The Cecil Whig., 1886-03-20
WELCOME WORDS.

WELCOME WORDS.
1t is really refreshing in these days
of science, skepticism, and doubt,
when the recklessness of speculative
theology too often disgraCes the pulpit,
to come across good old-fashioned
and dogmatlc assertion of orthodoxy
from one OF the laymen. We have
just this thing in the emphatic declara-
ton of that brilliant lawyer and elo-
quent speaker Mr.. Chauncy NJ. Depew,
recently made before the Century Club
in New York city. when he empha-
sized his firm and unquestoning be-
lief in the existence of the personal
God of the Bible, and of his aCcep-
tance in their entirety of the Old and
the New Testamen,s. OF the many
eloquent things Mr.. Depew has often
said, nothing we have ever read has
given US more pleasure than this, ad-
dressed as it was to an audience which
distinguished scientists like Fiske and
Wakeman had Just addressed. Ii was
an eloquent and timely assertion by
a busy railroad president, and man Of
affairs, of his continuing fidelity to the
religious teachings and faith Of his
fathers, despite the soperties OF science
and the confusing dogmas of the phil
osophers. Mr.. Depew said
81 never felt so absolutely out OF
place. am a practical man, over
whelmed with the cares of business.
1t is exceedingly difficult for me to get
on the plane cf philosophic thought.
am practical man. believe in the
Old Testament and the New Testa-
ment precisely as they are presented
by Christianity. | am in antagonism
to Mr.. Wakeman, who dismisses the
Bible as entirely mass of legend, and
with Prof. Fiske, who accepts it with
an Interpretation entirely his OWL.
1T was the atheism OF France that
taught license for liberty and led to the
French revolution. Where are those
old philosophies and the old philoso-
pher? They are dead, while Chris
tianity survives. The school of atheism
led to despair. Materialism soon found
that every violation of the moral law
could 60 on consistently with its teach,
ings. SO pantheism and positivisnl
have followed only to be destroyed
and now we have the school Of hui
manity and the cosmic philosophy
coming close to the borders of Chris
tianity as expounded by John Fisae
"They tell US there is no more Crea,
tor, only cosmic dust Who made
the dust? There is only protoplasn
indeed. Who made the protopasm
They tell US OF evolution from dust tc
monkey and then to man but all the
scientists have never found the missing
link. The simple gospel of the hum,
bic son of 4 carpenter, preached by
twelve fishermen, has survived the CEN
turies and outlives al! other PHILOSOPHERS
Of |, 5000 years.
Il am not posted in the terminology
Of the PHILOSOPHERS. believe them tc
be Of little use to reach the hearts and
to influence the action of simple men
There is no liberty that lasts in the
world, and there is no Government
which has liberty in it that lasts that
does not recognize the Bible. What is
the object of all theology? 1t is tC
reach the human heart and to conro
the actions of men as they are.
"How many Of us can even under
stand what the philosopher says2 You
might take the whole Stock Exchange
and read Kant to them and it would
be utterly incomprehensible to them.
Not so with the teachings OF the Col
den Rule. They could understand at
least what that means: | read Mr.
Wakeman pamphlet last night They
tell US God must disappear that prayer
is begging +; that the Holy Communion
Is cannihalism. When did such a re
ligion send out missionary? When
you show me a colony of 10, 900 peo-
pie who haye come to live decently by
its teachings | may believe it, But
say now that the Christian faith of my
mother is good enough for me. II we
believe this faith, what HARM If we
disbelieve it, and thereby do wrong,
what of our future y