CIHM Microfiche Series (IMonog raphe) ICMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Instftuta for Historical Mieroroproductiont / Inatitut Canadian da microraproductions liistoriquaa 1 TiM Imtitiiti liM atimipiiid to obttin «M k«t orifiml copy aviitaMt for filminc. Nmnim o« Mt eopy wtMi may b» h m o m ipliical t y m i l^Mt . wliMi may thm any 0f llM iiiiagBi in Dm rapredyetion, or iMhWi may fiflnifieaMly dMMiia tta uaual mathod of fiknini. ara L'lntiitut a mierofilm* la luiaMpoMiMadaM aiMMplaira qui wnt paMt4tf« biblioW^yiteM Mrf^HMn rapfodn H a. ail qoi patwam 4am la mMMda nonnala 4a aicamp la ira qu'il LatdMaibdaeat du point da voa axiiar una modifieation □ Colovrad eovan/ C ouwrtMfa da aoMloMf □ Covarsdamaiad/ Comartwa □ Co«an raaiorad and/or laminattd/ Couvartim raataurte at/oo piMlwdia □ Coaar titia mlHini/ LatHradai Cartai |io|rapMq«at an □ Colourad papas/ F i g a i da B BMlai i r n and/er laminatad/ at/oH ptHieuMa* Npat dtootowad. sttinad or foiiad/ □ Colourad ink (i.a. othar than Wua or Waefc)/ Enera da eoulaur (i.a. autra qua Maua eu neira) □ Coloorad platH and/or Uhntrationt/ PlandMf at/ou illuttratiom an couiaur □ Bound with othar material/ Ralii avae d'autrai documanu □ Tifht binding may eauM thadowi or distortion alont intsrior margin/ U raliura sarria paut OMisar da I'ombra ou da la dtetorsion la long da la margs intMauia □ Blank laavas addad during rastoration may wHhmthataxt Whanavar poasHMa. diasa I haan omittad from f ilmhig/ II ta paut qua aartainas pagas Maneh lors d'una rastauration apparaissant dans la tsxti, mail, lorsqua eala tott possiWa. cas pagas n'ont pasMfilmias. D Additional eommants:/ Commantairas tuppHmantairas! QSho«»through/ Transparanaa □ Quality of print varias/ Qualiti inigala da I'impiassion □ Continuous pagination/ Agination continua □ IndudH indaxfas)/ Comprand un (das) indax Titia on haadar takan from:/ La titra da I'an-tita proviant: TitIa paga of issua/ PiN* da titra da la livraison n r~~l Caption of issua/ D Titra da d«pari da la livraison G«n«riqua (piriodiquas) da la livraison This (tam is f ibnad at tha raduetion ratio chaekad balow/ Ca documant ast f ikw« au taux da rMuetion indiqu< cj-dassous. □ ItX 12X liX aox ax m 2SX »x 2«X 2IX 32X Tha copy fllmad hsra has bMn raproducad thanks to tha o«naro»ity of: National Library of Canada L'axamplalra film* fut raproduK grica i la g«n«roait« da: BibliotMqua nationala du Canada Tha imagaa appaarlng hara ara tha baat quality poaalbia eonsidaring tha condition and toglbinty of tha original copy and In kaaping with tha filming contract tpaclficatlons. Original capias in printad papar covars ara fllmad baglnning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- skin, or tha back covar whan approprlata. All othar original copias ara fllmad baglnning on tha first paga with a printad or illustratad Impras- sion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad imprasston. Tha hnt racordad frama on aaeh mieroficha shall contain tha symbol -^> (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. Maps, platas, charts, ate., may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraiy includad In ona axposura ara fllmad baglnning in tha uppar laft hand comar, laft to right aiHi top to bottom, as many framas as raqulrad. Tha following diagrams illustrata tha mathod: Las Imagas sulvantaa ont M* raprodultas avac la plua grand soin, eompta tanu da la condition at da la nattati da l'axamplalra filmA, at an conformM avac las conditions du contrat da fllmaga. Laa axamplairas originaux dont la couvartura an papiar ast imprim4a sont fiimte an commandant par la pramlar plat at an tarmlnant salt par la darnlira paga qui comporta una amprainta dimprasslon ou dIHustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont fllmto an commandant par la pramiira paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprasston ou dlilustrstlon at an tarmlnant par la damMra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un das symboias suhrants apparaltra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua mieroficha, saton la cas: la symbols — ► signlfia "A SUIVRE". la symbola ▼ signlfia "FIN". Laa cartas, planchas, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Mra filmte i das taux da rMuctton diffirants. Lorsqua la document ast trap grand pour Mra raproduit an un saui cllchi, 11 ast film* * partir da i'angia supMaur gaucha, da gaucha i drofta, at da haut an bas. an pranant la nombra d'Imagas nAcassaira. Las diagrammas suhrants lllustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 matooon amoumatt tbt cnait (AI4St and SO TEST CHART No. 3) 1.0 1.1 lit Itt u laa 140 |lg|u |i. ^ /iPR-IED IVMGE he 16S3 Eoit Moki StrMt Koctwatar, Nm York 14609 USA (716) 462 - OSOe - PtoM (716) 2M-S9M-Faa '\ « • • Christianity and ^gnostici/^^ Leotores deUvored by th HW-^ Jamee Slmpeon, at^St. Peter** Oathedral, Ofaarlcuttetowxi, P. B. I ■^-^ [Id Allowijig na to pnbliab Ui«m Irctare*, th* Rev. Jmbm Sinoira baa Mked ua to Mate that they an littia mor« than com- pilatioB*. Many of Uir argumento, and often whole paawa g ea are taken lYom the following worke : Cbrialianitjr in relation to Science and Morals" bj Caaon Maccoll. "ReaMna for believing in Obrietianitv" by Canon Bow. "The Cbalcedonian Drbree'' by BeT J. Fnlton. "Evidenoes of Cbriit- tiaaity'' by Pal<^. "Addre^ees on the Se- aarrection" by Bev T. P. Bing. "Christ •nil modern Uobelier by Bev. B. U. Mc- Kim. "Is not this the Christ" by Bev. G. J. Ridgeway. "The Church in relation to Sceptics" by Bt/ A. J. Harrisons Md otherri.] I. M ODnV UaBKUlF AVD a RCASOirABLI Faith. No one can be blind to the fltct, that unbelief in its various forms is very pre> valent in the present day. Periedice' are ftail of articles dealing with Athristf). 6<«a- larism. Agnosticism and Free Th,ught. Newfipnpers are oontiouaily ioHening insi* dious little paragraphs scoffing at miracles, Sne^tioning the inspiration of Sciiptore, •^^ing the rcnurreotion of Our Lora, re- jeetmg: the po^xibiiities of an hereafter. Novel-> tre written for the ezpresM purpose of airing the (Jonbu and unbelief of the various characters; wherever a number of men gather together, the conversation not infrequently develops into a religious or anti-religion* di'CUHsion ; so turn where we will, read what we will, we are con- stantly confronted with the question, is GhrLaianity true or false? Shall I believe in it or not. Now, nnbelievers may be divided rough- ly irato three chwses. Fin>t, there are those—* comparatively small number— who have really ftudied the question, more or lesn deeply, and have come to the oonclnaion that tM evidence in favor of Christiaatty is not snfficirnt for tbeni to ac- cept it. This claM comprises many learned men, who itre often pointed to in triumph by their followers a" '*the deepest thinkers of the day." Bat wci must re- member that there are others, who are quits as deep thinkers, and tu more nu- merous, who still maintain an unflinching belief in the verities of the Chrictian aith. The second class consists of those who don't wish to believe — careless liverx, who dnd pleasure in sin and are only too glad to pernuads themselves that there is no Ood, no Christ, no hereafter— for thereby thsy are relieved from the obli- l^ion of iMdini; good lives, and can con- tinue to sin with an easv conscienot. These are often lood-monthed in their scolft and questionings, as if they were thus de sirons of drowning the stiH, small voice within. The thinf class is made up, for the most part, of those who have been led away by the speooua arguments they hear trova others, or by articles they have rnul in magasineo, and have thus had their fkith undermined, and in some oases des- troyed. Many of these lament the state they are in, and would give a good deal to have their fliith back strong and drm of old. The fault here is that they are in- clined to belifre all they hear and read aninst Christianity, without enquiring* what there is to be said on the other akie. Think what doubts mi«;ht be set at rest, what dHBcuIties solved, what peace of mind restored, if those who are tons un- settled were to say to themselves, "This argument seems convincing, bat I will not accept it until I have heard the-other side V ST 1 2 10 96(p Chriiiiamfy »md AgmuHtim. —1 will 10 my pri«H, or I will m to wmm will uk »l»t OhrittlMltyliM Wm7\nn. fttUtioB of it, for it n onl/ r«voMble to fc-SKL*''" t»«i« ••«,. difflcBlty miin l»»t biwn prmat«l to oUtm Junt m in- S&r "'-"• "^ '•* •'^^ ''»•*- thf dlffloolty I. dwelt OpOD, MMl IB the dwe In g beooniM nu>Knlfl«di other difll. noltiM .re tMrehed for Md all too eillr Ibood, the fuodMiratal tmtb* of tba n^ pel w di>ora.iited, CommooioiM «re di»- #T;. ^"'T''^iP*».'* »' ChrietianitT (tho' Wreooagh to look u«,o) i. held'to be »«red on » rotten fonadation, wbieh mnet ormuWe before the nbock* of raeearob and «^h^ ««flw«t«l V the propa««i3n of U told fh«nw.thont ever qneHiooing Ibe tecteor ezaminibg the evidence. ^S/^fcuf* '•»•>. «J<>3b*» oooceming ^gre« dittcaltar with the inakvUr of booke writton OD bbrietian B«d«S^ i? iSnir^i-/?"' •,'^«H!^ -Dotnnd-ii ?:Jai^'!;ffi:r^f,rp:;r; ' Thi.^w^'''****!""'^"'^ *e like. kaowledge of lowc, moral philoeophr and n^P'.y«i08.andeo thev .re o*ver the V^uJ ^"^"1* *" '•'^'"•'y education, to^*?Il.°°- *•"!'"* *" '»>• inolinatKm tbeee book., they caa make little or ncth- !"«<">.* o' »•>"». and eoDclading thai g*~ » therefbre nothing to be mJdS, ther become more confirmed thi^ ever in theJV *th!?-k 1 I'- ' ''^ "^ "••»' P"^*" that tne whole thmg is aa eaav as A. B. C for lirr?K^'ii* tbink i/one1;^ll only S' r*^^ '^" '*'2'y "'»'» "P"" eyes a^ U,.ble heart," giving it h& eamirt ud prayerttal attentioii, aeking God to own fii. eye. that he may eel thTwSc^a thmgiofHtaLaw.thatOod will »^l Hlniwirtobimanddlopelhia danhte'^^ «t.bi«bhi.iyA. BSIAmSafclJ Oodforguidaooe,lor " the natomi il? ««lveth not the thing, of vTt^^ Ood, for th^ are fooliehneM noto Wml «e,tbercaoheleM„ them, beow" £t •w •pimoally di«»,„«d._(|^;n'55 Bat one mav «yr, how oaa I pii^^ . (jj/ In whom I do not believe? TWerIf J[«»«"»*«>7d«l»» light, yoa om^dLt oondiUonallv withoat'doinf vioWT h' fe' 'J!rr°'' Him to g^Me me to • knowledge of Uimaelf," wd pleaM Ood jonr prayer will be «,.w^d7. d2 .«?i°*t~i?°'' *® ""believers and doabt- eredoIaddreMmyselfin tbeee Innrutf- tions, bat to those al«) who^. m ,« flrai m the faith, that they m^ ^ »S,' •- St Peter «iys, alw^e to Jw an^' wasonofthehop^lhatis in then, with tor It is mnoh bettor to bi ready armed for the fhiy whioh • miminen., tha. to wait antil the attack is b^nn, before seMching ft^ the weapons of delfcnoe. As I sa«/jurt now, scepliflism is rampant an around ns. If It has not yet elIeoteQ muM toroe itself upon every think- tell people that they mast not read i^olee •^mrt Christianity, ihat they must no! hstento the aTjuments of unbeliev^ th^y cannot help doing the ^T^ otljpr, smc* If one readi at all, it is teit to impowible to av. id meeting with doobto exprensed in one form or Mother? IToat mixes with hlH fellows at all, he must t^ .lV^*^11!L'° "*?"*'* •'"» doubters of inion-. Nor need he fear to do so if U will only take the trouble to learn wbv I.' b^iever.nOod,. Redemption, a fitu« ex -tenoe since there is nothTng antagnoistSo between re«K)n and fcith. On theKS? faith IS not werth having unles- it be bS^ on rational convictions. It may be a verv ea-y way of jjettin* out of difficulties to say one before me, it suits me. and I have no desire to changed but it is hardly a satk^ IlKstory foundation for our fltitb, and we the first shock. "If such pe(^« were «m^ Ckrittimmfy and AptPsHeism. : •i*(nit tbfj vonM iMarn to iIm wombip or WodM Md TiMtri for «• min it in that our vtctMun wmwhipprd thew d»iti«< !«• Ibrt thty hMMnr Chri^tiMii, and onr fim M'-»>tor who mubnMNii Chri>tiMitr inu*'t, in tb«ir 9f», Iwv* been an impioni revolt- er from the religion of hi* forefUbere. WhM elee bad be to itnide bim in embno- ing CbriMiMitjr bat bin reason f Our na- eoo i» not inhllibia ( nor do our artificial light* eanal the h- ghtneM of the aunt but we aball not improve our poeition b^ estingaiehing them and living daring hia aheence in the darknewi of night. Bqoalljr abenrd ie it to refuee to walk by onr r»a«on, when it ie the only light that Ood baa given n* to guide onr utepa." I have ea d eleewberi- that it iKamintake to fnter impreparMl into religiouw diiKsue- eione with nnheliever-,an«< that you should refuM to do *o, »iiioe it will in all proba- bility Mhake your (With and All yonr niliidn with donlite. Lmt I ehould appear to con- tradict inveeir, I would point ont that an unprepared-for diMUMion ie one thing; a defence «if Chrintianity bv one who undei^ etand* why he i« a Cdri'tian ie quite another. A |iereon who proffcee to be a proteotioniet, but un-nne of the faith he l.oldf>; that be may he able to *peak out boldly when that faith ie awailed. Nor ie it B««e«'ary for one to devote much lime to intricate study in order to liaee hia Cicceptance of Glirietianity en rational conviction, for tbit> would pre- vent tho'e engaged in ihe active duties of life fW>m entering into the^e qneetions. God does not require impoeeible things fWMii us. He hart endoweu u» with com- mon sen**, which ie an adequate guide on all practical subjectK, and religion is pre- eminently practioii). Profound inquirv is a liizury, not a neceseity. If we could 'not conduct onr praotical matter* until we ooaM solve all the fH«found problems that lie at their foundation, human life would come to a standstill. Tet we do coiidoot them, and for the most part euccsasAilly. I propoae, therefore, in these leotuee, to avoid all profound and , learaad qoeetiona —in flMt.all eiMh as taqnira a epeoial elndy to enable n« to eethnata tke ovidaBee on whiob they rest, uid to hy before yon those aepeets of the evid>ncc« of Cbrieti* anity whieb will oommend tbemeelves to the general iatelli|renee of tboea nenbers of the Ohrietian Church, and to tboi>e lioneet doubters whom Ooil, in His provi> dence, has ealled to epend their engergiee in the diKcharge of the duties of aetiva life. There are branches of those evi- dence* of which ->dcb persons are as a the same tnce of a fl„.|, .nd ZwJ^'^bS r if" ^"r -"•"-« "»""«( .11 .v„s's„:?s """ "" ■tatl, »ftm/i, (0,, I, .„'t,V~"- CMttUmUy md Agimiteum, I. TIm w»«ii Mt •MH of iMakimi in that Ulitt II. The mtptmnt fhNii •Am to 0M«t. ni. Tkt MrirtUMiit turn if^u. If. TiMWiniiimt from tli* moral m^ 1 'fooffmaa. la Mdi of thut th* witawa i« eltar, and '.t mmalativt waigbtoT Um foar oit^t to bainarftibte to •vnj oaadid and upta miad I at mj r»t*, thuw wbo Ikil to bt aoaviaafd oa tlMw groaadis will NarMly ba M l» aajr aownnt of abHraut raaaoaing or matwrnatieal dtrooaMratioB. Lrt «■ eoaakUr tbtw argnmceta ia /' I. Naakiad io g«n«ral ooaMnt* to tba faalirf in tht Ihfitj. Tbii ii> an nndwubtwl frfOt, wbieb Bona can gainwv. Not only do CbriMiaaa, im aad Mobainmatanii aoknowladgp a pf>mHial Ood - not unljr did tb* aaoirat Oneka and Romans and Bgyptiaaa wor«bip an All Fatbt-r - bat imctioailj afrrr nation thionghont the world proiteaMa the aanie baliefi— tba in* aanrrabia millioax of China ami Ja|Mn — tba moltttadax of India tba wild tribaa of Afrit a tbe Amar ioaa Iitdiaaa, tha aboriginaa of AnatraJia, tba K nearly aniver>al amoAg tbe fbmiliea of the earth aa to ja* tify th« inferenoe that there ia aomething Id tba oonatituiioD of human natore wliicb niggoata tba idea to man, or eJM tbat it ia oae of the primitiTe belief* which ha« bean baaded down ftam the beginning of (he raee, notil now. OioteiK]n« and dexraded aa are tba forma in whioh thi* belief often M4)earp, it i* poMiblv to trace feataree in tbem, all which point to an original nni- ven«l belief in a pentonal Clod of power and goodnew. Polytheistic and other d». graded idea* of the Deity 'ire evidently de- partnree fhmi the original Thane are not aniveraal. Tbe common featare' in which the manifold form* of religion coincide teatify to an original uoiveml l«lief aoeh aajoat allegad. How, then, are we to aceoant for (ha immemorial, nniveml belief in Ood f It oaonot be aaid that ia ia a mere hiotorical eoneloaion, aa error of oar forebthera. wblab baa baaa traaemit^ tttm geaeta* (km to naaai Mtioa beaaaae ia tba ooarpo of aeuluriaa it «roaid bava bean f«o(iflfd. Tba pbeaomeaoB of iabetwnt baliof ia Ood oaa only be explained a< a uataral iaetiaai, aa a raaalt of tba inOnanoa of tba aeaaae upoB tba rea>oe. There in in the generality of maakiad a Ood-eonaeioaMne<4, Jtiat aa ibera ie a aelf-PoaaektaaaeM. Ii \» trw tbat aoaia men aeem t» laiik tbi* Oo>l- coanokra»aa«a jnxta* there ara eaiH>» of oobir blindne**, or even of partial iaaen- aibility to moral diatinetinn*. Bnt in en«b in'taneea we may well demand whether tbe faoalty baa not been atr>pbied by ne> gleet, whether the evea of tha wral that oaoa did perceive Ood have not i^en pal onti wbetoer tliia inability to recognise the esiatence pt Ood i* permanent, of only tamporaiyi whether th- 0oon*oiotta- neen be not dormant rather than dead or non-ezi»f •nU" At any rate theee are ex* oeptrane to the general role. St. Thoma* Aqniaaa waa but oonflrming the axiom of Giowo and Seneca when he aaki, "Tbat wbkh all men affirm cannot be false." And it ha* been alwava held that anive^' aal toHtimony may be accepted aa evidenae of tba natural intuition of mankind. Tbarefbre we mn-t oonoludo that when all men with common con-eat believe tbat Ood exiatM, Ood doea oziat. II. The aecoad arirament we pe ada w for tbe belief ia the exj^teaca of a Ood. ia thM of v-flbtit a hI caa>e. No law i« iuu«« univcTMl t)iar tbiat every eflhst iMuttt have a u!D'«. We are ill, and we kaow tbat aomethiBK eaoaxd that illneaa. It raina, aad we know that aome auaw^pherie change* peedaced that rain. We etamble aa we walk, and we know that aooM tni* pediment oaoaed a« to atnmble. Dmy change* into nisht, and we know tbat aomething baa obaoarrd the light of tbe anni and ao, wheaever we aee an event, we cannot help infrrring that it munt have originated m a canae, it being inipoaxible evea *o imagine an event without a can»e. Natare exieta; we aee it, we feel it. Now, reaaon tells ua there ia no work withoal a workman, and flrom thia axiom, which admiu of no exception, we conclude that there raoH tte a aapreme workman, apart from natare, who liaa created all tbinoi; tiwt thia workman mart be from etemito eternal with«ot ever having been created. Nature baa life, movementt hot raaaoa talla na there ia no motion witbcmt a rooton -aad ftom tbiraziom, wbiolt admita of ao ••-_- ^1 '-CMMmify ^ 4fmtU$m, • prTm* NMMor who U« lii^ b ili»««lf mS MB MTtr >0M It. K««ift ii rtK«l«r, mnboiikMl in Imt wption, wt •■gBeiadt iImm ibtn- moM b* • "In oihw ir.