Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-01


beautiful world to fit man for his
celestial residence. Will you today
argue against the immortality OF the
soul?
Another Objeetor.
"Well," says another man. II nm not
an atheist. believe In God. also
believe In the Immortality Of the soul.
But cannot believe in the incarnation
Of God In the person OF Jesus Christ.
I cannot believe In the conception Of
Jesus or that Christ could be born OF
the Virgin Mary and Of the Holy
Spirit. Neither do ! believe that Jesus
Christ was rcsurrected after his cruel
fxion. am willing to say with Renan
that he was the best man that ever
lived. But I am not willing to shy
Christ was divine and the Son Of God
unless at the same time you grant that
we are divine" Is that your position?
We'll, my brother, 1t seems to me TO he
the most illogical position, and for two
reasons.
Reason the first: You say Christ Is
the best man that ever lived. You say
that the words which he spake offer
the best system of morals. But. tell
mo, why do you accept certain state
mcnts which Christ made and reject
the rest? How can Jesus be good
man and vet be liar and a falsifer?
How can he he good man and vet be
a hypocrite? Jesus Christ is either d-
vine and miracle worker and the Son
Of God or else he Is the most blatant
pretender that ever lived.
Surprising some young America n
should leave the mountains OF South
Carolina and cross the seas and 60 to
Paris and there lay claim 10 an esta te
which Michel Ney possessed when he
died; supposlng that this young man
should claim as some do ella lm that
Michel Ney WAS not shot after the de.
feat Of Napoleon at Waterloo by the
order Of the Legislature of France, but
that be escaped to America and lived
here; then if, further this young man
claimed that NJ. Ney married while In
America and that he, the young man
was the direct descendant Of Michel
Ney's oldest son and, continuing his
plea, he says. because am that de.
| scendant | claim that I am the right
full heir to the title Of Prince Of Mosk-
va, which once belonged to Michel
Ney;" then supposing you go to the
mountains OF South Carolina and prove
that this young man was the descend
ant Of Irish peasants, what would
you think? What would France think !
No matter what that young man might
claim to he, the people would stigma
| tie this false pretender for the estate
Of Michel Ney as a liar and a fraud
| Now. my friend, by the same law OF
reasoning II Is absolutely illogical tc
claim that Christ Is a good man and
+ yet not divine. Either Christ is all
| that he claims or else he is a pretender
| and fraud. 1t is logical to reject
| Christ as deceiver or it Is logical tc
accept him as the Son Of God, but 1t is
not logical TO regard him as good
man and yet not divine.
Not Logical.
There Is another reason why take
exception TO your position that yor
will not accept Christ ms divine. Yot
say you are delst. You claim tina
there are immortality and eternal com
partnership with God. Now, II Goo
Is going to fit you for eternal compan
ionship with him. what Is more ra
tional than TO suppose that the Heaven
~ Father would give you n divine ex
ample by which you can understand
his love and follow after his teaching
In other words, that God would Civ,
call that divine love Jesus Christ; a.
the Bible says. Leaving you an ex
ample by which you can understand
AS a human parent you can readil,
understand this law.
Here, for instance, one OF my littl,
children comes to me and says. Papa
what do the words United States gov
eminent mean?" Now. do not G,
to my library and take down james
Bryce's The American Common
wealth." and say, Here my boy
read that" Nor I do not GO and fin,
for him constitution OF the United
States and say. Here, child, rea,
that" Why, might as we'll hand m.
little boy a book printed In Hebrew
and say. Read that" The boys ninc
is only the mind Of a child. What do
do? Why, take that boy upon m.
lap and begin to talk 10 him on hi
mental level In the language OF
child explain to him what the gov
eminent Of the home means. Then
lead him on In the language OF tn
child and show him how people hav
banded themselves together in cit
government, so that policemen WI
guard us. and letter carriers will brin
our mail, and street inspectors vii
keep our streets clean, and water wi
be brought to our homes. Then in tn
language Of the child I show him hoy
different cities unite in the same wa
and band themselves together a
states. and then how states will ban
themselves together as natior
When I talk to child ! talk in tn
language OF child.
In tho Language Of Man.
Now, as rational being, tell me
how can God spiritually talk to ma
except In the language Of man? L
the spiritual sense we are nothing bu
little children. SO God says: II vii
show those little children how l low
them. l will reveal to them the low
Of the Heavenly Father, l will appea
to them In the love OF the home. ! wi