Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-02-02
CalnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase, ID. ID.

greatly It would conduce to the beneht
Of the world at large and to human
happiness here and hereafter II men
would cease to strive and quarrel over
Biblical interpretations and hair-
breadth Differences in creeds and cere-
monies and with simple Christian faith
unite in fraternal efforts for the COM
mon good. The text Is Titus ILL., o.
"But avoid foolish questions"
Have you fathom llne2 Then drop
II into the seas. Have you telescope
Then cleanse its lens and FOCUS IL
upon the stars. Have you a crowDar
Then with 1t pry open the hermeticaliy
scaled doors of the geological libraries
and finger the leaves of rock and read
the genealogical histories OF the spe-
c,es Have you a microscope? linen
with the bacteriologsts roam through
the corridors Of the infnltesimal ana
find an aquarium In drop OF water
and exquisite beauty in the end OF
ay', wing. God would not have placed
the wonders Of the heavens above us
ard the wonders of the deep beneath
us and the wonders Of the land about
Va IL he had not meant US to explore
them and to try to make the WORKS OF
his fingers part Of our lives. -.
You never yet met an inteiligent
man or woman who was not continual
" asking questions and striving to un-
derstand the unknown. The indisposi-
| tion TO investigate and the unwilling
ness to attempt the solution OF tne
nroblems of life about us are Always
tho signs of an intellectual weakling'
In the spiritual life, as well as IN Tue
no,itical and the mechanical ana tne
nhilosophical world, the one woro
which should be most often spoken py
the human lips is "Why?" We shoulo
he continually asking why thisr anc
"Why thatT and "Why the otne'
th,ngw The human mind and sou
cannot mark time. The mind mus
either broaden out or shrivel up. in'
Interrogation point is golden ke.
with which we should try to uniocl
the manifold mysteries OF the unl
verse.
Rut there Is an intelligent way o
nrshing that word "Why1" and yer,
foolish way. There is way of askln
"Wbvf" which proves to the world ina
vou are sincerely desirous TO oOtai
knowledge. Then there is way o
asking "WbyY' which proves to tn
world that you do not wish TO ieari
but are moved by curiosity only or D
o desire TO unsettle fundamental que
tjons. There never was foreign'
who came to America who asked MOI
questions than Ii Hung Chang. 81
the questions which he asked were gel
orally frivolous and to our Ideas impe
t,nent He would ask aged maide
Iadie, why they never married al
how old they were. He would ask pc
o ple why they wore false teetn'
would ask this question and that al
tho other question until he made eve
ono around him uncomfortable. IN
some people push that word '"ny
most ridiculous way. BY the !
cratic method they try to argue "
,r ond Christ and the Bible out OF I
q minds and hearts Of their friehe
= With the interrogation point IN
- would advertise to the world Uni
tronscendental reasoning powers wn
n tbev are only advertising their trai
Of cendental curiosity.
St. PauIs Advice.
Paul In his epstle to young III
advises him to beware of such III
Ions curiosity. When he tells MIN
avoid foolish questions he Is not
cumscribng the intellect OF this you
man by telling him not to think q
10 not to investigate. He Is laying uo
the broad principle which you anc
would do well to heed when ne 50
"Ayold foolish questions and genes
p;es and contentious and s'ri'ii
g, about the law, for they are unpron
iu BILE and vain" In other words' a'
To those foolish questions and contentl
d, which have nothing to do with press
'e home the great purposes OF the sosl
I'd Live only for those divine truths
self evident facts which Will draw
Sc nearer and nearer to the cross OF Je
nh Christ, The poet expressed my III
nretation of Pauls meaning wheh
lu wrote:
Some read the blessed book-they q
know why =,
=. .onnshow happens in their way TO IL
while others read 1t win uheoi'
care, ., ,h
4 p,t all to find some contradictions III
l., Some read to bring themselves INTO re le
Nv showing others how they car, o,ss
While others read because 'iei ~
10 soc how long twill take to rea
through.
so,ro read to prove a preadopted cree
X, Tn.,s ,,ndarstand but little what
read ,. .hov
r. roalxe II suit that all important ell
AZ Some people read, as ha''
!. M thought, =, ,
73o ro teach the book instead OF
10 90 taught
1921 ,,,. ov cor, q
is Paul is saying, Titus, my son. .
. the spirit of the Scripture lnstea
p. m: the letter Of the law" We snouiO
iM M be among those Bible students wh'
AS spiritually nearsighted and nolo
80 eyes so close to the sacred pages
p. m they can only see a sentence or
. at time, and they do not realize
some of the passages OF scripture
- special and exclusive reference y
D. LII times In which they were written
to the geographical conditions o.
7ae writer's. That would be very
. m % quate description Of the beauti'
= Shadyslde, which was limited I
p. M. architects specification Of the d
- ~ ~ of the home Of the father OF Anne
1H letters. 1t might be absolutely oe
- z% NJ and its measurements unimpeacf
but we should miss the spirit an
tender associations Of the place