>ni< ibo nnivi>nw w •? rdM. !•«•■« h*»t l..d . ««•. TbM MOM i. WM. Wf irai«, injrfti, a *triM of «ia>-t«. • oh»in uroaa>-MkNia. Unioar iniMliivMn. Kl a. to M\»r* tb« tb.t .er JliSl^ da Sn>t t< rmi that oh»in immi b«r» bwi • Mf .tmim nin»t b»v« a "Hjiirw, ih#Mwnr liran.nn!<-, ita f..niitaiH bead. ThM nwBiam, tbai canae •toan»eii. » God. He C-nee. goch, »t»ir.l i,. the »*lrtk.t ..,«„, prtmlplee on which it real* are amoM tbe Mioma of Datonil .ol..nc». L« mT^ei,. 70U an illa-tration. In fe year IMS orhit of tbe planet Urano-. It wa/t« Went tb«D that nomc hitherto unknown nod ind- SSJ^K.** l'»«'W»«»»ia motion and deflecting bla path in ibe aiarrr baavena L! i- •"•*»»'"'•»'«'•!"..•••»• in Prance »,.< one in Bnjriand, quite in.iepend.-nt of eaul. Oidar, made a "erie^ofcalonlMtionaand de- otoml tbM in a certain fixed locniiiv. iu in- noite apaae,tbere wa- an nndt^euvervd plan- tt, anftcientl.r large to aflbct tba mStion M^UranuH. Aatronoinen. in obeditmte to •bair oonimanaa -earobed tor tbia planet with ibeir teJ^acope^, ..nd there at a dia- tnnce of i^SS million* of niilea from tbe diaUnt aa the earth la from the aun. they diwjvered tbe planet Neptune. "P,^ oiaely in the aame wa? tbe beliem In a pwwmal God mar ftel confident that He ejtwta, and that fie ia pnaeea.'ed of eeruin •ttributea." No man Wh aeen Gfti IS •nytime. Wh bare not tbe evidence of ouraenae».tliatHee«i.ta. We bavTnot denionatrati«e evidence. But we have anf. flcient eviden. e from which we infer Hia eziatenoe u ceruinljr aa thoae two math*- maticiana inf.>rred tho exiatenoe and the te<»l,t7 of the plwet Neptune." Tbe foro^ of thih argumenfia acknowledged br me ^the moM diktinsuiabed repreaenutivea of agnoetioiam, incToding Herbert Spencer. III. Tkt tklH wniMM «• --• IW fjm dMign. Tliia Mt« W mmJi ••J"' ••<> •»«*•. (l>.OMkf| (1), S^ (l}''WhM*r#.'irtlwlioUortwM4 m^ rMgameiit, o«r mmMmI iifaiiiiluB mm H^uatoinflartlMiiimMl li*«» dM|i» tnatonlerijr nmiMHiM-nu am hat* Mb «jUrf ftwB lib. «K«i bli«|,«.la,^|gj;j the action of the iMlcr, thtr da -^ dace ord»r hot diaofdtr. H mat ^ii\\~«t MdwTjr' wi»5^to"V the moM atriking ehniMlw. We ibwv* 2?«2fir.J!!^' 1** po-ac-ae. a.. *mo«w «>f iBtell^WMe ad«|tiate to have MoiMed M»em. TbIaBiiingwedeeigwrteOSi: One or two aimple lluatrati<«oa will iMketbefbroe or tbie nrgnment plain. weukeawalk in the eonntrv and a>« «noua flower- growing b» the way aid*. They are in no order or deign, (wi m» aoMiered here and there in luxnriMt pio. fn-ion. We are told Ibat the aeftli wm blown thereby the wind or carried I.7 binla and inaeut- and we bav no difllonliy In l«lieving the -tatement Bnt we go to Queen Square Garden* aiMl we nee the fluw.-ra there lai I out in aet deaigna with niatbantatical prcoi-iiin, no one flower ia out of p'aoe. no one baa outgrown Ita fellowa intheaam* .*!!. ".. V "• f* *?" '•••* »»»ia ia merely the work of wind and birda and iaaceto. we are incrednlon-; we know tliat aome intel- ligent force inuat have planted theaa flowera and tended tbeir irowth. We Nirull along the Neaabore and we aee huip. n.aa imlieaacd in the cliff, and that the a- tion of the wiml and wavea and froat haa graduallT eaten ti.e cliff away an<< left iheae bonldeni expoaed to view, and we accept tbe ex- planation. But we go into a city and a^ aoroe lofty ebnrob or elenant manaion. oompoaedofthe aame ^-tone, all cut and airved and embellial.e.i, and we acoff at the Idea that thia could be produced by the combined action of wind and wave and frost, tor we know that some iniellinnt force mui-t have faahioned theae aimiea and laid them in their placea one by one. 80 It 18 when we aurvev tbe universe, w* see tbr. regularity of the aenaons, the CkHiimidif mti AgmnHtim. Nio**«Mirt> of tb« pl*M(a in iMr orbiu, IIm iuttlM*U,ir-«nnNUrMti''« Imt* of otatri- ftUX forw M<< eratririt(»l ftoro* kwpiaf iImm phwMt* ••iMtiT III (Mr wiiw wi *• ■>«• that tbi* of«l«r m mA oalr •• iwiifNiMi ia Um iaaMMiiv of ihr hnivtnljr tylMra*, bat alM in tbt lovMt erNMHrt« tint emwf upon tb« I'utb. Ii nppnr* in nil ph^rnmi* tan, vitiM* nut onlv to ih* nnkal «•«•• hnt to tb« rya rqnippMl v'itli «>pti(s«i itt'Onf mtnt», whioii iinvf btra brongbi lo iht bigba^t (ivrfKnion, — nnd n» wr mv nil tbi* tbt onnviclion biwnto irrrtinublt thai it tannot bt ibr rvMnlt of blinil fore*, bat of an inttlli||tnt Btinjr. wIkhd wt anil Ood. (II ) Ailnptntion. Olowljr nllitil lo nr- IBiiitnt from <>nli>r ia tlia nrgttin> ni from atnplnlion. Bjr th« wuril ntlapuiion wa mtnn n nambar o( diatinut thingi^ iiiMPtintt togttbrr nt tb<* rif lit lima and pinca, which, br tkair tonioim notion, prodni^ n dcAiiita raonlt, whinn raanit wonid bnvalinJ no as- iot»noa npnrt from llitif «onjnintaotilfe>-t thin the partx imiHt nii^t toKtthar at the right lime and placa. If any one of them had bean ditfirant from what it ia tha ranult would have bean dif- ferent. Wbrnaver wa witneM Much com- bination*, our mind* cannot ha!p drawing tha inferfuca that thair eii'tenca canniit have baan due to th>- action of unintalli- gtnt force*, but that thr.v inn*! have uri- ginatad in intalligaiit volition. VariouM ihiugK in natnrr, in number* ao 'net that our intellectx are utterly unable to form any adaqnatt* conot-ptiun uf thair mttl>itnda, prenant 'imilar conibinatio»i and adaptation*, only inflnitaly more com- pliraled and marvellou*. A aingle in- etance - the eye — will rtrv^ for the pur- paaea of illnatration. It* adjuatment* an of a mot cuinplicalad character. Light ia tba reault of the combined action of ita various parts. If any one of tbem had been dimrent fKmi wiiat it ia, xiitht would have been impoaaible or imperfect. But, further, by their modification, the power of aigh' ia adapted to the particular cir> oumatances of each particular order of animal. The ear ia ptrhi^ a mora mar- vtllmw taamplt of trta tbaa tbt tyt. To m>' tbt btartag of artloalalt aoanda potaibk lao tomplc oalad oryaaa art nattaaary, via , tbt tar it*tir, and that marvtiloaaij oomplitaiad InatranMol, tba moatb, aompotui of tbt tbmal, tha htryaji and Iba laag^ wbich, by their onmbinad aetioa, pmnta tbt bamnn voiet. Nor it tbia all, lU tbt tar and tbt vooal powtra woaM taiat ia vala unltM tbt almotpbtrit air bad btta ad> jnattd lo oonvtv tbt wnvt of toand lo tba ttr. Tbt wbolt animal framt oooaiau of aoombinaiion of aimilar aiaptaliona of tba moat marvalloaa oomplieity, all nioaly nHJuMled lo thamaelvaa nnd lo Iht tntira organiani, mill in nnmb-r* pnaaingnllcom* prelianaion, and wa argna from tliia with aaanrad ratainiy that tbara ia a wiat Creator by wlioni all theae aubilt and dtli- cala a4]nalmentM have baan perftoiad. Tba 'oroa of tbia nrgumani baa Caen fplt area tiv aparulntive nnhtlievera. John Stnart Hill confta«>ed it* validitv. I •avid Home, aa be walked home one beantifnl tvtning with a friend exclaimed t **No one oan Intik up to that aky witbont fatling that it mu<*l have been put in order by an intelli- gent Baing." "It ha* been aaatrttd by many that tbit arjrnmant from daeign ia overthrown bv tha now widely aooaptad theory of evolu- tion. But that a"atrtion cannot be »nb auniiated, aa can he abown in n frw wordt without entering upon the diacnaaion of ao vaat a «ubjeci aa the thaonr in queation brings up and wb'cb would be quilt out of place here. Obaerva then, that many of the niof* able and thorough foini evoin* tioni-ta remain firm belicverain Ood, and even uevonl Ci riaiiana. In them tbt art gtttiient from deaign not only loae* iraae of Ita force, but ia even enhanced in power and beauly by that bvpotbeeia. They flttl with Charlea Kingaley that it ia ei|ly canat for greater wonder if indeed Ood ia not only ao wiae that He can make all tbinn, bui ao much wiaereven than thnt, that fit can make all thinga make themtelvea." No matter how Ions the prooeaa of evolu- tion, they find at laat, behind all, infinite intelligence, wiadom and goodnaaa. No matter how natural the proceaaet by which throogh"naturalaelection*'tbeworkl or man may havt been devel<^ed, they raaoh finally the anpematnral eauae, the will, and purpoae, nnd wiadom of an In- finite Creator, endowing matttr with theot marvtlkms oapacitiea. Tb^ tet in ^t I \ CMtHuUiy mud ApMtttOtm. a wondrous oMubiBaUM of bM >tT Mid «til- ■ ta DMan the mt'ltMUMioBi of * m dtmlopmeDt ia MktanI Md tgtrada UMit mHii tM inonu nuor* of mn. The <«Mr •mmmiu only indirMtly prove tlwttb. Cmtor of tb« UDivem '^i. . mom Brhgt thta on* ti^ablitiiM H. Mm m • f^ agent. Ha bM (ha ciMt pi«fW«ti*aof ThokM. ia ia lamfy a !! # £!r""i?'"f •**"»• Ha belierJi fi;». aairnee. Ha ftala hm aooouutabiliu for bb eboioa. Ha aakDowladm* hia mpon- ribilUjr««amoralbalog. Ba holdup MIow man aimilarly raiponsib!e and Mm. liarljr f^. Hew ia oonaoianoa to ba ao" •^"•TiJ?''. "^'•o •»•* >«" »>«»'J iU 5J**!,?™.'** *>ne well-tlKw hai>t oom Uir Mao miiat iiUnd flM)» to ftwa witb (bM nijHteriou* guaat— «:niioioafineaa have teen pu1ar aohool of phTloMMhy ta^ each a belief la nothing litter than •ftw'JWpBiorphiem I. e that naoh a Ood ia one of our own crea- »«»o. It will be Puffioipnt to *Wy to pbiloeoph«ra of thia cla»<, (hat *■»•'• '• .■«» • WBgle conception in their philowphy that ia not open to a aimilar oMeiAlon. When such philoeopheni object that to at^ibute the moral aaributeTof man to Ood ia wAbing batter than the del- Beaton of wan, we repljr that our mode of Raaoamg » correct, becwue omui ia inade iatbeiaaageofOod. If mwi la^Maia i^a* ilM image of Ood. to aaeribe loBHrtwX £ir*!L5 •rr*'^**/' «»oune^,>.ijj; benevolence and tr th, la nol to anb^ map into Ood. bat lo attribate Io0«d Om »hieh origiaallj exiatad to Bim andia (be uiH«eofwhichbehaaof«^(edlHa^'* ' ni. U A RaruATioM Fmm^Oob Iimo- ■AtLI? In oar laat lecture we browht (brwaid four anramen(a in favor f a Mief in • peiaonal Ood. The flm of .heae wan ftmn (be general eonaen( of maakind—evtnt aa- ^on, irihe and tongae con/b aea a aupiiaie Deity, and #ven if (aa aome MBrro) thM** have been found propter who do net ac> knowledge a Oo«d. Thl- T^.kSj"** '" *«Knate Ood. The UiirrI a^ument waa fN>m deaign, flrat aeen in the ordrr of the univerae, and (ben In lUadaptationa. Thetbingeof thia werM are not thrown togrtherbapbawml, but are wraiJged in a mirrrllona heantv and order which impliee that it ia all the raenH of intelliKenoe, -inca it could notpoaeibly "■*• originated in nncona<*ioa'< and nnin> telhgeji forcee. And thf fourth argument wa» from the moral nature of man, whieh could not be Arom natural at>laotion, or of Krely phjreioal evolution, with no paraonal ing behind that evolutioni it could not have origina'ed in matter, force or motioni tten which the univerae in iu primitive condition oontainrd iiaugbtrlaeacoordlngto tbeantith-iaiicevolutioniiHii. a> whni we oonaider the peraonalitv of man,bi« free- dom, bia cunaei- noe, hUTeligloua nature, hie apiritiial aapirationa, hi« innaie p^rcep tionaiid approval .If the true, the Wntl- rol, the gooil, we conclude that tboe muct be a Being <*bo la f^ and ^ure and goodi a perronal being who ia apiriinal and morol, ftoro whom man haa received hie • 8|HntBal and moral nature. Each of theae argnmentji, eonaidwrad by itself, aiiords reaaonaUe eeijaMe tiurt CMsHaiOy Md AiMMHiisM. Q«4 nln t t o n m noM * thai many qo- MiCMf* hftvt ■fdMlttad Um vklMity but ««#'MM b i^rtaffthMwd inSiiiitlv bjr the «oaibiMd fbtM of Um •rfanrniln. Tb« > iWMwiM of thit pan* of • mnnferrd MM nagr Ml bt «onelo«ivt proof tb*t the p oiowar WM th* mardvrFr. Bnt if hi* doliMii art MaiMd with Mood i if wionii Mliolw btloagiRf to th« iiittTder*d man •N ftma I ia hw p o' M wioa i if it can he proTtd tiM4 ba porebaaad tlM inMruaMat m wbi«b tha manier wa* aeooaaplinbiNi i if kia AMq^m ntaotly oerfppoad to tboM of tha nnrdam i if b« baa a|po •dopl«| a anmbtr of oanninK dfviraa to *v(M dhteotioR, ifaUtb»r«oirauinManoe« OMat logHbar in tba aaota peiwon, ihev •flbrd aatroBfar avidenot of -c jilt than Ibat of ona naa wbo aflrma tbat b^ Nkw tha priMHiar oommit i\» aaaidar, broaaaa laatiiaoajr amy be U\i>t, |tat ordeier aad adapter of the uni erae, wbo ia at onoa benavolcB) and haly and J«at aad traeand moral. HaTiag proved the ezietanoe of Qod the next qneatMn tbat dcmande oar attention b, "Are there any eafB^ient groand* for belieTing that He will make any ntanitai* tattoaa of Himaelf to man other than thoae Be haa alraady made in Hia variooa orear tiveandptovidrnttalaeuf Thiaoointia of ttn oonaidarabia imporUnoein rahuioa to the qaaatioB befbre an. Ton all know, fbr it ia ooaftantiy broogfat to your Botifle in the ordinary atnirK c? life, that tha aoMmat of evidenoe which i« neoeaaanr to prove that aoertain event ha* taken pfaoe variea ia prc^iortion to the ptobatnlitr or improhabilitr of it* oooar- renee. Tery al^t evidence ia tufllcirnt to aatiafy oa tha* an event has ocearrad if anoh aa avaat ia likely and ezpeotad. For inataooe, if we aaw a man ia tba laat alagaa of ooaaoaptioB and ware toM that haooold B«( Uva maav honra longer, wo wo«M have no diOral^ia beiieviaghe waadaad if aa oMtMiy MKiaaaiqiaarM in the newspaper the next day. Bat we ahoald r>qair» maeh atrooger evideaoe than a newepaper to oonvinca om tbat aniamn wan not raooeaded by winter, or winter fcgr aprihg, in acme given kioality. Ia a similar manner, an aotioa which, if aenigned to one motive, may be ia the higLeat degree improfaaMe, m^ be ae- cf^ted on tha moat ordinal teetimony if assigned to another. We sbonM reqnire strong proof before we oouMI believe that one whom we bad always looked upon as a oonsixtent Christian^ had subHsribed hugely towards ihe erection of an idol temple in hia town, bbt if itconld be shown that the monev was extorted firoiii him bv threats of vioJenoeor ii^nryio hisbusi> ness, whil> condemning his cowardior, the difficulty in accepting thujaet ta the sub* acriptkw would disappear. Or let me put it another wav. If the papers annonnoed that the Federal Gov- emment had ordered f^everal shiploads of proviaions and clothing to be rent to Chariottetowa, to ha distribated iadiacriRi- inately among the people, we should re- ceive the news witli a smile of inondulitv. It is antecedently iniprofaaMe that the Oovemment should interflpre in our flavor, beoanHe there is no manifMtt raaxon why it should do so. Bnt if next Spring we should hear that ihe peoy>le of Labndor had rnn short of provisions, and were, oonaquenil^, starving, w* ahoald not only have ao dUHculty in believing that the Government would send them auppiiee as aooB as navigation opened we ebould ex Met them to do so. To^y we wonM laugh at a telegram »tatina that tha prin- eipal citiea in Canada, England, and the United Stataa were raising snbacriptions flor us in Charlotteiown 1 bat if a An awcpt away three-^irarths of our city to- night, to>morTOw we should expect to re- ceive such a telq^ram, baeaasa our oon- dition would oe entirely altered, and con- sequently the idea of foreigB asaistanee would be brooght within we boandaof reasonable probability 1 in Ihot, we should be veiy much snrprisad If other cities did not come to our au, since wa have always beljwd other oitte in similar diatfaas. The bearing of thia prineipla on the queatiM of divine ravahttioa fit oMom. Abatiartadly it m^ ha vary diflouit to be- lieve ia swHrartutid latarfhreaeaaw^ tin ordiaaty aflhira of dM aaiwoa, and it mmj requira an overwhalmiu| aaaoBBt of avt* deaoa to prove their rtidUy. Bvtif wa to CMiHmmty mnd Ajpmiicim. hwe rMMMito \»\wn that the dkiM oiMmotrr width* ooodition of nu ara •ooh M t.1 render ■ revelMioo prolwbl^ tlie diffloBlty of aecepting it dimpM? ■on; M • .L ••''• '•>««»'ow.«f there be a God. i« there w.j rwMon for thinking tb*' He will iutf-rfere in man*.! faror in a nuwiaer o^r than be baa alrwul/ done in the order of natur^ f In answering tbi« qoee. tiOB onr appeal munt not be to theoVieP, ifu'^^*"'^ Here again we can qnoje the high authority of John Stuart Mill in connection with thie wnbiect in hie poethamouK tnmjn. The piutore which ne baw dnwn of man'e condition i« aoni. bre ind««d— we belie* e it to be orehsbarv. ed, bat there it ie, a* it presented itaelf to IBe reaeon of tbie eminent unbeliever. If degreeurobaWepf aOod eaieui whoearee for men, that He will make an intenxMition 10 hie favor beyond any thai he haa al- P«»dv made. Look abroad upon lite world. Wliere do we aee the fiuturex of the Al mighty Father ? I* not the earth like the prophete'«5roll.«Pull, within and w.th- o«t, of lamenution and mournins and I^t .ok'^'L'?*^'^' "'»•• th'Apoetle tntwlelh in pain together until now ?» ihat 18 the first impretwion which the •tody of nature is calculated to make on a rofleotive mind. The world is tull of mis- ery and pain, and this apparenUy anterior to the entrance of em andT independent ot It. UeologT has deciphered tor us the te«>- Umony of the rocks and of the everlastinc hillj,atid there we find ample evidence Jf conflict aad carnage long Wore the ap- pantiM of man n|»n the scene. Timor^ ous flight and swift parsuitt animals fleet of foot and strong of limb, with claws to rwd and teeth to grind} whole tribes liv- log on the violent death of creatures weaker than themselves. This is what we find written on the unerring record* of the time when man was not yet And now, M It not a simple fact that the vast aiM>iity of mankind are in a very de- graded oonditiun ? Does not evil every, where abound r Does it not occaMon a wt amount of enabnng, even to thoee who are not the guilty causes of it ? How ^Ithieonginated, is nothing to do with the qnMtlOl^ aay more than bow a fire or iginated whiph awept away a city. The f)WStB«re there, the DSftl is mpgmnt, a remedy isdemaodcd. Bw Ml nat ana icnce utterly MM to provy* ta»^ ooate oarelbr it r Ot%im \HmSttiA hope of lM.iu,; able to nmiiS^h tc counties a«.s to comet inSTlL ft« of lilte aadlisuwy balof. ■T Smmiu thing. that caoBotbadeai«r U^Alm therefbre, if tb«e ba a Ok*, mho aMtoa pta.ee man with fteliag. of beaevd«»M that some ipteRNMitkm in his fcrooTi ig^^l«*fW*. M'»«• It Is n<^ ocofMUT to assume the inepir-' atK>poftheBiblein oor argoiaent ft)7 Christmnuy, To prove Chrfstianity by the inspiration or authority of the Bible would Be to beg the queitioo at i«ui^ otrv'Ld!""