St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-23
INCREASE OF LIBERALISM
Rev. William Wilkinson Discusses
the Supposed Growth of Agnos-
tiOiSJO

bACISins
Yesterday Rev. William Wilkinson
preached in ST. Andrews church on the
gospel as seen in modern life. He said:
1--WE hear much about doubt, agnos
ticism and wide departures from the
Christian faith. We are told in a conf
dent way that the men of light and
leading have cast off and left behind
them the SuperstitiOns, fables and
myths Of the early days of the Christian
religion, that the old interpretations
will not stand in the keen, clear light of
this day of advanced knowledge. We
hear that the day of liberty has come,
and that the kingdom of man is at hand.
All this is very interesting, and, to be
perfectly frank, it has in large
part the solid merit of being
true, which is a good deal more
than can be said for much we hear
Loudly proclaimed from the house tops.
1t will be we'll to ask, however, just
what it is which is being cast aside, and
what there is witch is yet held with all
the assurance of which very earnest,
honest, deyOut men are capable of
knowing; for. be it remembered, that
to change ones view Of O fact or under
standing of a principle is not to set
aside the truth; IL may be rather
TO establish that truth much more
firmly in mems minds. Because men
misunderstood the position the earth
held in space, or thought it stood still,
and then came to know that 1T moved in
three ways. is not TO change facts or TO
set aside truth; very far otherwise. 1t
does not work against the revelation
God has given men that for long ages
n1sf Of n
teach ideas at variance with the
honor of God and true service of men,
for it is probably true that no one great
principle IN all nature is known in all
its exact and far-reaching relation to
all things. Does the SCIENTIST cast
aside experiment and refuse to have
ANYTHING more to do with nature be-
cause error has been made i'll the past.
or say that the world in which he lives
is a myth. because wrong views OF
It's laws have boosted the advocacy
of mighty names? | trow not. So
here. individual men, yes, and the
whole church. have been carrying on
their education. No more do we teach
that the earth was made in six calendar
days. No more do we make calamity
sure sign of Gods displeasure. No more
do we teach that few righteous persons
saved will, in endless Joy, look with
ever new delight through eternity
upon the unspeakable pain and anguish
of the lost. No more do we explain
parallels, illustration or Oriental figure
as literal fact. Bnt what does all this
teach? That the Bible is back num-
Der. that its words are idle, its lessons
obsolete, and its principles inapplica-
bic i'll our own time. Nay, ver-
lily, for in no age recorded
in literature have the things the
Bible stands for been SO real to men as
they appear today. All Investigation,
ali knowledge. shows that the first fact
made known in its pages is absolutely
necessary to the completion of nature in
all her moods and hidden powers. Mr..
Spencer, MIR. Huxley, John 5. Mill.
all the scientists, the biologists
and lOglcians. with the might
est of them all, Mr.. Darwin,
who have explored in their own fields
natural law. as it never before has been
seen, confess that they stand in tile
presence of force they do not under
stand and which is back of all things
seen. They may not name it; they do
not explain it; out before them is an
order. and there are sequences blind
chance never could produce. Il mighty
force all-perVadlng, ruling and
in every realm. 1t paints the Wayside
flower; it lights the evening star. His
power is one forever, Whose y ears know
no age, and Whose effect is omnipotent.
knowledge has not eliminated Its
Maker from the world.
The Bible reveals man as the most
important creature upon the earth. 1t
makes him out 10 be more important
than hills or rivers, or even suns and
stars. We have made many advances
Oh many lines. Biology and compara-
tive anatomy have taught US much. So
has natural philosophy. But they
have not, they never will prove
that man has not the pre-eminence.
How can they? Man stands the creature
of a day; yes, but the child of all worlds.
He can live in the historic past He
can roam in other worlds than this by
reason of astronomy, and can hope, by
the very intuftions of his noblest man
hood, to live when the material
world is ended. Man stands confessed
the greatest creature in what we
call time. The Bible reveals man as
subject to law and calls It's violation
sin. We may look round it, over 1t, or