The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-11
FAITH GIFT or GOD
REV. FATHER KENNEDY,s SERMON
ON APOSTLES CREED.
THE SECOND OF SERIES.
GIVEN WEEKLY AT CATHEDRAL
OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.


1t Has Been IIIogfcaIIy Deduced
or That D0ctriue 1t Seems to Inn
pugn Is Surrounded by an Obscur-
ity That Has Not Been Penetrated.
The second sermon of the series of
sermons on the Apostles Creed" was
delivered in the Cathedral of ST. John
the Baptist last night by Rev Father
X. F. Kennedy.
In the instruction to which you lis
tened on last Sunday night, said Faith
er Kennedy, The Rev. Speaker whilst
explaining to you the meaning of the
words I believe, was necessarily, led
to refer tofthe act of faith. He clear
ly pointed out then and there how, in
making an act of faith there was an
assent given by the mind to truths.
not on account of their intrinsic evil
dence, but because they were revealed
by Almighty God. Following the same
line of thought 1 assert that this assent
moreover is a free act on our part,
that it is untrammelled and uncom-
PEELED; that it is an act made under
the control of the WILL which is at
liberty to make or refuse it; that it
is supernatural in it's entirety that is
beyond the unaided power of human
nature to produce it. And that, there
fore, since it is something which man
by himself could not effect, and to
which he had neither claim nor right,
it follows it is a gift of the pure lib
erality of God, and though a donation,
yet so necessary for man, that without
it, man cannot please God, for it is the
beginning of all justification, the start
ing point of all salvation.
1T inclines and enables the intellect
of man to admit unhesitatingly the
revelation of God and, be pleased to
observe, it can never come in conflict
with right reason. since God is tSe
author of the reason to which he makes
the revelation, as he is of the truth
which he reveals. | assert that faith
never can be antagonistic to properly
directed science. Why the universe
and its laws with which, science is en-
gagged is as much a manifestation of
God as are the doctrines Of faith and
therefore when a scientific conclusion
runs counter to a revelation only one
of two possible admissions is allowable,
either the scientific conclusion has
been iliogically deduced or the doctrine
it seems to impugn, is surrounded by
an obscrurity we have been unable to
penetrate.
1.-THE same hand that fashioned the
universe holds the pencil that writes
down revealed truth and the most in
dubitable scientific result is that God
who lis perfection and faith, can never
be fo2nd in contradiction with. him
self.
Neither is faith. adverse to freedom
of thought, because it is a free act
and, because again, the intellect, by the
gift of faith, is endowed with a new
understanding and elevated beyond the
confinement of the atmosphere of the
infinite, the material, and the perish
able. And as it is a virtue and a gift
of God whereby we hold for true
whatever God has revealed, faith is not
blind instinct, nor does it reside in the
imagination, nor is it mere opinion;
but it is knowledge, as sure as that
which comes from science. con-
sidering certainly in negative
aspect, freedom from all doubt
or fear of mistake, and surer still if
we consider the motive which compels
assent. For science has been mistaken
and certainly it is possible for it to
adopt erroneous method, but God never
does, He never can, err. He can
neither be deceived nor DECEIVE.
THE first truth which faith proposes
for our belief, is that of the existence
Of God-T believe in Cod This verify
is the sublimest term which human
knowledge can reach. I am bound to
beleve-that is, l know by my faith,
that God is; that He is God; that He
is the author of my faith, the basis
of all my belief-the being. to which
all my operations tend. Therefore, I
say not, believe God, but L believe
in Cod He is the beginning, the con-
tinuance and the end of my faith; the
why and the wherefore of every act it
prompts.
~ believe in Him. says st. Angus
tine that is, / believe Him to exist
My faith goes out to Him because, if
He spoke not. how could / believe? I
believe in Him-that is, 1 love Him.
For what have in heaven, and, beside
Thee, what do l desire upon earth?
There is a knowledge of God which my
reason procures for itself-a natural
light in which / may discern His ex-
istence. My whole nature tells me that
He is-but over and above, He tells me
Himself of his existence. In two ways,
then. may l know Him; by natural
process and by faith. When L say
that | believe in God, l affirm that He
exists, not only because have dlscoV-
cred Him myself, out DeCdusc ne ho@
revealed Himself to me. The light. ot
unaided reason operates in the one case
the light of grace in the other Inc
God manifested in one light is the same
god who is exposed in the other, with
this difference, that the disclosure
made by positive revelation IS deeper
purer, more sublime and comprehensive
than that which is the outcome OF
simple reason. That is why Plagiarism
never framed an accurate concept OF
the Divinity.
The revelation made to our hrst
parents and in part, repeated to the
chosen people brought forth Well
defined concept of it-but II is the
triumph of Christianity that 1t has ell .
rched mankind with a knowledge OF
Cod that brings him nearer to his
FEATURES. mo man hath seen GOD az
any time-the only begotten son, who
Is IN the bosom of the Father-he hath
declared Him. Evidently Divine reve-
lation supposes that II is possible tof
us 10 know God, otherwise 1t would DC
vain and useless Paganism. though In
one way or other with much admix-
lure OF falsehood, IL admitted the exist
ence Of God, proclaimed that he was
uhknowable. Agnosticism, so closely al
Yea TO Paganlsm, affirmed the same
error, and the fathers OF the church
VINO comhatteI Il, maintained that II
was the viii OF God 10 be known, 9TH
,iMise revelation would be aimless anc
''i eat It's own end. Why was the OBJ
l.'i OF mans creation, 10 know God
Thus saith the Lord LET not the Wis