South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-13
SUBSTITUTE FOR
CHRIST FAILURE
Rev. John C. M'oinn Delivers
Stirring Address Before
Knights of Columbus.

South Bend and Notre Dame mem
bers OF Fourth Degree assembly, Indi-
ana Knights OF Columbus. SO in num-
ber held their annual banquet at the
oliver hotel last night, celebrating the
discovery OF America by Christopher
Columbus The principal address OF
the evening was given by Rev. John
c. CHM, c. S. G.. Of Notre Dame. who
spoke on Applied Christianity. DIR.
]. Is. Berteling acted as POSTMASTER.
Rev. McGinn in his address called
attention TO the significance Of knight
hood, OF the figure OF the night which
held such a conspicuous place In his
tory, OF the ideal manhood that the
knight embraced, and OF the heroic
garments OK true knighthOOd, lin
whose shadow was nurtured the
grandest civilization OF modern times.
THE true knight did rot have the
principles OF Christianity He had the
principles of applied ChI1stianity. APP
piled Christianity made = man hum
bic. pure and detached, at least to the
subOrdinatiOn OF the present world 10
the next
I'VE hear much in these days Of
philanthropy either in the form OF
social service, settlement work, or dis
trict nursing. 1t took root in the
Christian soil of knignthood, a civili-
zatiOn that produced u Francis and
Claire, that recorded the activities OF
the first settlement work in history
done by the daughter OF king and
the wife OF a prince, Elizabeth of
Hungary We could boast of Blanch
of CASTLE whose tender care of the
poor and sick Upn her undying fame
in the hearts Qf men.
"Knighthos1 Was the age of pioneer
philanthropy. Every monastery was
the center OF organized charity.
pioneer setpement workers. The sis
teTs took qaEe OF the poor and the sick.
Organized Christian spirit permeateS
every department of life.
I'VE hear much today Of the fail
ure OF Christianity. If you were TO
look INTO the ancestry of men who
claimed that Christianity had failed.
you would find the names OF men who
just a short time ago tried 10 read
Christianity out OF the world by sub
stituting for the Christ of the gospel.
a Christ OF their own mind. If the
present world crisis does no more than !
restOrs "a hearts OF men the Christ |
OF ehs gospel. il will justify the awful |
cata trophe come upon us.
when men stop reading their own /
narrow minds into the divine mind of |
Christ, when men stop bringing Chris |
tianity to the scriptures and begin to |
take away from the scriptures their |
Christ OF history instead Of the Christ |
of fiction, there viii He rule mems |
hearts and direct the destinies Of the |
nations.
What kind 81 a Christianity has |
the man who brings to the scriptures
a Christ VIZ is not God, a Christ who |
never argues. q Christ who never dog |
matizes. who brings TO the scriptures
4
in Christ. whC brings to the scriptures
Christianity shat is not a teaching? |
IT is this kind Of Christless, creedless
Monday morning Christianity that has |
failed US. Who wouldn't expect a |
failure of a religion that is without |
authority. that can inculcate no teach |
ing. that can insist on practice of no |
virtue except what the individual mind I
with all its glazing fallibility finds |
therein.
We need to return to the Christi |
anity OF Charles Carroll Of CarrolltOn.
or Thomas Duggan, the first Catholic |
governor In the United States: of DAN |
iel O'Donneu in whose vii was found |
this codfcil, My body / beQueath to |
Ireland. my heart TO Rome, my soul 10 |
God. Return TO the Christianity of /
men like Robert LaSalle, who left the |
impression Of Christianity in every |
region he explored These men con-
NinCed the world thSf good govern
ment. liberty in all its glory. and Cath |
Ole teaching were synonymous terms. |
I'm the ceremony of knighthood. |
the king was given all the Lonors but |
the spurs, and as his sword was put |
IN his hand. he was told To go out and I
win his spurs. We are clothed in the |
same armOr OF Christianity; we have |
the same opportunities 10 carry the |
torch of Justice and the light of char |
ity into the world TO brig back 10 |
flower of purity the bloom that SO |
faded in our social life.
Every Christian must be dedicated |
10 the cause of the poor. He must |
vow the knight OF old did 10 pro-
tect 10 the utmost the oppressed, the |
widow and the poor This can be /
done by applied Christianity"
The speaker closed with tribute 20 |
the ladies present and TO the honor |
OF wOmanhood With the knights |
standing, Rev. McGinn gave joaquin
Miller's, The Bravest Battle, the last I
verse OF which runs:
"Oh. spOtless woman IN this world OF |
shame.
with splendid and silent scorn.
Co back 70 your God as white as YOU /
came.
The Kingliest warrior born"
At the close of the banquet the |
guests attended the dance given in /
American hall by South Bend council,