SERMON BY THE REV. FATHER CASSIDY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 10, 27 June 1884, Page 19

SERMON BY THE REV. FATHER CASSIDY.

(Prom the Napier Daily Telegraph?) " The fool says in his heart there is no God."— P.S.B.

Thbbe is a belief that has existed in all time, that has penetrated every corner of t^e world, that has gathered round it the genius and glory of every age— there is a belief that has fixed itself wherever a child of the human race has passed, a belief that is written in the history of all nations and all men, that is the foundation on which everything rests, on which everything depends, to which everything converges, and that is the belief in the existence of an infinitely good, infinitely wise, and perfect God. And though this great truth has ever been bo universally received and admitted, though it is written in such convincing language throughout creation, though it has flashed its shadow all over the world as the rays of the sun dash on through endless space still there is an ever increasing number of men in these daj-s of ours who, closing their eyes to reason, experieace, authority, and everything around them in life, raise an unreasonable and blasphemous cry against the existence of God, and whose ceaseless struggle is to draw into the ranks of infidelity and unbelief the rich and poor, the young and old, the illiterate and learned of every nation and every grade of society. The Atheists of the day proclaim themselves the saviours of the human race, the suns of the new intellectual world, the giant geniuses who have come to break the fetters that chained the human race to the superstitions of the past. They strive to look upon religion and God's existence as a mere myth, as a mere something that has passed down on the wings of superstition and monkish ignorance from the dark ages of human intelligence, when savage tribes and roving barbarians invaded Europe and the eastern corner of the world, where such belief and superstition sheltered themselves behind the ramparts of Jewish sacrifices and religious rites. These men are so far-sighted that they think they have explored, and sounded everything, natural and supernatural, created and non-created. Tis true they have tried to measure the stars that have condescended to wish us good morrow as they hurry along their destined path. 'Tis true they have invented the telegiaph and utilised steam ; they have crossed the desert waste and have gathered some curious relics of men and ageslong since passed away, and picked up amid the crustations of the earth some tiny shells, some petrified bones, some plants or flowers that no longer exist ; and lo I they then exclaim that they are the founders of the new and infallible -creed, the great men who have given the deadly blow to religious supremacy, the men before whose onward march all religion must wither away, like the autumn leaves before the gathering storm. They say the night of human ignorance is past, that the Bun has peeped over the horizon of the world of scientific glory, and that the day of liberty and life is hurrying on with lightning rapidity to a glorious consummation. They say that there is no God, because they cannot comprehend Him ; they say there is no God, because they cannot see Him ; they say there is no God, because everything can be explained without Him. They ask us solemnly, who is this being we call God ? what is His nature ? where is His abode ? They accuse us of making Him a being infinitely good, infinitely wise, and infinitely just, and they are astonished because they are unable to Bee any solid proofs of the existence of these qualities or attributes around them in the world. They accuse God for not showing Himeelf in all His power and splendour to the human race, thereby putting all doubts and difficulties for ever to an end, and thereby drawing to Himself forever the homage and adoration of all men. They cay it is useless to have recourse to God to explain the existence of things For matter, say they, ie eternal, and motion is necessarily inherent in matter, since there is an endless BUC2ession of beings ever changing their form, their appearance, and their properties, sometimes tending to unite, sometimes struggling to separate, working earnestly and constantly to reach a certain etage of existence, when they should all come suddenly to a standstill and rest for ever, forming then a, perfect universe, full of physical beauty, full of superior life, full of every perfection and development that matter is capable of. But are we to believe their dogmas without further enquiry 1 Are we to acknowledge their propositions without further proof ? Are we to rest satisfied with their theories, that have no other foundation than imagination ? No. let us rather examine them, and see what they are worth. They deny the existence of God because they cannot understand or comprehend Him. Undoubtedly they cannot understand Him, neither do we presume to do so. God is incomprehensible, and He is incomprehensible oecause He is God. God is infinite How foolish then for us poor weak miserable beings, with minds so narrow, and intellects bo small and gloomy, to strive to understand Him as He is ; bow vain for us to attempt to sail round and round that infinite ocean, to grasp its nature and. its extent. If we could only do so, then we would be as great as God Himself, and so God would not be God. He is certainly incomprehensible, but his incomprehensibility does not prevent His being there. How many incomprehensible things, how many mysteries do we not believe in from infancy to old age, from morning to night, in every-day life ? We see the light streaming from that far-off moon, yet we cannot understand what that light is. We believe we see, ye"t we cannot understand how we do, for light is still a mystery, and may for ever remain one. We hear the veßper bell, the song of the birds, or the roar of the wintry ocean, yet we cannot understand how those different sounds are communicated to us, so hearing is another mystery. And the greatest philosophers have never yet explained how material things can act upon our souls, which are purely spiritual. We see the seed put into the ground and covered over, but the warmth of the summer sun calls it forth, and up from the dust it raises its delicate head, which succeeding years will develop into a giant of the forest. Here is another mystery. We see the electric wire run round the world, and witb'lightning rapidity the news is flashed to distant lands far over the ocean. Here is another mystery. But where is there anything around us that is not shrouded in mystery of some sort or other T Life is a mystery, death is a mystery, light -and darkness are mysteries, every blade of grass is a mystery, every

