The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-06
faith and complete unbelief First, surrender

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| Scriptures and adopt the idea that they were
| all generally supervised by the Lord. Sec
| ond, surrender the idea that they were all
generally supervised by the Lord and adopt
| the theory that they were not all, but partly.
supervised by the Lord. Third, believe that
| they are the gradual evolution OF the ages.
| and men wrote according to the wisdom OF
the times in which they lived. Fourth, be-
lieve that the Bible is a bud book and not
only unworthy OF credence, but pernlclous
and debasing and cruel.
Only four steps from the stout faith In
which the martyrs died to the blatant car
feature of Christianity as the greatest sham
of the centuries. But the door to all that
precipitation and horror is made out OF an
'if." The mother of unrasts in the minds OF
UnrrsrIan people ana 10 those VINO regard
sacred things is the ''if' Of incredulity. In
1s7e in Scotland, saw letter which had
been written many years ago by Thomas
Carlyle to Thomas Chalmers. Carlyle at the
time of writing the letter was young man.
The letter was not TO he published until after
the death of Carlyle. His death having taken
place, the letter ought to be published.
It was letter In which Thomas Carlyle
expresses the tortures of his own mind while
relaxing his faith in Christianity, while at
the same time expresses his admiration for
DR.. Chalmers, and in which Carlyle wishes
that he had the same faith that the great
Scotch minister evidently exercised. Nothing
that Thomas Carlyle ever wrote In ''Sartor
Resar, u.s." or the "French Revolution or
his ''Life OF Cromwell" or his immortal
tEssays." had in 1t more wondrous power
than that letter which bewafled his own
aouors ana e1roIled rne strong Tath or
/ another.
I made an exact copy OF that letter, with
the understanding thar 1t should not be pub
lished until after the death Of Thomas
Carlyle, but returning to my hotel in Edin-
burgh felt uneasy lest somehow that letter
should get out OF my possession and be pub
lished before its time. So took 1t back to
the person by whose permission l had
copied it. All reasons for its privacy having
Vanished, Iwish 1t might be published. -
Perhaps this sermon, finding its way into
Scottish home, may suggest its printing,
for that letter shows more nightly than any
thing Ihave ever read the difference between
the II know" Of Paul, and the ~ know" OF
Job, and the ''I know" OF Thomas Chalmers,
and the 81 know" OF all those who hold with
a firm grip the gospel, on the one hand, and
the unmooring. ,bestorming and torturing
'if' Of incredulity on the other. like the
positive faith OF that sailor boy that Captalp
Judkins OF the steamship Scotia picked up In
a hurricane. "Go aloft," said Captain judi
kirt 20 his mate, ':and look out for wrecks.
Before the mate had gone far up the rat.
lines he shouted: GA wreck A wreck "
"Where awayT' said Captain Judkins. Ion
the port bow" was the answer. Lifeboats
were lowered. and forty men volunteered to
put out across the angry sea for the wreck.
They came back with q dozen shipwrecked,
and among them boy OF twelve years.
who are you?" said Captain Judkins
The answer was sI am Scotch boy. My
father and mother are dead, and I am on my
way to America" ''What have you here"
said Captain Judkins as he opened the boys
jacket and took hold Of o rope around the
boys body. ''It is rope" said the boy.
''But what is that tied by this rope under
your arm?" ''That, sir, Is my mothers
Bible She told me never to lose that.
"Could you not have saved something else?'
"Not and saved that" 'Did you expect to
my mothers Bible down with me. Bravo y
said Captain Judkins. 81 will take care Of
you"
That boy demonstrated certainty and g
confidence that like. Just In proportion,
as you have few "ifs" OF incredulity In your
religion will you find it comfortable re-
ligion. MY full and unque5tioned faith In 1t
is founded on the fact that 1t sooths and sus-
tains in time OF trouble. do not believe
that any man who ever lived had more bless
ings and prosperity than have received
from God and the world. But have had
trouble enough to allow me opportunity ZOE
finding out whether our religion Is OF any
use in such exigency. I have had fourteen
great bereavements. to say nothing Of lesser
bereavements, for I was tho younger OF a
large family. have had as much persecu-
tion as comes to most people. have had
all kinds of trial, except severe and pro-
longed sickness, and would have been dead
long ago but for the consolatory power OF
our religion. ..|
Any religion will do in time Of prosperity.
Buddhism will do. Confuciantsm will do.
Theosophy will do No religion at all will
do. But when the world gets after you and
defames your best deeds, when bankruptcy
takes the place OF large dividends, when you
fold for the isst sleep, the still hands over
the still heart OF your old father, who has
been planning for your welfare all these
years, or you close the eyes of your mother,
who has lived in your life ever since before
you were born, removing her spectacles be-
cause she will have clear vision In the home
to which she has gone, or you give the last
kiss to the child reclining amid the flowers
that pile the casket and looking as natural
and iifelike as she ever did reclining In the
cradle, then the only religion worth anything
is the old fashion religion OF the gospel OF
Jesus Christ.
I would give more in such crisis for one
of the promises expressed In half a verse OF
the old book than for a whole library con-
tanning all the productions OF all the other
religions of all the ages. The other religions
are sort Of cocaine to benumb and deaden
the soul while bereavement and misfortune
do their work, but our religion Is inspira-
ton, illumination, inparadisation. It Is O
mixture Of sunlight and halleluiah. Do not
adulterate it with one drop Of the tincture OF
incre0ulity.
Another Bible sfr' Is the SIR o. ~ernai
significance. Solomon gives us that III
twice in one sentence when he says, III tnou
be wise, thou shalt oe wise for tayself, but IL
thou scornest thou alone shalt bear 1t.
Christ gives us that eff" when he says, '1t
thou hadst known in this thy day the things
which belong unto thy peace, but now they
are hidden from thine eyes," Paul gives us
that ''if' when he says, "It they shall enter
into nv rest" All these ''ifs" and a score
more that might recall put the whole re-
sponsiblity OF our salvation on ourselves.
Christ's Willingness to pardon-no III" about
that. Realms Of glory awaiting the right
eous-no ssif'' about that.
The only ''ir in all the case worth mo-
ment's consideration Is the 'it' that attaches
itself to the question as to whether we Will
accept, whether we will repent, whether we
will believe. whether we will rise forever. Is
it not time that We take our eternal future
of that swivel? Is it not time that we eX-
tirpate that ':If," that miserable '.if," that
hazardous ':if2" We would not allow this
uncertain :.if' to stay long in anything elss
OF importance. Let some one say in regard
to railroad bridge, "I have reasons for ask
ing if that bridge is safe" and you would not
cross it. Let some one say, II have reasons
to ask if that steamer is trustworthy" and
you would not take passage On it.
Let some one suggest in regard to prop
erty that you are about to purchase, IL have
reoson 70 ask IL thew can give a good title, "