SUNDAY READING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

agnosticism that hinders and helps. (By C. F. AKED. D.D.) Preochwi at the Fifth Avenue BapUst Church, New York C.ty. "And thev angered Jesus, and said, W« know not." —Matthew xxi. 2«.

Thev sard -her did not know. They mcaafc that they W" tltd n«t Thev saw the intellectual difficulty was gr.'at. Thev felt that the moral difwas'a&er* Palm Sunday and the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus bad entered into the Temple and cast out all then, that sold and bought. He had overthrown the tables of the money-changer? and the seats of them that jold the doves. And He had spoken those memorable words: “It is written. Mr house shall be called a house oi prayer- but ye make it a den of rob Ecra.” The sens.-*, ion in Jerusalem was vrjdespreod and profound. And, nattirallv, the chief priests and rulers, the official leaders of the Church of His day and country, demanded His authority for proceedings which indisputably were revolutionary and which to them portend d anarchy. ‘*By what authority doewt Thou these things. and who gave The? this authority?’ It seems a perfect* y fair and straightforward question, entitled to a simple and straightforward answer. But Jesus replied: “I will ask you one word. Answer m" this, and I will tell you bv what authority I do these things.” And Ho demanded : “The mission of John the Baptist. his preaching, his work, was it from heaven or from men?'’ They turned to each other and di«enseed the question in low but excited ton-s breaking up into little groups, flinging back and forth the arguments in favour of answering ono wav or of answering th® other, or of not answering at all. They were impaled on ‘he horns of a dilemma. They saw and they said: “If we say the teaching wav from heaven. He will de wand of ns why we did not accept and follow it. «f we sav- from men, the ■tosses of people will cry shame upon us, frr th. y afl take John for a prophet.” And so. as Jesus waited for their answer, they said, “We do not know.”

Then Jeans «sid: "Neither tell I yon bv what authority I do thoM» things.” Mark the phrase: not “Neither do I know.” though they said they did not know. He knew that it was not honest ignornnej with them. But as they refused to answer Him, He refused to answer them : “Neither tel I you.” On the port of Jesus this was much m-arv than trick of debate, a clever n owe in dialectic. It worfld be utterly useleas for H : m to answer their question if thev were not prepared to try to answer His. If they would not yield assent to the lighter claims of John, obviously they would not admit His stupendous claims to eternal. Divine authority. And if they lacked the intellectual sincerity -nd moral earnestness which demwdel an honest effort to think out to a mnclnsion the phenomenon and the problem cf John, much mere certainly did they la. k the intellectual •meeritv and moral earnestness required to think out the more astending ph-momenon and mor® bear.Herin® problem of Je u». Their agnosticism was of the type that kills. THE AVOIDED QUESTION.

In th? irtrodnctory char tgy of “Th-* Crown of MJH OliveY* John Ruskin explains rh,» diffimltv under which for many ye r he Lbourctl in nddre’unz by voice or pen .-n Er.gli-hspeaking . u’.’-ne. His difficulty »as in knowii's «hetbar he shonll address them as I »'•>'. rs in n tiitiirc life, and trv to •h * orcusl.n? from their belief, or w 1 ."ttwr he should address them as un- ■*" »ers and trv to draw conclusion* • n- ‘her nnb-iie'. In th' sub’oct* c " shed to di'-coss it rrade a world * 1 d’tferencw. With Christmas ho wai will HZ to for bonest declaration and and ftt’fih.i.-nt of th. fr heli-f in We; with -ith. ivs, he w a -. wiring to rieod for honest Jcc'aration and belief tn donth. tnd he said: “The dilemma is inevitabl... Men most hereafter live or ?;-crea.fte- die : ; j'-ir« may he bravely r.-et :;nd condtrc wisely ordered on either ex-is-tation.; hot never ip hesitation between irngra-ped boro and on- .. ntrnnt'd f»a- We roiiiv believe in immortality s> far as tn abo d preparation for :h and in mortality so far •n; to avod prm.-.ration for ,-initbin ’ whereas a uis> man will ho’d himself reidy for eno or other of two events. of »l h on.- other is inevitable: and will hive a’l thmo ended in • rd.r f i his s'cep. The rhiin -e may be repeated nt bmgth neainst o - £on- ra*i. m. ;i:’>ir:.s* our. ■solves, ami i”u Crated in .onntkss wnvs We •efnw' to think out ..nrstion* of lif.> Pud death rod destiny. We are ’ike th- ■> d abby-minded per-on who said tr;t_ •: lentlvr “I aim tv- look difficu’tv bodily rn th-' far-." an: r*h>n. mihlf'v, “and mns< by ot: th - other ‘ide.” No problem emerge* in theology sb ch has not rr-s. rfst in phi'ow phv , but we are not cmrz to tjo-ib'e ,>tir h-ads about ftM*O-t>£y nr phil jophv rijivr. AnJ if we are a-ntrad th.it it. the : r last analv- *;« these . r- > nesli-ns of inml.,mental etbjr*. i riutiea! m .'s’ions affectinz ot»i dcily cr/ln- . .iff.ct ng -.nr relation, with men b-. r» !’i — r«m-h onr relatw»n» with (ord. tie look the problem tissfifyr , n ‘he face ar.fi rass by n» thaul?. 1* t’. h cuii:*? r.f lion ven Ctad-besot-vn. or is i‘ ot hell, syjnnsl of envy, coward co avd -el‘'slin>’«'-? And w >‘ answer- J-. not Then yen •■H'h* I- knew ; sour a.: >5tictsm is t?:e .-cond death. Let it &■ admitted that tlt-’r? is an agnostic!im. wh.'.d; >'« nn-»v. id-ibM. an rgnowticism. even, whi, h is v.-tlwabie t-> ®d rn , 't all b 1 .ign w.ics *omowlfrc, if o d.v w will |*<j' cur n tuiism in the right t>u<-o Th»rc is an sgewticism iii.-li mi’..’, it o. Mr. Edi-sin in in j.v.ni t» the “New >.rk.Sunday ‘lure-.?’ h reported rs r-ne-t.n hi'.- se-- .id form a verv old e’.jsx-.. -n th' -h- -ti • »• ption of •• God of J., c. ' t.,-l th. Almighty.” It-.' »ail: ‘-Mcrey? Kit-1-rrs ’ 1/v.-? J d'-r t -ee'them. If Givi m.id ■ me. H» also n ad- th.» fish which I t .it-ti and sat. And where do b:% roerrv. ’ ir <!;■•«* and love for th »* fi<h i <>m- n? .' It is utterly nnworthy of Mr. E-lisin’s nar.-e .-.nd fame. I havo rev.r, .«inc» my t; ink nx life b-”n l<- 'i :»b!e to -übscri'e to the opinion that tb- problem of pain and of th-

