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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 65

No. I—What do i Believe?

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No. I—What do i Believe?

"How long halt ye between two opinions [thoughts]? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." [unclear: —I.] Kings, xviii. 21.

I have suggested a question for each one to put to himself, viz., What do I believe? And I announced this as the subject of our consideration to-night, because it does seem to me that, in spite of loud boastings about the intelligence of the age, free thought, and the like, multitudes go through the world without ever patting such a question to themselves; and there perhaps more still who, if the question presents itself unbidden, ever for a moment try to answer it. They seem to think that to have cast away the faith of their fathers is quite enough to establish a claim to superiority of intellect, without troubling themselves to find out very clearly what they have accepted in its place. But I hope, and believe, that there are some who do want to think about some of these magnificent questions which neither the world, the flesh, nor the devil can altogether hold back from our minds, and to such as these my text gives a grand challenge to free enquiry, and to decision as the proper outcome of enquiry.

What do I believe? Notice, the question "what," not "Do I believe anything at all"? because, I suppose, in some sense everyone believes something—certainly every thoughtful person does. A man may reject Christianity, he may even deny the existence of a God, but he will have some theory page 4 upon which to account for his own existence, [unclear: of] enable him to express something to himself or [unclear: his] companions as to his future life. This will be [unclear: the] belief upon those subjects, though I am using word belief now rather in a popular than in a [unclear: very] strictly correct sense. I ought, perhaps to speaking these theories as opinions—such persons as I [unclear: am] speaking of seldom get beyond opinions; they [unclear: have] given up beliefs. The text, you see, in the English version, speaks of "opinions" as the condition mind of those challenged. I think, however, [unclear: if] the word "thoughts," which you find in the [unclear: mar] of your Bibles as an alternative reading, really [unclear: indicates] more accurately the condition of lazy [unclear: and] confusion in which those people were; they thought nothing out, had found no basis for a [unclear: high] theirs was but a half-formed judgment, at the halting between two ideas—an irrational [unclear: posi] It may be right, under certain circumstances, [unclear: it] man to substitute one belief for another, it [unclear: has] can be for a man to come to no conclusion [unclear: of] That is the position the text deprecates: "If [unclear: The] Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then [unclear: full] him." If any one present does not believe in Christian religion at large—if any one does not [unclear: believe] in Jesus Christ, then I ask in what [unclear: else] who else does he believe?

I want to press you very closely with these [unclear: conditions] dear friends, because that position of [unclear: the] formed judgment, or apathetic indecision is [unclear: for] than irrational, it approaches the suicidal, for [unclear: them] no doubt that their application to ourselves is [unclear: fru] with tremendous issues and consequences, the [unclear: ef] of which are incalculable. I want, therefore, to [unclear: the] you to go to the root of these questions, to put [unclear: the] issues to yourselves.

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I said just now that almost everyone believes something, but some there are who are so lost in a life of mere self-indulgence and carelessness that they have no proper belief because they have no thought, and, therefore, no true assent of their understanding to anything. Such persons absurdly imagine that the whole subject matter of religion is for ever banished or exploded because, forsooth, they have discarded it. Docs the sun not shine on the earth because if one descends a mine be ceases to enjoy its light and heat? Again, some men there are who are ready, perhaps eager, amid the multitude in some well-lighted hall, under all the excitement of the quips and gibes of a clever speaker, whose grand armoury is the folly, and the mistakes, and the inconsistencies of religious people, to join in the laugh, to shout, "Away with creeds! Away with religion itself;" and they seem to think that because they have done this the whole affair is ended. Yet what have they done, after all? Only made a transfer of their allegience. They will have indeed no Paul, with his sublime reasonings; no Peter, with winged words which find the way to the very consciences of men; no Christ, Kith his gospel of self-sacrifice. No, they will have none of these, but they will pin their faith to a man—their preacher, just one who can see no farther in the dark than they, but who says, "Live as you like, and never mind the future." Yes, they believe in him.

This was the kind of teaching Israel had been listening to from Baal's prophets when the thunder of this challenge sounded in their ears. If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him; but the people answered never a word." Why didn't they answer? Why all so dumb? Perhaps it was because thus challenged they were obliged, at least for a moment, to think, and thinking page 6 they became conscious of a certain sneaking [unclear: connection] of the truth of the old religion; yet they [unclear: would] retain, if possible, the license, the open [unclear: riot,] sensual pleasures of the new. They knew that [unclear: the] compact was possible between the shameless [unclear: the] to which they were now accustomed, and the [unclear: sign] purity of the ancient faith, and yet they [unclear: have] not openly declare for Baal; dare not, in so [unclear: much] words, put him in place of God, however [unclear: with] they had been to adopt the sanctions of [unclear: somebody] else's religion—though they pretty well knew it [unclear: was] false one—to the indulgence they craved. That's [unclear: is] they were dumb! Let any who amid the [unclear: multiple] applauded denunciations of Christ and of God, [unclear: th] of this matter alone, or, as he would think of it [unclear: wat] face to face with the great challenger, death. At [unclear: was] a time the question, "What do 1 believe"? is [unclear: commonly] felt to be of immense importance.

You say, perhaps, "Oh, the preacher is trying frighten us." I say, no; trying to prevent [unclear: you] being frightened hereafter. Death does not [unclear: delay] cause we are careless, and life is the time for reasonable decision. "How long halt ye"?

