Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-26
The OPENING Address.

Inc opening address by a. b. KIDD
ertS was as follows:
Students, Alumni and Friends of
Bowdoin-This age in which we live
is an age of commOnsense. The rapid
spread of higher education and the
me'ciless advance of scientific re-
search have made the world of today a
logical, practical and material place
of abode, for a rational people.
The spirit of the times SCOTS at
many a Bible story and points the in
deX finger Of scientific doubt at whole
sections of orthodox religion. AS 50 we
are constantly hearing of the conflict
between science and religion. of the
Gospel for an age of doubt.
on our own part we freely admit
that we are in sympathy with the ra-
tionalistic attitude of the day, but
that we are identified with this accu-
satiOn of doubt we admit only in so
far as such a statement means that we
stand ready to question fanciful asser-
ton and grOundlesS guesswork, wheth
or it gushcs from the campaign spell
binder or emanateS from the dimly
lighted sanctuary.
Yet in such a world as this there
are many possibilities for misunder
standing. What do We mean by
Doubt What do we mean by faith?
The nan who doubts everything is not
a doubtcr. He is foutcr, he is a
mule. The real doubter is essentially
man Of faith He tests given
proposition by reason developed by eX-
perience. When he accepts it he be-
lieves in it with the faith that moves
mountains. Then all the time this So
called doubter is a man Of the deepest
rooted faith. This is what Tennyson
referred to when he wrote:
"AnI what is faith? Faith is not
blind belief in picture language; it is
not the unrcasoning acceptance Of in
discriminate humbugs. No, for these
things make up superstition and super
Stition is the fear of the ignorant.
Faith confidence belief is something
different. something better. Faith is
based on knowledge Faith is of the
things we know. Belief i'll the things
that nobody knows is not faith: it is
the rhldlike superstition, primitive.
barbarous."
But | hear a voice saying: "You are
destroying the beauty of faith. There
is no merit in believing that one al
ready knows. while there is a sublime
flavor, a Divine essence in the faith
that believes and believes, where it
cannot prove" | hear those words
pouring from the hearts of kindly men
of loving women and of sympathetic
friends and my heart beats out the
same sentiments. We must have
beauty in faith.
Now there are two kinds Of faith
head faith and heart faith. SO far we
have considered only the faith of the
intellect, the kind of faith that con-
Germs an age of reason, the kind Of
faith that attaches itself to facts and
theories and propositions. faith in
things of knowledge. Heart faith re-
sides in the things we feel the emo
tions of the inner life. And it is In this
faith of the heart, where beauty is. In
affairs of heart and feeling. love and
friendship. our belief trusts on and
on-bcautiful, unshattered faith.
We are charged with living in an age
of reason and an age of doubt. Intel
Iectually this is true. Otherwise we
would stagnate and repeat the history
of the Dark Ages. AS it is we are liV
ing in an era Of progress and best of
all III the deep heart meaning Of the
world, we are living III an age of faith
Ard it is because we are living in an
age of faith, it is because we believe
in You and you lave confidence in us
that these exercises are held this after
noon 1t is because of this atmosphere
of mutual faith that we welcome you
gladly, joyfully to these exercises.
Here are undergraduates of Bowdoin
with whom we have lived and worked
and played under these peaceful clms
Here are gray haired men once more
visiting their Alma Mater. men whose
quiet presence sheds a soft fragrance
of brave deeds and great achievements.
Here are the younger alumni whose
hearts are beating with the fevcrish
hopes of youth-hopeS which courage
and time will help to realize. And here
are sisters and sWccthcarts with the
soft rays Of the waning sun hickcring
over brow and check. We welcome
you with the faith Of youth in our
hearts, with the joy Of living i'll our
words. With the spirit Of Old Bowdoin
ringing through every syllable. we well
come You.
And you. mothers of Bowdoin, we