The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-08-08

RAsI0R RUSSHD) ascend up into
heaven. Thou art
there; IL / make my bed In hell, be-
hold, Thou art there" psalm cxKxix.
Z. 81. He said:
We are living Ia a day when money.
pleasure and pain seem TO be the as
sets of the masses. The Evolution
theory and Higher Criticism Of the
Bible have fostered uDbelief to such
an extent that everything intangible
is doubted. Beginning with the col
lege professor and the majority of the
educated ministers this slrepticlsm has
embraced the wealthy. who are ga
tiated with the blessings Of prosperi-
ty. To these heaven and heavenly
things seem vagaries as compared
with present enioyments and hopes.
Not for long time have these be-
lieved in and feared eternal torment
And their present attitude is one of
doubt respecting everything connected
with the Bible. They well know that
outside the Bible there is nothing but
guess work, and they prefer their own
guesses to those of other people.
Very many of them speais candidly
and tell that they are agnostcs, that
they are uncertain and would like to
DE informed respecting the future.
A very similar condition growingly
prevails amongst the poorer classes
and the uneducatcd, who say, We be.
lieved the scholars when they told MS
the Bible was inspired. Why should
we not believe them now when they
declare that II Is a fraud? As the
wealthy doubt that God will special
ly favor them. SO the poor doubt
whether God will specially dlsfnvor
them Both classes are reaching the
conclusion that fortune or disaster
rests, not with the Lord, but with
themselves.
The Worlds Need--a God.
The effect of all this loss Of faith in
an Almighty God Is seen on every
hand and Is felt by many. One Of the
consequences is that the religious elc.
ment of mans nature il becoming
numb and the pssses. rich aud poor
are seeking n substitute In pleasure
as tho Apostles words forctold, hey
are 'loverS of pleasure more than iov
ers OF God" Additionally, many OF
the wealthy carry on II kind of brigand
age along commercial lines. Desir
Gus of initiating them, but unable "a
10 do, others nrc 6Ilng the world with
violence to an extent that IL alarming
10 everybody. Were II not for our
elaborate and costly police protection
life and property would he fur less SO
cure in civilized lands than amongst
the heathen. with all the protection
afforded by telephone, telegraph, pO-
lice. etc. etc, our rulers and officials
tell us TINT they are often bewildercd
IN their attempts 20 preserve law aud
ordcr.
Many learned men believe that there
Is no other God than Nature. and
many OF the unlcarncd are following
their lead They reason that Nature
served them as both father and moth.
er, that Nature IL pitilcss, unsympn
thetic, cruel Indeed, this h one OF
their special arguments against per
God would not permit the sufferings
we witness on every hand and the sin
more terrible sulferings which the
crecds OF Cliristcndom have taught
them are In store for all except the
saintly few,
II Is time that we return 10 the Bible
proposition aud see the truth of the
statement, "Thc fool hath said In his
heart, There ~ no Cod" Surely there
is something wrong with the hrniu
which, after noting the wonders of nn
ture. seen In the surrounding worlds
and systems and attcsted In all mnt
terS earthly secs not an Intelligent
Creatorl The wonderful adaptability OF
our own bodies tells of wise Crentor
IL We compare the human eye. adapt
ed TO its purposes and conditions, with
the eye Of fish, adapted 10 lts differ.
ent conditions. ana with the eye Of a
beetle, adapted 10 stlll different condi
proofs OF profOundest wisdom aud Al,
pcrhuman skill. When we think OF
mans wonderful powers and of his
great achievements I'm the world and
then consider his inability to make Il
single living thing. from microbe IA
nn elephant, from tiny seed TO tree
surely we should cOncede that the Ont
who ordered nature IN the production
n these wonderful variations. aud ere
ated man himself, must be an Al
mighty, intelligent God. Surely "Day
unto day uttereth speech and nigh