The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-03
THEY co TO CHURCH
On Sunday and Hear an Excellent
Sermon.
GRADUATES AT ST. MARKS
Rev. Mr.. Dobson Tells Them They
Have Only Begun to Learn
Religion Is the Founda-
ton of knowledge.


school attended church last evening at
st. Marks, where Rev c. L. Dobson
addressed them in a practical sermon
in well chosen sentences and on a
very appropriate subject. Reverend
Dobson took his text from Proverbs
f., Z: THE fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge
Dear Friends: 1t is very important
of supreme Importance" said he,
that those whose work in the world
requires a more exact, a more careful
mental training than the ordinary run
OF men and women, should have right
ideas about religion; first of all for
their own sakes, perhaps, and then
that their necessarily large influence
should be right one. For ii becomes
q very serious matter when the best
trained minds in nation, state or COM
munity are Indifferent or actually OPP
posed to the work of Christ and his
church, and there seems to be a pc
culiar peril surrounding students in
regard to religion in our day. 1t has
been well said that religion, having to
do with things that are above reason,
is supposed by some to be unreason-
able, and when the young man or
woman commences to use the reason
ing faculties with freedom, and the en-
joyment which comes with freedom,
religion is sometimes rashly and sud
denly condemned because il seems ir-
rational And often a wreck is made
of both the reason and the faith; and
in our day there is a special feeling of
enmity between those who pride them
selves upon what they call their ra-
tionalism, and those who have a
strong faith in the religion of Christ
There are bigots on both sides who
hurl scorn and anathema. and are ever
I l,Is l.. Iox
ing to an ignorance of the real char
acter and aims of the opposing parties,
and a tremendous self-confidence and
assurance, combined with a lack of
thoroughness, which seems to be a
characteristic of our times.
1T is not strange, then, that faith
wakes feeble, and the best interests of
our students are lost in the turmoil
and clashing of arms in those places
where they would look for careful in
vestigation and a depth of thought,
which is. alas! too often lacking in
these altogether unwise controversies.
Those of you who have requested me
to address you particularly tonight
have passed through long years of
study and drill, and at last have
reached the point where the discipline
of the school is to be left behind And
you expect to reach out and partake of
the good things of life. All seems
bright and beautiful before you All
seems, did l say? All is bright and
Beautiful, because this is Gods world
and you are his children, and he careth
for you. But mark this, that you may
not be disappointed and discouraged:
In the years that are passed, if you
, have been faithful in all your work
you have only learned how to learn"
The thing you have done mainly is to
discipline the powers of the mind;
that all the time was the real object of
your work. 1t has been said indeed
that the study which is intended to
increase knowledge and to gather
facts often begins only when student
life ceases" You have thus far only
learned how best to observe. to think,
to compose, to judge, possibly. l was
almost startled by hearing it said
years ago that "the best student is the
man who is most, not the man who
has learned most. The bookworm,
however learned, is of little use in
life.
81 remember hearing a story, told of
one of the leading educators of En-
gland, 1 think, a learned professor.
Upon being asked by workingman
how to dispose of a large amount of
earth left after an excavation for
some building, he answered, oh. dig
hole and bury it. And what shall
we do with the dirt from the hoIe?'
asks the man. The learned man, with
surprise at the stupidity of the work.
man, answered, impatiently, why,
dig another hole That alone is
worthy. the name of preparation for
professional or any form of life which
tends to bring out and perfect the
mental faculties. Such education
makes ready, capable, trustworthy
men and women. Such an education
alone fits us for the highest service to
our fellows. for the discharge of our
duty in that place and that office to
which 1t shall please God to call u.s.
Now, no good student will knowing
Iy neglect any side of his being All
that God has given him must receive
due care. And in this connection the
suoJet OF religion must be considered
by every student. The nature which
man possesses is distinctitely a reli-
gious nature. He is related to the su-
preme being, and those capacities and
powers which relate US to God require
training and discipline equally with
all the other. Human beings are
formed for Cod and If they do not
care for that faculty by which they
can apprehend GOD, they certainly are
neglecting that part of themselves
which is most important, most influ-
entail. Therefore, no man or woman
can afford to regard lightly the claims
upon him which religion has: much
less the student. l know it is very
easy to set aside every idea of God
and to dismiss carelessly the subject OF
our duty; aye, TO give ii scarcely .
thought. But no thinking mind win
do this, no real student
Il. am well aware that many men
famous for their learning have allow
ed others to consider them as absolute
~ denying the being of God, but as
the bishop OF Montana said in this
church a few days ago, There is, there
must be, in such mems breasts faith
yet all unknown But, dear fellow
students, where we find one such man
We are confronted by a great number
OF men OF vastly greater mental DOW
ers and a far more wide-spread in
huence who without a moments hes
itation have affirmed their belief in
God. And their recognition of the re-
Iatlon which man bears to his Creator
| presume, however. that the existence
OF the religious side OF our nature will
be acknowledged by those who are
here tonight, else why here? There
fore | shall not enter into the question
I'M l. NNnra#