The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-12-21
BOROUGH ITEMS
GLEANINGS BY THE LOCAL
CORPS OF REPORTERS.
WHAT THE SCRIBES SEE AND HEAR
Rev. PowicR PreacheI in thu
Methodist Episcopal Church on
"L essons From the County
Institute"

Lessons for the Church from the County
Institute was the theme of Sunday even
inR's discourse at the Methodist Episcopal
church. The first of these was drawn from
the exclusion of every trace OF rengtous
exercises from the pre- cecdings of ths in
stitute just closed in Shenandoah, i u
pagan bad participated in the proceedings
he could never have suspected from any
formal provision of the programme that
the corner stone of our government is the
bible and that its hope is in God, 1t is a
suggestive fact that every such reference
came incidentally from the instructors from
abroad in spite of such exclusion. Tbs is
The one criticism he had to make upon it.
And this might be passed by but for the
concession to the enemies of our public
school system which it exhibits. This ad-
vocates of exclusively psrochial schools
tolerate our public school system because
they cannot help it, But there is con-
| certed effort to undermine them by show
ing that they are goddess, and in order to
give color tol the charge the introduction of
any sort of religious exercises is persistent,y Y
opposed The state has no right to train
sectarans But the kreading of the bible
and the Offering Of prayer are not sectarian
acts, but essential elements of true pa
triotism in citizens of this great nation who
profess that its God is the Lord and its
foundation is His word. The church needs
to learn that educators may be careful
Iab bO,t ba nt,1 ftrra nf hn T,fnA nA H.,
lutely regardless of the culture OF the heart.
But an educated scoundrel is still scoun-
drel with his scoundrelism reduplicated by
his education q Another lesson is that in
sancti6edsenterpris 1.-The church bas not
kept pace with the march of improve
ment in other centeTs of life. In one
sense the church is incapable of improve
ment. The old fashioned gospel cannot
be improved upon but methods of teaching
it and of bringing men under its influence
may be. The school exhibits showed us
the stride .madeisin educational methods
since we were Iboys and girls. Can the
church match them in its own sphere?
Are not the children of this world wiser in
their generation than the children of light.
Another lesson was that the church, and
not the school, possesses the true secret of
regenerative power. One almost trembled
at the scientific demonstrations of the
tyranny of hereditary traits and early vice
and the impossibility Of self-reform as il
lustrated at the institute. But what did it
all amount to but demonstration of the
old fashioned doctrine of Paul that ",he
csrna mind is enmity against God and is
not subject to the law OF God neither in
deed can be-" Thus st. Paul and DR..
Ballet clasp hands across the centuries
Theology and science reach the same con-
clusion by different processes. The diff.
ference between them is, science can go no
further but theology can. The badly born
and badly trained may begin life
again. He may be born again-even from
above. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. This power is beyond the
domain of science. Science comes to its
help however, and by its doctrines of
heredity and environment confirms it,
fundamental doctrines of moral wreckage
and so clears the track and gives the gospel
the right of way.