The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-24
PROOF OF GOD is SHOWN
IN HIS SATISFYING POWER.
Christian Theism Holding to the Per-
sHnai Relationship Between the Al
mighty and Man Discussed,

| The Reverend Columbus Polk Goodson
pastor of the Kings Highway Cumberland
Presbyterian Church. preached there yes.
tefday morning on THE Fundamental
| Proofs for the Christian Religion" taking
, MS text from the first and second verses
OF the forty-second Psalm. He said. In
| part:
! humanity's world heart cry is one. EN-.
ersohs Know. man, that God exists,
mas become the declaration of all men, The
1hna. E; a, underlying principle of all
! eiiGe Is the unification of all phenomena
i uEder some one al-embracing principle.
ana NE can an be nothing less than that.
| II one denies the existence of God, he
must have an idea of God. which means
that he has an idea of one than whom
nothing nc greater can exist or even thought
him as existing. All men do Each has an
individual conception. for no two people
ye mentally Or morally in the same world.
involving necessary existence. spinoza had
the idea of an absolute
Within the breast of every man. of what
ever religion. there is an eternal heart cry.
an ar, undying longing for the infinite-the God.
The sense of the Infinite. according to Max
Muller, lies les at the root Of mans whole
lectual. aesthetic and moral life.
o,,.n nhe proof does not lie in our brilliant
cixiiization. Rome had that. as did Greece;
Scriptures. or whether Christ was divine or
the reconciliation Of science with religion
t ,no, science and religion are not two OPP
their places, but there is but one proof. and
that is FOUND in the satisfaction given to
e eoery soul desire les God is the complete
every demand. The soul has AS many any win In
anS be S one imperative II is for light life
feed on God and become great; liberty
ioosed from limitations and free to love
and and serve Ter. Only in the Christian religion
ger and auenches thirst. Here is to be seen
the vision splendid and heard the angelic
song. Here love loves: service serves: hatred
dies and peace pacifies.
Whoever finds fault with Christ. never
mas ground for criticising his work OF love
me soul of man comes to its real and great
self In service and love.
Other religions have no such ideals.
Coniucianism lives on a dead past, is stag
na ant, and has stagnant civilization.
ness-.starts with the false promise that
there is no such thing as peace. It robs
life Of all its desires. ambitions and hope.
every hope, every noble ideal, lofty pur-
pose and demands that man shall sflirk
S bsIpies knoW fI reaponsibility leaving his
the state, and take himself to some nonas-
terry; full: to the limit. of vice. and there
aWeil. Wherever II prevails. society is de-
Buddhist for seven hundred years. Christ
1anity's goal is the perfection of the race,
ana and It believes that such is realizable. Ser
its fruits.
No ideals like unto this The Hlndoo
says say let the common people eat grass. what
am able to. by meditation. ascend to these
great heights. Selfishness the spiritual kind.
is its core GO Only the few attain. Christ!
Is every other mans brother. Christianity
ioves enemies. and finds the deepest long
in !s:T. OF the soul for that enemy's good.
two high characteristics. is Christianity,
God is common Father Of all. The word
Fl Father the occurs occurs more times in the sermon
Ions put together, Judaism included. All
ception The conception Of the Fathers
IAN are sons of God: therefore. all ar.
brothers. Whatever l could wish for my
self sell take .k;s the greatest delight in wishing
my religion has taught me to pray and to
love. This worked out. will become uni
and F foF G sssyfs S ea s1na in
ontologtcal argument though 1t has great
part of the whole truth. fol, man cannot
by pure thinking find out God. for reason
Is only one of mans faculties The best idea
can form is not worthy to be the least at
Nor does the cosmological-that every
effect must have an adequate and efficient
cause outside Of itself. which is God-hold.
great cause. outside of and before the uni
verse. The theological. or design. argument
universe does not explain design The moral
Is weak. In that If God can do
all he Wills. he wills evil and misery,
though 1t Is strong, in that It believes in
the possibility of overcoming evil.
1.-THE real proof is found in ones own
inner consciousness Reality is found in self
theism holds to the personal relationship
between man and God This relationship
insures five things-perfect peace. absolute
forgiveness. thorough alteration, values ev |
cry soul as the Son of God and has for |
its purpose the gathering Of these souls
into the kingdom Of God.
.'rhe proof then. is in the immediacy Of |
feeling. He is not proven. but felt"