St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-27
Says DR.. S. G. Smith, for All
Sciences Have Been So
Far Advanced.
Although All Real Truth Re-
mains the Same Through
out the Ages.
The Christian Religion Strikes
the Reason Of Man as No
Other Does.

science but has been completely revolu-
tiOnized. There is scarcely depart
ment of history that has not been in
vaded. In short, the majority of books
written before 1910 are already super
animated" The opera house was, as
usual, well filled when the services of
the Peoples church began. "Shall We
Abandon Christianity?" was the topic of
Dr.. Smiths discourse, which, by the
way, was one of his best efforts. The
text was from Romans ill.,, 4: "Let God
be true, but every man a liar"
A large part of the intellectual occu-
patton of the past fifteen years has been
been that of inquiry, he said. That
which Matthew Arnold calls the Time
Spirit is a very inquisitive devil indeed.
Rightly does he say: 1.-The foundations
OF the great deep are broken up, and
the time comes when man searches
with passionate earneStneSS for some
thing certain, and can, and will hence
forth, build upon facts only" Let us
note that this spirit has no local object,
but with equal foot has knocked at the
temples of religion and the palaces of
learning. Theology has indeed been
affected, but it has not been recreated
i'll the same way as has chemistry,
botany and geology.
1t is perfectly right, however, that
both religion and every other statement
of thought and fact
SHOULD HAVE REyERENT REVIEW.
Let us remember, however, that the
nineteenth century method has its dan
gers. A crude culture. with deStruc-
tive purpose, is as dangerous as boy
playing with 4 revolver. Your gar
dener ought to know the difference be-
tween flowers and weeds, or geraniums
and roses will go along with the this
ties. Let us remember that many
things remain to us from the past. The
principles of logic, rhetoric, mathemat-
les. and astronomy are essentially as
they have been for twenty centuries. 1t
may be that the foundations of religion
deserve to be left in the same category.
Despite all dangers, the spirit of inquiry
is the promise of good. L reverence my
irreyerent age. After the breaking of
old idols comes the worship of the I'M
seen God. After the death of old dog
mas, the reasonable faith of intelligent
men. A spirit OF doubt ought to be
brief and transitional in every depart
ment. 1t leads to indecisiOn and mae
ton. 1t is when man comes to see, to
know, to believe, that he is ready for
progressive speculation in thought,
or practical action in affairs. Doubt is
paralysis. The true antithesis is not
doubt and faith, but faith and igno-
rance. Nobody can believe contrary to
knowledge. Nobody can have belief
which amounts to conviction, without
knowledge. The world is giving up
many things. 1t is gradually giving up
mOnarchical governments. 1t is hast
ening to lay aside the toll of the human
hand, for hand of iron and lungs of
steam. With other WORKOUT appliances
and institutions, will we come at length
to abandon Christianity? We will not
without deeper reason than most people
have yet found. 1t will not do to say
that bad people profess it, for that is
nothing at all against Christianity. SO
bad people are carpenters, artists. sail
ors. If it could ever be shown that the
practice of Christianity makes people
bad, that would be something to be con-
Sidered in the light Of an objection. 1t
will not do to say that foolish people
have misrepresented it. That is moth
ing against the system. If every man
were hung that has ever been lied
about, which of us
WOULD ESCAPE THE GALLONS.
There have been more foolish theOlO-
gianS than there have foolish lawyers.
foolish doctors or foolish schoOlmaSters.
Perhaps we can see that folly does not
belong to law, medicine or teaching.
1t rather belongs to the men themselves.
The fact is, there is no such thing as
monopoly in the matter of religion.
| know some churches pretend to
superior Sanctity, some creedS tOperfect
wisdom, but we understand very well
that there is nothing in it but pretenSe.
If you and l do not like the way people
practice Christianity, the road is open
for us to practice it better ourselves.
If we do not like the way they teach it
publicly or privately, you and l shall
teach it with more wisdom. if we can.
But shall we abandon Christianity?
Certain propositions l desire to state.
First-The human reason is the last
appeal In all matters OF opinion.
Second-The human reason has ca
pacity for realities.
Third-Whatever is true at all is true
always and everywhere.
Fourth--In view of its limited
strength, the human mind must accept
any statement which has weightier rea-
sons for it than against it, though it
may not be able to answer all Objec-
lions.
Fifth-If there be an intelligent God,
He can reveal Himself.
SiXth-If He has made a revelation to
us, we may know it.
Sevelith-If we know it, we ought to
accept and obey. There are other forms
of religion in the world besides Chris
tianity.
My first proposition is, that Christian
ity is the best religion the world has
thus far known. define religion thus:
Religion is system of belief in the SUI
pernatural, and the system of duties
cOnformable to that belief. The char
acter of every religion will therefore
depend upon its conception of the super
natural. Affairs and victims make pro-
pitiations. Every temple is an act of
homage and divine dwelling place.
Paradise and Gehenna are symbols of
retrIbuti0n. Prayers indicate faith in
Providence. Every fact of every system
is in some sense an explanation of
their divine ideal. If the gods of the
Greeks are sensual, Greek morality will
rise no higher If their knowledge is
limited, men will try to deceive them.
If wOrshiperS believe their God cruel
and blOodthirsty, they will offer their
SONS to the flames, or they will throw
themselves under the wheels of the
Juggernaut. History will teach that
the morals of any people have never
risen higher than its conception of God.
Now affirm that Christianity presents
THE HIGHEST DIVINE IDEAL
that the world has ever known. Andto
reduce the necessity for argument we
will consider Christianity as distinct
from Judaism. PolytheiSm, OF the wOr-
ship of many gods, OH it's cOarser side,
made cats and serpents sacred, and in
the most cultivated centers of ancient
times worship was own sister to moral
pollution. Pantheism represents the
unthinking forces of nature as divine.
1t is philosopy rather than religion.
1t cannot become worship, because
God is not intelligent. or if He is intelli-
gent He does not know it,
We, ourselves, have no real respon-