Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-06

We have had two sorts Of preaching
in the land during recent years neither
of which has been nourishing to the
souls of men. We have had men
preaching whose sole message was the
denial of the truth of the creeds or
the churches, including the creeds Of
the churches to which they were them
selves attached We have had others
VINO spent their time denying the de-
malls of the men who denied the truth
of all creeds. Nothing substantially
good has come from these preachments
of negations.
The public teacher who feeds the
spiritual life of the people that wait
upon his ministry is he who prOcla!ms,
not what he doubts, but what he be-
lieYes. The gospel for which the
world calls is an affirmative gospel
men have doubts and difficulties
enough without their preachers help
ing them every Sunday to find more.
A gospel of negation is far more
easy for a lazy mind and a cold heart
to utter than one of positive beliefs.
1t is easier to pull down than to build
up. Making men sick by tempting
them with attractive --,+ unwholesome
diet is not d difficult art; but many
years of patient and painful study is
required to acquire medical skill sur
ficient to heal them. A mosquito can
impart the germs of a mortal fever,
which will BATTLE the efforts of the
wisest physician to arrest.
If when a man begins to deny all
the creeds, his hearers would demand
of him to state positively what he be-
lieves in his own heart of hearts, it
would be found in most instances that
he is an intellectual and spiritual pau
per railing at the wealth of the
churches because of his own want of
religious possessions. Anarchy in all
its forms most commonly springs from
criminal restitution. Its own failure
Anglers it with society, and rather than
condemn itself it chooses to condemn
all organized government and ell who
prefer order to chaos. It proposes to
pull down, but has neither the pur
pose nor the power to build up. Pulpit
anarchists, assailing, all the creeds and
all the churches, do not essentially
differ in this particular from politi-
cal anarchists who attack all govern
ment.
Statesmen would make a great mis-
take if they neglected the duties Of
constructive craftsmanship and gave
all their time to exposing political
heresies because a few anarchists were
in the land declaiming against all gov
ernment The best vindication of gov
eminent is found in the blessings which
flow from it, Against the manifold
and blessed fruits of organized society
no argument can prevail. Likewise
against the fruits of positive and
potent christianity nothing can be
successfully maintained. What we
need, therefore, is such affirmative
preaching of the gospel as will bring
sinners to repentance and make the
fruits of righteousness abound among
all classes. We have had enough of
the denials of doubt and enough of de-
malls of the denials of doubt.
II was a remarkable feature of the
great revival of religion in England in
the eighteenth century that the leaders
I'm that great movement paid little at
tention to what is commonly called 1.-THE
evidence of christianity" The writers
Of evidences had written much in con-
futation the prevailing deism of that pc
riod. but without much effect. Wesley
and his colabourers proclaimed the posi-
tive truths of repentance, faith, and
obedience as set forth in the Scriptures,
and they routed the doubters by saving
the people. 1t is now commonly agreed
by friends and foes of the Wesleyan
movement that it saved England from
the blasting doctrines of Voltaire which
John Wesley and Voltaire were born
about the same time. Wesley preached
what he believed, while VOltaire taught
what he doubted. We know now how
nourishing to English life was the affirm
alive preaching of Wesley and how blast
ing to French life was the message OF
negation which Voltaire poured out upon
his people.
The same result was seen In the revival
of which Dwight l.. Moody was the most
conspicuous human agent. When that
plain man and his companion, Ira d.
Sankey. appeared in Great Britain
the British pulpit was laundering
answers to the materialism of Spen-
Ger, Tyndall, and Darwin. Mr.. Moody
had little or nothing to say about the
materialistic philosophy. He went about
in all the British cities preaching most
positive gospel right out of his own
warm experience of its truth. He spoke
with the authority of one who genuinely
and affirmatively believed. All classes
ran to hear him. Thousands upon thou
sands were converted, and multtudes
showed the fruits of renewed moral life.
The doubters were forgotten with all
their teachings At one place Herbert
Spencer himself participated in meet
ing at which Moody raised a large sum
for the building of a hall for the Young
Mems Christian Association, and Mr..
Spencer made a liberal contribution 10