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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1899)
T H E TORCH OF REASON, SILV ER TO N , OREGON, A P R IL 27, 1899. 3 not retained, but reproduced. C hristian nations than in Jap a n m ated debate, the assem by, on had been May 27, by an alm ost unanym ous Thoughts are not discovered; they before C hristianity taught, while those who rem ained vote, adopted the following resolu do not exist in the air or ether, or at home could not blind th eir eyes somewhere else (as m any w riters to the fact th a t im m igrants from tion : “ The assem bly recognizes the seem to suppose) to be discovered. C hristian nations brought into Things, with th eir properties and Ja p a n vices and im m oral practices zeal for pure doctrine represented relations, exist and m ay be discov which were unknown before their by the overture from the presbytery arriv al and would not be tolerated ered: sense im pressions enable us by a pagan people. Before the of P ittsburg, and is itself now, as a l to feel, or know, these things. By C hristians arrived the Japanese ways, profoundly concerned for the . . . IS A BOOK O F . . . combining these im pressions in were an honest, innocent, unsus m aintenance of faith. It enjoins various ways we th in k about them , pecting people. The C hristians on all its m inisters in this tim e of and memory enables us to repro took advantage of their condition doubt and even denial of things to swindle them , but the Japanese duce the signs, or symbols, of things. soon learned the tricks, and the which the church holds sacred, to Memory is the basis of m ind, for com m ercial im m orality th a t is now distinguish clearly a possible tru th impressions m ay be remembered, com plained of is due to their quick from all forms of e rrc r; th e tru th of God is revealed in his w’ord and not duly singly, but in groups so im itation of foreign custom s.” interpreted in the stan d ard s of our as to be com pared, and the anim al church. that remembers, thinks. No living ' The W aning of Superst tion. On th e following and “ The assem bly desires the fullest biologists denies m em ory to ele k in d red S u b jects: phants, horses, dogs and other At the 11th general assem bly of and freest investigation into the higher anim als, and m any of the th e Presbyterian church in the foundation of C hristian faith, but most learned adm it th a t mem ory is U nited States, May 19,1898, an in it depreca.es everything which, S e lf C o ntrol a property of all living m atter. cident of general interest in the w hether in its substance or in the Attentive observation of any species proceedings was the action taken in form of its expression, needlessly S e lf Respec of living beings will convince the response to a m em orial from the disturbs the faith of C hristian peo W h a t is M o ra lity unprejudiced observer th a t their presbytery of P ittsburg, Pa., re ple. [F u n n y !] “ The assembly deplores the re-1 W h a t is Ignorance actions can only be accounted for specting the alleged heretical views by supposing them to possess an of Prof. A. C. McGiffert, D. I)., of newal of controversy occassioned' Fraud a C rim e by the publication of this book at , intelligence sim ilar in kind to his the New’ York presbytery. own. He who would understand The following is the substance of a tim e when our recent divisions H a b it, 2nd N a tu re this subject m ust, a t the outset, the overture adopted by an almost were scarcely healed. P oliteness “ The assem bly stam ps with em discard all the m ystic theories and unanym ous vote by the P ittsb u rg phatic disapproval all utterances W isdom schemes of the im agination, which presbytery, May 3, 1898: in the past have been known as “ The presbytery of P ittsburg in the book called to its atten tio n E tc , e tc ., e tc . philosophy, and keep close to the feels with deep regret constrained by the presbytery of P ittsb u rg not facts as given bv the best scientists to use the power belonging to it to in accord with the stan d ard s of our One of these c h ap te rs is But the church needs of the last half of the present cen condem n erroneous opinions which church. W orth m ore to lx>th peace, th e union of its forces and tury. Evolution is the only philo- in ju re the purity and peace of the Young and old th a n th e the co-operation of all its members. Price of th e book. sophy, and it “ is a series of facts.” church. The occasion is furnished “ The assem bly, therefore, in the And the facts are physical, m a by a volume entitled, ‘A H istory of terial, tangible, facts capable of sci the C h ristia n ity of the Apostolic spirit of kindness, counsels