Year: 1872

creed. All history, profane andsacred, j


full of the most striking examples O


what the fanatic can do and dare unde


the enthusiasm of his religion. Amids


this multiplicity of religions and con


tlict of opinion, in seeking for some saf


foundation upon which to rest, we mus


look for some other evidence less ikel,


to mislead.


AS we have seen, the light of nature
had merely suggested-intimated tn
subject and then left it in darkness
This state Of things made it proper anc
in one sense necessary that there shoult
be revelation of further light, and il
the fullness of time there was given Il
the world this Book, THE Book, THE
BIBLE, which claims to be the writer
word of God. Here is the whole story
of the Christian religion given for thu
inspection, perusal and faith Of man
| We have been constrained to say tha
most of the systems Of religion which
have obtained can not be true, achat shall
aue say of Mise Amidst all this confu
sion, doubt and error, the solemn thought
unbidden will obtrude itself upon the
honest, truthful mind. Does this bool
certainly contain the true religion, or ma,
ne not be deceived like the followers O
the Grand Lama or Of Mahomet, echo art
as sincere and confident as ace a,'es


Let us advert most reverently to some
of the claims Of the Christian religion
to be considered superior to all the other
systems referred to and to be in very
truth the authentic revelation of God tc
man saying nothing as tothe evidences
called internal, the proofs from prophecy
from inspiration, from supernatural inter
position and from miracles, which arc only
appreciated to their full extent by those
who are spiritually regenerated and
which pre-suppose the proofs complete
and the question already settled. We
shall only venture to touch such consid,
erations as may occur to one somewhat
accustomed to consider the weight Of
evidence upon matters of less Importance
and anxious to arrive at truth upon the
most important subject Of life, but claim
ing to bein no way spiritually enlighten-
ed.


First: Considering the nature Of the
case-that there is a great Creator-that
the soul of man is immortal, and that
he had some vague and indefinite innate
sense of right and wrong, which could
only be satisfied with the theory Of a fu-
ture state of rewards and punishments to
correct the manifest wrongs of which this
world is full-that the moral world was
cropping in darkness dividing into a multi
tude of religions inconsistent with each
other-doctrine combating doctrine and
sect fighting sect, a revelation Of further
light auas proper and, considered from oasr'
point of vie,O, absolutely necessary. This
crying necessity for further light-if it
does not absolutely prove the truth Of
the Bible, at least clears the way, and
prepares the mind to receive without
pre- iudice the evidences which may be
afforded, that which in reason is expcc-
ted is more readily believed to be true.
Such being the great need Of revelation,
if the Christian religion could be proved
to be untrue, it would be the greate;t
misfortune which could befal mankind.
The question is certainly this Or no re-
vealedrcligion. Its destruction would take
from frail, cropping man the only Oasis
in the desert of doubt, the greatest sup
port in the trials and tolls of life, the
greatest safeguard against vice and in
ducement to virtue, the greatest comfort
in afliction, and support in death, the
greatest source of happiness here and
of hope hereafter Itwould unchain all
the wild and selfish passions Of the savage
man and throw the world back into the
dark state Of disgusting paganism.
which universally existed when the
Christian religion was promulg gated, and
in the moral world would be like blot
ting the sun from the heavens.


Second.-We conformity Of the story
cfMe Bible 10 the constitution and course Of
nature makes 1t probable that they both
came from the same source.


1t is legitimate to argue from what
We know to what we do not know !;
from what is acknowledged to what is
disputed; from that part Of the divine
establishment which is exposed to our
view to that more important part which
is beyond it. We hold on to that
which is certain and reach out for that
which we wish to make certain. We
find ourselves possessed Of some knowl-
edge of the world around us and of our
own complex nature. We have already
assumed it as established, by the evi-
dences of design, that no rational mind
can doubt the existence ola designer, and
we now think we may add the reason
able probability is, that that revelation
which, beings much needed, appears and
IS IN general conformity qciM that design,
comes from the same source.


As well as we understand it, the re-
ligion Of the Bible is the mere supple
ment of natural religion and in full
harmony with it; the two, taken togeth-
er make one complete whole. The Bible,
when properly understood contradicts
nothing which nature teaches but goes
farther. It confirms the pre-existing
idea of the Immortality Of the soul and
of one great First Cause, spiritual and
invisible, and therefore denounces idola-
try in all its forms. 1t makes clear
what was before dark and obscure, ex.
plains the origin and eternal conflict Of
good and evil, gives the specific laws oi
vice and virtue, declares that this world
is only a state of probation and the
great doctrine that there is q judg
ment beyond the grave, by which re
wards and punishmcnts are to be distri
buted according to the deeds done in thu
IL g ,1x,o{ -,