Evening star., 1920-11-25
BISHOP MCDOWELL =.
lAUDSU.:S IDEALS
Contrasts Circumstances OF
Today and First Thanks
t.-@-s Fl.
giving Day.

''Fliere is no freedom except under
law" Bishop William F. Mcdowell told
the congregation which gathered at the
national Thanksgiving services held to.
day at the Metropolitan Memorial NJ. E.
Church. john Marshal place and c
street. ~'
Recalling that the annual Thanllsgiv-
ing service comes simulta neously with
the celebration Of the 3o8th anniversary
Of the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers
Bishop Mcdowell contrasted the Thanks
giving of the Pilgrims with the Thanks
giving of today.
-The circumstances under which the
Thanksgiving festival arose hardly in
any measure resembled those that sur
round us today" said Bishop Mcdowell
Change IN ConAitions Revealed.
/ "A superficial student of history
would say. therefore, that there is no
way Of relating our experience and
Of history reveals that conditions
change while principles abide; that
the spiritual power to meet certain
material and social conditions does
not differ so much as we could
imagine. 1t ia for ,us, therefore, to
discover the ideals of those who set
our nation in motion, OF those who
carry it forward through Incredible
hardships in order that we, their
tiesce nda nts, may not divert the ship
Of state from its destined conrse. .--ec
They were men of law. They were
not revolutionists seeking to over
turn governments and to establish
anarchy anywhere in the world. They
loved freedom, and undertook the
long journey to hnd a. place where
they might be free. But they knew
that, for them and for all the world,
there is no freedom except under law.
And il we~are to learn anything from
Pilgrim and Puritan; we must LEARN
that lesson. that no nation can have
liberty and lawIessnesB at the same
time
They were men Of profound
moral sense. Yesterday great news
paper in a leading city said they had
both faith and fear--faith in what
was right, fear in the consequences
of doing wrong. And this newspaper
declared that our present outbreak Of
crime, notably among the young, is
largely due to the loss in American
life. of both faith and fear. The eth
ica1 ideals bave been allowed to sag.
The ethical reinforcements have been
withdrawn Our educational system
is weak at the point of moral and re-
ligious instruction. And If the nation
Of the Pilgrims Is to survive through
the centuries. there must be a revival
of just plain. unadulterated good
morals. -
Did Not Pretend. -,
They were men OF GOD. They did
not pretend to be anything else. They
came not seeking fundamentally to
establish a new government but. with
loyalty to their old government. to
set up conditions in which they could
preserve their spiritual conducts. And
this is the great need Of the world
this Thanksgiving morning. It's sense
Of God has grown weak. It's deyo-
tion to God has grown dim It's con-
sciousness Of God is no longer acute.
And If our Thanksgiving. Is to, have
permanent basis and a real occa-
sion, it will be due, not to the size OF
our crops. or the length of our rail-
roads. or the height of our buildings.
or the comfort Of our houses. bet due
to the presence Of God in our lives
and the loyalty of our lives to him."
Various Methodist churches united
in the services with the J.. o. U. A.
NJ. of the District. The church dec
orations were particularly handsome.
Arthur Gardner was in charge of the
musical program. Rev. Dir. Harry D.
Mitchell. pastor Of the. host church,
presided. Other clergymen who par
ticipated were Reve. Howard Downs,
Phelps Hand, w. A. Haggerty. A. e.
Spielman e. E. Fisher, II. p. Fox. G.
G. Bacon and J. II. JeffrieSA