Telegram-herald., 1890-12-01
THE THOUGHTS OF A CRANK.
~thsrs h Mere Faith ia Honest Dsast,
ksitsss hs, 1hea IA a slf the CrssdsA1

h~ttsss ne, th2a tn a All the tresds%"
To the Editof ~ ghe T4EssAx- HKsAlDs
The above quotation, used most ef-
feetlvely by Rev. Miss Bartlett, IN one
OF her sermons. delivered some weeks
ago, had beeli running IA my head ever
since. Ie SOME persons, OF course, this
sentiment seems rank heresy, and IN 4
certain sense. 10 giorify doubt. We
should remember, however, that there
are doubts and doubts. There Is
doubt which Jesus assures IS dsmnable,
and yet there IS a doubt which Is really
the first gilmmer OF faith. The church
IN ali ages has been blind TO this vital
distinction, and has frowned away from
It's communion many = noble soul hon
estly seeking the hight.
Bear with me, while l endeavor 10
make tins point clear. / hold that the
New Testament itself not only COM
mends doubt, but also commands
it. Christ told His disciples
TO beware Of the doctrine of the
Faarlsees, and the author of Hebrews
warns his readers not 10 be carried
about with strange doctrines; and Paul
goes so Tar As 10 say that. II an angel
from heaven were 10 come down and
preach different doctrine than he bad
preached, he was not 20 De believed.
The Christian Church has always been
urging It's members 20 doubt, and has
declared it 70 De highly cOmmendable:
but, or course, It's disciples were 10
doubt al teaching not in harmony with
It's teaching. Every prOselytng sect
continually urges those OF other sects
10 doubt tie truth of what they have
been previously taught. and 10 believe
the opposing doctrines of their former
church. Thus, we see, the church it.
sell has regarded doubt as a sin only,
As its members began TO doubt the COM
monty received teachings among Its
communion. or as unconverted sinners
would not believe them Gospel as they
declared II 10 them.
Doubt Is TO be patiently and lovingly
considered and tenderly dealt with.
lest We condemn as vice that which
Is really virtue. Mr.. Trumbull has
truly said: "Whatever an honest
man believes, that is the truth to
him; and he has no more right
TO yield any part of 1t, than he has to
surrender the multiplication table; for
the laws OF ethics are as radical as the
laws of mathematics. Whatever a
tme-server believes, is of little conse-
quence; it IS a matter of self-interest
with him, and outside the catalogue of
moral agencies. A true man, in the
wrong, is OF more use in tins world than
a false man in the right" In other
words, man Is morally bound to be-
lieve what seems right and reasonable
to him; and To disbelieye what to HIM
seems unreasonable and untrue. A
true man can not do less than this; and
yet, because a man has felt that the
doctrines of the church presented for
his acceptance were utterly unreason-
able and untrue, too often has the
church turned upon him with its scorn
and anathemas, and thus forever made
HIM its foe.
It seems to me that religious teach
ers have been strangely blind to the
fact that their doctrines must seem rea-
sonable before any honest man
can embrace them. They should
commend a man for his doubt, until
he is convinced he Is wrong. Because
certain things seem clear and true TO
one man IN no proof that they seem so
10 another man. One is honest in his
belief, and the other equally honest 10
his disbelief; and it often happens that,
in the exchange of ideas, tue one who
Is seeking 10 convert is himself convert
ed as henever before saw things as the
other did; but, when he occupied the
new standpoint he is astonished that ne
could have entertained his former
notions, and he Is also ashamed that he
attribute such unworthy motives to his
fellow man.
i hold that the church has been
guilty of suicidal folly in Its constant
assertion that intellectual doubts are
| sinful. It has driven many an honest
seeker away, bitter and angry, by init
mating to nun that his doubt of their
dogmas was a sure index of a depraved
moral nature. Unbelief and immoral
! ity have nearly always been coupled
| together. A man IS pointed out as
skepte, an inhdel, OF even a
UniversalIst, aud the orthodox believer
shudders as be passes, when perhaps
that very man IS more than the peer of
/ that so-cslled Christian, who, like the
priest and Levite of old. passed by on
/ the other side. That parable of the
Good Samaritan" was a terrific rebuke
/ of pharssalc orthodoxy, which neglect
/ ed the common humanties of life. The
samaritan was considered a hereto by
the Jews, but Christ commended him
/ to them as an example of good works.
The s0-called infidel Of today Is often
more fruitful IN good works, than the
man who would not 80 much as touch
him with the hem OF ms garment, lest
he De defled.
wish TO cite one instance from his
/ tory 70 show that even a se-eslled
atheist has really more faith IN God.
than those who put him 10 death for bis
atheism.
Prof Max Muller tells Va than Vsnini
was condemned TO have his tongue torn
out, and 70 be burnt alive, ll6l9 A. d.
because be was considered an atheist,
but this = what tbs so-Called atheist
said Of God.
"Yoa ask what God a. IF
L knew q. would be God,
I for no one knows God, ex-
/ oept God himself. Let us say. how
7 ever, thst be Is tbs greatest good, the
+ FIRST beng. tbe whole. Just. compass
I slCnate, calm. the creator. preserver.
7 moderator, omni iscient. OmnI potent.
the father king. lord. redeemeT, ruler,
Z The beginning. tie end. the middle.
Z eternal the author, lfe-ziver. observer.
+ the srtlhcer. providencs. the heuefzc-
Tor. He alone j al IN al. The msn
who believec ths man rss burned sssn
( sthe st, because. f0rsooth. be did not
E believe IN the reQnant doctrine of the
/ TRINITY Truly. re car say OF him At
east There vss more fssta n your
honest douat. thsn ia asl ne unntolli-
glale isrxon OF your mur1ersrs.
CssRLEs 4. GIssoS.
November So, 1890.