The Red Cloud chief., 1885-08-21
CONQUERING AND TO CONQUER.

Ir. IarkhEr-ts Answer To the Charge
o. That Christianity g DrcIining-an Tx
CciIcnt Tonic for Drspondinc Believers.
The article in the North Imertran
ReC!eW ~ DIR. &. ii. ~Parshvrst, in an
swcr to The question: is Christianity
declining?' i clear rcfutation of those
who affirm that il is. and sn excellent
tonic for dcaponding believers. dis
hcartcncd 10y a too ready crcdcnc; OF
the false assertion. The Eyritcr shows
that ANY suspicion Of such decline is
unfoundcd, and is c~XIlicablc on three
grounds: The avidity OF newspapers in
collecting and giving the largest prom
incncc to crimes, thus making the i'm
preston that socicty * becoming morc
and more corrupt, and thar Christiani-
" is a failure; mcager acquaintance
with the moral condit on Of society If
IL, or a hundred, or a ,hou and, years
ago; and an elevated moral sentiment
that takes uilrn,c AT what i'm times past
has been accounted as tolcrablc or
even uncXccrtionahlc. As illustrating
ia" gross Inicmp"rancc that prevailed
ia New England two centuries ago, il
Is recorded that At the funeral of the
pastor of a church nj Ipswich, Mass,
one barrel of wine and two of cider were
consumed 10y the mourncrs, and that
lnicmpcrancc among ministers, elders
and dcaconS Was 1T Is a
part of the history Of tn old church at
-Andoycr that the chief causes of d'sci-
pine for 10 years Were fornication and
drunkenness The rare occurrence OF
either OF these crimes IN church circles
al ia" present time indicates 4 vast al
vance in the morality of thc people.
DIR park,urst gives the following sta
tiSticS ol.thc increase III the number Of
evangelical churches and communi-
CAMS from 1900 to 1850:
In the year 1900 there were in the
United States $3.50 evangelical
churches, in 1880, 1907; in 1870, 10,-
= liS; ami in 1850. "a, U1o-a cain of 2I,out
y in the de adc bctw cen 20 and 80. In
1900 there were 30 Loco commitments;
i'm 1891, 2,52h.UU0; i'm 1870, G,G1J. 600;
In 1880. 4. 900. 400 OF course, dnrin"
all this time there was An immense IN
crease in population, but The increase
D in church membership 6 GOOD deal
more than kept pace with that OF the
population. Taking the whole country
through, there WAS in 1900 on" evan
cclicli COMMUNICATE To oIery Ia in
habilantS; in 1880. one to every o. M
$50. n TO every 81; and in 1850. one
t"cNcry -. In 1915 only live of the
Students were church members. In
1850. ~ per cent of the students of all
Americas colleges We're protesting
Christians: in 1850. 81 per cent; in
1860. IL per cent; i'm lSSo. out of r.
o6:; students in siNty-iivc colleges. g.
'oSI, or IA little more Than half. we're
professors of religion. Ii n by such
steps rs these that the religion Of Jesus
Christ is attempting to lie out of the re-
spect and affection of the American
people! So far from Christianity be-
.~traying the frs, symptoms of ~eNhaustion.
there has been no time since the jordan
baptism of Jesus when it has moved
with such gigantic strides. or gut forth
efforts so vigorous and hcrculcan. aS
during the wears of our OWE century.
when The disciples of Noltaire and Paine
have been most agile in their production
OF obituaries.
Ever since Christianity began its enc
mics have prophcsicd its speedy extinc-
fion. They have repeatedly declared it
10 " InpElDunu. Suu nAci siiuutcktpit
byconc dates for its final demise VOL
tairc saii: before The beginning Of the
nineteenth century Christianity will
haE disappeared from the EARTH" yet
il still survives. ami the room in which
Noltuirc uttered these words has since
beer used rs a Bibh repository. Ut is
TO hs expected Thai men who Regard
Chris; As an impo>tor. and His GsISpcl
As ,cKnningly-devisl fable. will pre-
dict 10 failure: hut b ,licvcrs still lind
encouraging evidence of its progress
and iaai triumph. To them the S,yiac
origin cf Christianity is 4 sur" guaranty
that if viii accomplish its mission. 1.
is hardly thinksh BILE that the work Nf
human redemption. obtained of God,
i~nauguraLtsi Icy The gift Of His Only
begotten Son. and contii ually enlisting
the energas of omnipots nee. can ever
come TO ,auGht. Because Christ is di-
Yin He must %cSnquer. His victory
was the chief theme of prophecy bef",*
His birth: He shall not fai nor he dis
.rcuraged ;ill &c base set Judgment 90
the earth. and the isleS shall wait for
HIS law" The Government shall lie
upon His shoulders. and unite Hun shall
the gathering af the people bs." ..Ycs.
all kings shall fall d0Sn before Him;
all nationS Shali serve Him" Christ
Himself promised that this should be-
the result of His sedcmptionaS work:
And l. if be lif;ed up from the earth.
will DIT W all men into NJ"
The progress Of the Gospel pe,mi>es
the fultilment Of these prophecies.
Nineteen&undred years agoC Christianity
began wkh the baptist in She wilder
ness and tha babe in the nhsE.er. HUI
manly SpcaEi inc. the odds wcve against
it: most of che world WAS IN heatLcn
darkness. Christ dropped like 4 hep
less infant into n den of wolves, and fer
8 time il seemed uncertain whether the
angel Yould transform the wolf. OF the
wolf destroy the lamb With Us the
question is practically settled; for We
see Him who .conxsh from Edom. with
dyed garments from 2ozrah. glorious in
His apparel. travelling in the greatness
of His strength" from victory 10 vic
tory: His dominion extending from
sea TO sea, and from the rivers 10 the
ends OF the earth" Christianity pre-
walls in all the leading nations of the
earth. The few heather countries that
are left are largely under the influence
Of Christian civilization. Old pre-, udices
are yielding and new doors are open