The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-19
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
BISHOP RANDOLPH'S CENTENNIAL
ADDRESS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
How to study Church History-The tp'-
eopAl Church In the Colonie'-Jener-
son and the Virginia Statute
OF Religious Freedom

the Diocese Of Virginia, the RI. Rev.
Alfred ~. Randolph, Bishop OF the DO
reese Of Southern Virginia. boy request de-
uycrcd on Thursday last. before the Coun-
iii and a large assembly. the following
address upon the history Of the Church.
PROPHETS and the Lawgivcrs OF the old
Testament were inspired 10 educate IN.
people OF Israel t. look AT th'i pasl
aud 10 remember its lessons. j nat seems
IN H. a principle OF the Divine education
Of the race revealed ia the Blpit-
Hearkcn unto me yc that Hollow aitrI
vlghreousucss. ye that seek the LORI
look unto the rock whence sc are hfWh'
and 10 the hole Of the pit whence ye
are digeoi. look unto Abraham your
Father and Sarah that bare YOU lvi
\ called MIN alone ana blcssed hii" anu
That urinciple expressed by the prophet
runs through AN the training OF an tnc
old Testament people ana Us ihe i.i- i .ous
foundation OF history I'l "'i
sgrposc that every student has real
lied mat 10 is Impossible 10 itaCu any
adeuuate understanding or the pI'a.hl
effhtr ln religious OF in pOltical lhslil-
lion without tracing and hnHihs lheE
roots in The past s.,,o,,,,,,.
of the value and the meaning or lhsuiu-
lions until we gct down 20 the firm basis
al rieht and of popular love and ~ iohs
experience upon Whi'" 'H's, i''. ''.'
eiYdving history is not Ike studying
pcuealoey OF geology. In bolh OF ,i'e 's,
Studies We begin at the present ana go
l4rk fo tho past. We begin al the sur
face and go down 10 the lower strata.
gut in history We begin at the lower and
come ND 10 the higher. We begin al the
beginning and We work up TO the present
and al each stage Of the development OF
society we sec the sentiment OF Justice
or rirhf or duty. or the sympathy. OF
tho aufpafhy which gave biItn 20 the
Institution az the beeiuning hOldlhs ON
and perpetuatlue the institution, until
We ind 10 stronger to-day by reason OF
The deep roots that pcfmeate the SOL
of past generations
SEARCH HISTORY.
II we would study theology or church
history We do not begin by taking some
docttinal expression OIL ritual lo.ir -, -,
to-day or yesterday and hndl ~ out from
that what was the doctrine ana the
form al the beginning cur opinions
about such things are about as Nalhdpl'
MS those OF "a reporter for q daily news
PAPER N We study them In That way.
40. IL We want 10 Know ahoW W"
doctrines of Christianity ana about the
will Of Christ and the plans OF 'hiiSl
ia reference 90 the organization OF me
Church. or rather of churches, lot iit
propagation OF Christianity M the word
we Will know nothing unless We 40 pa.H
To- fhe New Testament. % the upper
chamber at jerusalem 10 the Acts OF inc
Apostles and the Epistlos. and 20 the
growth and development or inc various
forms Of Christian ORGANIZATION lot the
first three centuries. We mus Ds.E s.l,
at the beginning n We would get any mug
~ hist"r,,
There is another valuable lesson that
we learn from the study OF the past,
especiallv I'm the history Of religion ana
Of churches We learn the faliacy Of a
saervire stii i'm the cause of ignorance
and of error and of superstition.
History teaches us that me pas ... ls
like the present ID us SINS ana lta tli.l
and its wandcrines. il teaches the l1e.tl.
of human nature. 10 teaches us that
the past has no more claim 10 lnltln-
lflitv than the present. The past mas
no mortgage on the right and the prop
erty Of the present III lhe 'iulh @i"
I'm the freedom 10 search ior me uuih-,
As one has SAID. 10 De "a AlHN' ui "'n
traditions is as great "a loiil d.. u" ~
sllvc Of new Quackeries, hut the lauil
Is in the slavish use, not in thc olu ia' w
lions or in the modern noSliuins, anu ,n'
former error ls l-l . ,,,.-..t 80 ii.ht
able, as IL Is q alu 1 ,h". - ,,e iearn
from the STUDY oi "is,uis ~ ~ ~, meteor,
especially from lne SUN i't,rrrcs is
Of 'hiistanllY anu 49,, ~ ,,atience
lesson or tolerance 49,, g. i-,,e of
lesson or sympathy anu "a ",,5 fo,,,,
mind in maklht up V"i ""'''' "'''
Ing our judgments,
And that. perhaps SIS greater ltssoh
Cor rrartical use and for our efficiency
I'm dealing wisely with the present imam
any other that We could learn
sly nora sIDrs
a. .bo et,dv ~
Removed as We arc it t"' 1'"+s
the history from lhe pHH'5 l"in
passions ana the interests az" Ne 49,
ness OF the controversies on Jill ~ ~
ratlons. either IN 'h"l - ~ &c. c.o,'id
nave a chah'e 10 sou "''"' ''
not see. . ,t,.. No .,ro
fNth H our Wv a an, faellDns
conscious OF 'nallh' ~ a.. o,,ce
upon punic pu,aa'iVi,.' ,,,,ro,,ise "a
deemed the shSul'et NV"f-
treachcry TO ihe lluent .ha+ tbcre are
we ~" tD,,eatto,'e ,cher. something may
N'iA lew 4utStiV.a 49, 80 90. "a. b'r.
not he salu on "o'" S'''''' IN a..
all the wise are on one soc anu an. WV
fools on the other. very Few Whctt thttt
Is not ignorance and Ohstnacy IN tlt laHN
and file. and often IN the leaders OF
opposing PARTIES upon an gursu1ls. ,...
We have learned thdt tht'st W 't1 .Ft-
the truth are lot aiW@N9 .o' ,b.,, a., moi
advocacy OF II, ana because .n'f o. ~
the truth suffers ana is Wouhdeu III Tue
Reuse Of its friends ,. ., ,.,
ON tn ether manu-. we ha.S SUI. ar'
advocates ct toieialion anu wy ',',,fan
pointed opponents oil lIttuolh vi "P-'tiio ~,
more cOnttmrtu0us OF oPPostt''H I'M
the narrow minded people VINO Az e"0
elects OF thSli sNe,lll,e 3D ,lnon
History uthNvl9 ,,,.i.l.1 in tb@ oontro-
human 49, ,he etrureles of the past I'm
church and i'm state. And then what "a
GOOD Thing IL is To learn from history
respect Tor those VINO u, .'' on
kind CONSIDERATION ivi tvi,' IN ,eni,.r,
position iioW IL ii''tl,,'@ ,,.;fh men