Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-11-24
RELIGION EVER THE SAME.
Ty Rev. RomilIy r. Hnmphries

|
The word of the Lord endureth for
ever.-Peter l., %.
Perhaps the words of the Irish
hymn writer voices the deepest relig-
ious feelings Of to-day:
"Change and decay in all around l
see;
o, Thou who changest not, abide with
me-"
There has been a change in mental
attitude toward all things that pertain
to religion. The doctrine of evolution
has unveiled new world. And yet 1t
is the same old world; we have sim
ply revised our opinions about it. The
universe did not break up into chaos
with the downfall of the Ptolemaic
system of astronomy. We simply
awoke one day to find that in reality
the earth, instead of sitting on
throne, receiving the alteration Of the
sun and stars, itself paid homage, and
in rotation and revolution besought
the suns light and heat and was con-
tent with the worship of one little
burnt-up cinder. Similarly, though
Charles Darwin has changed mems
views of science and history and OF
all human speculation, the facts of
life remain the same. 1t Is only the
q opinions of those facts which change
and differ.
. Now some lament that their religion
is being taken away; that the Bible Is
= being destroyed as Gods word to man
+. and its position Of authority under
O mined; that the church, the sacra-
n ments, the creeds, the ministry, no
longer hold the attention and rever-
" ence of men and that all authority for
% faith itself is shattered. They look
~ back with longing eyes to the days
when there was no higher criticism
A when there was no questioning of the
il dogmas of religion, when men be
Is lieved their theologies as they did the
10 multiplication tables.
1t would be simple truth to observe
- y. that those days never existed; the.
70 are part Of an ideal imagination
There has always been skepticism
n there have always been questionings
"Al is vanity and vexation of spirit,
as is only one ancient testimony. Th
us difference to-day is that skepticisn
40 and questionings are more apparent
10 10 Then what must be the attitude o
~. the religious mind to-day? Simply t
an assert more vigorously the old doctrin
of inspiration, to proclaim with NOR
ou definiteness the old formularies? l
there is nothing better, nothing sureE
BIT the voice must grow fainter and weak
re err, until family it shall die away en-
20, tirely. For even the supposed day
~, of simple faith and the unquestionin
20 mind can never return. You hav
ay some time, possibly to-day, engaged i
I worship, in praise and prayer, ali
I'd. now you are reading this. Whyf Bf
'e' cause of something alien to your na
tufe that has been imposed upon yo
~ by some book, some church, som
-. creed? No, but because Of some ur
mistakable fact Of your inmost being
er some part Of your own nature, tina
| finds no satisfying affinity with an
he of the transitory things of earth, an
We from its depths cries out, 80, Tho
lt- who changest not. abide with me;
some hunger of the soul that discover
/. no sustenance for it except in CON
". munion with God.
he This is the foundation of your n
ligion, your deepest faith. No sc
ence. no criticism, no philosophy ca
M shake 1t. Without it no religion woul
~, ~ be possible. no Bible, no church, n
~, worship. Because it is there all form
on of expression are possible, yes, inev
be table. AS one of these forms conside
briefly the Bible. The main truth
en- that the Bible did not precede thl
ur toned but blossomed from it. In til
-, words of one New Testament writer
I'd "Men spake from good, being move
mr. by the holy spirit" AS their natur,
nd their generation, their habits G
at thought permitted them to be mOvet
lii so they were moved. ANA Wnat the
IT. spake is of value to us, not as an II
ui falllble rule Of faith and practice, bu
N- as an actual religious experience @
men of flesh and blood like our owl
Much we can appropriate and max
our own because our own religious M
at lures respond to it. Much we can Ell
'ie 10y and feed on because 1t actual
does nourish. 1t goes straight to tn
IN heart without the aid Of any theor
~ of inspiration.
The method of compilation has moth
2 Ing to do with the Bibles power I
ire nourish the religious life. That intel
an raj part Of our being halls the Bib
do as one great testimony to religion.
II shows that in our highest aspiration
x.,o o.o 4, tuna with tho host life an