The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-30

environment. Paul and Herbert Spencer
say substantially tho same thing. The
supposed antagonism between religion
and science Is but one of our misconcep-
tions and not the fault OF either.
AT one time there was peace in the
world, so far as religion was concerned.
Our ancestors thought that they knew all
that IL was necessary TO know about God
and creation and what God did in that
immeasurable eternity before creation.
They knew how the three persons OF the
Trinity laid out the entire plan OF the
world and OF human life. They believed
that they possessed divine and infslli-
ple revelation, and all that was necessary
for them TO do was to carefully study the
book. Substantially they were at peace.
But there has come a mighty and sigui-
ficant change. The things which were
supposed to have been settled forever are
up again, and the world is asking
questions, not merely superficial ques-
tions of theology, but the deepest ques-
tions concerning God. the universe, crea-
tion of man and about revelation-in
the Bible and out of it-apd about hu-
man life and destiny. Nothing is set
tied, and people sre bewildered, locking
one way and another for light-perhaps
taking the positions OF the agnostic, CT
perhaps, refusing to think at all-and GO
Ing to church because IL is a good bit,
and hoping that some time or another
peace will come TO the world.
Here Mr.. Savage quoted number OF
nineteenth century scholars and church
men who accept and publish the theory
that religion is going out of human life.
The speaker continued: What is the
result OF this state OF unrest as IL affects
mankind?
No man can be intelligent. no man cen
think and read without coming in con-
tact with such questions. Rev. DIR.
6hedd admitted that he avoided being
dist,Sbed In. his religious thought by
reading no books later than those of
the seventeenth century. And only by
refusing TO breathe Ii can one escape the
doabts and questionings OF the nineteenth
century.
There is one class OF people who hope
that religion is going TO die. They have
associated in their minds religion with
a certain type of theological thought
and they have identified these for so long
that when they say religion IL dying they
mean that superstition. is. / believe IL
too, and am glad. There are Others who
have Inherited old ideas and thought Just
far enough TO be disturbed. who are
afraid that religion IL going 10 die. Let
me say right here that IA religion can die
il ought TO die; il IL can be killed. let us
Kill II. These men are so afraid that
they want a man who raises these ques-
tions suppressed. There are States where
questioning the Bible in public is bias
phemy punishable by fire. IL man
tells the truth about Genesis or the
Psalms, they begin to trembe and be
afraid lest religion IS in danger.
show that he believes, but
betrays the tact that he is in dou6t-and
such a man is the only infioel know
of. lie has no faith. no belief in God.
no trust in the integrity OF the human
mine. When man stands with his
back against closed door and his feet
braceo, II IS fair TO assume that there is
you TO SEE. When man is afraid that
God will be offended by truth, he is
utiering bis fears and doubts and Implied
denial | believe so thoroughly in God,
and In the Integrity OF the human brain
and heart that ] fear no questioning.
Ny only fear Is that we may not question
long and thoroughly enough 10 lind out
the real truth. When that truth is
found. II Will be for the glory OF God
and the gain OF man.
What Is religion, not mine nor yours
not that OF the Episcopalians or the
Baptists, nor that Of Christianity, even
nor OF Buddhism? But what Is the re-
ligion, what Is II la the hesrt ana mind
of man which constitutes him n religious
being? Religion is mans thought con-
cerning God and hrs relation 10 God
Religion then j. every thought, and
thought must be accompanied by It's ~.
propriate emotion. And both thought
and emotion must find expression
through external form. Now what IL
man trying 90 90? What are we trying
TO do tonight? We are trying to find out
what sort of beings we arc, what sort Of
. being God ~, aud ali that religion
means IL that we are trying 10 get Into
right relationship Of ours TO God. This
relationship 10 God IL the power upon
which all life depends; our bsppiness IL
commensurate with oGr knowledge OF
snu obedience 20 this relai ionship. II
you arc an aguostic or all nltruist, II exists
Just the same. Suppose this universe Is
nothing but ceao matter, IL is your
fsl her. II created you, ana out 90 u yon
were produced. DO you not see that re-
Iigion must sudure3 u u the deepest
highest, most important element Of