The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-18

Sermon of Rev. e. e. Newbert at All
Souls Unitarian Church.


At All Souls Unitarian Church the Rev.
E. E. Newbert had for his theme yesterday
morning Absolute Religion" In part he
spoke as follows:
Unless signs are misleading. the world
cares less and less for the traditional and
conventional type of religion. Yet there
Is interest in religion as II embodies the
worlds sentiments, as 1t embraces our
hopes, our loves, our truth, our admiration.
We are not done with the ideal scheme of
things In which is set the worlds great
soul, it's good, its confidence in the uni
verse, its joy of living, It's gratitude for
life, its youth and innocence. Out of the
conflict of the ages something like absolute
religion is having birth. Its only sign is a
great life flung abroad. an ideal of life
toward which we press. If IT have cry,
Ii Is this: One life over all; one humanity
on the EARTH one destiny for the race
DO we talk less about God than did our
fathers? Yet we are not insensible to the
divine presence. Are we losing interest in
theologies new and old? Yet our interest Is
aroused in life. There is, too, less specu-
cause of indifference. 1t is because the
devil Is dead, and we are no longer afraid
of the future. Or, If the Bible is not gen.
orally accepted as the word of God. and if
we are growing out of the pious and puny
life, IL is because We believe In the living
word Of God, whose pages are human lives,
and are entering upon the larger life of
the world. Religious man is setting big
interrogation mark over against the uni
verse. Is there a God? Is man his child,
and Is he competent without mediation TO
commune with Him? Is there a truth which
bears the seal of the eternities, and can
man know it or make use of it? And is
there a goal of struggle, and shall man, as
the result of all the evolution of the ages,
come out of evil and arrive at the goal?
Indeed, what of man? Is he more than
dust? Is there universally? Or is it only
dream?
FEARS THE QUESTION.
he rio
ton. He is afraid of the answer. He mis-
takes conclusions. and cries that science
imperils faith. He opposes the higher
criticism, thinking 1t destroys the Bible.
And he condemns evolution, believing it
removes God from nature Is the sectarian
right? Is religion grounded alone in mys-
terry and is happiness conditioned in ignor-
ance? Does truth shut MS from God, and
is there no hope where there is question?
I'VE are tempted to say that this is not
the age of religion, but we do not we'll
choose our words In going beyond creeds
we are not getting beyond religion What
modern man asks for is a sufficient ground
for faith. What he demands is a belief so
backed by knowledge that It viii be an
know. Our restless age Is in quest of re-
ligion-refGion without limit, without
name without he o the comedy 1ne Of form or the
our age is seeking a faith big enough to
embody an idea of God consistent with all
we are coming to know about the uni
verse; an idea of God suggested by the
implications of science and the conclusions
of philosophy; an idea of God so grounded
in reality that 1t will stand the soul in
stead, and which in the hour of supreme
trial becomes the everlasting arms be-
meath
eff the old thought is losing, 1t is be-
cause we are outgrowing its selfish mo-
tive. In comparison with the social eff
fort to make men fit and glad to live, the
saving of single soul to heaven is as an
infants troubled dream. AS / forget the
old cry think of the good in the world; l
think of our chance for happiness on the
earth. How much of humanity one meets
in day! How much real fellowship there
isl Travellers all, we going on to-
gether. We hail from the same unknown
country, and are pilgrims to the same city,
whose spires no man has yet seen. The
highway is one. Experiences are common
to all. To-day it Is the newborn babe; to-
morrow 1t Is the graveside the tear; the
next day it is the bridal party and mirth.
One fellow-traveler sings as he goes; an
other prays; another laughs; another
watches out the night. All contribute to
swell the tide of life. How wonderful is
life How human our world! How like
birds of passage are, How futile the
long attempt to read the riddle of the uni
verse! If we may not know the mystery,
we NAV have the life