The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-26
HOWE'S MISTAKES
Rev. A. Wyman Points Out En-
rOrs in clay Sermons
Many Criticisms of the Churches
We're Just.
NOT CONSIDERED WE'LL
Thinks the AtchisOn Editor
Wrote Too HurriedIy.
Son May Have Been Mistaken
About Preachers Statement.

,
church discussed Howe's Lay Sermons
Sunday morning.
His sermon follows:
Romans XII, 9,-Abhor that which is
evil; cleave to that which is good
With much in the lay sermons agree
thoroughly. In considerable number
of his criticisms of the church he seems
to me to be Just. A number of the
points he makes against what he would
term religion, but which prefer to call
theology, are doubtless well taken On
the other hand some of his alleged facts
are not true; other things stated as
facts are merely assumptions on his
part. do not at all mean that Mr..
Howe deliberately misstated anything.
He seems to me to have an honesty OF
intention to speak the truth that is
highly creditable: a lack of facing both
ways, of saying a thing in such equivo-
cal terms that different readers think
he is a supporter of their viewS-an
honesty such as would be to the credit
of the church and religion if its fol-
lowers and believers had always main
tained.
THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY.
1t is to be regretted that his courtesy
is not so great as his hOnesty,-even If
honesty is by far the more important
quality. But he who is angry or bitter
finds it difficult to be courteous no mat
ter how hard he tries. 1t would appear
that Mr.. Howe, when writing, could not
get rid of the thought of the injury
Christianity as presented to him in his
bOyhood had done him, and it may be
he was smarting under the sting of the
report his son brought home from Sun
day school, where the pastor is alleged
to have said that no man could be
honest unless he was member OF the
church" Is there not some Likelihood
that the boy was mistaken as to what
the pastor said? For obvious reasons
it would seem that such might be the
case. If the pastor did say it, he was
either grossly ignorant, blinded by his
religious prejudice, or else he lied, and
knew he lied And every honest man
outside the churches,-and as every one
knows there are multitudes Of them
has the right to be angry-angry in
proportion as he wants to demean him
self by being vexed at a fool or liar
whom no sensible person would be-
lfeve.
It is to be regretted that the number
of sermons had not been one or two
instead of six. All that was said could
have been said better, and with more
strength, in much less space. There is
repetition that is ''SermoneSque. A
diffuseness as of one who had not con-
sidered well what he had to say; an as
I-sat- down a-few thoughts came-to
me style. It might be replied with truth
that there is no more diffuseneSS, no
more repetition than in the ordinary
sermon. To which the answer is that
that is no excuse for any one else to
commit the same faults. Is it more than
fair to say that the method of treat
ment is similar to that of the shouting
minister whom Mr.. Howe evidently
thinks (and rightly was ridiculous in
impressing on his hearers the profound
and important truth that it was Tues
day he meant not any other day? The
minister emphasized the day of the
week by shouting. So the one who criti-
ciSed him for it emphasized his points
by the shouting of written speech
numerous repetitions of the same
thought in not very different forms.
'tSERMONS'' HURRIEDLY WRITTEN
The author tells US in the preface
that the sermons were not written
with care but hastily, and when tired.
A becoming modesty, and a due regard
for the honest beliefs of other people, as
well as the interests of truth upon
which so much stress is laid in the SER
mons, would seem to dictate that the
utmost possible care should have been
taken Otherwise, they should not have
been written at all. Especially should
one be certain that what he state to be
facts are true. If it is merely his Opin-
ion that a thing is thus and so, it
should be stated as an opinion. Unbe-
lief may have its dOgmatiSm as much
as belief Death ends all, and no man
lives hereafter, except through his chill
dren," is just as truly dogmatism as
any assertion of future life that relig
ion has ever made. No man knows
that there is no future life for the indi-
vidual,-in the same way that no man
knows that there is a future life for the
individual. 1t is a matter not of knowl-
edge but of faith or belief. OF prepon-
derance of probability. A case of
which is the more reaSOna BILE, all the
facts considered, not merely physical
but moral and spiritual, to believe in a
future life or not to believe in it. The
real reason we believe thing we can
not prove is that on the whole it is
more reasonable to us to believe it than
to doubt it. Faith is at bottom found
ed on reasOnableneSs, it is the child of
reason.
SCIENCE AND RELIGION.
Who writing with care, if he had any
knowledge of the history of religions.
would make unqualified statements like
these. 1T can be demonstrated beyond
any question, and has been, that the
Christian religion is an exact copy of
religions that originated before man
was intelligent etc. 1t never has been
demonstrated, and never will be; for it
is not a fact. Christianity has many
points of similarity to other religions;
it has even borrowed from other relig-
ions Indeed it's power to take from
other religions and assimilate the be-
liefs taken, is one thing which makes
it superior to other religions. It is not
a copy of any other religion WhatsO-
theory in theology that is of benefit to
the human family; not single theory
that is true" How about the theologi-
cal theory that God is righteous and
demands right conduct on the part of
man? Some of the theories of theology,
science has proven untrue, the creation
in six days, for instance. Others, like
the existence of God. science can not
disprOve. The question is beyond the
scope of science. Further, the prepon-
derance of authority is that science as
a whole does indicate the existence of
God. Here is another: Every man
who attacks the faults of the church. is
at heart an enemy of religion, and
wishes its destruction, for the church is
the accredited representative of relfg-
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