Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-04
MILE POSTS USEFUL
TO MARK PROGRESS
But When They Seek to Lead They
Are Likely to Discover That the
Procession Has Left Them
Far Behind

the thirty four bishops submitted at the
, opening session of the quadrcnnial con
ference Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church iu Des NIoiucs.
But it should be read by them and by
every other person who wishes to know
what is going on in the minds of the
people who mako Presidents and who
elect the men who make the laws.
Tho address expresses the views Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church on so q.
cial and religious problems. But the
views arc not confined TO ono dcnomiua-
tion. They arc held by the whole Chris
tian body in America. The few
churches whose members regard their
mission IN different way merely en-.
phasi8c the views of the great majority.
Now. let us look moment at what
the bishops said, after declaring that
I'VE arc at a crisis in the ages: if We
fail hero it will not matter what else
wc do.
They summarized tho charges that the
Church failed tn prevent the war. that
it is impotcnt in the present current Of
unrest. that II is out of touch with
modern industry aud modern thought
that it is tho champion of the obsolete,
that ii has failed to make the world s
ideals or to supply the worlds motives.
And they took note of the fact that
there is a ''vaguc. widespread idea of a
Christianity without a church"
It is not necessary to discuss the
validity nf tlns, cha l,,N
knows that there is much Christianity
outside of the organized churches. The
late William Dc Witt HYDE. president
Of Eowdoin College. wrote book some
wears ago to call the attention of the
Church tn tho great mass Of Christian
tcarhing outside Of avowcdy religious
books. Doctor Hyde oven found the
theatre preaching in some Instances
NOR" effectively than the Church. He
cited Jcromc'S play. "Thc Passing of
the Third Floor Back" as an example
Of the nppiration of Christianity,
freed from doctrinal techntralities. to
tho prublcmS of good and evil. Jerome.
in his imaginary world. put tho Chris
tian spirit at work and showed what it
would do to men aud women. People
who never go to church went to the
theatre, to SEQ the play. Many church
gOcrS also went and came away with n
new idea of the pra"ticabiity of the
teachings Of tho marvellous Man who
came to his death between two thieves
at the hands of the people who did not
understand Him.
Yes. the bishops are right when they
say that there is feeling that there is
much Christianity outside of the
churches. Our whole civilization is
pcrmcatcd with it. 1t is the ideal to-
ward which all enlightened men arc
striving.
Tho modern Church has become So
rially ronscious II realizes that it NaS
a mission among living men. There was
time when il devoted itself cXclu
Sivcly to preparing men for the life
hereafter. 1t is now giving attention To
preparing men for tho life On this sid"
of the, grave. The address of the
bishops begins list Of social and in
dustriHl evils With the significant words ::
'Of course. tho Church will stand in
unfinrhiug aud unc"mpromising dcuur-
ciation' of the evils. y generation ago
the words "of course would not have
appcarcd in any such statement. II
was then regarded ~ the business of the
state and not of tho Church to prevent
the exploitation Of children, the aboli-
tion of sweat shops, the destruction of
deadly tcr"mrut houses. cXccSsiv" hours
Of labor and brutal "XactiOns of labor or
of cnpital. and to dcnouncP 'aIl class
minded men who demand special priVi-
Icccs aud exemptions on behalf of their
class.
Bur today not the MethodSts alour,
but all the rc>t are busy with the ap-
pliration of the teachings of Christianity
,n the problems of this world. The
brotherhood Of man is becoming reality
instead of fine form OF words. and
thr Church is assuming that it is its
brnthrr'S Keeper II has grown out of
that state Of mind in which it eau say.
Ms Will Hays said on Saturday. that
1--WE are more Interested in the stom
nch~ Of our people than in tn" heart of
the world.
But il was not social problems alone
that the bishops discussed. They paid
Nhrir respects to the great problem Of
the abolition Of war and declared that
tho establishment of "a real and cffcr-
tive Lcngur "f Nations in which the
United States shall have a proper and
honorable place" was of primo impor-
taurc. They could not have been true
to their profession otherwise. II the