The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-02-21
DR. FORRESTER'S
STRONG ADDRESS
Howard Faculty and Students
Deeply Impressed
THE CHAPEL WELL FILLED
Able Divine Discussed Christianity as
a Factor In Civilization--Clear Out
line of What Christianity
Has Accomplished.

The Rev. e. ]. Forester, D. D.. pastor
of the Baptist church in washington. Ca,
and one of the leading Baptist divines OF
the south, delivered an address yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock to the students, fac
ulty and friends of Howard college in
the chapel on Christianity as a Factor
in Civilization" The place was crowded.
and the address made a splendid impress
sion on the audience. DR.. Forester spoke
in part as follows:
AT the outset we must form clear
of civilization and also OF
Christianity. Gulzot defined civilization
as progress of the individual man and
of society. A fatal objection to that
definition as a definition is that 1t Is too
vague, itself needing to be defined. The
underlined term is progress" The word
on one mans tongue may mean one thing
very different from what it means when
used by another.
"Guizot unquestionably laid his finger
upon the all inclusive terms of the sub
iect, which he treated with signal ability.
The individual man and society and that
which he terms progress" certainly In
tegrate the subject But 1t is true, never
theless, that one of his terms is wide open
and underlined.
A Condition Is Process.
civilization may be viewed as condi-
ton or a process. AS process 1t is the
movement of man, individually and col
lectively, away from the savage state;
and as a condition it Is the state they
have reached through that process. The
process may be slow or fast. The condi-
ton may be less or more advanced from
the point of departure.
1.-THE elements in mans condition,
wherever he is found, are oomprehended
in two categories. These are physical and
spiritual He has body. His booy lives
its life subject to it's needs and mating
it's demands. He has, also, intellect affec-
lions, will Call these mind, or soul or
what you like This higher spiritual part
of man which is tied to his body has its
life, subject to it's needs, and making its
demands. Men thus constituted come to-
gether In groups. As result social rela-
lions arose.
I'm these relations mans constitution Is
not changed. He is the same physical
and spiritual creature. His social Inn
provement. like his individual develop
ment, must be along physical and spirit
ual lines. These comprehend all that is
possible.
The Physical and Spiritual.
ba he If WI
distribute the physical and spiritual ele-
ments into three classes of material,
mental and moral
What. now, shall we agree to consider
as a civilized condition?
Suppose a community In which the
material aspects of life are all that could
be wished. The people are all up to
high standard of bodily development.
They are all well clothed and well fed,
and have all the material comforts they
desire. But they have no books, no
music and no works of art Could we re-
gard such a community as civilized? To
ask the question is to answer 1t.
Now, supposed the community TO be
transferred into one where a high degree
of intellectual development has been at
tanned. The land is full of books; 1t re-
sounds with music; 1t Is decorated WITH
pictures; 1t is adorned with triumphs of
architectural skill. But the moral tone is
low. There is an absence of humane vir-
tues Brute instincts are generally ex-
hibited; bloody feuds prevail; murder is
common rapine is practiced upon other
communities; prisoners are enslaved.
criminals are tortured. We surely could
not concede that the community was
civilized.
Let us, then. go one step further. Sup
pose the community has undergone
moral transformation: the morals are
pure; the instincts are humane; integrity
and kindness prevail. Now we do not
hesitate to pronounce the community civ
ilized The moral development was neces-
sary to elicit that judgment The moral
development effected, the judgment Is I'M
grudging.
1--WE regard moral development as the
crown of civilization, while mental i'm
provement grades up next to it, and ma
terial advancement takes The lowest place.
With the conception of civilization which
It Is hoped, the discussion so far has
brought into relief, we now turn to a de-
termination of what we shall understand
by Christianity.
Christianity.
I'VE must distinguish clearly between
Christianity and all historic representa-
lions of it, No ecclesiastical establish
These, indeed, have been In part fruits
of Christianity, very imperfect and sadly
mingling evils gathered from other
sources than the pure. divine one. They
have been agencies through which Chris
tianity wrought for the betterment OF
humanity, but through which sinister
forces also wrought to hinder human pro-
gress. We must go straight to Christ
to form our conception of Christianity.
Out of his teachings we get two great and
all embracing ideas. They may be des-
ignated Personality and Universally. God
is a person possessing certain character
istics. Every man is a person account
able to God, and required to be like him.
To love God supremely and all others as
self, therefore Is the heart of what he
taught. Personality and Universally are
the central dominating ideas
Ideal and an Impulse.
Such is Christianity In the realm of
ideas, in the sphere OF thought on the
intellectual side OF 1t. Looked at on the
practical side II may be summed up as an
ideal and an impulse. The ideal is a
society In which all men shall be like
Christ, and happy accordingly; and the
impulse Is the impelling power of Christ
Un In, nd