The Irish standard., 1905-03-18
BRYAN II MINNEAPOLIS.

Minneapolis shows that he has lost
none of his old-time vigor and popu-
larity. His lecture in an East side
church crowded the edifce at $1.OO per
ticket, and his talk to the young men
at the Plymouth church on Sunday de-
veloped into surging crowd that
broke down the doors Of the church.
There is no political campaign ON at
the present time. Mr.. Bryan is only
a private citizen and yet his presence
is sufficient to attract more people
than can get within the hearing Of his
voice. He is truly wonderful man.
The most popular in the country today
and there is no way Of accounting for
it except on the ground that he de-
serves it. He is truly and genuinely
respected by men in every walk of
life. Republicans as we'll as Demo
Gratis pay homage to his ability and
his integrity. He is the finest type of
the American extant. He is closer to the
common people of this country than
any other man. He lives right, feels
right and thinks right; and in this is
his great strength and popularity. In
his lecture at the Plymouth church he
showed the difference between right
and sensible thinking and that new
or higher criticism which is such fad
in some quarters at the present time.
He showed that he had no sympathy
for the doubter and scoffer Advanced
as are his political ideas he let it be
known that his christianity was of
that older and more stable kind,
which does not change with every re-
curing year. ''The feeling" he says,
among educated people is that re-
lgion is for the ignorant; and of late
years it is the sentiment among the
cultured class that they have out
grown the use of religion. Religion is
not Il feeling that is for the exclusion
Of any one particular class Of people
nor as it is sometimes miscOnstrued,
a feeling of fear, but it is THE con-
seriousness that there exists an in
finite Being and this is IL belief that
cannot be outgrown."
II sometimes feel" said he, chat
scientists in attempting to figure out
the history Of the world from eXamin-
ing the rocks never looked ut the stars,
AS a boy 1 read that the Lord created
the heavens and earth, and I deter
mined to make my stand there, and
until the scientists could go further
back than that my faith would re-
main mistaken. A God who can make
the earth can do anything he wants
with it, and the chain of evidence that
appears to give another conception of
the creation of the earth can just as
well be part of His scheme
of creation as it was possible for
Christ to perform miracles. If primar-
lily we possess faith we can believe in
these miracles and then we can know
that everything is possible"
We never heard more succinct
and comprehensive answer the OAR
winian theory than the above few SEN
fences. 1t shows the broad thinking
and many sided character of the great
Nchrnskan. 1t shows Il lhealthful
habit of thinking, consonant with the
promptinyS of the heart and the as
pirat ton of the mind.
"Another element of doubt" he
says, "ariscs with many pc pie he
cause they fail to see why Christ
should have given up his life for us.
unnecessary that any man he called
upon to give up his life for another;
that the result can he attained with
out rcs0rting o>sMcn an extreme. One
can we'll say to this that not in the
| worlds history was there ever a great
reform possible unless it was carried
out by men who We're willing to give
| their lives for principles that they
| valued more than life. The most pow
erful beliefs that are part of our re-
1
'igion are based upon sacrifices. There
ire some people who would have it ap-
pear that they did not believe in the
Christian religion, but who will admit
hat such a person as Christ probably
existed. They will not believe, how
wer, that he was of divine origin. To
,rove the divinity of Christ would
,ot prove it by miracle. I would
AXE His life here on earth and the
ospcl that He preached and then let
-ou ask yourself whether He was hui
nan or divine. No philosophy has ever
cen given to the world that can APP
roach the grandeur Of principles
"hich was eXpounded in His sermon
N the Mount"
These simple straightforward state
ents are familiar doctrine to Catho-
cs and We might we'll believe were
re within hearing Of that voice and