The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-16

LIAR" lltv itt agony. W G have been Cca.Ing
WIN conditions which faith has to reckon
with. ! have talked with men. the tumaltA
o. whose minds made nue. think OF tht
north coast waves. as Robert Ious Ste-s
Nenson describes them. in all the terror of
tuenl' n ait the power OF them to wreck
the iran barks IN which men voyage. There
may pe minds incapable of tumu,t. There
may DC people who cannot understand
now any question relating to religion can
80 Sur the mind. A young man who
THINKS and who knows how to think said
TO me not long ago: Il am swimming for
my lile.D And he reproached Christian
ministers for their APPARENT failure to real
lSe that there are multitudcs like himself
who are wrestling with the great underiy-
ing questions of God or no God. soul or 10
SOU, immortality or annihi.atioii, liberty
or necessity.
Such man wrote n little while ago ia
the editor of weIi-known periodical.
Prayer, the Bible. Christ, miracles. these
were the subjects in thinking about which
ne had become bewildered. lie calls loud
ly for help. 1t would be easy to say that
6e had simply got himself into "a state of
mind and that it would do TO good 10
reason with him. But what would be easy
IS not always sure to be what would be
TAR and right Faith has sometimes had
TOO great a fondness for Easy Method
With Doubters" This man says: Most
read seem to me to deal with mere side Is
sues-why young men don't attend church
how to reach the masses-while I want
to hear land never do hear)-about the
fundamental, elementary principles Of re-
hglon. is man immortal? Is there God,
and if so, why does He leave us in doubts
What is the Christian religion reduced to
its simplest expression? / am sick of plati-
tudes, evasions and gIitterng generaliiies
l want to be treated with sincerity. L
want to hear the simple truth, not as to Il
little child, but as to q grown man. who
mutt reason as well as feel man who
has sinned and suffered and now fain
would find safe anchorage fer his soul
In this sea of doubt and trouble"
The editorial article written in answer
to this communication breathes the spirit
of Him who went to His disciples in the
storm with which they were battling on
Galilee. 1t says very little about the
troublesome questions the man has raised
it takes God and the soul for granted. 1t
reduces religion to its simplest terms and
lets it go at that for the present. Whether
1T mas accomplished anything for the
storm-tossed correspondent l do not know
But do know some whom it has>helped
and others whom it is likely to help. Men
OF whose spiritual vicissitudes / have some
knowledge have spoken of it with graft
tude
The narrower method OF sectarian dog
matte lnsistence is perilous The existence
OF denomination may depend upon the
observance of the seventh day OF the wcel,
as the Sabbath. But it is a ruinous thing
Tor young person to get the idea tha5 the
existence OF God is wrapped up III thaE
dogma and that he might as well abandon
the religious life altogether as TO let that
dogma go. 1t has been an element Of de-
nomfnational strength to have certain fixed
with ~ L.
and subjects of baptism. But it is a spirit
ual misfortune if young Baptist has not
pastor wise enoagh to tell him. il he lets
go this doctrine, that religious life is quite
possible without it. 1t is possible to cher
lsh and to insist on views of the Bible, the
modification of which seems to some. when
they find it necessary, to threaten the very
foundations of their faith in God
Religion is OH affair OF the soul and God.
The Bible, the church. the crecds, the sac
raments are designed to serve thu soul and
God in this high and holy relationships
sod has life in the souls of men which
these means are meant to promote and
never to hinder. They 90 not cone be
tween the soul and God. Some sweet Old
mystic has said: THE eye by wnich see
Tod is the same eye by which He secs me-.
And we may say, also The longing with.
which We long for God is the longing with
which He longs for lis. The love with
which we love Him is from the fountain OF
Ibis love for us" In a relationship which
IS the sharing, the identity OF life, what
room is there for intermediary means and
We have precious DOCUMENTS.
precious doctrines, precious sacraments and
ordinances. But it is not they that give
life TO the soul. They do minister richly
to that life, but it is, as it were, from
without that they minister. If the soul
ever really knows God at all, it knows Him
as it knows itself The soul is sure Of it
self. by the same sort of gertrude it is.
sure of God.
Don't get the idea that you can prove
the existence of God. Some day you may
fall in with man who is better raasoner
who will take the other side. Then if you
really think you believe in God because
YOU can prove that He exists. you may find
loveth is begotten of God and knoweth
Sod. He that loveth not. knoweth not
Sod; for God is love-" We know God with
that immediate kind of knowledge with
which we know the feelings of our own
hearts. II it is possible for IFS to love. it is
possible for us to know God and to know
hat we know Him. And John tells us
that the proof there IS God and to be
Known and that we know Him, is the same
1ind of proof, the very same proof that
We must give, if we say that we love.
Luke tells us how Jesus sent out seventy
u His disciples to do in all the towns OF
Salilee as they had seen Him do. They
lealed the sick. They preached the gospel
II the kingdom. Men and devils gave heed
o them. They returned to Him with
,reat Joy to tell Him all As He listened
o them, as He looked into their faces, Tie
eioiced. They had understood Him. 1t
vas then that He said: II thank Thee. O
father, Lord of Heaven and Earth. that
Thou didst hide these things from the
wise and nrudput and JiIat hi,nc,
INTO babes" He has succeeded. Plain
npn sevantr Of Hmm hnd on,,,., 4, 49,.