Year: 1859

for something reliable, and will have it.
If it cannot find it, it will make il. If it
will not accept the Bible as such, it will
make an infallibe church, or defy and en-
throne the human reason. One of the most
interesting developments Of modern spirit
uaism is the Illustration which it gives us
of this fact. Tired with the puerile and
contradictory revelations which it gets, or
supposes It gets from the spirit world, it
has in multitudes of instances, sunk into a
cold rationalism, or thrown itself, disgusted
and discouraged upon the bosom Of the
Catholic Church, by very necessity. Now
there is no logical tendency of spiritualism


into systems so diverse as these. 1t is the
instructive leap of a soul, msled 10y its in
tellect yet true to its wants, out of jargon
of denomiacal whims into something which
has, or assumes to have, infallibilty. The
rush of atheists and infdels into spiritual


Sm-athests and infdels practical and the
oretical-is the rush of class of minds
that finds it hard to believe without dem
onstration, and seeks among these NEGRO.
mantle manifestations for something better
than its reason, and more readily evident
to it than The revelations Of the Bible.


We say that toward an infalble Bible,
or an infuIIible church, or an atheism and


nfdelty growing out of the deiication of
the human reason, the mind of all unset
tied Christendom is drifting, by necessity
of its nature. 1t will have something upon
which it can rely. 1t cannot abide uncer


tainty it must have faith. History will
teach US something of the different results
thrown up by these three currents of life.
1t is hardly necessary to alude to the
paralysis of spiritual life that befalls soul
which places itself in the keeping Of
church which surrenders itself to the NOR
tiications and irrational impositions of an


irresponsible hierarchy The abuses, out
RACES, corruptions, wars and awful immoral
tiles that have grown ont of church like
this, are matters which almost mOnt police
the pages of history, and sufficiently prove
that it has its basis in error and its authori-
ty in arrogant assumption. When the peo-
pie Of France pulled down both God and
the church, and set up reason in their place,
all the internal elements of human nature
held their brief high carnival. That one
terrific experiment should be enough for
thousand worlds, through countless years.


So, cut off in all other directions, we
come back to the Bible. If that be not
authoritative, nothing is. If that be not
infallible, as q revelation from God of his
own character, the nature of the coming
| life, and the relations of this life to it, then
nothing is infallible, aud the faith without
which earth is a cheat and life sorry jest
is impossible. What do we find to be the
fruits of living, practical faith in an in
falible Bible The most prominent, or
that which appears most prominent in the
eyes of the world, is o missionary spirit in
contra-distinctiou to proselyting spirit
The really missionary work of the world
has been done in the past, aud is now being
effected by those who receive the Bible un-
mutilated as God'S word to men. The no.
blest heroiSms that illustrate the history of
the race have their inspiration in implicit
faith 10 the Bible. Men in whom life was
fresh and strong, aud women who were
the representations Of gentleness aud deli
cacy, have died for it the martyrs death OF
fire. singing until the red-tOngued flames
licked up thir breath. Out of it have come
all pure moralities Forth from it have
sprung all sweet charities. Ii has been the
motive power of regeneration and refOrma-
tion to millions of men. 1t has comforted
the humble, conseled the mourning, sustain
ed the suffering, and given trust and tri-
umph to the dying The wise old man has
fallen asleep with it folded to his breast
The simple cottager has used it for his dy
lug pillow and even the innocent child has
breathed his last happy sigh with his fin
gers between its promise-frcighted leaves.


Suppose it could be proved that this BIZ
BILE is all fable in what would the dem
onstration benefit us 1t is all we have.
If it do not infallibly teach MS the truth
concerning the future life, and instruct us
in the way of making that future life
happy one, then there is nothing that does.
Suppose it could be proved that parts of
this Bible are fabulous, and that those por-
tons which are not SO were inspired in a
kind of general way, like the writings of
all genius which is both great and good (;
who would be the better or the happier for
lit? | believe it to be demOnstrable that
no greater calamity could befall the human
race than either the general loosening up,
or the entire destruction, of faith in the
Bible, even were the whole of it cunning
invention of the brain of man. Better an
ass that carries us than horse that throws
us. Better faith in a fable which inspires


to good deeds, conducts our powers to no
ble ends, makes us loving, gentle and heroic
eradcates our sefShness, establishes within
us the principle of benevoence, and enables
us to meet death with equanimity if not
with triumph, in the hope of glorious re-
surreetion and happy immortality, than
the skepticism of kingly reason which on
ly needs to be carried to its legitimate is
sues to bestialize the human race, and drape
the earth in the blackness Of Tartarus.


80, | say, let US stick to the Bible-the
whole Of it--from Genesis to Revelations.
When the apostle, standing on the nights
Of inspiration, places the hand of the sec
ond Adam in the hand Of the frst--the
Akam of Genesis-I believe there was
such an Adam, aud that the apostle be-
lieved it, and knew it. When see Chris
tianity emerging naturally aud logically
from a religion of types and ordinances, |
believe that that religion is portion of the
system Of divine truth. When Christ,
standing i'm the Temple declares that the