addresses-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



TO　REASON　IN　THE　NEW　TESTAMENT；　BUT　TO　SIGHT。



With　these　principles　in　mind　as　to　the　origin　of　doubt；　as　to

Christ's　treatment　of　it；　how　are　we　ourselves　to　deal　with　those

who　are　in　intellectual　difficulty？



In　the　first　place；　I　think　WE　MUST　MAKE　ALL　THE　CONCESSIONS　TO

THEM　THAT　WE　CONSCIENTIOUSLY　CAN。



When　a　doubter　first　encounters　you；　he　pours　out　a　deluge　of　abuse

of　churches；　and　ministers；　and　creeds；　and　Christians。　　Nine…tenths

of　what　he　says　is　probably　true。　　Make　concessions。　　Agree　with

him。　　It　does　him　good　to　unburden　himself　of　these　things。　　He　has

been　cherishing　them　for　yearslaying　them　up　against　Christians；

against　the　Church；　and　against　Christianity；　and　now　he　is　startled

to　find　the　first　Christian　with　whom　he　has　talked　over　the　thing

almost　entirely　agrees　with　him。　　We　are；　of　course；　not　responsible

for　everything　that　is　said　in　the　name　of　Christianity；　and　now

he　is　startled　to　find　the　first　Christian　with　whom　he　has　talked

over　the　thing　almost　entirely　agrees　with　him。　　We　are；　of

course；　not　responsible　for　everything　that　is　said　in　the　name

of　Christianity；　but　a　man　does　not　give　up　medicine　because　there

are　quack　doctors；　and　no　man　has　a　right　to　give　up　his　Christianity

because　there　are　spurious　or　inconsistent　Christians。　　Then；　as　I

already　said；　creeds　are　human　versions　of　Divine　truths；　and　we

do　not　ask　a　man　to　accept　all　the　creeds；　any　more　than　we　ask

him　to　accept　all　the　Christians。　　We　ask　him　to　accept　Christ；

and　the　facts　about　Christ　and　the　words　of　Christ。　　You　will　find

the　battle　is　half　won　when　you　have　endorsed　the　man's　objections；

and　possibly　added　a　great　many　more　to　the　charges　which　he　has

against　ourselves。　　These　men　are



In　revolt



against　the　kind　of　religion　which　we　exhibit　to　the　worldagainst

the　cant　that　is　taught　in　the　name　of　Christianity。　　And　if　the

men　that　have　never　seen　the　real　thingif　you　could　show　them

that；　they　would　receive　it　as　eagerly　as　you　do。　　They　are　merely

in　revolt　against　the　imperfections　and　inconsistencies　of　those

who　represent　Christ　to　the　world。



Second：　　BEG　THEM　TO　SET　ASIDE；　BY　AN　ACT　OF　WILL；　ALL　UNSOLVED

PROBLEMS：　　such　as　the　problem　of　the　origin　of　evil；　the　problem

of　the　Trinity；　the　problem　of　the　relation　of　human　will　and

predestination；　and　so　onproblems　which　have　been　investigated　for

thousands　of　years　without　resultask　them　to　set　those　problems

aside　as　insoluble。　　In　the　meantime；　just　as　a　man　who　is　studying

mathematics　may　be　asked　to　set　aside　the　problem　of　squaring　the

circle；　let　him　go　on　with　what　can　be　done；　and　what　has　been

done；　and　leave　out　of　sight　the　impossible。



You　will　find　that　will　relieve　the　skeptic's　mind　of　a　great　deal

of



Unnecessary　cargo



that　has　been　in　his　way。



Thirdly：　　TALKING　ABOUT　DIFFICULTIES；　AS　A　RULE；　ONLY　AGGRAVATES

THEM。



Entire　satisfaction　to　the　intellect　is　unattainable　about　any　of

the　greater　problems；　and　if　you　try　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　them

