The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-13
CHURCH MILITANT OF CHICAGO
THE PRINCE OF INFIDELS IN 4
THEATRICAL PULPIT.

Col. IngersOu Greeted with Ap-
pInuse on Mounting the Rostrum
Arm in Arm With the ConErega-
lions Pastor "HoVv Mankind
Could BE Reformed" the Subject
of the AEnOstIc's BriIhant Ad-
dress.
Chicago, April 12.-Wlth a prelude that
included the pronOuncing Of an Invocation
the repeating OF the Lords prayer in uni
son; the reading Of the tenth chapter Of
Luke, commencing with the 25th verse:
the singing of a hozanna of Nearer My
God TO Thee" and America" the great
est living agnostic of the age Robert q.
Ingersoll, stepped to the rostrum of The
Church Militant this morning and for
hours eXpounded to the congregation his
views upon How Mankind Could be Re
formed"
The Church Militant Is composed Of the
major portion Of the former adherents Of
the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian
church, one of the strongest congregations
of that denomination in the city, and who.
with their pastor. Rev DR.. John Rusk.
branched off into an independent organi-
cation some months since, as a result of
the opposition of the minority Of the con-
changes in the conduct Of the services, in
Guiding the use of an Instrumental or
chestra and the attachment to the church
Of employment, hospital, club house. and
other guilds.
Some time ago. an invitation was ex-
tended to Col. Robert c. Ingersoll to de-
liver an address under the auspices Of the
congregation and II was in response TO this
invitation that he found himself in its ros-
trum to-day.
At the time the invitation was extended
fenr GA btalH - in he
Womans Christian Temperance Union
temple, but 50 much feeling was manifos-
ted by the managing board OF that struc-
ture over the idea of an agnostic speaking
witllin its precincts, that the Columbia
theater was secured for a term of years,
and therefore It fell to Col. Ingersol to
inaugurate the services in the new meet
ing place.
Although admission was strictly confined
to ticket holders, the street in front
of the theater was blocked with people
long before the opening of the doors, and
even after the interior had been packed
to suffOcation, over a thousand men and
women besieged tho entrance. on the
stage We're four hundred or more repre-
sentative citizens including nearly every
member of the appellate and superior Ju-
dietary, and several county officials, dele
cations from every medical and law col
lege and institution of learning in the city
and suburbs and a number of retired
| divines. Every sect and denomination,
without an exception, had dts representa-
| tive.
w
ance, arm in arm with DR.. Rusk, there
| was loud applause, mingled with muir
| murs from some, who seemed TO regard
such a demonstration as foreign to re-
| ligious service.
In the prayer that followed tho musical
| exercises, DR.. Rusk asked for a special
| blessing on their guest of the day, who
was endeavoring to show the world how
/ this life might be made one Of use
| fulness and joy, and invoked a dispen-
| sation for his wife and children, while
| in his Introductory remarks, Dr. Rusk
| characterized Col. Ingersoll as the man
| who is endeavoIdng to do this world good
| and to make il better"
This. he said, was no time TO reason,
no time to disagree with the faiths of
| men, or beliefs of men, when they were
| found 1t. No matter, he said, whether
man believed in God or not, If he eX-
| pounded the truth, then the truth was
| there and God was there.
AS Col. Ingersool stepped to the ros-
| trum, he was welcomed with applause
| that lasted for over minute. With the
| suggestion that while his hearers and
| himself might be travelling different roads,
| they were all trying to add to human JOY
| and happiness; he took as his text the
quotation from Shakespeare, whom he
| beings" There is no darkness but ignor-
ance," and for two hours spoke upon the
necessity of arbitration as a substitute for
war the need for new methods in the
| treatment of criminals, the desirability of
occupancy of the prairies of the west for
| homes as a panacea for tenement sys-
| TENS, the question of divorce, the rela-
| tions Of capital and labor, and the need
| OF reform In the education of children.
When he concluded the applause was
| loud and long continued, many Of those
| in the foyer waving their handkerchiefs
! and hats The congregation united in
| SINGING 'sBIest BE the Tie THAT Binds. -
| and with the pronouncing of the benedic-
| ton, the unique service came to an end.