The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-06-21


and headlong into every new idea, but such
that instills within him noble thoughts
and prompts him to higher plains of duty
for the sake of humanity, and the genera
tions to come. Last, but not least of the
requisites for truth searching, is.courage
A courage that laughs at danger; thai
knows no turning aside; that uses every
obstacle as stepping stone for further
advancement; courage that enables mar
to lay down his life, if need be, for hi.
principles.
There are three questions of vital i'm
portance that are always presented fol
mans consideration, the three phases of 9
human life that materially affect the well
being. They are the social, political and
religious problems. The essential element
OF existence of society is the mutual in
ter-dependence of its members leagued to-
gether for the protection of their common
and individual rights. The only requis
ties for membership should be purity OF
heart, honesty of purpose, and common
intelligence: any one lacking in these
justly forfeits recognition. In country
where the people through their represen.
tatives are the governing power, political
parties are a necessity. Parties in a true
sense are but the representatives of prin,
ciples that affect the common welfare
The third great problem of mans life is
| religion. That time never has been
found in history that was without relig,
ion. ! firmly believe that when God
breathed the breath of life into man he
instilled within him an aspiration to wor-
ship him, that has disseminated itself
throughout the ages and has become an
innate principle of every human being.
What beautiful thing pure religion is.
1t is the golden ladder that reaches from
earth to heaven, up whose glittering
rounds man ascends to the throne. Relig-
ion which, nominally, is as pure and sacred
as the God from whom it comes, men use
as merchandise, placinga mercantile val
ne upon it. Another fault is the narrow
ness of spirit displayed from which springs
ing faith that says everything on this side
is right, on that, wrong; that raiseth one
man, lowers another, because they can
not agree. From this has arisen that
spirit OF protest that has caused men TO
withdraw from a church in which they
feel cramped; and they did right. There is
another wave entering into the tide of re-
ligion. 1t is Materialism. 1t says to a
man: Thou art u brute; as such thou
must live,"-for a brute can never. rise
above himself-"and as such thou must
die" They propose to take Christianity
by the throat and stife-kill it. He only
is the true philosopher, the true philan-
thropist, who tears down but to build a
better foundation. And so the material,
list; unless he can present ten command
ments better than those of Moses which
the world has recognized as just and
which have become the basis of jurispru.
dence; unless he can proclaim eight beat
titudes grander and more beautiful than
those contained in Christ's sermon on the
Mount, which have been recognized as
the purest ethics for the elevation of man
kind the world has ever presented; unless
he can give a belief than the faith
in Immortality which has existed in the
breast of humanity for six thousand years
then indeed is he no philosopher, but the
deadly enemy of the race.
Let us search for truth: search for il
though the way be over mountains of er-
ror and superstition, the victor's laurel
lies at the foot of the cross of truth
search for it though friends nearest and
| dearest fOrsake us, the firmest friend man
ever had is truth; search for it though
misrepresentation, SANDER and abuse
come, as come they will, the end crowns
the work with wreath of ineffacable
glory; search for it, and the answer to
What shall the harvest be-" win be har-
vest filled with grand thoughts, holy am
billions, and noble deeds; search for it,
let us fondly hope that, if not in this life,
then in the one to come, in the land hal,
lowed by the presence of angels we shall
attain the joyous contamination of search.
ing for truth.
After Mr.. Williams had concluded his
Grafton, Pres. Woody arose and addressed
him in few appropriate remarks and pre-
sented him with his diploma and at the
same time comforting upon him the degree
OF Bachelor Of Science. This done, Pres.
Woody commenced the delivery ofhis an
nual address, taking for his subject the
GAP OSTLE PAUL"
No words ofpraise from US can add to
the beauty of the address. The Professor
has the happy faculty of knowing just
what to say, and just how to say it, SO as
to please everybody; and this is just what
a great many speakers and writer's of the
day, lack to a very great extent. His re-
marks were substantially as follows:
The tide of civilization has had its GIBBS
and flows. AS the attractive forces OF
the earth and moon play upon the ocean
giving us high tide and low tide, so great
principles operate upon the current OF
human life producing the epochs OF
history.
1t was at the dawning of one of these
eras that the Apostle Paul played his part
in the drama of life. In looking into the
character of the eminent Apostle my In.
vestigatlons have been such as may be
suggested by the following questions:
First, What was the condition of the
period in which he lived? Second, What
was his education? Third, what did he
teach? Fourth, what was the success that
attended his labors? Under the first
question, after tracing the worlds history
through its many changes, he said: at the
coming of the savior, one government was
holding loosely the intermingled tongues
and religious, and philosophy and nation.
alities of twenty centuries. The Hebrew,
Greek and Latin-the leading languages
of ancient history, were at this time spo,
ken in Egypt and Palestine along the
valleys of the Euphrates in Asia Minor in
Greece and in Italy. Channels of com.
munication were everywhers opened up
| Facilities for travel were increased. Every
city of Importance had its differen,
schools of philosophy and religion. Mind
was thus brought in contact with mind
and idea with idea and spirit of liberal
thought sprung up and opened the road
for larger conceptions of life and faith
than had hitherto been passible.
1t was al this period that Paul was pre-
pared and called forth to present the
teachings of new philosophy and one
highly adapted to all men and all comb
tons. The speaker now gives an inter
esting account of the education and early
associations of the Apostle in which h.
shows how the leading characteristics
of an individual are dependent upon tn,
associations and training of childhood ane
| youth. Then continuing says:-Afte