The San Francisco call., 1906-10-15
Peoples Indifference to God
Cause Of Crime in the City
Bishop Atkins Says
Doubt May Assail
Men of Reason.

There never lived a man of reason
who did not have doubts of Christ"
was the unusual declaration made last
night from the pulpit of the Centenary
Methodist Church. of which the Rev.
r. o. Num- is pastor, by Bishop James
Atkins of the diocese of Nashville,
Tenn Then the Bishop made a quail
hcation OF the statement, insisting that
when personal affection came Jesus
the Lord was a comforter and proved
larger Christ than had been known
before.
But in admitting that doubt might
exist in the mind of rational man on
the question of the divinity of Christ
the Bishop would not permit of the
questioning of the existence of God.
In the phraseology of Herbert Spencer
he declared that Ito deny the existence
of the first great designing factor in
the universe, the First Great Cause, is
rankest lunacy."<
Bishop Atkins Is making his first
visit to California, having come to the
coast to preside at the Pacific Con-
ference. In opening his remarks he
expressed his sympathy for the city
and its people. His text was taken
from Matthew, xi:3, in which 1T is
recorded that St John in prison asked
of Christ, Art thou who vast to come,
or shall we look for another?"
1T was john" said the Bishop, who
introduced Christ into the great Office
for which he was predestined, crying
out, voice in the wilderness, Behold
the Son of God who taketh away the
sins of the world Yet John had his
doubts, as were told in the text
which I have just recited. 1t has been
preached that no man is stronger than
his weakest point of character, and
Ar -.
that a chain is no stronger than its
weakest link. The saying may be true
of chain, but it is not true of human
character, which is as a collection of
chains. The doctrine that man is no
stronger than his weakest point is a
doctrine of suicide. Humanity does
take the measure of the lowest point.
couraged, but it needs to be uplifted.
Apply the test to John, the wisest of
the Jews.
John had a serious doubt in his
mind whether or not Jesus was the
real Christ. There never lived a man
of reason who did not have doubts con-
cerning Christ. but he who doubts the
existence of God is a lunatic. The ex-
preston of a reasonable doubt is the
placing of a point on the road of truth
There was question concerning Christ
among the Jews who looked for Mes
siah Of material position. How could
Christ mako progress without counting
on the influential citizens. the high
toned men and women of his time
whom he did not have with him? He
sympathized with the demoniacs, cur
ing the ieper, raising the dead, curing
the deaf, the man with the palsy, They
followed him. He had that imporent
following; what kind of an element
were they in the formation of a king
dom? But Christ said, Blessed are
they who shall not be offended in me-.
But Christ triumphed with his fol-
lowing. He is ever a coming Christ.
When we first come to the knowledge
of Christ, if adult. we know that he
is the fairest among ten thousand, VIC
know him in the aspect of a Savior
beautiful. and when we grow older
have family and feel the pangs of
the anxiety of life, then Christ comes
to us in sdifferent aspect and we
know him as Jesus, Lord, our COM
forter."
Previous to the sermon William Bell
vale sang The Holy City'