Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-04
MAKEMIE LEAGUE.
Lecture By Rev. T. C. Whaling,
D. D., of Lexington, Va.
Tho Learned Preacher Entertains and In
structs His Hearers oil "The Condo
scensicn of Some Apostles of Modern
Cuituro"-s Synopsis of His Remarks.

byterian Church last night, and it was
to be regretted that the inclement wea-
Their prevented a larger audience from
being present, but 1t is safe to say that
all who attended were more than amply
repaid. as the lecture of Rev. Thornton
c. Whalcy, D. D., of Lexington, Va,
was the best, from biblical and scien-
tific standpoint. that has yet been de-
livered before the league. and the earn
est attention paid the speaker gave evil
dence that his hearers were not only
instructed, but edited.
Rev. George w. Lawson, president OF
the league, presided. and after an or
gan prelude offered the opening invoca-
ton. Then the choir sang the anthem.
"Oh, Jesus, Thou Art Standing" Prayer
was made by Rev. e. Is. McCluer.'
During the offering the solo, Lead
Nlndly Light" was sung by Mr.. r, c.
Tupman.
DR.. Whaling was next introduced nv
Mr.. Lawson in highly complimentary
terms, and announced as his subject
The Condescension of Some Apostles
of Modern Culture"
DIR. WHALING's TALK.
The lecturer began by saying that
''-NNAS tSJOiSiuS III TIC trlurnDhS
Oh modern science. we may at the same
time condemn certain apostles of the
scientific spirit, who commit the fallacv
or MISLEADING their kind of science for
omniseience. and who tell us that be-
yond the boundaries of the natural or
ipnyslcai sciences there is no certain
human knowledge. We may yoke with
these certain apostles of the more lib
eraf cultures, as some economists. soci-
oloslsts, literary critics and others. who.
while resenting the claim that there is
no assured truth in their respective
neids, are at one with these certain sell
entlsts In telling us that in the great
shere of religious truth there Is no rock
foundation of certainty upon which the
rect OF the adventurous explorer NAV
be planted.
With lordly condescension they call
down to us that we may spare ourselves
the effort to reach certain KNOWLEDGE in
that great department of theological
science. in which so many of the
WORLDS most elect and lofty spirits have
labored. The speaker wished to do two
thiEgs-to present the evidence for this
cordescension and then to discuss its
worth and nature
!. The evidence of this condescension
in the case of four reprcseSu tive men:
(a) MI. II. Spencer, in his Principles OF
Philosophy" section SO, confesses the
Indignation, repugnance, angry con-
domination, and contempt which he
feels toward current superstition and
religious creeds (b) Mr. Matthew
Arnold. In his "St Paul and Protestant
ISM" Informs us that the "predesti-
marian and solifidlan dogmas" are
doomed. He condescends to say that
the breath of the Zeitgeist Is against
them. (c) Mr.. Leslie Stephen. In his
"Agnostics Apology" p. $780, tells us
that men of sense have a contemptu-
GUS smile for the man who believes
heartily like the Apostle Paul. (d) Prof.
Thorstein Veblen, of the University of
Chicago, in his Theory of the Leisure
Glass;" just published, PIP. 322-S24, clas-
Sites the devout in these four classes:
the negro population of the South, the
lower class foreign population, the
moral population and the women. In
Prof. Veblen's condescension, Chicago.
as in other respects, has distanced ali
competitors and surpassed the world:
and we would have to enrigrate to an
other world to find this condescensIon
eXcelled.
II. Let us examine this condescension
as to its nature and worth.
| list. This condescension is not Of
| place in those who have no title to be
regarded as specialists in the field Of
theological science.
Suppose Johnathan Edwards should
denounce Dalton's claw of Chemical
Combinations" as a farrago OF nom
sense: suppose DR.. Charles Hodge
should denounce the physical hypothe-
sis Of either as the condition for the
diffusion of radiant energy: suppose
| Bishop Gightfoot should declare that
the science of jurisprudence was
| fasciculus of falsehoods: suppose
Bishop Westcott should declare the
| new science of sociology an unworthy
bastard; why Edwards and Hodge and
! Lightfoot and Westcott should be
| warned as naughty intrudcrs not to
trespass upon a region of which they
knew nothing. Similarly, by parity
of reasoning. Spencer. Arnold. Stephen,
Veblen should be warned to remove
| themselves from this sphere in which
they have no right to be regarded as
specialists.
The lecturer reviewed the claims of
each one of them, and showed that
while Spencer was a brilliant philoso-
ply, Arnold poet and literary critic.
Stephen a magazinist. Veblen an econ
omist and professor. none of them had
any title to be regarded as theologians.
| I'd. This condescension is out OF
place when exercised toward those who
are specialists In the theological
sciences.
The lecturer could not quote all the
| names Of Christian church history. but
asked, was Augustine n weakling stuff
| fed with old wives fables and childish
| Inventions? Was John Calvin a mental
infant. gulled by the cheap nostrums
! OF religious quacks? Was Bishop Butler
| an ignorant blunderer, embracing mad
superstitions out of sheer blindness OF
intellect? was DR.. Thos. Chalmers an
! incompetent driveller. helpless before
| high problems of thought and destiny?
Imagine Augustine and Calvin and
Butler and Chalmers seated here; and