Rev. Peter J. O'Callaghan, C. S. P., of New York, preached last night at Appleton Chapel from the text, "Thy testimonies are become exceeding credible."

St. Augustine has said somewhere in his writings, "I believe that which is incredible." If we define "incredible" as it is ordinarily used, as meaning that which is not consistent with reason, there is no sense in such a statement; but what Augustine meant was that he believed something beyond what is natural or comprehensible. This must always be the case with our belief in God,- we can not know and understand Him, and any doctrine that professes this is obviously false. To know God, faith is necessary-we must believe what we cannot see.

Rationalism is that school of philosophy that will accept as true only what may be proved to the reason by means of evidence given by the senses. It is then always at war with religion. It professes to be a strong and manly doctrine, while the rationalists sniff at religious faith as something that can be accepted only by women and children. But they do not look deep enough. Is not the evidence which they do accept as satisfactory really based on faith? They accept the evidences of their senses, the dictates of their reason, but they do not know that these are true. They know nothing but that they exist. They have agreed, however, to put faith in their reason, because without it no progress can be made. This is even more true of religious faith. Absolutely no progress has been made by a people without religion. No civilized nation can exist or has existed without it. It is absurd to cite cases of individuals who are rationalists, and to say "these men have existed without religion." Religion was born in them, they were brought up under its influence and surrounded by its advocates. They cannot avoid its effects. So since religious faith is essential to our progress, even more perhaps than trust in our senses, can there be anything more rational than to accept its testimony? Wisdom can never come without faith. If we then wish to know anything we must accept first the faith that is most essential, a faith which is implanted in our hearts and which it is easier to accept than to discard.

It seems sometimes as if faith in God was something outside of ourselves, whereas reason is something within us which we must of our very nature accept. In every man of every race there is born the spirit of faith in a God. It is just as necessary to his existence as the faith in his own reason and he is as much bound to accept it.

The choir sang "Trust Ye in the Lord," by Stainer, and "Omnes Amici," by Palestrina.