Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-04
coNouER,Ne AND TocoNQuER.


DR.. ~Parkhurst's Answer to the Charge
That Christianity Is Declining-An Ex-
cellent Tonic for DespondinE Believers.
The article in the North american
Review by DR.. G. H. Parkhurst, in an
swer to the question: as Christianity
d~eclining?" is clear refutation of those
who affirm that it is, and an excellent
tonic for Responding believers, dis
heartened by a too ready credence of
the false assertion. The writer shows
that any suspicion of such decline is
unfounded, and is explicable on three
grounds: The avidity of newspapers in
collecting and giving the largest prom
inence to crimes, thus making the i'm
preston that society is becoming more
and more corrupt, and thar Christiani-
ty is a failure; meager acquaintance
with the moral condition of society tif-
ty, or a hundred, or a thousand, years
ago; and an elevated moral sentiment
that takes offense at what in times past
has been accounted as tolerable or
even unexceptionable. As illustrating
the gross incompetence that prevailed
in New England two centuries ago, it
is recorded that at the funeral of the
pastor of a church at Ipswich, Mass,
one barrel of wine and two of cider were
consumed by the mourners, and that
intemperance among ministers, elders
and deacons vas common. cit is a
part of the history of the old church at
Andover that the chief causes of disci-
pine for 125 years were fornication and
drunkenness" The rare occurrence of
either of these crimes in church circles
at the present time indicates a vast adj
vance in the morality of the people.
DIR. Parkhurst gives the following sta
tistics of the increase in the number of
evangelical churches and commune
cants from 1900 to 1880:
In the year 1900 there were in the
United States 5000 evangelical
churches; in 1850, 43,O72; in 1870, TO-
14S; and in 1880, 81, O9O-a gain of q, 900
in the decade between 20 and 80. In
1900 there were 1854, 600 communicates;
in 1850, 2,529,0 900; in 1870, 6,673, 600;
in 1880, 10, 065, 00O. OF course, during
all this time there was an immense in
crease in population, but the increase
in church membership a good deal
o than kept pace with that of the
population. Taking the whole country
through, there was in 1900 one evan
gelical communicate to every 14a; in
habitants; in 1850, n to every 81 in
1870, n to every 81; and in 1880, one
to every 5. In 1845 only five of the
students were church members. In
1880, rs per cent. of the students of all
American colleges were protesting
Christians; in 1850, SO per cent; in
1865, 46' per cent; in 1880, out of 49,
O63 students in sixty-five colleges, g.
0Sl,. or a little more than half, were
professors of religion. 1t is by such
steps as these that the religion of Jesus
Christ is attempting to die out of the re-
spect aed affection of the American
people! So far from Christianity be-
traying the first symptoms of exhaustion,
there has been no time since the Jordan
baptism of Jesus when it has moved
with such gigantic strides, or put forth
efforts so vigorous and herculean. as
during the years of our own century,
when the disciples of Voltaire and Paine
have been most agile in their production
of obituaries.
Ever since Christianity began it's ene-
mles have prophesied its speedy extinc-
ton. They have repeatedly declared it
to be moribund, and fixed innumerable
bygone dates for its final demise. Vol
taIre said: Before The beginning of the
nineteenth century Christianity will
have disappeared from the earth:" vet
1t still survives, and the room in which
Voltaire uttered these words has since
been used as a Bible repository. It is
10 De expected that men who regard
Christ as an impostor, and His GOSPEL
as cunningly-deviscd fable, will pre-
Dict its failure; but believers still lind
encouraging evidences of it's progress
and final triumph. To them the divine
origin OF Christianityis a sure guaranty
that 1t will accomplish its mission. IL
is hard y thinkable that the work Of
human redemption, ordained of God
lnaugurated by the Gift of His onlv.
begotten Son, and continually enlistino
the energies of Omnipotence. can aver
come to naught. Because Christ is a.
vine, He must conquer. His victory
was me chief theme of prophecy before
LIS olrth: he shall not fail nor be dis
couraged till He have set Judgment or
the earth, and the isles shall wait for
MS aW:' The Government shall be
aPoH Lis SiiOulucFS, ana unto Him shall
Inc gathering of the people be-" Eyes.
al kings shall fall down before Him:
al! nations shall serve Him." Christ
Himself promised that this should be
Inc result ct His redemptional work:
And l. if be lifted up rom the earth
Will draw all men unto Me-"
NJ progress of the Gospel promises
me 1ultlllment of these prop! ecics,
Began with the baptist in the wilder.
ness and the babe in the manger: Hu-
many speaking, the odds were against
1t; most of the world was in heather
darkness. "Christ dropped like a heln-
less infant into q den of wolves. and fpr
a time it seemed uncertain whether the
anger Would transform the wolf. or the
wolf destroy the lamb" With US the
question is practically settled; for We
see linn who "cometh from Edom. with
dyed garments from Hozrah, glorious "'i IN
l1!s apparel travelling in the greatness
OF His strength from victory to v;c'