The Globe-republican., 1890-02-05

HONEST DOUBT in the sense Of inquiry
is everywhere to he commended. But
men get into the habit of doubling, not
for want of evidence, but for lack of in
vestigatiOn. They have heard read a
few portions of the Bible: they have
heard few sermons; they have observed
a few imperfect christian lives; they
have heard distorted statements of
church creeds; they really have not Civ
en- one months careful study to any of
the great questions pertaining to the
Bible. Now. they jump at u single
hound to the conclusion that the Bible
is false; the creeds of the churches are
horrible; christian people are hypocrites ;
and life is failure and ends in darkness.
What is the trouble? First, there has
been no honest, careful Investigation.
Men actually condemn scripture truth
without knowing what it is. They do
not study the Bible to find what good
there is in it, but to find fault with it and
to condemn it. Second. men think they
are honest with themselves when, on
these great questions of Bible truth, they
are not. They flatter themselves that
they have been very fair and impartial.
when the fact is they entered upon their
slight investigation with a deep seated
prejudice against Bible truth, and equally
as great prejudice in favor of their own
theories. They do not want to be con-
WINGED, they do not intend to be; the re-
suit is they are not. They prefer to car
~ with them some pet sin. habit or the
Dry. and prefer to disbelieve the Bible
which cOndems their course. rather than
give up their pet. Two notable cases of
| this unwillingness TO be convinced have
come before us in criminal trials. In
1872, at Lebanon, Ohio, Thomas Niece
han was tried for the murder of his
brOther-in-law, Thomas 5. Myers. Elev-
en- jurymen were for conviction. one for
acquittal. The jury disagreed. The
same testimony was presented to all.
But testimony piled lis high as Mount
Everest would not have convinced that
one juryman. for me did not intend TO be
convinced. The same thing is true in
the now famous Cronin trial. One Jury
man was for acquittal, while the others
We're in favor of conviction for murder
in the first degree; finally the verdict
was a compromise on murder in the Sec
Ond degree. That one was not convinced
because of Il lack of evidence nor be-
cause he could not be. but because he
would not be. The old adage is true,
''convince man against his will and he
is of the same opinion STILL"
+++
The HONEST DOUBTER will come to
the study of the Bible with an earnest
desire to know what it teaches. He will
be candid with himself and with the book.
He will not come saying do not believe
this, that or the other. He will say,
am willing to investigate; am willing
to learn; am willing to believe; am
willing to know. When he comes to
something he does not understand. if he
be honest. he will not refuse to believe
because he does not understand and COM
prehend. 1t is such folly to say. do
not believe. because | do not cOmpre-
bend! Tell me what life is. Shall we
refuse to believe we live because we do
not comprehend what it is? Tell me how
the human system converts food into
bone, muscle, blood. nerve. brain. in the
wonderful laboratory called the stomach.
And because we do not comprehend and
understand it shall we say we do not be-
lieve it? Let us use the same common
sense in relation to moral. religious and
spiritual things that we do in relation to
physical things.
Several years ago Colonel. Ingersoll
challenged General Lew Wallace to the
study of the Bible for five years, and he
would think of it then as Colonel Inger-
soil pretends to think. The General &C
cepted the challenge, and within the five
years Lew Wallace was an earnest chris
tian man, and as one of the results he
wrote Ben Hur, "a work which everywhere
accepts the divinity, as well as argues to
maintain it. About fifteen years ago.
two eminent lawyers in Ohio made
similar challenge with each other. The
result was both became firm believers in |
the Bible. and 10 the truths of christian
ity. Such must be the final result of all
candid, thorough, honest study of the
Bible; not because four hundred millions
of people believe in it. but because the
proofs are incontestable. All one has to
do is to gather the proofs, and they are
overwhelming.
THE DRINKER of intOXicants always |
manages to have an excuse for his drink |
ing. When he is cold he drinks to make |
him warm, and when he is warm he
drinks that he may be cool; if he has
been wet In the rain or the river he drinks /
to make him dry, and if he is thirsty he
drinks to quench it; if he have a weak