Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-01-25
DEPOSITS FROM 500 UP TAKEN

the religious life is of the assurance
Of things hoped for, the proving Of |
things not seen," and for that certitude
of knowledge which enables the indi-
vidual believer to stand upon some in
destructible foundation and say, .I
know whom I have believed. and am |
persuaded that He is able TO guard |
that which have committed unto Him |
against that day."
Good is deeper than evil even in per- /
sons who do not profess to be good. |
The oscillations Of belief may be per-
mitted of God Himself, and end in
doing much good for the common faith |
of Christendom. The unsettled condi-
ton of certain moods Of faith may only
reveal at last that there are some
things which can not be shaken and
must remain. God may be permitting
the shaking up in order that we may
have the removing of those things that
are shaken, as of things that are made,
that those things which can not be
shaken may remain Ours has been
called an "age of doubt but the evi-
dence and proof of the claim are not
altogether satisfactory. Professor,
James says: "Our religious life lies
it used to on the per110V But
does not the professor attempSko draw
distinction where no distinction q
longs?
Is not our religious life, in fact and
in fine, a practical life? Are not the
most practical deeds in the world born
OF religion? Good life, good thoughts.
good words, good deeds belong to re-
Eg;on whether they be done in this or
that church, or bear no ecclesiastical
stamp at all. Reality is at premium
|! in the religion of to-day. Let us be-
lieve that the demand for the real,
the desire to investigate, the new state
ments Of old truths, the rewriting of
some theology, the revising Of some
creed the call for new adjustment
Of things, do not invariably imply the
existence OF doubt and the destruction
| of the foundations of belief. If, in.
deed, this be doubt, then it is not the
| kind of doubt that we need to fear. If
! these things destroy our foundations.
It will prove nothing more than that
we were on temporary and destructible
/! Foundations, when we should have had
| something better.
King calls our attention to the fact
| that .'just as the acceptance Of the
| principls of the correlation Of forces
| called for a rewriting Of physlcs~a new
physics, or the theory Of evolution for
! the rewriting Of biology-a new biol.
| ogy, so, IN the same sense, the accept
| ance Of certain great convictions OF Our
| day calls for a rewriting Of theology
| q new theology" Call it f1ew theol.
| ogy if you will, but do not let prejudice
blind you to truth. no matter from
| which direction truth may come. A
thing is true not because it's statement
is old. nor yet because that statement
| is new, but because it conforms to the
great fact, OF facts, for which that
1 truth stands. The great fact, Or facts.
back of the truth and its statemer erts.
/ do NOT change. Tneolog1cal sraremenrs
and systems may change. Some per-
sons may become angry, others fright
ened. and still Others foollshly and
| fippantly declare that they have no
theology; but, IN the meantime, tneol
| ogy remains the greatest science ~
the universe, even the science OF Goc
and divine things, based upon reve
lation made Of God. through Jesus
Christ; and that science, itseif as sucn
does not change.
/ Gods foundations are firm amid al
the mutations which mark the history
of the human race; amid all the storms
and shocks; amid all the disintegratins
agencies; amid the rise and fall o.
empires; amid the birth. the growth
maturity, the old age and death Q!
nations; amid things present ane
things to come, life and Geaths IN spit
Of everything that may oppc&e. OF as
|, sail. belief, character, hope, lCSs. u
corruptible life all may nave perieclIl.
indestructibIe foundations. what a.
/ | some Of these foundations? Religion
experience; that is an experience
l God in the soul Of man is an 1ndt
structible founda ton. Such expel
ience is knowledge derived from fat
and abiding in spiritual CONSCIOUSNESS
"God is a spirit Man is splrl
z There is possible contact md commul
: ion here. There is the possibility
, the best knowledge in the Worid rlgl
: here. Fact, evidence, proofs, know
Z edge. they are all here. Anowleds
: has found the proof; proof lmpiles q
!. existence of the evidence, esiaeh'
I implies the existence and reaAU