The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-07-18
Is sChristianity Dee,c,salyiinntg?
AthanAsius. in st. Louis Advocate.

- DS7s SeJAo VI Cast VI mlnu."-EhKSIDEN
WALKER. D.
i. s'There could not be a Christian. in rorl
| constructed rs this is If there were not Away
room for q man to be an infdel. Isaac TAYLOR
You ask me, my dear Meade, in you
late letter, question of much interest
and one, moreover, I have very otter
asked myself. These are tie words
Current literature is so full Of the sup
posed decay of religion; do you see it p
No, indeed, my friend, de not see it
nor do l sec anything that looks even
remotely like it. l see just the opposite
to it. | thank you for putting the ques'
ton to me, for yeu are young minis
terof Christ, devoted to your work, ed.
ucated under the best of influences for
that work, and finding within its range
and compass a number of enployments
which, diverse in themselves, bring out
the diversity of gifts" that St. Paul
speaks of in his First Epistle to the
most literally endowed of the early
Christian Churches in the matter of
gifts" One like you, keeping
ABREAST WITH THE AGE,
windows on all sides of your brain,
heart full of earnest impulses and hands
full Of daily tasks, will be peculiarly
imPressible to the atmosphere of the
passing day. But the day is only twen-
ty-four hours, and year $50 of these,
Plus few hours, and a fraction of an
hour. And it is we'll for us to look
away from the changeful days, no one
OF them repetition of another in its
amount of sunshine and shade ", and to
fix eur eyes on the solar system whose
grand chronometry is the image of its
Creator in the steadiness of its order
and the permanent trust-worthiness of
it's motions. Appeal from mist and
cloud, from chill and heat, from Janu-
airy and May, to the central magnif-
cence of the sun and to the orbs sharing
somewhat of his majesty; and then the
current day dwindles into the veriest
lnslgnifcance. So in spiritual things.
What we need is view extending over
10 HofaI a. BROAD SPACES; .sEl
the near-sighted eye is an unnatural
eye; and God has specially provided |
that the religious eye should see far
distances. And beg you to observe
that these far distances are much more |
important in the scheme of our proba-
tion than things near by Objects close
about the senses are our tempters; OBJ
jects afar eff are our habitations of an
gel-helpers.
Looking at religious statistics, one
cannot conclude that Christianity is in
state of decadence. Eighty years age
the United States had one communicant
for every fifteen of her population.
while she has now one fer every five.
In 1900 our evangelical population was
estimated at "a per cent. of the whole
population; at present it is supposed to
be 70 per cent. The outlook elsewhere
so far as arithmetic is concerned, is ex-
ceeding favorable. Italy has 13S or
ganized Protestant churches. Roman
ism, that ence dominated Switzerland,
has now but twO-fifths of the people
unuer lIS conCr0l. p -.
PRoTEsTANTIsSI Is ADVANCING
In the cities of Mexico. Half century
since all South America was Roman
Catholic; at this time twenty Protestant
societies are at work there.
make these statements, taken from
recent lecture by the Rev. Joseph Cook,
10 show that Protestant Christianity is
progressing. AS to Protestant civiliza-
Ion, the case is quite as clear Mr..
Cook says that in 1858 Spain alone had
i, ,OOO, 600 of people. England, Wales
Ind Scotland numbered only about A.
'OO, 600. Spain has now 16, 900, 600,
While Great Britain has has 36, ,OOO, 900,
With colonial subjects swelling the num-
'er to more thaa 300, 600, 600. How is
In the matter of wealth Spain has
'ecome impoverished, while England's ,
wealth has increased an hundred-fold. ,
The external evidence, touching this
question, seems to me dependent on two /,
acts; first, the Churches as to number
nd Christian activity in institutional
orms; and, secondly, the progress as to
ivihzation. If these facts are taken
ogether, they Indicate, beyond doubt,
hat Christianity, instead of decaying, J
J making l..,-.-- :.
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