*""**^***'' " ■** •'"•^ Even though the BiUe were not in- spired Christianit,, might yetbe^^ Even If we could not !?eoagni«e in tha writings of the New Teeu^t the reJult of the influence 0/ thcHoly Ghost upontK men who wrote it, it might stii) bejiMeibla to accept J.,u. Christ as the 8on^Q,3 Md the Saviour of the world. It .• then^ fore no ee»ential part of oar duty in this P^^to ewablisbthe inspiratiii of lb? ftiS !:!.""' ?^,?''*- ^ -'^•nisundel: !!!i T Zr '.•«'."'* the Bible h inepired lisbed to the complete satisfcction of the Chntian mind, though eome of tbeoom- Ti^ !^f^ ^''"^ of inspiration can- not be srtabiisbed. , But we cm proveX divioe orinpof Christiaaity, the divina misswn of tJbrist andHu oliimto be tiw i#OTd and Saviour without ever raisiac the therefore, to Selwve in ChrisC^ and £lipv?-/ ""S" . Cb^-tiM without believing m the iaspintion of tb* Scnptaias. I *» not a^ i» » *easonaM»! CMsHmmty miti AgiwHeism. rr I Mljr MV h ia ipoMiUr. Thl« wm rvco^ •iMdaMjrHM aga b« tlml livToat and •U* DM-flMlbrmiat, Biohanl BMirr,wlK> kM ml witbont tcmob brra oalM "thr fMh*r of BnciMh •polofeUea." "If (he mfyxh* 8ori|itarM www bnt the writingn 0t honeat mm, th«t were snbjert to mit- takce smi eootmdietioD* in tbe manoer Mid«iraniiia(Mi«a, yet tb*T miKhtaffijH Ma tali oertaiDty of tbe rabaunee of Obriatiaiiitj. • • • Taoitua.SBetonin*, lAyy and olbera wn« all brathenH and veiy Mlible, and ret tbeir history afford* m a eerialnty ot tie great JrobetaDtial paa- aagea of tbe Boman affaira wbioh they »••» of. • • • Now if Seriptom were bataoeb eomnnon writiagH aa tbeae, e"- peoiallr joinvd with tbe nncontrolled tra- ditioB that balb wiace oonveyed it to w, may it not yet gire w a ftoll certainty that Ghriat waa io the fle^b, and that be pieaohed thia doorine far the aulmtence * • • •w*>iob will aflbrd ita an invinc ible argument for onr Cbrietianitv. Tbe recognition of the (bet 'that tbe truth of the Obriatian religion ia not bound op witb belief in tbe infallihil- mr, or even the inspiration of tbe Bible i« of tfaeutmoat importance. It flMrs tbe |ronad of di»cn«aion of many irreeelent isaoea. It ia dien aeen that however the qocetione between the Bible and acienoe are determined, they do not ■eceaaarily inrolve the integrity of tbe Cbriatian religion. Suppose you make out to your entire aatiaflaetion that Geneeia and nology are irreeonoilably oppoeed (whiob I fimr one do not believe), tbia«on- eluaion doea not abake the evidence by by which we are convinoed that Jeans of of Naiveth waa a aoperhnman peroonand that Hia miaaioD waa divjne. Equally clear ia it that moot of the qoeation* diaeuai^ ao earaeeily in our day in the field of oritioiam leave tbe argument for theMuen tial truth of Criatiani^ untouched. Whe- ther Mo-ea wrote the Pvntateueb ; whether laaiab waa written by one peraon or twoj whether Daniel and St. John wrote the hooka bearing their reapective namea mat- tera not,r«ihe truth orfhlaity of Gbriatianity ia not bonad up witb anv of tbaaa or aimi* iar qaeationa. Unfaamiily the? have been diaoaaatd aa well bv Ghrietian'a aabyun* believera^ aa if the very citadel of 'le OhriatiaB fluth muat atand ^ A\\ with ^ iaane here involved, and ao 40ftiitbormultitiidea baa been thaken. Md 4he peaoeaod comCoet et thonaanda bave been diatorbad by tliia ooof mnding ^ iaanaa which are really dialinet." (M»- Kin). II. It ia not aeoeaaanr to point to the miraclea of Cbri«t to prove Hia Divisitv. "It ia t popular idea tliat Cbriatanity reMa for iu atteMation ezclnaively oo Itie evi* denoe of uiraolea wrought expreaaly for tbe poraoae «f provini( ita tnith| and the priuciplea which have been laid down I7 many learned writera have greatly formed Uiikooaoeptionofit. I cannot but think that thia view of the aubject ia a veiy im- perfect repreaeiiution of tbe oa»e. Mira> clea conatitnte an important portion of the evidence of Chriatianitv, but by no meana tbe whole or even tbe moat prominent par of it. Our LoH affirmed that He bada higher witneaa than thai of miraclea to tbe truth jf Hi* Divine Miaaion. Thia i* in* diapnUble if we accept the fourth goapel aa a truthful exponent of His teacbiagi Hia own expreea aaaertiona aaaign tbe Brat rank to the manifeetation of 6ta own divine reason and character aa affbid* ing proof that He came from Ood, and to bia miraclea the second rank. Thia muat peceeaanlr bave been the case if He ie the Light of the World. The eziatence of tbe rnn is best knuwn bv-hia viaible abining. Our Lord'a divine working, viewed aa a whole, conatitntea the highest evidence of Hia miaaion. In thia ia included the momi ■apectofbia miraeuloua acta. Miraolee would indeed be a convincing evidence of adivinemieaion to those who witneaaed them. Bnt their teatimonv weakena with the lap^ of time. We who live in tbeaa latter daya do not,aaa rule^ behold mbraelea ao our belief in them muHt be gronaded on the testimony of othera. To ua, tberefbre, they affi>rd an inferior evidence comparad with that which they yielded to tbe Mtnal apectatora. We have to eatabliab tbe fteta by a kmg chain of bistorioal rf«aoning« involving the ditcuaaionof several ab«traet qneationa which would require more time than we can devote to them in these lectures. So then we will not argue that. Christ itiuat be tbe Son of Oori bamuae He wrought miracles; but rather we ahaU urge weighty reaaona for believing iu bia mperbuman pereoMlity, independent of the truth and reality of the miraclea He ia Mteged to have perftmned. Onr argument will he thia : Tbe character of Stnm ie anperboman; ^ teaehing of Jesti* is hi^ to^ and in tbe individual aoal la *apar> homaB, the woric of Jeaoa ia aaparhaniaai la \ \ xi« WH w* Cbritt, th» 8on of Cteif. >n,l CkrUHmmfy am J Agmtstuum. IV. Cmmt', Dnnmr P«oth> bt H» Cbabaotir. fS^lfii"?'*"^®' •pewonal God, wint, it la mora than ptobsblii th*t B* •IwnJd wmlHiniielfto maDkiiidk!«! th ^*'*'*^ •boundi wrj- wbera.tbe wflwing which in «Ddarad6v »he pHt to proride » core for this «itM» S oort beinji diworereS in th. futora. If •^ . '• . »M> abntract dMSonltT in woeirtiog the fcot that He hw done %o. °f ^ fl!" »* •««Wi.hed on evidSnce^bi^t wHi oommend iteelf to our r^a-on, rou .« iww pniwred to receiTe the te^timonr ^ ^^^^^^fromCM. Audi would w mind you here of what I «id ]a*t Sundaj. te«!!;rt!."> ""** iotelligent «^' Oelievew on their own ground, and in di«- cnsemg this g«at eubj^of the tru?h Tf Christianity, to concede everything to JJem e»»pt what we can fairly «dit,V ftctonlT prove to be .ntrue or^ unrawon- •ble, ilfogioal or unhistorical. don«fl^ff^"';i??''«'''t'»men who .««u ^""^ '" Christianity since they ISS^i!!^ U>, accept the t-sUmonr aSfnS^*'"?}-. '?:*• •" to make nee of pnted 1^ our opponents. And what do they •onoede to ■• here? Toaaraa«*^ » h«P|.. that the .to»«», rtKnU^ £ n-jJe by the enemies of >ot and east aside .a mnSShS'tl history of Je«,s Christ a. IbSl la J *nr gixpels. The? bae* s^mLIIi^ P«;ov. tlSTth. iKttt^'KWL toistworthy entho^iasts, thStkeTw torgerm., ihat the* wni wrtL^Z kS •fter Uie death of ChriH tlMvZ ZJml »u< foratbedeetruction of JeruealemTeVk^ JkJlLl '^'••"8"l»»»''««wr.«i» ^ tour diflerent persons, writing entinlr tiXl pendentlyofeaohoiber. ' (iii)Tfiat^t Sm three goapel. ara genuine, .ndttoll i^"-,^8«»«») (It.) That the fonrS gosHw also genuine. BwaJd. the greS Oerinan nationalist says that *no n^ who does not will, knoWing^" to^bS^ error and to raj^t ^uth, On d«S to ^ that the fouvth gospel is'^tbTwwk "f ^U^ti^i^" u<"-^ ThatT the ewiiest times the authority of these OosT SkJS"?.K°*3""?*'~*' by'thoi who^ wcked Christianity (vi.> That the mo- ^°* °' •^••« Christ contained in thi^ ^pels may be accepted as historical,* Ikr "'«<*?"»<>^tonch'bo the minw^wL (John 8. Mill.) Since the wriira ..i "^■S^'**^ the erentT SU '^ ^«^«i>* period imter than W^ya^ or about ae flw ar we ara ftom thV iaoZ ▼w letoo bnef to have trikmed of the S. «fio«H,n Of the chief event, ia the htotS ofHjm c. whom the life of tke ChwS waa bastii. And all that wa ara rnSfy CkritHaMify miti AgitosHtum. *3 ooawntd with la, the trath of the Aitf Awti. MiBor vwriatiou sw luiimportmt tor tbefrtMynrpoMaor hMtorr. lBNftrriaft»tb*twipelsthMia the*e IwtafM, «« unplv do w M we wohM to •ay other eradited MMient hietorr, such m Livj, Taekaa, ThoejditM and lierodotim. We Morpi then ia oommon with •orption who have looked ioto the matter canfullv, M fiviag a fmeralljr reliable aoooont if the evenU Meirin rtcuniedi bnt we do Mtaakjroa,tortbepreaeat.to believe in (he niraclea ooatainMl ia thene aoooiinu, aay mora than we aak 70a to believe in thoee ntiiacoloua oirouiuaUDoeii related brother aoeient writer8,whetber Christian, Jewiab or hcatheo. I would point out to yon in paaeing^that Ohrietiaaitjr diA're from every other relig- Mua eyatem in thia importaot panioular. Ila entire ayatero, ite inner life and it« aole priooiple of coheaion are baaed on the pei^ aonal biatory of tU founder. If the Kfe of Jeaoa Cbriat be removed out of Chrietiao- ity it would nmove the keyctooe out of ita arch, aad the whole wou^ ool- iapae into a maoa of abapeleaa miua. Thin ia not the oaae with any other inatitntion, whether reliciona, poll-' tioal, pbifamtbropioal, or aocud. Three great r^lixiona exiat in the world, which probably number among their votariea be- tween aix or aeven hundred millions of (he human familv— BmhmiDiam,Bu>idh- irm and Mabomedaniam. Two of tbeae have known fonndm, yet the eeaential principle of all three conaiata in a body of dogmatio teaohing, not in a prraonal bia- tory. The pereoaa of their fonndera might be removed out of them without damB«ra to (heir entire ayateroa. The aame ia true of all the religiona that have evrr eziated amons mankind But io re- move die Peraoh of the Founder of Obria* tianityout of Hia raligioo would be iu deatroction. It ia quite true that the New Teetam'ut contaiua a oonaiderable amount of doctrinal and moral teaching, bnt aeither of tbeee oonatitntea ita inner life. The ^eraon of Jeaua Chriatour Lord alone impaita to it vitality -uid coheeion. The Churob, the neatest of all viaible itatitu- tioaa, ia founded on Him alone. Remove Hia Peraeoality fh>m it aad the whole edifice orumblea to the ground. We will BOW Bvooeed to examine the cAanwter trf thia Cbriat aa it ia portrayed t^ His biografdiera. We have four •cparate aocoiua of the life of Jeaoa, written by four diflbrent perajone, jUt in all the great ftaturee of obaraetcrthry are ia oompleie harmony. N. w ia writing aa tkey did the.«e n.en, ( who ever th«>y were it matters not; either gave a true portrait of a realDfraon, aa they kaew Him ur elae tkey drew a piwure which waa noth- ing more tlwn an idwer< anfficea to have incerted any number of luiraclea, and may have in- aerted all the miraclea he ia reported to have wrought. But who among hia die- ciplea or among their pro^lytea waa cap- able of inventing the aayinga aaoribed to JeauH/>r of imagining the life and character revealed io the eoHpels? Ceruinly not the Sahermen of Oalilee,certainly not St. Paul and atill leaa the early Cbriatian writers, in whom nothing is more evident than that the good whicn waa in tbem waa ail derived, aa they all (Hrofeaaed that it was, fkom a higher xource." "And i' in opp wition to all traditkm you contend that theae hiatnriea were not writ- ten by the followera of Christ at all{ by whom were they written ? "Surely men poeaeaaed of auoh unparalleled genius . a* was requisite to the creation of such a character aa that of Jeeus ahould have left aome impreaa upon the world or aome record of themael vea B' d their wwk I It waa bo hiatorio age. ^ W»,y h^ve we no record of the writera wL 'eniua aorpaaaed that of all other wriu flotioa thatever livedT" Let me callyc atteation to another pe- culiarity of theae four portraitnrea of Jesus. I aay four, becauae the independence of the writera is now generally admitted, had these acconnta been written by four men acting in concert they would never have left such apparent di-Hsrepanciea lying in the aurfaceaawefind in tbeGo-pels. The peculiar feature ia thia. The writera do not dee- cribe Jeaua. Thev make no comment on Hia aayinga or Hia acta. They do not draw the likeneaa of the man wfaioae mem- oirs they preaerve; there ia no form^ delin- eation of the character of Jeaoa in thoGoe- peb. TheydonotpraiaeHim, tiieydonet CMutm^ mmt H grnkMOm. «r mHMioa. The/ amnut Bia niiMlM Hw mnrdrrm, or of »-ton ahm^ot at tbr JTWjad*Hsr,b«l..ad with m. rtfbrtilK AdH jr»t thrir Damifive in admitted bv •07 afcrt, witfaoat aaj attanpt at chai^ ?««:.£»'»«i't. .tb'y have dS^iniiS^ eh»^«t«r aad i lill, which i.t.od* b^„ M»e art befhra u msenex which in thwe wrjr faatam have „„, bean equil^K £*■ '2??, "<>*^l» infldal* a* Leokf. xi^iThLr^^rpo^fe KVof^hitJl-' chari?..r'« aimplr«,ttiS Th«r work fa aa OBcomeioaa a* thVwork ofU« amnV rajr. ip producing a ph"i graph^ The a«ratira i, ao^wonSerftol Moau" the aBenea it dewiribea were m What now were hmm of the Awtnrea of |tom for the moat part in the wiJda of . weent Amenean wHter 00 thia snhkMt or Uia »»rl7 yeara, hnt in thcM ib* Wwate «H»hea^ i, Zi^ ^ treat eharaete^ xtt faiatoy i« w decbribed. I na>t^| ^tt««i«i ,^ Bh3S «Ml a# tl From thrat tk« tMMd bf«itiaiB|t •fcort »a«a. thi — »* Mr. Laakf, tea im» •fnowto eonllMaa "hwdSi •«. to ■mt** •*»?■•»«** tiwa the diaaniaiti wllala.'' fie »«. withontgnSTi ■ fpotl*- innoeeMa. "ThTuib oTS ifoi^afthe moH ebaraatwSuo^ I with matchtm tont^ nntxm^inttSm •nconqneriblt p.«aU HrwiiTa the »trongeat and the MntlaM of ml. . moat rnXfttl yet *i^S^ntXt^» we aMooijrte weakne«i with lanooaSoa a the aaw»iMioB la ao powerftal uStno I man writer wonid ai^eriaka 10 A^h KT^t chaiMter on the hSb %< uSSl. or woaM think it po-aJNTr ^**"" Anotbw remarkaWa ftatnra of tlw t,h «ot*r Of Jean. i. the abaenST in ^i« ai.,Tw>MolotaaBeaaofi.i«, Jthm^, orDintofJekai) baring arer mmted ( ereo regretted anj «st w thonghlOT^ *"■"•» tkwr einnf and aa the h^a bjoome better •»! halier the, hS i^^^^^u'^" "o^' "d -Ota and J J^i.^ZL!?^'"' "'*."'"* ♦^•orcoofc. ^anyaeneeofainorimpert^tion. Kar Heolaimetobeainlfae "WhWior-w ofered mchteen oentiiHea ago. and ae^ i«.:jrdi£i„?'?jr'*?«»'«'*^"^ iBieiy liferent fkom the ftandamental --!!^^^ **"* '"pn^W"" oonfcaalon of rjqoeat to Heaven ft>t pMdba— let aiM^eM rt^ankind try thia abrtof pie^ai&Se •akwt. "Naw, Jeraa waa either aiahM or he waa not. if ointeaa, what once liTld « tha iStAf If aa^S^^ CMsHMlty imi AgH^Otitm. »S (k* ImtmI mm tor*. di^niaitJMa »> M*a of ■b 01 Ood* Mie or Hto MOO^IoiMd ia««o«ra«^ 'Mat 0000 ' HMD. tbo ■oewt No# •oottiM sail 'hat BO ho- > aiMloh i •MHMCnM^ Df ifar «W in Him of M bam n- M with N MpKMioA vpenteil or >>tor word ▼e felt Mid *> tbtir M Umj thej Imivo itMM. Bat ■ Md TMT ^ of hdi. loroooilw- oa. Kajt ithof joo ohallengo •adaavMr ieatara of batahao- damental [vnt that ith mm^ wrnvtNiii OMdaah Itaflionof iti0B>QM ^ai^oM raadace Mmae** nspwhat tuMm • what (Jon H> >t thMI »%faa* kav* a nMui Miag «|) rwligkM wf thoat rv- ■ ta ia a oi * aad boMiag it a* a flgmraiK of I — adh ia hio praMmpiiM lo tba end of Hia IM, aad that i* a way of oiMh tinfa tnrin* iiMo and bMMt^, aa to oommand th* iwivaraal hnanaga of the human raea ! Owild than be a widor davlAtkm ftom all *• kaow of moro humao deTvlnpmPBt f Tat aaothor aaiqaa Ikatare in the onarae- lar af Jaana waa Hia prrflMt hnmiliiy, mjoraod with Hia aiaasiM pratanaioaat I*t ■» raoall one or two of Hi* utterance* i <*I an ihe lifbt of the world"* 'lam the fMnrractioB and the life"! "I and the FWther are on«"t "Befurr Abraham wan I am"! "All power ia ciran unto Me in heaven and la eaHh"! «Oome unto Me all J* that travail and aiv beavv laden and I will gie* you raat." there hia* aeTer been aajr human being, unleaa he were a mad- HMW) who at all approaohed aaoh ael^ aaaertion, anoh aelfvoafitlence, aad auoh aiitoniahinc pretenaion* aa theee. In fact^ if tbejr bad been attemptod in any other peiBon than Jm>ua Chriot, nothint oonid hate aaved them from ridicnle. Aa illuatration will pinoc thia before you in a atriking lighU Socratca the great Oraek phikMwpher )>roda«ed among hie foilowera a deep IVeling of altaohment, but nothing but madneea aould hare in- duced them to propound him to future agea aa the eetttre of moral and ^piritnat obligation. 