Ursinus College Bulletin Vol. 14, No. 4, November 15, 1897
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Ursinus College Digital Commons @ Ursinus College Ursinus College Bulletin, 1885-1902 Ursinusiana Collection 11-15-1897 Ursinus College Bulletin Vol. 14, No. 4, November 15, 1897 George Leslie Omwake Ursinus College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ucbulletin Part of the Cultural History Commons, Higher Education Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Liberal Studies Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Omwake, George Leslie, "Ursinus College Bulletin Vol. 14, No. 4, November 15, 1897" (1897). Ursinus College Bulletin, 1885-1902. 129. https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ucbulletin/129 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Ursinusiana Collection at Digital Commons @ Ursinus College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ursinus College Bulletin, 1885-1902 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Ursinus College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. URSINUS COLLEGE B ULLETIN Volume XIV. NOVEMBER 15. 1897. Numbe r 4. Ursinus College Bulletin EDITORIALS. PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH FROM OCTOBER TO JULY BY THE STUDENTS OF URSINUS COLLEGE. EVERY student who has been an ob ED ITOR- I N -CH I EF' : server of iootball and of ath letics in gen G. L. OMWAKE, '98. eral at Ursinus in previous years will ASSOC I ATE ED I TORS : agree that there has been manifested a J. KERN McKEE, '98, Literary Contributions. W. E. GARRETT, '99, College News. decidedly better spirit this year than ever STANLEY CASSELBERRY, '98, } L I before. Several things have contributed C. A. BUTZ, '99, oca s. B. F. PAIST, '99, Athletics. to this. The enthusiasm of the players W. M. RIFE, '98, College World. A. N. STUBBLEBINE, S. T., '98, Alumni. themselves, both of the first and second teams, the presence of all efficient coach, BUSINESS MANAGER : W. B. JOHNSON, '98: the zeal of the captains and managers, ASS I STANT BUSIN ESS M ANAGER : the interest of the professors and alumni, D. E. HOTTENSTEIN, 1900. all have contributed to make the football TERMS : season a grand success. Two full teams ONE COPY, a year, $1.00 have been in the field during the whole SINGLE COPY, . ro season, and the men deserve much credit ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE. for the splendid work they have been Addr",s: URSI NUS COLLEGE BULLETIN, doing. CollegevUle, Montgomery County, P&.. Persons wi:;bing' to discontinue their subscriptions Rhould send * * Immerllnl(> notke oflhe fuel. )llI{lt'r for puhlicatioll, Including IIlpmr;v articles, item.. of WHO was Ursinus? This question has new~ in un," wa,' pl'rlHinlng to UnSINUs COLLEOl':, ami S!)£>clol communi('ntiuns II~ 10 currellt phmwR of hs wOl'k and wf'lffire. will be glnd\;o.· I'eceln~d fl'um all studf:!llts, alumni and Ilrofe~ors been a source of humiliation to many a of the ill!i;lilution. A II contriblltions and changes ill nrh'prtiRlng, to secure prompt stndent of the very institution which altPlllion, must hI' presentt!d or forwarded on or before th~ 15th of each mouth. Rates lor Hdvel'lislng SPilt on arpltcatton. bears the illustrious name. There are "~ntl·rf·tlilt the pmHoffice ut Collegeville, Pa., a.., second-clas.., still others who do not even know that mUdf r, l\fnrch 16, 1&.5. there was such a man and stare in bewil PRINTED BY THOMPSON BROS. , COLLEGEVILLE, PA. dennent when they hear the name. We T ABLE OF CONTENTS. refrain fr01l1 harshly censnring such, for there are reasons why Ursinus is not fa EDITORIALS, . 3 1 LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS. miliarly known even among students, Christianity, a Potent Factor in Civilization, 32 unless they be special students of Euro Zacharias Ursinus, 33 pean History or of Church History. In COLLEGE NEWS. another column we give a brief sketch of New Apparatus, 35 the life of Ursinns, which we have sum Week of Prayer, 35 marized from the more extended biogra Schaff Society, 35 Zwinglian Society, 35 phy by Dr. Henry Harbaugh in his "Fa V.MC. A., . 36 thers of the Reformed Church." We New Organization, 36 submit it with the hope that it may be Locals, 36 an incentive to still further study of the ATHLETICS, 37 ALUMNI PERSONALS, 38 life of this great scholar and reformer in COLLEGE WORLD, 40 whose honor our college was named. 32 URSINUS COLLEGE BULLETIN. LITERARY CONTRIBUTIONS. CHRISTIANITY, A POTENT FACTOR IN above suspicion." 