The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-05-10
29th Commencement.
WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMI
NARY.
Rev. ElderdiCe Delivered the BaCGa-
laureate SefnOR---DlplOmaS Pre-
Sented and Degrees Conferred.

The first event in the exercise con-
nected with the twenty-ninth COM
mencement of Westminster Theologi-
cal Seminary, was the baccaIaureate
service Sunday morning in the Meth
odist Protestant Church, preached by
Rev. Dr. H L. Elderdice, president OF
the seminary IT, was assisted in The
service by Rev. Dr. Feeman and Rev.
DR.. G. c. Douglas, of the seminary
faculty, and by Rev. Dr- Thomas H.
Lewis, president Of Western Mary
land College. The singing, which was
congregational, was led by the semi
nary choir.
Rev. DR.. Elderdice, after stating
that Obadia, though one Of the minor
prophets, held his place and that mo
liberal school has convinced the world
that ii has outgrowH it, need Of his
terrific message against the nation
that forever forgets God and harms
His church." and compared him to the
obscure preacher, saying:
The name of the obscure preacher
il legion. Lincoln said: -"God must
have loved the common people be-
cause IT. made 20 many of them 20
He must have loved the obscure
preacher, for He has called him from
every point of the compass and sta
toned him at every out-of-the way
place in the land. He is holding the
fort in a frontier town, organizing a
mission in the slums Of the city, re-
surrecting dead church in depop-
ulated rural region, kneeling at the
family altar on the bare floor of the
home Of a rough mountaineer, teach
ing the Lords Prayer to a smeared
savage in the hut of Hottentot and
telling hefstorv of the Man of Galilee
to the deep-sea fishmen on the coast
of Labrador He lives, labors and
dies ito fortune and to fame unknown
There are heroes in humble life.
Captain Smith was true to the best
traditions of the sea when he stood on
the bridge Of the sinking Titanic and
through a megaphone shouted: BE
British, my men!' But his nameless
sailors who obeyed that order even
unto death were also true. Major
But was every inch soldier when
he wrapped in blanket Miss Marie
Young, of Washington. placed her in
lifeboat and said: EGood-by; kindly
remember me to all the folks pack
for two hours on the benches on the
main cabin to keep out of the way OF
the passengers were also brave. Col
onel Astor, was a high type of chival-
ry when he turned from his young
wife to give woman his one chance
of life. But there was also high chiv-
airy when an English pastor and a
German priest went down to the
steerage passengers to pray and re-
cite the rosary to mad men and frantic
| women
"The obscure preacher has like
Obadiah, the power of vision. The
normal preparation l. not a passive
state Of irrational ecstacy, but OIL in
telligent mental activity along the line
Of some social evil, political reform, or
religious movement. The vision is
not primarily of some distant future
but Of an immediate present.
"The vision comes while graphing
with the mans Job OF helping Jesus
Christ save the world Tf he looks
out upon the sins and sorrows of the
world and UP to the only Saviour from
those sins and sorrows, he will be a
man with a message. No difference
| if his pulpit BE- a stump in the back
woods; he will have an audience The
most famous preacher in the greatest
city has no more than a message and
an audience.
"The most insolent evil of our day
il the liquor traffic, fortified by the
appetite Of centuries, by the greed for
gold, by the selfishness of politicians
and by the laws OF the lands, id sneere
| in the face Of 1awgivers.
"The pulpit is no place for a pessi-
mist. His place H. not on Mount Zion
but on the doomed Mount of Esau
The only vision that can save the
world il that Of Satan conquered and
Christ crowned"
| The alumni sermon was delivered
this evening by Rev. Eugene Conrad
Makosky, a graduate of the class OF
Mi 1898.
Led by the seminary choir, the
congregation sang an opening hymn
and prayer was made by Rev. J. W.
Kirk, ID. ID. Of Baltimore William IL
Mikesell of Wilmington Del, sang a
solo; Clarence j. Morton of Caring
ton o.; delivered the class Grafton and
Rev. Lyman E. Davis of Sharpsburg;
Pa; delivered the address to the grad
ed and degree conferred by President
III. IL. Elderdice of the seminary
The students graduated with their
graduating thesis, are: William
Francis Bauscher, The Development
Of the Sunday School; James Wilson
Brown. The Church and Organized
Labor; Archibald Robson Corn, The
Paronsia; James Allen Dudley, The
Institutional Church; Arthur Webster
Ewell, Pauline Eschatology; Arthur
Josiah Torrey, The Problem of HUI
man Suffering; William Francis
Wright, The Call Of Humanity; Cuth-
bert Warner Bates, The Church and
the Divorce Problem; William Smith
Harker, Woman's Work in Foreign
Fields; Clarence J. Kerlin, The Teach
ing Function OF the Ministry; Wood
ward Warwick Marcus, Hedonisen ;
William Henry Mikesell, Spirituistic
Phenomena; Clarence Jay Morton
The Country Church Jesse Eli Pritch-
ard, The Church and the Social Prob
lem; Ronald Taylor, The Theology Of
Browning. The last eight Of these
students received only the degree Of
bachelor OF divinity.
! Seven permanent prizes have been
established by friends Of the semi