The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-06
Nineteenth Century Achievements--Tteology.

What is the great event the religious century?
question is hard to only because allowed
space enough in which TO express myself 1t would
difficult to write volume the subject but
volume could I fttingIy tell my gratitude at having
lived during the latter half the hundred years which
soon to come to a close
Perhaps can best sum u the whole matter by saying
that have substituted life for dogma 1t has required
generations accomplish this but it has been least
partially done, and closer to the New Testament
than fathers though close chldrens
children will be at the end of the twentieth
We learned that Christianity be confined
within the limits of body Of doctrine Our fathers taught
us that must make start in the religious life by be-
eving certain things Belief first, and after that
sweet serene and faithful life That them the
logical order Of development 1t was accepted and acted
by all sects Protestant and Catholic alike. Very few
dreamed Of disputng it, and the general conviction
strong that creed was the standard by which were
to be measured and either accepted rejected by the
church God and Christ matters of theology. It
to that quite important to be doctrin
ally right to be morally pure. sound orthodoxy
cred multitude Of sins, but if not orthodox in
his belief he was ostracized spite integrity his
selfsacrifce the nobility of his actions Thus
evil resulted and a grave injustice done
Christ began the other end He taught distinctly
lived right would last come to believe
right The religious life begins in the heart not in the
head motives in doctrine. If lives close
Cod and if he makes the spirit of the New Testament the
basis of his character he help believing all that is
essential salvation. good life gives good thoughts.
If shipwrecked mariner is struggling in the and
throw him life preserver he does stop how
it is made who made it, who threw it, but he catches
hold of it, discovers that it will enable him float, swims
ashore by its aid and after that if he has any curiosity
he examines and formulates theory concerning it, The
first thing to be determined concerning that life
ability keep him from drowning. Catching hold
of it, testing it's saving qualities trusting it after it has
testedthat is religion and theory about its
manufacture is your theology Our fathers placed undue
reliance the theory but We who practical
think the spirit important This it seems to is
great advance in the right direction.
of this outlook is that love and
Theology has been reegated to the background
because drove man heaven fear hell We
have learned that when fears God love
Him. and when does right simply from dread Of
if he does evil his heart is in the place.
md no anpOt no even he n 90 IN
heaven Heaven is not in environment, it is in the
depths 1t makes little difference where
because he heaven for himself If he holy
within and hell for himself if his thoughts and motives
impure The errors Of the Lord have given to the
of God a. Father. No greater beneicent
could have occurred than that It Is something
all the gratitude of which capable.
It has been effected partly by natural progress
light partly by the wondrous revelations
science largely the higher and scholarly
derstandng of the Scriptures which has marked the last
two decades. Our ancestors worshpped King
love Father