OR, CANDID TALKS ON VITAL THEMES. BY JOSEPH A. SEISS, D. D., LL.D., Ist's Gotteswerk, so wird's bestehen: PHILADELPHIA: BOARD OF PUBLICATION OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL, 1522 ARCH STREET. BX .545 D67 1900 PREFACE. "POPULAR discourses are not intended to impart new investigations." Their purpose is rather to summarize the results of more systematic studies, and to reproduce them in easy form for popular edification. In this conception the Lectures here following were prepared and delivered. They were meant to be free Talks on some very vital themes, addressed to a promiscuous congregation specially invited to hear them. The object was, if possible, to induce thinking young people, non-church-goers, and persons in doubt or indifference respecting religion to undertake a candid survey of the leading questions of faith, and to give some serious attention to the foundation-principles of Right Life, and what is to be said upon them, over against the Epicurean tendencies of the times, which are doing so much mischief in many circles. It cannot be denied that, from one cause or an other, many who should be earnest workers in the ranks of believers are being sadly misled, and often without having had fair opportunity to understand what is involved in the temper which they have too much indulged, to their own detriment and to the hindrance of what society rightfully expects of them. Beholding so many young men and otherwise intelligent and well-meaning people thus drifting no one knows whither from proper anchorage on God's everlasting truth, the author of these Lectures was moved to make a special attempt to recall such of them as might be within his reach to an earnest and candid consideration of those great fundamental verities which they are disposed to ignore or regard with suspicion, but without which life and our entire civilization must become a wreck. The author has no fears for the existence of Christianity. It has lived too long, imbedded itself too deeply in the world's heart, and is too solidly linked to imperishable truth, ever to be jostled out of its place by anything that possibly can happen. No matter what else on earth may change or perish, "the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." But for this very reason the pity is all the more affecting that gifted and cultured souls should be ruined, and that society should suffer the loss of their conservative activities, because of unreasonable prejudices, groundless conceits, or the wrong impressions engendered by an agnostic scientism, a one-sided education, and a presumptuous materialistic philosophy. Hence these Talks, which numerous hearers have expressed desire to possess for more deliberate study and to have placed within the reach of the community at large. The The Lectures are given almost entirely as they were delivered. Liberty has been taken to add a number of notes and a few supplementary incidents, which it is hoped the reader will not omit. whole is now presented to the public in the same spirit in which the Lectures were originally prepared. And the earnest prayer of the author is that God may bless the publication to the increase of confidence in those immortal truths which served to regenerate diseased society in ages past, and on which the only hope of our ailing humanity rests. PHILADELPHIA, March 18, 1886. N. B. In issuing a second edition of these Lectures, the title has been changed from "Right Life" to "Dost Thou Believe?" In all other respects the book is the same. PHILADELPHIA, September, 1900. |