Evening star., 1928-10-10

done. In the discharge of these func-
tions the state can brook no eccles1-
astical interference from any quarter,
Catholic, Protestant or Jewish.
Church Must Be Free.
"At the same time the church, whose
members are also citizens, could not
| live or breathe if it were not free to
exalt Jesus Christ, whose realm en-
braces all nations and in whom there
is neither Greek nor Jew, barbarian
Scythian, bond nor free. The church
must be free to teach the fatherhood OF
God and the brotherhood of man in all
their far-reaching social implications
free to fix mems hopes on the cross OF
Christ and not on the Scepter OF
Caesar-free to preach the love of God
and neighbor, not as Sentimentallty or
gush but as the greatest power in the
world which can be brought to bear
upon the greatest problems in the
World--free to teach that the Christian
doctrine of love involves bringing our
social and international problems before
the tribunal of reason, conscience and
spiritual force, rather than physical
force-free to preach Christian right
eousneSs amongst nations, even when it
is in conflict with government policies
free to preach peace, the peace that
rests on Righteousness and love and
reverence for human personality, which
are outraged by war and the hates and
lies that war engenders-free to teach
Christian morality even when 1t OPP
poses or transcends conventional stand
ards. A free church in free state
is thrilling and hazardous expert
ment If it should come to pass that
these two freedoms, these two loyaltieS,
clash, there may be times when there
is no other choice for the disciple of
Christ than to follow the example of
Christ and the noble army of martyrs
and be prepared to save his soul by
losing his life for the Kingdom of Gods
sake. The blood of the martyrs was
the seed of the church. Who would
venture to predict that the days of
martyrdoms have gone by forever?
"The church must also exalt Jesus
Christ above the culture and civiliZa-
ton of the day. Men sometimes fear
that something may happen to change
our civilization or prevent its perpet-
uation in the world. There is prior
question as to whether we want to pre-
serve our civilization or improve it.
Progress is never static. Changes are
bound to occur if the world makes head
way. The old order changeth, giving
place to the new, and God fulflllS Him
self in many ways lest cen good Gus
tom should corrupt the world Civil
izationS come and go. They have their
day and cease to be. Jesus Christ alone
is the same yesterday, today and for
ever, not standing still, but at the head
of the procession, leading people on
ward and upward toward the Kingdom
of God. There have been ancient and
modern civilizations. There have been
civilization founded on slavery, feudal-
ism, capitalism, monarchy and democ-
racy and attempts have been made at
socialism and communism. There have
been civilizations in which wealth was
founded on society, which have given
way to a civilization in which society
Is founded on wealth. There is an
Eastern and Western civilization in
this twentieth century. The church
cannot identify itself with the spirit
and culture of any age and at the same
time keep step with the Christ of the
ages. Our Western church must rise
high above Western civilization or else
keep out of the East. Our missionary
enterprise may help or it may hinder
the consolidation OF the East against
Western imperialism and commercial
ism. It depends on making It quite
clear that the Gospel Of Christ is not
the same thing as Western culture at
its best. Many voices are heard say
ing, Give us your Christ but keep your
culture. Give us your missionaries but
keep your factories and your machine
guns
Pride Is interviewer.
Much can be said about our modern
Western civilization on both the credit
and debit side of the account. It has
been characterized by marvellous adj
vance In science, by epoch-making dis
coyer1es and inventions, by the spread
OF knowledge among the masses, by
Systematized social service and by Or
ganized philanthropieS and benevolences
on a large scale. All this is to the
good. Running parallel with all this
there Is somewhat firm belief that a
mans life conSisteth in the abundance
OF the things that he possesseth, that
progress is inevitable, and that the
present order of things is the last
chapter in social science. And woven
into the social fabric there Is a good
deal Of intellectual pride and cynical
smartness. One does not have to ac-
cept the dictum of a conspicuous
American that life is a combat be-
tween jackals and jackaSSes,' or the
solemn pronouncement of a prominent
Englishman that there Is nothing to
life but a firm foundation of unyield-
ing despair But one has to admit
that our civilization has sacrificed
much inner peace and social harmony
in the mad scramble for markets and
money, and has produced a state of
mind In which multitudes have lost
faith In God because they have lost
faith In the moral integrity of a civili-
zatlon where organization tends to
crush Individuality, where men are ma
chlneS and labor a commodity, where
money is the measure of success and
might the criterion of right.
But no criticism of our times should
be allowed to obscure the great achieve
mentS In science and invention. They
are the crowning glory of the twen-
| tleth century. Their thrilling and melo-
dramatic history inspires reverent awe
| and wonder. Our age may not have
produced Plato and Paul in philosophy
and religion, but it has produced giants
In science who have been the illumina-
tors and benefactorS of mankind It
is not in the interest of religion to go
, out of the way to pick quarrelS with
science or to belittle demonstrated
facts. The function of religion is to
interpret these facts in terms of spir-
itual value. What is their bearing on
human life and conduct? Are they
making better men and women? What
shall it profit man if he knows a
million facts and acquires a million
dollars and generates million kilo-
watts of electric energy if he does not
know the meaning and purpose of facts
and the responsibilities which power
and possession entail? Progress is in
persons, not in things. Take person.
ality and character and moral value
be turned to mans destruction. Prog
ress is not measured by the kind of a
vehicle that man rides in, but by
the kind of man that rides in the
vehicle. Progress consists in the in
| g A.