by　argument；　there　is　no　bottom　there；　and　therefore　you　make

the　matter　worse。　　But　I　would　say　what　is　known；　and　what　can　be

honestly　and　philosophically　and　scientifically　said　about　one　or

two　of　the　difficulties　that　the　doubter　raises；　just　to　show　him

that　you　can　do　itto　show　him　that　you　are　not　a　foolthat　you

are　not　merely　groping　in　the　dark　yourself；　but　you　have　found

whatever　basis　is　possible。　　But　I　would　not　go　around　all　the

doctrines。　　I　would　simply　do　that　with　one　or　two；　because　the

moment　you　cut　off　one；　a　hundred　other　heads　will　grow　in　its

place。　　It　would　be　a　pity　if　all　these　problems　could　be　solved。

The　joy　of　the　intellectual　life　would　be　largely　gone。　　I　would

not　rob　a　man　of　his　problems；　nor　would　I　have　another　man　rob

me　of　my　problems。　　They　are　the　delight　of　life；　and　the　whole

intellectual　world　would　be　stale　and　unprofitable　if　we　knew

everything。



Fourthlyand　this　is　the　great　point：　　TURN　AWAY　FROM　THE　REASON

AND　GO　INTO　THE　MAN'S　MORAL　LIFE。



I　don't　mean；　go　into　his　moral　life　and　see　if　the　man　is　living

in　conscious　sin；　which　is　the　great　blinder　of　the　eyesI　am

speaking　now　of　honest　doubt；　but　open　a　new　door　into



The　practical　side　of　man's　nature。



Entreat　him　not　to　postpone　life　and　his　life's　usefulness　until　he

has　settled　the　problems　of　the　universe。　　Tell　him　those　problems

will　never　all　be　settled；　that　his　life　will　be　done　before　he　has

begun　to　settle　them；　and　ask　him　what　he　is　doing　with　his　life

meantime。　　Charge　him　with　wasting　his　life　and　his　usefulness；

and　invite　him　to　deal　with　the　moral　and　practical　difficulties

of　the　world；　and　leave　the　intellectual　difficulties　as　he　goes

along。　　To　spend　time　upon　these　is　proving　the　less　important

before　the　more　important；　and；　as　the　French　say；　〃The　good　is　the

enemy　of　the　best。〃　　It　is　a　good　thing　to　think；　it　is　a　better

thing　to　workit　is　a　better　thing　to　do　good。　　And　you　have　him

there；　you　see。　　He　can't　get　beyond　that。　　You　have　to　tell　him；

in　fact　that　there　are　two　organs　of　knowledge：　　the　one　reason；

the　other　obedience。　　And　now　tell　him　there　is　but　One；　and　lead

him　to　the　great　historical　figure　who　calls　all　men　to　Him：　　the

one　perfect　lifethe　one　Savior　of　mankindthe　one　Light　of　the

world。　　Ask　him　to　begin　to



Obey　Christ；



and；　doing　His　will；　he　shall　now　of　the　doctrine　whether　it　be　of

God。



That；　I　think；　is　about　the　only　thing　you　can　do　with　a　man：　　to

get　him　into　practical　contact　with　the　needs　of　the　world；　and

to　let　him　lose　his　intellectual　difficulties　meantime。　　Don't　ask

him　to　give　them　up　altogether。　　Tell　him　to　solve　them　afterward

one　by　one　if　he　can；　but　meantime　to　give　his　life　to　Christ　and

his　time　to　the　kingdom　of　God。　　You　fetch　him　completely　around

when　you　do　that。　　You　have　taken　him　away　from　the　false　side　of

his　nature；　and　to　the　practical　and　moral　side　of　his　nature；　and

for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　perhaps；　he　puts　things　in　their　true

place。　　He　puts　his　nature　in　the　relations　in　which　it　ought　to

be；　and　he　then　only　begins　to　live。　　And　by　obedience　he　will　soon

become　a　learner　and　pupil　for　himself；　and　Christ　will　teach　him

things；　and　he　will　find　whatever　problems　are　solvable　gradually

solved　as　he　goes　along　the　path　of　practical　duty。



Now；　let　me；　in　closing；　give　an　instance　of　how　to　deal　with

specific　points。



The　question　of　miracles　is　thrown　at　my　head　every　second　day：



〃What　do　you　say　to　a　man　when　he　says　to　you；　'Why　do　you　believe

in　miracles？'〃



I　say；　〃Because　I　have　seen　then。〃



He　asks；　〃When？〃



I　say；　〃Yesterday。〃



〃Where？〃



〃Down　such…and…such　a　street　I　saw　a　man　who　was　a　drunkard　redeemed

by　the　power　of　an　unseen　Christ　and　saved　from　sin。　　That　is　a

miracle。〃



The　best　apologetic　for　Christianity　is　a　Christian。　　That　is　a

fact　which　the　man　cannot　get　over。　　There　are　fifty　other　arguments

for　miracles；　but　none　so　good　as　that　you　have　seen　them。　　Perhaps；

you　are　one　yourself。　　But　take　a　man　and　show　him　a　miracle　with

his　own　eyes。　　Then　he　will　believe。













The　End