Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-15
CREED AND CONDUCT, !.
Or GOD AND ORDER
BY BISHOP wARREN. A. CHANDLER.

given us the strong nation we have.
and IL would have been a better ma
tion II there had been more faith
among the American people.
II the republic is to be perpetu-
ated, faith must be preserved. They,
] therefore, who In the pulpit, or out
OF il. impair the faith of the people.
are undermining our civilization and
all the benign Institutions which
grow out of Il and which in turn
enrich It. Agitators who go roaring
all the day long about the tissues
OF the day and "the progress of
| the age" need TO lay to heart these
weighty words of the great William
Z. Gladstone: Talk about the ques-
tions of the day. there is but one
question, and that is the gospel II
can and will correct every thing
needing correction" That word was
true for England when he spoke It.
and it is equally true for our coun-
try today. We need a revival of old
| fashioned morality and we cannot
have IL in the absence OF a revival
| OF old-fashioned religion. We may
live for a time on what one has
called the accumulated ethical cap
ital OF our torefathers, but If we
do nothing to preserve the corpus
of that rich estate we will soon be
/ as bankrupt as the prodigal in the
FAR country" Henry Ward Beecher
| could base great career on the
moral inheritance left to him by
his orthodox father, Dr. Lyman
Beecher; but he failed TO bequeath
to the next generation a like in
/ heritance and growing reckless and
wasteful of his faith barely got
through life without suffering moral
poverty himself.
Observe the matter where we
may, religious faithlessness always
results in moral feebleness. Scepti-
cism bears fruit in immortality, and
rationalism ends in rascality. The
blight of faith is followed by the
blasting OF character
And yet, be it said, we cannot
maintain faith as a mere expedient
for moral security or social protec-
ton. The effort to do so is a subtle
hypocrisy than which there can be
nothing worse. James Martineau has
sacrificed this sort of sham in the
most vigorous and just terms which
run on this wise: Religion is fire.
quently regarded, not only by it's
practical supporters, but by its the
oretical expoInders, into a mere tool
of expedency; and upheld as the
most approved engine for the pro-
duction of good morals and the
maintenance of the social order.
Support is invited to It, on the
ground that men are unmanageable
without it; that but for it's power
full hold on the human mind. the
elements OF repulsion would become
ascendant in the community, and
dissipate 1t into a multitude Of self
wills. IT is a shameful spectacle.
when its own representatives con
descend to plead for it thus: and 20
ANONYMOUSLY round supplacating
votes in its behalf, for the vacant
Office Of Master of Police!"
In no such way would / seek to
commend faith to my fellow-coun-
trymen. / warn them solemnly and
earnestly that if they are without
God they will soon be without hope
in the world; but declare to them
also that God will be a God to them
or He will be nothing. The God Of
the Bible, trusted and loved. gives
order and goodwill among men: but
He will not descend from the throne
of His majesty to become our chief
Of police, or even our president. To
all such impertinent proposals to
use Him as a mere expedient and
tool Of order He sharply responds.
who made me a Judge or a divider
over your"