The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-21
HIGHER EDUCATION
DR.. Embree breaches Power
full Sermon on This Subject.
Tells the Story of the Old
Universities.
MRS. CHRISTIANS WILL
Hopes and Prayers Of This
PhiIanthropic Woman.
To Found a University for Kan
sas Methodists.

l
behalf of higher education. This adj |
dress was. made as an opening of DR.. |
Embree's campaign for the establish |
ment of a religious university under
the shelter of the Methodist Episcopal
church of Kansas. No direct appeal for |
money was made in the course of it, |
Instead its powerful language was di- |
rected toward an awakening of the au- |
dience to an appreciation of the mon |
umental influence that academic re-
search has borne upon human advance |
ment- In closing he recited with NOV |
/ ing tenderness the hopes and prayers
of Mrs. Eliza ChriSman, the author OF
the university movement. After be-
queathing to relatives and dependents
and to charities certain parts of her
large estate Mrs. Chrisman directed
that the residue, about 5000, O0O be de-
voted to the establishment of the in
stitution of learning. She stipulated
that an equal amount be secured by
her executor before anything else
should be done. Dr. Embree is now
engaged in discharging this portion of
his obligation.
After announcing the text, from the
/ thirty-second verse to the eighth chap
ter of St Johns gospel: Eye shall
know the truth and the truth shall
make you free DR.. Embree said:
1.-The disciples were called to a work
of transcendant Importance and they
about it to be filled with misgiving. A
part of their misgiVing grew out OF
self diStruSt, which was cred1table ana
a part of it arose from the fact that
they could not understand Jesus They
loved him. They were glad to follow
him, but some of his teachings and
some of the things which He said would
come to pass baffled their understand
ing, seemed beyond the limit OF posi-
bility and gave rise to doubt.
Seeing their perplexity, he said, II
We continue in my word We shall know
the truth and the truth shall make you
free or, in other words, He SAID II you
continue to inquire faithfully in lit
tie while the atmosphere will be clear
cd, the mysteries solved and then you
will be free in mind and body to go
about your work.
In this simply affirm the fact that
liberty is the product of intelligence,
and that bondage is the inevitable herlt-
age of ignorance. And this is of the
utmost Importance, that we Shouiu III
derstand that the free, broad and sue
cessfui use of our powers depends upon
our knowledge Of the truth and the use
we make Of it. Now the truth we are
told is an entity, thing that exists
independent of other things, that is not
visible as is the sun and yet IS as real,
and precisely as we must aVall our
selves of what the sun Will DO Tor US OF
suffer the consequences, so must we
q learn what is truth and conform to II
or be content with the pains and penal
ties of ignorance.
1.-The truth, as it inheres and domi-
mates nature enables US to plant wisely
and to reap bountifully, to gather the
crude and convert it into the use1ul' 70
use the lever instead of the hands, 10
lessen the physical weight and multiply
the comforts to enlarge the mental
horizon and increase the spiritual so
that the whole problem of human prog
ress rests upon this one thing on KNOW
ing what is true. The chemist must
know what his predecessors have found
and press on to new findings. In no de-
partment is anything so valuable as
what has been demonstrated to De true,
and nothing sc Necessary, so desirable, as
that further truth shall be found, Tor
that is the stepping stone as we cannon
pass to any higher ground without it.
so obviously correct is this reason
ing that we have the well known say
ing. knowledge is power while history
records what otherwise would seem
very curious indeed, namely, this; war
has swept the world over ana. over
over again revolutions have taken place
time without number, dynasties ages
old have been overthrown, kings nave
been murdered, theid palaces sacked,
their capitals burned their people put
to the sword and their fields desolateo
but the seat of learning, the uniVefsity,
: has been sacred to all corners: Men
have regarded the wall of the schooi as
containing something friendly to their
| welfare and very properly nave reIuseo
to lay vandal hands upon it.
} 1--WE learn that though glass was
made in Egypt 5000 years before Christ,
/ there was neither window glass nor
mirrors until 1900 years after Christ.
Think, if you can, of the mental condl-
tions which required 5000 years TO
make a practical and simple apphca-
ton of an already discovered SUD
!. stance This generation would nave
compressed those thirty centuries INTO
the space between sunrise and sunset.
It am aware that there are those
among US who deny that God created
the universe who affirm that the eartn
in all her extent and variety ana
beauty and mystery is but happen
ing. or at best but an outGrowth OF
: | non-int eIligent force. But the most OF
us do not so believe. To US there IS no
effect without q. cause, nothing without
a maker and no result affecting hu-
manity for it's good without intelligent
. and benevolent agency behind it. The
/ world was in intellectual and moral
darkness But here and there. rare as
high mountain peaks or angels visits
a man or sometimes a small BODY OF
:, men were influenced to step from the
l common level and grasp with the I'M
l known The solution of some Tnys-
ferries the discovery of the unity of
truth and the fellowship of all science
brought these separated workers To-
: gether and led to the founding of a
university, that of Paris, early in the
! twelfth century, those of England,
Spain and Portugal a little later, with
Germany, Austria and Russia soon 10
follow. These gathered students py
the hundreds and thousands, imbued
them with the spirit of inquiry. They
studied the stars, the earth, and the
sea, the human body in all its parts
and relations, Drawn, muscle; brute
force gave way to brain; the discoYerer
the inventor and the investigator were
born
1.-THE English university gave US a
Bible and the foundations of protestant
ism; the German university gave us
philosophy and natural science: Aus
tria gave Us medicine, and Spain and
Italy gave US Christopher Columbus
and the American continent The old
world universities broke the truth to
the common understanding and man
Ientered upon a career Of dominion as