San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-17

in few essentials even morallty ulI-
fers from age to age. But truth Is
everlasting and invariable, whether it
be taught or not. To know it is to
be illuminated by the Eternal Spirit.
To turn upon the poles of truth"
would be the attainment of the highest
intelligence.
1t is the reproach of the churches
and their creeds that they are narrow,
that they have instituted too broad
line of demarcation between what is
religious and what secular, revolving
upon the poles of theology and moral
ity instead of those of truth. The
consequence of this policy has been
fatal to themselves. causing innunler-
able divisions, variant beliefs, and
restricted influence. In their eyes one
kind of truth only is divine, one species
of knowledge only is to be sought after
or at least must precede all other and
this the least amenable to demonstra-
ton or proof. But we humbly
think that all truth is divine, that all
Intelligence is a spiritual illumination,
and that the divisions between Sec
ular" and sacred" knowledge, and the
supposed superiority of the latter are
purely artificial and misleading. In
deed, it is questionable If priority
should be given to either, whether sec
ular knowledge should not stand first.
A man, without being a fool, may not
be able to believe in the Trinity, but
he would be distinctly foolish who
should deny that the earth goes round
the sun. And the value of every sort
of knowledge must be judged by its
usefulness. The great writer already
quoted remarked: LAS it is a eau
ton given in religion, that faith be
shown by work, the same is excellent
~ transferred likewise to philosophy;
that it be judged by it's fruits, and the
sterile be counted vain; and the more
so if, in place of fruits of the grape
and olive, it produces but thistles and
thorns of disputation and strife"
We have been led to these reflections
by considering the great opportunities
of disseminating useful knowledge and
of promoting truth and morality which
are possessed by our religious teach
ers, and which unfortunately are sys-
tematically neglected. The thousands
of stately piles that have been erect
ed in this country at immense cost by
tic VI PlOdS DShSAoSNoio ca ~
as a rule, closed to the public, except
on Sundays. Any day in the week
we may pass a hundred Protestant
churches and find them empty, with
locked doors. The devout cannot ev-
en-, as in Roman Catholic edifices, walk
in to pass a few minutes in private de-
votion.
On the other hand, on every evening
in the week hundreds of thousands of
young people of both sexes, after their
work is over, do not know where to
go or what to do with themselves.
Their homes, perhaps, offer no in
ducements for them to pass their leis-
ure time there. So they get out into
the streets, the lanes, and parks, and
are subject to great temptations. If
the churches are closed to recreation,
there are other places which specially
provide il. The theatres, music halls,
and low dancing and concert rooms,
have always an ample bill of fare, too
often coarse and sensual, and the
fiashy glitter of their surroundings is
calculated to captivate the young and
inexperienced. The public houses
and billiard rooms are also in full
swing. Everything that appeals to our
lower nature is placed before them
without stint. But the means of in
telligent and elevating recreation are
comparatively rare. 1t is true there
are many public libraries and read
ing rooms in parts, and the usefulness
of these can scarcely be realized, but
after all, young people do not always
want to read or sit in a room where
~ l.. tanNy
to gather together where they can see
and commune with each other. And
we ask, what places would be more
fitting for this than our chapels and
churches?
There was a time when the church
was the sole or almost the sole, edu-
| Gator of the people, and when her edi-
| fees We're always open to all corners.
These buildings were not then regard
ed as the priviledged property of a
few, but as the heritage of all. Now
| were they invested with any extrava-
| CANT notions of sanctity. Public
meetings were held in them, the YES
tries sat there, schools were taught
there and on rainy and cold days, the
children played at marbles in their
aisles and on their smooth flag-stones
In the dawn of the drama 1t was al
most confined to these consecrated
buildings. Passion plays held the
people in awe and taught them scrip
tural incidents. AS these degenerated
in character, they were succeeded by
"moralities" or moral plays in which
the passions of mankind, good and evi
were personified, and played theil
parts upon the church stage. Al
these taught the people to reason fol
themselves, and prepared the way fol
the reformation, civil freedom and lib
erty of thought. For the writers Of
these dramas We're frequently men o.
great intellectual power and, as such
were enemies of superstition, and EN-
= ployed all the art they dared TO en-
tighten the people.
1t was not long ago that it was tn
5 custom for the congregation to Civ
public audible expression Of their ap