The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, February 06, 1902, Image 2
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