The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-12
BY MARK FIELD.

BY MARK FIELD.
The movement now in progress, I'M
der the name OF Men and Religion"
is highly interesting in view of what
it very clearly indicates, which
world has come to see that the church
tspeaking collectively of all the sects)
Is in a state of spiritual decadence.
To be sure the church, under the
fostering care of the most liberal
government on earth, has made great
material advances in America. With
its property all untaxed, with its doc
trines and politics all uncensured, it
has had free course everywhere, and
has grown enormously in wealth, IN
educational facilities, in architectural
display, in social, and even in polltl-
cal popularity. Trust magnates pan
der to 1t, nay, even become members
of it, to secure its influence. PoHti-
clans bow down to it to win votes. and
conventions and elections are not un-
frequently under its control. 1t has
not been long since couple OF rellgl-
GUS denominations got together IN
! Illinois, and beat Robert Ingersol out
OF the Republican nomination for gov
ernor of that state with John M. Pal
mer, who before that time and after
that time, was sterling Democrat;
and all because Ingersol could not
subscribe to orthodoxy, while Palmer
was n church member in high stand
ing, co
| But with all this advancement in
wealth and power the Nazarene mas
been left behind somewhere, perhaps
on the coast of Galilse, or on the
beach of Tiberius, either feeding the
hungry multitude, or assisting his dis
ciples in making a draft of fishes
| The manger-cradled Christ is men
toned in the pulpit and sung by the
(, choir, but he is not at the head of the
| procession. His name is in the creeds
and in the catechism. but his spirit
does not dominate the host His teach
ings, under the glasses of what is
called ORTHODOXY, are studied in the
Sunday schools and in the denomina-
tional seminaries, but his life is rare
/ ly ever seen among the multiplied
thousands of his formal worshippers.
Just here is the trouble. World
/ lians are becoming more critical. They
see the emptiness of professions which
| do not materialiZe into practice. They
are coming to secretly hold in con-
/ tempt the religious bodies to which
they openly bow for the sake of ma
| terial gain. Meantime the sects are
losing faith in themselves. Their
/ congregations are dwfndling. Their
prayer meetings are generally attend
ed by women only In not a few in
stances their theological schools are
complaining of a dearth of students,
and in some places good breaches are
quitting their pulpits because they
can't make living in them.
The knowledge of these things has
it may fairly be presumed, induced
certain sincere religious leaders o:
several different denominations to
/ launch the Men and Religion
movement Now, if they only have
the wisdom to put Christ at the head
of this movement, and succeed. Let
them remember that as Lord Macau.
lay says: 1T was before Deity EN-.
bodied in human form, walking
among men, partaking of their infirm
tiles, leaning On their bosoms, weep
ing over their graves, slumbering in
the manger, bleeding on the cross, that
! the prejudices of the synagogue, and
the doubts of the academy, and the
pride of the portico, and the faces of
the Victor, and these words of thirsty
legions were humbled in the dust"
He that conquered the hoary prejud-
ces Of the Jews and the military
power of pagan Rome will today re.
move every obstacle that blocks the
way of any movement of which he is
the real and acknowledge leader.
But the leader must be Christ alone
No doctor of divinity-no arbitrary
creed maker, no opinionated dogmat
list with little learning and nc
4 knowledge Of human nature-must at
tend him. He must present his own
creed, and be his own interpreter
What is that creed? Peter gives it ir
answer to Christ: But whom say ye