Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-26
THE VIRTUE OF DOUBT.
Second Address of the Series on "AgnoSti-

cism" at First Congregational Church,
The auditorium of the First Con-
gregational church was we'll filled
with attentive listeners last Sabbath
evening who had gathered TO hear the
Rev. B. j. II. Shaw in his second dis
course Of q series now being delivered
from that pulpit on AgnOSticiSm, it's
Causes, Developments, and Outcome. "
Like the first, this address WAS rich
IN good thoughts and comma AIDED
close attention throughout The
pastor used as his subject, THE Virtue
of Doubt" and treated the matter as
follows:
Doubt, as an intellectual eY perience,
began with the Renaissance, that was
the birth time Of a new man, the
awakening within him of new life of
thought, the beginning of the first
real consciousness of himself. Before
he had been submissive, he had moved
IN obedience to the will of his
SuperiOrS, he was the slave and servant
Of a higher authority.
1t was then taGtt the fabric of a
great and impreSSive'S ocular and eccle-
StaStical Structure WIS built. a power
full system of govern ment which had
absolute sway over the lives of the
people. 1t was nee eSSary for the con-
ditiOn of mankind at that time. If
those barbarian tribes were to be
civilized, then they must be gathered
together, they INST be controlled by
some maSterfrI, ruling idea which
should bind together and give cohesion
to their separate lives.
The church of Rome did great
work in this direction. Its idea of a
unity of faith and discipline was an
effective spiri tual force which helped
to make civilized SOcie y out of law
less tribes.
The compact system Of doctrine had
the effect OF organizing isolated and
diverse peoples into a compact and
powerful SOci ETY..
But this liked system of doctrine
and form of society were not destined
to be permanent. In the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. there were
stirring GENTS which tie nded to break
up that old order of things, which
brought the reign of an absolute
human authority to an end, and gave
the impulse TOWARD individual
freedom.
These liberating Influences came
from combination of forces. Th,
discoveries of great n avigatOrS brough
men into contact wi Oh new lands, new
races and faiths.
The Greek mind came into contac
with the Roman mind. When Con
stantinOplc was captured by the Turk
Greek scholars escaped to Italy
Curiosity was arouse d. The slumbel
ing intelligence WIS Quickened int
fresh actiN4ey> TIL realms of scienc
and litepatare were opened up. Dis
c0verN. new knowle dge and speculatiO
emapaipateG and nlarged the huma
miQd. Men had aught a glimpse OF
0eW world and be gan to move ava
from the Old TIL e awakened intelleC
would no longer be a docile pupil
the church. The spirit of enQuT
bad arisen. But his had no place i
Il fixed and rigid yStem of gCvernmer
and doctrine, and hence the intellec
nal activity whic ii was the forerunne
of doubt was reg ,arded as an evil, til
doubt as a sin.
There is Il gr' owing belief, howeve
that tho men may doubt the validlt
of these Supe rnatural claims it dO'
not necessar Iy mean they are irrel
gious. We ind there are good Peep
among tho Sc who doubt and ba
people who profess to believe. Ar
SO we have come to discriminate b
tween CT eed and character: we {
not think SO much of the church
which Il man goes or the Articles
Faith" to which he aSsents as we {
of the kind of life he lives. We ha'
learned to recognize saints in Il
Catholic church as we'll as in Il
Protestant. and not all who are on
side are going to perdition. We S
that man may reject certain parts
the various crcedS Of ChriStendOm al
yet be a good man.