The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-03
TRUTH CAN
NEVER DIE
Rooted in Framework O.
Universe.
ERROR OF Ten CHANGES
Strong Sermon Delivered by Rev. W,
M. Kincaid at Central Union
Church.

The following sermon was delivered
last Sunday at Central Union by the
Rev. w. Ii. Kincaid:
Theme The Immortality of the Trpth."
Tc& , Cor. 1873. For we can do nothing
agaiast the truth. but for the truth
/ want 10 speak to you this morning of
the immortality and Independence of
truth; and / have chosen as my text the
words of Paul in the eighth verse II the
thirteenth chapter Of his Second Epistle
to the Corinthians: For We can do moth
ing against the truth, but for the truth"
This is a very striking statement. 1t is
one of Pauls large declarations and 1t
needs to be interpreted in a large way.
SpeakiIg after a small fashion. we know
that We can do much against the truth.
We can hinder it, distort 1t, abuse 1t,
cruelty it. Paul himself. in his letter to
the r mans. employs vivid figure 10 OK
press the not irfrequent attitude of men
to the truth. He represents 1t as tight
letween two combatants fand sometime
one Is uppermost and sometime the other,
and he says that 1.-The wrath of God IS re-
yealed from heaven against all ungodh-
ness and unrighteouSneSS OF men VINO
hold down the truth in unrighteousness."
Sometimes the truth Is flung down and
held down. Yes, we certainly can 40
great deal against the truth.
But on the other hand. this verse is one
of those luminous expressions wn-cn rec
ognize and disclose the real and essential
character Of all truth. and it teaches US
that on the larger scale and In tne longer
range you can do nothing against the
truth, but for il. You may tread 1t under
foot and stamp on 1t, but as the Psahnist
beautifully sings, truth will spring out of
the ground 1t leaps from the most unex-
Irected quarters. You may outvote it, but
| II laughs your majorities to scorn. You
may try to take it under your patronage.
i but II will be Indifferent to the bounds
you fix about il. You may seek to impris-
on Il within certain definitions and forms,
but II will burst them all and leave you
wondering over your broken bottles, in
which you expected to keep fast the wine
OF life. You may fret yourselves because
loe evil-doers, you may tremble for the
safety of the ark of God, and yet Truth
uushaken and undisturbed. keeps on its
ma jestic and triumphant way. 1t - a
marvellously deep note that the apostle
lsounds In this verse. We can do nothing
Iagainst the truth, but for the truth"
wish, therefore, to have you think with
me for few minutes. this morning, of
this inspiring characteristic of truth. Its
solemn sacredness. its imperial nature ond
its omnipotent strength. I also want you
to think Of the disastrous effect of false
hood, the ruinous results Of mental as well
as moral dishonesty. the fatality of po-
Iltical or business untruthfulness, its GER
tain issue in personal or social or n"'icn-
al weakness. OF course, this goes with
out saying, but It seems to me the houl
calls upon us to re-contemplate and en-
, lphasize the glorious sovereignty OF thai
, which we speak of as truth.
, In the first place. what Is truth? i
would be hard to define 1t. and We shall
= not attempt II. The old Hebrew idea wa.
lfirmneSs, solidlty, immoyabi lily, and thi!
{ Is sufficient for my purpose. But the frs
5 great thing Is that truth is splendid anC
I stately objective reality of the spiritua
I wCrld-a continent Of spiritual fact ant
9 idea. 1t is rooted into the framework o
n the universe the continent is mort'Se'
i Into the rocks of creation. 1t is worth on
{ lwEile to try to realize this objective char
e acter of truth. There II Is, thing un
o seen, yet spiritual reality. 1t Is no
!. something determined upon by men. !
o is not the result CT an agreement on tn
{ part of nations. Napoleon once said in
e tone of contempt that history IS hctio
e agreed upon. Bat truth Is as creation. So
h lciety. in none of its forms. has enacted
e Into its present existence. 1t ~ not
e growth, not a result of development
1 Truth is and always has been 1t ante
d dates creation and 1t will outlast tn
:. heavens and the earth. 1t is, l say agar
& a great spiritual reality, both hoary wit
z age and with the dew of youth upon 1t
: bro
: Then. too. need to distinguish be
n tween truth and opinion Truth Is tn
d ccEtinent I'm the distance-immovo bl,
Is and Independent and always the same
d lOpinion is the discoverer coming over tn
% sea and looking at the continent from hi
<, vessel There will be as many opinions a
20 there are points of view, but the truth
le lone. We form opinions but we never fori
,e truth. We change our opinions but W
Of never change truth. In all the currer
ot discussions of religious questions there
l. the latent recognition of the fact ths
l. truth is, and that II Is immovable, AMI II
s. dependent and our opinions are merely
ID lcertain personal estimate placed upon ths
le irmovahle and independent continent
lie spiritual reality.
III Thus we see two principles come int
l. full view. One is that there is re:
correspondence between the truth and o,
- minds. We are made to know the trlt
= Just as the eye is made for the light. n
| continent waits for the discoverer the
| is n course by which he can reach i
| she res. The other principle is that wror
| opinions do not vitiate the truth Msa'
| prehensions do not disturb the reality ar
| more than the miscalcu.ations Of sh
| captain affect the port for which he
sailing. Now all this may seem corsno
| iplace, vet | have wanted to say II b
, cause every now and then men are heir
| lcaUght in the meshes Of doubt and Irce
| ltGinty because they fail to distingui:
I
| lent, unchanging and objective truth al
| THE passing opinions which men form co
! corning It. Truth Is, and II Is from etc
| nifty TO eternity the same.
| The great proof of truth Is the etcrni
| OF its life: II is immortal ] do not S;
| that error does not possess life. and lol
| life: but error carries the seeds of 1t ov
death with It, and its life at best is ira
silent and intermittent Truth Is know
by the indestructibility OF Its life. 1t
error that changes: truth abdes.
| Ask, for example, what has been t
| history OF civilization. It has been a h
| tory of the slow but certain conquest
| Truth. There have been periods when [
world seemed to have fallen asleep "a
| the centuries have passed by dark and
| lent. with noiseless feet. No great vo
| rloke, no heroic act flashed an ennobh
| fire through the evil darkness, no divi
purpose called the nations to Its victo
Gus crusade. Tie years passed-years
laLguor Of impotence and sloth. TIL
fro m the vast slumbering host some {
| has lifted himself and seen new lis
;: kIndling In the far armament. He
!, risen and announced his great discove
and called on men to believe in IL, Son