Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1901-03-06
CHURCH AND PRESS.
A Warm Friendship Should Exist
Between Them.
DR.. Taimnge Says That the spoke m
Word and the Printed Word should
Go Side by Side-GOd and
the Printing Press.
Copyright. 1901. by Louis Klopsch.l

make newspapers, the spoken word
and the printed word to go side by
side; text, Luke l6-S: The children
OF this world are in their generation
wiser than the children of light"
Sacred stupidity and solemn incom-
potency and sanctified laziness are
here rcbuked by Christ. He says
worldlings are wider awake for op-
portunities than are Christians. Men
of the world grab occasions, while
Christian people let the most yalu-
able occasions drift by unimproved.
That is the meaning of our Lord
when He says: The children of this
world are in their generation wiser
than the children of light"
A marked illustration of the truth
OF that maxim is in the slowness of
the Christian religion to take pos
session of the secular printing press.
The opportunity is open and has
been for some time open, but the
ecclesiastical courts, and the
churches. and the ministers of re-
ligion are for the most part allow
ing the golden opportunity to pass
unimproved. That the opportunity
Is open L declare from the fact that
all the secular newspapers are glad
of any religious facts or statistics
that you present them. Any animat-
ed and stirring article relating to re-
ligious themes they would gladly
PRINT. They thank you for any in
formation in regard to churches. If
wrong has been done 10 any Chris
tan church or Christian institution
you could go into any newspaper of
flee of the land and have the real
truth stated. Dedication services,
ministerial ordinat ions and pastoral
installations, cornerstone laying of
church, anniversary of Il charitable
society, will have reas onable space in
any secular journal if il have previ-
Gus notice given. If / had some
great injustice done me, there is not
an editorial or n reportorial room
IN the United States into which /
could not go and get myself set
right, and that is true of any we'll
known Christian man. Why. then,
does not our glorious Christianity
embrace these magnificent opportuni-
ties? ! have before me a subject of
first and last Importance: How shall
we secure the secular press as a
mighty reinforcement to religion and
the pulpit?
The first thing toward this result
is cessation OF indiscriminate hos
tility against newspaperdom. You
might as we'll denounce the legal pro-
fesSion because of the shysters, or
the medical profession because of the
quacks, or merchandise because Of
the swindling bargain makers, as to
slambang newspapers because there
are recreant editors and unfair re-
porters and unclean columns. Guten-
berg, the inventor Of the art of print
ing, was about to destroy his types
and eXtinguish the art because it was
suggested to him that printing might
he suborned into the service of the
devil, but afterward he bethought
himself that the right use of the art
might more than overcome the evil
use OF it, and so he spared the type
and the intelligence OF all following
ages. But there are many to-day in
the depressed mood of Gutenberg.
with uplifted hammer, wanting to
pound TO pieces the type, who have
not reached his better mood. in
which hc saw tho art OF printing TO
be the rising sun OF the worlds
illumination
IT, instead OF fighting newspapers.
We spend the same length Of time and
The same Vehemcnce in marshaIing
their help in religious directions we
would be as much wiser as the man