The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-06-21
ECCLESIASTICAL PREJuDIcEs.

Dr. A, w. Van Hoose, president oil
Shorter College at Rome, in an ad
dress before the Georgia Sunday
schools in Atlanta last week, charged
that thel state is gradually taking over
the matter of education and is eliml-
mating ali teaching relative to definite
religious obligations. He further de-
clared that in twenty-five years, il
we go at our present pace, culture
like that in Germany will supplant
christiaRity To reach such a state,
he said i've have only to proceed as we
have been going the past fifty years.
Close ibehind him another religious
speaker, Elder W. B. Screws, in Sa-
vannah, declared, if he is quoted cor
rectly, that gospel is not to re-
generate sinners, but for the spiritual
benefit bf those already saved. Such
statements as these can be picked up
every day from one end of the state TO
the othdr and all lover the country. An
observing church-goer can pile up
great stacks of it, and ecclesiastical
leaders, are most capable of misstat-
ing, oversestimatingy miscalculating,
and misfepresenting to the great in
jury of the cause Of christianity. This
is an honest observation not to be
aimed atsany one person or cause.
~ ctiffnrinu urnat
deal FROM a disappearing christianity
If our gbod friend in Rome is here
twenty-five years hence and his soul
is not c1ouded with misguided per
spective, he viii be able to trace true
christianity running through the lives
of men, for it will be here in even tru-
er, better form. The day Elder
Screws folds his tent for the long
journey, christianity will be working
away in the souls of men, bringing
them back to better living.
German culture to which Dr. Van
Hoose refers defends monarchy and
cap 'talism as divine institutions. The
very elemental. principles of christian
ity perish under such rule. Every SO
cial movement of hthe present day in
this country is against the church and
against thel rehgion of such an order.
One of the strongest evidences thai
the way is wide open for christian de
velopment. is the fact that in its neu
trail sphere whatever may be its
creed, the christian religion enjoys the
homage OF a people who love liberty
Here and in all the world there is
an order for human affairs which is
the best. 1t is the order which ough'
to exist in ortier to produce the great
est possible welfare of mankind. Coo
knows that order and wills it. 1t is
now and always has been mans duty
to find and establish, that order. Chris
tianity still retains its old radiant JOY
that marks tie great elimination il
the human life. God is that joy now
as trulylas ever the world knew, ant
men today touch the hem of His gar
ment asjsurely as ever they did.
Our dangers are not is disappear
ing christianity. All dogmatic athe
ism, in Germany as well as in the 9th
er portions of the civilized world is
being 81 eadily outgrown by science
And no serious representative OF
science will dare today assert that
science demands atheism or excludes
religions There were times when the
religionists could do this, but not
today.
Now our real danger lies in the pos
sibility ef having our eyes blinded by
ecclesiastical prejudice so that we may
not know God when he comes close tC
us. Many centuries ago the Jewish
church had the sacred book and the
heritage of the prophets, but when
Christ came to fulfil the law and the
prophets, the very people who had the
best excuse for knowing him, turned
their backs. And to that people
Christ seemed to overthrow both NOR
ality and religion.
What modern christianity has to
lose in ecclesiastical prejudices, the eff;
forts of creeds to. eXterminate and
supplant each other. the internal jeal
ousies that are alyaws increasing, will
have its blighting effect, but there
will still be the christian sphere in
The churches where enough of the true
spirit dwells to make itself felt. And
here christian usefulness will follow
the deeper channels while that ele.
ment that has been turned falsely into
the shadows, will beat out its force
and pass with time.