The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-23


Post-Inteliigencer has endeAvored to keep
clear the distinction between the church
% teacher Of doesrinai religion and the
ehurcD 40 : mosnl ofganisafion- 4 wou3d
be unfair TO charge that the church has
not In the past done great work. or
that 1t il not doing good work now: II
would be equally Unfair for any church
man to claim that ths Post-Inteiligencer
has ever questioned that great fact But
It ID probably impossible for any man VINO
has been brought up In the atmcsphefe Of
sectafianism. or whose LIE has been spent
and church work. TO comprehend tbs views
Of those who fail to Ind entire stisfac-
ton In the doctr1nal teachings Of the
church II 10 not surprising. therefore.
that Rev. Mr.. Temple, In his reply to We
post-Inteiiigencer's articles on the future
Of the church. on Sunday evening last.
should di6Ier with some Of IT. observations
and most Of It's conciusionA
Much OF DR.. Temples sermon Was de-
voted 70 . reply to Judge Burke. OF CHI
cago. whose address had formed the topic
upon which the editorial article partieu-
larry referred to was based. Judge Burke
Is prominent member Of the Methodist
church, and hts object was not to decry
IT, but to arouse It. When he declared
that the church was not gaining. It may
be assumed that there must be some cause
Tor H. The Congregational church Is the
broadest and most liberal of all evan
gel.cal churches: and X. ~ Mr.. Temple
claims that denomination II increasing In
influence. while Methodism. which Is dog
matte. Is decreasing In influence. the In
ference Ii fair that the broader the church
il In doctrine tho more It attracts men,
bershlp In these timea And that Is pre-
ciseiy what the Post-Inteiiigencer sought
to convey by its comments. 1t maintains
that the narrow creeds and the bigotry OF
the past no longer avail 70 command
membership. II maintains that men are
becoming better because OF their belief In
tho virtues for their own sake. and are
not so readily made good by belief In
some Of the essentials ct church member
ship in earlier days.
So far az Mr.. Temples direct answer to
the Post-InteAigencer il concerned. We
must insist that our position was correct.
We maintained tina, men were no longer
led by blind faith In the miraculous: but
that the charch's influence would be great
er II IL were founded upon the virtues.
We maintained that honesty. charity and
Loving kindness were the foundations OF
true religion. and not faith in something
i that could not be comprehended.
Mr.. Temple replies that honesty and the
other virtues are the outcome: that Jesus
Christine prsnciple-is the foundation.
| He illustrated his proposition by pointing
out that clothes are not the basis Of q
clothing factory. nor is IL the cloth or the
wool; II Is the principle. He says iron is
not the foundation OF a foundry business.
but the principle. Could anything be more
| failacious az metaphor?
Jesus IL not principle: he IL a teacher
He does not say. Believe In me and you
win be honest and charitable and loving
| to your fellow" And IL he did. he would
| be wrong. A man il not honest or char
| liable because he believes that Jesus ID
the Son of God. Men have been honest.
| brave. self sacrificing and good who never
heard OF Jesus. Honesty is the principle,
| the foundation. Christ 10 the exhorter to
| virtue. Honesty does not manifest itself
| 1t is not Wool II Is not pig iron. 1t mani
| and It's existence is shown by acts. Hon
| esty would be as vaIuslsss as Iron ore IL
| 1t did not take shape and form ard prove
| its worth by daily evidence,
| Honesty. charity and loving kindness
| were taught thousands o. years before
| Christ came upon the earth. They would
| remain as basic trsths IL he had never
| lived The teachings OF Jesus Christ are
| magnificent: but they would be as sublime
| IL We were In absolute and utter ignorance
1 Of their author. All that IL good In re-
| lig.on In good Of itself: il does not need
/ belief In the inspiration Of the Bible
| IA order TO understand how wise and de-
sirahle are obedience 10 the ten COM
| mandments. do unto others as you
| would be done by comprises all of
| Chfist's moral teachings: and II would be
code Of morals Ia itself even without
/ belief in the miraculous birth OK Jesus
| Christ or the physical ascension.
| There is no doubt that the church
| teaches the doctrines Of tina Decaiogue
and the Golden Rule. but cur charge Is
| that the church usually devotes too little
| attention 20 the practical application of
| them, and too much 10 TIE 9ogmas. with
| out confession Of faith In which member
! ship ~ the church would be denied An.
| this Is the reason, we maintain. that mem
| hershtp IN the churches is rot Increasing
In proportion 90 the increase In population.
Ths number os people Is Increasing rapid
| ~ whe would willingly JON sn organ.za-
| ts0n whose purpose was TO srculeate mo-
ralisy and 70 educate sne people In good
! principles, bar who feel reluctant To say
that they doubt much that they are asked
50 eeieve. and who are ashamed 10 make
| q profession whars they fsvf IN IA s-Ssr