Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-08
CONNIE
BaccaIaureate Sermon Deliv.
cred Sunday, at U. Of Maine
By Rev. Dr.. Nathaniel Butler Of
University Of Chicago.
Junior Prize Defamation in Alumni
~
Hall, Saturday Night.

Orono, Me-, June THE baccalau-
reate address, in connection with the
University of Maine commencement
exercises, was delivered in the college
chapel, tonight, by DIR. Nathaniel But
Ter. professor in the University of Chi
cago, and former president of Colby
college. President Fellows opened the
services by Scripture reading and then
introduced DR.. Butler.
Prof. Buffers subject was "The
Things That Cannot Be Shaken from
the text Hebrews xii: y. The speaker
said in part:
'In our religious thinking we are
dealing with two distipct classes of
TOPICS; first those that are purely mat
ters of intellectual opinion; and, sec
ond, those which are matters of inStinc-
tive and ineradicable belief. In regard
to the former topic we have very lit
tie knowledge, we differ widely among
ourselves, and our conclusions have but
slight immediate practical value In
regard to the second class, we possess
practical certainty, as in substantial
siEtcclItll uiiiOliS oui oNiNNo e''' oNi
conclusions are of great vital import
ance. This distinction obtains in all
our thinking. Men differ widely in
their theoric explaining sun spots and
atomic theory, but are in complete
agreement as to the vital blcSsedneSS
of the sunlight, and that the world is
real and ineligible. So, men differ as
to theories of the incarnation and the
atonement and the sovereignty of God,
and yet agree perfectly that God is the
father of all men. and that His SUI
prpme desire is that all men come into
entire and loving harmony with him.
zone of the things which has been
most effective in producing indifference
or even hostility among separate bodies
of Christians has been the supposition
that if men could not agree in their
ways of looking at things intellectually,
they were, therefore, necessarily irrec-
onCilable in matters of faith, and one
of the most important discoveries of
the 18th century was that of the fact
that men might entertain widely differ
ent opinions and still agree in substan-
tial matters of faith.
"Denominational groups undoubtedly
between matters of opinion and mat
tcrs of faith. What now preserves
these groups is probably nothing more
than intellectual or aesthetic natural
selection. There exists undoubtedly
very great unanimity among these
bodies, as to that upon which and for
which they really stand.
LAS men and women, standing face
to face with the realities of life, we are
still probe to spend so much time and
thought upon mysteries and too little
upon the plain and simple matters of
life and duty. Men have wasted much
precious time upon the unsolVable myS-
tcrics of the Divine nature, and the
world would doubtless have been much
happier. and would be much happier,
today, if much of the time spent in
formulating Divine truth had been
spent IN it's direct application to life.
While we press out into the unknown
and seek to solve the mysteries, we
should never let the unexplained stand
i'm the way of our thorough application
of the things we do not know and can
use.
THE great assured verities upon
and which by experience we may prove
to our own satisfaction to be vcritieS,
are God. duty. salvation and immortal
ity. We may know all we need to
know of these v"riticS and by assuming
them on the ground of our uncrring in
tuition and proving them to be realitlcS
by acting as if they were true. we snail
find our lives best adjusted to our fell
lowmen and to the world in which we
live"
The Junior prize declarations were
held at Alumni hall at the University
of Maine, Saturday night, the an
rouncement of winners to be made
later The topics were: Restriction OF
Immigra ton" by Ira NJ l'carce, He
bron; "A Scene in the Arena Thomas
+. Taylor, Bangor; "Charles XII OF
Sweden" Lennie +. Copeland, Bangor;
Facts About College Courses. john
II. Quimby, Goodale's Corner; "Techni-
calities," John f. Olivcnbaum. Jcmt-
land; "The Maine Forest" Alvah X.
Small, South Portland.
1anrE DI,nrNN DETITIONC