The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-06-25
A SUNDAY IN GOTHAM.
REV. TuOS. DIXON, JR., ON TIL
-aa. SUNDAY PAPER.

a,. SUNDAY PAPER.
lie Is orging Ahead Here In This
World Of Action and Thought.
Editorial Correspondence
NEW YORK, N. Y, June 20. When
Rev. THOMAS DIXON, JR., left Raleigh
two and q half years ago to go to Bos-
ton, the STATE CHRONICLE said that the
greatest preacher in the State had gone
away from it and that he was destined
to make for himself great name and
win fame in the great centres of thought
and influence. How soon that prediction
has been fulfilled, all North Carolina
Knows. In the few short months that
he has been in New York, he has preach
cd his church full-and it is a good siz-
cd audience room-and running over,
and the congregation has moved to
Association Hall on the corner
Of 4th Avenue and 23rd etreet.
1t is within stones throw of
Madison square, and is in one of the
best portions OF the city. Association
Hall Is q large and handsome hall, that
will seat, perhaps, two thousand five
hundred people. I was impressed last
night with the looks of the congrega
tion that listened to this young divine.
A,better looking, better dressed, or more
intellectual audience is hard to find any
where. The people heard him with
deep interest. His text was John 14:15:
III have called You friends" 1t was q
sweet, touching, helpful gospel sermon,
full Of love, and full of pathos, and full
of power. The Illustrations were moetly
drawn from North Carolina life, and
were fresh aud apt. He came into the
congregation of busy men, and brought
them message as bright and as full of
sunshine as u lovely May morning. It
seemed to me, as l watched him with
mingled feelings of emotion and admir-
alton, that his North Carolina training,
and its freedom from pretense, and its
nearness to what is holy and pure, had
made him special messenger to these
people. He finds bis way to their hearts
by o loving and gospel message, couched
in the tenderest language man can use.
He usually, on Sunday morning, breaches
on some subject Of great public inter:
est as some public event-and at night
his sermons are as full Of the pure gos-
pei and its sweetness as was ever heard
since the days Of the apostles. Mr.. Nc
DIARMID said last night: II believe that
Is the greatest sermon l ever heard in
my life" 1t certainly was one Of the
best; O. - = si.' I - - ifi ~ 81 = III.
The Sunday Newspaper.
The following is the gist of bis morn
ing sermon:
"Our subject is '"TAe Sunday Press,
and invite your attention for the key
thought to the nineteenth verse OF the
tenth chapter of Romans: But l say,
Did Israel not know First Moses saith,
will provoke you to jealousy with that
which is no nation For the past four
years have been trying carefully and
prayerfully to study the question of the
Sunday newspapers. 1t has been q
most difficult subject to me, but it is a
question Of paramount Importance, q
question which you nor can avoid. II
is q question that refuses to let Us pass
on wishout taking notice OF it. The
more we look at il, the more we study
it, the more tremendous its Importance
appears. The influence of the Sunday
press, from an educational point Of view
Is enormous. As came into this house
this morning passed dozens Of people
who were reading these papers; the!
lay piled up in great heaps on the news
stands; you see them everywhere, ant
their influence can scarcely be estimated
The fact that the papers are here is {
tremendous fact that has provoked tn
Church to jealousy. That this new
power has come and has arraigned tn
Church of the living God is no longer t
be questioned. The most serious ques
ton il, What is to be its effeLt2 Is it o
God or of the devil9 There is no ques
ton ~ to the opinion of some of tn
good brothers in the Church.
"a short time ago went to Chicago
and some persons who had heard {
something Ihad said in . sermon som
time previous with regard to the new
paper hunted me up with all haste, an
it was rather warm in the car where
met for quite distance on the journe
There was no question a. to the sttitut
of some OF them upon the Sunday new
paper. 1t was Of the devil; it was boz
ia hell, and its influence was of the dey
and Of hell. That WAS all there VI
about it. / told the brother who sa
this that wish knew as much as
did and had the sources Of informatia
that he seemed to have. had be-
studying the question of Sunday new
paper for the past four years and new
had arrived at that certainty OF opini
which he seemed to have.
"There Is no question that the
is, In this new power that has arisen,
challenge TO the Christian Church. 7
more we look At this new power, and
more we study it in the light of Co
word and Gods truth, the more
birth and growth and development
the Sunday newspapaper is seen to b
tremendous indictment of the visih
living Chr stian Church-an indictm,
Of those people whom God has chosen
the past to do His work. How did
Sunday newspaper come here? VIII
Was it boru9 In helli No. II was b.
OF the week day newspaper. How
the week day newspaper come to
velop such q branch as this7 The r
pit neglected its true field of labor I
ignored the living questions of the {
that bear upon the life Of the people,
narrowed this Sunday editor dowr
= II u -.