The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-03-12

without this moral element in it, hence
superstition, Faith, as 1t demanded it,
is the highest exercise of reason be-
cause it is enforced by the moral sense
in us, that ear Of the soul, which
through all the discords Of time which
have confused and misguided it. knows
the voice of the true Shepherd when
He calls.
There is our certainty. We can have
nothing more positive. If we would
scale the mountain tops of truth we
must climb step by step. We have the
steps cut for us by one who has gone
before. His self-evidenclng goodness,
purity, wisdom and truth are safe
places upon which to plant our feet,
He comes as the incarnate, personaliz-
ed truth Of God To his disciples he
grew to be known with glorious con-
viction. as the brightness of the Faith
er's glory and the express image OF
His person-mere belief about Him Is
opinion. 1t is not the faith, which
springs from a moral conviction and
realizes Him to the heart. | shall not
attempt TO describe the moral majesty
OF Jesus. His authority can no more be
defined in words or contained In
creed than the inspiring music of Han
ders Messiah can be read from the
score. You say that It cannot be veri-
| fed by any scientific method and there
fore you are agnostic and say I'VE do
/ ~ l.,, 7 -. 1, l.
| fed and has been verified in millions
of souls, by spiritual experience. The
evidence is Christ formed anew, as He
was In Paul, and Augustine and gall
aXy Of real saints too numerous to
specify and of holy, quiet people who
bless the church. society and our
homes.
You cannot look into the face of
Jesus Christ, then really look, with
an earnest, right purpose. and come
back and honestly say, We do not
know, whether He was from Heaven
or of men There is no middle course.
He was either from Heaven, as He
claimed to be, or from men. The excel
lencc of His moral teaching does not
leave Him an authority for us, II He
was from men. He was at best de-
lceived enthusiast, amiable but mistak-
en-, light that failed
The learned representatives of the
agnostics. They said 1--WE do not
know" because they did not want to
believe that He was from God. There
Is pure agnosticism which is the
very element in which the mind grows
wings Of faith,
] might bring you many testlmo-
MES from minds which may not be
accused of a religious bias to prove
this. | give you one as my last word
George Romanes, an ardent English
biologist argued himself and wrote
to argue others into atheism, when he
was twenty five years of age. Al
forty he discovered that in his study
of animal life he had not considered
man. the thinker. He had left him
self out. He prepared notes for q
work on religion reversing his early
opinion which he did not live to com
plete. But the notes remain and wert
, published by friend He affirm'
, that all first principles. even o
, scientific facts, are known by intui
, ton: that when a man clearly per
6 ceives that agnostlcsm Is the only at
ttude he can take toward religion h
Z has only begun his inquiry, for h
says There are moral and spiritua
/ 70 In,
q reason. In their respective sphere
: even of every day life; faith, trust
/ taste are as needful in ascertainin
Q truth as to character and heartily a
q Is reason. A pure agnostlc perceive
e that there is nothing to choose i
s point OF -rustworthiness between tn
r mechanical and spiritual casts q
; mind The mystic might indeed clair
/ the higher authority for his direc
g intuitions Tnbelief is usually due t
indolence-often to prejudice, an
= never a thing to he proved.
: He climbs higher and sees turtle
= as he opens the eyes of his spirit an
n dies at forty-six in the communion
: the church.
e II is said that when Alexander II
s Great was very i'll he received moi
It warning him not to take the medicir
# prescribed by his trusted physical
l. He put the note under his pillow, toe
= the medicine and then handed II
: note to his physician. That Is the o
n der Of knowledge in Christ's kingdor
n Try first and prove afterwards. Z
/ doubt is to wish a present and z
If eternal loss. To trust a goodne
- which cannot have poison in it is &c
n tainly moral health and may be etc
Of nal lifei