The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-04
THE THEOLOGY OF TRlLBY.
REV. A. VI. WILLIAMS MAKES THE
NOVEL THE SUBJECT or A
SERMON.

tian ReIfEfon-What tie Thinks of
Her Charncter-The Lessons lie
Draws From the Famous Novel
Rev a. H. williams AZ Wesley Mon
umental church last nisht preached or
the subject The Theology Taught Thro'
TrIhy' dis subject had been announced
and large congregation was present
The subject IS one THAI attracts atten-
ton everywhere. Tr.5y has been read
almost universally. and whenever the
book is SPOKEN o. ny pulpit OF press It
ezcites Interest and attention. Rev Mr
Williams took bis text from Romans
vii. 10. "Fcr / am not ashamed OF the
gospel Of Christ" he said;
The duty a. the ministry. sir Williams
sal. els 70 apply the permanent truths
OF the gospel TO the issues arising IT, our
current life. The reading Of the people
and especially The influence Of me novel;
furnishes one source o. these issues.
'@Truoy. one of the four mos, popular
novels cf the seas- %, gives ls an Nus
trad1n OF The nature % these lessons
Il Indicates drift OF opinion Oh serious
questions OF lie as well as educa-es
powerfully those fascinated b. ITS beauty
The source Of It's atract-Neless IS
found II that 90 ministers 90 mans love
for the marvellous. J.. -ot Che lUp1ssl0-es
and. also. 81 the fact that 90 brings Us
hack 70 the real inhuman nature. II
presents Us the heart cur loose from the
conventional and reveals rs our own
natural souls.
TIE work is marred ia its religious
teachings. and think % dangerous IN
some o. Ks tendencies. 10 the first place
the author beauties unbelef he makes
Al his heroes ulbclievers. The age has
q arIL 10 that direction. AL questions
are discussed from both sides In one
psrlc1ical. ana 10 is hard 20 come 70
csclsioa. The ar- of Du Maurier does
ne require action DO Is purely epresenta-
live
Hence he does not appreciate the value
O. conviction Yet conviction is the su-
rrerne reed OF cur present civilization.
AL heroic constructive ages in the world
history have been ages OF intense positive
conviction. France would seem 10 be an
exception, but the decay Of French power
and influence is due 10 its lack OF convic-
ton. The decay Of positive theology is
one Of the dangers Of our times.
"Our author stigmatizes the ministry
His poorest characters are his elergymen.
Even Svengaii. whom he seeks TO make
detestable, is redeemed In his magnificent
genius. In this respect e is In contrast
with such writer's as Hugo, Tennyson
and George Elliott.
II do not call attention to this feature
OF his work TO complain. we should well
come criticism for IL VIII do US good
Our enemies som times do us more good
because they show us the impression we
are making. We have been criticised here
OF late, not by our enemies, but our
friends. The newspapers have always
been ready to help the cause of religion
and thank them. / refer now 10 the edi-
faFfa1r no IF the cheers n
draw congregations. We all lament that
more do not attend church. We are all
conscious Of our imperfections. But 4
am not sure that the case is fully made
out against us. Just think that one man
now has TO minister TO the tastes Of many
fifty-two Sundays Of the year. Then we
have SO many services that our whole
congregation is not concentrated on one
occasion. Then we have so many churches
open at the same time that our aggre-
gate congregations excel any other gath
erng Of the people. Suppose, instead Of
one morning paper we had sixteen, do
you suppose our excellent News would
have so many readers? On "a suitable
day we have not less than $500 persons
at church at one time, while 500 at a
lecture, 200 at a theater, 1000 at a Cit
liens Club rally before election day are
wonderful audiences, according TO news
paper reports.
Il know the preachers we'll We are
men limited, and with passions like 9TH
ers, hence imperfections, but I am sure
no truer, puTer. self-sacrifcing, enter
prising class OF men live. / 90 further, and
| am sure 10 class of specialists are
broader-minded. More Of them have read
1ngersoll than lngersolls friends have
read the Bible. More of them have read
Darwin Huxley and Spencer than any
other class, not in that special line Of
study.
II next notice Trilby's creed. While
beautiful and tender, IL is dangerous.
Will classifyit as may be-agnosticism.
The heart needs a positive faith. The
conscience must be cultured-gentlenes
and equality cannot take its place. The
moral momentum Of past conviction may
produce a lovely character, but when this
force is lost. the next generation suf-
fers. Trilby's father gave up his creed;
became a vagabond, produced the en-
vironment that caused Trilby's sin and
wretchedness. The momentum of Little
Billees rejected orthodoxy produced the
noble influence that lifted Trilby out OF
her low life.
Trilby's thoughts on prayer are beauti-
ful; as far as they go they are true.
Singing. thinking, may be prayer, but
those pray more and best in these ways
who have wrestled with God at sacred
times and places. A man gets some food
thro' the air. but that does not DO away
with the necessity OF the regular meal
Nor Is the doctrine that penitence cor
reefs the past life true-Could my tears
forever flow, these for sin could not
atone The intuition OF the soul feels that
something more than sorrow Is needed to
blot out the past. The fact of sacrifice
is a feature of all religions. They at
least bear witness to the fact that the
heart feels something more Is needed.
The Christian is taught TO look to Christ
for his expiation.
Il wish I could believe with Trilbv there
was no punishment for the wicked. If my
heart had 10 settle the question or my will
could make truth, might agree with her.
But my reason produces a different re-
suit II is not Gods wrath that makes
eternal punishment. He wills that none
should perish. It is human conditions that
make X necessary. Put four facts to-
gether and we cannot escape conviction.
First, Immortality; Trilby assumes that
and ] have the right to ask that, It be
granted now; second, the essential differ
ence between right and wrong; third, the
suffering that follows wrong, and fourth
the tendency Of human character to per-
nanence. Reasoning from the common
to the unknown we must feel that eternal
r1-ss aNalf Nv Fr~a