New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-02-12
REV. DAVIS ON LIBERALISM.
An Able Argument in Favor Of Liberalism
as Against Orthodoxy.
The Latter Founded on Superstition; the
Former on Reason.

heV. T. " LAWS spoke at Lne OlO
court house Wednesday evening on the
"Supreme Issue Between Orthodoxy and
Liberalism. HE said In an age of earnest
practical ideals, it is unseemly to be a
devotee of mere theory or speculation.
One canpot afford to be wrong, when to
be right involves such immeasurable is
sues, and not only so-one cannot affold d
to be merely half right, if the least frac-
tion above the half is possible OF attain
ment. With such a conception of duty
and privilege before it, Unitarianism ur-
ges mankind to bring the undivided uni
verse under tribute to its demands for
knowledge and power. Perhaps the
most marked difference between ortho-
doxy and liberalism is to he found in the
fact that the latter attaches little, if any,
Importance to the supernatural, while
the former finds therein its supreme in
ducements. Miracles of whatever char
acter and however displayed stir no
depth of devotion in the liberalist, but
he is easily moved to rapture by even
the least eloquent of natures sacred vol
ces. TO the conservative, the miracu-
lous is as the breath of life; withdraw
it, and the vitality of his religion speeds
to collapse. I shall not he far from the
truth when say that liberalism is rea-
sons protest against a religion of mar
vels. l understand full we'll that reason
has suffered semi-ostracism from the the
illogical domain; that to even suggest
its rights provokes din Of objections.
But where reason passes out, supersti-
ton invariably crawls in, and this is so
amply proven that to logical thinkers
they are recognized antipodes. We face
as the supreme issue of today-supersti-
ton and salvation versus reason and self
reclamation. Forgive me if these lines
seem harshlv drawn. 1 am defining
principles and not scourging individuals.
The claim that superstition and the the
ory of salvation are inseparably associa-
ted is based on two lines of evidence
history and experience. You will find
the testimony on every page of humani-
tvs record, both secular and sacred. 1t
starts with Genesis and runs an undevi-
ating course to the last verses of Reve-
lations. 1t tells it's wierd story in the
relics of savagery exhumed from ancient
tombs or gathered from fossilated rocks.
1t is carved in imperishable hierogly-
phics on the monuments and tablets of
extinct nations. The God of the ancients
was a cruel god. He reveled in venge-
ance; he must be appeased or he must
punish; he must have sacriicial proofs
Of submission or he would bathe his
sword in the blood of his enemies. lean
think of no stronger proof that deity ne
YER revealed itself to mankind superna-
turally than the crude inconsistencies
which have ever passed for descriptions
Of God. Connection between the natur-
al universe and the so-called supernatur-
al revelations of deity are only too ap-
parent, God, as portrayed to us, is mere
ly a greatly magnified man. From ef-
fccts, but little understood, the ancients
drew their portrait of the Infinite. and
that it WAS grotesque should not surprise
us. Imagine savage, who had never
before looked upon civilization, admit
ted to the electrical building at the late
Worlds Fair, and asked to write a de-
scription of the phenomena there wit
nessed-his impressions of causes and
effects amidst that blaze of wonders.
that almost brought me to my knees
Such description would most likely
move us to pity or provoke mirth. There
might be some TOUCHES of native elo.
quence that would surprise us, but there
is not the least probability that prac-
tical electrician would learn anything
new or inspiring about that subtle force
whose possibilities even an Edison vainly
striyes to compass. Why then should
we expect that type of savage to solve
the deepest problem Of the Universe and
paint for us, in colors blended by author
ita:ive genius, picture of the unknown
God. You remember that inscription
on the Athenian Altar Of which Paul
speaks. That was the golden age of
Grecian culture. The thirst for know
ledge was all.consuming. The Greeks,
says Paul, sought only to discover and
publish something new. The savage
had been superseded by ages Of ambi-
tious civilization, but the greet mystery
remained mysterious still. And yet you
and / are carried back of that era of deep,