The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-11-18

| definite duration, extending over weeks
OF sessions of legislative bodies. To
some extent 1t is 4 tendency in ecclesias-
ticai legislatures; 1t has its trials and it's
dreary hours, but there is one compen-
sation-they are legislative bodies and
| they have to act-and the constant dan
ger TO the people Is that they will act
| TOO much. They are the representatives
OF herce, struggling parties, and in our
country in many quarters OF half as
simulated nationalities or crude opin-
IONS and contending interests and there
| is danger that such elements, under
skillful leadership. or under the thrill
or an eloquent tongue, may be led into
precipitate and revolutionary legisla-
| tion "A session OF such Congresses may
seem TO be wasted in idle and intermin-
able talking, but if the talking DELAYS
ana defeats action Ill may be q blessing
| III disguise 10 the people of the country
Apart from this necessary restriction
upon time, congress like this has the
advantage over legislative Congress i'm
its comparative freedom from party
passions, and from the ambitions of
| personal notoriety.
The world is coming more and more
and must come with the progress of free
institutions TO be governed by free de-
pate 1t Is no longer in the power of any
human authority To decide what con-
Germs the people outside of the people
themselves for they are, in the last re-
sort. the fountain of authority In spite
OF all the efforts of arbitrary systems of
| authority to the contrary, an observer
or modern history. recognizes the fact
OF steady widening in the area OF per
misSible opinion.
The speaker then brought his theme
down to free discussion in the church,
win special reference to the free in
vcstigation Of the meaning of the
| Bible.
CONGRATULATES THE COM
NIITTEE.
lie then congratulated the Execu-
tive Committee. as well as the people of
| the churches they represent, upon the
selection Of subjects chosen for discus
| sion. as being practical living uues-
| lions: He spoke Of how the churches
are finding veriiication of their faith
| from intelligent Investigations This age
| said he. passes by ecles!astici and
| doctrinal controversy, ana lroes out To
INC hciu OF its work in sublime con-
| fidence that Christianity is the one
\ power or the conversion of the world.
| rms IS something like a turning 10 the
spirit OF primitive Christianity; some
lhing like the time when the Apostles
won the victory over tho paganism and
phliosophN of the world and drove them
| from the field.
MODERN PHILOSOPHERS.
The most wonderful thing about the
| q,
absence OF direct controversy with
pagan religions and PHILOSOPHERS. They
adopted the policy of substitution and
not the policy Of REPUTATION, and that
was due to their sublime confidence i'm
the truth which they proclaimed ST.
Iaul Knew all these PHILOSOPHERS hut
| he saw that there was nothing in them
that would last. so he passed them hv
with compassionate glance, and went
| out to preach his gospel He knew we'll
lhat Christianity had tremendous odds
/ against il. but he had not a moments
! doubt OF ultimate victory. lie believed
that God made human nature and that
Gcd made the gospel to answer all Of
| its cries
| His whole attitude is one of sublime
| gertrude; there is something in the
spirit of Christianity to-day that re-
| minds us of that early spirit. To-day.
| from the end of this nineteenth century
Christianity looks back upon the wrecks
| ana the failures of the systems of philu-
sophies that have arisen along lis pa;h-
way SDinoZa and Berkeley and Kant
were kings in their day i'm the realm, of
! philosophy, hut they have all been de-
| throned. Kant, the greatest %: them nil.
uses this remarkable phrase. "rhcv Mi
end in an attitude Of inuuisitive indie
cision.' The same may be said of these
| tentative PHILOSOPHERS Of our own time
| that build themselves upon the physical
sciences. They cali themselves by the
names of agnostics: they end with the
answer Ia all the question thcs human
intellect asks, I'VE do not know. these
| Things are unknwOaIblc." These philn-
sophies. You tell me with some alarm.
are being imbibcd by our young people
| III the fascinating pages Of Spencer. and
Huxley. / tell You. too that these phiio-
Soph!es are waning and losing thei,
| mold upon the -inicligcnce of this gene
| ration. You remind me that in MANY
instances they are taught to the sons.
OF Christian people from the chairs of
our universities ! say. in reply. so
much the worse for the universities.
| THE EXAMPLE OF THE CONGRESS.
The example Of your Congress in re-
moving such sensational questions rs
| relate 10 controversies between phi!oso-
| phieS ana Christianity and antagonis-
tic phiiocophics, built upon the physical
sciences, is worth of our imitation as
preachers and teachers Of Christianity.
Teach the philosophy of the Old Tesla
ment and the New Testament, and that
VIII undermine the sceptical philosO-
plies of to-day as ii has done in the
past. You Will find that every grain
| OF truth i'll all these systems will turn
| at last To the magnet, and that all that
| Is true and beautiful and good in these
PHILOSOPHERS will one day wheel into line
and follow on in the triumphant march
| OF Christianity. We are finding in
nature every day infinite resources of
| reserve power as vet unused by man.
| The churches and the world will find in
| Unite reserve Of powers as yet Insued
| i'll Christianity. II is our part to keen