Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-11-22

New York, Nov. 20.-Two fierce on
slaughts on the church Of Rome enllV-
ened the proceedings at yesterday
session of the general missionary com
mittee. On each occasion the audi
ence which filled every part OF the
large auditorium in ST. Pauls M. E.
church, where the committee was
meeting, broke into applause. NO ef-
fort was made by the chair to check
these demonstrations of approval. The
general committee, which is composed
of all the bishops and leading d1v1nes
of the Methodist church of America,
has been in session daily since last
Wednesday. Upon several occasions
during the former sessions when refer
ence has been made to anything per-
tanning to the Roman Catholic church,
the same spirit of defiance has been
apparent. Upon no former occasion,
however, has that church been de-
nounced in terms so unqualified, nor
has the approval of the audience been
given vent in such vigorous applause.
The first persons to advance to the at
tack was Bishop Goodsell of Tennes-
see. In the course Of an
address on the work of the
Methodist Episcopal church in various
parts of Europe he had occasion to
speak of the work done in Italy and
of the conditions obtaining there.
There are many" the bishop said,
"who doubt whether we have any
work at all in Italy, the land of super
stition and Observation-Disclosures 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
we sent one of our workers into Italy.
He soon made up his mind that III
Rome we had to do as the Romans.
He began by training the young, by
taking them into our schools and
seminaries The work is slow, but it's
value has been recently testified to by
the pontiff himself, who has honored
us by communicating every one,
teachers and pupils alike, connected
with our institutions of learning. In
an effort to preserve for himself the
triple crown of the papacy he has is
sued a sweeping interdict against the
schools and every one passing through
their gates. This, however, has only
made us more determined to
wipe out the system which
has created out of the former men Of
the empire cringing beggars with
monkeys and hand-organs."
The applause which greeted this
sally was deafening. The next speak
er, Rev. DR.. C. w Drees, who for
number of years has been identified
with the work of the M E. church in
South America, was appointed by
committee to take over supervision of
the work among the Spanish speak
ing nations on this continent. Besides
Bishop Goodsell he is the only mem
Der Of the committee who in the
course of his labor has come in con-
tact with the work of the Roman
Catholic church. DR.. Drees said:
THE former speaker has said that
the conditions where half of the world
is pagan and the other half Christian
cannot endure long. The same can
be said with as much truth where
Christendom is divided into two great
camps, with professionalism on one side
and Greek-ROman Catholicism on the
other. The time is upon us when new
questions which appeared in the pro-
testant reformation will begin to agi-
tate the world and demand to be
pushed to their final issues. After
Slumbering for four centuries
these selfsame questions were awak-
ened through the last act of infamy of
the pontiff in declaring himself infalli-
bic. Within "A hours after that bias
phemOus declaration had been written
on the triple crown of Rome Prussian
armies invaded Catholic France.
Forty-fivc days later the battle of Sc
dan was fought with Protestant Prus-
STA the victor. Twenty days only had
elapsed when the United armies en-
tered the holy city where the pope held
sway, bringing with them cart loads of
bibles. The pope then lost his temper
al power and since that day the creed
has been weakening. The Roman
church at one time held sway but now
both church and Spanish domination
have fallen of their high pedestals.
When Spain is arraigned the Roman
Catholic church should be arraigned
with that power as correspondent.
Ever since Isabella signed away the
liberty of Spain to the pope there has
been an illegitimate alliance between
statecraft and priestcraft against hui
man liberty and human progress" The
applause which followed this sally was
as tremendous as it was spontaneous.