Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-14
A. L. FONTAINE, Publisher.
"NEW NAMES FOR GOD"
Mans Search For knowledge is Kind of
Natural, Unconscious PRAYER.

Rev. B. J. II. Shaw gave his final
address on Agnosticism last Sabbath
evening, in the series which have been
running at the First Congregational
church since October -. This effort,
like all the others in the course, was
emphatically pleasing in diction, pure
style and force of thought. A repre-
sentative audience listened intently
to Rev. Shaw while lie said:
What is the deeper tendency and
what will be the ultimate outcome of
intellectual freedom? What influence
will modern knowledge have On the
religious faith Of the future?
70 find the answer to these ques-
tiOnS we must look beneath the surface
and take a wider outlook; the tend
ency of modern thinking must be
carefully Watched-its motive studied
To see what inspires it, and in what
direction it develops. 1t may be
difficult to do thiS-tO bring an open
mind-the inSight-the breadth of
view necessary to rightly understand
what is going on beneath all these
outward changes. We are not yet free
from prejudice. Our view is too
ecclesiastical. We have been taught
to associate religion with a specific
church-a creed-a ritual until it has
become difficult for us to recognize
truth outside of these.
We all remember, for example, the
churches early distruSt of the Scien-
tifc movement and its antagOnism.
We have not forgotten the cry of
alarm, how many timid souls were
filled with great fear. The fOunda
tiOnS Of religion were being under
mined, we have, however, lived
through that danger; the terror has
gone; we have become more recOnciled
to the movement; the icOnOclaStS have
not turned out to be SO dangerous as
we first suspected. They did not make
everybody materialiSts. They did not
empty the churches. Millions of men
and women remained loyal to the
faith of their fathers. And, yet,
though the church is no longer in
open antagOniSm to science we have
not welcomed its work as a divine
service, we are slow to accept it's
principles and bring our teaching into
harmony with them; we need still
deeper understanding of the real pur-
pose of Science-Of its religious value,
=
to build new and nobler faith.
Consider for moment the scientific
spirit, its aim, and achievements.
That which is most characteristic
is the desire to know the facts, to get
at reality. Think of the success of
the effort, the amazing result, the
great multitude of facts gathered from
every part of the world. Think of the
unSeltiSh devotion, the pure enthusi-
aSm for truth, the long and patient
search for it.
Consider the value OF these facts:
They have given real basis for a
practical philosophy. A theory which
does not begin with them and rest on
them is useless. A scientific theory
is an accepted fact. and that is a great
gain for religion. To have the author
ity of science that theory is reality
is a witness to the supremacy Of ideas.
Every scientific thinker cOnfeSSeS that
a spiritual Interpretation of phe-
nOmena is necessity. The material
istic view of the world has had to be
abandoned. Science and religion rest
on common foundation. both are
built up on truth. The law of evolu-
tion, therefore, is as real fact as aD
object visible to the senses: it is a
perfectly natural step from one TO the
other; inference from facts is ineyita-
bic: the theory of things is a logical
outcome, and we accept it without
hesitation.
This scientific passion for facts,
then, has not SeculariZed men: though
the search for them may have taken
men away from church for awhile, it
has not taken them out of the uni
verse: if it has leSSened the interest in
theological studies it has not been to
peryert the nobleSt activities of the
mind, it has only given them a wider
scope; and however far he might roam
he could not get beyond the bounds OF
facts: he has looked at them, examined
them, tested them, thought about
them until they have been slowly
transformed before his eyes, matter
has changed into the atom. the atom
into force, force into law, law into
will, and still the process of spiritualiz
ing the world goes on.
1t is true that science speaks new
language. We miss the sound OF
familiar names, but let us not be iT
haste to pronounce them goddess: let
us not allow our reverence for the
ancient names create prejudice
against the new ones, or prevent us
from learning their meanings. We
may not like the phrase ''Ultimatt
Unity" as we'll as we do the name OF
God. The word law may be toe
abstract. Evolution may seem tC
ignore the leading hand of God. Al
first sight this modern view of the
world may look altogether human-ar
attempt to do without the super
natural. Is it really so? The Scientist
may have denied a supernatural thai
is above or outside Nature, but doe:
he find nothing in Nature like tht
supernatural? Can he account for al
he sees and knows without a creativ,
power and purpose? Whenever he ha
tried to do SO he has failed. Al
human theories have had more THAI
the human element in them. How
ever careful the sceptic has been t.
avoid the idea of God and explain
everything by a wholly natural process
he has never succeeded in eliminatin:
the essential truth of the supernatural
He has used the word nature inSteat
of God, yet God was in it ali the time
Listen to great believer in matte
in his defence of it against The Low
views of the ignorant. Lon!
maligned abused denied and misrep
resented matter is seen to be burStin;
into the blossom of thought and speech
of an intellect eternal and divine