Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-19
PENTEC0STAL VIEWS.
Estimates Of Churches and Their
Work by Rev. Hugh O. Pentecost.
THE MISSION OF LIBERALISM.
The Latest Noted Addition to the secq.
I. larist Forces Explains
HlMsELf AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH

The audience that greeted Mr.. Hugh o.
Pentecost in Lafayette Hall last night was
not large, but what it lacked in numbers
was compensated in earnestness, being COM
posed largely Of people who, whether or no
they think life worth living. evidently want
to get as much out Of it as possible, and are
not building altogether on future existence
in Abraham's bosom, and little knots dis
cussed various topics, mainly biological, for
three quarters Of an hour before Harry
Hoover introduced the lecturer.
Mr.. Hoover paved the way by telling the
story of Hypatia, ana then proceeded to
state that the church spread itself over
Europe like the pail of death. extinguish-
ing all mental life and liberty for IL CEN
turies until Arabian civilization and science
was borne into it on Moorish lances. He
then told the story of Copernicus, Galileo
and Bruno, and referred to the unwilling Of
statue to the honor of the latter, which,
he said, the Pope didn't like. He said there
still remained some brains in the church,
and they were first struck by the light as
are mountain tops at sunrise. The light
struck Beecher, and finally Hugh o. Pente-
cost. who also had brains, and neither the
Baptist nor the Congregational communion
could hold him, and he came out.
Mr.. Pentecost spoke rapidly for about an
hour. After telling of his baptism at u
years Of age and his II years experience as
minister of the Gospel,
The following is synopsis of his lecture:
Mr.. Pentecost stated that this was his essay
as Liberal. He did not profess tobe q scien-
tist and knew but little OF liberalism, having
but read furtively Paine and IngersolI, as min
isters frequently do.
HIS THOUGHT WAS AWAKENED.
The study of Darwin and the Dutch school of
biblical criticism had awakened his thought It
was powerful task to get away from his moor.
ings. he first thought that If the Bible we're
the word of God he ought to be able to UNDER
stand it without the aid of so many commen-
taries. The study of it convinced him that the
teachings of the Church were very different
from those of Jesus He would speak only of
the Protestant churches where he found as
a rule, ministers struggling to get charge OF
the largest congregations and the best salaries
bowed down to the rich and neglected the poor
the teachings of Christ and the practices Of the
Church would never suspect there was any con-
nectlon between them.
Mr.. Pentecost said he got away from the
Church because he consistently believed the
Bible. Some people believe that Christ Is God.
but 1t would be very foolish to do what hs
orders. Mr.. Pentecost said he expected an an
swer TO prayer. That might appear very silly he
lief to Liberal. but it was aprofound one virb
him, and when he found that some things
taught in the Bible were not true he had no
further respect for 1t than he had for the
Koran or any other Bible. He found no credi.
BILE evidence of the truth of miracles, and the
story Of the life OF Jesus Christ be found te
have been as misleading to him as that Of
q 7rT1 ID rra
He IS NOT AN ATHEIST.
He then extended his inquiries fzrther and
could find no evidence Of the orthodox COD.
nor that man shall live again. He is neither
an atheist nor materialist any more than he
is Baptist Methodist or Presbyterian, though
he does not think any dishonor attacbas
to either of these names. He SPOKE in the senss
that he is neither Republican, Democrat or
Prohibltionist. Nor is be an Agnosfic, but a
Eationallss a. IN the strle,est sense Of the word,
NO God as that there Is. The hnman mere 9s;nd y
cannot grasp the idea of infnity. There NAV
be something in the universe in connectioi,
with matter. The speaker would neither af-
flrm nor deny. Desire to see may have evolved
the eye and we cannot tell what NAV be A.
eomplished by human desire exerted during
the next million years.
Mr.. Pentecost knows nothing ahont Qod
and thinks most people, II honest from the
Pope down win say the same.
some people have spiritual eyes, ears and
mouths, and can thereby understand thinos
they cannot explain to infidels, but some nnhs,
levers once had these facilities. amono them
myself and they know they were delnded.
,,;,,l men S, IAN sees snakes we know what ails
MN. Ihe cultivated eye OF the painter and .he
ear OF the finished musician can see and hear
more tnan can clodnopper, but the latter can
see eel ana 5s1 hear something, while the believer in
know whether the object of adoratinn IL ~
she, or it. doesn't even see snakes some i'm
agine they see an old white-bearded man seated
on great white throne.
SPIRITUALIsM NOT A SCIENCE
Mr.. Pertecost doesn't think spiritualism an
exact science, and cannot be until IL comes
out OF its cabinet into open day. Still he il in
favor OF continuing Its investigations. He re-
g garas ms own position impregnable, because
Mne1 M ne say ne knows nothing of the unseen
world, the devil, hell, ETC., be knows whereof
he afnrms He thinks such words will
eye1ntnany eve pass out of the language. Hades
Will mean no more in time than Styx does
now, and God no more than Jupiter willis the
terms life, force and energy will continne To
possess significance. "
Inc mission of liberalism is simply to dissem-
mate truth regardless whether people are really
ior u OF not. No belief is necessarily sacred
Dut tnere are multitudes of good people in the
cnurcn, and their feelings should not be hurt
unnecessarily. These people would be good no
matter what their creed Who uarries for
money, Jesus of Nazareth knew this and said
tnat puDncans should go into the kingdom of
heaven before the self-righteous he was ad-
dressing: Saloon keepers do less harm than
land-grabbers and such as John Wanamaker.
the Vanderbilts and the Standard OH Com,
pany. We might be better without the use OF
Whisky and tobacco, and amusement going
might be carried TO excess but these are indi.
yidual matters and must be guided BY common
sense. Liberalism must champion the cause of
the poor. "
Timely Bargain-Ladies Underwear De-
parfmeuf.