The Portland daily press., 1879-10-27
PULPIT AND PLATFORM


| Rev. w. T. Stowe of Rockland preached at
Congress Square Universalst church, yester-
day morning, from Mark ix-2l, lord be-
lieve. Help thou my unbelief.''
| The preacher commenced by saying that
| these words were expressive of the deepest
needs of human nature. They came from the
anxious heart of father who went to Jesus as
a last resort, begging him to cast out the evil
| spirit from his son. Jesus made faith con-
| dition of that cure. The father admitted his
belief, but doubted while he believed.
| The speaker said there is such thing as
| true faith at the bottom of doubt. The fact is
forced upon u.s. at every step in life, that there
| are thousands of people who care little for
| sectarian creeds who are suspicious of church
| es, and who sometimes question the existence
of God. l am aware, said he, of the feeling
| chnrch people have against doubters on &C
| count of the hippant talk many OF them in
| dulge in, and they can hardly be brought to
believe that there can be earnest, honest doubt
! ers. But if you want to make a bright youth
an infdel put him into a narrow, sectarian
| Sunday school with a teacher who is strict,
| literal interpreter of the Gospel, and by the
| time he is eighteen years old he will be apt to
| jump the fence and browse in the pastures of
| Paine and Ingersoll. II the youth ask for ex-
| plantations OF this or that, he is choked off
| with the answer he must trust to prayer. The
fact is the belief strongly insisted upon by these
sectarians is the traditional belief, or beliefs
of churches, what certain fallible men call
ordinances, or forms, and all rest on a sacrif-
cal scheme of theology. Most men believe III
certain creeds because their fathers did before
them, and accept the Anticipated heirlooms
without investigation. There are earnest
doubters, however, who should be treated with
sympathy. Remember that Thomas was o
doubter.
Outside Of the church there is a large body of
men and women who cannot accept traditions
and dogmas that are called Christianity. They
find no creed that touches their own experien-
ces. They have more belief in God than those
in the churches, and it is the fault of the
churches themselves that these men do not be-
long to thenl. Ruskin says the best men Of this
age are not members of the churches, and the
fact that the most powerful minds Of the age
poets, philosophers, scientific men, are not SO,
is no sign that they therefore unbelievers
They don't believe in popular creeds but in
moral law, and distinction between right and
wrong; in the Christianity Of Christ. If you
wait until all doubts are removed you must
wait till after death. No one creed can hold
all Christianity.
The question may be asked shall science
and art go ON charging their boundaries
while religion remains stationary? If Chris
tianity is not a revelation but discovery of
the human intellect then, in time, we must
throw Christiari ty aside. The starting point
of all truth is the existence of God. The
answer to our questions that may be found in
the New Testament are more satisfactory than
all the science in the world for they will do
more than anything else to remove all donbts
DIR. BoLLEs' LECTURE.
DR.. Bodies will deliver the second Of his
lectures at Plymouth Church tonight. This
time on "Westminister and South Kensing-
tom" Everybody who has ever listened to the
Doctors graphic descriptions, and witnessed
tho beautiful scenes thrown upon the canvass
will wish to attend this lecture.
NOTES.
Rt. Rev. Bishop Healey will dedicate the
new Catholic church at Rallowell today, and
also The church at Augusta which has recently
been enlarged and newly frescoed. The Bis
hop will be assisted by the pastor, Rev Daniel
w. Murphy and his two brothers, Bev. j. W.
and L. W. Murphy.
Rev. j. II. Loudon Of Halifax preached an
able sermon yesterday forenoon at Casco street
church.
Rev John Wills preached at Park street
church yesterday morning on The Gospel OF
Universal Salvation
Rev. C. ;. Hayden lectured at India street
church last evening on THE age of machine
~, of the worship OF men made gods"
Rev. A. S. Ladd began series of sermons
to young men, under the auspices of the Chris
tian Association last evening at Congress
street church.
Elder Thomas of st. John, n. B., preached
to the Disciples of Christ, morning and eve
ming.
Saccarappa.
Mr.. Stevens is building a new house on
Lamb street, Cumberland Mills.
The Cumberland Mills paper company are
making preparations to manufacture enamelled
paper.
The lessees OF the old saw-nill ON the upper
fallsare to soon begin the manufacture of lum-
Der there.
Work in the duck mill was suspended for
two days last week, caused by break in the
penstock that supplies the water-wheel.
Thursday night Mr., John Bisby's house on
the Gotham road was broken into and some
iewelry stolen The same night the cellar of
Mr.. \. f. Warren's house ON Main street was