Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-05-24

this invitation. One shall but
mention. l desired to prove by
my presence on this platform,
that-all assertions to the con-
trary notwithstanding-the
church Of which | am an humble
minister is the friend of popular
education. The second motive
that induced me to address you
tonight is the character of my
audience-Such an audience as
have long desired to address - an
audience composed in great part
of people not connected with my
own church, but believers in the
truth of Christianity, and, pos
sibly also some honest unbeliev-
ers, who in the din of contending
opinions, can hear no certain
voice. | believe the time has
come when we should understand
each other better. There are
honest skeptics as well as honest
Protestants and Catholics. We
should all meet in a fair and
friendly spirit that the unbeliev-
err, if convinced may become a
Christian, and all Christians
meet in that unity for which the
Founder of Christianity prayed
to His Eternal Father.
l have selected as the subject
of this discourse the latest but
not (probably) the last phase of
unbelief called Agnosticism. 1t
is not Atheism which denies the
existence of God, nor Deism
which denies His Providence,
nor Skepticism which doubts, but
Agnosticism or ignorance, as the
term means, which simply says:
II don't know, and can't know"
and hence ali religious inquiry
should end.
However, l do not intend to
speak tonight on the philosophy
of ignorance. My purpose is to
discuss ethical Agnosticism, to
show its practical effects on the
individual and on society and
what are the false principles and
the false views that underlie it.
Wars between men may cease,
but wars between principles new
er cease. Wars between men
cease by victory, exhaustion, or
compromise; but great principles
are immortal and work out great
results. Truth and falsehood-
good and evil cannot unite.
Mans life on earth is a warfare.
If he fol ow passion he has to
fight conscience, and if he obey
co rscience he must battle with
passion until he decends into his
grave. Now to fight successful
ly this battle for the right
against the wrong, the true
against the false, the pure aginst
the impure, he needs all the aid
with which reason and religion
can supply him.
If Agnosticism sweeps away
the most powerful factors in this
assistance, it is most dangerous
to the individual, and to human
society. Three of the most po-
tent influences that act on the
human mind are those of fear,
hope and love.
We find that they have always
| hAn., oil !, f1n
ligious element in our nature,
and have had God for their OBJ
ject.
Conscience fears to offend the
Supreme Being by violating His
law and causes man to tremble
when he has done so.
Conscience whispers in the ear
of the tempted one, God is not
Knocked. He struggles against
the temptation. Let the Agnos-
tic W per in his ear: How dc
you khow there is a God at all
This turns the scales---he falls
an adulterer or dishonest man
and with him fall the peace and
honor of family.
My friends, if impurity and
dishonesty and consequent dis
honor are on the increase, it is
precisely because the wholesome
fear of God, arising from
faith, is on the decrease,
Nor can it be said that such fear
is without reason, or invented
merely to deter from sin. No il
is the inspiration of conscience,
and as much part of our mora
being as any other element and
cannot be ignored.
Again, man rs deeply influen.
ced in the dark hours of sorrow
despair and remorse by hope in
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