8ap|wae for one moment the fonewing ezpreMiona to have been put in- to the mouth of Socratea. who ouffrred death oa aoronnt of hia teaching* : «L if I drink the cup of hemlock, will draw all men unto me." "Come unto 8ocrate theee w«Hde to have been th« Utterance of one of hia dia- eiplea< ''Tke loveofSocrateaeonstrainefh aa." Whether we live, we live unto Socratea, and whether we die, we die unto 8ocrate% whether therefof« we live or die we are aooatee." "I drink the hemloek with fcoratea, neverthelaa I liv«-j yet not I but Sotoatee iivea in me; and the lifb iriiioh I now live in the fleah, I live by the foith of floeratca, who loved me and gavfe himaelf for me." Applied to Boerataa auoh expreaaroaa are rMmaloaai api^ied to Je*ua Chriet thc^ «e a mightf power. WouH any follower havadaMdtoap^ytheBktoOonAiBiaa ot Mnhdmetr Wonld not Moaaa have m Je tuaiea na the meeke«t and moat modeet and lowlieat of men I Hia apint i* acen to b« ao celeatial, Hia worth ao great, Hia an» thorityao high, that inatead of being oN fended bv Hi* pretenaiona, we take the Im*^ meaaion of one In whom it i* even a oon- de*tien*ion to breathe our air. I aay not only Hia fHenda and folkmere take thia impreaaion; it I* received aa naturally and irreai«tibly by nnbelievera. Here I* indeed an antument fSw hiaanperhnmanity that cannot be reeiatcd. Let me brieiV reoapitnlate it. " It ia an undoubted faot that there it no character, whether real or flotitiotta, that can bear the amalleat compwiwo in tjoint of ideal perfection with that of Jean a. It aUnda out in aolitaiy and nv- approaohable grandeur in ita pare child- hood--iu apotleea innocence coined with marchea* purity- ita nnoonaciouaneaa of any ain— ita perftct humility conjoined with amasing pretentiona. Whence comet thi»T If It la that of a mere man, how oomee it that no other man haa made a near approach to itT If it be a fictitiou* oreation, whence ia it that no fletitiott* o barac terof the ancient world cornea nny^ Whetvncar toita perftationaT Pictitioua eharactera are abundant enough In ancient liteiature, and the genina of ancient poeta ia Unqneationkble. How ia it then that the oreationa of ancient geniua ha«« totlerly foiled to portray a character which «3« •Pr»> ing the laat eighteen eenturiee Action hM been boaily at woA with ita orMtionat yet -««aa Btill reigna withwit a rivri. Agd», ^■ »«»wha t doea thia mean t Wlmt ft the evneufie it heora to the momentoat qaeatioB we are oonaidariBg. Prof 0*14. wm Wiiith telle na in aevev^o-be^ifotM i6 \ CkH,ti0^ 0nd Agmuimm. Tlw Chrl«t I, DiJiB,, thwtof. H« i. fc«Bbl«,te,H.UiooghtUirTbb«; S bt «qa«l with Gkid, bat made HimMir nJ Chri!? '•**'• ''•*'*^*' *••• «»»»otor of I.«kyooto teke that ch.r«rtw and •«»?7 >» ftr roomlvM u it it ponnrcd br l»;ri»g hMrto sod hMKb in tha'gowir A- roa nady it rou moot «lmiw STWiv mo M Bon-dh,irtiM. have Wdir ^nid •ooj and troth. Berereooe it androa mnrt go on u, love it. How can y^^ ^ will not be abia to atop there, but there wnwh, linked to reaMm. worabipe and •*»»• and 70U too will be forced to oS .J*"* I WI'w that Thou art the ChrS the Son of the Liring Ood " hoodwaeabPoloielywiiv. BaS«! oppOaM innoeeoea with the mm m f«l atrengthi perfwt bnmili^ w.th mo-t amaaiag BretenaJoiiii, ^ '" , there waa an Kntiiw hf-k of m/WZ n«"ofaiB. Thitfwaa ahoH^iJr^! lif* or in ideal. AndWllhe^wJL •enoeofwhatweoallcbaraoter. AHi •ad women have eooe apeKT chtl i-tw-one ia brave, JScSber^^ another naUent and ^ forth. V. Caaur'a Ditutitt P«ot«> it Hia TKACHIiro. Our endeavour in ihia oontte of leeturee the ofZ?. i*^. .u"*^t^ " • revel JSn? the Divine" and thia beoauw Hifr oharao- ^r » .nperhuman. Hie teaohin. ia wpe^ hu»«, Md Hia work ie «5erhnmM iiJ-W'^ r ^^'^ onraehSS to t"e ■tndy of the character of ChrUt and we ^^ ** *•■ ** •*»»»Ilj^«ft»Dt to all ^«Sf*«"«t»-r In'hlatorr >•«» Mob inirodi bat ttmA thi IB th«0(M >ftiw moat !•* abMBOt ill H:» in. i» in pcN iu proprr oedmuf, not • jot ' ineOfWbtB ^t wh«-B ort indir ltd indir WH no Him { no ou«d th« i m* onll lent trotn •en point- I Fulton) •booda is rrn wben iD»tio art to entuK ft«te one t, tliOUgll Inboriooa erarioae of spiny atlnin to roioe.tbe iinrntniy Biona be th •UllMlMtMMAiniiiib.tlMMIor Mia «C alMaktiag •kmntm ia reoafniafd 'o ba «MortbanMH(dUk«lttlMt • nan aan tMidarMa. It ia y9if aiear tbat the diAtally mnat laa r wii w dlilni^h with tke ooniplexiiy «r the aimplioitjr tiftbe oMfwier wbiob ia MMN»ad. An aoior night anally nufoaMl «• Rotvtio who wo«M make naony iiMIni* M the wiaa nada Hamlet. I think we nMr mH^ mf that dnriic the ln»t 300 jreara WK Hva people have been able to aimnlate tht vhwiMtar or Hamlet with m^ dMiae «r pMtwtion. and all thia though a higher lUtia* than the aotora had alrrad/ ooooei v «d the oharaoter, predi«poaed iu aita»> lieR*,niM| oowpNed the very worda the «ti«r wae to epeak. Tba«, perfretly to finnlaio aginat hamao oharattler demaoda thalofkieetaaiirteof two men of geniua i one to erente it and the other to aa«ame it ia the notion of a ftw brief aoenee. What ehonld we think of a penon who aiioakl aitaatpt, not |br na hour apon the atagi. not in the preeanoe of a limited or qrmpathetio andienoc, bat for year* tegathtr «ald haTaeuiSced to prove tbatjeaue m»^ he more than man. To aoatain it flMihlae»ly woaU have aarpaaeed tba Mwer of an archangel minad. To hav« horaa it falai^ throngh a liil» of perfrnt in' Moenoe, with nothing to he frined by it but »# ia«a^l of infiMn9fM wd enonnona fRilt. wiwld h«Tt bana tp pmaent the im- pO'elMe epeetaale of prineipled meadaaiiy •a iha motive of apotloMi bollnaaa, aad of oanenmmata wiMlom anting for a whole Uftiuia with oon«nuiinnU (Mlv. Tat that ia tba oharaier whioh the Ohnai anr lahMd, and no wlian- in tba aotimi or attar* anceof that tiaaaoendent diama baa the world to thin day fMin thiag more thaa bnmaa, and ihareKDre divine." To-night we take np the arganiant rh>m the unique trnthmg of Ohrieti aad we •liall atieuipt to ehow thnt it waa ao ftondamenuliy d>8erent to all baman leaching--ao inflnitely enperior lo it ia even reapeotTHHi inconceivable in ita priginaiiiy by any mere man that it mnet in ounNQuenoc be iiuperhaman->that of a truth ^ nevtr man epake ae thia man." And here again it will ba neeeeaary ftir ua 10 appeal lo the aocoant ot the lifiB of our Lonf na we find it in the four goepali>i but let u» underetand that we in no wny ioeint on the inapiration of thaae aeooanta. We aimpiT 'ay, here are torn hiatoriee of a pernon oalle»| OhriM— it ie aoknow. ledged on all aidea that (onittmg the miracnbna parte) theee biatoriea an in the main authentic- that |hey m$ written by fuur dift^rent pereonc acting independently ol »ttil Ifaad ' Be iMlMfMMl kOMT vhliilM AlmiflMv. <»AII MM alMM Immt Ik* tkm wm •• lkrfbUMri*«i«»^Mt kaovkda*. • M) MM fc a ewil k tk« 8m bM Ik* Hthn Mkk»rkM«t«k«^MMtk»Fatk«r mm Ikf f iM* m^wmI pemn -^All powwi* |ifMHtOM«lBkMVM Md kl Mrtk." B» (f^Mka wttk m; Mtbovity m •bwlato m ttal irkiek fiMitMMiMi tkt MorsI law an ■iaai. '71 »•• MM to tktm of old tim^, kM I aaf wile/M «Ail oikar Mwkfftt and tw nkt fi Mat from Ood aaad ia tMr bigli- «M an waaow tk» formala, "ThwaaithTW Lari,* kat tkU Haa ««gra •*v^il.v, vaHly f •a» aato jm" tbai imilieitr ^iNemg Himarif on a Ha* af (qmlitv, aot wi^ Mopaa, not witb Abraham UMwMi ih» LoH Odd llimaalr." And wkat waa tko mo-t pf«nin*et nobjaot of Rktaaehiagt Wa* ti Joatiof, or bana«>- oiMoa, or maakaaM^ parity, or patiaBor, •rakaathyr Noi Hia ohi»f raijrct waa fliaiaair, aad wkra Ba aaat oat Bin dii^ cMaa it waa that tkay akMid pn«ob Okriat. Baar Bia word* i "I an tkaWav, tka Tratk aad tba Li^i "I am tka'Bra^ «fLift"i **! am tka Oood 8baph»rd"i "1 amtkaDoor"t "I am tb» True Viaa"! *I am tba Baaurroation aad ikr Life**! "Witb- Mt Ma yi« aan do notbiBf"i "No man oomatb onto ih« Father bat by Ma*i "Ba tkat baliavath ia Ma katk ataraal lifb." NotwitkatowlinK all thia nifaMwrtion, wkiah ia any atbar mu tcaohnr would aieiia aootmnpt or ridienl^ or iadi^atioo, Jaaoa atill ooenpiM tba higbaat plaea in tbaaataam aad admiration of mankind, avaa wkm tbaaa, Bia claima are aot .*««- knowladgad, and atill atatida oat a paarlaan rooiM of maafcaaM and hnmility. Chan- nine, tka grant Unitarian, daokraa that the oharga of an axtravagant, aalfdaladiag aathuaiaam ia tba laat to ba Awtaiiad on Jaatia. And yat if thM« claima of Bia to dlTiaa honor aad power and worship ba aot jnal, bow ean Ha be vindieMed fyoni the obarge of blaaphamoaa preeamption or ■elfdeloding anthnaiaam. The dilemma is inaTitable; either He M whftt He proe(M«d to be, the Gbriat, tka Son of Ood, or elae He ia a man, who oan no longer be (bllowed a* an exemplar or tmated ail a taaeher. Bat let any enqair^r oonaider that dilemaw in the light tian ia the meroital Father T*, r»vtrtsoo mmI oJmintioB ror tko obonelor oad tooehiBg or Joom. Wo Hfoid Bim not 00 tbo pnfrotioii or tht istollNtwU or BhikMoabiool mind, bat •a tbo ptrlbotion oT tbo aptriuwlobonotar, M aorpMaiof oil mea at all Uotfa ia tbo o l oaaaiao aad daptbo or Hia comnaDioa with th« Faibff. Ia rradiof HiaMjiaga «• DwI tbat wo ara boMinf ooevaraa with tba wl«o»t, poraat, noUoive t(i be hispired. But what I iniist upon is this : if it were proved, to-morrow, moet conclusively, that the Bible was the work of ordinary uninspired men, and was by no means to be depended upon for iu accuracy- it need not to any way interfere with our belief that Jeans Christ ia God-« Divine revefauion from the Father. The ordinary way to which bith becomes unsettled is this— the Klile says the world was created in sis days— Science proves that this was fanpuiuUe— the Bible says the Flood covered ail t*^ •>. earth— Science dechures that this was no the case. The Bible is full of miracles— Jracles are con- trary to evidence— therefore the Bible i* not reliable. But the BiUe tell* u* about God. about lean* Chriat— it is probable that it b wroiv here as elsewhere, therefore I refiise to believe to |esus Chrbt and in God. We have not time to enter now qpon the suppoo' < diOerenoes between science and the Bible, OL / I would aay to passing that the Bible b credit- ed with aaying a good many thii«s which it does not really my. But I want to potot out that thb argmneat ia Cidhcioas, stoce the im- periectioas of the Bible (if these be . oy) do not tovalidate the daima of Chriat be the Son of God. So then the &st quest' a to be h\ M II f^::!:^^:^^:^^^ ^^l- there SwS SS^ .<'Wod«e y^ 'emiU„u,«u^^««JM«^oo, which nZ Hnportance comiijid wU^ *" •" of minor '""h of Chri«E*£ h5.lg»nd cSJr^ •nd indeed it i« «r«7L •"«."»wiiity of leiuT ^««e wort. if^uT^lLr* ,»° V«kS Godhead of our LoJd." '*''*'«• '"« own th^ the WoTk'of '?^?X',$"'* •" P-ve 'by SlptofChriMianit/- ^- "' •« DivWutS JJ5««j;.m Rrld'^';"^ '•««Jfap?tid <"**«i miiiVin. _r . "'-<«y tome «:. L *«» "ThejrhMl their .1- r~ ' "/or a whileTSroiiB«!?2?f^'' ''*«*k di dred million, of kohT^I **""" «« »««n- Chnstian^ Thi. aS hTJl"*, "'*''»««»« *^ »w«y. «o it mmTi^ '**'e'»ed orejcn/ajr »-t .PP«1. to IK^^ "«««nted for.^X l-linstian writers M R^— j P "ch hot- P«P««d to ,«;„ S*»" «»d Ew«ld you are *yenter gathered a bw/!?^ • Jew-h ?^»tJ«o«nd HinSJ,"^„««™™ and OMtn at lenualMn—Ii. . «' "« wa» uut >« »Md n«„ .g,in anTihat V "J!."* '^.t He twenty »oul»~in a fcwrf.~ i^* """'''ed and "d.sfiortlyaftJrfive,h^ •♦.'«« three thoS. ^th of men and wo^^''**''«"n««ititudM £«Pl«»ultipHJ3Sy»lf..*^''«^-^S i>er of pneau were addS .„ .u* «^t nnm- *" 'WW in feruttJem %,!? ^ Wth-'-alj ^'"»™ Md GjjSe^!^ ^iaooA /udea and P'e~:hedtotheG«wfl^i!"'»h«go.,3 ^ world. °"°'' •» e^ry pwt of the Iq, £ Sp«- It eWabSKS^ ««»y toX ed Rome, andiot «iI,T"'J*"' « had rwe '»dobui„eda7e.T'?„^,;e?i"^ thJT . N"t in order of ii«.^ "*'*««• •» "»I»rtance,1.7h^'^"»d P«*.p. ««iri, *i" be accused (rf riT >^- "« •ccnaed >n7 bot the le,^, towS?^*'2Sl» r^^ •='«'«^S I^'- ''e^erthelesTh i!l!!? "* *»P«> covZ ^ ««r.ined M?ci^:f 'V.*?* '^ ^ the temple, wy^,,'=^«J. It ttcert^ that S-^fr^pr^r^a? "on are revived. ••^*^' *'**' 'ong inte^ nunbers in the Roman iw "^^ in such &•*? ^ to"SSe^""»»*«the,S. »now how to treat thV^T i* '."^ Eropeio, to ^tomaUlpiy'J^J^'^ But it » rS^ ;?'?.j|wofcneh6torvi^fe„'°5 *» time fo,. Chrwuns. In iw«'L",,T '^ references to ^^*^ of mffii'^'..'?!"«»Phies.Si *om town to town fc™- v '* *«»» itTW. becomes ih. ^Z^A.*"^ »hore to ^^.^7 *om town to town fc™- v '* *«»» itTW. fer^ thep,J:^S".^»°«^. tiH Empire; it clinff«rlff /^Won of the Koiii.» I«ri.pruden«o?^he^,lr?^ thelaJJ^ ^„^„ proud eagles, befor wh •* hi»t Ae ChnMiaas were Kcm^ Ascension, ulj/^ CMstumUy and AgimHUtm 93 nmidMd IB the face of pcncoitkim too dread- lal to be datcribcd. Aad hf wlwt nmiit, by mYmt tmut did it trinmph? Hy abjariog evtty appeal to the ;Mation«, or luaia, or deairc*. or amfaMont of mMu Bjr demmding that ther remmnce the hoMNB, and glories, and cmoiumeiiu of the wuffU and embrace (under the then condition* uf the caae) joaie*, impriaonment*, d^rad- ation, death, liy hoMii^ oat aa the reward ofUthfoI lervice tribulation in thia world, iomoitalicy in the world to come. Jcmu choae meant adapted for defeat, while Mo- hammed, preaching a religion of conquests and sensuous enjoyments, chose means adapt- ed for conquest. With confioence then we appeal to history, for iu pages contain the in- delible record of the superhuman action of Jesus Christ among men. The triumph of Christianity in thiM first centuries is a phen- omenon that refuses to take its place in any process of natural evolution, because no natur- al causes are ade<)uate for its espUnation, and if any one can believe these miraculous evenu, contradictory to the procen* and disnositions of human nature, were bruught about withnut any supernatural assistance, he must be pos- cssed of much aoore Uth than is necessary to make him a Christian and remain an unbe- liever from mere credulity. And look at Chriatianity now. For eighteen centuries it has stood unshaken, atucked upon all sides, by foes within as well as without, it has re- mained impregnable. The longer it has ex- isted the stronger it has proved to be, until we see it as it is to-day. It has interlaced itself with the history and the interests of mankind. Poetry, painting, sculpture, literature, arch'.t- ecture are all saturated by its spirit. It has worked and is still working a mighty revolu- tion in the world, not less real benuse quiet and bloodless, and you and I took around up- on it, a kingdom, worldwide, enobling, exact- Ir, adapted to the drcumstances ot the age, toe political rec|uirements of nations— the most sacred yearmngs of humanity. Again I claim that its founder must be Divine. II. The next evidence I bring forward to prove by the work of Christ that He was divine b "the social and moral reforms which His religion has wrought among men." I need not, I am sure, produce testimony to convince you of the pitiful sUteoftheold heathen world. The slightest knowledge of ancient history will cause you to admit readily the oppression ci the mighty over the weak, the degradation of womankind, the curse of slavery, the intolerance of the wealthy, the misenca of the poor— all this haa been changed by ChristiaBity. "Christianity (lays a recent ' American writer, McKim) has anerted for every man hia sonship in the &mily of God, and so laid the «B«jndatk» of personal liberty and individ- oal righta. It threw iu cgis amend the poor and the weak aatt the Miaooer, and claimed for them qrmpMhy and justice and charity. It tot unspeakably amelkmted the condition of the skve, afiraung that he was not a chattel, but a bcother in the Cunily of God, and so sowed the seed which led to the ultiraae aL- olitKW of slavery. It struck the fetters frum the Kmba of woman, and /eatored her to her iightful phce a* the helpmate and companipo of man. It took from the father the power of life and death over his chiklren, and made the paternal relation holy and beauUfol. It gave to marriage a sanctity which it was sacrilege to vioUte, and elevated k)ve from the depiha of sensuality to the throne of purity. It abol- ished the cruel andliioody games of the glad- iatorial arena. It at length drove from the stage the licentious shows which so deeply de- praved the morals of the people. It rooted out the prevalent crime of infanticide— that re- volting and inhuman practice which more than almost anythii^ else revealed the corruption of the human heart under the blight of paganism. It devekmed the hu nane instincu of men and created the hospital and the orphan asylum and a host of kindred institutions of charity. It reformed the principle of lefrslation and laid the foundations of the new science- of in- ternational law. " And if it be contended that these reforms are the result of civilisation rather than of Christianity, I ask how comes It that the non-Christian nations have not adopted them ? Look at Turkey and .Asia under tberuleof Mohammedanism: China, with lU boasted centuries of dvilixation; India under the much buded system of Buddha. How, then, are we to account for these phenomena? Arc they natural 7 Do the prin- ciples and powers which history, and e::peri- ence make us hmiliar with, as those which belong to man, even in his highest develop- menis of genius and his noblest achievenienu of moral power, suffice to explain the facU before us? Surely not. Neither does history give any parallel, ancient or modern, to these ■chievementt of Jesus Christ, nor any promise or germ of the development of any such power. The Christian history, like the character and teaching of Christ, is unique. It sunds alone without a peer or a rival; and the only reason able conduskm is that a power was at work in it, which was more than human. In other words, that jesus of Nazareth was what He claimed to be, and what the Christian Chureh from the beginning believed Him to be— the Son nf God." III. The third evMence I bring forward to prove bv the work of Christ that He was « a certain sta^ J^^. "en^dTrtJi? ">«' case ,, '"'Option they "iW? *«s destitute «f . ™Pe«e$g. pLi *"'5<' Veg «• k • ^^ " ?»«»&. ihemii^^Vt "^ «" Rock oa, whXr*' '■'»' '«centS«°'::fl!^"«« »Pirii. »«y whether we ar^ „^ """"" of «n«o and "•"w' miracte t "? '" ""e pre«enci' r ^;:/5?-on,s,';K'';;„«'« *•_•». outrage V„ 1 due to *8rodation. i,r^ V "•«> to Perish iri .k ^ w'eri to discover. * brought about It I need not fiL> &^£^^^^ '>« qSifc '»?«. / want « Jrin?"'^'?* p -not^^S? »"»c e which mK°rii°hf «" *«h the oS sentia part nf nl • " ^ •* »«d to U. .