Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-12

new structure. Not the coveted
dedication, but the laying of the
cornerstone is our present task. II
is my pleasant duty to set before
you the purposes this cornerstone
should serve. The cornerstone typi-
fies the high purposes of those who
lay the stone. What end does the
cornerstone of Immanuel's school
building serve?
81. 1t evidences the reality OF
your Christian faith;
"2. 1t evidences the high educa-
tional and religious purposes TO
which this school is devoted.
This cornerstone evidences the
reality of your faith. When it be-
came apparent that your congre-
cation was in need Of more COM
modious appointed school building,
naturally the question arose: Can
we finance it? The times in which
we are living are altogether abnor-
NAL. Never before in the history of
the world have the nations of the
earth been set against each other
in such unfriendly manner as to-
day, and never before-nOt even
during the darkest period of the
late strife between the north and
south have all the resources OF the
country been devoted to the single
aim of financing a war as today.
And as good and loyal and patri-
Otic American citizens you consid-
cred it your duty and your privi-
lege to back the war measures of
our government to your best abil-
ity. Would you be able besides do
ing your duty toward your country,
to supply the money needed for
+ this great undertaking? Besides the
large outflow of young men from
your church into the national ser
vice in army and navy, all of whom,
without doubt, were contributing
members into the treasury of your
church, could not but make itself
felt in the monthly congregational
receipts. Would you be able TO
build in spite of this loss? And
finally, we all know that the war
conditions react heavily upon the
cost of living. While in many in
stances wages have increased
greatly, in few instances have they
increased in proportion with the
cost of the neceSsaries of life.
Small wonder was it that you ask
ed the question: Can we finance an
undertaking of this kind? Ought
we not put it off until God granted
us gracious victory and resultant
honorable peace?
Besides, another view of the
question may have presented itself.
| Granted that the erection of the
building is an absolute necessity
and can no longer be deferred-is
it not possible to finance it in an
easier way than by free-will offer
ings? Why not do as many others
do, make a general canvass of the
city, especially the merchants, send
them their Star-CuStOmerS and So
licit large subscriptions? Or stage
a bazaar of great magnitude, invite
the public generally and by all
manner of side shows and shoddy
! entertainments separate the visi-
! tors from their money. Could you
not for once depart from your old
established and biblical way OF
raising money by free-Will Offering
and employ the easier methods sug-
! gested?
Friends, to the glory of God and
| IN testimony of the reality of your
! faith, be it said, that you banished
/ all doubt and surmounted all the
| temptations to go astray from the
| God-pleasing manner of providing
! funds. You saw the pressing need
| of the new enterprise, and conf
IDENTIFY looking to the favor of your
/ Lord you decided to take hold.
| Without in any manner withhold
| ing your support from the national
| enterprises dare say that you
| have been rather more liberal than
could reasonably have been expect
| ed-you have added this additional
tax upon yourselves. Not with out
! side help, but with your own free
will offering have you begun this
great work. And today you look
up to God who has prOspered you
/ in the past, to be good to you in the
future and supply you with the
means necessary to carry this work
to successful completion. Not fool
| hardness, but faith in the rich LoI 1
prompts you TO undertake this great
work during the period of stress
and strife in which we now live.
Let this cornerstone then witness
your abiding Christian faith for the
coming generations, let it cry
aloud, that it was laid in distress
| ing times by Christians who were
| strong in faith in the living God.
School Evidence OF Learning.
But this cornerstone should also
evidence the high educational and
religious purposes to which this
school is devoted. Every civilized
community must look TO its own
preservation. No higher civil duty
devolves upon the citizens of a ma
/ ton than 10 train the rising gener-
alton in the ideals and aims of the
nation and to make the youth fit
to take the place of those who are
the men of affairs of today. There
fore state must insist, in its own
interest, upon child educatic-.
However, not only the mind, but
the will, the heart must be trained.
Mere intellectually does not safe
guard the future of a nation. Our
penitentiaries are filled not mostly
with uneducated. but by people of
high intellectual training. The
heart must be bent to the conserva-
ton of the state by unselfsh devo-
ton, and by willing obedience 10
the laws. Every good citizen mus.
be taught to sink his own selfish
ambition before the sanctity of the
law and tho host NJ re