existence of evil is insoluble. I deny that we are bound to be agnostics with tegard to what has been so often called the mystery of evil. I hold that answers can i-e given to the questions which these phrases cover, answers born of reason, acceptable to the reason. I hold that the mystery remains a mystery only to people who have not the intellectual energy and spiritual rigour required to think a way through it. IHF BEST INTERPRETATION.

Bnt suppose I am wrong in this—a c< ncession I am loth to make. Or suppose. what is more likely, that a person's habit of life Fas lieen such that he has become really incapable of the sustained mental e ffort, including a historical '■never of almost c> srnic proportions. ~» ith' nt which the problem cannot be tolve-l: what remains? Must he ccny mercy, kindness and love? Allis' he indict the course and constitution ot nature and declare that it bears upon it prima facie evidence either of a depraved mind oj of no mind at all? Take a case • there is cn? vou love, n great and noble soul. You have known him intimately, known h ; m long. Yon have known him in storm and stress: yon have lookei into his eye? when all heaven seeded to be shining from them : you have crept to his side when difficulties and dangers made you sore afraid. And always you bare found him great of mind, free of soul, one amongst a mill'jon And. one day yon gleaming blade firmly grasiied in Ins right hand, has keen seen tn thrust i‘ into the quivering flesh of a little child. What ate you to think of your greatbcaited fricnl’ It may lie nothing at all. Tlie facts may be in parts as rep rie l Int the interpretation of them is nt the antinodes from the suggestion of cruelty. That may lx* only the ir-rc-p >ns b’e chatter <>t crass ignorance I or the slander of a despicable -ri'e. The ! nr.an nr:y he a surgeon, the gleaming J blade a lancet, and bis supers d cruelty i pure benefice nee. It may be s O . You i cio not know. But knowing him as you ! know him, knowing hrs mind and lio»rt I are you not both' better and happier if you can say. “I must wait for the explanation. But 1 s'nrdy refuse to believe that he is a bad and cruel man. I know hi< men-y, his kindn.-s .and his I love”? Observe; it is not .suggested ; that .all the yrv’n in the world is moral ! surgery, though some of it may be. | The point i? that you are better and I hnpp'er if you can go on believing in | the integrity cf your friend, waiting • until explanations shall .appear. And if : vou have tasted and seen that the I Lord is gracious; if you have felt the ; heart of God : if you have known Him : in sicknes or sorrow, temptation or forgiveness, nnd known H ; m to l»e good, i then in pn-senc? <>f all the pi'ed-up pain o' this planet your wiser fart is to de- ■ c’are. “I c-inot nr.de.stand; I F>v?: ! ir:d I can wait.”

| CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES. | Mr. A. G. M.rshall, M.A.. th® I Rhod .s Sc’.o’ar for New Ze land this i year, is not only the son of n Methodist | minister in activ - work in the Dnmin- ; inn. F.nt is himself a local prcich r of that bodv. Until his removal to Christ1 church his name appeared on the Pittf street plan, and he was accustomed tn preach in several of the suburban congregations.

Th' Rev. E. R. Shcbb'nre. re"ently ci rate at the Church of the Anntincia- ; tin. Brighton, who?" conversation t> | the Roman Catliolic faith was annonnej rd re ently. is stated to b? the fifth Brighton e’ergvman who h-’s lc‘t the i Church of Englr.-nd since the Bishop of I Winchester forbade the Adoration of [ the Sacrament.

A rot hr Ro-imn Cath-li- C Z)< .r is- to !i o opened at Christchurch. Th? now ; in-titution will not be a rcsidental col- ! b-re for the ti-n<> bcinz. It will i>e o;e:i--i rd. ; t is exp.rted. in February, and will ! h.> specially devoted to the higher eduI cition of C ithi lie young men. I Someone has made invcstiz-.t ions ns [ to ths* azc at which n largo minder i of persons in various churches in Eng- > land .?nd America were converted. n»d find? tint fM'per cent, were under 2> ’ years of age. Of IfXX) ; er-oiis. the ages ! at tlie time of ronversion were as fnlh”v : - From 8 to 12 years, 128 : from 13 I to 16 tear'. 302: from 17 t> 20 veirs. 1.3?? fr-m 21 to 24 yeir-, lid; from 2i lo 60 years, 40.