The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-11-23
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
PROF.. LApp ON AaNosr1o1sM.

PULPIT ANU PLAtf onMs
PROF. LADD ON AGNosTICIsM.
last evening, at High street church,
Professor Ladd of Yale University. de-
livered a very able lecture on agnosticism
In the religious thought of today. The au-
dience was notIlarge but seemed thoroughly
appreciative of the speakers clear and
close line of reasoning. Professor Ladd
began by speaking of the prevailing spirit
of inquiry of the age. This spirit is as.
sailing everything, even the redemptive
work of God. S9
Professor Ladd proposed to speak: First,
of the fact of the prevalent scepticism and
agnosticism; second. of the sources in the
past from which this attitude of the age
springs; third, the outlook and the rem
edy.
Some of us in New England may not be
aware of how the great currents of thought
are tending. Yet, fifteen years ago great
excitement was occasioned In CoDgrega.
tional churches by installation Of a minis.
ter who expressed his doubts as to the fate
of the wicked. Yet now scores express
these same doubts and pass without ques-
tion into the ranks Of our ministers and even
missionaries. In the Presbyterian church
there is quite as much uneasiness, quite
as much doubt.
In Europe they have passed beyond the
state of conflict, through which we have
been passing In the last fifteen years. In
all European countries. especially the Ro.
niCatholic, there is prevailing scepticism,
doubt. agnosticism, unbelief. This is espec-
tally true of the professional men Of Ger
many.
The agnosticism of today is milder and
less aggressive than was the atheism of a
hundred years ago. But agnosticism is
prevalent In all orders Of society.
Sources of doubt as to being of God and
His relations to society are found principal
ly In the progress the material sciences
have made. in the last twenty five years. The
physical sciences themselves have been
torn up and revolutionized. By the mod
ern conceptions which the sciences have
created of the relation of man to nature,
they have tended to unsettle theological be-
lief. Science is moving to bring everything
under the conception Of nature as a mech.
anism ruled by universal law. The theory
of evolution is joining hands with psychol-
ogy to establish this conception. These
theories of the scientists (but not all of them
however, have penetrated the minds of the
people and unsettled their religious beliefs.
In addition to physical science. phllo-
sophical dogma has contributed much to
the present state Of thought. Emanuel
published In 1881, a great work which is
too abstruse for any but the most learned
mind, but has gradually permeated the
popular mind. In this work is the founda-
There are hundreds Of thousands of men
who never read Kant. but
who are permeated by his philosophical
doubts: They do not know the source of
their ideas. onLCe or g6U0a. Is LsIg rps
Another source OF agnosticism is In the
This spirit of inquiry attacked first pro-
fame history and next sacred. The Bibli-
cal writings are now undergoing the, most
severe scrutiny at the hands of hundreds
of trained students.
Still another source of agnosticism Is to
be found In line of practical conduct pur-
sued by the church itself. ThisIis. the
wealth, of respect for the money-naking
power. 1t is difficultfor men engaged in
active business life TO devote much atten-
ton to the ideal and the spiritual. The
members of churches are about as much
absorbed in material matters as others.
The attention OF the age is DEVOTED to seen
things. and God Is the great Unseen.
What is the remedy for this? How Is
the mind of man to work out this problem ?
The answer Is found In the verse In Gene
sis: "And God said, let us make man In
our own image" Inasmuch as man is a
child Of God, he yearns to ground himself
in faith in God. However much he may
cause 1t is his nature to do so. Scepticism
Is natural and necessary in the progress of
the race. All history SHOWS that there
has been first, acquiescence IN authority,
then doubt, ssceptlcism, examination. and
then return to faith on new basis. The
temple of God is being builded anew.
There Is to be re-grounding of faith.
Professor Ladd gave his reasons for his
belief In this re-grounding of faith. God Is
In Man.
The physical history of the globe will be
found not to oppose the idea Of God, but
an enrichment of our knowledge Of God.
Physical science, by its memorable laws.
teaches US that God Is not only good, but
chastises the human race forits own good
Professor Ladd thought that this genera
ton, which was being brought up "to have
a good time" needed to be taught that
there were higher objects.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
Special Thanksgiving services were held
at the First Baptist church yesterday. In
the morning the pastor, Rev. w. S. Ayres.
preached from the text, Psalm 147; IL.
praise We the Lord. for 1t is good to sing
praise unto our Lord for 1t is pleasant and
praise is comely." 1.-THE whose PSALM"
he said sis hymn Of praise, but this does
not have an abstract meaning for a practi-
cal man of the nineteenth century. He Is
apt to ask with an air Of establishment,
what should we praise God for? We
know we have much to be thankful for, but
we forget that God is the author of 1t all.
The Jewish nation was far different. In
whatever befel him the Jew saw the hand
of God and was grateful to Him for it. We,
however, do not live in grateful age. A
scientific spirit has taken possession of US.
II man does us good turn, we want to
know what motive prompted him before
we give him our gratitude. The whole
trend of the spirit of the age forces God
into the background, and emphasizes our
own power till there is no ground for graf
itude. There is no one to praise but our
selves, and for that human nature is al
ways ready. OF all the problems that face
the church there Is none greater than that
of Sabbath dissertation, which has its ORR
gin In the fact that we have forgotten that
we owe anything to God, even our present
lives. GCd allows us to be brought low
now and then that he may show that all
the while our prosperity and happiness
were due to the fact that He was In an un-
seen way guiding us and protecting US
from danger, Let US who know this carry
II o message to those who so wrapped up in
themselves. Have we not enough after all
to inspire this thanksgiving in our hearts
Can we look back without overlooking
with praise to God for many mercies that
none other could or would have bestowed.
The hundred of boys iwho have felt
personally acquainted with I" Lion Ben,"
through Rev. Elijah Kellogg's story, will
be interested in the Bath independents
statement that the original Lion Ben was
a Bath man, the late David Curtis, who
lived In a large square mansion on lower
High street. Mr.. Curtis was very pow
erfully built and muscular man, noted for
feats OF strength. and native of Harps-
well. Hon. William Rogers tells the nde-
pendent tnat on one occasion he was en-
gagged to r0am ship and ha started in