Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-02-23
]. i. LEES At C0NCRE-
CAT|0NAL CHURCH
Delivers Interesting Address Under
the Auspices of the Mems
League.

In spite of Indifferent weather
, Sunday night, good audience gath
cred to hear the address of Mr..
James H. Lees at the Congregation
| al church. The choir rendered
Gounod's Send Out Thy Light"
and the male voices of the chorus
sang Eye Christian Heralds'' in
pleasing manner. The officers OF
the Mems League Of the Congrega-
tional church were on the platform
in charge of the program. Mr.. Met
calf introduced the speaker as an
old friend and as the first new men,
Der to be added to Pilgrim church
during his pastorate in Des Moines.
Mr.. Lees is a man Of fine person.
Iality and pleasant speech, and he
made a good impression on the aud
fence by his manner as well as by
the subject-matter of his address.
He spoke mostly to men, of whom an
unusually large number were pres
ent. The address was strong ap-
peal to reason, an urging Of men to
put themselves out and out on the
side of the things that make for
higher living and better communal
life.
The speaker said that, roughly
speaking, men may be divided into
three classes.
There are men who are honestly
Christian and are in the churches.
using their powers to spread the
good news of Christly living. These
are not perfect, but they are doing
their best to make the world bet
ter The address was not particu-
larly for them, though they ought
to be careful not to allow anything
to undermine their influence or de-
stroy their faith.
The second class consisted of men
who for all practical purposes are
living life at least mostly in &C
cord with the teachings OF Jesus
Christ, but they have not come out
publicly for the church. This class
of men are indebted to the church for
their ideals, for the things they
most enjoy for themselves and for
! their families. The speaker urged
them to be men, and to come out
publicly for the things they prac-
| ticed privately. Mr.. Lees appeal
on this point was clear and strong.
The third division of men includ-
ed those who openly were opposed
to Christianity and it's teaching,
and Mr.. Lees urged that these, too,
should recognize that the very civil
| ization they enjoyed was the out
growth of the religion they affected
to despise.
Mr.. Lees closed his address from
the point of view of the man of sci
ence, he being the state geologist,
all his training having been from
the scientific standpoint. He said
that it used to be felt that science
and religion were violently opposed
to each other. He himself years ago
had fancied that the Bible and sci
ence were somewhat incompatible,
at least at certain points. But he
had come to see that though science
and religion must necessarily per-
sue different paths, the direction Of
, their travel We're parallel and they
were in substantial harmony. In
passing, Mr.. Lees halted to pay
church in whose Bible class he had
| first been introduced to the scientific
study of the Bible. and to whom he
was personally indebted for point
of view in matters religious that
had been exceedingly satisfying. Mr..
Lees said that the old antagonists
were dying out, and that many
prominent scientific men today are
out and out Christians, members Of
churches, working for the upbuild-
| ing of intelligent Christianity.
Throughout his address Mr.. Lees
frequently quoted the Old Testament
prophets to show how modern and
| forceful was the ancient teaching,
and how it fitted into twentieth CEN
fury times. Mr.. Lees is evidently
! familiar with the Bible, and he
knows how to make the modern ap-
peal from its pages. The address
left good impression, and Mr.. Lees
will be welcome if he comes this way
! again