THE true and therefore practical Christian religion makes its appeal to our highest reason, ideals, sentiments, hopes, aspirations, faith, incentives, emotions. If it made its appeal to our reason only, it would be as bare and barren as an empty eggshell. Mortal man, unlike the real man, is influenced, swayed, and governed, restrained and impelled, more frequently and more powerfully by other impulses than those which are born of reason. If, however, a religious teaching is discovered by us to be unsupported by our highest reason, it is sure to lose its hold upon our thoughts and lives. And if it seems to be able for a time to retain its scepter, through supports apart from reason, its short-lived dominion is sure to be one of superstition, folly, sterile ritualism, dangerous emotionalism, or idol-building sentimentality.
Any religious teaching which is not based and builded on truth is an insult to intelligence as well as a cheat, and must in due time come to be weighed in the scales of highest reason. This highest reason is itself composite, being made up in part of man's spiritual intuitions. Man's highest reason, including his spiritual intuitions, may be jostled for a time, like the mariner's needle, out of the right poise and direction; but Truth is the eternal lodestar which is always potently attracting and which influence finally rules. It is narrated that a child of royalty was once stolen from his cradle and a gypsy child put in his place. The gypsy child grew to manhood unsuspected, was crowned, wore the habiliments and received the homage and wielded the power of a king. So also there have been many false claimants in the temples which have been erected by men to the worship of Truth. But this does not falsify the fact that there is Truth always to be adored.
The appeal of basic Christianity is ever to the very highest. It is never made to the lower instincts or cravings of men, but ever to the highest and purest that is in them. Whenever an appeal is made which differs from this, even in the least, we may be sure that a false voice is trying to deceive us. Its appeal is never made to our groveling fears of punishment, and it never holds out to dishonest thought how it may artfully escape the just deserts of its transgressions. Its appeal never seeks to frighten men into religious professions by painting terrifying pictures of the supreme intelligence; for fear is not the name on the gate which opens to our loving and adoring search after Truth. The lust for riches and temporal power and display is never lurking as poison in the cup which it proffers to thirsting lips. There is no singing of its hymns of peace and joy above bloodstained bayonets; no false pretenses, no guile nor hypocrisy, no hidden sins nor falsehoods of any sort whatsoever, intrude their impure presence into its appeal to man as the rightful son of God. It makes no proselytes by means of torture-chambers and dungeons.