'C;:>on such a sea of im CIVILIZATION. Illorality the effulgent light of Christian ity shone forth and illuminated the dark It has been well said that a man's re billows with its purifying rays. The chas ligion is the chief fact with regard to him. tity of the Christians was admired even by No matter what the system of worship their opponents and won many to their may be, whether pagani Ill, Iohammed ranks. \Voman was raised from contempt anism or Christianity, it tells us, to a and degradation to a position of honor very great extent, the nature, the charac and influence. The home, the source of ter and the history of the nations. It all morality, was clean ed. The nation was the peculiar beliefs and feelings al life consequently felt the impulse of toward the unseen and supernatural, this awakening and responded by a vIg which influenceu their habits and action. orous moral growth. Their civilization was 11 igher or lower, Constantine was the first emperor that as their ideas of a deity were lofty or de recognized the steadily increasing influ drading. Their religion was the central ence of the new faith upon society. One point around which everything revolved. of the first fruits of the supremacy of Chris It was, in fact, the epitome of the whole tianity was charity. The wars preceding national life. While this statement is Constantine's ascension to the throne true of any religion, preeminently is it so caused many orphans. The king was of Christianity, which has exercised a declared to be the father of all these chil remarkable influence upon morality, so clrell and the expen, e of their education ciety and pol i tics. was to be defrayed by the state. 1\ow It is almost impossible to realize the for the first time ill history, were founded influence of paganism upon the life and alills-houses, hospitals and orf-hanage~. the morals of the ancients. All forllls of Sweet charity dispensed her gifts with paganism were, at bottom, some phase of la\'i~h hand. SL.l\·ery, while not abol nature worship. In this system of be ished, was ameliorated; the power of life lief, the greatest mystery was that of birth. and death was taken fronl the master; There was not a single one of the ancient the families of slaves were not to be dis religions which was not consecrated by solved when an estate was sold. l\Iild some sensuous rite, and many of them and equitable laws were formulated in by the grossest indecencies. This bane stead of the harsh alld arbitrary mandates ful influence was present everywhere and of some monarch. Order was established entered into the very essence of Roman and peace secured. Literature, art and life. The sanctity of the home was "io science began to flourish anew. Univer lated ; divorce was common and was se sities were founded throughout all Eu cured upon the most trifling occasions. rope. Splendid cathedrals with lofty Cato divorced his wife to accommodate a spires pierced the arch of heaven. An friend; Cresar, his, on account of certaill era of peace and good will dawned upon gossip, saying, "Cresar's wife must be the earth. The presence of these institu- URSINUS COLLEGE BULLETIN. 33 tions and the more substantial evidences but a step for these reformers to dell13nd of their charity had a remarkable influ and in a short time, also to obtain the ence upon pagan society. same form of go\'ernment within their The political influence of Christianity state. In this way the present system of was as marked as its moral or its social representation began its eventful career. illfluence. To it we are indebted for a In spite of opposition Christianity has consolidated public opinion and an effi continued its onward march. It has now cient system of representation. Public become the synon\'1n for the highest type opinion had no influence whatever upon of civilization. It controls customs and the rulers preceding Constantine. But morals and permeates the whole fabric of in his time, the posts and military roads society. Our own America is an avowed kept up communication between all parts ly Christian land and we may pride our of the Empire. What was done at one selves in that fact. But there yet re end was quickly known throughout the main lands which lie in the darkness of entire realm. The church had a COI1l superstition and the thralldom of pagan mon national life and cohesion, so that ism. It is the blessed privileges of Chris it was impossible to touch any part with tian nations to pass the lamp of civiliza out thrilling the entire body. Besides tion to these benighted districts. When this there was an active sympathy he each individual in the family of nations tween the churches of different countries. realizes its duty and faithfnlly performs A famine in Italy was relieved by the it, the day of uni\'ersal sO\'ereignty of churches of Spain and Gaul. In return, Christianity will not be far distant.