The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-16
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 81


could it carry out the purpose of sancti-
flying all education?
81. BY throwing the accent upon Chris
tianity. Everything has its center of
gravity-its focus-its dynamic point. The
church can sanctify education by making
Christianity the center of gravity of all
1earning-the focus of all instruction-the
dynamic point in every school,
''Time was when the emphasis in edu-
cation was laid upon the classics; and
the Caesarism of Rome and the culture
of Greece were the consequential ideals
of lie.
"Time was again when the pendulum
swung from the classics to physical sci
ence, and materialism was consequential
ly swung far to the front as the ideal of
human life
Time was again when the accent was
thrown upon mechanics, and arts and IN
ventions came into supremacy in human
thought, and obtained the mastery of hu-
man aims and ideals.
Thine was again when the accent was
thrown upon civics and economics and
human life became commercialized and
the world was made to groan from the
love of money.
1.-THE church alone can throw the ac-
cent upon Christianity, and plant in the
minds of men those ideals which make
life fit to dwell on the light-covered hills
beyond the stars.
Christian Faculty.
80 But if the church would realize its
mission in the school room, it must do
more than create a Christian atmosphere
which shall be the very breath of the
pupils it must work with a Christian
faculty.
''He who has the didactic instinct-who
is touched with the genius of imparting
krowledge-who can create an avidity
for knowledge-who arches as he tunnels
the pupils mind, and underprops as he
builds aspirations-always impresses his
personality and stamps his superscription
upon the work of his hands. If he be
skeptical though he faithfully suppress
his views, he subtilely infuses himself.
Therefore, IL the church would guard her
mission in the school room, she must ex-
act of her teachers faith in Christ and
personal piety, that the very effluvia of
the study hall may be the aroma of
heaven.
Bible Needed.
"3. But / come to the heart of the mat
ter when 1 say that, if the church would
sanctify her teaching, the Bible must be
made the central textbook of her instruc-
lions.
ut teaches the truth about God, about
the wrold. about man, about redemption,
first place in any curriculum of Christian
education. l do not mean that its Eng
fish and history, its poetry and philoso-
ply, must be taught, that the pupil may
be made familiar with the contents of
book so prominent in the world but that
it's religious meanings and moral pre-
cepts must be inculcated upon the young
as the rule of life for them to walk by.
Any school, any state school, can teach
the Bible as mere literature; but to so
handle the Word of God as mere 1itera-
ture is but to pervert the mission OF the
Bible in the world. Our generation has
suffered grossly enough from such
method of handling the divine relation;
for my part, | do not believe it Is liter
allure at all, and l had rather not see it
taught at all than see 1t expounded as
mere literature If the church is going
to teach it at all. it ought to be taught
as that serious Word which God has spok-
en- for the edification of human life in
the things that are most fundamental"