The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-09-22
CHRISTIAN WARFARE.
Dr. Talmage on the March Of Chris
tianity.
The Ammunition of the Enemy Almost
Spens-Tbe Bible and Its Pre-
cepts Stronger than Ever
Before.


In late sermon at Brooklyn Rev. L.
de Witt Talmage took for his subject:
<sThe Battle Ours" the text being L
Kings, Xxx, 27: "And the children OF
Israel pitched before them like two lit
tie f1ocks of kids" DIR. Talmage said:
With thirty-three kings drunk in one
tent, this chapter opens. They were
allies plotting for the overthrow OF the
Lords Israel. You know that If a lion
roar, a flock of kids will shiver and
huddle together. One lion could con-
auer a thousand kids. The battle
opens. There are great multitude OF
Syrians under Gen. Ben-hadad, strong
as lions. The Israelites are few and
weak, like two little focks of kids
Who beat? The lions, of course Oh,
no; the kids. For it all depends wheth-
er God is on the side of the lions or the
kids After the battle 100000 Syrians
lay dead on the field, and $4,000 at
tempting to fly came along by great
wall which toppled and crushed them
to death.
There have been many in our day
who have ventured the opinion that
Christianity is falling back, and that
in fifty years it will be extinct They
found their opinion on the assumed
fact that the Bible is not as much of a
book as it used to be, and that portions
of it are repulsive to the people. 1 re-
ply by asking, which one of the pub
fishing houses of New York, Philadet-
phia, Boston or Chicago is publishing
the Bible to-day with the omission of a
single verse or chapter? Are not our
publishers intelligent menP And would
they, contrary to their financial inter
ests, continue to publish the Bible
without the omission of single chap
Ger or a single verse if it were
becoming an unpopular book. and the
people did not want it?
go through the court rooms of the
country. Wherever l find a judges
bench or a clerks desk 1 find the Bible.
By what other book would they take
solemn oath? What is very apt to be
among the brides presents2 The Bible.
What is very apt to be put in the trunk
of the young man who starts for city
life? The Bible. Voltaire predicted
that the Bible during the nineteenth
century would become an obsolete
book. Well, we are pretty near through
the nineteenth century; the Bible is
not obsolete yet; there is not much
prospect of its becoming obsolete; but
I have to tell you that that room-the
very room in which Voltaire wrote
that prediction-some time ago was
crowded from floor to ceiling with Bibles
for Switzerland The fact that there
are now more Bibles being printed than
ever before, that publishers find it 6
financial interest for them to continue
the publication of the Bible, proves
that this book is still the most popular
book on the planet.
But" say those who are antagonis
tic, christianity is falling back, from
the fact that the church is not as mucf
respected as it used to be. and is not a.
influential" reply to that with th'
statistic that one denomination-th'
Methodist church-according to sta
tistic given me by one of their bishops
.dedicates on an average new churcl
every day in the year. Three hundre'
and sixty-five new churches in one de
nomination in a year, and over LOO
new churches built every year in thi
country. Does this look as though the
church were failing in its power, ant
were becoming a worn-out institution
Men may caricature the church ant
A-caii it a collection of hypocriteS; bu
when their children are swept off witt
che dietheria, for whom do they send
TO the postmaster, to the attorney-gen
Seral, to the alderman, or to the pastor
of the churches? And if there be no
room for the obsequies in the privat
house. what building do they solicit
The aca1emy of music, the hotel, pub
lie hall. court house? No; the churches
And if they want music on the sad oc
<asion, do they select the Marsellais
hymn, or God Save the Queen" or ou
<5zu grand national air? No; they wan
the old hymn with which we sang thei
old Christian mother to sleep; they wan
the Sunday school hymn that thei
little girl sang the last Sabbath after
noon she was out before she was seize
with the awful sickness that broke fatf
er's heart and mothers heart Oh, yo
know as well as dol shall not dwel
On it any longer-the church of Goo
instead of being a worn-out institution
stands nearer the sympathies of the pee
pie than it ever did, and eciipSes a.
other institutions.
But our antagonists go on and sa
chat Christianity is falling back, in th
fact that infidelity is bolder now an
more blatant than it ever was den
the statement Infidelity is not nea
50 bold now as it was in the days c
our fathers and grandfathers Their
were times in this country when me
who were openly and above-board in
6del and antagonistic to Christianit
could be elected to high Office. No'
let some man wishing high position i
the state proclaim himself the foe G
Christianity and an infidel, how man
states of the union would he carry
How many counties? How many ward
in Brooklyn? Not one.
All! nv friends, infidelity in this da
Is not half so bold as it used to be.
1t comes now, it is apt to come unde
the disguise of rhetoric or fantasti
sentimentality. l know if a man wit
great intelligence does become an il
6del, and begins an attack on Chris
1ianity, it makes great excitement-c
course it does. and people come to tn
conclusion, weak-minded Christian
come to the conclusion, that everythin
is going overheard because some ma
of strong intellect assails Christianity
If man jumps overheard from
Cunard steamer he makes more excite
ment than all the five hundred san
passengers who continue in the berth
or on the decks; but does that stop tn