The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-24


tam other things that could not be shaken. and
Therefore would remain. And the writer oi the
.a I, o. Peter had confidence in a certain
IAAW OF zoo tnat liyeth and aoideth forever
Ia otner words, the misconeeption, in partial
view, 10 always being shaken by closer iInyasti
sa.Ion ana more comprehensive knowles
ou. .Re prfneipfes, which are the urterauce the
Wofd,ef the Eternal Power and Idfe-fbese 60
MAN," abide forever.
When certain timbers in a bridge decay and
building 10 lost art, and that the work OF the
engineer is gone by? Since theology the Human
sos "a religion, is a. much mans work as is the
structure OF any bridge that was ever made
enal we wonder that ii also has to be rsnaired
OF even entirely rebuilt at times?
H. IN me early days OF medicine the crudest and
imagined that the soul could not cross over
water or 60 through fire, SO they sometimes sur
Iounaed dying man with one or both of these
Its intended purpose Of leaving the body. This
was once one phase of the sci
s En- On. Of I.os aoc,orins; And even today
many various and contradictory schools con-
cernins the theory and practice OF medicine. he
- compelled 70 admit that it 10 in quite as
cnaotic condition as 10 theology itself But
because medical theory and practiee change
rom age to age. and becau-e so little even vet IL
Known, does any one jump to the foolish con-
menf 1t is my opinion that the doctor and the
minister will quit work together going ont of
practice hand In hand. And the date OF this
-
has come to be SO good al to need them no
longer. God speed the day, say IL The true
r work o. h, both physician and clergyman is to
his work ~
The scientific spirit is the genius Of the mod.
spirit To investigate and test Institutions ara
asked to show Gauss for their continued exist.
ence. And that cause must be something more
than antiquity, or than even real service rem
hat On do for
todayf' This Is the question on the repiv I'd
which It's future depends. To answer this ajles-
note some of the things it has stool for IN the
past, and then consider.what re alton 1t holds to
the eternal nature OF man, and the real trend of
So long as the old beliefs about the functions
and powers OF the church remained un.haken,
there was no trouble about keeping the people
the strongest OF all possible motives-the desire
Tor lie, prosperity and happiness, both In this
world and In the next The church was sup
posed to sway human desoiny here and l., hold
also "the keys of the Kingdom OF heaven. " Now.
whatever changes have passed over human
thought, II the church cannot continue to stand
IN relation to human interests-difierent, per-
weighed in the balance and found wanting"
IL must surely pass away, The church must
9s sDe 20 give 70 men fe prosperity and
position In favor Of some more efficient and
bensfcient power.
l.
the church has stood for in the past
l. First and above all, it stood for mans only
hope OF eternal safety. This was supposed to be
world SO fallen as to be utterly lost and ruined
lone ark, the church. This ark was large enough
Tor q /; and, once on toard, In whatever
capacity, whether rich or poor. wise OF ignorant,
noble or peasant, not only was present safety
assured, but a heaven Of eternal felicity was
sure 10 be attained at last A boatman does not
need 70 argue with a drowning man and per-
suade him that life IL sweet, in order to induce
him to consent to exchange his plank for the
cabin OF ship. 1t only needs that men shou d
know they are drowning and that safety 10
nigh. While, then, these beliefs were general
and were unquestioningly held, the church
needed only TO open her doors "All that a man
hath viii he give for his LIFE" And any terms
or conditions were easy where the stake was SO
great and the decision final. Indeed, so all-eon-
trolling was the hunger for what the people be-
heved to be "the bread of life," that the church
order to bring the haughtiest king to mis- knees,
or to spread CONSERVATION through an empire
The Catholic church, then, is wise, If she
ing the people ignorant so that they
may not question her possession of the
exclusive power to save. And those churches
of high thinking and noble living may lead TO
heaven, must make up their minds to abdicate
their authority, or el~e rest 1t on some founda-
shake.
2 The priesthood of the old church
also, by virtue of its supernatural knowledge
ana power, held in its hands the conditions OF
all earthly prosperity. 1t only could consecrate
human love- and turn Ii from q consuming fire
lto the pure flame of "holy marriage" II only
could cleanse young motherhood from the faint
OF the curse entailed by the fall. 1t only could
bless the newborn soul and start its tiny feet
on the safe pathways of life. 1t only could
shriye the weary soul of the old man, and as
sure It's sale conduct through the dark valley
1t only could bless the last resting place of the
dead, guard IL against the encroachments of evil
M oaA
last day.
Not only, then, did it dominate thus the life of
individuals, 1t held the nations In its hands as
well. 1t claimed TO exercise the power To set up
thrones and overture them. Its hand must set
the crown upon the head of kings in order to
legitimate their sway. 1t must train the heir
70 the throne. II must dictate the policy of
kingdoms. 1t must bless the proclamation of
armiea
1t ruled also the brains rs well as the arms of
man. 1t settled the legitimate scope of study.
set bounds to science, and directed the flights of
philosophy.
OF man looked to the church as keir most eff
cient ally. The sailor on To sea, the traveller
by land, both trusted neither wind nor sail. nor
horse nor road so much as TO special protection
OF some patron saint. The succes sful issue OF a
venture or deliverance from threatened peril
was sure to be celebrated by some offering at
chureh's benediction for the growth of his
crops, to her prayers for the needed rain, to her
COMPUTATIONS for deliverance from pests; and to
the church he brought the tithes that he re-
garded as her rightful share.
In times of disease or pestilence they blamed
themselves for no breach OF sanitary conditions,
but were only penftent for some rite neglected;
and they trusted to professions or incantations
or prayers for relief.
The church then touched with her fingers all
the springs of human thought and human ac-
tivity. Humanity was an instrument ell whose
keys she knew, and whose music of despair or
hope she played at will. So long as all earthly
good hung on her smile and all earthly H. only
awaited her frown there could be no more ques-
ton AS to the mans need OF the church than
there was of his need OF sunshine or air
8. Then there were long and ,dreary ages
during which the church not only had her hold
upon the fear of man, but when she he'd them
by their love and gratitude as well; After the
breakup of the Roman empire. and before the
limits OF the great modern nations were settled,
when the king was oniv the most powerful OF a
group of mob es each OF whom was lighting for
his own prerogstiyes, and when the great mass
of the common people was only raw material ior
armies or victims tor plumber, the church then
actually stood, in accord with the ideas OF the
time, as the champion of manhood against the
irresponsible tyranny OF birth and power Ex-
cept a stronger king, here was the only author
ity on earth of which king stool in awe. lie
did fear the church, and before her uplitted
symbols he fell on his face IN terror,
In one sense at least the church was demo-
cratic. Through her priesthood the way was
open for any thunderstorm peasant 10 became
the peer o. the nobiest- born. AS here in America
any boy may become president. so any obscureSt
child OF Christendom might win the red cspof
the cardinal or the tiara of the pope. And the
peasant who became pope was ''mlghtier than
king" The proudest monarch was humble
enough TO hold the stirrup for the vice-gersnt OF
God on earth. In one sphere of life, then, at
least. a God-selected manhood was recognized as
more royal than royal blood itself.
typical illustration of the power OF the
church to come 70 the defense OF innocence
A "a