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Seitemlier 23, 1914.
A FAMILY PAPER.
E D I T O R I A L
John W. Pritchard, Editor.
THE POTTER'S CLAY.
What does the potter see in the clay We
do not know. It is only a bit of common
clay, such as one sees about him. But the
potter has something in his mind which we
cannot see. He puts the clay on the wheel
and begins to shape it. He i-s trying to put
the idea that is in his mind into the bit of
clay. He sees something in the clay that we
do not. It is a possibility. What is being
made does not please the potter and he
crushes the clay and begins again. What
the potter is doing with the clay is finding
expression for his mind, that is, for himself.
For this, he needs the clay. The raw material
of the clay has Httle value. It is the labor
that makes the Haviland china costly. If the
clay is plastic in his hands the potter can
make a beautiful vessel; if it resists him,
it may go for common use, it may be flung,
a broken shard, into the potter's field. Sometimes
a hard bit in the clay will wound the
potter's hand. Then he moulds the clay with
a wounded hand and leaves the blood stain
on his finished work. The Potter picked up
a bit of clay on the Damascus road. It was
hard and refractory, but he crushed it into
softness and wrought a wondrous work on
his wheel. Men will never quit talking about
that piece of artistic work. He picked a bit
of refuse clay from the street of Magdala
and worked it with his hands. Men bad
thought it worthless and despised it, but in
the Potter's hand it became a costly bit of
ware that the Master Workman prized. He
gathered some refuse by the Lake of Galilee
and on the wheel it took such glorious form
that all the artists of the world have been
copying this proof of the Potter's skill.
' What is the secret of the wonderful skill
of the Potter How can he take the common
clay and by his touch make it give his
message to the world For the answer one
need only look in the Potter's face and see
the love which makes him the greatest artist
of all times. What speaks in his face, works
through his fingers, and every touch adds a
line of beauty in the clay. It is "all for th'e
joy of the working" that he patiently labors
at his task. When a bit refuses to yield, he
weeps over the loss. Often he softens the
hardness with his blood.
Do you know the Potter Perhaps he has
ground you for his wheel, he may have
crushed you in his hand. Without that you
might have been only a common vessel. Not
'n the hard clay can he work his best designs.
But in that which responas to his
hand you may become like Mary of Bethany,
or John of Galilee. The love of the Potter
can change even the commonest clay so
thatit will win a place on the table of the
King of Kings.
PSALMODY.
The following appeared in "Forward," for
July 4, under the C. E. Society topic, page
215:
Dr. A. F. Schauffler says:
"Often singing, though good from a musical
standpoint, is not helpful spiritually. Why
is this Because the words are not attended
to. Music is wings, but the words are
the body. Wings without a body are of no
use, and so music that does not help the
words is of no avail from a spiritual standpoint.
Let the Society understand that the
words are the main thing in the singing, and
try to sing with the understanding."
Ira D. Sankey once wrote to the members
of a C. E. Music Committee:
"I am more fully persuaded than ever before,
that if we render the service of song in
the spirit of Colossians 3:16, and Ephesians
5:19, we will have the blessing of God upon
the singing, and it will become more and
more a power for good, and for winning
souls to the service of the Master. I hope
that the C. E.'s will strive to follow the teachings
of God's word in relation to their service
of song just as much as in their service
of prayer."
ANTI-SECRECY.
The late Rev. Dr. Charles D. Trumbull once
stated in our hearing, that the presence of
the "Christian Cynosure" in his father's
house taught him in his youth the evil of the
Secret Societies. Eternal vigilance is said
to be the price of Hberty. It certainly is of
freedom from the secret society. The following
memorial is in the September number
of the "Cynosure." It was sent to the International
Sabbath School Convention, held in
Chicago, June 23 to June 30, (by the way,
held in the hall of the Medinah Temple). We
have changed the word Sunday to Sabbath.
"Whereas, The effort to enHst scholars of
the Sabbath Schools of our country in 'The
Knights of King Arthur' or some other secret
society, is persistent, and,
"Whereas, Principals of Schools, Boards
of Education and Legislatures generally have
sought to stamp out secret societies from
our public schools; therefore,
"Resolved, That we, as members of Christian
churches and Sabbath Schools, urge all
our fellow workers in this field to disfavor
whatever savors of secret society organization
in the Sabbath School, keeping them
on a level as high at least as that of the pub­
Hc schools in this matter, and avoiding the
very appearance of evil, to keep close to the
example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bade
us let our light shine and who in secret said
nothing."
This memorial is signed by seven editors
bf religious pubHcations.
A Presbyterian pastor of Washington, D.
C, organized the youth of his charge in an
order. He has since left his charge. One of
the best of the papers of that Church gave
place lately to a lodge sermon on the fam
iliar Temple theme.
The same September issue of the "Cynosure"
has a note that at the September meeting
of the Reformed Presbyterian Illinois
Presbytery, a conference will be held with
these subjects: "Freemasonry is a Religion,"
by Rev. D. C. Matthews; "It is not the Christian
Religion," by Rev. Dr. J. M. Coleman;
"Freemasonry Mutilates the Scriptures," by
Rev. George A. Edgar.
When the death notices of certain members
of a sister witnessing church make public,
membership in the lodges, we must take
to heart the need of such a presentation of
the truth to the people, lest they be snared
also.
HOW FAR SHOULD WE GO AND WHERE
iS~tHE STOPPING PLACE
The question of how far we should go in
Christian courtesy and where the stopping
place is to be found in the desire for union,
is forcibly brought before us in the following
extract from a report on "Restoring and
Improving Bible Reading in Public Schools"
prepared by the Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, Ph.
D., and published in the Twentieth Century
Quarterly, of which he is editor. This report
is to be presented to a special Committee
of the Council of Church Educational
Boards on Oct. 1st, and is published beforehand
for criticisms and suggestions. It is
noteworthy, and in order to understand the
proposal of Mr. Crafts it is necessary to bear
in mind that the Presidential Thanksgiving
proclamations which he cites to support his
proposal have all omitted any recognition
of Jesus Christ, and that he cites them for
that reason, while the one exception which
he notes is doubtless the one proclamation
in which Christ was recognized. That one
is against his proposal and he is frank
enough to admit it. We should also remember
to the credit of Mr. Crafts that he
is trying to have a large part of the Bible
read every day in the public schools, and in
schools from which it has often been excluded.
The question is: Does the end justify
the means Will we leave out Christ and
the crucifixion to satisfy the Jews
COURTESY TO JEWISH PUPILS.
By Rev. Dr. W. F. Crafts.
That brings us to the question which in large
American cities seems to many to present an insurmountable
difficulty to the reading of the Bible
in public schools. What shall we do when
there are Jewish ipupils
The various Bible reading plans I have named
have already suggested to alert minds several
solutions. Bible reading at which the whole
school is present is so well adapted to lessen
race prejudices and sectarian animosity, besides
promoting good morals and good -citizenship and
religious feeling, that we have made the Bible
selections submitted herewith, with a view to
their use where Catholics and non-Catholics, including
Hebrews, are all represented both in the
faculty and among the pupils. When Mr. J.
Shreve Durham, of the Home and Visitation Department
of the International Sunday School Ab-