The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-30
HazleH Lecture Course on Relip-
ious Theme of"A Working FaM"
---God In His World---
~ DIR. HARRIS FRANKLIN RoLn.

der. Now it is seen that he who has
made the world and who daily MAIN
tains it is one whose method is regu-
lar and according to reason. The laws
visible everywhere in nature are but
the steadfast habits of the Creator.
They are the expression of divine
thought and will. Personality and not
low is the deepest of all reality.
A Working Faith.
But what is meant by a working
faith? by faith is meant not Il
dream nor a speculation. but a moral
and ideal vision. 1t means God. But
this does not mean God is a theory or
doctrine; it is God in this world. the
not only satisfies the human heart in
its quest for peace, but reaches down
to n world of sin and seeks to make it
over for h good of mankind.
This faith conceivcs of Goo as Il
present. living being. His relation to
the universe is not that of al absentee
Deity. but that of an imincnt God
working in and through all things.
This being is also one of mcrciful IL
pose, who is carrying out IA moral plan.
We believe in one whose nature is
and who is seeking to establish truth
and Righteousness on the earth.
This faith also conceives of God as
one with whom we can have fellow
ship. a personal God with whom we
can live. 1t will not he enough to
think of God as the great power, or
companion. 1t is only by such a fell
lowship that We can be lifted to the
life that it is possible to reach. BY
such companionship only can we pos
scss the real and the full life.
The Great Objection.
Pres. Rail- addressed a large and att
tentive audience in the Methodist
church last evening at 7:45. His SUBJ
ject was THE Great Objection" He
said:
The title Of my address this even
ing ] chose in order that it might be
the real subject. | want to speak to
YOU on some suggestions for d theodi-
cy. Is it an anachiomism that in this
day of action. of pressing practical
| problems, NC should pause for such Il
theme? Religion must be human.
Where cross the crowded ways Of
l!fe," there the church is to be planted.
and VIC plant it there for service. But
what service? Sometimes counsel and
sometimes bread and often sympathy,
but most of all the comfort and hope
and strength that comes from God.
But the common man has his prob
lem of faith. 1t is as old as Jobs cry.
Can there he a good Coo In such IA
world as this? Once mcn spoke of all
sin. We are too Christian for such an
easy. answer. We stand with Jesus
when VIC rcpulse the cheap solution
which says: Who did sin. this man or
his parents? Our point of view makes
the question harder. Evolution has
widened the horizon. Here is the fact
of hcredity. Here is our new social
science. How long would our optim-
ism last if the windows of u homes
looked each day into the novels Of
poverty in our w city. to say nothing
of the darkness of India?
Here is III problem. At the begin
ming let me bring two suggestions:
First. what is the real question? We
ask. Is Goo good. is the world good?
But good for what? For pleasure. for
ease. for freedom from. toll and pain.
Christian faith because the world does
not lit such an un-Christian ideal?
What is the real good? The first error
we must correct is that of a low, pet
tty. m%atcrialistic ideal.
The second consideration concerns
another error. Men have loked at a
fragment instead of the whole. They
have looked at the lower part of our
life instead of the higher: they have
looked at he individual instead of he
social, they have looked at he pres
ent instead of the great movement Of
life and its final issue.
Let us turn to the first of these. Ma
terialism as a philosophy is dead to-
day: materialism as an ethic is very
much alive. What is good? Nothing
less than life.
Ills life whereof our nerves are scant.
q life, not death. for which we pant;
More life and fuller thai I want
Now thcChristian ideal of life as the
suprcme good contains three elements.
first, righteousness. based on mans
Iown choice, the fruit of struggle: sec
ond. love; binding man to his fellow.
blessing him that gives even more
than him that receives: third. faith.
giving 70 life it's final meaning. it's final
hope. and its highest fellowship. the
fellowship with God. Let us apply
this test. Is not this world SO full Of
pain and struggle. of injustice and
wrong, of innocence reaping evil and
guilt that goes unscathed just the
world for making EN-?
When the Fight Begins.
when the fight begins within HIM
self
A mans worth nothing"
Faith must have something Of dar-
ing in it. 1t is the very difficulty that
makes this Il world for faith. . And
love. it is the very suffering of the in
nocent that moves us to deeds Of love
for men. and to a flame Of passionate
Righteousness. Our case loving world
needs a new appraisement of pain and
toll and suffering and sorrow.
The second error is that we have
looked at the individual instead of
the social whole. The Bible never in
Old Testament or New expresses the
final purpose of God in terms of the
mere individual. Christianity knows
only Il social salvation. 1t is a king
dom, a brotherhood. a family, a new
race. his seems to add to our diff
culties. Coo seems to mass us all to-
gether. How can God be good when
each reaps the harvest from the sin Of
all: will no minimize these evils.
but tho meanest soul that suffers and
loves is richer than he of the we'll fed
body and the we'll kept path who
walks his way prosperous and pain
less. but alone. Let the pestilence
which comes from the ignorance Of
the few smite guilty and innocent to-
gether. II only there may be A world
of love and home and kindred and
country. More than that. II we
us. When we fall, we drag others
down. This tragic fact IL the leverage
God is using upon the souls Of men.
The hands of none of US are clean.
But 1t is the pain and passion Of the
social conscience that holds the prom.
Use Of a new world. The very shadow
Of pain In becoming the flaming pillar
to lead us out of our night. It Is the
apparent uselessness Of suffering that
weighs On US most, We can bear the