The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-06
SECOND DAY.


l
|
Gus Ideas" He first pointed out that
| there is a very important distinction be-
tween religion and religious ideas. Re-
| ligion, to define it in simple and popu-
| lar way, is the natural, instructive out
going of the soul to God religious ideas
are more or less intimately related to re-
| ligion. The ideas may be superficial but
| religion is fundamental They may be
| fugitive but it is permanent. They may
change and in fact always are changing,
more or less but it abides. Whatever
effect, therefore, scientific thought may
have upon religious ideas, how much it
may alter them be sure that religion it
self will survive all their alterations.
| Never imagine that religion is SO depend
emit upon certain religious ideas that it
| cannot exist without them
We have long heard of the conflict be-
tween religion and science. But between
them there never has been and there
never can be any conflict. But false no.
tons concerning God may be held, and
then scientific thought must sooner or
later come into conflict with them, and
it must battle with them until they are
extinguished and truer notions have
arisen in place of them.
| There was such a conflict, for example
nearly 400 years ago, following the dis
covery that the earth is not the center of
creation, but only little planet revolv-
| ing around the sun, and only one of
numberless worlds in the unlimited uni
verse. There was another such conflict
when it was learned that the earth was
not created in six literal days, and was
not created either in comparatively re-
cent times, only few thousands Of years
ago, but was slowly changed from q
molten mass myriads Of ages ago into a
globe fitted to be the home of life. And
again, when the doctrine of evolution
began to be taught by Charles Darwin
tween scientific thought and religious
ideas. At all these times however, the
conflict was not at all between scie nee
and religion, but only between certain
| scientific discoveries and religious tr ansi
tions, between scientific knowledge an
religious theories.
| In introducing his theme, "The Power
Louis the XIV. of France, and Massillor
the great preacher Of the court. Louis
| trembled before the words of Massillon.
He then spoke of the power of the
pulpit under four heads-its power fol
Righteousness, it's power for spirituality
its power for knowledge; it's power fol-
increase of faith in God and immor tality
pulpit has passed. They look to the pap
er and the review, to sicence and art az
the great promoters of the we'll being Of
society. These are, indeed, great agents,
but the living view of the orator in the
pulpit will never be superseded. The
pulpit calls men to righteousness. II
use Old Testament and New Testament,
history and science to show men that
the way of the transgressor is hard, and
that the way of the upright brings JOY
and power.
The pulpit leads to spirituality. Its
ideal of life as shown in Jesus Christ
it's great examples in Jewish seer and
Christian apostle Hits wonderous psalms
its hymns; it's prayers; its sermons, all
tend to make men feel that kGod is spirit
and that he who worships Him must
worship in spirit and in truth.
The pupil enlarges knowledge. There
is no realm of from which It does not
draw. In this great day of illumination
when great scholars in all departmel rs
are adding stories to the stories of know
edge, the pulpit often does more for
busy men than college or review or paper
in adding to their knowledge of the
great triumphs of scholarship.
| The pulpit increases the faith of God
and Immortality. BY charging knowl-
f fe, it helps 0k man to ohs fe sRf that
God overrules all for good and that the
only Interpretation of this life is that
there is larger life beyond
| The address closed with an earnest ap-
| peal that men should honor the pulpit as
the mightiest agency for the Improvement
of mankind. Wher ever the pulpit is
| ignored and ritualism takes it's place.
| there is decline of intellectual life