The times., 1900-12-31
NO THANKS GIVEN TO GOD
National Capital Centennial Ad-
dresses Criticised.
The Rev. Henry r. Na.Ior, in n Ser
mon nt Mckendree Church. Dis
cusses the Celebration - Pays
Special Attention to senator Dam
ieTs speech-Refers to Minister WI

lor at McKendree NJ. E. Church. on Mas
sachusetts Avenue, at yesterday morn
| ing's services, was, by reason of its time
illness, of exceeding interest, and at its
close almost every member of the con-
gregation crowded around the pastor to
| congratulate him. The gospel upon which
the sermon was based is contained in
Deuteronomy. xxix:9, and the subject of
the sermon was THE Closing Century"
Rev. DIR. Naylor, in the course of his SER
mon, said in part:
Zone hundred years ago this nation, at
| least the religious portion of it, in unison
with the religious people of England,
were engaged in great concert of prayer
for the advancement ef the Redeemer's
| Kingdom.
This united intercession was followed
| by unusual spiritual blessing both in this
| country and in England. Accordingly, ty
more than one ecclesiastical fellowship
| abroad ard by many of our own church
| leaders, the wish for a similar world
| wide union of prayer has been earnestly
expressed, and va rious movements in the
| direction of united prayer during the
| coming months have actually been entered
| upon.
"And this day has been set apart for
| the consideration of topics which have TO
/ do with the close of the nineteenth and
| the commencement OF the twentieth CEN
| tury. With the prayer of our own church
| for two million converts there are two
views / greatly desire you TO look upon
| with me this neutrality-suspicious. that
| our limited time will permit simply
| glance nothing more. A little over two
weeks ago remarkable day was observed
| in this city; it was The Capital Gen.
saI 81 vii
| messed the magnificent display. People
came from far and near and returned tc'
| their homes intoxicated with the splendor
| of the occasion. We would not have had
| 1t less splendid-or less intoxicating. 1t
was the centennial anniversary of this
| great nations Capital. AT least four no
| table addresses were delivered. learned.
inspiring. patriotic. But only once was
the nations God thought of or mentioned,
| and that once was simply a quotation
from the inaugural address of President
Madison. delivered a hundred years ago.
- Twas not prayer meeting, twas not
z love feast. Indeed. the silver -tongued
Senator from Virginia thrust God out of
our history in toto and ascribed the honor
of our life and greatness to other causes.
! Hear the language OF this leading orator
of the American Senate:
s. Inventive genius is putting this
nation ahead of all others. II
is invention that has made the
poor mans cottage gleam in cleanliness
and beauty like a palace. 1t is invention
that has made circulating libraries and
art galleries of our periodical literature.
1t is invention that forestalls the pesti-
lence, extinguishes the conhagration. IL
Eliminates the darkness, makes the foun-
tain to gush forth in the desert, relieves
the famine and snatehes the victims
from the jaws of destruction. 1t is in
vention that has made princes OF mer-
chants, manufacturers, and skilled work
men; that has given precedence to our
products in all the marts OF the world;
that is pouring the golden horn Of trade
balance into our treasury chests. and
Transforming us from debtor to c'ed-
itor nation. 1t is invention that has made
war so terrible that peace foresees its
bed of repose at the mouth OF the cob
webbed cannon. 1t is invention that Is TO
lift our earthly being from poverty. feed
the hungry clothe the naked, visit the
sick. unlock the bastiles, and open all the
doors where lie the victims OF hardship
and bgotry and oppression II is inven-
ton that has brought to manifest reve-
lation the unity OF the universe. the unity
of man, the unity of life, the unity OF
soul ana thrown the very gates OF in
mortality ajar, by proving the perpe.uity
of physical and moral force. 1t is in
vention that, whispering around the
world, brings US in touch with each other,
though thousands of miles apart 1t is
invention that Will one day make the
United States of the world fulfill the
dream that now hovers over the United
States of America
when that day comes the English
language will be the universal language,
our Constitution will be the model OF the
universal constitution. The principle OF
the Declaration of Independence will be
the universal principle. The flag of the
stars will be blazoned with the constella-
tion of the nations. Here will assemble
the parliament of man. The farthest
star in the heavens will bear the name of
Washington and the city that now tears
the founders name will be the capital of
the universal republic.
After a review of the speech of Sena-
tor Daniel Rev. DR.. Naylor, said:
Now, why do | thus lengthily quote? IL
not to show you that in this Goddess ef-
fusion of sophomore eloqUeGce we may
see the inclination of these in higher
places to thrust God out of our history
and to make nan the carver of this ma
tions destiny Invention, forsooth; how
foolish crude blind. / have been think
ing that God had something TO do with
the torpedo and steamboat, locomotive,
electrical appliance. reaping machines,
sewing machines, typewriters. yeloci-
pedes, bicycles. stenography. phcno-
graphy, automobiles, photography. and
other inventions.
at was this kind of a spirit which in
spired a great society established for
ethical culture, which, by the way. is
always Goddess culture, in the metropo
lis of this so-called Christian nation-on
a Sunday evening-to put forth under its
aegis a champion of Confucianism as
against Christianity. And that this
champion should be the man who occupies
the position before the world of the fore
most OF the most plausible and astute
apologist fer the acts last summer of the
Pekin Government.
This eminent Chinaman, with traits
and habits. covered by a veneer of West
ern manners, with ready wit aad bound
less assurance, is invited on a Sun
day evening by American ladies and gem
tlemen 20 speak for ethical culture in
America If Christianity and true ethics
are confused after this fashion in New
York, we need not be surprised to find
greater confusion in Pekin and Shanghai
as 10 what is Christian and what Is ethi-
cal. resulting in the indiscriminate
slaughter of the former. To me, this is
the most disc0uraging and alarming
danger that threatens Christianity today.
"But let us turn away from this gloomy
view and glance upon brighter and more
hopeful page. There are unwonted tokens
OF the coming kingdom. Light is every
where. breaking forth in realms, mater
ial. intellectual, and spiritual, dispelling
old ignorances, superstitions, and tyran-
rfas Tho rights and OBLIGATIONS of in