The Jersey City news., 1899-10-21
HONEST DOUBT.
Is It's Existence on Matters
Of Doctrine Compatible
With Religious Pro-
fession 2
SINCERE CHURCHMAN SAYS YES
All Thinking Men Subject
to Moments of Skepticism
Among the Churches.
SINCERE CHURCHMLH SAYS YES

who is an occasional contributor to the
press. This is what HE writes
Il would call the attention of the reader
70 a remark made by q certain ioca
clergyman during q recent sermon on tne
subject Of Christian faith. He stated thar
Doubt is not compatible with sincere re-
1igious profession
II would most respectfully beg to dis
agree vita this idea. Now I think that
have quite a clear conception of what
really constitutes sound, saving, evan
gelical faith. Furthermore, surmise that
There are scores OF intelligent and con-
scientious men and women who are rated
as sound IN their religious profession, and
have well grounded hope, who do have
honest doubts regarding some Of the
dogmas and requirements established by
authority OF the church for the govern
ment and edihcation of the elect. Ger
tainiy they are not whit worse # they
DO not coincide with every decree or re-
cuirement laid down In the book Of dis
cipline.
"A man may possess a strong abiding
faith in the fundamental facts and doc
trines OF the Christian system. and the
essential requirements Of straightfor-
ward consistent religious life, and yet
have many reasonable. honest intelligent
doubts on various dubious features of the
particular system of theology of his
adoption. To a right-thfnking, liberal
minded. Independent man, doubts of all
sorts are quite natural. and compatible
with sound moral conception, a we'll
balanced, highly cultured intellect, and a
genuine. hopeful, spiritual life.
THE essential doctrines and facts laid
1own and enforced In the Christian uni
versal plan of salvation, and eternal rec
ompense for well doing are so lucid and
comprehensible that anyone can grasp
them On these points there can be rea-
eonable doubt. That Is all that is need
<ul. Outside Of that 1t is In no way nee
essary that an acknowledged faithful be-
iiexer should trouble himself about
doubts. nor should he be compelled, by
cerernonious vows, to approve and observe
set Of church canons. usages and tradf-
tional assumptions that are simply an ex-
fernal service What is really needed In
this age OF enlightenment and practical
life is more than placed on the relations.
duties and moral necessities Of the every
day life of processing Christians.
mo matter about our doubts II our life
Is all right. I would not allow the big
gest divine in the land 10 say to my face
that I am not a sincere believer or that
my chances for an abundant entrance into
glory at the proper time are not just as
good as his. and yet maintain that there
are dogmas and DEGREES Incorporated in
the theology OF my church that are alb
surd and not warranted by Scripture. 1
DO not believe in them purely because
do not deem them to be essential for my
spiritual welfare Speaking candidly and
upon due calm reflection. I affirm that
I doubt their relevancy, and I question
the authority for their existence and bind
Ing force
Now what is doubt? Nothing more or
less than suspense of the mind in reach
ing certain logical conclusions Something
is not clear or plain, and naturally the
mind Is befogged, wavers and fails to
come to a legitimate, reasonable deter
mination. The mind cannot assent to the
proposition as it is presented. and it is
amplifed and made to appear specious by
the arguments of others, simply because
the certainty is not apparent, and hence
cannot be ascertained. When there Is no
foundation there can be no intelligent,
correct faith. When I hear declared
in fulsorne praise of a good brother in
the church that he never had a doubt on
religious matters, then do considerable
thinking. am inclined to the reasonable
conclusion that such a brother-with an
due allowance for his high rating In the
church register-must be either born I'M
becile or blatant and half educated
hypocrite, inflated by his conceited intel
lectual superiority over his fellow man.
find IN my observations of ordinary NOR
tails that 1t is the listless, credulous. un-
thinking, pliable. easy-going hearers who
stand ready to give prompt and indolent
accord 10 every utterance Of the preacher,
and every sentence of the deliyerances OF
the church council. No intelligent, dis
eliminating man believes all he hears. or
everything that Is presented to his mind.
He is bound to doubt. Why. then. should
he take everything upon diotation in
forming his religious views.
II admit that there are a number OF
church members who have no doubts.
But it Is not to their credit. They do
not know what they believe. They have
been hustled into a church connection
during the excitement Of a popular re-
vival furore- The appeals were made
to the emotions. The convert was for
maliy swung into line In whirl of ex-
element and his name inserted In the
church roll with the haste and furry of
a ward primary enrolment. There the
act ended. Not SO with the thoughtful.
inquirer atter truth. He wants to know
what he is doing. He wants to under
stand the basic grounds, the tangible evil
dence, the logic reasons the why's and
wherefores upon which his faith is built.
and the real sources of It's energy, per-
petuity and stimulating force. Such men
must Of necessity have their doubts. 1t
cannot be otherwise
The believer who just floats along In
the even tenor Of his ways, and is content
to follow the dictates of superior minds
whom he selects to do his thinking may
never have single doubt. But give me
the man who is an observer of things,
and q deep Intellectual inquirer. He does
his own thinking. draws his own con-
clusions, believes that which appeals to
his practical sense and reasoning pow
efs; pins bis faith to that which is heard
on sound grounds. and which can bear tho
test Of Investigation.
"a believer or this standard can be q
perfectly sincere Christian. and an earn
est and true believer In the Bible and
ret be battling with honest doubts day