The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-05
Change OLD CUSTOMS
# GOOD FOR PEOPLE
WOULD CHANGE coNsr1ruTrox
IL Habits and Customs Are Ae6anH
Better Advancement Of World H.
Must BE RELOCATED 20 the He6x
Menacing Things TO Go.

Modern Iconoclasts or Spiritual
Progressives'' was the topic OF
Rev. DIR. j, X. Joiliffe's sermon At
Laurel-street Methodist Church last
night. He took as his text III Kings
1854, He called 1t Nehushtan.''
DR.. Joiliffe sought TO impress his
hearers with the point that II GUS
tom. constitution or habit interfersi
with the progress of godliness. q re-
formation should be taken. reeard-
less OF the so-calied sacredness or
institutions which had come down
from time immemoriai.
From the fatefui day when. NM
der the leadership Of Jerobaam, son
OF Nebat. concerning whom the -
cred chrcnicler asserts he made =.
raei to- SIM the almost invariabls
record 70 q repetition Of evil deeds.
ana OF the forgetfulness OF God, until
the elimination OF mtsruie and idol.
otry occurs in tho wicked reign 81
Ahab and Jezahel. Nor In II 4 xrent
deal better In the smaller ktnriona.
where the descendants Of thu great
King held sway. Now and then, hove
ever. life OF loyalty and cbedience
10 God was brought In TO tighten the
darkness of the scene and to pre-.
serve the work of God alive In the
world. Among these good kings was
Hezektah, who came into the king
dom when he was about twenty-flyo
years old. He was man whose
soul was loyal TO God and righteous
ness. He found much to disturb hiu
peace of mind, and to stir in him the
determination to uproot and overs
throw those habits and customs that
had arisen contrary TO the practices
and spirit OF true religion
To Make Things Better.
The preacher took this illustration
to show his hearers that from the
earliest days there had been move-
ments OF reform. and that real re-
formers had striven to make things
better, even through the dstructfon
OF fixed habits and customs
Among the ancient ana idoIatrous
customs was the worship OF the bra
zen serpent This braxen serpent had
been the object of supersti,ious -ev-
last becoming general object Of
worship.
The king burned IL In the flre ana
called il Nehushtan--a piece Of bra q.
There is always a reverence IT.
gathers itself about objects OF am
tiquity I have been over there AT old
Ss. sonh 1hurcn. surrounded ~ -
~, I'll. ~ .hs PAST, ana removed NY
- VIII so1neth,ng O. the feealnS
'ns unNnoWn poet mad VINO
s.,. 1859 pesu1iIhi Ines Inol ast
e ~. 20 tne aust OLD PIE We
hattlefieids where once stood bravo
..ieh s'eiaing .heff NE uIood 70 pro.
.ses nome ana sounirs' dead indeed
70 an reai sentiment tnat heari
Teverensiai awe Tor these places xiori-
~, nsu ny LIE supreme saerfhee OF mems
ives Sc. tot tneir country.
nis' IeeiinS must ne kept alives
enIs 70 ne US 10 mat spirit OF sacri-
ne ~. aIter al, me real interests
" ahe cits are nsilner IN O. Jonns
uow. OF over oattieheids. Iney oniy
sdd glory TO the throhesng life Of to-
oay Iney are only Nenusntan -
COMPARED 20 me Tusnins tides o. n1e
loaay' ana WIN the great lnings in9s
are before the WORDS ACTIVITIES Ano
possioihEes.
Menace o. DANGER.
am not the one 70 do AWey
Win rhsnss Simply because Iney -
old. But when they become menacs
ssss danger ant aTa es s0ss s1. sShs
development OF the race IN tn0se
things which God has placed before
them as the goal "a destiny. then tney
must go, The task OF the reformsr or
progressive IL always dimcuh one.
Ancient superstitions and the customs
of centuries confront MIN on every
side. No great and notable victory
for the race has ever been achieved
without running contrary to ancient
symbols and sentiment. Civil and re-
and practices.
The erroneous doctrines Of privil~