The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-02

believe in orthodoxy. For many CEN
turtles orthodoxy has been declining: it !
began to decline when men discovered |
that it was neither true nor Important /
There will be less respect for the church |
in twenty years than there is now; we
may as well face the situation and
make the best of it The world pays
no attention to the church. 1t has out
grown it.
This is important if true. Let US
see how fast the church is declining.
The seating capacity of the churches
in the United States in 1850 was 49,
O00 900; in 1890, it was $4,000 900. The
value of church property in 1850 was
S72 000, 900; in 1890, it was $700,000,000-
that is, while the population increased
40 per cent. the valuation of church
property increased 700 per cent The
number of church organizations in 1870
was 10000; in 1880, it was Isl, 900. In
1900 there were $500 ministers; in 1850,
25,O00 in 1880, $4,000; in 1894, 10000. This
must be discouraging to Mr.. Howe in
a world growing in intelligence
Here are few figures on church
membership, and I give evangelical
churches only: In 1900 there We're 1884,
872 church members; in 1850, 3,529,9 $780,
in 1870, 5000, 900; in $780, 1OO00,OO0; in
1890, 10000 900. That is there have been
more additions since 1870 than existed
prior to 1870. How soon will it all be
over with Christianity at this rate2
80 much for the destructive side of
Mr.. HOWe's letters. Now turn to the
constructive side. and weigh it by the
witnesses and experts which he himself
quotes. Mr.. Howe is a materialist. He
would be classified as such in his belief.
He says: I believe in natural things
IT. the belief in a future existence, IS
the OutgrOWth of the notion that some
how we are different from other ami
mails and that our minds are minor
tall The great doctrine is selfishness.'
If a man smites you on one cheek,
knock him down Just compare this
with the fp9PhinOS of .TpGnS
Professor Fiske says: The greatest
philosopher of modern times, (Herbert
Spencer) the master and teacher of us
all, holds that the conscious soul is not
a product of a collocatiOn of material
particles, but is in the deepest sense
divine eff1uence.'
" Thousands CT people, says Mr..
! Howe have read Darwin and wondered
what he thought of Christianity. He
does not say directly: He demolishes
! Christianity without mentioning the
/ subject Mr. Darwin himself says, In
/ my most extreme fluctuations, have
/ never been an atheist. I cannot anyhow
/ be contented to view this wonderful I'M
/ iverse as the result of brute force
/ Coming to the subject of evolution
| Mr.. Howe says: My doctrine is found
in every book of authority. My doc
! trine is a statement, in common lang
uage, of the doctrine of the scientists
The great scholars and thinkers demol-
/ ish Christianity, and then stop. If ask
ed what they believe rs to the future,
they say they do not know; that no
| one knows This was a faVorite asSer-
| ton of Mr.. 1ngersOL. But their doc
| trine of naturalism teaches beyond
| question what they believe: that death
| ends all: that there is no life beyond
the grave. That the Bible is untrue,
they know; they have demonstrated it.
." Why teach a doctrine in our Sun
| day schools once a week that is denied
in the day schools five days out of ev-
cry seven?' Tt (evolution) denies ev-
erything stated on the authority of
Moses Tt denies every doctrine of any
! Christian church. 1t denies the exist
ence of Cod If evolution is true,
Christianity cannot be true. Evolution
teaches the account Of creation given IN
Genesis IS nonsense.
Now turn to Professor Dana's large
geology, page no. and see what one of
the most eminent of all the World-geOl-
ogists has to say to that proposition:
The record of the Bible is, therefore,
profoundly philosophical in the scheme
of creation which it presents 1t is both
true and divine
Professor F'iske, whom Mr.. Howe
quotes says: The Darwinian theory
properly understood, replaces as much
theology as it destroys. From the first
dawning of life we see all things work
ing together toward one mighty goal
the evolution of the most spiritual quail
tiles which characterize humanity. The
body is cast aside and returns to the
dust of which it was made. But are
IldL > HIGHEST spiritual QUALITIES " us
appear with the rest? Has all this
work been done for nothing? Is it al
a bubble that bursts, a, vision that
fades? For my own part, 1 believe in
the immortality of the soul as a SUI
preme act of faith in the reasOnab leness
of Gods works. In the light of Oar
winianism, we look forward to the time
when in the truest sense the Kingdoms
of this world shall become the Kingdom
of Christ, and he shall reign forever
and ever, King of kings and Lord OF
lords
"Romanes the infidel who wrote the
strongest work that has ever been writ
ten against Christianity, says: Logi-
cally regarded, the advance of science
far from having weakened religion, has
immeasurably strengthened it,
Professor Fiske also says: 7 be-
lieve it can be shown that the very
deepest and strongest implications Of
the doctrine of evolution is that which
asserts the everlasting reality of relig.
ion
DR. FISK quoted from the writing.
many others. whom Mr. Howe quotes OF
, the side of infideIity in his sermons,
to show that they were believers in re
. hgion.