The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-29
AN AGN0sTIC WEDDING.

From Decatur, Illinois, comes an account
through the dispatches Of the most remark
able wedding that ever occurred in the
social history of that town, or perhaps of
the state 1t was an Agnostic wedding
The bride was Miss LOUIS WATSON, the
daughter of prominent and wealthy ply
stefan, and great social favorite. She
was also graduate of La Sale seminary
and Smith college. The groom was PER
CIvAL CHUBB, graduate of Oxford, Eng
land. Both young people," the dispatch
goes on to state, entertain agnostic ideas,
and therefore the wedding ceremony was
performed by Judge w. E. NELSON; and in
place of prayers, selections were read from
THOMAS ATTEMPTS, EMERSON, RUsKIN and
SHAKESPEARE"
The word "agnostic' is Of recent origin.
1t was coined, in fact, by Professor Hulk
LEY as a name intended to be descriptive of
his unbelief in the existence of Con and
the truth OF revelation. at came into my
head" says the great scientist, ''as sug-
gestively antithetic to the 'gnostic' of
church history, who professed to know so
much about the very things of which L was
| ignorant''-that is of Con and revelation.
Again: Though agnosticism is not and
cannot be a creed, except in so far as
its general principle is concerned /;
yet the application of that principle results
in the denial, or the suspension of judg-
ment concerning, a number of propositions
respecting which our contemporary eccle-
siastical 'gRostics' profess entire certain
1 t,-f' Of
are certain and about which the professor
is uncertain are Gods existence, the truth
of the revelation contained in the Bible.
and the resurrection and Immortality OF
man. And the application of the main
of the main principle of "agnosticism," &C
cording to Professor Huxley, results in the
denial of these things. Hence what is ag-
Mysticism but an old ing-infidelity-un
der new name!
Such is the significance of the term Tag.
nostics." And now, what of an agnostic
wedding! A wedding where God and his
power are not recognized; where his au-
thority is not looked upon as sanctifying,the
union or giving to it mere civil contract
A wedding that means the establishment
of home without an altar A home where
lisping childhood will never be taught 9
prayer or learn tho sublime lessons of faith
and trust! A home where, perchance, a
despairing mother and wife may yet find
she has no refuse of consolation in the hour
of sore trial that comes, sooner or later, tc
all mortals! What think you OF
such wedding, drawing with it such re-
sultsa Is it not an occasion TO,
sorrow rather than Of JOY! Should not the
bride be clothed in sables instead of viii tie.
and wear the sorrowing asphodel instead
of orange blossoms? Should not the mar.
riage bell be muffied, and fasting take the
place of the joyous marriage feast!
We can understand bow the gaunt form
of agrosticism may raise its deaths head in
colleges, On lecture platforms and in the
libraries OF cold, unfeeling philosophers
but can never understand how it is possibl,
for such monster to appear at the altar O.
Hymen or within the sacred precincts o.
the home circle. In mans recearche!
after facts, and drawing his conclusion,