Evening journal., 1914-03-23
FROM ACE OF Faith
into ERA OF Good
Rev. George H. Dole'S Les
son From Theatre APP
plauSe Of Rap at Courts
DEPLORES SYMPATHY
FOR HEROIC CRIMINALS

The Rev. George Henry Dole, pastor
OF tile New Church, spoke yesterday on
Pilates question. "What is TRUTH
John is. ss In The course Of his re-
marks MIR Dole said;
1T is profitable, now and then. to
take larger view of the Yorlds iiuctua-
tions and progress, that we may more
deeply understand present conditions
and direct our course in the straight
path to abiding Justice and righteous
ness.
"for centuries the church preached the
doctrine Of salvation hy faith alone. It
quite convinced the multtudes that all
one needs to save his soul is TO believe
IN a particular doctrine or historical
fact.
The doctrine Of faith alone. that one
can be saved by believing a theory, de-
velopcd the cold, hard, austere. nnlov-
able thing known as Piritanism. Il de-
stroyed tenderness and mercy in human
hearts II devastated the churches. 1t
was the Cain that slew lis brother Abel
The world is lust awakening TO the fact
that out OF the doctrine OF faith alone
originate the first and interior causes OF
the evils endured by society this day
Following the code that saws Faith is
the only thing 60 be considered. the
commercial world has fallen into the
conviction that the only thing 10 be re-
earded is the law and selfshness has so
increased that there has been no ac-
acknowledgement that we arc our brothers
keeper.
do you realize the degradation OF
honor that underlies the following
incident? The Playhouse was crowd
ed with Wilmington audience,
gathered TO witness the play Within
the Law An actor said, they do not
call them courts Of justice now, but
courts of law The theater rang with
the cheers Of the multitude. Are con-
/ ditions not depiorabIe when the
/ people will applaud such reflections
upon a nations courts? This state
would never have come about hut for
] the doctrine Of faith alone. which
| shattered the foundations OF right
eousness. We. and doubtless the
courts. have too much forgotten the
truth in Chief Justice Marshali's de-
c'aration. the law is not justice, but
the instrument through which justice
is executed.
Against cold law, both religious
and civil, reaction is setting in As
grave a disaster as faith alone
/ threatens both church and state In
the tendency to go 70 the opposite
/ extreme. Apparently It is becoming
somewhat popular TO palliate crime.
m.staking misguided pity for justice
and mercy. Too frequently some
state governor thinks that he is doing
God service in the unrestrained ex.
ercise of the rardoning power. which
to prevent larCshi:, is frequently n
the governors Jurisdiction. Cele
brated days are of,en marked BY ~.
opening Of a prison gates. as thougl
there were Il virtue in undoins a.,
: decrees of justice We hear the po
lice department in large cities de-
nounced for the methods used III
suppressing crime. aud this is don,
in terms 'has in.lnv that tho rulicS
department itself is an upnct essary
evil. The essence OF many an edi
torial in soc'adsi.c pap"rs Is int II
unjust laws we're annulled there
would be no crime. All have rcaG o.
the woman who scme days ago neti
toned the Governor OF Pennsylvari;
to pardon the murderer Of her hus
band. on the grounds that the mur
derer was not guilty because all mur
der is a mere disease. We are toe
familiar with the sympathy lavisheS
upon "heroic criminals" and upoI
the social light and the rich mar
convicted of crime Already there IL
a numerous class teaching that al
evils arc solely the product Uf en-
vironment Change the environ
ment. they say, and evil vii
disappear The doctrine taught is
that individuals are not responsible
/ for crimes, but society itself is th'
only guilty one. because society is re
/ sponsible for the environment.
This sickly scntimentalism from
which these and similar false notion
arise indicates that we are passing on
of an age Of faith alone into an era o
good alone AS faith alone produced
, lperiod Of cold and hard unrighteousness
, good alone begets a generation Of peace
/ at-any-price crime -excusing sentimental
lists without sufficient light TO do othe
than stimulate and palliate disorder an
crime. In this regard, TO restore tn
truth and preserve order, the church ha
great and vital work to do. II mus
teach and restore the true relation o
faith and charity, of truth and good
: Faith alone. or truth alone is precisel.
, like the light OF the sun without il
1 heat, as in winter. Charity or goo
without faith or truth. is like the hea
J of the snn without its light or as
J perpetual summer midnight Faith an
truth without charity or good is cold
critical and condcnsiatory. Charity o
good without faith OF truth, is unwis'
misguided, insipid and impotent. It
a misguided energy. productive q
harm only. Good is not good if il
! not guided by truth. Truth is no
: truth. if it is not tempered with good.
2 "This evident work is now before th
! churches for them thoroughly to accom-
plish for the salvation of both souls an
. society; namely, TO teach the true rela
/, tion OF faith and charity, and to conioi
! them in perfect balance.
: .'But where shall this perfect unio
and. balance OF filth and charity, Q
I truth and good, be found They al
e manifested in Jesus Christ. who has a:
sured us that He is both the truth an
: the life. HIS promised kingdom, no
q established, and whose increase vii
$ we are told, never. cease. is the universe
reign of both truth and good. OF .trut
q as the light Of the mind and OF n