The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-05
Observation-Disclosures q


The Rev. Arthur G. Dixon, pastor of
the Hanson Place Baptist church,
Brooklyn, paid his respects to Woman
in the course of his sermon last night.
He first startled his hearers by saying
that women had led the three notable
apostacies of modern spirituallsm,
Christian Science and theosophy. Contin-
uing, he declared that woman, of neces-
sity, is either IAN angel or powerful
adjunct of wickedness." She can occu-
py no intermediary stage.
Mr.. Dixon expressed emphatically his
disapproval of the ordination of women
as ministers of the Gospel. "She is ply
sicalIy and spiritually incapacitated for
preaching the word of God, he declared.
Members of the congregation stopped III
the vestibule of the church after the ser
vice had concluded and discussed the ex-
pressions of their pastor with considera-
bile warmth. Many of them expressed
their disapproval of his utterances.
The sermon was the eighth in the Sc
ries generally entitled, Lights and Shad-
ows of American Life"
Mr.. Dixon abused the modern newspa-
per in picturesque eloquence last Sunday,
and a large audience awaited in eager
expectancy for some bizarre expression
in line with the general tone of the SER
mons Of the Lights and Shadows" Sc
ries.
The members of the congregation
didn't have to wait long. The tall, hand
some man on the rostrum had but an
nounced his text when he applied it
with shock like that attends actual
cautery.
The ''seven churches" in the Book Of
Revelations was the theme Of the SER
mon.
1.-THE woman's church" said Mr.. Dix
on, ''as represented in Asia, was really
a wicked institution, for it was led by a
wicked woman.
woman at her best" he continued,
lis capable of glorious deeds, but with
her there is no so-called happy medium.
Man may be Indifferent. He may be
neither good nor wicked, but with wo-
man such state can never obtain.
woman is either an angel or pow
erful adjunct Of wickedness. She can
either elevate man or drag him down
to the lowest depths.
''The three apostacies Of modern times
were led by women. Spiritualism was
started by the Sisters Fox and began
to rot before it began to bud"
Christian Science, with its leading ex-
ponent in Miss Eddy, is another exam
pie of how fallacious and wicked may be
the doctrines suggested or taught by
women.
That so-called science contends that
there can be no sin, or pain or affiiction
in the world, and how unnatural and un-
reasonable is such belief. But tits but
another example of woman's baneful in
fuence."
Madame Blavatsky, in her idiotic
mental wanderings, shows how women
can also lead or prove powerful adj
junct to leading men into error. Under
woman's guidance man sinks incompre-
hensibly low.
Mr.. Dixon deplored the fact that wo-
men were ever ordained to the ministry.
He said there was no warrant in the
New Testament for woman's being al.
lowed to preach. Her place was in the
home, but not in the pulpit. She could,
he thought, be power for good in the
former sphere.
II believe" he continued, 'in woman
taking a part in public affairs, but en-
phatically don't believe in her being
ordained to preach the ministry. She
is. physically and spiritually incapaci,
tated from preaching the Gospel"