The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-10-24
II is Not Sin to Doubt, But 1t Is a
Bad State TO Remain In Long
at a Time.
You Had Better Get Out of II And
Believe in Something And Know
Why You Believe II.
A Life Without Faith Is a Faithles IS
Life IfNot a Desperate
One.
POSSESS YOURSELF OF THE TRUTH.

Except shall see in his hands the print OF the
nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into his side, will
not beeve.-John, xx., as.
We can hardly blame Thomas for his
incredulity. By mental constitution and
temperament he found it impossible to
believe on the mere hearsay of any liv-
ing person that the Lord had risen from
the dead. The statement OF his COM
rades that they had seen Jesus was so
startling and so obstinately contradicted
by all his own experiences that he could
not take even their word, but insisted
that he must see with his own eyes and
feel with his own fingers the wounds
which had caused death.
But after he was convinced he became
one OF the sturdiest defenders of the new
religion, and preached with an eloquance
and energy which persuaded tens OF
thousands.
To doubt is not a crime. 1t is one
stage in the evolution of the spiritual
nature. The man who denies what all
the rest OF the world believes is not to be
scorned, but patiently helped out OF the
network which entangles his feet.
We are inclined to think that the
strongest faith is always preceded by a
season of doubt. 1t does no harm to
throw aside all the doctrines which you
accepted without a question in your
childhood, provided your doubt leads
you to careful examination of the foun-
dation of things, and results in the
construction OF a new faith which shall
furnish the moral and spiritual policy OF
your life.
If you cross the bog of doubt'in your
search for the upland OF iaith, you will
have no reason to regrasSthe despair
which the damp malara7 mists engen-
dered, but ii you find no way out of the
bog, and must breathe its tainted atmos-
phere all your days, you are greatly to
be pitied. And for this reason, namely,
that human nature is so constituted that
faith in certain fundamental facts is
necessary to a life that shall be salts
factory to yourself and useful TO others.
Suppose we take a very simple illustra-
ton. You were brought up to believe
in the long and complicated creed of the
Church. Up to given period of your
life you never dreamed OF questioning
any part of it-simply because you never
seriously examined it. You absorbed a
score Of dogmas with your mothers
milk. They were part of your childish
environment, the foundation Of your
fathers muscular integrity and Of his
domestic discipline. You received them
as a matter OF course, and to deny one of
them would have seemed little short OF a
crime.
But the hour arrived when you began
to think for yourself, and with some-
thing like horror and dismay, perhaps,
you found that your mind was compelled
to withhold its assent. That is a very
critical period in mans life, fateful
period ON which a great deal depends.
You give up one dogma after another,
always with reluctance, and sometimes
with sense of guilt. After awhile you
discover that you have surrendered near
ly everything and that very little is left.
You are too honest to be reticent, how
ever, and too brave to deny your doubts.
So far you have nothing TO dread. You
are passing through an unhappy exper-
fence, and you will probably have many
sleepless nights 1t is not pleasant to be
out OF accord with the opinions which
prevail among your fellows, but it is a
very gracious privilege to feel that you
are in entire accord with your own best
Judgment, and that the narrow space on
which you do stand is not bog, but solid
ground.
II you remain amid your doubts, the
chances are that your life will be serious
ly impaired and possibly wrecked, for
when man believes in nothing he be-
comes demoralized, and all his high
motives are likely to be dissipated. A
life without faith is apt to be a iaithless
life, II not desperate one.
1t is vastly needful, therefore, that you
no sooner get through with the work Of
destruction than you begin to build on
new cornerstones, for every man must
have shelter Of some kind. To live Out
OF doors is to degenerate into an animal
Set about your task then with energy
and daring. The world cannot be one
vast conglomerate OF negations; there
must be truth somewhere, and II is your
business TO possess yourself OF 1t. The
same intellect which can tear down
what others have reared can also real
something which will satisfy the long
ings and cravings OF your spiritual ma
ture, and that 1t is your solemn duty Il
do.
A great many people are compelled Il
r. jest certain proportion OF the doc
times taught by the church, and wher