The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-08
APP[ALSTONlN' SHAS(|N
ONLY TRUE RATIONALISM is TO BE
FOUND IN CHRISTIAN
ITY
SIGNIFICANCE OF EASTER DAY
Eloquent and FOrcefuI Sermon
by Father Campbell, of
st. Peter CIaVer's
Church.

At the St Peter Clavers church yes
terday, Rev Father Campbell preached
an eloquent and forceful sermon, taking
for his theme christianity True Ration
alism." His text was from ST. Matthew
xviii, 6; Fear not you. 1 know you
seek Jesus who was crucified; He is not
here; He is risen, as He said In part
he said:
The society of salvation established by
Jesus who was crucineu. celebraUeS to-
day His resurrection from the dead. The
CHRISTIAN church Is not Without its joys
and Its sorrows, its triumphs and it's
trials Whatever be the trials, the Chris
tan church is called upon to endure;
there are, every year, two seasons which
bring JOY and gladneSS. AT Christmas
time, the church commentaries the birth
OF the ReGeemer. Ii whispers with Joy
around the crib of Bethlehem; Glory be
to God in the highest" the long, dark,
weary night of expectation is past, the
Redeemer has come.
AT Easter time the church commence
rates the resurrection of the Redeemer
from the dead. He has come; He has
redeemed; He is arisen as He Said.' He
died TO redeem mankind He has
arisen again to convince the world Of
its redemption. Instead of the sup
plant mlserere" of the last five weeks,
the church sings, today, her joyful al
leliia.'
We are Christians; we believe in the
doctrine of Christ. Intellectually at least,
we are followers of Jesus who was cru
clned. We are not lndimerentiStS; we
are not so-called rationalists. We do
not believe that one religion is as good
as another; we do not believe, that one
form of religious belief is as good as an
other. We believe that the Christian
form Of belief is obligatory on all those
to whom the gospel of Christ has been
reasonably declared. We do not believe
that human reason by itself, can solve
many difficulties that surround it. We
believe these are questions Of great pr2c-
teal Importance, which reason by itself
cannot satisfactorily answer.
THE UNIVERSE AND HUMAN REA-
SON.
What can human reason by itself, make
Of this planet we inhabit or of this uni
verse we see? This earth of ours is a
constantly changing thing. 1t was not
last year what it had been the year be-
fore; 1t is not this year what it was last
year; 1t is not today what it was yester-
day; 1t is changing every hour. Reason
gees back from year to year. till it comes
TO the inst year; it goes back from day to
day till 1t comes to the first day; it goes
back from hour to hour till it comes to
the first hour; it goes back from change
TO change till it comes to the first
form, without change. Can reason tell
what this form, without change was?
Can 1t tell, why there was just so much
N(dn
what gave the earth this principle of
change? Can 1t tell what gives con-
stancy, to this principle of change? And
what is the universe? What are those
enormous solar system, suspended and
balanced In space unthinkable? Why
is this immense, this painfully immense
universe, so accurately balanced and so
delcately arranged, that the slightest
change in mass or in motion, would
bring about complete confusion and utter
destruction? Matter, force and accident!
What is matter? Why so much matter
and no more? Why such a force, no
MAN AND REASON.
What is man; what can reason make
of man; what can human reason make
OF itself? Why is 1t that man is neve"
satisfied? Why are men not satisfied with
riches, material pleasures or temporal
distinctions? What is it in man that
stares the present in the face, recollects
ture? We are here for a short time.
Others have been here before u.s. They
are gone. We must 60 Whittier? Can
reason tell? Giant intellects exhausted
themselves endeaVoring to answer some
of these difficulties, but the difficulties
remained.
The Redeemer whose doctrine we be-
heVe, appeared in the world and the
mysteries surrounding human reason dis
solved and disappeared. There is one
God, supreme spiritual being who is
self-CXistent, infinitely intelligent infinite
~ powerful, infinitely good and kind. In
COO there are three persons. The second
person, the Son Of God, having compass
SIGN on mankind, offered to become man,
to make atonement for the rebellion of
men The offer was accepted by the
Son Of God, and the child of Mary. He
came to bridge the infinite chasm that Law
between the offended CT Gator and the Of
Tending creatures.
CHRISTIAN EXPLANATION RA-
TIONAL.
If Christ has solved difficulties that sur
round man, has He not substituted ether
difficulties? For what was reason given
to you and to me, If we are asked to be-
4 I that divine person became man?
For what was reason given to us, if we
are asked to believe that God became
man to redeem men, from whom we had
little II anything to expect? Did Jesus,
In Galilee, ask His disciples to discard
reason and believe blindly in what He
taught? Had He done so His disciples
might reasonably have refused to be-
l1eve IN His doctrine: but He did different
~. Before their eyes He changed water
into wine; He walked On the waters. He
caIIned the storms. He healed all manner
or human diseases. He made the blind
TO see, the deaf to hear and the lame to
walk. He raised from death to life the
WIDOWS son Of Main, the daughter of
Ja1rus and Lazarus buried in the tomb
Ihen ana only then did Christ ask His
apostles to believe the doctrines He
THE RESURRECTION PROMISED.
1t was His resurrection from the
dead, however, that Christ pointed as to
the crowning miracle of those that were
to confirm His doctrine forever
Fifty Roman soldiers guarded the
sealed sepluchre. 1t would seem as if
infidelity had conquered 1t had laid
prnholy hands on the anointed one; it
had scourged Him; it had crowned His
head with thorns; it had nailed Him to
the tn &c cross; it Knocked Him from the foot
ed His body in tomb; it appointed a
guard of fifty soldiers to watch the
tomb. All In vain. Saturday passed
Sunday morning came: the third day was
come: The soul of our Redeemer return
ing from limbo is united to his body
body and soul, Christ risen again, passes
through the sealed sepulchre; the seal is
broken; the guards fall to the earth in
fright. The world is redeemed: death
is conquered; the world is convinced of
E-==---.=-=-..--.-.