Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01

| ", X. Il.
of the Epiphany, in his thanksgiving uas
sermon, last Thursday, deprecated Inc
small use of the Bible in the local pubic
! schools and the action or the ooalu Vi
| education in New York city in prohibiting
the use of Christmas carols In the scnools
of the metropolis, and he pleaded for
better observance OF Sunoay' anu ioi
action by the United States government
to relieve its employees of unnecessary
| Sunday work.
IT propose this morning to consider the
relation of our American civilization TO
| Christianity, with a view to determine
the question whether the genius OF Chrls-
| tianity ought by right to rule IN TINS
land" he began. Il do not stay to dls-
| cuss whether there is any relation De-
| tween the two, for I hold that to De
question which does not admit OF doubt.
| If anything Is clear and ind1sputaole, II
is that the roots OF American cMlliza,
| ton were laid in the soil of Christian
ideas, and the tree which has grown
| from those roots and in a century ana
| quarter has overspread a comment, mas
drawn it's strength and vlgo: In no small
degree from the fact that it was planted
in Christian soil. To the question
therefore, What is the relation Of Amer
lean civilization to Christianity? l answer
| that it is a very close relation, rela-
| ton of direct dependence"
| that the founders of the nation and its
later leaders have been directed by Chris
ton principles. he continued: He, then
| who strikes at Christianity strikes at the
tianity is a part Of the common law of
the land The Supreme Court has de-
| cided that; and in these times there is
great need to emphasize the fact, lest the
|
| fgnorantly yield their vantage g-ound.
| Depend upon it, the freedom of citizens,
| the stability of the government and the
vitality Of society can only be preserved
| by sacred regard to the fundamentally
Christian character of our civilization.
Il
so much for the general principle.
Let us now look at some special features
In which this principle finds expression.
There are three institutions in which our
Christianity finds most emphatic express
sion-I mean the Bible, the church and
| the Lords day. These are the three
pillars of the state-God's book. Gods
church and Gods day. A few words con-
corning each.
THE Bible. Let men say what they
will, this fact is a fact and cannot be
overthrown-the present civilized state of
the world-c;vlization in the highest sense
of the word-has been built upon accept
ance of the Bible. This old book may not
please some of the advanced thinkers of
the day, but for all that it has smitten the
rock and the waters of liberty and prog
ress have flowed forth for the refresh
ment of man. And now. forsooth, some
of those who have drunk Of these waters
and been refreshed refuse to acknowledge
their debt, and suggest that the rock was
opened by some other means than by the
prophets rod.
cannot be overestimated. 1t may well
be one Of the lessons of the day to re-
double our diligence in guarding and per-
petuating the influence of the Bible in
public and in private. In the instruc-
ton of the youth of the land its infiu-
| ence Is invaluable.
X
"Unhappily, very little remains Of the
use of the Bible in our public schools.
The Christian people of this land have
it in their power. If they would unite
in the demand to see to it. that there
should be an effective use Of the Bible
for moral instruction in the public schools
without infringing upon the liberty of
conscience of Jew or GENTLE This
power they have not exercised, but rather
have permitted secularist influence to pare
down the use of the Bible to almost moth
ing.
Here let me advert to a recent occur
renee in New York city. I mean the
action of the board of education in
issuing an edict looking to the excision
of all Christmas carols and other Christ
mas exercises from the public schools in
this to be tolerated in our Christian
America? We welcome the DOOR and