The San Francisco call., 1907-01-28
FINDS A LESSON IN
SPENCER'S LIFE
Rev. George Craig Stewart
Compares Great Agnostic
With Cardinal Newman
PRE-LENTEN SERVICES


The pre-Lepten mission OF the Epis-
copal church. which is being held in
this city. was instituted yesterday with
childrens services in st. Stephens
Church. Services were also held in St.
Stephens Church and Trinity Church in
the evening.
The Rev. DR.. Endicott Peabody. head
master OF the Groton School in Groton,
Mass, where among many other boys
Of the first families Of the land Presi-
dent Roosevelt's son is being educated,
preached the sermon in Trinity Church.
His theme was Prayer" and he
handled ii with directness and sim
plicity. He said in part:
We cannot live near COD; we csnpot fulhH the
purpose OF our lives; we cannot stand against
temptation; cannot do anything good and
nne without going 10 God for help. We know
Of the habit Of prayer which Jesus had. II
was hie custom to 60 out alone, often 10 some
desert place, II possible to some lonely noun
tain, 70 be alone. The entire night before bis
greatest poets Of the nineteenth century has
said More things are wrought ny Prsger ,see rssn
we always turn 10 God. AT the tine Of the
eruption 0f Nesuvius people fed 70 the churches
Il is not necessary 70 be told that in your late
catastrophe you turned TO God for help. Do you
not suppose that. III every one IN this church
were to pray for our city It would be better and
purer before the year Is outg
John Stuart Mil one OF the greatest ag
nostics OF the century, said that he could not
realize ipnsortalifv through anv process OF his
reasoning. but when he thought Of his mother,
he could not help believing IN IT, Prayer
brings Us into the right relations with people
When man has been your friend and you
find out thar he has been prayin Tor you, Goes
Il not give you feeling for him such as noth
ing else could Bow 70 love my enemies vas vas
for a long time the puzzle OF my ire hou
can say that you love people and yet you cannot
like them. They may be obnoxious TO you and
yet you can love them IL you DO something ios
them. You can always pray for them ane II
you pray for people you cannot Wisn men
anything but good Prayer saves us from ae-
spOndency and from Jealousy. which does enter
dreadfully into our lives.
The services in the church were con-
Quoted by the clergy of Trinity -
feature was the singing of Come, ye
dfsconsolate" by the Rev. DR.. A. Morri-
son of Portland.
DRAWS A COMPARISON
In St. Stephens Church the evening
Craig Stewart, rector of St Luke
Craig Stewart, rector Of St Lukes
Church, Evanston, III He delivered an
eloquent address on the nature Of true
faith. and in closing made a compari-
son between the lives and deaths OF
believer and an unbeliever, as shown in
the lives Of two Of the greatest men of
the last century. He said;
One was Herbert Spencer, tbe thinker. who
wrote: We cannot know over aA lhe VA
questions of life. An enormous sadness brOods
over his life. In his existence Is a boooless
scheme OF moral principle, with the changes
rung altruistic impulse. suddenly ne @ @nnes
s new sympathy awakened within nim toNsIo
the adherents % the religions which ne haa ioI-
merly despised. seeing in these, as u We're.
gathering Of men together fo5 warmth aRu n
c0rnDanionship In the darkness Of space and the
silence Religious creeds. he writes m us
csra y-itb q sympathy based community OF
need. feeling that dissent from mem Ltsuls'
from fnphIifv 10 accent the solutions ouereu,
ioined with the wish that solutions could De
found"
The speaker then drew a vivid COM
harrison between the dreariness OF the
last days of the great agnostic and the
joyful faith OF the believer, as
exernplihed in the life Of Cardinal New
man, whose words, when ne sa" oee'h d
approaching, were:
me end is the trial. the world passes; il is
but 8 pageant Of the scene; the lofty palace
crumhlee the busy city Is mute, the snlps OF
Tarshish have sped away Sestn r = &c me 5is Is
/ desire to 1--we In thy faith, in thy church,
IN thy service, in thy love
Rev. Cecil Marrack, the rector Of st
stephens, assisted In conducting Ahe
evening services.
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
Atthe children's services. which were
held in St Stephens Church in the
afternoon, and at which all the Sunday
schools Of the Episcopal churches in
the city joined the main address was
delivered by Rev. Mr.. Stewart OF
/ Evanston. II was missionary service
and the rector succeeded in interesting
the children in the needs Of other chill
dren throughout the world. Remarks
were made by Rev. DR.. Peabody, and
the closing prayer and benediction were
/ spoken by Bishop Nichols.
Corresponding TO the services fol
children yesterday afternoon, there VIII
/ be services for men in Trinity Church
next Sunday afternoon. There viii be
! bolv communion service for men this
morning at Z o'clock in St. Stephens
On Tuesday. Wednesday, thursday ano
/ Friday afternoons at $3.50 o'clock prayer
and instruction meetings will be held.
Thursday win be a quiet day fol
women. Devotion and services viii be
held under the auspices Of the Woman 5
Auxiliary, beginning at $3.50 In the
morning. The services viii be conduct
ed BY Rev Mr.. Stewart. Children's
services viii also be conducted by
him at $3.50 o'clock on Friday
There viii be daily communion at s:Se
o'clock in the morning and revivalistic
meetings at s o'clock in the evening IN
both churches this week. In Trinity
Church they viii be conducted by Rev
Mr.. Peabody, and in ST Stephens oS
Rev. Mr.. Stewart.
The clergy Of the Episcopal churches
ia the bay cities are asked 70 meet the
visiting pastors at the bishops house
this afternoon.