„^^ doctrinar^^^J^f,^^^^^^^^ hist^^f^^S "Pon a diferent foodnL lr''"''«t«« ««Sd. •de. the rncaniaSX^-" ""' otheTaS CMitumty Mi AgHfistiasm. »S yM^ is the Chwdi oftbe Rewincction, "u AagandfatlMftMpelof the Kcrairaction.'' tJpoa ftt ol|jced«c naKtr rened the whole MWentTWtnre of OnrktiutUr. If the cer- tcbitir of thk fiurt ifaaaM be Hndenained. the ApoMle Mw the eatiie Chrktian mtem col- tafiee ia rain. If Chriit be not riMO," he ex- dnfane, "then is oar preechiqg vain, and TCor frith ia also vahi. Yea, and we are fMud Use witnesses of God; becanse we have iprtiiiedofGod,that He nis«l up Christ. WBOM He raised nut im. ifsobe that the dead rise not." (i Cor. Xv, 14, 15.) Now it appears the first preadwrs of Christ- iamt/ qwealed to the Resnrrection of Jesus as the sufficient proof of His Divine Mission —the supreme evidence of the truth of Christ- ianity. With iU truth the Christian rdigion mast stand or fall. If true, it U snffideni to carrjr all the other miiacles recorded in the New Testinwnt. The only question, there- fore, that we need discuss, is : Is (he evidence that Christ rose from the dead sufficient to esttUish it as an actual occurrence ? If it is, it fhlhr proves that He came iron God and was therefore Divine. " In considering this, I shall only appeal to that portion of the evidence that lies within yoor own reach thoroughly to investigate. I shall confine myself to those writings of the New Testiment, the authenticity of which is fully admitted even by unbelievers, and in- stead of using them for doctrinal pur :>ses, as is usually done, I shall empk^them ..oiply as historical documents. And here agam the question t to which HmT^S!- "^ «•>« «Ktt «n«*mpo»«««, '^.^ "^e term •*«» tertrt by ii«^*i^^ •"wefore, have •ere «Ui inX'^St^M,"'!* »^ who WM no time f r thri^SS? L^ «'«• , There Mvebeen refiited Snon^ "'l*' *' ««'«» P»e«cher were to .p,^'^ ** ^-^WH* a publicly p,^,j„ iS^J^J}". ""^ Md «l offender, who hadTe„"^"""»» J*"'*- bunedinoneofoor ce»«n," "ecute,} and «Wo. had riaen from tl^ T!?* '^ '^'' y««» «o people who were tlwnS '""^ ••?«»'«» were still living at the »^™T^' T"J"»'*'h ^«n «« at once hZ^t '^^^.T^^' you can y'M. coold examinVlnd dft M "''' •'JP'"« •'"". «^W. produce counter eWH *'^''*"««; yoil «?xamine hi» «atem)^n,; *"««''<* and cross •hose who we-r^^-rfi".; Z tT™'" "PP*"^ point to the grave yTm th! T'j J"*" "^W'd '■"ried 5 yoj' could J5.«m! ''fd man \Ja. wou.Mb^impo«ib^2foryor,'''L'^y- '' Now St. Pa^irTfour |^»L ** deceive,!. A«b.thathehim.^f'bJd ?;:S'* '*''?"'' the kesurrection of 1^. ?h •"'' Pf««ched crucified 5, n.| moreom thev ^' T''° '*" that he regarded thisfaciM. if '''*"''■'' »how «>on on wliich Christkn.Yf ' «'f"' '«'»«^a. 'tatement. on S",^^ *" •«"«• His unmistakeaNe. HiTm^,^^ r '"^ *='«•' and w»th the orieinal w^in«f ''^ *=°"'"'"'icatinir the truth of fhe evTnts Te' Tf "l^^^'^ainiS have been of the mZ amnfe '^{.'^ '«• ««" he Idea that «tuated as he w.^'T"*" f •"*« to do so is inconceivaWe 1^?%^L ""K'ected fore, that so far as th^e .i- **""'*» «here- •hemselves. Read th««. u " "'* 'ettew the entire man y.^J'^iiVJl ^^^ before y^ his bursts of feehngMi "mJ-"" *«« » all wuragementsrinf wo,5^ • " ^"^ «"<» d«- P«ct that his e^ffiiJ/^^'y varied ,,. I« It possible. I Mk! to°l??J*"" P'e*^-nts. "ot to rise from thdr pej^sf I *f J*^!.''"' ""d conviction of the hon^^.u'*"'' ">« fiHest «*ivedhemighthaveb2°^^''f T^'*^'? ^■ Fourthly, these letfJ "^"helievable gua««tee^;f S"^^" f "a," an additiomtl whethe^ can be fo '*"*''• f» ' doubt compo^tions. Tht ere imZ-j!!?*' ''"''""y "dyr^d before the ;S^ffl?,'o^Pu| ^*^'^'^ md 4gmM&i,^ en compMwi to trfKir 2L^?*™»«»ctt t ■■■•n hiiMelf wo..m ""***• not aa Iiobm wherever in these -„i«i^^ therefore, thai or allude, to'^! 3^ t^hS!',^ «-^ point. th« ihey wovTbeSl'f iS^* ^^ "»* question. MyC%^^««» reuonaWe to support my asser ? JH." "*' "* «'' "ere ""««. therefore^i Tf^ qnoutioia. I •I" read and vSav SiL 21 «~'«^ «»«« you *«'havenoocaS^**^'?'y'''!"««»e* 'fou P«»«Ke. however, iss?Z^'^'-/""'- ^-^ It at length. Th.. t^i^ff?"*' 'hat I quote CorinthS,;. wh5V,nn'lr"**'««o'h^ wurreaionoftheb^^ 1 *>ubt .boot tl» admitted h^t ZtO^tJ^ !T^ ''—the he brings home to them^h ^ •'="«"y ""en, 'he general :e«„^£" f S,"*«'?hli«a. ^ are his word. .- "' "** '"« day. These the •gj;{i?Sj','»^". I dechre unto you al«o ye have receiJK?* T" ■ 5^' which * BywhichXra^J!^«''ye«and; memoir what I pr^^hed „n^' """ ^P « have believed in\S^ " ""•" yo». onlm ye -hV"allfSv'3."h"o!:tC*cr°'-''''«« ;Tnd*r;*l'« ^t£*SSj „^^r died for ^^JnrtS*^ -^ned.Wh.thero.e . 5. And that hr,^SlSrSfr '^t *«*?»<"«; the twelve; was seen of Cephas, then of drS it?thr« ^.^o^^'^enofabovefivehun- P^'tremainuntoX'jlem"'!'^ ««•'" wlJen asleep. "^Pwsent, but Mmeare •'yhe^'S^t "' "" •"" *>'>-«; then of of on^K^ofX^r^^^^ "^ - •^. « fec!\hlT|rfir"&"*? ""questiw-bte '^"ten.wa.'firSy pSlS riff f^ '>^^- J«e from the dead: rtSr.1? 'fe'- Jf^ Christ CMttiatiUy and AgnosHdm. aodctjr; Md that it wu the toie grooad oa whidu aftw lib cmcUbdoa, Jmu wu again prtddmed to be the Chiial. Also that during Ua caieet as a penccator be bad bi>en vnahic to diacover bow thte belief could hare origin- atad aieept bt iu reality. Tbia carriea the bdief in the lesuncction aa a fiwt up t* witUn five or aix faars of the crucifixion at the andlr. Thejr prove that all the dmrcbea when the apoatle wrote tbeie letters, accepted the resnnection of Jeans as the sole grouml- work of their existence, and considered it foadaawntal to their spiritual life. 3rd. They prove that this belief was not one that had recently sprung ap, but that it waa contemporaneous with their first accep- tance of Christianity, and that this belief was accepted not only by the churches founded by .St. Paul, but also by those with whom be bad no ojnnection. 4th. They prove that the fact of the Resur- rection was accepted equally by those who denied St. Paul's apostleship as by his follow- ers. As the former were Judaising Christians who daimed the Authority of the church of Jerusalem for their opinions, this establishes the bet that il must nave been the fully ac- cepted belief of that chureh. This cirries us up to the date of its foundation, and proves that the church was reconstructed on the basis of that belief immediatelv after the crucifixion. ttb. They prove that the following persons be&eved that they had seen Jesus Christ alive after his crucfaxion, viz. : Simon Peter, James, the eleven apostles oc two occasions : more than 500 persons on another occasion, of whom upwards of 250 were alive when St. Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians ; and finally St. Paul himself. Now in aarveying thia evidrnoe of the Rerarrection, it ia hardly powiible tu over- estimate the importance of the Ohunsh aa a viaible institution. It exist* now. Nothing is more oerUin than that it wax in existence and in a rtate of visorouM growth, in the vear 40 of our era. Equally certain la it that it waa not in existence in the year 20. lu 'oirth therefore, took place in a definite and well known period of time. The aroonnt which this great society has e.er given of its or^tin ia worthy of profound attention. Such an account has a right to be accepted as the true one until it can be shown to he im- poaaible. The Church cannot have been mistaken aa to the cauaethat gave it birth. When, therefore, it afBrma that ita renew ed life waa dne to the belief in the reeor- reetion of Jeaof, it is certain thi^ it ma«t have been owing to thia and to no other «.aase. I aak, thertfore, your deep attra* tion to the following ooaaideiMiOD. If Jeaaa really roM fhmi the dead, Hia Beanrreetion h a eaqae ftally ada> SuaU to aecoantfnr the origin of the vun iatory of thia great aoeiety. Theatemeat ayatem of phikMophy maat admit ihat the oan»e which the Chnnsb baa ever afflrmed to bare created it, ia oa«, if true, that ia entirely adequate to have produced the re i^nlt*; and ia a eooiplete aolntion of all the 'act- of history, ThiK bein^ ro we are 00 everv ground of rea«on, entitled to accept the Reanrreelion a» a fbot, until some other cauf e ran be pointed out that waa anfBoient to have produced all the phenomena befbre w. If unbelieverrmfflnn that the Reeui^ rection ii« a flutk>n, they are bound i^ every principle of a aonnd pHiloaophv, to' point out clearly and distinctly what cauaea, < ther than ita lmth,ori|tinated the Church, and have been adequate to produce itt sub- tsaurre tion. It La* been pointed out, further, that the converxion of St. Paul ia alone a diatinct and sniBcient proof of the reality of the Be«>urrection and of the truth of the Chris- tian reliKion. And we may well under- xiand bow it came to paaa that Loid Lyttleton, who undertook to demonatrate the fialaity of Christianity by the atoiy of thia conversion of the chief repreaentative of Judaism, waa by the study of that re- markable event himself converted into a Arm believer in the divine origin of the religion he aousht to overthrow. "By oneflaahof conviction Saul, the bitter enemy and releutleaa peraecutor of the Christiana, ia changed into a lealona preacher and piopagator of the Ikith, againat all hia oberiabed belief)*, in the fbca of every worldly inteircat, at the c««t of every intellectual ambition. And ft-om that day (brward to the end of hia life during thirty stormy year*, he faced perse- cution and contumely, hardships and loaa- es, imprisonment and death, for the ai^ of this Jeeuaof Nasar^th whom he had be- fbre h'^ted and persecuted I All thia he tells ua in tbeae unchalletiKed doouinenu that lie before ue And the explanation of thia marvellous tranetomation of thia brillint young Jewish rabbi into a OhriatianT One vjrd telle theatory, he had seen the Lord Jeans Gbriat.G Cot. IX> The risen glorified hati had ^ipeared to htm, apprehended him, apokento bin. sT^B^.^^^ <^'i'^ ^ 4t»MMasm. It I»ri««» wbo bad cmS Jd iS^ *"' *•>• who h J «S £ltu^^ *•»• 'to»o»ew ceild auMti/uTT- . ^ •otbenticitjr. He c>o;?.rb;«,^'to''£»»^r^--' •»^- thi. time h. hKi Li:'''*^"P»'' •Pd ''••oily •jJS^th li^''^™*''''^ «>noeiTM»le toMlB_J^~L • **^ notbing «b*oro«.» **"«»«»■, « preaober of ^w-T *"* '"'* W'tneM doM not »t^nA -u. H« •namenOM ai> - JIZ^ *•"" •woe. tbese were to indUMlT-i^^". ""<> *>' St. Peter and 5?^ ''*"*'*'' "■"••'j <>•>• of tbem WM to «fe I!'*'/'"- •* onoe,ofwhMn Ik- *®* hretf-ren ^"^i^4'rt'e"?i„»X*T^'^ were iDterooum wi&h2h'lf>„'»^ «»•'»•»• orJen-a.eir^&'S.Sj;:^''-^^ U Bll Ibe MniraiM* tlMt tba w cumHy of tbie wit JSTom -iStTSLr wbo kiMw HJ«^^inS^K^*W iuZnd2:.!''-n^';ri.*?t'^ tble cune ito vionmn. iST • "•*•■• "On ?b«Mt;ri«d8t! P^prSi^* •»•»• «*« it appmr. to bVve falls „1^ '" '*f*^ »<> tbeSJboleCbureh Wh^S^!!?*'**'*' "^ Vin. MOO.W. Th«,«« CONCP.K.NO TH' RMOMBCnON. thi. : "Even tf if^^^'' "'' " *" ^"^ which ue of unchallS wthemJ^'*^ n favor of bti„^Z^Jf^ "^ *=*'«• huerdwethan u^^L^lr** '*»*? «<> • «fc«th of Chri«. n^XliSL '*^". '^*' the for ruted or emKtoUh^.ffi!j2^^!«^*'» ooe of them the ..i^u '^ affirmed. And in •po«J«^? b.'^«^^ »o| «>"«y by all the whom thelp2te?Z? f!^^ « once, of of St. Pknl at iLu^Tffc '"fP* *« evidSice Chrirtkn chureh ThH? !2? wJvenal in the follower, *^d jeZS. i^^'^^'y "^ "is alive and able to-'^;^ tbTfil^M?^*?" i' it were poaaJUe. ^^ ^ '"'' dehwon Mtlve, that aTAriWr^" Efi^K.*'ff ' declared, orAe £Srf ii*1, "^P*" of Chriat •l»era«tivea are onlv t«« k— "^^^at the ^ the moat XS iSS;tel*!L>«!'« of thTiS^Xin iL'S* }?r^ »he l«dm CMttumiiy ami Agnostitism. ^ to daeei** (Mr icaden, or to pnctice a pious foad. "Ilfatofjr," lairt Banr, • Gernan Ratloaaliat, "muit hold to theaMertion that to tha bith of the diadplca the Resarrcction of Ja«n Chriit wai a bet certain and india- PtttaUt. It is in this laith only that Chriktian- ily found a ground solid enough to erect upon it the suprrstrufctnre ot its whole liisloric de- vekfMient.'' An I Strauss, another of the same school, declares that "the historian must acknowledge that the disciples firmly be- lieved that Jesus had risen ;" and he refers to St. Paul's statement to these words, " The fact that the Apostle Paul huird from the mouth of Peter, of James, and of others be- sides, thnt Jesus had appeared to them, and that they all, and the Mo brethren also, were absolutely convinced that they bad seen Jesus living after he had died, is une which we will not call in question." Many such quoutions as these could be given to show that the theory of imposture or pious fraud as nn explanation of the Apostolic testimony to the Resurrection need no longer be reckoned with, since it has been altogether abandoned bv intelliirent skeptics. ' ^ , '.' "•PPJ^y »•»« »econns are called respec- rively the vision theonr, and the swoon or tesusdtation theory. We will consider them in order. I. ^The Vision Theory. It u claimed that the disuples were deceived by their over- heated and highly-wrought imaginations. It was a moment of great excitement. The minds of the apostles weie full of eager expec- tation. Jesus had spoken to them of His Resurrection. Theij yearning hearts are filled with a ferv;:nt and uncontrollable desire. Reason for a time has lost its balance. En- thusiasm reigns supreme. The intensity of their Cutb breaks the barrier of the grave— they see what they expect to see. Mary Magdalrne, who seems to have been the first witness of the so-called Resurrection, being of an enthusiastic temperament (of this Ly the way there is no evidence) and laboring under mental disease (another assumption) fancied that she saw Jesus the morning of the third day when she went to the sepulchre. It is further claimed that the disciples were so ex- cited by this story rqieated to them by the Magdalene, that they also fell v^ctima to the same delusbn, and fiiDciad they too saw Him risen from the dead. Then these visions spread, almost like an epklemic, among the followera (rf Jcaua, who being credulous per- sons, accepted them as teaUiios, and so, to quote the words a( the author of Robert Elmsmere, " in the days and waeka that fol- lowed, the devout and passionate fimcy of a few mourning Galileans begat the exquisite fable of the Resurrection, and (this m the wonderful part) became so firmly persuaded of it that they devoted their lives to the preaching of this extraordinary occurrence, and built upon it the splendid structure of the Christian Church, which has filled the ages with miracles of beneficent activity" As tl.is explanation, improbable as it is, appears to have a great fascination for those who are impreased with the moral grandeur and beauty of the life ol Jesus, and yet who do not accept Christianity It de nands very careful ana exact investiga- tion. Let us then confront this theory with some of the facts of the case. Dr. Carpenter, the emine. t English physiologist, (himself an unlieliever) has pointed cat the fact that "ac- cording to well establirlied principles of ment- al philosophy three rss,^ and instead of assuming a kingdom His enemies had terminated His exist ■« *« pect the wnten to be UaniKl slv^ ° **" on two ocauions l?Ju Ae -KLuf "^ ^^ wildM coo»e»Md whh^dVJ^SST'Jfe ■•*•«» Kir^i^-Sho^w'rnL' church .^\S^k',SP?!,ri'«»r h^ tone of voice we^'^^^Sj *i'"{i« «»• toif dwSe* Aiig'5£/^::--pp3j«j MWhren there miw h«5 h^ZH .^?^ ThoniM, of • lAenfC-i .r" ?"7 '*« St. their ««.«, „d!^ rtS^J.*!.,"*'^ •'f «-d r:SiS their'^bl&T^he' "en^^*"* •f the R«uSL 1?^.!!'" ?P»««tS. hypSheeUwhw ht.-i ^ 'i^J ^n th«t thecnidfcdoo ftTSLT fc ^ "^y^ "^^ •Me. but jenwined in iS ««odVS f^ ^ aples. the «»m ^ •• "'"•onjr or the die- "Ml* or^liLn? -^ '!****y of the Ro. ««.h. world -I-de'W;£^'»»- CMituMity Md AgmostuUm. 3* fcw Jmw had rfan Itmb tbt d«Ml ? Only > WMktdBfMd bttwMntlMcneMsioiiaadthe dajroTPMlMaM, wkmallJefoMlem wm ia iMWntcUoit Now it WM ortbt gTMlMt im- pwune* to tha Jtws to coafiitt the tcadwn of UihMctortlMNaiannct,ai)dlMd thcv pro- •"y**!** ^ '*)*^ «J>q' would ha/e iaoi- ptatchr overwhelmed then. For then they •own.ww beea foond bke witnetKf to God in tcttiMM that fesot wai rbeo, or elie all ST^TflK''"* P'**««' «* denrfied them at phan- tom of an eadted brain. Those nurpenius ap- PMraaceawere realities, and the Christian Church was not founded on the hallucination of an hysterical woman who communicated hwendtosiasmtothe rest of the disciples. ■W>'»«^ "»««• agency the world has ever seen did not spring from a delusion, a chance mck of the senses. The courage and the fcith, the nigged strength and the patient en- durance that conquered the world, were not Dornofthe phantoms of disordered brains. TTie piactieal sense, the well ix^sed judgment, the luciditv 'of thought, the invulnerable di». lectics of the author of thr emstles to the Ro- maw and the Corinthians did not flow from a mind so mocUd in its action as to be unable to distingiush Cict irom fancy. So murh for the vision theory. Surely a person requires lem credulity to beli-v« tbeiact of the Resurrection than he does to accrot this as an explanation rt the positive assertions of the apostles." (Mc- II. We will now turn to the swoon or resttsciUtion theory— i. e. Jesus did not really die, but was Uken down from the cross in a swoon, that He subsequently recovered and lived in profound retirement ever afterwards, and that His followers mistook this for a resurrection. This theory was regarded as nploded until r*'^tiy revived by Prot Huxley m some articles written in the Nine- teenth Century Magatine. I have no desire to sneer at Prot Baxle^'s leandi^ I am quite pMPMrt to acknowledge him aa one of the inielkctaal giants of the age t hit we all know that the most leamwi of men do take up fiub and theories which are. to say the least, flkigi- cal and unreasonable. The ool, wonder^s that they cannot sec their defecte themselves. ^^^^T'^tJ^ •**• "J«» •»«« been subjected for hours to eaticme physical lor- ture (the uony of cmciliaten Is too well attested to allow us to duubt this, even if w« L • ?f !"* V"7 *" 'be garden— ihTarrest— the trials-tfie buffeting and the scourging). After hanging a kmg time upon the crom fle swooned away. fRe eolhpse was so great that the spectators thought llim dead. Thkn He was teken down and buried, and gradually ^ T'!!"!'!"!' •**thing spices, amf through contact with the cool stone of the sepulchre. He revived. For thirty-sis hours heVemaini within the tomb without food or drink, waiiins an opportunity to escape. At the end of that time the Roman soldiers fortunately go to slera at their post (a thing in itself incnSible) and »n some way (which, however, is ukea- plained) the stone b removed from the door. blood. His long last. His terrible prostration, and draming His poor, worn, emaciated form, -with Bis wounds still bleeding and unhealed — to w^ H«s disdntes are assembl«l,and pre- sents Himself to tliem as the conqueroTof Death-the Lord of Lift and Glory. What is there here to inspire hope and triumph, or to turn the »rrow of Good Fridav into the joy of. Easter? His disciples migit have i^ Him with tears «)f pity and compassion, and ministered to Him in His sore ^^^ with lo»Ttog «nd tender sympathy, but couM that Mht W filled their minds with the Christian ideaoftheResarrectfon? Was there anything to sugMst the thought of Life through death! »^tJ^ ^*^\ •*» *•« "P'""* of St Paul i ^"L** V^^^ »P to vfctory "? Thi Rationalist Strauss U too clear eyed to accept such a monstrous improbability. He ex- datms, "A mac half dead, drag^ng himself in languor and exhaustion out rf Bs tomb, ^i!?. '?""