The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-06
PREACHED on AGNosTIC1sM.
Rev. A. j. Smiths Sermon at First
Presbyterian Church.

AEeHDyN eFlan Onurcn.
"Agnosticism'' was the subject of the
sermon by Rev. Arthur ]. Smith last night
at the First Presbyterian Church. Mr..
Smith took for his text 1.-THE Lord reveal
cd Himself to Samuel at shiloah." Sam
uel 1921.
Three hundred and sixty years before
Christ, said Rev. Mr. Smith, there lived
in the city of Ellis, Greece, Pyroo, the IA
nous philosopher. He, it is supposed, was
the founder of the school of agnostics
of that city. In the school he taught three
things: First. we know nothing about the
nature of things; second, the right att
tude is to withhold Judgment third, the
necessary result is perturbability. It is
said Huxley brought the word into prom
inence in 1869 when he announced himself
to the world as an agnostic.
The word "agnostic' is derived from a
Greek word meaning unknown or I'M
movable Paul at Mars Hin made us
of the word in referring to the unknown
God whom the Athenians ignorantly wor-
SHIPPED. Webster describes it as one who
processes ignorance about God. The
Standard Dictionary says agnosticism is
the theory which maintains that man has
no real or absolute knowledge of anything.
lie only knows impressions The Century
Dictionary says agnostics teach that he
ultimate cause and essential nature
of things are unknowable, or at least,
unknown
Mr. Smith repeated the story told by
Bishop Gambler at Wesley Church last
Sunday morning about Surgeons inter
views with an agnostic, in which the man
was asked what was an agnostic. He an
swered giving the Greek. Spurgeon then
gave the anglicized equivalent, which was
ignOramus. Agnosticism is nothing more
nor less than a STAINLESS confusion of the
doctrine of know-nothingism. Pyroo, Tyn-
dali, Huxley and Spence did not deny that
there was a God, but they did deny that
He had revealed Himself to man on the
ground that man was finite, and could not
receive revelation from God Joseph Cook
has said agnostics claim that God is I'M
movable, but that He is unfathomable is
all they prove.
Mr.. Smith said he was glad that there
was platform upon which he could stand
with an agnostic, and that was a belief in
a God. He said he wanted 10 be helpful
and proceeded to give the ways the Chris
tan could believe God has revealed Him
self in nature. Science regards all phe-
nomenon as the manifestation of some
power or force. Agnostics say God cam
not De known, ana yet they say He is
the Infinite One-Creatlve Power-JJItimate
Cause. He must be known to the extent
of these characteristics. The eve does moi
see it Is the mind. The eye receives GER
tain impressions and conveys them to the
mind. There are certain things the mind
sees that the eye cannot receive an i'm
preston such as character or time. There
are things in nature that speak to the
Christian of things the eye cannot see
This the Christian believes to be God
Another way in which the Christian he
leVes God has revealed Himself is in the
book called the Bible. Nature is silen,
on many things that the human heart ana
interest yearn to know about The Rible
speaks 10 the Christian of Gods plan for
man. His desire that man might DO
saved. 1t speaks of His mercy and love
OF His justice and holiness. The influ.
ence Il has exerted in the world is proof
enough that II is the revelation of Goa
Wherever its precepts are followed. indf-
viduals are changed, society is changed
nations are changed for the better
Mr. Smith referred to the hart and its
sense of smell. That though liberated in
n desert ii would go where water could
be found. He spoke of the carrier dove
which has such keen sense of direction,
and intuition sense as 10 where home Is
It's so with man. There is almost an
intuition in man that Lends him to Deity
The humble. honest and earnest man win
surely find God.