The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-31
news OF TIE CHURCHES
Outlook Bright for Great Religious
Activity This Niater.
OPPORTUNITY ON SOUTH SIDE
Time 10 Ripe for the Establishment OF .
Mission-Fred A. Lyme Gives Some
Thoughts Conserving the Cross.
Notes Of 0 General Character.

Notes Of General Character.
The outlook for great religious activ-
ity In Scranton for the coming winter
Is very bright. Nearly all the minis
| ters who have been away have re-
turned and will be In their respective
pulpits tomorrow. and then next week
plans will have been begun for the fall
and winter campaign. The Christian
| Endeavor societies are awakening to
the fact that they must do great deal
of hard work to make the SO conven-
tion compare with those held In other
cities. 1t Is hoped to make the Scran-
ton convention greater success than
any yet held. To do this, II will re-
Quire the help OF churches. preachers
and Christian business men In the
city.
About $1,000 must be raised to prop
erly carry out the plans. 1t will not be
bad idea for the men who are forward
In booming Scranton to look into the
matter of helping the Christian En-
deavor societies Of this city in making
this convention one that will be cred
1t to Scranton's reputation as a con-
vention city. There will be about 5000
young men and women from the best
families Of Pennsylvania. The major
Il ~ VI youuS tSu WIN VIII Oc DTtStut
are actively engaged In business, and
1t will thus be no small Investment as
an advertisement for our boomers and
promoters to help push this conven-
tion along.
| Work Of Rescue Mission.
| A meeting of the directors OF the Res
cue Mission will be held next week to
| consider plans for putting the work on
mole sound financial basis. a good
Ilan for the managers to follow out
this year In raising money Is To go out
and solicit subscriptions for the work
at once without further discussion, and
they will find people ready and willing
to give.
1t is hoped that the Second Presby-
terian church people intend to engage
In mission work on the South Side. The
time was never more ripe because Of
certain conditions and because Of the
support that will be derived from
the young converts of the Schiverea
meetings who have no church connec-
ton. This will probably impress the
trustees Of the First Presbyterian
church with the fact that they have q
splendid opportunity for establishing
a self-supl'orting church over there as
a result of the mission work which it's
young people have 50 patiently carried
on for years.
| The Emblem Of tho Cross.
''There are many persons Of Puritan
| proclivities In our midst who have
been taught to regard the cross as an
emblem peculiar to the church Of
Rome. Unwittingly they highly COM
pllment their Catholic brethren by con-
ceding Them a monopoly Of the holy
cross. which brings to the mind the
central truth OF the Christian religion.
Because the cross was used by the
church against which the Puritan pro-
tested, he has been willing to sacrifice
this beautiful symbol to an unworthy
prejudice.
There was time when every church
was adorned by this symbol of mans
salvation. The Puritan looked upon it
as 1t glistened In the sunshine on the
| spires OF the churches and saw in Il
nothing to aid the religious feelings
but rather much to rouse the lion with
In him. He hauled 1t down and alas!
put In Its place that horrible satire upon
Protestant Christianity-the weather.
vane and the cockerel! Who can look
upon vane, turning in obedience to
every gust Of wind. without thinking
of st. Paurs admonition. be no more
children tossed to and fro and carried
about with every wind Of doctrineY
The very sight Of the thing suggests
instability and yet of all things in
Gods world. why this should have been
chosen to supplant the great symbol Of
salvation, who can tell?'
They Would nc Surrriscd,
Perhaps some who dislike the cross
will be surprised to know that in many
homes; yes. Puritan homes even.
the cross may still be seen In the doors.
In imagination take away the panels
and you Will be delighted or dis.
gusted to see before you In excellent
proportions. the Roman cross. II has
been In our doors for hundreds Of
years. silent witness to the devotion
of another age. We read that 1t had
its origin In the religious fervor of the
| crusades
| Says DR.. Austin Phelps who was
himself child of the Puritans: while
Genevan and Dutch and Scotch zea-
lots. with hammer and broad-ax and
firebrand were annihilating the cathe-
dral churches. stripping them of cross
and crucifx and sanity image, and
were even exercising from the spires
as an invention Of the devil, the most
comely and pertinent OF their and our
theory OF prayer, In their own homes
scattered everywhere before their very
eyes was the abhorred object of their
fury on every door and In every tran
som-window. Itstill existed two years
ago 0Ss0) in the door of John Knox's
study in Edinburgh. The stern old
man could not help seeing 1t every
time ne raised his eyes from the book
before him.
ut was fortunate for that cross In the
door that the famous old Puritan did
not see 1t. Only few days ago the
writer saw four excellent crosses In
one door In a Methodist church. We
may regard as a sign that ancient
prejudices are giving way, when we
behold on an ever increasing number
OF churches that glorious symbol of otfr
faith, which the great Constantine saw
In the sky. and over which was written
In letters Of radiant light: BY this.
conquer. Fired A. Lyme. formerly
librarian OF the Young Mems Christian
association.
New Church nt Ridseberrv.
| Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Hara and Rev.
J. j. B. Feeley were at Ridgeberry,
Bradford county. Thursday. where the
bishop dedicated the church recently
erected through the efforts Of Rev.
James Hussie, whose home IL In this
| city. The church Is known as Our
Lady Of Perpetual Help" and will seat
| 800 persons. Its total cost was 5000.
1t is handsome structure OF the
Romanesque style. Of architecture. the
enterior of which Is decorated with
an eye to pleasing, harmonious effects.
After the dedicatory services a solemn
high mass was celebrated by Rev. J. ].
Healey. Of Mount Pleasant, Wayne
county: Rev. James Stanley. OF Dick
son City, deacon. and Rev. Hugh Ger
rity. Of Blossburg, sub-deacon. Rev.
]. J. b. Feeley. Of this city. was master
Of ceremonies.
The sermon was delivered by Rev.
p. F. Broderick. Of Susquehanna. who
kook his text from Genesis. xviii. II.
Bishop O-Hara and the following
priests occupied seats In the sanctuary
d,srl0ar thA Eav % 0pNkau0o~S