, 1880-04-26
DR.. Gibson Announces Ills Acceptance
OF Tho London Coll,
And Reviews tho Work Of His Six Years
Pastorato In Chicago.
The Story o1 Jonah and Tho WhaIo The Basis Of
Sermon by Tho Roy. E. P. Goodwin.
DE1SAL AND ATHEISM.
SERMON 1sy t.nOF. KwrNa.

lnulu Inquiry tHRH Hiy ntHCF peflON QFCr tno
radtcnl question or tho existence Of God. 1t Ia
iy tho discussion Of mcre superficial problems,
slich rs whether there s n Trinity, or M In.
sptrcd volume, or n Divinity founded church,
form Of snrtnso where two sides quito meet
tho tlcmnNJ OF old tl0ubtcrs md iisputarts. As
tuan has bcco1ue Of lato years holder md fnoro
iutcnsc. md, perhaps, moro coldly logical,
ho raises II deeper question, Whether
theru lB Crrntor, u personal QoA2
There nre not mNny ntholsts, for It Is
not tho principle OF tho mind 10 affirm boldly
tint .lorc is no such First CA,sse; but thoro Is a
lnrge number of men, young Mnd Did, and women,
too, wio arp learning 10 spcll1s wthD,it confidence
md with reluctance rraarllng TINT b0ing whom
tho soul should acc clearly ms tho Heavenly
Father. It Is, perhnps, impossible to be fully iii
atheist. a mind tnAy bo MI Aboltlou!st, Or n
Republican, Or HI arIstocrat, or ritt advocate,
or scttlcd believer i'll FREQ trado, bat It cnnnot
SO castly become Settled down ID un atheism,
simply bccauso tho eyilc11co that there Is no
Cpd chnnot by my possibility .be gathercd up
n1l1 weighed. i thcro W amy defect III the EVIL
yering IN tho Judgment. Nationally ntholsm Is
lnltussI9lc. but practically ms dominant thought
estinE its tnnenGe, Its shadow over tho lifc md
slnc In our humble chrth.
Tho pulpit hns no speciAl mngto or marvellous
iiuvo III creator. Maa sn cst,,,"t % ereate arssi.
ments: ile must simply eo!oct tton;, !Lonco all
tho pulplts upon rnrtt, Pugan and Christian,
Sanmot lbricte ~ MrEent tt VII S".nsl
arguments furnished by Nature ii iis fullnesa
or dolcc1s; ani ~ the loxlo!nns IN tho world
they ertaao any part Of her lnlloxlble spooch. II
it ue hn!nisatsny 70 think that nil tho ninlstors
Of religion c4nnot % nsld unwilling to tho n,.t,rnl
spsak. VIII neysr n stls q iaks anythinIE I axay.
tk7r1x -s1nk%tt
W. 1vs s9 c c2sH @ q u n 'ecF heo s we Sq II,
thore u u uo1., Dnon the sldo of yico there
ltlny y ceMo aisDeilel III Crcator. bnt upon the
for tho tlI.al demonstration Of atheism is roi.-
ueleu WHOLLY 'imposslple " tho toElb,-that nt-
)oM1rntilei't oi the c,'urt u Inquiry. -,.
e tho wOri4 only ~ tho nAslo Of student Of
sat fat n aa o @s ia stuet or hayF "
Him g fS rhi I ri sors s sees aq sa
II tha study ulld toll Tho lnt!del aud th2 aMt,-
when they represopt tiio ciergy as Eelns men
either wtthnut thought q with only prcjudicesl
With thsory ss Gaioss re
thoy will coissont 70 studyit.. This love docs not
imply m exusgyrntion of EVIDENCE and concl,':
70 study mp tho truths OF tho case. Hugh siilor,
apd Guyer ~ Hd An cnms e their branches
out out tho @ raots with !ninlt patience, All Wea
This love Will not 10 u prejudice, hut q a
stimulus: To THO pulpit tho inlicl mind should
concede the ts!atlltu'ness and rlghtncss Of npro-
iacts, but that ,Iuy mako thoir iaGors picas-
nt1 ltlsta!d u l,ot,tlage. The triio clergyman
4 R1 bis h1 ~ s og hs not s
zonl and reward. And So vaa. III TIC intluonco
nf M m3r!ls @ and of spiritual i,tcas upon h.i,nn'l
lte thAt It ought tn bc conceded to tho averAE0
ElCFkSt1lflA QlS WEt4 founded The