The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-09-27
INSPIRED IS SERMON
OF EVANGELIST
DR.. n. o. 6REEDEN DELIVERS
THREE ADDREssEs-TExT OF
MORNING SPEECH.

Sunday morning DIR. Breeder
preached at tho Christian church
what by the common consent is pro-
nounced the masterpiece of his series
of great sermons in the revival meet
ings at that church. The house was
crowded to its capacity and the inter-
est was GREATNESS from the opening
sentence to the closing word. DR.
Breeder took as his text John 17:2o-2l.
Following is the text of the sermon:
Text of Sermon.
The age in which we live is serevc-
1y intellectual. Never was there so
much intelligence among the people at
large. Perhaps this age will not evolve
worthy successors to the old masters
in the art, philosophy and literature.
1t may be that the mantle of a Kant
and a Spinoza, of an Angelo and
Phydias. of a Beethoven and Mozart.
of Browning and a Shakespeare will
hang suspended in mid-air for lack
of successor worthy to be en-
wrapped with tho glorious folds.
nevertheless this is more intellectual
age by far than any that has pre-
coded it, 1t is the age of criticism.
People never so longed to find out
how things are put together and of
what they are made. Traditions,
dogmas. suggestions. beliefs. claims
must all submit to the test of verifi-
cation. But from the spiritual side
this age is pre-eminentIy a doubling
age. Skepticism is widespread both
as to the foundation of faith and the
existence of the faith faculty by which
alone 1t is claimed that spiritual
truths can be perceived. In former
age men questioned particular doc
trines of the church, such as the in
spiration of the Bible, the future pun
ishment of the wicked, the existence
of an intermediate state and Kindred
theories, but now they go deeper. They
apply scientific methods of inyesti-
CATION to the spiritual world. Theirs
Is no longer an investigation as to
the theories of the Bible. but of the
Bible itself. Not about the future life.
but the future life itself: not about
God even, but God Himself-His ex-
istence, His character, His reign and
not simply His attributes. But withal
II Is not an atheistic age or a flip
pant one; 1t Is fifty characterized by
van Dyke as an age of respected I'M
beiief. The questioning spirit of to-
day is sereve, but not bitter, rest
less but not frivolous The causes of
this serious and sad skepticism need
not concern us here. 1t is enough to
know that the old foundations are
shaken: that the towering structure
built up through many generations
AZ tel
of logic. is tottering to its fall. and
unsafe as protection and shelter for !
many broad and candid minds who |
seek rest and find it. not. One may
ilnd the reason for ii i'm the advance {
ment of science. another in the ex-
pansion of knowledge. 1t matters not |
how 1t came.
Three Gospels.
What Is the gospel for such an agep
We have a distinct and definite mes
sage, which Is clearly formed in our
thought and feeling and everywhere
recognized as the central. guiding and
dominant force. But let us approach
II by generalization.
lhere are. boardly speaking, three
gospels before the world, each of
winch Is presented as a cure for the
ihaiady OF the age. of all ages indeed.
1hese are first. the gospel of the
church. This gospel assumes that God
mas communicated to His church the
power 10 give life to the soul That
through its priesthood and its ordi-
nances 1t conveys salvation, Hence
IL abounds in ceremoniaIism. liturgy
each an agency of light and life of
the soul. 1t avows the infallibility
of the church and therefore asks for
an eclipse of reason. This Is cathoIi
cism. The second gospel before the
world Is the religion of the book. 1t
contends that the will of the divine
Is communicated to man in a perfect
book which contains "A great system
Oh truth. through and by obedience to
which life is communicated To the
soul. 1t presents for acceptance an
artieulated theology. science of God
built up with mechanical perfection.
IL asks allegiance to an infallible hook.
This Is Professionalism.
Inc third gospel is the religion of
Inc person. 1t presents in Jesus of
the human life of God. He
Is the way. the truth and the life
through union with Him the divine
NE comes 10 the soul. He is the in
laiiible guide through the mazes of
World of sin. He is the divine creed
II the church. Christ is Christianity.
RMS gospel alone holds out a divine
self-determining per-
as the supreme object of faith
ind hope and love and obedience. In
his alone is Christianity differentiated