The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-03-19


Bible. In nine out Of every ten homes
in Christendom2 The Bible. Voltaire
yVrote the prophecy that the Bible ia
Tie nineteenth century would become
extinct. The century is nearly gone
and as there have been more Bibles
published ia the latter part of the CEN
fury than in the former part Of the
century. DO you think the Bible win
become extinct in the next six years?
( have to tell you that the room in
which Voltaire wrote that prophecy
not long ago was crowded from floor to
ceiling with Bibles from Switzer-
land Suppose the congress of
the United States should pass
law that there should be no
more Bibles printed in America. and no
more Bibles read IF there are 40,-
GOO 600 grown people in the United
States, there would be 40. 600, 900 people
in an army to put down such q law
and defend their right to read the
Bible. But suppose the congress of
the United States should make a law
against the reading of the publication
of any other book, how many people
would 60 out on such a crusader Could
You get 40. 600. 600 people to 60 out and
risk their lives ia defense of Shake
speares tragedies. or GladstOne's
tracts, or Macaulay's history Of Eng
land? You know that there are a
thousand men who would die ia de-
Tense of this book. where there is not
more than one man who would die ia
defense of any other book. You try
to insult my common sense by telling
me the Bible is fading out from the
world 1t is the most popular book Of
the century. How do I know it2
know it just as know in
regard to other books. How
many volumes Of that book are pub
hshed? Well you say. five thousand.
How many copies of that book are
published2 "A hundred thousand.
Which is the more popular? Why of
course the one that has hundred
thousand circulation. And if this
book has more copies abroad in the
world, if there are five times as many
Bibles abroad as any other book, does
rot that show you that the most pop
ular book on the planet to-day is the
Word of God?
ooh, say people, the church is
collection of hypocrites, and it is los
ing its power and it is fading out from
the world" is it2 A bishop Of the
Methodist church told me that that
denomination averages two new
churches every day Of the year.
There are at least fifteen hundred new
Christian churches built in America
every year Does that look as though
the church were fading out, as though
it were a defunct Institutions Which
institution stands nearest the hearts
OF the people of America to-day? do
not care in what village or in what
city. or what neighborhood you GO.
Which institution is 1T? is 1t the post
office? is it the hotel? Is it the lectur-
ing hall2 All, you know it IS not
You know that the institution which
stands nearest the hearts Of the Ameri-
can people is the Christian church IL
YOU have ever seen a church burn
down. YOU have seen thousands of
people standing and looking at it.
people who never 60 into a church
the tears raining down their cheeks
The whole story is told
lou may talk about the church be
ing a collection of hypocrites. but
when the diphtheria sweeps your chill
dren off, whom do you send for2 The
postmaster2 the attorney eneral2 the
hotel keeper? alderman? No. you
send for a minister of this Bible relig-
ion And if you have not "a room ia
your house for the obsequies what
building do You solicit? Do YOU say
Do YOU say. Give me that theater?"
Do YOU say. "Give me place IN that
public building, where j can lay my
dead for d little while until we say a
prayer over it2" No; you say. Give
us the house of God" And if there is
a song to be sung at the obsequies
what do you want2 What does any
body want2 The Marseillaise hymu2
God Save the Queen Our own grand
national air2 No. They want the
hymn with which they sang their old
Christian mother into her last sleep,
or they want sung the Sabbath school
hymn which their little girl sang the
last Sabbath afternoon she was out
before she got that awful sickness
which broke your heart. appeal to
your common sense. You know the
most endearing institution on earth,
the most popular institution on earth
to-day, is the church Of the Lcrd Jesus
Christ
The infdels say. ssInhdelitv shows
its successes from the fact that it is
everywhere accepted, and it can say
what it viii Why, my friends, i'm
fidelity is not half 50 blatant ia our
dav as it was ia the days Of our faith
ers Do you know that in the days of
our fathers there were pronounced in-
fdels in public authority and they could
get any political position Let a man
to-day declare himself antagonistic to
the Christian religion and what city
wants him for mayor. what state wants
him for governor and what nation
wants him for president Oh for king2
Let a man openly proclaim himself the
enemy Of our glorious Christianity
and he can not get a majority of votes
in any state ia amy city, in any coun-
49, 81, .,,-- 4r-n-~T ~ IS 7aarine