The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-10


potent factors in the propagation Of
the kingdom OF God. Before the in
yention OF the printing press, the
masses OF the people were in gross
ignorance OF the growth or the king
dom OF God. and their knowledge OF
the Scriptures was limited In the ex-
treme. The power which the relig-
inus press Yields in the world today
liz largely the result Of the voluntary
act OF the Protestant clergy. Luther
fought his great battle for liberty OF
thought and action largely through
the press. without It's power he
would have failed. so far s We can
Judge from q human standpoint 1t
was not coincidence that the In
vention Of the art OF printing and
Luther's immortal protest were syn
erroneous in human history. 1t was
a providence. not a coincidence; ne
cesslty, not an accident.
Pope Plus X hoasted that in former
centuries his predecessors had blessed
the sword, but he gloried In the fact
that he had seen the day when he
could bless the pen which had become
mightier than the sword That which
brought to Pope Plus congratuIation
and Joy has brought TO Union semi
rary far greater occasion for con-
graduation and rejoicing. for she has
been intimately concerned with the
beginnings, the development and the
highest achievements or religious Jour
nalism In our beloved land.
Or. John Holt Rice. the founder OF
Union Theological seminary, that
large minded and far-seeing man, "no
/ ererted a more tremendous influence
upon the Church OF God In America
than perhaps any other man, was the
father OF religious journalism OF the
whole world.
The story Of his life as linked with
the history of Union seminary in Vir-
ginia, has already been told during
this centennial celebration. Eight
years ago, the present gifted presi-
, dent OF Union seminary. delivered an
| address at the conference OF the East
ern section of Young Mems Christian
| Associations in theological seminaries
in the United States and Canada in
this historic place. DR.. Moore chose
ms his subject "A Man OF Initiative
Rev. Or Jno. Holt Rice" Ordained in
t 1906, he iabored as pastor of "a -eetifs-
I try church some seventy-hve miles
from the historic city of Richmond.
proving himself a. master workman
ag country pastor. In 1872. Just
after the burning of the Richmond
theater, in which so many lives were
lost which represented the genius and
W ealth and fashion OF the capital, and
which was followed by strong reac-
ton AGAINST immortality and frivoli-
| ty." Or Rice came to this city tRich-
! mord), where he gave a new impulse
t. vital religion and for ten years d.
recteJ the effective work of the First
, Presbyterian church.
| Four achievements OF this man OF
large view and bold initiative en-
dear him to this city. TO this semi
nary and to the Southern Presbyte-
rian Church. one was the organiza-
ton OF the first young mems mission
| AIRY society that ever existed In Amer
lea with the svowed object OF pro-
noting home missionary work by &C.
curing men and means for the pro-
pagation of the gospel in the destitute
lportions OF our land
| Another was the blazing of the way
for the organization Of that great
agency for evangelizing the heather,
the Presbyterian board of foreign mis-
sions. represented now by the execu-
! tive agencies Of both the Northern
and Southern branches of the Presby-
kterian Church.
/ A third achievement was the found
ing of Union Theological seminary in
Virginia.
! The fourth direction in which Mr..
Rice blazed the way was that or re
ligious journalism little more than
a hundred years ago John Holt Rice
and Archibald Alexander. young
preachers In Charlotte county, va
were manning the most efficient means
t.~,. No Ia tydA ~ of
Ona who was familiar with the In
tense Interest of DR.. Rice in religious
Journalism has preserved for us the
facts
At that time there was not single
religious newspaper pubiished--no
journal of religious intelligence, no
medium for communicating the pro-
auctions Of pious minds to the pub
lie. The daily papers. even II dis
posed TO render a service to religion,
were too expensive-fifteen or TWEEN
fly dollars a year---fo reach the masses.
and the literary papers had no uhc-
ture OF that evangelical spirit essen
tial In all works intended to promote
the course OF true religion. And these
Young ministers took the initiative in
the creation of the weekly religious
newspaper Laboring in country
1
| field. they could not for n few years
carry into operation their plans. But
when Archibald Alexander moved TO
j., Philadelphia ne soon enlisted q print
er named John w. Scott in the work
| of issuing the Religious Remem-
| brancer" (started in 1879, the first
publication the world ever saw en-
bodying the features OF the modern
weekly religious 1ournal--a paper
which has been continuously publish
ed ever since. and now called the
| christian Observer
| When DR.. Rice moved to Richmond.
Va, his efforts TO find a printer who
would start such a paper there were,
at first. not 30 successful: but he sue
| ceeded in enthusing one <sf the elders
OF his church, Mr.. David J. Burr, with
the idea MIR. Burr soon moved to
Boston and agltated the subject In
that city, and found young man,
Sidney E. Morse. to launch q weekly
paper, the Boston Recorder After
a year or two Mr.. Morse concluded
that Boston was not the best location
ana transferred the Recorder" to
others. and II Is now known as the
"Congregationaiist.r the most infu-
entail religious newspaper in New
ENGLAND. And Mr.. Morse moved to