Perhaps you answer, "I am a reasonable [unclear: and] thoughtful man, and I believe in a God, but I [unclear: don't] think God is so extreme to mark what is done [unclear: and] as you preachers say. I think if a man lives a [unclear: fr] good life, and doesn't intend to do any harm, the will be right." That is your creed, is it? [unclear: Th] would point out first that the text says, "If [unclear: the] be God, follow Him," i.e., acknowledge Him, [unclear: in] Him, obey Him; and it is probable that in doing this you will find that "God's ways are not [unclear: er] as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts." [unclear: that] this leads me to say, secondly, that your [unclear: arg] implies that the case is to be judged by man's [unclear: in] page 7 of God, and not by God's ideas of man; but herein is a great mistake. If there be a God, and He has revealed Himself to man, then the only question is, what. He is, or what He thinks of us? Perhaps an illustration will make this point somewhat more plain. Suppose some filthy beggar seeks to thrust himself into the drawing-room of a prince. Is he impudently to decide whether he is good enough company for all who may be found there. Whether his stinking clouts and half-naked dirty limbs will do? Think, then, how your "moderately good life" will appear in the brilliance of God's home. How you would figure amid the throng of bright ones, the pure eyes of the All-Pure looking you through and through. If then you believe in a God at all, do not halt in a half acceptance of Him, or in the acceptance of some Baal of your own devising, but follow the God of His own revelation.

"But, do you believe in God at all?" I am still pressing you with the question of this sermon, because so few will resist that tendency to take the easiest course, which is not to decide on such questions. A popular philosophy sets forth that it is bard to know God,—in fact, that he cannot be known. Well, it is easy at all events to adopt this opinion. And if God cannot be known, then I escape from responsibility; I am but an accident in the scheme of the universe; I must seize all the satisfactions I can, and leave the rest to fate! The argument of the text, dear friends, is not a question of ease, but of reason. Don't adopt an opinion merely because it seems to save trouble! Enquire. This is what God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit are always Kidding you do, but you don't really do it. Hundreds who will not hear my voice to-night, because they are not here, have long ago shut up their Bibles, page 8 and so won't see what God does say to them,—[unclear: the] even refuse to consider whether God has [unclear: spoken] them or not at all. These cannot very well [unclear: even] called disciples of freethought, though they [unclear: wont] willingly be thought so, because on the [unclear: subject] religion they will not think. The most they [unclear: will] probably is to go to hear the objections which [unclear: so] one styling himself a freethought lecturer—save [unclear: fi] name!—is sure to bring against what it is well [unclear: under]stood he will oppose. And these [unclear: objections] accusations they will probably adopt without [unclear: on] looking for the other side, forgetting all the [unclear: ti] that Scripture says, "Prove all things, hold fast [unclear: fi] which is good." Would that I could reach all [unclear: these] But I will at least plead with those who [unclear: hear] voice, and I challenge you, and say you don't [unclear: red] believe that a life of slothful, selfish, and even [unclear: bru] indulgence will lead to good hereafter, when [unclear: all] perience teaches us that it leads to [unclear: wretchedness] ruin here. You don't really believe that [unclear: we] safely substitute for God and His love the tall [unclear: phi] and high-sounding periods, the arrogant but [unclear: delan] because purely negative, philosophy which we [unclear: him] thrust upon us on all sides in these days as [unclear: the] for all existing evils, as a substitute for that [unclear: wher] we have been taught as children, [unclear: mystifying] intellects instead of enlightening them, [unclear: unset] our faith without increasing our knowledge, [unclear: make] our hearts ache without giving our heads [unclear: any] degrading us to the brute instead of lifting [unclear: us] the Creator, exaggerating our difficulties [unclear: inst] solving them; and all this perhaps for the sorry [unclear: yen] pose of making their authors appear what [unclear: they] not. Surely you don't believe in this! But [unclear: if] feel that in truth there is here no rest for [unclear: the] don't halt! don't imagine yourself [unclear: stranded!] page 9 is "an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast;" grasp it and do not let it go, it is fixed on the rock of salvation, and by God's grace it will hold you there.

"What then do I believe"? Do not reject this question; nay, rather, let it revolve in your mind until you find an answer wherein you can rest. Many, no doubt, are sincere in their desire to find such an answer. Believe, then, that I am most sincere in my desire to help you so to do. With this object I propose to leave for a while the beaten track of sermons addressed (as surely sermons in God's house ought for the most part to be addressed), to the members of the household of Faith, and to try to place myself alongside of you. I will ask some questions which I think you might ask, and I will try by God's grace to answer them. I have asked one question to-night, and I repeat it in order that yon may be stirred up to test the credentials of the rival claimants for your faith, and not substitute Baal for God without knowing why. Do the modern four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal then agree so entirely among themselves that when I come to examine their utterances I find an intelligible creed which I may well substitute for my belief in God, or do I find that all their cries and all their exertions end in nothing, and in the deification of nothing; that the only point on which they all agree is in [unclear: urging] me to surrender God for nothing. Yet I cannot believe in nothing. I know that I am. I believe that God is, and that he has brought me into being; therefore I believe that he would not leave me in the dark; therefore I will halt no more, and though Baal and his priests should be a multitude, I will not listen to their cries. God speaks both to my reason and my soul. "Thou art my son." "My: son, give me thine heart."