tree and flower is a mystery , and if we cannot understand these the simplest works of God's vast and beautiful creation, how can .we understand the Mysterious One who has made them all f How are 1 we to put into our minds the boundless ocean, if we are not able to put "one drop of water there f We cannot comprehend God, still the idea and shadow of Him hangs everywhere around us. His footprints are traceable over sea and land ; we catch a glimpse of Him here and there through life ; we comprehend His Majesty in the creation of '11 the gigantic worlds and elements around us ,- we comprehend His power in their formation, His wisdom in their regulation, His goodness and mercy on the cross. Is there any necessity for knowing more about Him ? And to say we don't believe God is there because we cannot understand or comprehend Him is equally foolish as to Bay we are not there because we cannot comprehend ourselves. And the fool says in his heart there is no God because he cannot comprehend Him. we do not see God, nor are we sure that anyone has ever seen Him, therefore, say the Atheists, He does not exist. How many things exist have existed, and will exist that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. There are worlds that no human soul has ever dreamt of ; there are planets and stars that the telescope has never turned its mysterious eye upon • there are systems of celestial bodies whirling on through limitless space that the astronomer has never yet thought of ; and even on this dwarfish world of ours there are mountains that have never yet been seen, there are shores that have never been trod, there are valleys that never echoed back the human voice, and rivers that no mortal eye has ever gazed upon. Yet they exist, and to say that God dc not exist because we have not seen Him is as foolish as to say all these do not exist because they are unseen. Do we want to see God 1 When and where would we wish to see Him ? Is it all alone in some shady valley in the solemn stillness of the twilight? Is it on some mountains brow with the whole human race gathered round in countless numbers ? Is it amid the roar of heaven's artillery and the glory of the unapproachable light f Is it then and there we would wish to speak and treat with God 1 Ah, no ! such an interview would be impossible, or after one glimpse of that uncreated beauty one word from that infinite power, could we think, and work, and toil, and sorrow as before ? Could we laugh and jest, and sail over the ocean, build up palaces, rear our families, develop the earth's indnßtries, and gather its luxuries and its wealth ? Could we res*, our weary limbs, or lore our friends or homes again ? Could wfc 1 live, in a word, after an interview with God? No, we would ' crumble into the dust, like the worm before the rays of the tropical sun • we would lose our liberty and all merit, for we would he completely over-powered, and thus the temporal mission of man would be for ever destroyed. We have light enough to see God if we only desire to pee Him ; we have obscurity sufficient to prevent us seeing Him if we desire to see Him not. God is ever visible, though ever hidden behind the curtain of creation, yet He is reflected in everything "ound us, as the sun mirrors himself over the ocean, though be lies hidden behind the clouds of the tempest-laden sky. And the fool says in his heart there is no God, because he cannot see Him.' The Atheists say there is no God, because everything can be explained without the aid of an eternal and intelligent being, therefore, say they, God does not exist. Science, say they, has cleared up every mystery and explained everything ; it has rolled away the stone from the grave where genius and knowledge lay so long entombed. It has wandered into the caverns of the earth ; it has sounded the depths of the intellectual ocean, and declared it navigable all round, and has explained everything, without God. But has it really accomplished all thisf No. For the last word of science is the consciousness and knowledge of something vast unknown. The man of scientific or philosopical thought plants himself, as it were, at the foot of the mountain, jhe thinks he detects the summit, the end, the explanation of everything far up in the clouds. He studies, he struggles, he enquires, he reaches that summit in the intellectual world, but when there he finds before him another far more inaccessible elevation. He climbs and toils again, but again there bursts on his astounded soul a sea of summit lost in elevation and distance. Faster and faster and faster he hastens hia steps, higher and higher he ascends to hills and fields of thought and mental survey. °But has he reached the end 1 Is there not something higher still 1 That journey over those vast table lands of thought, that struggle up the rugged hills of science has only enlarged hia sphere of vision, but haa it shown him the beginning and end of all things 1 No, for the summits oaly seem to recede as he advances. He must acknowledge that the horizon where earth and heaven seem to blend is only an imaginary line, in whose vastnesa there is no limit ; he must acknowledge that he stands face to face with an eternal, incomprehensible, and intelligent being, that he is in the immediate presence of God Himself, for without Him he cannot explain the existence of matter the existence of this beautiful and fruitful earth, her flowers, her trees, her werld of animated nature ; he cannot explain the regulated movements of everything around him, he cannot explain motion, he cannot explain his very self. And the fool says in his heart there is ™> God since nothing can betxplained without Him. But, thank God, we are not among the number of those who have eyes, yet cannot see, who have ears yet cannot hear, who have intellects yet cannot understand. We see the machinery of creation revolve with marvellous precision, and we know that there must be the great machinist behind the scene ; we see the vast garden of the earth, and we know there is one who has sown and tended with fatherly care : we see the glorious panorama of the vegetable and animal world, and we know that there is a hand that has fashioned, painted, and adorned, there is an eye that has watched and governed, a heart that has felt and loved. Thank God, we believe our destiny is greater than to crawl along through lifelike rationalised worms, the sport of a sad existence to a dwtiny sadder still. Thank God, we feel the influence of the unseen power, we hear the echo of the soundless voice we feel the pulsations of the infinite life, we feel the throbbing of the all-loving heart. And may that throbbing never cease to find aa echo in our own, till the glory of the uncreated joys of the uncreated one stretch themselves away before our astonished gaze in our home with oar Creator in heaven.