Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-07-15
REAsox AND FAITH.

O4
he New York Sun, if not professedly
/ vatchman on the towers of Zion, Is
wise enough TO see, nays the Mail. that
he long impending conflict between
materialism and the ancient
faith IN the Christ a. a divine deliverer,
is the overwhelming issue for the pres
emit and coming generations. The Sun
has q just appreciation, both OF living
aud mighty issues and of the "contem-
-poraneous human interest in the strug-
Gle between faith and unfaith, and 30
keeps its readers well informed OF the
skirmishes along the picket lines, ~ An
inevitable part Of its duty as . newspa-
DER. 1t was the Sun which first threw
. bright and revealing light on the in
tellectual crudities and religious incon-
sistencies of h. Heller Newton, who
had thought that he might securely re-
tain the rank and pay Of an ordained
priest under vows to preach the Bible -
'Ths Word of God" while preaching
the gospel Of Rsnan and generously pat
ronixinR - the best of men the Christ
who il wouhiped by the Episcopal
Church y God.
On . survey of the recent crop OF
B~accalaureate Sermons. the Sun finds
fresh reasons for fearing that the Christ
ian Church at large, in this country, II
Is unprepared for the life and death
struggle against scientific unbelief as the
Episcopal authorities Of this diocese are
either to try Mr.. Newton or dismiss the
charges against him.
The language of the Sun is very en-
phatic and notable. 1t says:
The present skepticism, too, does not
concern religious forms and ceremonies
merely, and particular doctrines of the
theological system. It does not trouble
itself with any such questions - those
whose discussion brought about the he.
formation. 1t goes much further and
much deeper; for it doubts the reasona-
bleness and the ~soundness of the whole
theological superstructure-of all super
naturalism, even. 1t does not oppose
any given Interpretation Of the Bible. or
assail any doctrine of any church as I'M
scriptural, but it rejects the revelation
on which all churches and all Christian
theology are based.
A tremendous religious revolution Is
therefore now going on; one beside which
the Reformation seems small. Christ
ianity, revealed religion, theology and
the church are now fighting for life. If
the modern and fashionable philosophy
prevails, they will have to step out, like
the paganism and polytheism Christiani-
ty displaced. And this philosophy so
subversive of theology is proving to be
especially attractive to young men,, and
most of all to the college young men.
That these solemn aud startling state
ments are true in the full scope Of their
widest and deepest possible significance,
no clear-headed and well-informsd OBJ
server Of the signs OF the times can deny.
Referring to the recent discussions by
College Presidents the Sun asks and
answers . vitality important question,
viz:
Do we find in the baccalaureate SER
mons of this Summer that the preachers
rightly understand and appreciate the
magnitude of this momentous conflict !
We have looked in vain through the re-
ports of those ~discourses, the product OF
SO much thought and care, to discover
evidences that their authors were aware
OF the gravity OF the situation and we're
ma oA fo moot its poaaQaItiag
That is, we have not found any fit
champion OF faith among the preachers OF
baccalaureate sermons presumably among
the foremost theologians Of the denomi-
nations to which they belong. They
seem to be at Q loss what to say. But
the issue must be met squarely and
bravely.
We think our contemporary fails to do
justice to the College Presidents. Ger
tainly Presidents Porter Of Yale. Nc
Gosh of Princeton, Seelve Of Amherst,
and many other heads of colleges, have
shown, id their b~accalaureate sermons,
not only . keen appreciation OF "The
Impending Crisis and a fearless spirit in
meeting its emergencies. but . thorough
knowledge of the prevalence of the dry
rot of unfaith; Of the Generalization Of
scholarly, but weak, preachers; of the
absence Of the idea Of God in the busiest,
as we'll as in the most literary. life of u
time; the ever-growing disposition to
reason and to believe that q bare whole
some use Of the five senses goes as far
towards solving the riddle of the un-
movable IS the widest culture and the
.profoundest erudition; that common
sense is pitted against faith in an ire
pressible conflict.