Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22


and destitute humanity in large cities,on
body retaining the original name, Sal
walton Army" the other, under the COM
mand of Ballington Booth and his wife,
is called Gods American Volunteers"
This newer organization has already
grown rapidly, and continues to be re-
cruited by seceders from the Salvation
Army. The flag OF the Ballington Booth
religious battalors has been adopted,
and, according to the description given of
Ii, is appropriate and artistic. Command
er Booth says of this banner
THE STANDARD of Gods American Vol
untesls. while being emblematcal of the
card'esl principles and truths in which
We believe and seek to propagate, will be
distinctly American.
~, consists of white flag, emblemat-
teal of putty, containing in its center
large blue star. typical of hope. In the
middle of this star Is q white cross, en-
biems .lcel OF sacrifice for others.
I'm the top corner of the standard,
resrsst the Flagstaff, are white stars on a
blue ground, representing the number OF
s.ates In the union. over the center blue
gar ie the motto OF the Volunteers, The
I.crj My Banner Beneath the star VIII
be The rumber of the post.
This standard will be carried by
color-serseant ut the head of parades,
side by side with the American national
flag"
and his remarkable wife among the great
masses of humanity which crowd the
large cities of the world is bearing fruit
in all parts of Christendom. The most
orthodox and conservative churchmen
are being aroused to a fuller eomprehen-
sion of what Christianity really means,
and to an appreciation of their duty to-
wards their less fortunate fellow Great
ures Bishop Potter of New York has re-
Gently preached one of his strongest ser
mons upon this line of thought ana
touches certain phases of our present So
cial conditions that can no longer be ig-
nored by thinking men and women.
Among other things, Bishop Potter said:
1.-THE growth of wealth and of luxury,
wicked wasteful and wanton, as before
God declare that luxury to be, has been
matched step by step by a deepening and
deadening poverty which has left whole
neighborhoods of people practically WITH
out hope and without aspiration Al
such time, for the church of GOD TO SIT
still and be content with theories or It's
duty outlawed by time and long ago
demonstrated to be grotesquely made
uuate to the demands of living situa-
ton. this is to deserve the scorn of men
and the curse of God! Take my word
for it. men and brethren, unless you ana
| and all those who have any GIT or
stewardship of talents or means, OF what
ever sort, are willing to get up out of our
sloth and ease and selfish dllettanteism
of service and get down among the peo-
pie who are battling amid their poverty
and ignorance-young girls Tor tnelr
chastity, young men for their better ideal
of righteousness, old and young alike for
one clear ray of the immortal courage
and the immortal hope-then, verify, the
church in it's stately splendor. It's apos-
tolic orders its venerable ritual, Its de-
corous and dignified conventions, Is re-
vealed as simply monstrous and inso-
lent irnpertinence."
While every intelligent man and
woman must acknowledge the truth and
force of Bishop Potter's utterances, 1t Is
refreshing to hear thetestimony borne
by the venerable Bishop Wilmer of Ala
bama as to the growth of religious
thought and belief with the great major
ity OF the people of the world. The sue
cess of the Salvation Army and the in
terest felt in its. progress attests that
Bishop Wilmer celebrated his eightieth
birthday Sunday at his home at Mobile
by preaching sermon especially to the
young men, in which he said:
There Is a general complaint of ir-
reverence in matters religious, but he
does not believe that men are any less
religious now than they were in the
years that have gone before. When men
are young they pay respect to their ell
ders, and when, old they receive 1t.
THE reverend speaker asserted with
emphasis that history does not show
a period where the Savior, Christ, and
his religion ever had firmer or deeper
hold upon the hearts and the minds of
the people than at present. The evolu-
tions of time are all working toward
good and not evil; we are progressing,
not retrograding. When men are careless
about their religion and it's observance
1t Is not because OF irreligion, but apathy.
There is no general indifference toward
religion among the men of the present.
The bishop, In support of his assertion
that religion Is progressing, quoted his
ordination as bishop in a church in Rich
mond, Va, many years ago. At that
communion service the only partakers Of
the sacrament were the women and
few old members of the church. At
convention of the Brotherhood of st. An
drew, religious order of the Episcopal
church composed Of young men, in Wash
ington two years ago he made an address
and was listened to by thousands of
young men. Since the time Bishop Will
mer was ordained In Richmond twenty
bishops have been given the church from
that grand old state and hundreds of
men of God have been conseorated.
"In religion, the bishop argued, the era
of speculation is rapidly passing away
and the true theory of God and religion
is being founded on science and scientific
research, and the light will some day be
revealed in a grand and harmonious
bishop touched upon the relations of the
sexes and the two standards of morality,
the one erected for men and the other
for women. This should not be so. The
divine law, the law for kings and all, rec
ognjzes no such distinction; II recognizes
no Jaw for man that does not apply to
woman; that law knows neither male
nor female. That law for man and law
for woman is self-made and presumptive.
There is but one law-the divine law
and that binds the whole human family,
and that law is love thy God and love thy
neighbor. No other laws are worth the
writing The root of evil Is the neglect
and the abandonment of the divine law"
Miss Corinne Stocker, who recently re-
signed her position as social editor of the
Atlanta Journal to enter another field
of literary work. Is making a success of
her venture. She is now special con-
tributor to popular magazines published
in New York and elsewhere. The Illus
trated American few weeks ago pub
lished one of her articles on the Jefferson
Davis museum at Richmond. Va, and a
later number Of the same magazine gave
a story Of hers. In Golfers Weekly of
New York Miss Stocker has had an illus