The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-06-02

tIo grours-a crcup OF men who 60 IS
they please and sit where they please; the
other group. women hidden and care
fully secluded in o side apartment, where
they NAV hear the voice OF the preacher,
but may not be seen. No refinement. No
liberty. ohope fortbis life. No hope for
tie life 70 come. Hinged nose. Cramped
foot. DisGgured face. Embruted soul.
Now. compare those two conditions.
How fax toward this latter condition that
Ispeak OF would woman go IL Christian in
fuences were withdrawn and Christianity
were destroyed? 1t is Only q question OF
dynamics. II an object toe lifted to a GER
tain point and not fastened there and the
lifting power be withdrawn, how long be-
fore that object viii fail dow 10 the
point from which It start ten ct IT
still farther than the point from which
it started. Christianity has lifted woman
up from the very depths OF degradation
almost to the skies. II that lifting power
be withdrawn. she falls clear back to the
depth from which she was resurrected,
not going eny lower, because there is no
lower depth. and vet Notwithstanding the
fact that the salvation OF woman from
Dc radiation and woe Is the Christian re-
liGion-and the only influence that has
ever lifted her in the social scales Is
Chris.ianitv-I have read that there are
women who reject Christianity. | make
no remark in regard to those persons. In
the silence OF your own soul make your OBJ
GervatiODs.
II infdelity triumph and Christianity be
overthrow, it means the Generalization
OF society. The one idea in the Bible that
atheists and ingdels most hate il the idea
Of r%etribution. Take away the idea o. re.
tributiOn and punishment from society.
and it will begin very 10 disinteSrate,
oyl 4 MI nurax fr1pp bn ,rip1o ~ ,,n th1
fear OF he'll, and there arc q great many o,
them who would very soon turn this WoriC
into a hell. The majority OF those who are
indignant against the Bible because of thu
idea Of punishment are men whose lives are
bad or whose hearts are impure and who
hate the Bible because of the idea Of fu
turc punishment, for the same reason tha
criminals hate the peniteltiary. Oh. I have,
heard this brave talk about people fearing
nothing OF the consequence OF sin in tn,
next world, and | have made up my mint
il is merely 4 towards whistling to keel
his courage up. have seen men flaun
their Municipalities in the face Of the com
munlty, ard have heard them DEFY the
Judgment day and scott ut the idea of any
further consequence Of their sin. but when
they came TO die they shrieked until YOU
could hear them for nearly two blocks, and
IN the summer night the %neighbors got up
to put tho windows down, because they
could not endure the horror.
The mlShtIest restraints to-day against
theft. against immortality, against libertin-
ism, against crime Of all sorts-tha
mightiest restraints are the retributions OF
eternity. Men know that they can escape
the law, but down in the offenders sou.
there is the realization Of the fact that
they cannot escape God. He stands at the
end OF the road CT pronigacy, and He will
not clear the guilty. Tax all idea of re-
tribution and punishment out OF the
hearts minds OF men, and 1t would not
De long before our cities would become
Sodoms. The only restraints against the
evil passions OF the world to-day are Bible
restraints.
Suppose now these generals OF atheism
and infidelity got the victory and suppose
they marshaled a great army made up OF
Ia" majority OF the world. They are in
companies, in regiments, in brigades-the
whole army. Forward. march, We hosts OF
intdels and atheists, banners flying be.
fore, banners flying behind. banners in.
scribed with the words: mo God! No
Christ! No Punishm antl No Restraints!
Down With the Bible! Do as You Pleasei''
The sun turned into d%arknessi
Forward, march. ye great army OF in.
fdels and atheists. And first of all YOU
VIII attack the churches. Away with those
houses OF worship. They have been stand
ing there so long deluding the people with
consolation in their bereavements and sor.
rows. All those churches ought to be ex-
,irpattd; they have done SO much to re-
!ieve the lost and bring home the wander
ing, and they have SO long held MP the
idea OF eternal rest after the paroxysm OF
thls III" Is over. Turn the st. Peters and
81. fauls and the temples and tabernacles
INTO clubhouses. Away with those churchesi
FORWARD, march! ye great army OF in
ndeis and atheists, and next OF all thew
scatter the Sabbath schools filed with
bright eyed, rosy checked little ones who
'te SINGING songs on Sunday afternoon
ana getting instruction when they ought
to be on the street corner. playinr marhias
or swearing on the Away Wit,
th"nl! forward. march! We great army OF
inidelS and atheists md naxr oil L..