Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-01-18

SAuL JucC az tuC uNNSpeoANC va tAS
principle of the correlation of forces
called for rewriting of physics-a new
physics, or the theory Of evolution fol
the rewriting of biology-a new biol
ogy, so, in the same sense, the accept
ance of certain great convictions of oui
day calls for a rewriting Of theology
new theology" Call it new theol
ogy If you will, but do not let prejudice
blind you to truth, no matter from
which direction truth may come. A
thing Is true not because its statement
is old, nor yet because that statement
is new, but because it conforms to the
great fact, or facts, for which that
truth stands. The great fact, or facts,
back of the truth and its statements,
do not change. Theological statements
and systems may change. Some per-
sons may become angry, others fright.
ened. and still others fOolishly and
fiippantly declare that they have no
theology; but, in the meantime, theol'
ogy remains the greatest science III
the uniyerse. even the science of God
and divine things, based upon reve
lation made of God, through Jesus
Christ and that science, itself as such.
does not change.
Gods foundations are firm amid all
the mutations which mark the history
of the human race: amid all the storms
and shocks; amid all the dislntegrating
agencies; amid the rise and fall OF
empires; amid the birth, the growth.
maturity, the old age and death or
nations; amid things present and
things to come, life and death, in spite
Of everything that may oppose. or as
sail, belief, character, hope. love, in.
corruptble life all may have perfectly
indestructible foundations. What are
some of these foundations? Religious
experience; that Is an experience OF
God in the soul of man Is an inde-
structible foundation. Such eXper-
fence is knowledge derived from fact
and abiding in spiritual consciousness.
"GOd Is a spirit" Man is spirit.
There is possible contact md commun-
ion here. There is the possibility OF
the best knowledge in the world right
here. Fact, evidence, proofs. knowl.
edge. they are all here. knowledge
has found the proof; proof implies the
existence of the evidence, evidence
implies the existence and reality of
the fact, while the primary datum
abides in experience
When a man has religious expert.
cnce then he has an indestructible
foundation. He cannot then be morally
ignorant. He knows something. That
which n man sees may deceive him.
That which he hears may not always
be so, but that which he knows, he
knows. and no man can take 1t from
him. He is upon foundation which
cannot be destroyed. Then faith finds
her best function in establishing the
fact. i'll dealing in the great unseen
realities which are always more than
the seen, in giving the assurance OF
things hoped for, in proving things not
seen" A man cannot subject such an
experience to the test of the natural
senses. 1t is too large for such test
as that, but he knows he Is right, and
he knows he is upon an indestructible
foundation. 1t is not only our knoWl-
edge of God. There is another inde-
structible foundation in His knowledge
Of us. 1t is written: ''Howbeit the
firm foundation of God standeth, hav-
ing this seal, the Lord knoweth them
that are His" He cannot mistake. We
could not deceive Him. even though we
might deceive others. or be deceived by
what we might suppose to be expert
ence. even religious experience, even
though we might deceive ourselves.
God knows. OF this we are certain.
He knows us perfectly. If we are His.
He knows it. If we are not His, by
the regcnera lion of the Holy Spirit, we
may become Ills. He will know. He
will cause us to know it. "The secret
of the Lord is with them that fear
Him" He desires it to be there.
Every man has just as much right to
know that he is alive spiritually as he
does that he is alive physically. This
knowledge is brought to us in the wit
ness of Gods spirit. Thus it is that
we go deeper than religious experience
and find another foundation in that
firm foundation of God-His knowledge
of us. Jesus Christ is another founda-
ton. He is our chief cornerstone. The
ideals He holds, His simplicity. His
grandeur, His humanity, His Deity,
His faith, His love, His life-all COM
bine to make Him the perfectly !ncom-
parable one among all religious teach
ers; and while in n certain profound
sense Christ and Christianity are one
and inseparable, there is still another
sense in which Christ. as our founda-
tlon is more than Christianity, even as
the sun Is more than the multltudinOus
rays which fall upon our little portion
of the earth: Christ is more than Chris.
tianity, as the thinker is more than his
thought, as life is more than that
which embodies life. We build, as
Christians, not upon this or that creed
about Christ, but upon Christ Himself.
He is our indestructible foundation.
Our faith rests at last not in n creed.
though we should all have creed,
and not in book. though we can never
do without the Bible. but in person.
and that person, Christ, places our
lives upon God.
Let us resolve to go deeper, deeper.
If we are at all unsettled In matters
of religion. we should not despair. We
can find the solid and the safe. Let
us build there. Let us build according
to the plans Of the Supreme Architect
of the universe. Let all build until
humanity shall become a temple COM
plete, filled with the light and music of
Heaven, filled with the life of God; and
then, even though storms may come
and the last night fall about us, 1t will
only be the servant of a new day, and
we shall be able to say, 81 know whom
l have believed and am persuaded that
He is able to guard that which l have
committed unto Him against that day"
Our foundations cannot be destroyed.
Thank God!