New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-05
SERMON At COLUMBIA
Bishop Burch breaches BAG.
caIaureate to Seniors.
ATTACKS NEW PAGANISM''
Calls It Menace and Compares
Materialism and Faith in
the Unseen.

-ra Rev DR. Charles Sumner Rurch
,,,s,o, suTragan Of New York in deliver
w. the haccalsureate sermon before a
,o-es audience in the gymnasium Of Co
.,,,,b,a University at the first day of the
.,,,,,c.,cerrent exercises Of Columbia Unit
o-,i,,- YESTERDAY afternoon attacked the
- philosophy that has been termed new
.oc,nism" characterizing new pagan
e. as an evil Of society and a philosophy
.h,, tends 70 lower the moral standards
81 the world Bishop Burch said in part
70 an age notable for the number Of its
- and often startling PHILOSOPHERS a new
,Sro or philosophy of life has appeared, max,
.s ~, irs appeal 10 a considerable class OF
D,etv III has been termed the new pa
,risn and among its chief apostles are
,-,s5 such men as MaeterlinCk, D'Annun-
- uarpfr1ann Tbsen. Bernard Shaw and
ne, IA ~ their school Apparently the new
ganisr, aims at or results in, a Contu-
IN If moral standards. II not distinct
,rsring Of those standards. II might he
.,,rair no call the new paganism a cult, II
csrtainly is not a religion. 1t is the last
- long line Of paganisms propagated
s,nce me beginnings Of history and in the
SIMON Of many II holds sinister meaning
~ menace % social order.
Broadly speaking. and for our thought
.o-Sav men may be divided into two class
~ those who live wholly without religion
&C those who take account Of religion and
&c claim rs an active power in shaping
nd rounding out the life here on earth.
S,e nav he classed as materialism on one
nd on0 faith in the unseen on the other.
me tells rs there is nothing 10 see. nothing
N hope for beyond the evidence OF the
,srses In a wholly material universe. the
cher nredicstes upon the words Of the
Great Teacher an almost limitless power
through which men may not only be IN
SHRED themselves with infinite hope Dut
LOO Of he N l.
edge and action. helping mankind toward
: LETTER view Of life with its possibilities,
,,5 10 larger accomplishment for the bet
isr7nent Of the race.
Continuing. Bishop Burch referred 70 ST.
r.urs letter % the Ephesians. Having no
,ope snd without God IN the world caus-
ing picture Of human life in its utmost
,,kedresg and fruitlessness in which the
APOSTLE said "You were hopeless because
YOU gere Goddess" He went on:
Many N this generation remember Rob
er. q InCersoU and his genius as an ora
Tor and few who read 10 VIII ever forget
mo pathetlc hopelessness Of the quite re-
l1arkahlc funeral GRAFTON he delivered be
side The grave of his brother in the city OF
Washington only few years before he
himself passed away. some one ar the
time rather aptlv termed II The wall of
lost soul over lost soul In reality II
vas simply tho honest Outpouring of the
heart of an honest man. honest in his in
fidelity, who had lived life without God
and without hope in Him.
The last words < Voltaire betray essen
tally tho same spirit OF hopelessness, the
same bitter disappointment.
The great Napoleon gave Intellectual as
sent t0 the existence II divicty and aC-
snowledged Jesus Christ as TIE most ma
jeetic dgure which had been cast athwart
The centuries. Whose life. person and works
te.raved every attribute Of divinity But
this testimony 70 the majesty and goodness
20 Christ was obviously given for the pur
pose N comparing himself with the Son OF
Man and his best remembered words con
the side of the heaviest artillery" When
De- died he left no word 70 show that he
rad changed in his attitude
Lord Bvr0n's transCendental genius was
cl0udel because he had no place for God
lT h's life The same IS measurablv true
OBJ. p0e DE Quincy. Goethe. COleridge and
Sneliev. and many other men OF exceptional
genius whom the mind recalls as having
lived without God and without hope.
Tn closing Bishop Burch said the religion
which ne thought appealed 70 the Young
men of to-day was the religion Of action.
where men built W great industries and
businesses on a spiritual basis thus bene-
ftng the social standard and keeping the
industries and businesses on that scale.
To-day the Columbia College seniors will
hold their annual class dance and exer-
cises and tomorrow will be largely taken
uu by mi Beta Kappa. with an address in
me evening before the Columbia chapter Of
no society bv senator Burton. Of Ohio.
The commencement exercises will be held
~ The gymnasium on Wednesday morning.
begin ne ar 1890. Following the formal
exercises. the alumni VIII hold their annual
reunion. and the remainder Of the day and
evening viii be given over 10 the usual
commencement programme