The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-14
DEVOTED TO CHILDREN
CHILDREN'S DAY EXERCISES IN
METHODIST CHURCHES.
DIR. Lasby's SermOn-InteIIectuaI
Status of Methodism-The Pro-
gramme at Roberts Park.


the Methodist Episcopal Church, was suit
ably observed yesterday in the Central-ave-
nue. Church. The pastor, DR.. c. c. Lasby,
preached a sermon in the morning replete
with facts of general interest. His text was
from Isaiah xxxiii, 6, And wis
dom and knowledge shall be the
stability of thy times, and strength
of salvation" The speaker pointed
out how fragmentary all knowledge
was. A Ranke, in history, with ninety years
OF labor, dies While still puzzled with ques-
tons Of the past; Darwin dies beyond
seventy with inquiries still on his lips; a
Baron Sacken declares himself as having
tried to cover too wide d territory in en-
tomology in his study of two-winged in
sects and wishes he had confined his life
labor to the family of gnats. Only callow
ignorance thinks itself to have attained
knowledge. Statesmen, philosophers, stu
dents in every field simply stand as great
Interrogation points at last, every fact of
which they are possessed standing like a
finger post pointing to innumerable other
facts beyond. Add life to life and outvie in
age the antediluvian world, still man would
be put lisping, inquiring infant on the
shore of eternity. Earth is the primary
school; heaven is Gods college. The indo-
lent idea of drumming harp forever be-
fore a great throne is not of Scripture.
Angels will be mans teachers, and Christ
himself will lead into new fields of truth
The character of our education determines
the stability of our social and political in
stitutions. Adam, alas, chose the knowledge
of good and evil" would that he had been
content with the knowledge of the good.
His weary children then need not have
drained the cup of evil to it's dregs. Ely
knowledge man conquers earth and controls
the elements. But knowledge is a two-edged
sword. 1t serves the burglar well
the banker; it is the sword of the dema-
gogue as well as the shield of the states
man. knowledge is of natural things, and
to 1t must be added wisdom or acquaint-
tanceship with things divine. The moral
oyerlies the natural and the religious en-
swathes the moral Salvation is of the Lord
the God of holiness. Mythology knows no
and society rise slowly TO its meaning. To
save the sinner and preserve his sin was
the task of an apostate church against
which great Luther struck. So much sin, so
much silver, and great st. Peters rises as
a tax on wickedness, just as our schools
and city governments are supported by a
Protestant policy, equally obnoxious to
God, of licensing the liquor traffic. Holiness
means Wilderness, health; and in social mat
conduct consistent if stability is to mark
our career as a republic.
The provision made by the state for the
education of the young must be supple
mented by the religious training of the
church. If religion be excluded from the
public schools. the family and the church
must apply the lock. And as there can be
no common creed basis acceptable to all it
is we'll that the state refrain from teach
ing religion at all. The rudiments belong to
the schoolhouse, and as every generation
has to begin afresh, the task of the school
teacher is a constant repetition of elemen-
tary facts. Home training with the fires
of the family altar lighting the young, is the
great need of our time. But as families fail
at this point the church undertakes to sup
plement, and by Sunday schools render the
young acquainted with religious and saving
truth And as the public school fails like
supports her colleges for the higher train
ing of her young. All sciences wait upon
theology and the highest research and wild
est scholarship are found enlisted in the
service of that church against which the
gates of hell shall not prevail.
METHODISM AND EDUCATION.
The intellectual status of Methodism may
be judged by her standing in the realm of
higher educational institutions. The time
was when Methodism was supposed to
represent the common and less cultured
masses of the people. Born in proud old
Oxford both in England and America she
has proven herself worthy Of her university
birth by founding and endowing institu-
tions of higher learning. No Rockefeller
IdS pOuTeQ MS IilllllOHS lllO LSE zap, IO
Stanford endowed with his millions her
schools. Colonial prestige and possessions
she had not wherewith she might compete
with Yale and Princeton Yet the surpris-
ing fact confronts us that out of the 476
universities and colleges IN the United
States one in every nine belongs to the
Methodist Episcopal Church alone and Of
the 143 900 students in such institutions more
than 25,000 or one in every six, is enrolled
in those belonging to our branch of
Mafho1iCnn Further the total Valflp of
such colleges and universities in the United
States Is $199, 591. Co., including grounds,
buildings and endowments. OF this vast
sum $24 500 900, or one dollar out of every
eight, belongs to the Methodist Episcopal
Church. Now consider besides that the
other sixteen branches of Methodlsm with
their enrolled communicates of 2,82200 are
equally alert and generous in providing for
the higher education of their young and
leges and universities with their total value
of $l99, 591 600 and their enrolment of 49,,
600 students. Using a less ratio Tor these,
out of every four students in all colleges
and universities in the United States is a
Methodist; that one out of every six such
institutions belongs to Methodism and one
dollar out of every six so invested is the
property of Methodism. This showing.
prising to many, is rather an UNDERSTANDS
ment of the facts than otherwise. 1t reveals
that the educated masses Of the future Will
be predominantly evangelical ana COM
paratively Methodistic.
The high standard of these Methodist
educational institutions is another surpris-
ing fact In all our fifty-three colleges and
Universities the curriculum ranks equally
high with that of Yale Harvard, and
President Harper, of Chicago University,
has paid a public tribute to the efficiency
of their training by declaring that he found
the best equipped professors amongst the
graduates of our Methodist colleges. The
preparatory work, after the student has
graduated from the public school, is thor
oughly accomplished by our siXty-four clas-
steal seminaries, which represent an invest
ment of $S5OO,00O, and are at present teach
ing almost ten thousand additional stu
dents Seven institutions are for women ex-
clusively one of which, the Womans Col
lege of Baltimore, has been placed by the
noted French woman Madam Blanc, as well
as by President Eliot, of Harvard Uni
versity foremost among all such schools
in America. The young of our church have
to-day this legacy of heroic sacrifice, this
ample provision for mental and moral and
religious equipment, unequaled in any pre-
vious age and unrivaled at the present
hour Revivals of religion are constant,
and instances have been known where large
classes have been graduated, every member
of which was a converted and consistent
follower of Christ.
The audience room was tastefully decor
ated with flags and palms and potted plants
and cut flowers in endless profusion were
placed around the large chancel and on the
pulpit platform. In the evening a special
childrens day offering was taken'in aid of
needy and worthy Sunday school scholars
who desire to obtain college education.
Last year the amount loaned young stu
Ia a