The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-02
DIR. GRANT
Talks of New
Statement
OF CHRISTIAN FAITH
Noted Divine Fills a Local
Pulpit.

Rev Roland Dwight Grant, A. M,
D. D., Of Concord, n. H., who lectures
at Association hall, this evening, on
Yellowstone Park, supplied the pulpit
at the First Baptist church. yesterday,
at morning and evening service.
Dr. Grant is stopping with Mr.. and
Mrs. George Backus, 14S Main street,
while in Worcester and, although suf-
fering from a mild attack of grip, cor
daily received The Spy man yesterday
afternoon. In addition to his theologi-
cal studies, DR.. Grant has Travelled ex-
tensively, and at present most of his
time is taken up delivering lectures on
different subjects with which he has
become thoroughly familiar from per-
sonal observation.
Dr. Grant is thoroughly in love with
the scenic grandeur OF the west and
has spent years in exploring the I'M
travelled wilds and climbing the snow
clad ranges of the west and northwest
He takes pride in the fact that he is an
original member of and addressed the
first meeting of the "Mazamce," a So
ciety formed at the summit of Mount
Hood, IN the state Of Oregon, several
years ago.
The society is an exclusive one and
the name, which is Spanish, signifies
mountain goat. The condition required
OF members is that they shall have
climbed on foot to the top of some ac-
ceptable snow-clad peak. The annual
meeting of the society must be held
not less than 5000 feet above the sea-
level.
1r (1rn vat itsR
Grant clan of America, and is now max
ing preparations for family reunion
to be held at the old Grant homestead
IN windsor, CT He has been in the pull
pit Tor the past % years, and al present
is taking sort of vacation during
which he will lecture in most of the
principal cities of the United States.
He was located In Portland, Oregon.
iof several years, and during the time
ne was in the west he paid 16 visits to
Yellowstone Park which he considers
one OF the most beautiful spots in the
world. DR.. Grant goes to Boston, this
morning, where he will deliver lecture
at IL O'Clock before the Boston mnis-
terial conference in fremont Temple
on The Hebrew Verb" He will return
TO worcester during the e.fterr Don and
lecture In Association hall in the even
ing.
This would be considered rather an
extensive days work by most men but
Dr. Grant says he has been used to de-
llVer1ng one or more lectures each day
for the past 20 years.
Yesterday morning DR.. Grant
preached at the First Baptist Church,
taking as his subject, New statement
Of faith" He said in part:
| There seem to be striking changes
In every department of thought. The
statement of yesterday will not do for
today. AS men think, they seek and
hnd new words to express their
thoughts. The old illustration from
astronomy, wherein men supposed the
earth to be the centre led to certain
| expressions which later had to be
dropped
A series of new facts came to light
suggesting that the sun and not The
earth was the centre. It is by this
process of observation in detail that
develops the higher critic, and when
ne can produce enough Of these detailed
| evidences to overcome any statements
at given time, then the newer
thought must prevail. And 81 tba
geocentric had to yield to the hello
centric.
This destroyed old theories. but sun
! stars, earth are there lust the same
New centered, new emphasis. as man
found himself in a new orbit; a new
comparative relation. The facts were
not changed in the least, but the facts
had a new statement.
i The Bible in like manner has baep
subjected to the most heartless inyes-
tigation, has suffered cold criticism
ana crucible tests. This is the spirit of
the times. -
The evolutionary idiocy has given
shade ard real science and discovery,
with linguistic study, have forced men
I to new statement of orae,5,
vantage of truth. When we ask what
is left after all this criticism. we ranIv
the whole book is left. Sp''
Ola creeds are passed away, thew are
literary curiosities only. Presbvterians
ism rightly fought Briggs and Smith
Tor the preservation of the creed, but
are ready to rewrite it themselves
My position is that creeds can never
hold the expression of men who think {"
The Bible needs no creedi It is suffi
cient unto itself.
i Old doctrines as stars still remain
but are seen in new orbits, new en-
phasis, new view points. The whole
thlhg is leading us back to Christ by
the processes of inductiye study 4
strict application of the ind1otiye
process will revolutionize anything.
IL is like the changes in art relating
TO Christ. The old pictures were pinch
| ed and horrible, and give halo for re-
u cognition. Munckasy's Christ Before
ornate Is the new type manly and
-nstrong' lie IS the most profound thing
am the world today, and science had
n3een unscientif1c in not seeking to ac-
thaount for all Christly results, by trae
ng to an adequate cause in the real
ntalrist
re Men now see all truth circling around
timf, the new sun christo-centric, and
l alt around their little creed. II is not
Y truth, but new perspective. Do
bind Christ or truth in the grave
lhes Of your theories, but unwrap
and let him have a new resurrec-
men drink from the fountain
n than from the contaminated
the rs and streams.
onaI u doctor closed by referring to a
GPd experience. How they used to
'h the seeming size of the moon,
n L.. cakclaring it looked the size of a
pay osheel, a plate, or a silver dollar,
debt ~ Impression might be. over them
this, dieR sometimes waxed eloquent in
|, the Jpn. So men over their creeds.
his ;nqry faith is summed up in say
and boundless safety, the moon
tame Uari ks just the size of the moon
| the new Yam prepared to bend to any
no,g htions that may come, and no
Of a. oNJ lnent disturbs me-"
son 80 Tx consists In leading people
by thay This luminary of the sky that
feet1 tious dnJoy II, without a conten-
l the size / 10 that they see IL the same
nvas DespA
S in anythin lact that the weather was
and congregV lAVorapie, good sized
gar ,,,a 500 was present at the morn
his the a,,arlnd a much larger one in
AZ s,,hithen DR.. Grant spoke from
moro s tne 1ups e4rhe doctrine Of the trim
,xpe- ton to sui ~ y, nature anu lts rela-
1.-THE ".