The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-24
Roanoke Shoe Co.,
Spot Cash Money Savers.
REASON, NOT THEORY.
A SOliIoquy on the Needs of the
Present Day Churches.

It may not be within the province of n
man whose field in literature has been
bounded by the more or less correct i'm
pressions of City Council or some par
ticularly obtuse argument in favor of
nurse girl reform TO advance opinion or
comment upon matters other than those
strictly secular, and it may be that 10 SO
doing that man will founder hopelessly
in the sea of adverse criticism; yet there
are times when one should feel justified
in saying what his ideas concerning the
higher estate of his fellows are if they
are based upon anything at all like care
full observation. There is so intimate a con-
nection in our mind between our obliga
tlons and in things bearing upon the wei
fare of the soul and those things involv-
ing our relations to those around us that
II does appear unnatural for us not to
connect the bearing of people with regard
to the one with that of the other. The
growing tendency of men to an apparent
disregard of religious matters and the
rapidly increasing following of the many
advocates OF Christian science and the
Free Thinkers is the subject of profound
thought to doctors of divinity and church
workers all over the world. Learned SER
mons are being prepared and delivered
daily with all the eloquence that sense
of righi.can give, and laymcn ARE filling
coiumn after column with ideas which
are the outcome of careful study and the
result OF perhaps years of experience, vet
no reason seems to he forthcoming for it
all unless it be that men of to day are be-
coming so much cngrossed aud occupied
with the great strides of their own adj
vancing civilization that they are taking
less and less thought of the hereafter
But this does not seem reasonable when
think pf tha f.lt, t.1
habit III life is to reason things out for
themselves. They are certainly not likely
to leave unheeded or not to speculate
upon those problems that confront us ALL
They do think of them and many have
as result set up for themselves little
standard codes of In MS of morality, and to
which they live in themselves ana are
content. Their conduct is governed by
their own ideas of right.and wrong, and
who shall say that they are themselves
blameless enough to cast the first stone
at them because they do not occupy high
seats in the synagogue or publish before
the world that they are the elect of the
Lord because the work done with
their right hand is thoroughly we'll ac-
quainted with that of the lefv. We heard
sermon Sunday which viii not exactly
OF that nature must he an illustration of
one reason why some are apt to turn
aside. 1t was the characters site prettiiy
expressed same old story. We were told
that we were to be good. We were to be
good because the Bible said that if we
were not we would be punished. And if
we were good some day we would go to
heaven and he happy. In other words
we were to be good because we were to be
afraid to do otherwise. There was to be
no love--no heart service, no desire to do
t,n G,l,
slavish, cowardly side OF man was APP
pealed to and all that WAS noble, manly,
honest or conscientious about him was
left to take care OF itself. Does iu II OF seem
absurd: The doctrine of Divine love, of
service prompted by gratitude and desire
to do right for rights sake Is giving way
more and more to that of spirit of do
ing ones duty for what may some day be
gotten out of it? Can it he wondered aU
that..men do not go to hear this pi cached?
Is it strange that they are gradually
adopting their own reading of the laws
of God in preference to the weak and I'm.
satisfying distorted theories of those to
whom they are told. to look for light?
Reason Is what men want. not theory;
common sense, not high flown eloquent
nothings, and more than all they want to
be led, not driven a little more religion
and Il little less ridiculous conglomera-
ton, elegantly expressed profanity or sac
rileee-for such n great deal of it is
would soon spring up and bear good
fruit. Right here it may be said that this
will not be accomplished as long as the
great percentage of those who feel called
upon to teach their fellows are men I'M
fitted for the task; men whose minds are
small and whose powers are limited. Such
men,no matter how much in earenest, or
how jealous, are not going 10 interest
those of larger mental caliber. Is it not so?
Here also it would seem that there IS