The Paducah evening sun., 1910-04-25

dispenser of precious religious
truths, but also Of such intellectual
edification as his people got. Those
were the days when oratory was in
flower. Today other men are cultur-
ed, other men are as scholarly, IL
braries, newspapers and magazines
disseminate information, and the eye
has supplanted the ear as the gate
way to the mental storehouse; but
unfortunately, the natural inertia of
the human mind leads men to prefer
reading books couched in the idioms
and terminology of today, stating
propositions in the syllogistic fashion
of occidental writers, to the poetic
philosophy of the Semites translated
into archaic. though beautiful old
English, and they are neglecting the
Bible; this. too, at a time, when
science, once thought to be at war
with religion, now stands obediently
ready, the hand maiden to the eye
that sees and the ear that hears, to
give a new and deeper revelation OF
divine truths.
The consequence has been a repe-
tition Of history. broadening of the
phylacteries and a narrowing of the
spirit-''like unto children sitting
in the markets, and calling unto their
fellows, and saying, We have piped
unto you, and ye have not danced;
we have mourned unto you, and ye
have not lamented.'"
The piping may be capricious, but
you must dance when we pipe and
stop when we cease piping; the
mourning may be without reason,
but you must lament when we mourn
and cease when we cease. A conven-
tional religion has grown up. and the
gone out from the average church
pew in half a century has been "beI
conventional or be damned"
The world is charging the church
with 1t, the pulpit has returned to-
the charge that II. is as pure as it
ever was; but no one seemed to real
ize that the relation OF the pulpit to
the pew and the pew to the pulpit
has changed; that henceforth the
pulpit must be the instrumentahty
for the inspiration of the pew and
the pew must carry the gospel.
Providence had the solution at
hand: the American genius for or
ganization came to the rescue; the
spirit Of fraternahsm, fostered in the
lodge room, manifested itself in the
organization, and the laymen's
movement spreads like the order OF
chivalry when knighthood was in
flower. A member of the Broadway
Methodist class said that out on the
road, wearing his red and white but
ton, he is greeted by other wearers
Of the button from cities thousands
Of miles away, with the same cordial
ity that a brother Elk or knight
Templar would exchange the grip
with him. II is to the Protestant
church what the Knights of Colum-
bus have become to the Catholic
church in America.
This movement will not strike the
expected blow TO denominations:
they will flourish the more luxuriant-
ly for II. 1t is no detriment to the
British army, that the Horse Guards.
the Highland infantry, the Rifles and
Dragons retain their ancient uni
forms, and maintain the traditions OF
~ los Auk In
for the same cause in friendly rivalry,
that stimulates zeal in good works.
and fosters esprit de corps, without
which any army Is mob, lacking
confidence In itself and its command
ers, and falling in courage at the
crucial moment, because it has not
that historic pride, which men fear
to tarnish more than they fear to die.
The question of what unscholasfic
laymen will do to the churches is OF
minor consideration; we are interest
ed In what the churches will do to
the citizenship of the country, thus
brought directly under their infiu-
ence When men find that the wear |
ers OF these red and white buttons
make the most faithful and con-
scientious employees, and seek young
men from the ranks OF these classes, |
and young men find that a red and |
white button is the best recon-
mendation for a job. business ethics
will reflect the influence; when poll
ticians, who now find It advantage
Gus to join the Masons, Odd Fellows, |
Elks and Knights Of Pythias, because
II brings them in'o intimate fellow
ship with an influential body of vot- |
ers, learn that 1t would be TO their |
interest to mix with the wearers OF
red and white buttons, politics and
civic life will begin to reflect the in
fuence Of the new movement, family
life and social life will be affected
for the good, and the ethical revival
observed in this decade will be made
permanent and effective for the ad-
vaneement of humanity.