°* '•quiring careful and continuous medical treatment— could he in sach a stete have produced upon the minds of the disciples the impresnon that he was the vktor <^ death and tiie grave— the Giver of Life ? . . . Such a return to Hfe could onfy have served to weaken the mipreaswns which Teaus had in His former life made upon their minds, , . and could never have turned their sorrow into enthuuasm ard intensified their admiration into adoration." (Strauss, quoted by Godet. Lectures in defense of ChristMBity). A^. if this dteoty were true, Christianity °*f?™"*5Pe«t«t «nd most Aamelnl fan- po«are wfakh has ever victimiaed the worid. 3» CMtHMify Mmd AgmttUm, "»*«»w«i«« ifrw with ilM Mitw taiS. ■««WH ■»o noMmt of ihr tana of nea. ud iT'^«""K «» "r «l»jr woiUd hart nHiew Sdibk.-*^ ' ^^^ ^ w«o»y «• to- ■mpluini ooafidenn. ^^ *"' _«count of tii^j^ii-s;:;^ '^'z power with _. •IternatiTe, that if tht ReMw^SJ u ST.'*'' lore If all the Mcrifice which durinv ths. ^jPf*«* of »i»e h- been offerS^'S'llS, ~ifeZ"^d**«^''o'^' fall wdj ,^; v«n«ty of vanities, all it vanitr «" ^^* or T« CuuTiAir Cbcbob. «JJt'*„r" ,•■• „«•»«» proof of the 'J^'y of the RMBmetlon, which I wb«d.*r,nioLar.cler to the tmb^ n» 0hrii4toa Ob>i«h '••ffNMtel. How«» w. to«H«Kij»^ for iJX TS ,rorth ilvt famtHiii raMoaa *. oAviac a anfl. Jewiab rollcioo, bat pariflad (kuw tbt nww toTlt^Sj h°J?dSL2fiiw:''^»''''«»-^^ •"»«ftof ""..Uwof.lloIIfa. ^ »• The doothM of^a ftetara liik (•». TbilssiitKr*'"^ '"-"'^ JJi«itiTJ'?b"Jr.'^'"r"»-^»« chriattoli'^ •"'*•""•'• --•-•' »»« j^Ln u. con.i.1., tb«» C.O.M r^ b^copfBaaedan .It0frth?'.tticti.r<3 c*.tiD^lr oppoMd to all inno^lon, »«; ftilly. and jeak^of I, gnaidios ita own lawa "d,D.t,tutioo..^?,to«A i^Sftwi! totbaoooveniionoftbaTOy. TbWew- oe, boi 11 waa ae w daaigoatwi ft«r oon- Ckristiamity ««/ AiMHifism. S3 TJUS:^, ?'"••"«"*»' l-fSiw of th#io«Norm«.forwhom Ht dM! 8« »r fK:!n bring ra«|«N,v, ,,^ nB»oo»l ii IS^S^i^^ •••»»««• •»»• "WW, .ml in«»iN.| tb*ili»cip'M with M niH|aeneh«bl* Air* W •peo.l «ad b^ >prnt in tha wvvm of IWy«dyrtf«rMU«k. 0.bhon",5«rl| li»mdrrointh«w^ghlol the fkitm of c.f th«it iroo frttcn T WluU mnpiwr tbt hMrU of th« diPoiplM with Ibat Mbl. n- ?i ""j "•if*'' J"™*^ »t« world ««ld« dow. t Thry h«l to fM. tb« b:it«r oppoaition of th« J«w«~ «ht flnot iwrKfontionM of Imperial Rom* - lh« p»<»ion« Md imniorslitr of tbc oom. mun ptopl«.-.tb» looni m^ dtri*i«n of •M. Ttorr moM auralj he wiiiftbiac to which chM^ tb«e Jew., all mlow for tht Uw wf llowa. iato wno-t and rntho. piw>tio tellowtm of tb« Criioia«l. If tb« B*«irrwtiOB \» so ftctual f«et w« har» • ^^T^ «P>*wtioo. Bwnhing tell, into ito place. Wa can than ungi^raUod tha flowjng ardor which twA tha (Ira and aword of Naio, and coaated all thinn M loaa .0 aa to win Chriat. Soch ml f^ • liTlBg peraoB, who waa aver with them in thair templationa and triala, watobiDc ojrar them with tender lore aa the/ -oBghl Hia battlaa and aadarad Bia Croii aflb^p * '••^WeaoooBntof tha riaa and pro- Ijraaa of tha Chrittiaa Chnroh. But. than, thia ia apt the laal which Gibbon would !!i2!!' r.^f^ •• "«»«»> • eanae aa an e»ct. It la the raaolt and ooaaaqnenoa of ' rK^JS" '•** ""Wtw^ng belief in 6a» Bi^en that ChnetiaaPtaBghtdeflnilely and em- pbatieally the doctrine of a ftatare \\U, no tit ^^^ forcibly to that yearning JB the heart of van, who are ever, aa Oi^ iS!-"i'*.i. !v °r"""« ^ ooafonod tham- •el»ee with tha beaata af the field, or to •appoae that a being fbr whoaa dignity they •txeruined the moat aincere admir^ tton» cottid be limited to a apot of wth. •°f. 'o .• ttm yeara of dnmtioB." But ■Mm, the quaatipn ariaaa, how came the CbnatiMM to be laapired with thia atrong coBTHrtipn not r,oly of tha immortelity ef the aoal, birt alao <^ a ftitora life of the bo.lyT Wjjaaca^dMl they derive thia kB«>wled|(e T What enabled them to aiiivk T" -•"'"Ii''*^<"> •'»'• niomenioBa qaea. Itoo T - Tiiafa ia nothing, axuapiii^ • tliriBe rewlaiion, that can aaoeriain the eJil.tencH aihi .ia-orib» tha ooodition of tha lnvi4ibla ounntry which i« daatiaad to raoeira the ikniU of man after their Moara- iioa from th. body." What wa. tjle revelation T What were iia oredaniiaUf Mow came tha world to believe the oro- owmatiun ik> reauily 7 Gibbon himaalf adiiiita that the aarlv Chrirtiana .(hi not leara their d.iCinoe of luiihortaliiy from the Jawa or the beahen, ainca neither of thiae ooBid apaak with any degm ot oertitode on thia auhiect. WlJt, than. waa II. aoBwe and origin f What trana- formed iho oeptance . „._„«. .u« om tion which produced that conviction. The aplendid and aublime fkith which coaU ■UDd at the open grave, and amid all the WKM of diaaolntioii and decay, cry with oaim and anfaitenBg aasttiatica, "Thia corruptible mnat put on laoormptioa. and thia mortal m«at pat on immortality.'' waa not leant in the acbool* of the pbiloao- phera, nor at the faet of Jewiah tMohera, 34 CMxHmHy and Agmnkkm. BcihMlivMllMMiWMdMdiMd bdMld I Ml aIim fat twroMTf ." I. J*. ''^ ';••••" fvWm thM tlM bt- IM hi MirMlw «M mmImv M»i« of tht MmiMd lo Mk whMlirr ih» mineHlom '^T«S?'*^ ••*^ 0llH.4iM-, Md whiub Gibbon •■•ya •• man ||«v* eondnoMl lo tA»ir own eonitort Md wry ffwaMtlr lo Iho ounvmioo «f iBfldtls" «wtr»o or If ib» eMm wm • jur our, kml tbt flm dMeiplfff puMtMnltb* povtr of working mirMlw, thm, m doaht, nneb • pow»r nan bavt ratreiMd oomMotbM* \%%Mrim in iiropMaiing ibt (Utb, b«l Jn ibM^oM* lb* wbolo qnMtioa tella to tbr iroaad. Tb« H^ or ChriMtiMity \% MOOMBUd for. bol MX wUbmit oMifBiBg •owriMKarsI o»iur», wbiob iafldrlM d*nr. But if tba oImb wm witboQl loaadatioii, in it liktlr tbM tolw ninwlM wonM add vay luHra u> tboMW nligMo, or bo btlpfnl in tbr work of raavoning tbooModi to CbriatiMilrr la it not, on tbo otbtr bond, o^nin tbnt •neb otoiro woold io iIm Iom rnn bava provMi diaMtfooa to tba oauaa whi«b r«o»> M npoB aoob m nnaoand foaodationr Booaer or lotar tba lia wonld ba expoaad. md tha tebrio bailt npoo it oollopM.''ko^t oartainly tba aioim to mimeokmn no • ara, sniaaa Iroa, woaM bsv* baao ■ bindmnoa, Md not • balp to tba pragraaaoTObriatiab- 4. Tha naxt flMtnra in tba CbriatiM n. Hgion wbieb Gibbon tbinka bad no anwil inflnanra in tba ooBTamion of tba worM. and wbieb "odinmandad tba Tenaration of tba Mtmla." WM tha bolinaaa of living whrah «ha<«ctariMd tba mambara of tba Ohnreb. "Tba primitiva QbriatiM," ba w*", "demonntraied hia flaiih bjr hi* vin tnea." Wa waleonia gladly thin taatimony to the powar of ObrirtiMity. It moat, in- daed. have poaaaa n d no ordinary ioflu- ano* to eDabta wrak aao and women>4o Irad lirea of purity, aobaroaaa and aalf-ra- •traint, amid tha foal and polliHad Mciety in which it flrat oriffinatad. Yat it is not anite aaay to aaa bow thcaa Tirtara coald have oontribnted mnoh to tha first sue- cesaaa of ^tiriatianity. As a matter of tect, we find the rigorona morality of the early Christiana aronaad tha bitter animoa- :ty Md hatred of thoaa who ealared for tha InsU and paMiiona of the peie. Their Tory Tirtnas broncht them into oolliaion with tha world. It wm a moot difficult lb>ngioa«Mpatka pollla'hw of MokMvy. All imoiaty WM hoaay-wNnbad with lis *. bMlBgriia».-tba iaiportaat irMaaotioBa of paaoa aad war wara praparad and mi»- el»lad by anlamn aaeriiaa*." Tba naga festival and ika aai fknaral siM. avry art and amy' trade »•»•» WM iB Iba least oon. earned in tba f^amiag aad adofniag oT •duls WM pollnlad wHb tha KtaiB of idoi»- tory Tba ChristiM Cborah ai>« eo»> deniBsd the ciroM, tba fMMs, tbo gMki. lorial show*, and all tbaaa tbiata war* *w to the propla aba songht lo OM*an. If Obrii>tiMity oonid bnae a3op*««i a fewer standard of morality and rmardod with in- dalgaBoatbasiBfalinolinatioMof baman. iiy. the oppo«itioB raised wonld have breq by no maoM m mnoorom m it BMoalh was. ThalivaaortbarbristiMs wm • MostMt fabnka to the society of tba day. iiM tha prineiplas of ChristiM'ty and nn- f^liogsoqroe of resentment and batrwl to Ihe world at hrfs. go fv. than, tvm their virinaa aooountiug for tha rapM irowlh of CbHsilMity, it cm baldly^ dot>hted that thsy were in no *mall maaa- u. r^ecMsaof Mmaofthe most violent p rs^cntioos. And. again, wa Maaot help Bsking what gave birth to theee "soberaod domestio rirtne*" so avarae to the fsy Inx- nry of the age snch m charity, temper. MceMdeiMMwmyt Whatpr« trace aad self denial r Gibbon aaya ^ba fnands of OHri«tianiiy mny Mknowledga without a Mnali that mMT of tha mMt emiarat aainU had been before their ba». tisaa the moet abandoned ^ainMrs." Thia Is glorkHia teetimony trom an unbeliever. It is a witnaaa of the moat ramarkabia charMtar to the living power of Obriatian- ity. But what changed theaa wrvtehad and degraded ainnera into aueh gloriona •nd devoted saints ? What wm the im- pulse r What inspired the paseiou that WM capable of producing snch a revolu- tion T And we Mswer, it wm tha "ex- pelliagpowerofa new aflWjtwn." and a case in which the devotion to a living per- •Ml drove out and destroyed thoee vims which anrlnved them. The new lifk of the OhnatiM wm the reanit of a living ^tj^ >Q the power of the riaen and asoend- •d qhril, vaA VMr lifWin bW ••Mb. For jr# _ . A-.w-«.T- -^^ •''•» C»«»»»« '■ Ood r TbU niHkt bo tbo MMivor to tbo rUdlr, ONbl our opmrniu «m ppdnoo MM otbor. 01 1m#i •> prolttMt. i. Wt eoMO ROW to tbo !•«( of tbo>^ flvt oMMP, wbieb, aeooniiof to OiMioo, Cbri'tiM roligHw ** -Tbt primlilvo Cbrimw. wtfo dtod %a tbo boaiiiM* and plM*«i«« of tb« worUi l-ot tboir lovo or Mtion, wkioboonM novtr bo ratiraij ostiogiiwhod, «mii rcvivnl ood fovod • Mw neouiMtion in tbo Oovora- n*iitortboCbnn)k." No OM will doD/ tbo opinidbi and id- ?'''^Jf*"'*^ '^of^niutimi diapkpfd bf tbo ObriMiM Cbomb. Bit to owud »««*«1(»M»t»oii ■• 000 01 bo eoiii«a •htob ooooaDta tor tbr growtb of Cbrim* l*oH» is aomowhM kowiMerinf. Tht oif bW omniiod Mwiotj wbiob attroeu tho odNiiratioo of Oibbra, ia pimplr on •ftor growth; it brloog* to tho age of m*. tnriiji oot of iBfanoy or adoloiKwnoo. It did Bot Rprinx np in a day, hot wwi tht ' »low work of tiuir. It i« a nplondid in- ■tramonttorpropogatinx tbo truth now that it ia tali/ drvrloprd, bat iho ornii- iaation iatbo molt of vomoihing that woBt brforr, aod not a oaiu«. Wo mar wall aak what oioveil tbo frw foUowrm of tbo Cmeiflrd to ooiubiDo io tbia wonder- tal Moiotr ? What imprIM thorn to pro- dnoo thM marrollooa n/atom f And antil tbo»o qooitivni are aaawered it ia rain to apeak of tbo elaborate maobiarry of the Gbarob aa being ooe of the cauace of the propagation of Obrieiiaait/. The Obarch flrat grew, rod afterwards waa organised. ladaod the more oloeoly we examine the hialor/ortheCbaroh.themore ddBcnltr do *o And in explaiaing the phenomena of iia riae and progreaa, save on the hr- poibeaia of ita Divine orisin. MoreoTcr it cannot be denie**. that fh>m tbeTeryflrat daya of Chriatianit/, the Cbnrch baa borne nnteltering teatimonr to tbo great truth of the Beeumotion. 1. Tlteobservaooehf the firat day in the wedc instead of the aerenth was a obaoge of no email imporUnoe. Whv waa It made T To keep holjr the Sabbath Dar waa with the Jew a matter of fluth. To violate iu aaootitT was to place him in the oMagQiyoftho thief, tho muiderar or adalterer. Ia • abort time all waa obangtii. Another d^y ia aalNMitated awl take* the plaor of the oM, oommemnMnl. ing a BOW erent, aad bnngiag ia a bow art of ideas. Hnob a revulaitoB, amoonU iaaioaaeBtireebaBgeofiboagbt in the Niinda of Ibe diai'iple*. demaoda a: ade- qaalo eiptanatioa. We caa BaderMaml OirmkreMngPrii'ay, tke dajr of tbeir Naater'a deatb, aa a dar of aoriow aad bumilialkNi. Bui wbjr aboald Bandav be- come tbe moat hoBorwi day of all i not aa * day of penilenoa an » grief bat aa one of Joy and triumph T Why ba» it from tha beginning been called tho l^ord'a Day f How ia it that a aet of Jewe with all tkieir Jewiab prrjndioes came to make this momenioua rbange T Mvk fbot, aad oa* hot abae accounti fur it, that on tho Bna* day Je«na Vhriat rose from Ibe dead, aod «y «*••? ooorirtioo in tho minda of tbo di«oiple4 which produced tbia obaoffo ia a leetiinoay atronger than aay words lo their belief in Ibe lte»arreotion. a. Tbe two great Baorementa of Iho Ghnrob are alao intimately ialerworea with tbe belief in tbe Resurrection. There is nothing more certain thM that Baptism waa from tha begiBsiag the meana of initktioo iaio tS ChrietiaB Chureb, aad Baptiam preaoboa moot eloquently tbe doeirino of tbo Ba- aurreotioB. Take, for inataace, a f^ aaa* aaf ea from the BpiaUoo of St Paul i— "Know ye not that ao maayof aa aa were baptiiad into Jeana Chriat were bap- liaed into Hia death f Theiaforo woTro buned w:tb Him by hapUam into deatb i that like aa Chriat waa raiaed np ftoro tbe dead by tha glory of the Father, area ao we alao abould in a newneea of lifb. Fdr If wo bare been plaatad together in the likeness of Bis Dsath, we ahall be alao in tbe likeness of His Beannaetion." " Boriod with Him in Baptiam, wherein alao ye wn riaea wiih Him through tbe fbith of the operation of God, who bath alao rsiaad ^i m from the dead." "If ye, . r,beriaen with Ghrist. seek those thinna which are abore, wbara Chnn Bitteth on tbe Bight Hand of God." Here tbe ooavert is repreaented aa going down into thegrarf with Chnst, beiM boned with Him, and rising again in tbe power of tbo Besorreotioo. ThuisaTary oonvwoing proof that at the time St. Paul wn}te biflletter' ;he Besarreoiioii had been believed for ls^xj years. It wooHU IMU aomo ooBskierable time b^bn tha fbot of tbo Besorreetion eonld be appUod 36 CkristiaHity and Agnostinsm. in thix w»jr to the Kpirilual life of the ChriMwn. NuthinK prooUiniM the Atith of • people more powerfully tlian their pub- iioautn. An id-R eni«hrineU ence in comparatively mot misgiv- ing but that everything would be carried out according to His appointment. H« in- stituted the Holy Communion, and said unto His disciple*, "Do this in remem- brance of Me." And the plan laid down 1^ Jestts has bt«r. carried out. The Sao- mmmte which He ordainM have been ad- min istmd in all ages of the Ohristian Uhurab, and are being administered to- «ay. Is there any fkct like this in his- tery T Doea it not sttnd quite alone an wmcthinf altogether unparalleled T A poor man, living in an ob«cure iiart of "he world, declareil that be wonld fui..id a 80. oiely which should prevail againnt all op- position. He died a death of shame and ignomm^r, «,iespise.i and rejecte.1," de(N.rt- eil in Hi« (greatest nm| by all His follow- er*. And wonderful to ssy. His wonl* came true. The S.wiety began to grow within a few week* of His death, has been growing ever s-nce, and is growing to^lay. One fact, and one fact onlv, gives a ra- tional and "ufBcient explanation, and that fsct ha- ever been alleged bv Christian* as the one ground of their existence, the one source of their hope, vii : the Resnr- rectKm of Jesus Christ. X. ARC WB TO BKI.IEVI IK MIRACLES T "Those who have followed the argument which I have hiiherto traced in these lec- tures will rememler that I have underUk- •n to give valid reasons lor believing in the Riiperliumau nature of Jei-us, withunt assuming either the inspiration or authori- ty of the Bible, or tt>e tl.at it was and is the action of a superhuman being, and I have examined the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. These are all undeniable facts, and thev •>re intelligible only on the supposition o'f Ji» superhamaanees of Christ Himself. There is only one way of evading the force '•' this argument, and that is bran **a pr tvifi* asramption that the superhuman la itself incredible, and therefore whatever nay bo the explaaatioa of the marvellous ftcte to whksb J have appealed, we cannot accept the one auggeKcd, beowiae the superhuman, like the eaperaataral. U a»- briievaWe." (McKim.) Chtistiaitity and Agnostitism. 37 !\c», the dixvaoHion of tliia vnunipliun J.i ;rg« u|> th9 whole qiienion of iiiiracleM, beoauff, iii..<> h we do not put forwtH •Jiii-iHi's mi r,! \nn «■• a proof of Hi" divine ..haraoter, .v( ■ after fell He Himwif, m % "tiporli Ulnar, being, i* a mirac et and if miracitfi' a'o impoMib.e or incredible. He i* M alio. I b»ve *aid that ChrlMianitv might (« true even if the miracles recorded in the New Teaiament were not true. Ye^; but it does not follow front thii) that the question of the miracdioufi is of secondary importance and doeH not sfl^st the exf-enoe of the Christian religion. Chris- tianity I* indeed independent of the truth of any partloiilar miracle, saveonljr the Incarnation and the Renurreotion; but it is not independent of the qnestioa of the po<*- •ibilitjr of miracles. On the contrary, that question touc' s the very heart and life o • hristiahity. tf there be do miracle, then there is no Christianity, there is no Chriiit. for Christ is the greatest of niirmclef, and Christ is Christianity. Yes, the evidence of miraelea is all im- porunt. Many, imieed, tArn away and reject Cnristianity simply because of the miracles with which ii is linked, and which are interwoven with the life of the Shrist and the earliest beginnings of HIh ligion. It is often said no one believes in niiracles now-»^ays. If you havfl no other witness bat this your case mast surelT fall to the ground. "Miracle'* do not happen," and certainly if the mere repetition of a phrase is suSuIeht to prove it, then the impoasi- bility of ntiracles has been and again prov. ed coBolusively. For since those words *ere flfrt penned by one of our modern bbirost^heht they have beeh a pet expres- Btbn of those #ho will not receive the evi- otmce of the niiniculouf. They have been rebeated^adnatweam," they have been drag- Bed into w-oalled religiotts novels, lisp»i by silly tallcers, written down by grave ehilosophera, lightly appropriated by the tany ilhailow mind* whd borrow the ideaa of bthert, and so lavt themselves the troubicbr thinking, if, indeed, they poaseH thk mdolty." ' v"-^ ^•♦If |nir4clel ire impoaaible, or M lefest letcdible, tbin there ia no ttveUtion of tent One. Nay, logically, we mu«i go further even than lhi«, and denv the Creation; for, i» a miracle is impos- sible, how can we believe that the visible universe wa* created t When there was no univerxe, was not it- cominfr into being a miracle T Will any man pretend that aity one,or all, of the laws or force« of nature is enough to act*ouiit for the oiigin of the universe 7 Wax it natural or siifwrnatural that this great universe (or the seeds and germs of it.ifyuu prefer) should come into existence f But moi'torall, if miracles he incred- ilile, if God's hands ate tied so tliat He ranntit intervene in ibe processesees of na'nre, or the evolution of history, Iheh there is no living God who can hear And help u» when we cry to Him. We tnav pray, but ho Aliuighty arm can be atretcli- *d out for our deliverance in response to our prayer. We are caught in the co'l of an iron chain of neceneacy causes and effects. We are not the free son* of a lov ing Father, but the slaves of an adamaii- tine flite. Nay, we are orphans ia a father- less world. (McRim) T.