The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-10

but these rail at whatsoever things
they know not" Jude /: 10, was the
text of Rev. DR.. c. M. Gifiin's discourse
last night in Elm Park church. His
theme was announced as why / Am
Not An Agnostic." The following is
sketch of his sermon. which was Illus
trated and expanded after the speak
er's usual manner:
These described are often noisy and an
tagonistic i'm proportion to their ignor-
ance. No man. rails at what is sacred TO
any heart however foreign to his own falth
or feelings unless he is touched with
malice. With Wilderness of knowledge
comes discretion and cuietness.
Simply described ] am an agnostic In
nany departments. / live by limitation
In other parts and have in those subjects
the ignorance of a non-residencc. II! that
sense all are agnOstics and prepared to
admit it unless they are inflated fools.
We have dark districts; the other side OF
the globe we do not see. What we mean
in our discussion tonight by an agnostc
is one who 'confesses ignorance to sub
jects spiritual, such as the being of God,
our spiritual outlook etc. AS | shall
speak, must have in mind specimens OF
self-styled aGnostics and judging by them
| must maintain the wisdom of my re-
fusal to join such ranks.
First-I am not an agnostic as it is nDt
easy to be one. 1t Is not hard to assume
the name and wear the misnomur. There
are hypocrites in religion. untrue to their
label and in proportion to numbers there
are more playing agnostic than Christian!
Nearly all take sides, which gives the
lie to their profession. Professor HuX-
ley who did not wish to be known as
atheist or Christian mounted the fence
and ticketed himself with this title.
When he uncovered himself we find he
had opinion and denied more than
doubted. No man wearing This name has
a right to give a verdict.
MAKES UP HIS MIND.
In so far as the term indicates the state
of irresolution and inability to decide it
is not according to my constitution.
am of one side in politics, in philosophy,
In science, in art. ! must have my mind
made up in religion. There are not many
who maintain suspense and therefore few
who are not pretenters when they assume
the role of agnostics.
II one goes into this method of ques-
tioning and discounting proofs. to be hon
est he must not halt where some of The
guild of know-nothings do. He must so
farther and ignore the senses as well as
the spiritual. The philosophers of Greece
were shrewd enough to see that and
twenty centuries ago they went clear out
to Nescience. Cicero tells us that Ar
cesians was on both sides of most ques-
tions as he insisted eve know nothing
not even the fact of our inability to
know" ] do not care to start when l
may not stop until | land in total da.k-
ness 1t is mental and moral suicide. In
so far as agnosticism indicates an unwil!-
lingness to do the work of investigation
so as to be able to solve the question
properly | do not care TO be placed with
that indolent set.
When it represents unreddiness to well
come the consequences of knowing ii S
so unfair that | protest against join
ing, etc.
Second-I am not an agnostic lest it
make me doGmatic as some who pose in
that flgure--dOgmatic you observe when
by their very name they announce there
is not evidence enough to settle the mat
ter. If you have heard one of these
knOw-nothings you will be surprised at
what he declares to be sure. And he
goes so far as to say that those who are
positive where he is not professedly de-
cided are insane. 1t is amazing ignorance
that has no opinion and yet is loudly
insisting those who have are fools.
IT TAKES LESS FAITH.
Now it is simple bluff to tell an audi
ence you have gone to the limits and
over there is No Mans land forbidden
to human intelligence. If one says l am
defeated in that direction it may be true,
why shall he say it is beyond others and
only dream? If to know nothing will
make us so sure nothing can be known
prefer TO know something or suppose | do
when | open my mouth on those topics.
In the state of the discussion at present
l am inclined to think it takes less faith
to believe those who say something mas
been revealed han to trust those who t. re
only positive all is concealed. / would
rather be anything that dognatic
doubter.
Third am not an agn0stic for fear
| 1t might make me as savage as 1t has
| some of that sort. If it retired me TO
silence and sadness, signing for an out
| look and the shadows deepening. it would
be pitiable state. When ignorance in
| spires iconoclasm it is revolving spec
| tacle. The apostle of the curtain, who
says il is down and no bell can call it up
| is so enraged at those who say il has
| been lifted that with all his hate of hell hc
| evidently thinks these should be one for
| the orthodox saints. If the not knowing
so infuriates one at those who profess 20
| know l prefer what Is not so acidulat-
| ing and fermenting in it's effects
| TO mock at the form in which truth
comes is to sport over a process that al
ways has exhibited infirmities. How dc
| we reach to scientific certainties? By
| stumbling w stairs, | could pooh-poOh
all physical information out of the world
by laughing over the mistakes of mer
seeking facts in the material realm
| They were pioneers worthless, sane mer
| assure you. So the men who were the
advance guard in spiritual teaching WhC
despises geology as unreliable because
| Hugh Miller whom he led to the
stony documents did not read all arlght
| The Bible like the earth is to be studied
in the new light ever appearing, etc.
At any rate | do not like to sail the see
under a neutral flag while playing tn,
pirate, sinking hopes! burning cargoe5
drowning souls!
A MECHANICAL THEORY,
FOURTH do not wish to be am agnosti,
because of the ground on which he rest
his ignorance. He studies the univers,
with mechanical theory as the basis
of his thought. That omits one Who'll,
side, the best side of his nature. Oar
win took that view and atrOphed tn
nobler part of mis- faculties. He admits h
died to poetry Shakespeare "nauseated'
him. He lost his taste for pictures an,
music. Scenery did not delight as once
4 my mind he SAYS has become a kin
of machine for grinding general propo
| SlNiouS out ol a. ldIBc collecllOn OF IilclS
| He felt the loss was possibly injurious 1,
his intellect and more certainly to hi
moral character. If such be the resul
would avoid this materalistic mur
der Why open earthward and shu
away the whole upper reach? 1t is awfu
to be doomed to dig and delve and neve
be allowed to soar. We are competen
for flight and 1t Is cruelty to enforce tn
low sight of this level alone and forbi,
| M xuin
Then this theory of ignorance forces ,
L lkngEeallnn as 10 InNaelf L do NOT cn r.n Z.