The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-05
. COMING RELIGION.
What 1t Ought to Be in the
Twentieth Century.
REV. WALLACE NuTTiMo's TALK.

REV. WALLACE NuTTiNo's TALK.
\ Vigorous Sssnsa - n Iasssessi,e
Subject as Plymouth CAarcA Tee.
tsrAay Uesaine.
Rev. wallace Nutting preached yestsr.
day morning on the subject. Twentieth
Century Religion" from the text Rev,
xxii:l3: Il am the Alpha and the Omega
the first and the last. the beginning and
the end" Mr.. Nuttiue said:
I spsak Of twentieth century religion. not
what IL viii be. but what 10 ought 60 b Amid
20 maay divergent currents of human pAsstoa
10 10 easier IN say what should thaa to say what
will b. uppe.moss In the twentieth century
As in the case OK \ young man OF woman in
whom you csa see . sensual mouth but
spiritual ere aud brow. revealing the present
inward atyuggie and giving no clue TO the out.
come 50 10 IL with the forces Of work within
the nations. We cannot tell whether the young
nation OF the young man viii rise or fall
But at time when the crisis Of unitarian
seems 10 have been reached il Germany: when
Q great change 10 imminent In Enxland Is re-
cards the dominance OF the old aris;ocracy and
party in America have felt themselves CON-
PEELED to adopt q large part Of the SOCIALIST
programme. 1t 10 pain that . new society 10
being born. and that religious changes also will
occur. No great political revolution 10 without
. profound influence on religion. The French
revolution ovesthrew the Old religion - COM
piesely - It ovesthrew the old political au.
thority.
When one OF two missionaries sent out to con-
vert the Asiatics 70 Christi anity were them
selves converted to Buddhism. and when re-
cent minister to Turkey 10 converted to Noham-
mechanism ard comes back 70 buy up great
tract OF land In o southern state q Q site for
colony OF hts new co-reigionists, IL IL high time
to ask ourselves. "where are We as?''
Mohammedanism hes made much more rapid
progress IN Africa in she last generation than
has Christianity: and in Thousands Of country
towns In the old Eastern states denomination.
alfsm has killed out almost tho last yestige OF
any kind OF religion good or bad.
The appearance OF the Mormon apostles few
decades ago showed that great many of the
American people were only waiting for some
kind Of . religion that would serve - Q con.
vsnieut cloak for the indulgence Of inclinations:
and 1t must b confessed that the religion OF
the Turk, barring its Mormon aspect 10 . great
advance on NO religion ct all, and would b
blessing to . people whom Il might restrain
from drunkenness
Calling country Christian does NOT make IL
90: and making . country Christian or half
Christian does not keep II 90. Within the last
6fty yea.a the most Christian portions Of our
country. We may say without exaggeration, have
become the most heather, and almost every
Western settlement II better supplisd with
church goefs than many old Eastern districts
IL 10 therefore very pertinent to inquire
whether Christianity 10 . religion fitted for the
twentieth century, which will be upoa IN before
n pf1f1o A
worlds fairs are being planned for In that
century: the bondsof corporations will In many
cases not become due till about q 9th OF that
century has passcd; and the children of our
sunday school viii many OF them live, II the
world continues 20 long, far past the middle Of
that century. Arc We not interested In It! Nay,
humanity speaking, 10 not q great part OF our
own life to BE- passed In that new eraf There
can b no doubt that 1t will. o. regards all
material development. Be . period 90 marvellous
that the accumulated works Of all preceding
ages cannot compare with it A. TO religion is
IL more difaeult tosay. A great many visionary
moftals seem to b OF opinion that when
the the, line OF ths ssnsaEy IL passsd they
viii Immediately dnd themselves in !
free golden agc. jast - II time had any conuec-
ton with mofalA On the contrary. there viii
b IN that century Just what you bring to Il,
just ~ you will get Just - much OF heaven -
you have with you In your heart whom you die
That century will contain whatever the chan.
mel OF the religious life pours into it from the
accumulatlons OF the past Nothing more. The
children that enter IL will make Il what they
are: the century viii, have no character OF its
own. any more than tomorrow noon has Q char
acter. IL will be filled up BY the lifo that We
odeY to II: IL will take its cast from the great
struggles IN which We arc engaged, and when
we are talking OF what IL will b let us take
hesd that its foundations ara almost laid, and
AZ 0te
placed to unity what has preceded, and give Il
dignity and grandeur, they must b placed with
all the prayers and Gil the labors ana the rod.
like unison OF the disciples of Jesus.
The truly great men are they who mold the
generations after them-that shape their follow
Ing century; often they have little influence
upon their own. Goo recognizes this ereatness
In some men. He selec,ed Abraham. not DO.
cause he was the greatest poet or preacher or
philosopher OF his period. but because he knew
that no would command his children after him.
Incomparably great above their fellows arr
they who give twist to the moral revolutions
OF the world and send It spinning upon new
circuit
Jesus Christ when He came into the world
seemed not In haste TO make His mark, - ws
Say. When He was crucified He had touched
very few people In comparison with the multi.
tudes who are touched BY q successful poiiti.
clan. There are Thousands OF men living nov
Who are moro widely known ana who are ersr.
cising greater influence than He Yielded I'm u
the time OF HE execution. Do We remember
whyf Because He ccolly reckoncd upon postum
nous glory: eli be lifted up will draw" He
was thinking more OF planting the monuments
OF HE life at the center of the high WAYS Of the
nations. and In the mfdst OF the currents OF the
ages, where the tides OF every time shall v..h
against them. Hc was thinking more O! the
twentieth century than of the frat: more of the
day when there should DO tenfoid more ueop.e
to bless. and TO use for Him q hundrcdfold
greater powers OF service. The cxplana alton Of HE
conduct therefore IL found in the com pre hens,ys
sweep OF His vision Hc was building not n
home for Himself with His tools at Nazareth,
but temple OF the sgcx. Such a figure John
saw when the infant church was rasn!nr In the
strange new air Of the world and when the old
apostle was inclined 10 be lonely and down.
hearted. 'i' said the radiant vision 81 am
Alpha and Omega. the first and the last
have once used tie agure Of the boomerang.
which hurled from the sender's hand. swce IA
ABOUT Its strange path and falls al the fee, Of the
sender. This ngnre il no; ike the lie of the
true man; Tor the boomerang returns only when
II has failed 20 hit anything. or TO execute ita
purpose. The soul o. the .rur mar. a, ,he
contrary. fails 10 come back when IL does Moth
laE and returns, 1t IL returns at ALL with An ar
compltshed work. TIE soul on Its wanderinys
starts from, God: its destination also IL at HIs
feet. and whatever the religion OF an interval
NAV be. the last religion 10 the religion OF the
soui eoetient 20 its arss impulse. The religion
that shalt last il the religion Of Him who Last.
II you can lay hold Of soms IDEAS tina, do no,
wear out: OF some thoughts that are alvavs
sweet. of some prayers that are ever APPROXIMATE
The mouths OF people OF all ases. OF every