Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-17

were not so much concerned over the
salvation of souls as over the erection,
| of costly edifices. And over these
| costly edifces was no inscription OF
! dedication to the worship of the One
| True God. There was no Inscription
! at all. for the pastors and trustees
f, had not tho courage of their CONNER
| cia!ism. Some were decciving them
selves into the belief that God wanted
architectural piles. but the deception
could not long deceive. They knew In
| their hearts that God wanted the Bread
! of Life broken for his people. They
| knew in their hearts that they were
| giving stones.
| God is not deceived. ! venture that
the Sells of Malincs never tolled so
swcetly as in their silence. l venture
that the beauty of tho Middle Ages
fades into insignilcance in COMPARE
son with the charred and ruined walls
OF that Belgian cathedral. l venture
that the rude planking is far finer
altar than the lovely tabernacle |
venture that tho glory of the carolina
late is as nothing in comparison with
the revelation of the manhood Of Do
sire Felicicn Francois Joseph. Arch
bishop Mercier OF Malines.
Not in the loneliness OF sculptured
transept and nave-for God, the Great
Architect, has given us the canopy of
ouT iicaNeniy rather wOr-
SHIPPED. Not in the Sacriticial mass
upon an altar of the rafest marble
for God has given us the memory Of
the Sacrifice of His Dear Son--do we
meet in communion it'll Him. Not
In the glory of scarlet robes and az
princes of the church-for we have one
high pricst-Jesus Christ-do we min
lister to his people.
MEET GOD FACE TO FACE
IN SHOT-TORN WALLS
In those shot-torn walls. with all
the pomp and circumstance Of ecclesi-
asticism torn away. we meet God face
to face. And there in those reconse-
Grated precincts, God disclosed TO the
world man. The church of God
needed such a man. Cardinal MERCER
stood revealed. He is the modern dnv
Isaiah. The world has wondered at
his holiness. for no power on earth
could silence him. \ man of God. un-
armed save with the armor of his
faith he detied the princes of this
world and the powers of darkness His
cathedral defiled, his people scattered.
he became majestic. He lowered above
pomp and circumstance. With a poise
'hat mas won the admiration of the
world, he caught something Of Isaiah's
spirit. His denunciations of evil re-
cali the poet-seer; his scorn of the
iorces arrayed against him turn our
thoughts again to this Old Testament
nero: his perfect poise calls to mind
the words that were said of those
VINO preached the Gospel CT Christ. that
no had been with Jesus"
say the world needed such n figure
The church needed such a figure. The
world and the church needed to be
taught that, even as life is not tho
sum OF years. success is not the sum
OF possessions. The world and tho
church needed to learn again the les.
son OF spiritual values.
The world and the church needed men
or boldness. many Of them. The world
anu the church, the waiting world md
the waiting church. need to be told
again. Woe to the rebellious chill
dren."
No longer can the Church of the
LIVING Christ be symbolized by stain
ed glass and dim religious light. IT
TOOK shot and shell to let the light
In But the church has that light and
she must give it. The church must
proclaim to the weary. waiting world
that back OF the slaughter and sacri
nee Is a purpose. great and good
purpose. that Is more than the mere
preservation OF nation. for the in
liability of all human institutions has
been horribly revealed The purposa
! Tor which men have died and women
nave mourned must be shown to he
, written In The hearts of other men
anu other women. whence. and whence
only, 1t can be disclosed In deeds and
thoughts that shall endure from gene
ration to generation. This is the sun
| light on the sword. The spcctacle OF
Cardinal Mercicr Is symbol In the
| confined walls Of that cathedral nj
Maiines the Eucharistic lights. made
WIN hands. illuminated the altar. The
shot and shell poured into that build
ing. The glory that was the archi-
tects masterpiece was swept away
! Charred ana ruined, the great stones
my Ihe little Eucharistic lights were
uhhined for the sunlight forced Its
way through the smoke OF the artil.
iery hre The things that were made
with hands. the proudest things OF
mans conception, the lines OF lowell.
ness in that historic edifice, pcrishcd
i'ht truth remained. Truth came into
hcr own. Mightier than the sword
more powerful than the most moder,
ordnance truth could not lie crushed
HAD SET AFFECTIONS
ON THINGS OF THIS IsARTI
we had set our affections on thing:
OF 11is earth. They were swept awny
inc truth remained. In the sunligh
| on the sword we saw that righteous
ness eNalteth nation. and the "worl
OF righteousness shall be peace, an,
| the effect of Righteousness auietnes
| ana assurance forever"
III This is the message of the church
1t Is I'm the words Of Isaiah, whom W
have quoted throughout: and, oh. no,
precious and comforting II will be