The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-24
A BIG AUDIENCE
JACK COOKE, THE BOY PREACHER,
ANSWERS BIBLE QUESTIONS.
As Usual, the Text Was Selected by
Vote of the Audience-Char-
acter of Sermon

Jack Cooke. the boy preacher. addressed
a much larger audience in Meridian-street
Church last night than the one he faced
Monday night. As stated by the youthful
pulpit orator In conversation after the
service. mis- coming TO this city was so sud-
oen and comparatively unadvertised that
the people were scarcely aware he was in
the city. The boys brother. Haydn Cooke
manned for the great composer). took more
OF a part in the meeting than did Jack.
Haydn Cooke is a youthful-appearing per-
son himself. His great shock of yellow
hair and peculiar eyes, coupled with his
ford complexion. give him much the APP
pearance of an albino. Jack is a decided
brunette. The elder brother delivered a
forcible exhortaticn and the younger con-
Quoted a question box prior to the de-
livery of the sermon. One of the ques-
tions propounded the young preacher By
somebody in the audience was. Did the
atonement OF Christ place the human race
in the same position that it occupied be-
fore the fall OF ADAM"
NO" answered Jack. sit did not. for
this reason: Before the fan of Adam there
was NO sin at all In the world and all was
a paradise. but at the time of the atone
ment of Christ wickedness was practically
the same and 1t did not make any differ
ence, only we were saved from It,"
Are miracles OF the New Testament
queried another auditor. Ito be taken as
literally true. and. if so. were they per-
formed in accordance with the laws of ma
ture or contrary TO them, or were the laws
OF nature temporarily suspended?"
The young pTeacher declared firmly In
favor OF literal belief in the Scriptural mir
acles. lie said they were not performed I'm
sccords nee with. nor yet i'm contravention
or, the laws OF nature, but independently
OF them. IF one part of the Bible were
whether the others are not?" He sta ted
his belief that the same miracles that were
performed In Bible times are performed
In accordance with the boy preachers
custom. his brother requested the audi
cree to select four texts upon which n
vote would be taken to determine which
would be the basis of the sermon. The
following texts were named: Matthew xii.
Il: John iii. is; John iv, Is. Acts III, 20. TIL,
first text represented about three-fourths
OF the vote represented. the second and
third were moderate favorites only, while
the verse from Acts found favor i'm the
sight Of a solitary member of the congre-
cation. The text from which the sermon
was preached, Matthew xii. q. reads as
manner OF sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not be for
gwen unto men" Adopting the safe line
OF orthodox thought. the Juvenile preacher
stated and amplihed the idea that the
sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of
hardening ones heart against the voice
of the Spirit calling upon the individual
10 accept the atOnement OF Christ" The
discourse was about twenty minutes in
length, and suggested familiarity with
books OF sermons and works on theology,
although the lad and his brother vigor-
ously deny that he has ever read a single
volume of the kind. ~ remarkable fca-
ture Of the sermon was the excellent die
ton used. in view OF Jacks declaration
tina he never went TO school more than
two years and that not continuously. At
the close of the sermon the brother again
took the reins OF the service and began
an Ingenious plan for filling the altar with
penltents. First. he had the Christians IN
the audience proclaim their faith by stand
ing. This, of course, left n feeble minority
of sinners seated. Those that had il III
mind some day TO go to heaven were next
requested to rise. Then the young man
said I'm a persuasive voice. Now. won't
you just come forward and shake hands
with Jack2' When they came forward X
was the work of but a moment to have
them kneeling at the chancel rail. Ten
converts were secured in this way. DR..
= Quayle. pastor OF the church. was not pres
ert last night. nor was any other minister
noted I'm the audience.