though, by contact with other t condition. As the untaught sava sod, he has no alternative but t on which he is placed is wh immovable structure, and a fla facts relating to it are shut up be acquired from others who He cannot even apprehend the they are stated to him. He r he cannot picture to himself disclosed. He is not to be bl than he is to be blamed for no absolute master of his own muscles. He can only lift a has only a certain quantity an sion; and he possesses only a of receiving new impressions, obliterating old ones. That a pi can be offended and can hurt an animal can discover to him to pass, or that what appears is, in fact, Almighty God, are p have been gravely and systema acquire an influence over him growth, was involuntary, and v difficult, nay, almost impossible The beliefs of mankind are knowledge and opportunities t of each generation are the resu that have preceded it. The ig which have everywhere clouded phere have very slowly and or, rather, are being dispers the earth and gross darkness and the teachers who should vindicate and uphold each other. Their opponents are most likely accounted the off-scouring of the earth. Society is well satisfied with itself; its beliefs and practices have the stamp of authority and respectability, and, with a Pharisaic self-sufficiency, it stands by its prophets and priests; and so, what happens to be popular amongst a chosen people-" my people "-what may be the accepted doctrine of acknowledged prophets and priests, may be, in reality, false and hollow. The approval of a generation, the assent and consent of their recognised prophets and priests, is not a valid verification of a religious creed, which can be honestly impeached in the high court of conscience and of reason. No authority, indeed, can overrule this judicature; for no authority can be constituted, with any defensible title, which has any other source and origin. The authority which is to avail against conscience and reason must itself have the sanction and seal of some conscience and reason which approves itself to the faculties and convictions of men. We can get no higher. All signs and wonders may be mistaken and misunderstood. They are but impressions of sense; and such impressions-to wit, the motion of the earth, and many other such like things—need to be interpreted, and not until they have passed through the alembic of the mind are they to be relied upon as data of unquestioned validity. The current beliefs inherited by mankind have continually needed revision and correction, and to the end of time this will no doubt be their characteristic. That men should believe something other. Their opponents are off-scouring of the earth. itself; its beliefs and prac rity and respectability, and, acy, it stands by its proat happens to be popular my people "-what may knowledged prophets and false and hollow. The e assent and consent of priests, is not a valid , which can be honestly conscience and of reason. e this judicature; for no ith any defensible title, I origin. The authority ience and reason must of some conscience and he faculties and convic igns and wonders may They are but impresons-to wit, the motion h like things-need to have passed through to be relied upon as he current beliefs iny needed revision and this will no doubt be uld believe something know in part, and we prophesy in part." Our knowledge is partial, and so is our proposition we admit, the second we ma about. We may, however, very safely pu ments and possessions into one and the sa Whatever might be the value and a Paul's prophesying, and whatever was nature, he acknowledges that it was parti plete a mere fragment, or portion, of so more comprehensive whole; liable, there apprehended. A small piece or section of a sphere wo one who saw it for the first time a very in what it was in its entirety; just so with th of mankind. We have seen the perfund which they arise; how at first "we see darkly "—believing all the while that we parent medium. Gradually we come t the glass is obscure, and we learn painful once confident conclusions. Proof of always require; only we are satisfied at poor proofs. We believe first and prove a in such circumstances the assent to wh ceived is easily obtained-it is assumed taken for granted, and is seldom cross-exa Like the rest of my fellows, I have had of beliefs which for many years gave me n were all compact, clear, and convincing. I came into contact with new circumsta they became incredible, and the ground upon which th stood crumbled away. With theology proper I did meddle; mysteries and miracles created no difficulty wh they were proved by adequate evidence. It was pla matters of fact that were intractable-things which ti does not alter. Men "lived and moved and had th being" two thousand years ago in the same fashion now; and evidence then was what it is now. In mouth of two or three witnesses every word was est lished then as now. (Matt. xviii. 16.) Witnesses persons who hear and see, and their evidence regard facts is worth much more than that of any other pers When statements disagree, those which are made real witnesses overrule those which depend only up hearsay; and this is a condition of things which alwa existed. We may believe any facts which are supported trustworthy and sufficient evidence, but wheree evidence is defective, we are justified in abating withholding belief. The utmost that any dogmati teacher can say or do is this: I have investigated th propositions, or some one else has, and upon this inve gation or testimony I believe them to be true; and t proof, as thus affirmed by me, is, or should be, suffici for you. We answer, How am I to know this? How I to know that I ought to believe what seems to me c tradictory upon any mere statement or asseveration another man of like passions? Supernatural facts recorded in a book, and are believed upon the evide of that record. May I not read and examine the reco This, in some quarters, is held to be questionable. W but if I may go wrong in my enquiry touching what contained in the record, may I not equally go wrong accepting the unverified, written or oral, statement o which they und upon Pgy proper I did not ced no difficulty when ence. It was plain -things which time noved and had their the same fashion as it is now. In the ery word was estab16.) Witnesses are r evidence regarding of any other person. which are made by h depend only upon things which always h are supported by nce, but whereever tified in abating or hat any dogmatical e investigated these nd upon this investito be true; and this should be, sufficient now this? How am at seems to me cont or asseveration of pernatural facts are d upon the evidence examine the record? questionable. Well, ry touching what is equally go wrong in oral, statement of a said to be corroborated and confir are called the Church. But h for this? Who proves this ave more difficult to get at the tru cated and dubious materials tha words and simple statements cor tives of unsophisticated men? the Church, and no man can p perspicuous language the vast a of the men who have constitut original narratives from which o are clearer and more explicit made upon them, we shall b the one and rejecting the othe set of statements are plain an obscure and vague, we should f of human action, which adopts the latter. In the first chapter of St. M these words : "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was mother Mary was espoused to Joseph she was found with child of the Ho husband, being a just man, and not example, was minded to put her away The 18th verse describes Jose In the 19th verse Joseph is desig When, and under what circumst place is not stated in any of the Before making any comment member that, whoever actually were not written until at least f which they record had taken supposed to have lived thirty-th |