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Jesus' sublime precept commonly known as the Golden Rule. A similar sentiment was not unknown to the wise and good in the Pagan world, thus evidencing its universality as constitutional in

man.

The" moral," then, has a constitutional origin, and the varied departures from morality are due to an evil imagination, and to an imperfect and wrong education of the intellect and the soul.

17. RELIGION.-The first commandment, in its first clause, “I am the Lord thy God," announces that there is religion, and that the Lord is the object The second clause, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," presupposes that the religion natural to the soul is liable, on account of the evil imaginations of man's heart, and the influence of evil tendencies and motives-is liable to abuse, perversion, corruption; and that this is the fact; that there is retrogression in religion, as well as a progression, is proved by the history of every people, and by the biography of individuals among the most enlightened, civilized and Christianized.

Natural religion, in its origin, is what religion a man has by "gift of nature;" by the religious constitution given him by the Creator; and this gift is to be cultivated and perfected by the "light of nature under the guidance of the moral nature, the understanding and the reasoning faculties.

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Man sees some objects in the world which he understands in part; others which he knows very little of.

The countless stars in the blue vault of heaven are beyond his knowledge; the trees that grow up out of the ground he becomes familiar with, and enjoys their fruit and shade; but how it is that they grow, he knows not. The hidden springs of life—these unknown forces of nature, and the varied objects of the universe incomprehensible in number and extent, fill the mind of man with wonder and awe, and he is necessarily led to ascribe their existence to a Supreme cause, whose existence he contemplates with fear and profound reverence. All things we refer to a cause, because man's mind is so constituted that the idea of cause necessarily arises when we see objects existing or in motion as the fixed stars in their places; or the sun, moon and planets in their courses. And man contemplates nature with reverence for a like reason; namely, he is so constituted as to regard with awe and reverence the unknown cause of nature, and is constituted with a disposition to obey the will of the great Author of all.

This natural feeling of reverence for a superior being is further cultivated by the discovery and discernment of power, of wisdom and of goodness in his creations.

Power is seen in the vastness of his works: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." (Psalms 19: 1.)

Wisdom is seen in all the forces, arrangements and adaptations of nature.

Goodness is seen, in that the creations are de signed to produce happiness and pleasure in sentient beings.

This consciousness of limitation in his powers; this feeling of ignorance and inferiority and dependence in the presence of nature and of the Creator, together with the reverential feeling that naturally accompanies it, is the foundation, the groundwork of natural religion.

So, too, we find that man has a natural love for whatever is true and right, and that is the ground of morality.

These two feelings-reverence for the supreme, love for the true-though distinct as a religious nature, and a moral nature, yet flow on together as a religious moral element in the formation of character, or in the formation of a channel, or habitual course of right feeling and right doing. Religion cannot rise higher than morality, because morality is a necessary element in it, and keeps even step with it; yet religion gives us sublime ideas of morality, because when the religious element is strong, cherished and enlightened, it permeates or leavens morality with a true conception of God, as the Creator, the Giver, Upholder and sure Vindicator of all law and order-the Holy one; yet as the Father of Spirits the Saviour of his people, and the fountain of good-will and loving care.

By this sign' we conquer; we transcend the realm of intemperate desire, of evil surmisings, thoughts and imaginations.

These first principles, then, are the foundation on which we build up a superstructure of character, of proportions grand, harmonious and beautiful, in all the varied relations of man to God and men.

18. FOCAL POINTS IN THE ARGUMENT:-Focal points in the argument for natural religion, or for the existence of the Creator and his moral government:

A. DESIGN 1. As shown in the affinities of certain elements; for instance, the elements of oxygen and hydrogen, that unite to form water.

2. In these affinities being in accord with a law of definite proportions, without which there could be no adaptation to organized existence; as, for instance, in the adaptation of air to the lungs, water to the stomach of animals and to the root of plants.

3. Geology shows that physical forces within the earth have been used to effect results and conditions necessary, after long periods of time, to the existence of its flora and fauna and to mankind; for instance, its primitive gigantic dense flora of no apparent use at the period of its growth, but after the accumulation in thick strata and beds securely covered up in the earth, is of use for the future civilized man. This view of the coal fields is equally applicable to the iron-ore beds and other metals-also to the most useful building rocks, and to the kind of forest trees existing in man's day.

4. Physical nature shows gradual development and progression, and as nature is finite, we logically infer that in time it arrives at its best estate.

5. That this time has now arrived when man, as an intellectual, moral and religious being, has been given dominion over nature to control her forces, so far as he can apply them to his own use and benefit—hence that man must now be the chief object of interest, specially as to his moral and religious nature.

6. As our globe in its imperfect chaotic state was to be valued rather for what it would be than for what it then was, so man is to be valued for what he is capable of rather than for what he now is.

B. The sixth point suggests man as endowed with powers intellectual, moral, religious, capable of indefinite cultivation and improvement. To effect this culture man needs a standard of excellence and a rule of life. He looks in vain to his fellow-man, and the most gifted can see the ideal standard within their own

nature only by a colored light-hence the need of, and the argument for, spiritual aid to give clear vision.

C. Hence the moral law, originally limited to the idea of obedience in one regard1, was amplified to a canon of written law, which at the outset reveals the moral attributes of God, as the corner-stone of the law; and this revelation of God proves itself to be a true one, because it is such as alone could be predicated of the Author of man's intellectual, moral-religious nature.

There is thus reciprocity in revelation—the revelation of the Creator through himself and his creations, and the revelation of man's moral nature through conscious self and through the revealed perfections of the Creator.

D. But the revelation of the perfect Creator makes evident the low estate of the creature, shows the need and renders probable the use of means to better his condition; namely, since his moralreligious nature is crippled and overruled by his corporeal nature, that there will be imparted to him additional spiritual power. This brings into view the scripture remedial dispensation-the Spirit-power in the Messianic realm and reign.

19. THE CONSCIENCE.-The conscience acts not singly, but is in joint action with other faculties, which together determine what is right, when all are in sympathy with the moral nature, which determines to the right; and when the right is perceived the conscience approves the soul's action, if it is in accord with this perceived right, and condemns it if it be contra thereto.

Conscience is a faculty, as a moral feeling or sensibility. Of itself it does not discover objective truth and right, but it is instantly sensible to the intent of the will as choosing to act in accord with or contra to the true and right.

The office of the conscience is, in general, to warn the soul against being ruled and overcome by motives that lead the will to wrong action-to actions

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