St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-11
ONE NOT ENOUGH.
Rev. William Wilkinson Says Diff
ferent Men Want Different Re-
liOiOnS

Rev. William Wilkinson Says Diff
ferent Men Want Different Re-
ligions.
The rector of st. Andrews church
gave last night his second address on
the spirit of question as applied TO re-
ligion, and said:
ut must ever be remembered, If we
are TO judge rightly, that ii is the intent
which gives quality 10 action and TO
thought, If men come to revealed re-
ligion in its historic presentation with
the determination 10 find in it nothing
10 admire. to love or to practice. 1t is
small wonder il they end by saying it is
q root out of the dry ground There
is in il 10 beauty that we should desire
it; il has no claims we are bound to re-
speet, and so cast it aside.
Religion. looked at in any honest
way. at least deserves at the start of all
inquiry recognition of the fact that it
has charmed the thought and won the
enthusiastic admiration of vast numbers
of the nOblest men and purest women
who have lived in all the ages; that the
peoples VINO have followed ii most per-
fectly have been in the lead of the ma
tons, in all which goes ID the true efe-
Walton of manhood and the highest glo.
ritication of wOmanhood; that the fnen
who have understood it best have been
leaders in every walk of life: and That
amongst the literature which is most in
f1uential, the Christian literature is at
the head. This recognition will save
men who begin to inquire from falling
into the sad and utterly groundless mis-
take of thinking and of speak
ing as though defenders of the
Christian faith have been enter
dupes or fools. 1t will be we'll also for
the man who is seeking truth, if he
honestly desires to find it, if he will not
forget that man VINO has given his
lie TO the painstaking study Of any one
subject may be presumed to know more
about it than the man knows who
is only beginning TO think seriously
about it. For lack of this just condition
in the minds of men who interrogate
the Bible and the church men fall into
strange errors. Does not trade assem-
bly, Of bricklayers, or carpenters, or
artists know more about building and
art than an assembly Of priests and
clergymen? Does not reason teach that
it is just to look for this? On this
principle it is not reasonable TO
expect that an assembly Of
priests and clergymen would be
better qualified to judge the value of
any fact, doctrine or principle as related
to the religion of Christ, than gather
ing of men who had neither The historic
knowledge nor the theological training
needful for exhaustive study of the
claims presented? In this view it Will
be seen that at the foundation of re-
ligion is reason, and SO far from reason
being power TO be discussed, denounced
and repudiated as it often has been. it is
a faculty to be exalted into the very high
places of our life, and as it is
given its true province, it will become a
powerful factor in the determination OF
what form our creed and faith shall
take. Yet it will not always determine
them, for whether we are aware of it or
not. sentiment has often as much to do
with the religion a man holds, and
which holds him, as logic. Inquiry
should teach US also that we are not
safe in saying that honest men of edu-
Gated thought will come to the same
convictions from the same facts or
principles presented for consideration.
And so it is hopeless to expect every
man will think alike on the question OF
religion: hence the absolute folly of
men who say, oh, Just settle amongst
yourselves. gentlemen. what is faith.
then come TO u.s. These men do nuC
see. apparently. how far their
theory would lead. do all men
look at social. political, philosophical
or scientific questions with oneness Of
vision. Think if 10 man would vo:e
till every man were Democrator Re-
publican: that no man would take any
medicine till all the doctors held either
the allopathic or homeopathic faith, or
that man would not send his child %
school till all the educators in the world
had concluded which is the best of
many systems of teaching. No. this is
asking too much; it is complete folly. Il
is not necessary to the assimilation of
the religious spirit and work for
every man to think as every other man
thinks, to see as all men should see. 1t
is not indispensable for every man TO
ask questions till he understands all
mystery in the Christian doctrine,
any more than it Is needful for
man to be able to tel the
chemical properties of food before he
from his dinner. Is he for this reason
to denounce chemistry? Not at all.
Rather he is to cultivate love for it.
"When we realize that every man can
ask questions; that every man ought to
encourage Teverential spirit Of in
quiry; that In matters so important as
the religion he holds is, he is, by every
sanction of duty, bound to try to have
his faith built upon evidence-then
will our work and worship stand, as it
now, alas, often does not, upon a sure
base. We do not need to fear for the
truth. As well might man on shore,
who sees little boat in the surf being
cast against rock. say, L fear for that
rock; the boat will damage it, He may
we'll keep calm If his interest is only in
the rock. That will stand. So it is
with the eternal truth of God. That
abides a fixture. Men come, live their
day, pass on into the. from US, covered
world. And the pure truth. blessing
and blessed, sings sweetly on. The
darker the day, the stormier the night,
the sweeter the song. 1 have found it
so. 1t is not in my life either Of mind
or of heart that the things | have never
questioned give me most joy: it IS that
which have questioned most seriously,
pondered most deeply. that today gives
me the most comfort. satisfaction and
hope. The spirit Of st. Thomas, who
said, Unless | see will not believe is
at least as safe as that of St. Peter, who
said, Though all men should deny
Thee, yet will not l. Underneath all
there must be authority somewhere.
The supreme authority is truth, and our
maker is its God. For God Of truth
and without iniQuity,' just aid right
is He"