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i*hb luthkran vibitor Febninry 6, 1902 AH EDUCATED MIHSTRY ESSEN- TIAL TO THE WELFARE OF CHURCH AHD STATE. BY BEV.JA8 D. KINARD Sermon preached before the Booth Carolina Synod. October 84. 1801, and pnblUhed by' reqneet. Text: • They ahall all,be taught of Ood.’* John 4: 45. The present is an educational age The systems of today in gen eral education are to a large de gree the beat^elemente of all pre ceding systems, together with the reanlta of a more thorough acien tiflc and philosophic study of the bamen mind end its psychological laws and relations to the world of matter. The mental aud physical development, forces and voj«lU<*da peculiar to our ttmrs of boasted learning stimulst* and reinforce each the other <hpsrtment. The early Rastern peoples gavciotopar attvely little atten'ion to education, except in eo far as it waa c-*sential to the priesthood aud the uia>n tenance of the highest castes amongst them. Rven then the edu cation of those nam'd was of a peculiar religious, ethical and pru dential kind. Little was done to wards developing the pow> rs of the mind and heart with which man la by nature eodoatd Upon the privileged soil of Greece, m such brilliant city as Athens, abouoditiu in artists, poets, hiato riant and philosophers, and in Sparta celebrated for its discipline and manly virtnee, education was rather the spontaneous fruit of nature than thr prrmtdita.ed re sult of a reflective movement of the human will. And yet when con trasted with the edneation of other Eastern nations we clearly observe a much freeer unfolding of the hntnan mental faculties and con sequently a decided improvement in tendencies and methods of educa tional as well aa of philosophical advance. In Grecian culture and training of coarse everything must bend to the conservation of the state. Hence the individual is subordinate to the sta e. Here is danger not to be overlooked in the state education of onr own day. A Mistaken Ides of Education. As an exponent of this very idea «f state edneation in his day, Plato could advise the best care and training of the healthy end promising male children in Greece and expose all those to death who did not promiee to be helpful to the state. See the Christless con duct of this cold and heartless phil osophic edneation, while on the other hand, os monuments of the power of Christian education, we have orphan homes and reforma- torLs where the unfortunate yonng are tenderly cared for. In the sys- » terns of Greece and Rome we find that some schools educated body at the expense of mind and heart. Others educated mind at the the ex pense of body. It was left for Cbristiln times to develop and train the whole man. With the approach of Christian times came the development of the bnman per- son.^tbe individual. This new dostrine to be taught and learned held that all men have the same origio and destiny, and that all are equal in the sight of God. Christianity's Power la Education. Christianity raises the poor from their condition of misery, and promises them all the same bless- ing* of instrnction and fntnre go >d. Tbs ideas of liberty, < qual ity, <qual rights and equal jus lies to all men are bleieaed fruits of better educational ideals, syr- tetns, faculties and methods brought about [by the modifying element Christian truth The whole fabric of social, political, domeetio and educational institu- tioua has been benefited to the de gree in which Cbriatitn influence, either directly «r indirectly, hss found a place io the process of human development. These principles were first es tablished and dearly taught by that one who was not only a re former in matters purely of relig ious character but also of an edu cational. It ia due to the teaching and plan of Martin Lather that the pnblic schools have such un bounded opportunity of accomplish ing so much good. Protestantism first established systems of educa tion for the public schools and oansed the narrow and biased teach ing to give way to the broad and liberal. It was and is the spirit of Protestantism to enconrage inves tigation. If these principles first estab lished and promulgated by the great exponent of Christian liberty and edneation had been continned - to the present day in their parity, our nation, onr chnrch and the whole fabric of onr ednea- tional system would be bearing .different frait. Unhappily for onr nation the first principles have been supplanted by that which points to a narrow instead of a broad and complete edneation. The Christian element unfortunately has been weeded out that Jews, heathen, athiests, infidels and all else may have advantage', of free education: This has given rise to the multiplied forms of disorder clearly discernible on every hand. It is labor against capital, infidel ity arrayed against Christian faith. A Christian system of philosophy, science and edneation against the non Christian religion, philosophy, science, edneation and sociology. It is the false against the true. The Christian element makes all the difference. It ia only by the Christian element that disorder is transformed into order, where the the highest good can be expected, and the greatest blessings to humanity attained. Duty of the Chnrch and the Work of tho Christ iso College. Here we find the duty of the Chnrch. 1 he state in her educa tional methods cannot meet the demand. The church must assume and perform the duty, mast teach with the positive stamp of Chris tian faith. Here we find the specific work of oar Christian colleges, where tbs highest good of the iodividntl and the community is kept in fail view, and all systems of education con structed accordingly. The work of the Christian college, under the fostering care of the chnrch, is to make mno, well rounded men, pre pared to assame duties, and by ful filling them in the highest and truest sense leave the world better than they found it. This kind of life-preparation fortifies the indi vidual sgaiust skepticism and the forms of godliness without the power thereof. Iu the family the Christian element fits the whole domestic circle to serve God and man, and to appreciate the good ness of God to all his creatures, which can only be seen aud appre ciated where Christianity is found. In the chnrch of Jeans Christ the highest degree of excellence in the work God has committed to his church is conditioned upon the de gree of religious knowledge at tained by her adherents. In the state the Christian element and idea mast predominate the whole, or disorder, misrule, disintegration and final overthrow must be the inevitable result. Mark the ten dency of anarchy, nihilism and so cialism when void of Christian truth. The Christiau element in the life of the individual, m the family, the church and the state is the salt that saves. Compare the Christian system of troth with atheism, polytheism, pantheism, deism, agnosticism, and even ra tionalism. Eich has its correspon dent philosophy, and consequently its system of edneation. Against all these theologies, philosophies aud systems of education we who are of the school (of .Christian thinkers must maintain that which springs from and t armonizes throughout Christianity. Hence, it is clearly tbs duty of the chnrch to provide for the propagation and disseminatioq of the troth asCbris tianity bolds and teaches it. The importance of this principle is set forth by God's own arrange meat. He instituted the prophetic affioe, and with Ssmnel we find a school of the prophets who daring aiperiod of shoot fix bandred years trained and directed the people by warning againat evil and giving encouragement to the true and faithful standards. These prophets had a distinct and p«coliar work to perform in the development of the Messianic kingdom, which work wes only completed when the nest school came into existence, in the fnlflllmsot of prophesy, kncun as the school of the spostles, under Christ, the divine Teacher. Christian Schools Meet Peculiar Heeds. From these schools and their importance we find coming into view the theological schools of lbs ] early Christian church at Alexin- dris, Antioch, (ivisrea, K lease ami Nicibue, which were found a neces sity and accomplished great good in correcting wrong tendencies and preparing men of great learninfj and wisdom who went oat as ex ponents of the tr th and under blessing of God directed His gr work As the early eburah found the seats of learning a necessity fori the best interests of cbarch ssfl state, so to day it is none the lenj important, bat rather an absoltitr| necessity to meet the peculiar ne of this rapidly advancing age material andjsfceptical tendencies I wantonly thrust upon onr genes tion. It is the duty of the char of Christ at large to maiutain < leges and seminaries for the cnltj vation and preparation of men go ont and teach aud preach; in a special sense it is the peer prerogative and pressing doty 1 the Lutheran Chnrch. This is I because of the nnique relation i exists between education and ion, as taught by the hero of sixteenth century—Martin Loti