The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-31
Or. oa cossA SAYS 50 TOO


"a and Or. Mac Arthur says Status
tics Are to the Contrary
rD,2;a A. G, Dixon's View. I
That such a query as rs this a CHRIS
iian Nation:' should be propounded ps
- Christian minister, and serlousl! oe-
,,o,od nv Christian ministers is grave
comment upon our Christian clvlilzatioh.
II HE course of his sermon at St Agnes
Roman Catholic church in New 1orh
<ity ION Sunday morning, heV. -
Henry A. Brann had depicted the gross
ness and RIGHTEOUSNESS that characteriz-
cd Greece, Rome Chaldea and other ma
tions OF old: he had described the gods
of these countries and their vile charac-
ters as described by the great writers VINO
worshipped them. and then he began 10
sneak Of the nations of to-day 24"
He said he would not take America as
an example of a Christian nation, TORI
1,e said. sit is not Christian nation.
psaThe he PAUSED and looked gravely
around the church. shaking his head re-,
Eretfully. and said: as Dia
NO. III Is IOt Il VIII hoehpa"if'F-
majority of people in this country are
infidels. Whatever may be their protes-
sions of faith, they are infthelr 'llves
practically infdels, careless or morailt!
and habitnaIly absent from the places
of worship 'ia1"e ~ ahtjf;
AS a sample of a truly Christian ma
fion. one that had consistently chung 10
its faith in spite of the bitterest perse.
chfion. holding its divine services behind
hedges and bitches when forcibly pre-
Vented from holding them in churches, ne
selected Ireland if.t7#z 7't ,F|
The New York World quoted DR.
Brann's remark to many preachers IN
New York and asked their opinion upon
ithe point. R''.''is's ~ az ii
AN EXAGGERATIoN,a SAYS DIR.
ae;zts gi. HALL, .irsa1e -.
. THE Rev. Dr. John Hail. Of the Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian church,. said:
i.ai"Too many persons undoubtedly neg
lect places of worship. but do not think
it would be fair to say that America is
an infidel country. or that the majority
OF: the American people are infdels.
x .fThere are too many who do not at
tend places of worship. partly because
some OF them come from other lands,
where they have not had intelligent re-
1igious convictions But | think an inn
provenent is taking place in that idirec-
ton - I" i'lp. ls'f% .p&
as this a Christian country? Of
course that depends son what the Rev.
Dr. Brann understands. by a Christian
country The church of Rome says
there are mo- Christians except those of |
the people who stand in her communion. |
aas'But there is an influential. a large |
portion of oar people seeking instruction |
from the Word of God. and'ithe Pretesy |
taht churches. as a rule. are. on the |
whole. making steady progress |
! DIR. RYLANrE SAYS IT'S TRUE,
The Rev. Dr. Joseph "a II. Rylanee.
rector OF st. Marks Episcopal church.
Second avenue and Ninth street, said.
1.-THE statements, taken literally, are I
true. But they are, measurably. not
true. The predominant features of orr
government. our schools. our churches,
,ur literature. are Christian. The in
idels are surely. not. in the majority. DIR.
Brann'si statements are very broad and |
sweeping. and it is. hard to give any
leinite replies to them.' F .
IA COSTA AGREES WITH BKANNs /
DIR. Benjamin II. .Da Costa, rector OF
he ,Anglo- American. Church i. of "a st.
George the Martyr (EpiscopaD, said;
II agree with DIR. Brann completely !
His statements are perfectly correct !
mer ga is not. in a certain sense. Chris! !
ian. 1t docs not recognize Christ IN its'l
laily life. ssa "a ~
,l.Christianity lis. in principle. the law
# the land. But in practice it certainly !,
s not i, The majority Oft 90 neor,,e are
not Ghristiaps... The 10 MOI love Christ .
md have no ref ara for His doctrines.
Ms 10 % statement that the most or
e. mr. ;,sdeIs 7 hope that it is exagger-
IT II i tie fool that saith in his heart'
srhere is no God
Whoever else they may be, the ma
;o,;tv of the American people are surei!
not fools. But there is a great army -
infdels. nevertheless.
ihn In TERRIBLY low standard of NOR
ai;4v that is held to-day is very alarm
ing symptom. Unless we REFORM uliiess
~, fr;rhtful canker which is gnawlng
at the bottom Of the nation Is oeS'l9 -
~ ,,,t;ap will itself surely perish. our
RpDuDlic " III lin tt"''' t'f' -.
&c Sodom and Gomorrah fell And us
fall will not be a matter of q century
either. .i, 4u;,o
..Just as sure rs, the clock VIII strlRe'
,so, viii .our country. of which we are SO
nroud. be wiped out and disappear from
tho face of the earth.
p,sw JNFIDELS, SAYS PARIS
HURST. @'a"
DIR. Parkhurst was at first unwilling L
talk, but finally sad: ,5. - -,
81 have always labored under the ini
item that there were a few Chris
tians.in this country, Certainly the ma
;n.;tv. If the people of the United State
arn not infdels. In fact, there are YER
+ few in6dels. But there are mf ~ p. Up;
- tho country who a'c careless III lhel
,,;ras and have little regard f2r mora
ify."J f i ofc 9aoa I!
.,.4,I UoRI,D WAS NEVER MORSE
SAYS DIXON