The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20

huu ii the stranger enter he finds practlcally
written over the second door, mo admit
tance, and II he goes in over all the pew
Stdoors seems written, ''No admittance," while
| the minister stands in the pulpit, hammsring
out his little niceties Of belief, pounding out
the technicalities OF religion, making pins.
In the most practical. common sense way,
and laying aside the nonessentials and the
hard definitions Of religion, 90 out on the
God given mission, telling the people what
they need and when and how they can get it.
Comparatively little effort as yet has been
made to o'save that large class CT persons in
our midst called skeptics, and he who goes
to work here will not be building upon
another mans foundation. There is great
multitude OF them. They are afraid Of us
and our churches. for the reason we do not
know how to treat them. One of this class
met Christ. and hear with what tenderness
and pathos and beauty and success Christ
dealt with him: "Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul. and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength. This Is the first commandment,
and the second is like to this-nanely, thou
shalt lovethy neighbor as thyself. There Is
no other commandment greater than this" !"
And the scribe said to Hin, 'Well, Master,
Thou hast said the truth. for there is one
God, and to love Him with all the heart,
and all the understanding, and all the soul.
and all the strength, is more than whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices" And when
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly He
said unto him. "Thou art not far from the
kingdom Of God" So skeptic was saved
In one interview. But few Christian people
ing hold of him with the gentle hand of love,
we are apt to take him with the iron pinchers
OF ecclesiasticlsm.
You would not be 80 rough on that man II
you knew by what process he had lost his
faith in Christianity. I have known men
skeptical from the fact that they grew up in
houses where religion was overdone. Sum-
day was the most awful day OF the week.
They had religion driven into them with a
prayer meetings. They were stuffed and
choked with catechisms.. They were often
told they were the worst boys the parents
ever knew, because they liked to ride down
hill better than to read Bunyan's "Pllgrim's
Progress" Whenever father and mother
talked Of religion, they drew down the cor
ners Of their mouth and rolled up their eyes.
II any one thing will send boy or girl to
ruin sooner than another, that Is 1t. II I
had such father and mother, 7 fear should
have been an inadel. When was boy In
Sunday-school, at one time we had teacher
who, when we were not attentive, struck us
over the head with New Testament, and
there is way OF using even the Bible 80 as
to make 1t offensive.
Others were tripped up Of skeptioism from
being grievously wronged by some man who
professed to be a Christian. They had q
partner in business who turned out to be a
flrst-class scoundrel, though professed
Christian. Many years ago they lost all faith
by what happened In an oil company which
was formed amid the petroleum excitement
The company owned no land, or If they did
there was no sign Of oil produced, but the
President Of the company was a Presbyterian
elder, and the treasurer was an Episcopal
vestryman. and one director was Methodist
class leader, and the other directors promi-
ner. members of Baptist and Congregational
churches. Circulars were gotten out telling
what fabulous prospects opened before this
company. Innocent men and women
who had little money to invest, and that
about this company, but 80 many good men
are at the head OF It that 1t must be excellent,
and taking stock In 1t must be almost as
good as Joining the church"
So they bought the stock and perhaps re-
ceived one dividend 80 as to keep them still,
but after awhile they found that the COM
pany had reorganized and had different
president and different treasurer and differ
ent directors. Other engagements or Ill
health had caused the former officers Of the
company, with many regrets. to resign.
And all that the subscribers Of that stock had
to show for their investment was beauti-
fully ornamented certificate. Sometimes
that man looking over his old papers comes
across that certificate, and 1t Is so suggestive
that he VOWS he wants none Of the religion
that the presidents and trustees and direc-
tors OF that oil company profeSsed. or
course their rejection Of religion on such
grounds was unphilosophical and unwise. I
am told that many Of the United States army
desert every year, aud there are thousands
Of court martials every year. Is that
anything against the United States Gov
ernment that swore them in? And
II q soldier Of Jesus Christ desert, is that
anything against the Christianity which
you Judge of the currency Of country? By
a counterfeit bill2 Oh, you must have pa
tience with those who have been swindled by
religious pretenders. Live in the presence OF
others frank, honest, earnest Christian life,
that they may be attracted to the same Say
Jour upon whom your hopes depend.
Remember skepticism always has some
reason, good or bad. for existing. Goethe's
irreligion started when the news came to
Germany of the earthquake at Lisbon, Nov.
/, Its. That $4,000 people should have
perished in that earthquake and in the after
rising of the Tagus 80 stirred his sympathies
that he threw up his belief In the goodness OF
God.
Others have gone into skepticism from a
natural persistence In asking the reason why.
They have been fearfully stabbed OF the in
terrogation point. There are 80 many things
they cannot get explained. They cannot un-
derstand the Trinity or how God can be SOW
ereign and yet a man free agent. Neither
can +. They say: II don't understand why
| good God should have let sin come into the
world. Neither do T. You say: "Why vas
that child started In life with such disadvan-
tages, while others have all physical and
mental equipment?" cannot tell. They go
out of church on Easter morning and say:
| ''That doctrine OF the resurrection con-
founded me-" SO it is to me a mystery be-
yond unravelment. understand all the pro-
oesses by which men get into the dark. l
know them all. have travelled with burning
feet that bistered way. The first word which
most children learn to utter Is: "Papa," or
"Mamma," but think the first word ever
| uttered was: "Why?" I know what 1t is to
have hundred midnights pour their
darkness into one hour. Such men are not
| to be scoffed, but helped. Turn your back
| upon drowning man when you have the
| rope with which to pull him ashore, and let
that woman in the third story OF house
perish in the flames when you have ladder
with which to help her out and help her
down, rather than turn your back scof1ngly
on skeptic whose soul is in more peril than
the bodies of those other endangered ones
possibly can be. Oh, skepticism is dark
land. There are men in this house who
would give thousand worlds if they pos
sessed them to get back to the placid faith OF
their fathers and mothers, and it Is our place
to help them, and we may help them. never
through their heads, but always through
their hearts. These skeptics. when brought
to Jesus. will be nightly effective. far more
"a thnn thnsa uhn naxar axamined the eYi-