The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-03
REV. |. A. WEICLE PREACHED
SERMON TO NORMAL GRADUATES
From Mondays Daily.

! Rev. Luther 4. Weislc of Carleton
college preached the baccalaureate SER
mon to the graduating class of the
normal school in the Normal hall Sun
day afternoon.
Mr.. Wciglc has been here before
and therefore the large audience which
heard him yesterday was not surprised
at the fascinating and forceful way in
which he gave the inspirational thoughts
he had to give. He took as his text
the twenty ninth and thirtieth verses
of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews:
And these all having ouIaned a good
report through faith. received not the
promise: God having provided some
better thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect
This eplstlc is the great apologize
OF the New Testament, written to pre-
vent the apostasy of certain Christians
to Judaism. 1t does so by showing
how Christianity is the fuIflIment of
Judaism, and how much better a re-
li@ion it is. We often underestimate
its worth to lis, because written for
the apperception of believers in by-
gone Levitical system, it does not
seem to bring any direct message to
us, and it seems even to distOrt Chris
tlanty By its statement in Levitical
terms.
But the writer to the Hebrews is
really modern spirit in several re-
spects. First, in his vital insight and
aPprcclatiO nof Christianity, stated as
nowhere else in the New Testament in
terms of Gods selfsacrificc, which he
proved in his enthusiastic devotion to
Christianity as the best of all religions.
Second, i'll his patriotism. as an in
terpreter to nation of its own past.
Loyal to the old Hebrew religion he
was capable of accepting the teachings
of Christ. He regarded Christianity as
an outgrowth or development of the
of his fathers.
Third. because of his broad grasp
of the principles of evolution. We be-
lievc thoroughly in the principles of
evolution because of its success. In
science it brings unity into nature. In
history it brings the principle of con
tlnuity. In ethics it shows us the
relative character of good and bad
In religion it makes us tolerant.
But the attempt is often made to
dcducc from evolution the practical
principles of actions which we as men
should follow. 1t is grave question
whether evolution can ever tell us what
ought to be, well as it describes what
is or has been or will be. BE that
as 1t may. we are certainly faced by
the practical question of our attitude
toward evolution.
And it is because the writer to the
Hebrews takes up perfectly clear at
tltude of II practical sort. and because
| conceive that his is the only riobt
attitude, that | invite your attention
TO him.
His conception is that of progress
through loyalty. I'm order to understand
his conception. we must look first at
two wrong attitudes toward evolution.
In the first place it is wrong to i'm
a9inc that our attitude toward cvo-
luton should be that of mere conform
lty or passive acquiescence We are
neither to rest passively upon the
bosom of the stream of cosmic forces.
nor even to accept from the past all
The prccepts that are to guide our ac-
Ton III furthering evolution along the
lines 1T has hitherto followed Spencer
makes man part of the cosmic pro-
cess. and sinks the individual into the .
sweep of cosmic evolution The great
is always expressing it. :,
self in evolution, and in all of life by
Jhe adjustment of the inner to outer
relations. Man in his entirety. then.
> the product of outer forces. and so.
,iety Is the expression of physical en-
'lronment. Because past evolution has
witnessed more perfect balancing of
,gotism and altruism. future evolution
will take that course, and so far as
ne may talk about duty at all. it is
'ur duty to put ourselves in line with
,ast forces.
federation of the past. then, in all
Kings. Inc religion or ethics of any
line or place is the sest for that time
md place. 1t is a mistake to admit