The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-17
THE RELrGIous SITUATION,

than we 90" thopght ne rs ne renlenbef
ed his attempt at Harrison's flinty hear
more than a year before.
--
THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION.
Its Problem How 10 Preserve Faith-Ser
mon by Rev David swing, Of Chicago.
Second Corinthians Il s;-For we can do nothing
against the truth.
Few mental tasks are more difficult than
the work Of making a perfect analysis OIL
the thoughts and tendencies OF a present
age. Hundreds ofyears after a period has
passed by, It becomes less difficult to learn
what was in that period Of high, orlow, OF
good, or bad; but while one is standing in
IN era he seems to be like one in the midst
OF mountains-too near to see well their
hight. Times past analyze themselves;
that is, they divest themselves Of the un-
important and Incidental and retain the
ideas and Influences that we're Of great
moment, and thus render them ~conspicu-
Gus by insulating them from q confusing
crowd. AS winter renders the trunk and
immense branches Of trees visible, and
makes visible the architecture OF palace
and cottage by stripping off all that sum.
mer foliage which conceals all things but
itself, so past years reveal the central ideas
OF a people because they remove that thick
and entangled foliage OF every day life.
Readingthe pastis one ofthem most common
mental employments, not because history
only is entertaining, but because the pre-
sent will not suffer itself to be read. We
are all historical students, not so much
from choice as from necessity, We have
no alternative. Neither the present nor
the future will permit US to look into its
mysteries.
AS a proof that the study OF the present
Is always difficult, you may note the fact
the signs Of today are utterly discordant.
These students and prophets divide them.
selves almost equally into optimists and
pessimists, some~ assuring us that religion
Is dying, faith is dying, and society is
upon the eve OF an earthquake; others as
surfing US that religion is only purifying
itself fora greater work OF good In the
world. This discord comes not from diff.
ferences Of judgment or motive any more
than from the persistent unwillingness OF
q passing day to be read fully by q heart
that is beatingi in the midst OF 1t. We must
get out OF a forest II We would see It's .ex-
tent. In the very midst Of 1t We see only
the trees OF a few acres, we hear the clatter
OF o few birds, or see the quick spring OF
the wild squirrel or deer; but emerging
from It, and winding up a hill road or
mo~untain-side, we then see what a long
black mass that wood is, what asea Of oak
or pine.
And yet we must do the best we can in
seeking the contents and import Of the
present years; and as the work rises in
difficulty we must rise in the patience and
care with which we mark their qualities
and prophetic voices. Our happiness and
success do not lie in the next age but in
this, and should the next age be able to
discern what was the good or bad Of this
period, such ability will be OF little avail to
you and me, for we shall no longer be in
any condition to avoid the bad or pursue
the good. Our destiny lies In the days and
nights which are now passing along, and
a poor analysis of them madenow will be
of more value to US than a most perfect
Judgment made up in the future. Macau-
lay surveyed well and defined well the
happy and painful elements in the Eng
lish life OF two centuries, but the detini'
tons, and wisdom, and rhetoric, and
hopes, aud fears came too late 10 be OF any
value to the subjecrs OF William and Mary,
or OF the quiet followers Of William Penn,
Equally well Mr.. Froude has pointed out
the shame and glory OF the men around
Julius Cesar, but too late for the happi.
ness OF Julius, or Cicero, or Pompey. Thus
beautiful and valuable as history Is, nc
age dares wait for It's own history to be III
instructors. The teacher is then a goot
one, but the pupil is dead. It therefore
comes to pass that we who live in these
times must always be studying their quail
ty, even though the results OF such study
must be very imperfect.
1t has now been about 25 years since
science begain an active campaign against
some OF the dicta OF the Christian religion
This science had its advanced pickets GU
almost u score OF years earlier, but 1t has
been almost % years since the van Of thu
scientific army became visible and thu
generals in the church began to be alarm
ed and to load up and fire in self-deiense
1t must be about % years since Hugh Mil
Ter taught that our earth was not made o
nothing 1000 years ago, but that 1t hat
been turned on its axis for long age beforl
our Adam and Eve came to It's shores. I
rich New York merchant, q MI. Lord
started a magazine, partly TO ave thu
Ichurch from the damaging results OF suct
Teaching. "The Kosmos,h 1.-THE Vestige
flof Creation "The Footprints OF
Creator," 1.-THE Old Red Sandstone werl
1.-THE books OF that period, and they wer
| Indeed the novels OF that day in popular
lity. Some OF the leaders in the chnrch con
/ tended that 5000 years were time enougI
, for all this coming and going OF oceans
+ this rising and sinking OF. mountains, TIL
making OF coal beds and p~rairies, thi
; burying OF rich woods and flowers in tn
, deep earth; while other leaders urged tina
Godin creating the earth could Just o
easily make rocks with shells in item q
rocks without, and coal with ferns in 1t 9
Just simple plain coal without .picture
Just as nan can make plain muslin, or b
Q can print 1t and have calico. Thus can
Q along gradually the war Of the natnrt
and supernatural, which Eas assumed lar
9 or proportions each succeeding year. Th
early leaders on both sides have died; ne
Q generals and new troops have come. II
stead OF Lyell and Miller and the HUI
boldts, we have Darwin and Huxley an
ITyndall; and instead OF the old leaders
the church, we have McLeods aud To
Q locks and Christliebs and McCoshes al
SANKEY'S in large numbers, who ha'
d abandoned many Of the old forts and lin
OF defense and many, Of the Q