Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-29

| lantS, Wnlcn produce a assessed cOnul- tion of the nervous system and moral and intellectual degeneracy, resulting l in mysteries, ego-mania and semi-idiocy. The rector took issue with Professor Nordau, saying that the world was growing better instead of worse. But of course there were faults and foibes. One of these is the pernciouS novels of l the day. These novels do not contain | the bald coarSeneSS of the novels of the From Jones" era, but their immortality is not the less pernicious because cloaked in seeming delieacy. There is a fault in art also. It is but the. express sion of an inane vacuity. It does not contain the soul that a shepherd lad of former period put in his picture that
 he drew upon the ground with stick.
 The church is growing, not degenerating. It is a tree. not a seed. The doctrines that were held in former years are not held now. Progress is the word. The
 church is an organism, not an organiza- tion.
 South Highlands Presbyterian Church.
 The Rev. John Barbour drew some les
 sons from the case of the woman taken in sin recorded in the eighth chapter of
 John. He said it was an evidence of the hold that incident had on the Christian
 heart that it had been retained in the
 Word, notwithstanding the fact that
 many old authorities did not record it.
 It was felt to be so wonderful an eXhi-
 bition of the spirit of Christ that it could
 not have been an invention. It was cas- fer to understand its rejection by some
 scribe unable to comprehend it's spirit than that 1t should have been invented
 and inserted without authority.
 The preacher said that it was the
 same kind of pity that Christ showed to
 the hated publican, the leper and the
 penitent thief. It is matter of rejoicing
 that whatever may be the faults of this age, it is entering more and more into the work of reScuing the fallen. Yet multitudes of Christians were in no sympathy whatever with so divine work. He narrated cases of opposition
 by good Christian people to work among the Chinese and the Indians in the west. The work of the Salvation Army had been looked upon as eccentric and ques- tionable, and yet General Booth had re- ported that 50 per cent of the men and 70 per cent of the women whom they
 rescued had been turned into lives of propriety.
 Cardinal Newman said "I never see these slum sisters of the Salvation Army
 without thinking of the angels.' The southern Christian has challenge
 to his faith in the appalling needs of the colored race. It was encouraging to note
 some signs of willingness to work for these people in Sunday schools, and mothers meetings established by the white people. Birmingham has a city mission which it is our duty to aid in working among the worst classes. The WOfK among the cOnVlcCS at the mines is going on, and is entitled to our help and sympathy. Of course great deal of
 this will come to naught, but case after case shows that God is able to save even such as these. It is no harder for God to save a thief than any other man, and it is a rebul<e to our faith that more of
 these are not rescued.
 The speaker spoke of our Saviors re-
 tort upon the accusers of this woman;
 also of the way He stopped and wrote f1Nr 1
 this coarse story to Him. Stalker says it was our Savior's modesty. It is pity that scene could not make it's impression upon some in our day, who were dragging before the public things that were never intended to be discussed. and put upon the boards and invested with literary charm.
 The old way is better The way to teach modesty is to keep modest yourself. The story teaches us that the love that redeems men does not oblterate all the prudences of society. Christ did not take
 this woman out of the hands of the law Society must keep it's safeguards but the Christian church must love the lost and labor for them. It is only thus they could be brought to penitence. Men
 might be better if we better deemed of them The worst way to improve the world is to condemn it."
 St. Paul's Catholic Church. 1eSleTudy DtlIlS tic SeCOIu ouuudy dI-
 ter Easter the services at St. Paurs Catholic church were of more than ordi- nary interest.
 First Communion.
 At the 7:30 o'clock mass twenty-eight children received their first communion The altar was more than beautiful with it's magnificent floral decorations the work of the @Benedictine Sisters. The little girls arrayed in white, emblematic
 of innocence, were, pictures of beauty.
 The lads were decked in more sombre garbs, but their countenances were be- decked with roseate colors, and each and every one seemed happy in the thought
 that they were to make their appearance
 before the altar to receive for the first
 time the communion with their blessed Lord.
 The following were the ones so blessed
 Misses Louise Laloge, Sara Cefalu, Adri-
 enne Bell, Blanche Diggins. Catherine
 scbnsidsr Sgaoy Helen flia v,Ga Gac9paSz Teresa
 Angeline Caravella. Sara Burke, Ella Broadway, Margaret Scharff Olga Schmidt, Augusta Schmidt, Pauline Gus
 amano; Masters Justin Kilcullen. James vaughn, Charles Flemming, Patrick Fin len, Patrick Kennedy Thomas Tanner, Robert Mcleod, Francis Fehler, John Caferty Louis Krackenberger, Jerome Woods and Wright Thompson
 Morning Service.
 At the morning service Rev. Father U Riley read the gospel of St. John, X,
 li-l6. His text was: T am the Good Shepherd
 He said, in substance: Christ is repre- sented in holy scripture under different
 parables. At one time He is pictured as
 the mediator, since by His incarnation He
 is the pleader between sinful man
 and His Father. He is Styled a
 priest according to the order of Mel
 chisedek, because as a sacrifice Melchis-
 edek offered wine and water, and such