T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S in disguise, that all things are of God and are working together for good for those who love God, that the high and mighty Ruler of the universe is not an enemy to man, but a kind and loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves and bares. As soon as man begins to think, in terrogation points start up before him and stand around him everywhere. Whence came we? What are we here for? Whither are we going? Is life worth living? What is the summum bonum? Does death end all? Reason raises these questions, but cannot an swer them. If they are ever answered, it must be by divine revelation. This establishes an antecedent prob ability that a revelation will be given. Surely the Creator must be able if He pleases to reveal Himself to the crea ture. Since man needs such a revela tion to fulfill the purposes of his moral and religious nature, it is reasonable to suppose God has given it. 2. Reason ascertains the existence of a revelation. Different religions have their sacred books, each one claiming to be the only true and di vine revelation. There are the “ King” of the Confucian, the Vedas of the Hindoo, the Tripitaka of the Buddhist, the Zenda Vesta of the Parsee, the Koran of the Mohammedan, the Oahspe of the Spiritualist, the Mormon Bible of Joe Smith and the Science and Health of Mrs. Eddy. Place any of these purported revela tions beside the Christian Scriptures and the difference is not only obvious but is measured by celestial diameters. The sacred books of China are only a compend of rites, ceremonies, laws and maxims of conduct. The sacred books of the East could not be sent through the mails today without violat ing the postal laws. The only parts of the Koran having interest or value are quoted literally from the Old Testa ment. The other books referred to are grotesque collections of sense and non
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sense, the latter largely predominating. For example, in the earlier editions of Science and Health, there is submitted in all seriousness a derivation of Adam as a-dam, and a definition that it means a barrier to the acquisition of divine knowledge. Such crass ignorance pro voked such ridicule and merriment among intelligent people, that this par ticular statement was speedily elimi nated and does not appear in any later edition. The most cursory comparison of the Christian Scriptures with the sacred writings of any false religion is sufficient to vindicate the incomparable superiority of the one and to expose the ridiculous pretensions of the others. 3. Reason interprets the meaning of revelation. If God gives a revelation of Himself, it is certain to be expressed in such terms that it can be understood, otherwise its purpose would be defeat ed. The claim of Rome that Scripture is addressed to the church and can only be interpreted by the church is con tradicted by such epistles as 2nd and 3rd John, which are a'ddressed to indi viduals. Moreover, the canon of inter pretation that the meaning of Scripture can only be accepted upon the agree ment of the Fathers would put the greater part of it forever beyond our reach, since there is the widest possible difference of opinion among the Fath ers. A certain priest on being asked to prove that his church was the final authority quoted Matthew 16:18, 19 and said: “ This is my authority for claiming authority.” He went to Scrip ture for authority to prove that his church had any authority! The assumption of an infallible church is supposed to deliver us from the uncertainty anti fallibility of pri vate judgment. An action of private judgment, however, is just as necessary for a Romanist as for a Protestant. He must decide on the claims of the church. He must satisfy himself in the first
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