Page:Daniel Minort Baxter - Bishop Richard Allen and His Spirit (1923).pdf/107

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Bishop Richard Allen and His Spirit
99

Show Thyself a Man Intellectually.

No man can stand the test of this strenuous life who is not master of the thing he takes in hand to do. He must study his job these days if he is to keep step with the tap of the drum, forward march.

The bugle has been blown and the fight is on, the armies are advancing the fort must be taken, the flag must not trail in the dust. Only manly men can stand, no excuse is received these days for what one does not know, rather he is pushed one side and the columns advance on to victory. I hope none will misinterpret my meaning of an intellectual man. I do not only have regard to achievements in the field of letters I do however claim that it is the sacred duty in these times that every man should give to his children the very best education he can afford. But my definition of education is best means to best ends: that there is just as much use for knowledge to operate a plow, or a saw, or broom, as it is to measure the distance from the earth to the sun, or count and name the different stars or tell the strata of the earth or fathom the depths of the sea. The world was given to man by the Lord who told him to subdue it,