Dr. Mc . . . IT S H L U L D B E IN . . Giffert to reconsider the questiona entific dem onstration. M aterialism Age,’’ the au th o r of which is Rev. is not a theory nor a philosophy, A. C. McGiffert. In this volume ble views set forth in his hook, and but it is the same evolution which the New T estam ent is very irrever if he cannot conform his views to Prof. David S tarr Jo rd an defines as en tly handled; no special super the stan d ard s of our church, then “ a series of facts.” All the in telli n atu ra l guidance is ascribed to its peaceably to w ithdraw from the gence in evolution is in the thing sacred w riters; the genuineness of P resbyterian m in istry .” But for the organizing and pu ri being evolved; it is “ the sh ip more th an one-half the hooks com a n d re c e iv e a wright working in the tim bers of posing it is called in question; dis fying work of science, Dr. McGiffert n e a tly c lo t h - m ight see his sou, float out from cordant and m u tu ally contradic the ship.” b ound co p y, p ost p a id . the smoke and flame which was I would be tru ly glad if I could tory teachings are declared to he cite the reader to a work on “ P sy contained in it; and its au th o rity consum ing his body, as other vic A G EN TS W ANTED. tim s of theology have done, if there as a divine rule of faith and prac chology” which is neither m ystify ing nor m isleading, but I know’ of tice 19 set aside, and even funda is a soul. ------- ADDRESS------- Presbyterianism has learned a none. Lesson six, on “ The U nity m ental doctrines of evangelical As the esson; there will be no more trials of Knowledge,” will com plete thi3 C hristendom are denied. series, and I hope the editor will said volum e of Dr. McGiffert is a for heresy. It claim s th a t it wants S ilverton O regon peace th a t it m ay “ save souls” from give critics a chance. I will reply flagrant and om enous scandal; as to inquiries for inform ation and re it is the most dat ing an<l thorough the om nipotent w rath o f a n o m ply to criticism s if a reply seems going attack on the New Testam ent n i p o te n t god and “ the pains of hell Six Tracts to Promote forever” . Suppose th a t in the th at has ever been made by an ac desirable. credited teacher of the Presbyterian pure, blue depths there is nowhere ! C hristianity as Seen by the church in Am erica, the presbytery to be found this w rathful, cursing Japanese. of P ittsb u rg hum bly petitions the god, and no hell. Then how idle general assem bly of the year to take the work of the church is, while In Place of C h ris tia n ity : The Japanese Tim es, published into solemn consideration the grave h u m an ity suffers all m anner of at Tokio, as reported by a corres 1 Can Sins be Forgiven? crisis which the publication of the woes. pondent of the Chicago Record, The Rev. Dr. Stephen D. Cad 2 Does Christianity or Science Promote Civil said book has created, and, in its ization? has been publishing a series of wisdom, to adopt such m easures as m an, at the weekly m eeting of the 3 Is Religion or Science More Reliable? striking articles on the religious sit shall be conducive to the ch u rch ’s M ethodist m inisters, on M onday, 4 Evolution and Comparison of Religions. uation in th a t countrv, and the purity, peace and honor, and to the March 6, 1899, d istin ctly denied 5 Does Belief in Miracles Benefit? com parative condition of C h ristian 6 Immortality or Annihilation? m aintenance of the au th o rity of the the inerrancy and in fallib ility of ity and Buddhism a t th e present JU ST T H E T H IN G word of God, which has been com the Bible; * about 4(X) M ethodist • min- time. The w riter is described as a inters listened to him and a p p la u d m itted to the c h u rc h ’s trust. to h an d to your C h ristia n frien d s. Send Christian. W e quote for the edifi 2 cents for 6. or 6 cen ts for 25 tra c ts , “ The errors held and taught by ed him heartily when his rem arks cation and, we hope, the instruc- to E liza M owry B liven , B rook Dr. Briggs are com paratively harm were ended. lyn, C onn., or sem i 10 cen ts tian of our C hristian friends: for 50, e ith e r kind or as less when set beside those which "Learned men from Ja p a n who sorted k in d s, to went abroad discovered th a t vice, abound in this work of Dr. Mc W oodw orkers, d o n ’t forget to eend an crime, poverty and depravity pre Giffert.” o rd e r for a set of th e F o rstn e r A uger THE LIBERAL UNIVERSITY CO., vailed to a greater ex ten t am ong» After a calm b u t intensely ani B its. P rice, $2.60 by m ail. .See ad. Silverton . • Oregon RIGHT LIVING Sixty E x c e lle n t C h a p te rs EVERY . HOME! Toifch of Reason Scientific Wisdom t