The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-02
REPLIES TO HOWE
DR.. Fisk Delivers an Address
on the clay Sermons"
Shows How Churches Have
Grown in Recent Years.
QUOTES AUTHORITIES.
Shows Theory of Evolution Is
Not Inimical to Christianity.
Large Audience Listens to the
Preacher.

a mass meeting for men was held
yesterday afternoon under the auspices
of the Y. NJ. c. A at the First Christian
church, at which Rev. DR.. Fisk, pastor
of the First Congregational church, re-
viewed the recent lay sermons" of E.
w. Howe. The admission TO the meet
ing was by ticket only, but there was
large congregation present notwith-
standing.
Probably no minister in Topeka, with
the possible exception of Bishop Vincent,
IS more competent to answer the state
b ments made by Mr.. Howe than is Dr.
Fisk. He has one of the most complete
private Libraries in the city, and many
of the authorities whom Mr.. Howe
placed on the side of atheism DR.. Fisk
placed in direct opposition to atheism
by quotations from their books.
"This gentleman" said Dr.. Fisk re-
ferring to the author of the lay SER
mons" needs no naming. He is un-
known to me. He is doubtless a gentle
man, a citizen of another city. To me
he is merely a name, so there shall be
nothing personal in what 1 say. He
seems to take himself seriously, and
sets himself up as a teacher of men.
FOR mature thinkers who are able TO
thrust the knife between argument and
sophistry, these statements need no
refutation. The mother who has suffer-
ed and who has found consolation in her
faith needs no answer.
If a minister should get up and an
nounce his text from the second verse
of the second chapter of the second
book of Nehemiah, and then go ahead
and preach what purpOrted to be a ser
mon based on that text, many people
would see nothing wrong with it-they
do not know whether there is one
Nehemiah or seventeen. A street fakir
might SGT a crowd together on the street
and say, Gentlemen, I am the friend
of the common people, the friend Of the
q
lately about the VermifOrm appendix and
appendicitis. tell you, there is no
such thing as the Vermiform appendix.
You never heard YOUR grandmother say
anything about the vermiform appendix
now did your And the man in the
crowd would say, No, that's a fact. I
never did No, sir continues the fakir,
there is no such thing as the vermifOrm
appendix. 1t has just been invented by
these surgeons to get a chance to cut
people open, because they couldn't make
living any other way. Now walk up,
gentlemen, am the friend of the COM
mon people at one dollar a bottle You
may laugh at it, but he could make
many people believe it.
THE ill-infOrmed are the constituency
at which these letters are leveled. He
quotes John Fisze as against ortho-
dOxy, and the majority of people do not
know whether that is correct or not
they do not know whether John Fiske
is for orthodoxy or against it. I happen
to know Jonh F'iske myself, and I will
read some things from him soon to show
that he is for orthodoxy instead OF
DR. Fisk then went through Mr.
HoWe'S sermons comparing one state
ment With another to contradict
it. In one instance Mr.. Howe says, INC
religious book has attracted great at
tention in several generations" DR.
Fisk did not enter any denial of this
statement, but simply called attention
to Mr.. SheldOns In His Steps," which
has had a greater circulation in the past
three years than any other book evel
written, with the exception of the Bible
DR.. Fisk continued:
Mr.. Howe says: IN the ordinary
Sunday school service for children not
a word is said about the Importance OF
truthfulness, honesty, industry, educa-
ton, pOliteuess. fairness This like
many others of his statements, is un-
supported by any proof. When did he
ever go to Sunday school to find this
out.
Again: The man who knows the
Bible and Bible literature knows moth.
ing Of value. or that is accepted by
men Of learning and intelligence Hr
Huxley. whom he quotes on his side
says. L have always maintained the
wisdom of reading the Bible, even il
public schools Thomas Jefferson says
i have always said, and always vii
say, that the studiOus perusal of tn
sacred volume will make better citizens
better fathers, better husbands
Theology says Mr.. Howe, is
course in ignorance. Its purpose is t,
teach that which is positively known Il
be false There's candor for you Blu
Blackstone says, 1t would be sufficien
to establish the truth of Christianity I,
give II a common law trial. and Black
stone is something of authority.
is this man competent to make sucl
statements as these2 What authorit,
does he base them on? Religion is sen
timent and nothing else 1t Ibelief il
the supernaturall has never done an,
gooS. and Will never do any good
There is no sacred message for tn
people. If there is anything super
natural in a story, it never happened
" The popular cry is. there is nothin,
20 take the place of Christianity Thi
Is nonsense. Insignificant as / am
now just listen to this-I can in a thou
sand words write a moral creed supe
rior in every way to the present Chris
tian religion There's mOdesty for YOU
Why doesn't Mr.. Howe write it, becaus
by doing 1t he can place his name Of
the scroll of fame forever
rs Mr. Howe competent to max
such statements as these: Minister
teach that men may receive aid fron
on high. There is no such thing as al
from on high. How does he know? A
appeal to his own ignorance is not vail
evidence. There is not a. single theor
in theology that is of benefit to tn
human family: not a single theory tina
Is true Every time religion is dis
cussed It gets a black eye. 1t will nc
stand investigation. He makes thes
assertions. but on what does he bas
them2 He presents no argument
believe he says, what is know
as orthodox religion is baseless fror
top to bottom: every particle of i
Tt has no foundation in reason it ha
no foundation in history or prOba bility
What would such scholars as Proud
the historian, or Gladstone, or Green
or Gardiner, say to this statement?
TON Paine says Mr.. Howe de
Enolished the Christian religion B
she way. 1t is peculiar how many time
The Christian religion has been demo
lshed. Voltaire demolished. IT. and CAV
st twenty years to live. That woul
have brought it down Just pat $50
Tom Paine gave it a little. longer tim
Aaror Burr was going Is let it las
until 1880 but it still seems to be her