- It is claimed that a miranle is impoe- sible because it is a violation of the laws of nature. But let us ask, wliat ia meant by violating nature's laws. It means that "a different reauit ia produced ftom the same cause." As if, for instance, a atone were thrown up into the air, atid remained stationary, or as if the wat*r fh)m an up- turned glass were arrested in the air aa it fell, no force but the law of gravitation be- ing supposed to be in operation. But are any of the miracles of the Christ aaoh ft violation of law ? What ia a miracle T It ia a lower law Suspended bv a higher. And who shall soy thia cannot be T To say so were to con- tradict daily experience. For instance, we caii, we lio continually counteract the great law of gravity by a higher. Yott con ti^row a stone up*ard, and f»r a tiine, at any rate, it seema to go against and violate the law of gravitation, or you can catch the atone aa it fklla, and arreat the work- ing of that law; and all this ia dona, not by the violation of 4 law, bnt by the intzo- dnetion of a auperior law, the lAw of Votir p«rn Will, the law 6> volittoB, btwbiofa the law of girAvitatioB ia arfMad or biodaivd. Again, mte mcdiflat Um ofttitiOB of th« 3^ Chnsttanity and Agnostieum. I»w» of nature obangrn the onier of pb.wical n»inrp-dw8 in a word the very Hiing we are told God cannot do r He turn* a wiMerneHS into a garden-cuio a o»nal through the iNthaniu» ofSnes— driHn« a ni«-Hh and inakeM a fruitful fleWaiid a healthy metea-i of sickly dwelling place. In all tbew caneH he interfered with the result of natural law } Uit he does not violate natureti laws— he does not even HU8p«nd them. And if man can do this by an act of will, are we rea'ly prepared to eav that God cannot t Nay. ^ God be a pereonal God we mu« give Uim the attributes oJ pernonalitr. WTe nm^t allow that He io an intelligeoi Be.nif, ^?/ m ?• ^*" »b«olule free.l.nn of will. To deny this would be fatal to the conception of God. Man can suspend and vary at his pleasure the laws ol nature, lo deny God a similar power would b« to make man greater than G<«l, and to say with Strauss that there is no God but m»n, God may conceivably perform a miracle by using one force' of nature to overcome another j or He may accom- plish the result hy a direct act of Hie omnipotent will. But in any case the order of nature \h not violate.!, the har- mony of the koomoe is not disturbed, there i- no rent in the universe, bot on the contrary, there is a healing of a breach a restoration of loet onier efiected by means of a miracle. II. But Hume, that celebrate.] skeptic of the last century, declared that mircles wer- impossible, because th»y were, "con- trary to all experience." the objection IS speoioif, but untenable. It has been overthPown repeatedly by the progress of phyNoal science. Let us take one or two examples. Alternate generation, which pociirs in some of the lower orders of an- imal life - the jelly flsh, tot instance, be- gets » hydroid. This hydroid is an en- tirelpr diflereut organism to its parent, and •I!in5 k'^m"" ^^y^ "^ J*"^ ^*^' »h«» th« grandchild resembles its grandparent, and the hydroid is produced through a genera- tion of jelly fishes into a hydroid again aermaphroditism, i. e., the same amo/al or plant unitinc in itself the sexual char- acters of both the male and female, which is now discovered to exist normally in many invertebrate animals. Fertilisation per saltnm, for several generations. All thtM are scientific twit, yet ere bppos. eU to the inductions of experience down to our own time. Suppose Home had been told that there were creature* which at pleasure threw off a limb, that this limb fortbwiti, Sejran an imleMndent exi.tenoe,andbyai;d b7 impregnVted • female of the t^ame species, he would haw refilled the ntcry at once by bia de^truo- ^ tive fivmula againn miracles. It was contrary to all experience down to his time, ft IS now prove.! by such evidence M would have sati^fle.1 Hn«e himself. But the point IS that it was a« true when Hume wrote as it is now. Yet his ar«u- ment then would have diaproved it abso- lutely, and would even have fonbi >den en- quiry. In like manner we may hereafter »« able to perceive that a miracle is as sus- ceptible of explanation ai some of those secrets of nature which would have ai/- geared miraculous to our forefathers! We must always remember that our knowledge of the forces of nature is ex- tremely limite.] a fact which the pro- grrt* of physical science makes more manifest every year. "There i^ always a possibility," as the late Prof. Jevons' ob- serves, "of causes being in existence with- out our knowkidge, and these may at any time produce an unexpecte.! effect," and he gives the following illustration : "We can imagine reasoning creatures dwellinir ID a world where the atntoephere was a mixture of oxygen and inflammable gat, like the firedamp of coal mines. If de^ void of fire, they might have lived on for long ages in complete unconsciousness of the tremendous forces which a simple spark could call into play. In the twink- ling of an eye new laws might have come into »ction, and the poor rea«oning crea- tures, who were so confident of their knowledge of the uniform conditions of their world, might have had do time to speculate upon the overthrow of all their theories, caused by that little spark. Can we, with our finite knowle-lge, be sure that such an overthrow of our theories ia imposeible." (Principles of science.) ra. Again, "belief 10 miracles has been supposed by some to be incompatible with the acc-ptMoe of the doctrine of that the doctrine of evolution has Mwd the ordinary scientific position of the den-er of miracles. For the doctrine of evQlntiou impliestbat the crMtor of th» nniyerae la energetically prewnt through •11 the operations of oature. If this world were a machine set going for a oertaia period of time the reanlt woaM be cooataot Christianity and Agnosticism. 39 »nd invftriatble eflRnita following from con>t«Dt mecbanifsl caunfii. But evo- lution hu to do with living foriiiP, and th*pe %n, *x hypiitbeoi ; inflnitely variabi*'. Granting tbat proloplnnin in chrtnically tb^ oaine in the germ uell cf , man and of • flih, of an elep ant, of a worm, of an oak tree, of an eiig>, of a palm, this onl.v maken it all the more certain that a pn^ "•iding mind directo and ehapen the very diderent renultn, wince thene emhryeii in- diotinguwhable from each other under the bigheMi powen* of the micro-cope, or when aiialyiied by the chimin with all the ap plianoea of bia lalioratorv, in one caiie develop into a man, in another into a fi-h, or an elephant, or a worm, or an oak 'tree, vr an eaale, or a palm. But il we admit ** •. °"P'"«"'ne "'ind i* behind the network of nature, directing and controlling her forcee, we ehall recogniw tbat a miracle in only an instance of the same control charged with » more manifeiit purpo-pen' made. We nerd them ftot The miraolee of Chriit were like the wile of the church that ring before the •errice beginn and call men by their moaic U> come and worship, fiat the belle ceaae When the congregation ha« wmembled, and tlie act of worehip commenc*^. And mi we •ey that it »a« to he expected tbataeiipei- natural revelation, brought by a doner- katunl teacher, should, in the ab-ence Of all earthly power and greatneo*. . _,«e<»»np»nied hj supernatural "Igni^toatteet the truth of the n>e«eenger •nd of the meeeage ^edMivered unto men. 11 then, miraoleM are not only po^nible, bnt probable, the only remalnlnfi que-tion for ne to a»k l», have we any ratiffhctory evi- deuce thit they have occurred T I have •werted, an J I think xkL without cauoe, ttat the Reaurrectiod of Seeun Chrint is, Metorically, a inO!«t cerUin ftkJt. Thin Keenrrection wan itself a miracle, ahd If lee can accept this a- true, it were utterly Illogical for us to dIobeJieve the other mif- *ole« which our Saviou r worked. Be who *»"'?>«'•• Himself from th- dead could •nrely will thr tempest, feed the hungry, fcod hei the sick. But lest, by saying this, we should we should appear to be shirk- •Bg inquiry into the marvels of Christ as rtported In the gospels, let us see what eyidence there is in their favor. Tou will LT^i.^' *]f^'/ ?° "*•' """^ hate not, alleg- ea tfeeee ihiricles in proof of the divine niiM.oB of Jesus I^ fie #ronght miiacle^ i, J! **'!•»•') *en they were credeniiala W Hii mission to those irho witnessed k !"• ^uw®"' '***■ "• *»»^ have hot thb siroe evidential power Wcimse of the lap^e oi time and theHoiig •od complicated chain of evidence necei^ Mir to etiublish their bocdrreute. To us the long toea Of ChriaUan history are the btMentTalaofHi* mia*lb»). these con- .k^u^l'/ii^ »»»• faiiricles)thit Jesua #ai the Christ" .First, I wonM have yon bear in mind tbM the miracles of Chriat, like the other witnemea We have called^ are well autben- tioated flMta, for they were worked in pub- lic, in the meaence of men, before Hia foes to well as Hi* fKenda. Tbey were not oone m a oorner- in the eight of a fe# eiioaea follo#ere, who were ready to ac- •j^pt unyihing bnt in the fall light of 1^ 'ritey are fiwts, forth, y aft related by ihe wriiers of the four Oo-p-ls, in two of wh ch, e\cn that learned Piench in8del, Kenan, adinitn we have the personal re-' iiiinisoences of eye witnesses. Artd it iit iniporiant for u-« to remember, in theae davs when we hear so mnuh about the value of testimony, that once evidence is written down it is not atre<:ied bv the Wpse r and wort, in harmony with all else very Amt Je«u* propuM propoN«Nl i« tb« bcot attenteii twit of HiA wliole Hi-torjr. Thejr sra uniqu*, for whilv it w tme tluu historjr in tall of Htorlei* iA wuntorie« of Jexns lo the pa^t, and the nio«t prejaiiiced ob-ervtr iiinM ad- mit bow vMt ifl the difference between the iniraclee of Christ and ihrne. So flw, then, a^ the e-wnce of Christian- ity i* concerned, it is of .oontparatively email monieot whether jrou are able to »w|le»e Ibis or that pirtlonUr miracle, but it IS ab^olmely illogical and nurea en- able -yes, I dare to nay, al*<> onsoientiflc — to dislielieve that Uhrist worked mir- •cles, if yon believe that there waosi thou believe in the existence of the^Gods ? " And the philos- opher replied : " I believe it, and the prfiof IS that I hate them" How many similar atheists there are at the present day who think to become popular by the very novelty of their negation. II. Our second a^ment was from *' Effect to Cause." There U no law more universal than this, every effect must have a cause. We cannot bqpn to imagine the very humblest and meanest efiect without a cause. And that this argument is admitted as sound by our opponents, is shown by the following words of^ Herbert Spencer, one of the ablest and most candid of agnostic teachers : " Re- specting the nature of the uriiverse, we seem committed to certain unavoidable conclusions. The objects and actions surrounding us, not less than the phenomena of our own consci- ousness, compel us to ask a cause ; in our search for a cause we discover no resting place until we arrive at the hypothesis of a first cause; and we have no alternative but to re- gard this first cause as Infinite and Absolute." III. Our third argument was from Design, as seen first of all in the Order of the Universe and then in iu adaptations. " One of the first tilings that must strike a reflective mind, in surveying this world in which we live, is the prevalence In it of order. Now, order implies mind, not merely power, you may have power witiiout order, without any evidence of mind, you have power in the earthquake, in the vol- cano, in the tempest which oashec the waves of the ocean against the rocks and engulfs the paning ships, you have power but not ordef , and so fiu no evidence of mind. But what you have in the worid around you is not power only— although you have that m abun- dance—but order, which implies mmd. Sup- pose yon found a quantity of printers' typt ly- ing upon the ground in confusion, that would not suHcst anv order or preskliiv miad. But IfyovluttDd the leUers in regular arfanct- ment, forming words, and the words fetws ■entenecsf and sentences convtyteg bittiBgem Chmtiauity and Agmuiiasm. W«», Iben jroor rauon would fofce ypa to the conclMioo (bat Mch ord«r implied mind. Look at the regaUrity of the muoiu, the nov«nenuofthc|daneuiotl)di orUt^ look •«•)«"«« ••nMBement of cokm combinins aiiUty with beauty. We obwrve order a2 doign ihroo^bovt the whole univerie, ami «>rder and devgn imply mind lo evidcnUy that that our rcaMo refoMa to amociate them with any cauae ihort of aiind. To suppoM the contrary would be like wppoahig iomc vast cathedral could have been detisned Iw a iellv fi»h, or that Handel'i •• Met^ " could tuive been c >iiipoied by an accidental comUnation of Kwnd*. Nor i« thu aigumeDt upaet by the widely accepted theory of evolution, ancc without the hypotheua of a preudmg mind di- recting iti procetaea, the doctrine of Evolu- tion in a greater mystery than that of special creation* John Stuart MUl and Rvid Hume, both confessed the validity of this argument ».^^; ^,On''ort'» "fgument was from "The Moral Nature of Man." Conscience exists in all of us. It comes to us, and speaks to us in deiunce of our will, when the will is set again- st hearing it, and still more against obeyihe It ; when the wfll is bent on stifling and drowiv uig Its voice. It warns, threatens, punishes us, against the will and with a voice of author- ity, as the delegate or deputy .rf a perfectly good and holy will. Wh.ae is thU perfect au- thoritative, supreme will to which all consci- ences, even the most erring, point Ijuck ? Who«e if not God's? A\'e have a consdeuM which does not counsel but which commands us to do what is rigjit, and to resist what is wrong, and thu consciousness is a delusion this conscience a false witness, unless there be a Ood on whom we morally depend, and who IS our Holy Creator and our Judge. Each ol those aigumenu oflbs reasonable testimony' that God exists. Taken altogether, their evi- dence is overwhelming, and has all the force of s aemonstration. We, therefere, have no hesitation in d» of ««ering Which abounds m innocent and guilty alike-- theteilure of past experience to provide an adequate cure— the hopelessness of eradicatfcjo '^^'?'^ <••' of which, and much more is •olmoWle<%ed by John S. Mill in hia post- humous essays) rendered it more than hwhly probable that if there be a God who contem' piatM man with feelings of benevolence. He would make some interposition in hi* favour, »nd we Ulustrated this as follows : It U be- yond reason, in our present state in this '^y. !u *??