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 can be  explained  only  on  the  hypothesis  of  a  divine revelation having  been  made. Yet the  nineteenth-century  rationalist  will  deny  the  Bible  to  be  the  word of God;  will  deny  that  tradition  holds  revealed  truth; will stand  up  before  all  the  sublime  geniuses  that from the  beginning  have  bowed  their  reason  before revelation and  tell  them  they  were  either  fools  or hypocrites! That is  rationalism. Is it  rational — is it  reasonable?

But not  only  was  the  revelation  of  these  truths possible; it  was  necessary  also. For the  truths  of which  we  speak  are  vital  truths,  appertaining  to  the dearest interests  of  mankind — so  that,  ignorant  of them,  man  could  never  hope  to  properly  know,  love and serve  God  here  or  be  happy  with  Him  hereafter. For these  truths  concern  the  existence  and  the  natures of  God  and  of  man,  their  respective  rights  and obligations — God's dominion  over  man  and  man's duties  to  God,  his  neighbor,  and  himself. Now, many of  these  truths  are  entirely  above  and  beyond reason, because  they  are  entirely  above  and  beyond Nature, to  the  study  of  which  reason  is  confined. For how  could  reason  find  out  that  God  is  a  spirit  to be  adored  in  spirit  and  in  truth? How prove  He  is, at once,  one  and  three? That the  temporal  Christ was the  eternal  God — that  mortal  man  has  an  immortal soul — that  bread,  seemingly,  is  the  living body of  Christ — that  an  external  sign  is  the  source of inward  grace? And yet  rationalism  holds  that reason, though  blind  to  all  these  necessary  truths,  is still  self-sufficient. Is it  rational — is  it  reasonable?