. blessing the children, gathering the losI 70
HIS bosom plying the fallen; infinite tenderness
for sin, for vice; caring for the outcast Gaining 'e
Here Is God. God is that, for that Is part OF
HIS NANTES tation. part of His revelation ne Is
This is so far the revelation OF God II is not
finished 1t is going on TO increase an1 1a
day IT Is or NOT %e bare chance to think on
our own account TO experiment, TO develop; 10
feel out after the finer and better things; ana as
work out our own d saV4 tb9i WIZ is Cod who
works with us 70 will and 10 do His own pleasure;
and that tomorrow there will be hlgner ana
grander vision; the tomorrow after that some,
90 t CONCENTRATION and consummaton in ever unfold
ing truth in ever sweeter and deeper love