Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-08
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL.
Opening of the Winter Term This MorniI

N'A>.@~'.~~~.-~'
D. Opening of the Winter Term This Mornin
At ten o'clock this morning the wint'
l. or middle term of the institutions :
= Franklin and Marshall college was form
n ally opened. After the usual chapel Sc
e vices, consisting of the singing of hymn
J the reading of the scriptures and praye
: led by Rev. DR.. r. G. Apple, president {
n the college, Rev. f. V. Gerhart, D. d., {
5 the theological seminary. delivered tn
p opening address on 1.-The Conflict Betwee
: Reason and Faith
DR.. Gerhart said that a prominent char
4 acteristic of our progressive age Is the con
; flict between Reason and Faith. Faithful
Christians stand aghast at the blasphemie
ofspiritual things INDUCED in by the ma
lignant enemies of Christianity. The argu
ments of Christians are not and cannot b'
on plane with those of their rationalisti'
enemies. Materiaism uses reason and logic
but the arguments of Christianity arc
above and beyond reason and logic. The
strongholds of the Christians reasoning
have been more than historical and geOg-
raphical strongholds. The victories OF
Christianity have always been won by a
power that is in and Of itself. Christ, the
author of Christianity, from His own full
Iess continually imparts good to the
world, and gives strength to His champions
to uphold the good. Paul, as Saul of Tarsus.
prosecuted the church Of Christ, but when
the Son was revealed in his heart, his
word and works were changed. Peter, the
first great preacher of the gospel, who at
Pcntecost converted thousands to the
Christian faith, had at that time no true
insight into the gospel; not until he saw
the wonderful vision at Joppa did he know
| that the middle wall of partition
between the Old and the New
had been broken down. Christ him
self said: .'Ye shall bear wit
witness because ye have been ~hh NE
from the beginning" BY nature men are
receptive to the truth of the gospel. The
world has denied, however. the truths and
traditions of the Christian faith. The
hatred OF scribcs and Pharisees
to Jesus Of Nazareth has been seen
in other men in the Christian
era. The sacred writings have been
committed to the flames as abominablc,
and men who have held to the truth have
paid the sacrifice of their lives in hcathcn |
amphithcatres the prey of wild beasts, and |
on the rack of torture. But in Christian |
countries the genius of the gospel has been
softening the temper OF iHtdcls of hostile |
kings and princes. The predominant at
it,Iln nf 70, In in, tbn
age is that of skepticism. Skeptics, how
ever. are indebted to Christianity for all
the depths of their claimed insight into
things that are good. Naturalism, espe-
cially materialstic naturalism, blots out
the entire spiritual realm. The whole an
OF the modern world to the holy
reveals the ignorance of mans
wisdom, and the impotence of mans
strength. To such as have spiritual per-
ccption the word of the Lord is being full
filled every hour. not by might but by the
spirit OF the Lord. Every epoch and
every event testilics Enthusiastically that
the Bible has been shining into
the darkness by the power ofits own light
The Bible has been fiuctifying genius, and
aiding learning it has been attracting all
things by its central truth and has been
lighting all things by its holy rays. The
Bible has been to the church through the
ages a we!l-Spring OF knowledge, but it
still remains full and uniatIcmed
No Apology gives strength 70 the
W ord the Word gives strength to all
A ApologicS. The apologist can only aim
cgitimately at men and make effort to cor
rcct their follics. Man has no strength to
10 work Divinely good except when Di- ,
'inc!y guided. The holy scriptures cilal.
cn|c continually closer attention. They :
lumnc with new light the enlightened ,
mind. The truth OF revelation, by direct
,ction on the mind OF the church. bears the ,
community of believers on from higher to
higher planes of life. Scripture is not sci I
,nce it does not catalogue external facts: :: ,
lor is science revelation. Each has its
,wn realm. Scientific questions alone come ,
within the jurisdiction Of the scientific ,
ourt and it is futile for men to show that ,
Genesis or any part of scripture or of Chris
ntiic point of view; the arguments of /
lnbclcvers rather indicate that all these =,
hings are not of man but of God. and 7
must stand as He stands, forever.
At the close of DR.. Gerllart's remarks =
)r. Apple congratulated the students on :,
heir safe return to college, and also Oh the l.
fright prospects for the institutions in $
he future i'll view OF. the liberal endow- :,
lents from the Wilhelm estate, and the :
Professors made their announcements to :.
he various classes. =,
Il