The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-23
TWO FIERCE ~0NSLAUGHTS|
MADE UPON THE CHURCH OF ROME BY
LEADING METH0DISTS
REV. GOODSELL, OF TENNESSEE
Advanced the Attack at Yesterdays
Session of the General Missionary
Committee of the Church
of America-Work of MethodIsts I'm

New York, November 1.-Two fierce
onslaughts on the church of Rome en-
livened the proceedings at today's ses-
sion of the general missionary commit
tee. On Lei occasion an audience
which filled every part of the large au-
ditorium in st. PauTs NJ. z. church,
where the committee is meeting, broke
into applause and no effort was made
by the chair to check these demonstra-
tons of approval.
The general committee, which is
composed of all the bishops and lead
ing divines in the Methodist church OF
America has been in session daily since
last Wednesday,. Upon several occa-
sons during former sessions when ref
erence has been made to anything per
tanning to the Roman Catholic church
the same spirit of defiance has been
apparent.
The person to advance to the attack
today was Bishop Goodsell, of Tennes-
see. In the course of a address on
work of the Methodist Episcopal church
in various parts of Europe he had oc-
casion to speak of the work lone in
Italy and conditions obtaining there. IT.
was in the recital Of the latter the
bishop used such strong language
against the church of Rome.
I'm northern Europe, for instance
in Germany and the Scandinavian
countries" the bishop said, eve have
made satisfactory progress, though we
have had a great deal of Indifference
and even opposition to contend with.
Statistics show that We have made as
much Roadway during the first thirty
five years in Europe as we have in the
same period in this country, which
offers a more congenial soil for our
creed.
I'm southern Europe, the conditions
are somewhat different. There the
struggle has been harder. There are
many who doubt whether we have
any work at all in Italy. that land of
superstition and priestcraft; whether
we could ever hope to accomplish any
thing there in the face of the tremen-
dous press of adverse thought with
which we are confronted. The fact is
that We sent our workers into
Italy. He soon made up his mind that
in Rome We had to do as do the Ro-
mans. He began by training the
young, by taking them into our chools
and
The work is slow, but it's value has
been recently testified to by the pontiff
himself, who has honored us by-com-
municating every one, teachers and
pupils alike, Connected with our insti-
buttons of learning. In the effort to
preserve for himself the triple crown Of
apacy he has issued a sweeping in
dict against the schools and every
passing through their gates. This,
however, has only made us more de-
termined to wipe out a system which
has created III of the former man of
the empire a cringing beggar with a
monkey and grind organ"
The applause which greeted this sally
was deafening.
The next speaker threw down the
gauntlet to the church of Rome in terms
as direct and ~condemnatory as did
Bishop Goodsell. This was the Rev.
DR.. c. w. Dress, who for a number Of
years has been IDENTIFIED with the
work of the NJ. E. church in South
America, and was appointed by the
committee to take up the supervision
of the work among the Spanish speak
ing nations on this continent. He said:
"A former speaker has said that "a
condition where half Of world is pagen.
and the other half Christians cannot
endure long. The same can be said with
as much truth as a state of affairs
where ChriStiandom is divided into two
. great camps, with professionalism on
one side and Greek and Roman Catho-
l1ciSm on the other. The time is upon
l us when anew the questions which ap-
peared in the protestant reformation
!, will begin to agitate the world and de-
!, mand to be pushed to their final issue.
: After slumbering for four centuries the
self same questions were awakened
through the last acts of infamy of the
pontiff, in declaring himself infallible.
Without twenty-four hours after that
plasphemous declaration had been writ
ten on the triple crown OF Rome, the
PruSSian armies invaded Catholic
France. Forty-five days later, the bat
tie of Sedan was fought with protest
ant Prussia the victor and twenty days
had only elapsed when the united
armies entered the holy city where
the pope held sway, bringing with
them carloads of Bibles. The pope
4 lost his temporal power and since thai
day the creed has been weakening.
THE Roman church at one time hello
sway everywhere, but now both tina
n church and Spanish domination have
fallen off their high pedeStals. Wher
L Spain is arraigned the Roman Catholic
churc should be arraigned with tina
n power as correspondent. Ever sine,
Isabella signed away the liberty o
Spain to the pope, there has been al
II intimate alliance between state Graf
N and priestcraft against human hbert.
a and human progress"
q The applause which followed this sal
l. ly was as tremendous a it was spon
aneouS.
DIR. Dress said in conclusion that tn
most promising field among the Span
iSh speaking populations in Amerlc.
n was opening in Porto Rico and ad
vised the committee to spare neither ex
:. pense nor labor to Dust Rome in tia
l. island.