The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-04-21
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
5aptists Listen to Eloquent Address
BY Or. 6. c. Mitchell.
EDUCATION HIS SUBJECT

BY Or. .. g. Mitchell.
EDUCATION HIS SUBJECT.
The services at the Baptist church
Monday night were opened by an organ
voluntary, Prelume 10 +, by Lorman,
Mrs Mary Qninn Hicks presiding This
WAS followed by All Rnthem-On Jordan =
Stormy Banks, ny Bowdish, after which
beautiful solo, Ashamed 81 Jesus, was
sweetly rendered by Miss Kate n Dog
gett.
The subject for the evening was Edu-
cation. The pastor Rev h. A. Williams,
stated that the country, aud especially
Virginia was stirred on the subject OF
education as il had never been before.
The best minds were engaged In solving
the question of better schools, better
facilities for training and a general i'm
provement Of the entire school System.
lie stated that much had been done in
the past, but we must now look To and
prepare for better and more thorough
work for the future, and he congratu'
lated all present in being 40 exceedingly
fortunate 10 having Prof ). {. Mitchell,
of Richmond College, one Of the foremost
educators of this country, 70 address
them on the subj ct OF education on the
occasion. lie said be took great pleas
ure In presenting Prof Mitchell, whose
heart was in the work.
DIR. MITCHELL : ADDRESS.
DR.. Mitchell had for his subject "Bap-
lists and Education" and his address
was a scholarly one, and received the
closest attention OF his auditors.
After few preliminary remarks, in
which he referred to the history of the
church and its centennial, DR. Mitchell
dwelt upon the development OF Baptist
schools 10 America, which are about co
eval in their origin with the Frederick
burg church, and addressed himself 20 the
important topic OF the relation Of church
and State In education. lie said that
the relation OF church and State in educ4-
ton has assumed four distinct forms. I'D
The church has undertaken the whole
work of education, TO the exclusion OF
the State. "a was the case in the Middle
Ages ~ The State has taken over the
entire work Of education, 20 the exclu-
sion OF the church, a. Is true In Prussia
today. Oh The church may do the
chief work in education, while the State
simply supplements the activities Of the
various denominations. as happens IN
England AT this time. % The state
NAV have its Articulated system Of edu-
cation. and may yet leave room Tor the
churches 60 supplement public education,
tfr,H IN today The church
then, supplements, not supplants, the
educational work Of the State.
STATE AND UNCONVENTIONAL SCHOOLS.
There should be no sort OF antagOnism
between state and UNCONVENTIONAL
schools 10 democracy, which is gov
eminent by public opinion, who can
doubt that it is the States bounden duty
to quicken the intelligence OF ali the peo-
pie? Let us. therefore. be loyal 10 State
schools. for we are citizens as well as
Christians. At the same time, the vari-
Gus denominations find that there Is q
vital service which they can render 10 so
ciety through schools supported by them.
selves " isely have most Oi the religious
bodies 10 America tried 10 occupy this
strategic post Of duty to the people. All
forms of initiative 10 the common veal
are beautiful; and perhaps none more
beautiful and useful than this which
churches render 20 society in helping to
train the citiz snship in virtue ana intelli
gence. and tOprOmote the cause oisound
culture
And here let US note that church schools
are denOminhtiOnal in the sources OF
their support They are national and
popular in the service which they do. The
church which establishes a college seeks
thereby. In addition 10 Offering q seat Of
sound learning 70 the children OF its own
members, 70 confer a great benefit upon
society at large The denomination sup
ports the school; the school serves soeie-
ty. or course, the life Of the denomination
grows. grows by a social law with the
expanding spirit and scope OF the sery-
ice which il renders mankind. AZ re-
CARDS support a school may be denomi-
national: as regards its scope and sery-
ice il must be public, national, and cos
mopolitan. Indeed it can be helpful 10
the highest sense 20 the particular de-
nomination only by embracing 10 its
sphere OF hfllNltltc hur iilVf NhONH"Nf %"N
purposes OF society at large.
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ENDORSED.
The imperative OF the future TO demon
national schools il. Few but titi endow
or die. so increasingly costly is all edu-
cational work coming TO be, that only
those schools which are amply endowed
can hope either to survive or to do much
good The very privilege which the
state coniers upon a denomination In
chsrtering an institution OF learning,
ought TO quicken the sense Of obligation
in that religious body to offer only the
soundest and broadcast culture. And
with a school it is spirit that counts. ii
the spirit that bresthee in an institution
il free. large. liberal, scientific, progress
siye. then the school with even poor ma
terisl equipment may do signal service
deprecate all forms OF friction De-
tween schools. There is no real sntag-
onism in their interests, II the ttcts are
rightly viewed.
ONLY ONE IN 800 GOES To COLLEGE.
Only one boy out OF five hundred goes
10 college. Now instead OF our colleges
fighting one another to induce that nVe-
hundredth boy to go TO this or that
school. a more excellent way IL Tor all 70
try 70 stimulate the other four hundred
and ninety-nine to go to college. linen
ali the colleges would find their halls Toll
In the spirit Of generous cooperation let
us strive to quicken ali the people to
aspire to broader culture, to it them
selves for the fulness OF human endeaVori
then every college will find its hands en-
gagged to the utmost. Less competition
among schools to get particular pupils,
more cooperation among teachers TO De
get o popular enthusiasm for education 10
the course that will best serve the ends
of any particular institution and bring
the largest gain to society as a whole.
EDUCATIONAL REVIVAL.
finally, the speaker dwelt with delig At
upon the present educational revival 10
Virginia. especially in the impulse being
given TO the rural school. Great credit
belongs to the valiant men and women
who during the decades OF povety,