*?J*^*' "'*'* " England, Canaua or the United States, to send us pectmiaty aid ; but if a fire destroyed our town— if a flood swept away our dwelliags-if a pestilence de- cimated our pqwhition, our case wouldbe en- tirely altered, that not only would foreign asnstance be looked for— it would be unpre- cedented if it were not given. We thM asserted that not only was it prob- sble that God shoald reveal Himself to mu in His state of destitution, but that He had done «o in the peruNi of Jesus Christ, and in proof of our assertion, we brought forward , the uni- queness of theChsracterand the Teac&ng and the Work of this Christ. In setting forth these we made no appeal to Scripture as in- spired or mftlliWe. \Ve took the gospels at the vah» set upon them by the mo« liamed and critical agnostics, that they were indepen- dent accounti, written at htest within seventy or eighty years of our Lord's death, and that they were reliable so far as »hey rebited the pnncipnl facts of the life of Chri«, when these facta were not miraculous. The charatteroi Christ stands out unique, towonng above all in ita soUtary grandeur, and all thouditfttl stttdenta ^ bo elie has dared to issue this challenge, un- answered for eighteen centuries, " Which of you convicteth me of sin ? It is unique in its perfect bumiliijr, conjoined with most amazing pretentions which would imply unequalled •rragance in any other man. It is unique in lU concentration of all virtues. In other mens characters you may sec some virtue like this or that prismatic colour, but if you wottkl find them all combined and harmonised, then you must look for them in the perfect ex- ample of Christ. In Him all virtues are ex- quisitely balanced. You can find no flaw, nb inconsistency. As the judge who condemned Him to death, had to declare, " I find no ftnit in this Man," so eminent unnelievers have given their testimony in His fiivor. Renan calls him " the moral chief of human ity. • John Stuart Mill describes Him as " the ideal representative and guide of men," the author of .Supernatural Religion tells us that in the Christ we have, " the rare spectacle of a life uniformly noble and consistent with itt own loftv principles." Channing, the great, if not the greatest Uniurian, writes : *' \ know nothing so sublime." And yet they say he is only a man. "Only a man, and yet perfect !" Nay, it is impossible from the very fiicte of the case. Such a state- ment confutes itself. It shatters His perfec- tion. For what becomes of His own claim ? He not only allowed His disciples to think and say that in His Divinity lay u. secret of His Character, not only so taiKhi :nat His enemies though! this was what He meant, " For a good work we stone Thee not, but because rhou madest Thyself equal with God," but also claimed it for Himself, for when chal- l««ed, •• Art Thou the Son of God?" He answered, " I am." "If then, this be not true. He cannot be perfect. He is deceived or de- i»ving, an imposter or a madman, for who so mad as the man who is mistaken as to His own personaUty?" Therefore, Christ must be Divine. - The Uacking of Christ is unique, and plainly transcends the bounds of human conception. It IS unique in iu purpose to esUblish a world- wide kii^om on this earth in the minds and hearts oHnankind— not only during His own life, but until the end of the worid should come. No other conqneror or leader ever con- «av«l such an idea. It is unique in that it satisfies all. the hitter aspirationsof man, since It telb OS as no other reUgim has "* '» "• I»*« ovef indi- vidual •«ul»-lu power of pewond renovtiioo ^ *"*if^ T*^ «»«^«w<« 'bow them • few dhoten dlwdrieMo wliom they nude linown thewcM. of wi^iom, wliiell were too pr^ ^. «« »* Ttyf\tA to the many. iW •hook their head, at the ni»ttj and %norance and men and confeiMd that they c<>uTd do no- UUM to help them. But none are lo fallen, •o diyraded, to wretched, but the work of Christ mat reclaim them. All thiii»io.tu- pendou. tfiat enlightened rea^n mutt refuM mK'drvinr" """• .^"^"«' ''''^ in^^ SSP""?* »°'^«. Character, the teach- ing and the work of Chriit to prove that He wa» a revelation from God, our next point ThuS'^^^J'^ °^"'« RcurreS 2.1 •.''if**'?.,"**' '•"• '"««ht us into oppo- sition withsull another class of unhelietirL vtt.. the io-oUed Rationalists, who, while aT ly mspired, and receivwg the Bible in a cer- tain sense as the Word oT God, yet reject, as unworthy of credit, all that is miracuC " U, and, consequently, deny that lesus itMe from the dead on the third /ay. "' In diacusung this question, we again met onropponents on their own ground/and ad- dncedMewd.nceonlythoie*l5rst four Epi.. less criticism, have been admitted by almost SidtS^.!!^'*''**'" '** ** *»*««> »>y that ^tle withm twenty or thirty years denul allusions to history contained in corres- pon^nce was, as a rule, more reliable than J?v}^ '?**" theApostle makes twenty-five W thirty references, direct or indirect, to the f S!l"T*J'?' "^ ««? only Msertt that it was « 8*J^^'*''"*'^''*~» hwl been seen on su different occasums after He bad risen from the d«d, and un one of these occasions «ve hundred brethren w-re preoent, of whom Ae gi^ter p«t were still alive at Ihe time of the other apostles is unquestioned. No one tas dared tosay that they intentionally deceived their converts. The only explanition that «n be put forward to refute their solemn de- ^^ojsuthat they they were lh.mselv« Two tlwories have been propognjed by un- Wieyer. in proof of this. WfirSTu^M the vuion theory, which is that the disdptaL anxKHisly ttpecting their Master to rise a^ took the word of an eaduUe and enthu2utie ivpman, who declared that she had uu-n H.m Thi» theory b dkpoaed of^Ae ^^^ ofSt Paul, that Jesus app ired repeatedly not only to one disciple at a time, but to numbm assemMed together, and there was no more likelihoud of them all hdng deceived than there would be of our being deceived if aomt person well known to us, who had died a short time ago, shoukl appear in this church now and hold converse with us. Anin, if it were on^y a vision ihedl«dples saw, why dM not the Jews pnxloce the body of Jesus, whkh must still have remained in the tomb, and so f prove once and for all the falsity of the rniort- ed resjirrection. If, on the other handTthe disaples had the body, they could not poadbly Jave been deceived as to the facts of the case, nut were deceivers of the worst sort, which even sceptics deny. The wconii tli*ory i* cftllMl ih* "Swoon Tlieory," which Piipi CM H that Cl.ri.t rfhl not rvally di|., bnt rt conld n.i» ha^a thtui A*- ceivei Hivdiraiplearvin if h4 hnd d«- ■ir-d todow). And unrely It reqnirM greater creilulity to believe thH» explan- ation", than it doea to l«Ii«ve iba Mtanl reaarrection— greater faith to It an infldel than it do«* to be a Cliriftian. " To anyone who cun*idrrM the matter diapaaaionMalv," (ra... Canon Maocull) "tliereanrrvotiODofCbriat will appear to r«»-t on evider.ee aa irrefragable aa thf •- M^aination orJnlin- Cea>ar. In Peitber oa!>e IS ma benistieal proof powible, aor woold iiineitltereaMe be rMUKioabia to demand if, Cbriaiianity in not a speeula- tiye philowpli), bnt a n>ligion fbr tbe gaiaanoa of hciman condnot and the t«- generation of human aaturet and it e«r tainly demand*! fkitb in ito profMora But what practical pyatem that ban to do with oondoct doM not f Trace to ita laat aDslyxia the evidence on which J^ioae the ranctities of domestic life, the inheriUnce of property, the right of our grMsioas Queen to t£e tkrooe wblob nhe adomi, and you will find yonreelvaa brought to bay by an otgection which i» from a ItMftl poW of ▼WW nnanswerable. namely tbat tba r^*?**J" •*' • ^'"^ ''»»'«'» emnt be tMicd. Tbe wboia adiSct rtnk in iverr we on th« nnooi>anh«d v^nei^ of • •jiifle woman. Teal tbe righl toftterr tiUe and property in tha \min^ on no Ckrutiamfy and AgnotHasm. 45 othrr fonndkiion thM our lM>li«r in lh« oliaMity M'l trnthrul-in« uf ib«> niMhrm of England. Ru irur in it m Bii>h<>p B«ll»r •••*••, thM " ur()l«biliijr in ihe «ui<<« or lift." Th« pruhsbiiiiy for the lUfur- rraiion of CbriHt is bi»loru»II.T ik> o*er> wh' work tiiMrli*, for tiM i.ioKt 'Art mntuiilly dniiructivr, which hkvfl i#rn diffctMl «||-in«t it during il«> i M and diT«r»ilM oMvrr." w« further denion«trated that the *tl»teno« of Chrixtianit* with tt« marvel Joa« hiMorr and henefloent influence on mankind, wax a Manding atieclation of the lUtnrreotiua of JeeuM. Rob it of. it* miraculou* origin, and ChrintianitT itself beoomet a miraola which ban to he aooonnted for. It *itanda ahaolntely alone in the hiMonr oi religion*. Putting a-ide other coHNideralionM of great impuriance, the whoU organ laiion of Cbri»ttaoily, it« Monmcht*, it» diecipliiie, iu ritnal, arv all haiwi npon belief in our Lord'* Bexnrreo- tion ana A*ora*inaa* fundameoul tiMt* and theological axioms. Aholixh belief in the Rc^nrrection and the ChNrob becontes an eftlnt without a cau*e, there- f«>r« those who reject the Besurreotion are bound to explain the genesis of the Cbri#tian Church, which so fsr they have been unable to do. Lantl.v, we considered the question of m>r*olas. Wo examined the obj«otion« raised \fj unbelievers, and di^sovered that tbey were not valid, since miracles do not violate the laws of naturrt nor is there any soientiflo impossibility to their taking placet ud Hume*!! plea that "they am oontrary to all experiences," proves too much and defeats its own end, and Arch- deacon Farrar i*. right when he says that "the k«ioal onnsiateocy of Hume's coa- elusion has been shattered to pieces bv "a host of writers as well sceptical as Christ- ian." oPec^le talk about the incredibility of miracles. What mirai^le can be com- pared to that of the creation, however you view itf The wonderful thing is not that thof* riHHild bs an oc c asioa a l countemo- tkm of the ordinary movcmenta \H natural forces, bat that these fo»«es should have come into existence. The great miracle is the beginning of thinge. Onoe admit that, as the oonstilntkm of the human mind oUicee us to do, and the questioo of miraelea beoomea a mere question of evi- «eiH»} aatsMdwt obieotkM tbwe can be ^Th« BtiH wBo mad* the anivene IS neoesnarilv f»»e tu be man'pulaie its prootwM^at Hixili cretioniand to doubt either Him ahiliiv to do so, or His willing* u««e f«ir a>itqiiatr resstw, is an impertin- ence on ibi> part of men. XII. CONCLUIION. This then is the evidence we have brought forward, in these lectures, in defence of the Divinity of Jetut Christ. Fsr swsy in disUnt Gslilee. more thsn eighteen hundred yesrs sgo. s humble carpenter ssked His little tend of followert— poor peassnu and fishermen— '* >\'hom uy men thsl I, the Son of Msn, am ?" And they replied, "lome isy Thou art John the Baptist, nonie Elias, snd others Jeremisi or one of the prophets." •' But whan wy ye that I sm?" ssked the Msster sg^n. The snswer wss clesr snd decisive. It was spoken by one, but scquiesced in by all. snd wss at once the recognition of the mpernslural in Him they cslled Rsbbi, snd the decisrstk>n of the only explsnstton of it, •• Thou srt the Christ, the Son of the living God." The question wsi s crucisl one in the dsy when it w-*! first ssked on the cosstt of Caesarea Philippi. But it u also s fsr-reaching one. .Since thst dsy it has never ceased to be asked. It has sounded on and on to the heart and conscience, the reason snd (sith oi men snd women, lesui has ssked it of every genera tiun of men who hsve lived upon this earth ~ ssked it by HU Birth, by Hu Charscter, His Teaching, by His Works, by His Life, Hb Desth, by His Resurrection, by Hk. AscensKNi, by the growth of the ReligkMi snd the progreis of the Church called by His Nsme. Ves, the question hu come to men sgdn acd agsin. It is a qaestkai wMich hss only been hushed into silence when indiffer- ence to sll that is pure, snd true snd holy hss oveispresd the earth. But ss loon ss men have awakened from their sigpor of ignoiancc or supentitkm, and the life of thought hss ssserted it« "«•«« i» Waioq«l abroad by their I.JIower. j liut If we couMtake a ceiwu. of the cream of intelleeinal tftoofht in the present day, I am rare w« M^ ?"g. *" overwhelming majority in WWW of Christianity. Ila« not the Church ■TEngland her saentist.. her phikMophcn. her theol<«ian«i> Doe. not the Eaiteradmrd^ contribute her .hare? Do we not find tbcn among the Roman Caiholict and the vwioM protwunt bodies. ^^" Again, a man may be a wIk philoMMiiwr or a great a.tronomer-a brilliant lawySTor a keen finanaer-a racceasful general ora cicr r wnter and yet have given very little attention ^ the .udy oAthe fundamental truths of ChrirtJanity. Yet because of his intellectual attammentt in his own profcsMon. he gets the credit for deep research in theological matters when perhaps he has dismissed the whole a^r after the most superficial enquiry. But you replv, those eminent men you have so frequently quoted in these lectures. Mill. Kenan, .StrauM, Hume, Ewald, Channing, Huxley and others. What of them? TThS surely have studied the subject deeply? Whili L l!!!!^ ^K," "l' y^^^i °f individuals, it IS permiwUe. I thftk to n^gest certain Iv ^5*" i***. *•'*"" •>« **en. Oo» »o tnuch on the side of the donbte/, as bd the side of the profiessiDg Christian, False and hanh views have been taqfht which have caused SS?.'*'v'5I^* **?* ** recognited fonns of re- bgiotts bdfef, ud often where the icKfaiif hu irCTirirt were prMchwl In all Hb gim ami power, and men and women nnifcHi^ HU ~m. dW but liv Hi. Ufc. ihwUoSuE. Um ■""ptWam in rtgard lo CkritUudly. ■«• « MtMMik: $ameHf, wUte ( n wtth Kgai« tu tqpfaiiwl MUtan. Puiuteuch coQinakuOM nvtiitlMi li nodm diKomiM h hta aciMe*-. tationist ihM It b oppoMd to Mi ■MritbMadtCKt. M^iMMa4dhcr«Slili some mm with Kgaii tuipfaitad MUtmr mim»r dii that the P..„„,.«wr of the Rocks— the aattaoMMf ihM h i tally with nodm diaeomiM h hb the avohitkMbt that It b impimd to ^ i^!^ "^ thenftm mmhTymmi-- HcWtwaeholan qiMstioo iha Mrthonfato of •iMl 6«« thaie dWfculUt. they work^nwaKl orcbrbi. Nw.aawaapofatadoirtinooe^ taZ ^Tl'^ truth or IkUiy of Christian. «LlS-"** ^^ «* with any of th«e or •ttHUar quastiooa. The alt important Doint - "what think ye of ChrilTwa.'Hc Mdifit is decided m the negMive the Christi«; iJr'KcZ???'*' •*?*" ^ •" "•H' fo«"da. WMandbmodhopeofrestoratkNi. Inapini- a«i, pn^iheer, miraelea aU come to mns^ia th^gencral colkpae ; aad the dbcuMkSn of ««>w of the Comer Stone— the Rock on whidi our Faith b built-the Godhead of our I^ and iiaviour Jesus Christ. But if it b decided in the affirmative then U will help to «plain many difficultiea before incompreheu- ibfe. Otherdiiiculties will doubtless Remain, for we cannot know aU thinp here, "we see ''•"^M^ darkly." Kit K>me day all nysteriea wttl be cleared up. and " we shall know even as we are known." Until that or tfy and confidently the cxphuatian ofvll that I cannot understand nowX If ihb were done there wonU be very lew Mnoatki mthewoJd. •»—»»•• IV. ^»a».— IfemmiiaeoBvfce^aathei right and aeu to work to prove Iris eonvietiiM. CkrittkimHy «tid AgHMfia'tm. cuant, may aupljr Iti Chriukiu u well at an- baUarm, only we ar« the defcmlvra of a bkh handed down frmn our furelathrrik, we io nol Mck t(> dntrujr it. A pemin who •ladiea the Bible with the cuprcM inirpow uf tinding dMkttllie* and contradictioiM, will Mtrahr not be diaauwinted. I iKlieve that hu* Minqr apeaking it bim^Mwilile to derive any ■ood ftom the raading uf the Scripture* unleia inc heart i» right toward* (>ud, for " the natn- tA naan recaivcth not the thingi of the Spirit of God i for they are Kioliahneu unto him : neither can he know thentv becauie they are •pirilually diaccrned." V. /tttisUuut of Gratt.—SiATi ii a per- ftctly free agent. It i* quite piuil>le for any man however learned, tu renitt the grace of God, to wUfoUy shut hiit eyei to the truth, to ba pulfcd up w.th the pride of intellect, to harden hit heart againit rt-velation, to declare with the Jews of old, except I tee tigni and wondert, I will not lielieve. And Lecauie these receive not the love of the truth that they might he wved, Gixi tendt them ttrong delutioni that they should believe a tie. And I would point out to you in connection with thit matter that learned unbelicvert differ quite at much with each other as they do with Chriattant. If it could be said with tnith, here are faurgc numtiert ot the deepest thinkers of the age, who all following the aam^ line of argument rome to the same conclusion concerning Christianity and its Founder, then there would be a strong c.ise against us. But it ia nnt ta The leading scientiitt dtta^iree in their reasons and are continually at war with one another. Whether there is a First Caute Whet.'ter thia First Cause is intelligent ; whether man waa created or evolved. What apa of evidence is conclusive. What ia the age of the earth. When and by whom the Books of the Bible were written. These and similar question* are constant causes of con- tention among them. I have illustrated thii, to some extent iu these lectures. For iiMUnce, Hume aaya " a miracle is impoiaibic because it ia contrary to all experience." J. .S. Mill rq>liea " thu stateinent is worth nothing since it only means that you cannot jprove a miracle to a perton who does not believe in a Being with tupematuettle tlic date of the wri' - ing of these disputed chapters, with the result that dnrinc the kut century furtv-fbur different data* have been given, varying from yya a C, to 3JO B. C, or 44J years. Each writer pro- duce*, aa he thinks, proof that his date and no other ia correct. Yet criticism which reels to and fro in a perkid of nearly 500 years, and this on historical and philological grounds, ceruinly has come to no definite basis either as to histoey or philology Rather, it has en- slaved both to preconceive opfaions, and at last, M bile a result as any has been, after thia wrary roumi, to go liack to where it slatted from, and to su pose their chapter* to have been written liy their reputed aathor after all. And the same tort ol thing occurt constantly in all disputed points. But I need not multiply instances of their disagreements. Any one who has looked into the matter at all, must have been struck with the amaaing contusion existing in the world of unbelief, and the inaliiliiy of the l«uling infi- dels to convince each other that their several theories are right. And the question belore us is this : Are we to accept Christ with the whole Christian world of nineteen centuriet , <>r are we to reject Him on the authority of some certain learned unbeliever, whose arguments are held as inconclusive, not only by Christ- ians, but by other unbelievers just as learned as himself ? And if it be contended that greater differen CCS eaiu among Christians than among infideb I reply that whatever strifes and diviJoiu dis- tract Christianity, there ia still a grand unity which underlies them all. As you look up into the heavens at night time you see a very maze of planet and con- stellation and star and meteor, and it may be comet, apparently without order, or method, or nnitjr- And yet astronomers tell us there is a certain point seen from whkh all this dis order vanishes. Even *o it with Christi'jiity. The Greek, the Roman, the Anglican Church and Orthodox Trotestantism, whatever may be their brilliancy, their neamcas to their sun, their divergence the extent . of their orbit, centre about one great truth which is the source of all that b true and living and noble in each. The confession of one and all is thia s " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," while on the other hand Infidelity bdos a system of negation haa (|m central troth rooad which it can revtrfve. And here I must conclude. There is much ■BOK— very much more to be said, bntit nmat reaain unsaid fMr the present ■ \ have en- iwlmi b« fMvimktCnt IwtaMT— if WW wMinwi ftbuM Umm, M at ..^ .„ KJS* '?:!l?**»*'~ fc^ F«ir J3 ^mm HhT ""' "'**''■•• •■ ■y p«»w If affmi tew bMM ndipsd by Umm iMtMraT! Son or Cod. who* wkk iS« PmImt md ika HoljrGhi»iwtwowWpMd«do»t. 1i& 1