The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-07-19

dom2. Tho Biblo. Yoltairo wrote tho
prophecy that tho Biblo in tho nino,
toenth century would become extinct.
The century is gone, and l have to toll
you that tho room in which Voltairo
wrote that prophooy not long ago was
crowded from floor to ceiling with Bl-
blos from Switzerland.
Suppose the congroBs of tho Unitod
States should pass lew that there
should be no more Bibles printed in
Amorica aud no Bibles read If thoro
arc 60, 1000, ,0C0 grown people in tho
United States, thoro would bo 60, 000,-
600 people in an army to put down
suoh a law and dofond their right to
road tho Bible. But suppose the oon-
gross Of tho United States should mako
law against tho roading or tho publ
cation Of any other book, how many
poople would go cut in such crusado2
Gould you get 60, 900, 600 people to 70
out and risk their lives in tho dofenso
of ShakosLoaro's Tragedies or Glad
stones tracts or Maosulay's "IIistory
Of Eagland2' You know that tboro
are thousand mon who would dio In
the dofonso Of this book whore thoro
10 not moro than ono man who would
die in tho dofonso Of any other book.
You try to insult my common senso by
telling mo tho Biblo is fading out from
the world. It 10 tho most popular book
Of the centuries.
How do know it2 I know it just
as know in regard to other books.
How many volumos of that history arc
published? Woll, you say 5000. How
many copies of another book arc pub.
lishcd? Ahundred thousand Which
is tho moro popular? Why, Of course,
tho ono that has tho hundred thousand
circulation. And il this book has moro
copies abroad ia tho world, if there arc
five times as many Biblos abroad as any
othor book among civilized nations,
docs not that show you that tho most
popular book on earth today is tho
word Of God2
"Oh," say people, ''tho church is a
collection of hypooritos, and it is los.
log it's power and it is fading out from
tho world" Is it2 A bishop Of tho
Methodist ohuroh told mo that that do.
nomination averages two new churches
ovory day. In other words, thoy build
730 churches in that denomination in a
year, and thoro arc at least l 500 now
Chriatian ohMrohoa built in America
every year. Does that look as though
tho Christian church wero fading out,
as though it were dcfunot institution?
What stands nearest to tho hearts Of
tho American peoplo today? do not
care in what village or what city or
what ncighborhood you go. What is
it? Is it the postoffioe? Is it the
hotol? Isit tho loctuving hall2 All,
you know it is not You know that
that which stands nearest to the hearts
Of tho American pooplo is tho Chris
tian church.
You may talk about tho church be
Ing collection of hypocrites, but
whom tho diphthcria swoeps your chill
dron off whom do you sond for? The
postmaster, the attorney general, tho
hotel koopor, alderman? No. You
send for q miuistor of this Bible relig
ion. And if you have not room in
your house for the obsoquies, what
building do you solicit? DO you say,
Give me tho finest room in the no.
tel?" Do you say, "Glvo me that
theater?" DO you say, "Givo mo that
public building whero can lay my
dead for little whilo until wo say a
prayer over it?" No. You say. "Givo
US the house Of God" And if there is
a song to bo sung at the obsequies,
what do you want? What does any.
body want7 The "Marseillaise Hymn2'
God Save tho Qdeen?" Our own
grand national air? No. Thoy want
tho hymn with which they sang thoir
old Christian mother into her last
sleep, or they want sung tho Sabbath
school hymn which thoir little girl sang
tho last Sabbath afternoon she was out
before she got that awful sickness which
broke your hoart. I appeal to your
common sonso You know the most
endoaring institution on Garth, tho
most popular institution on earth today,
is tho church of tho Lord jesus Christ.
A man is fool that docs not reoognjz /,
it.
Tho infdols say: "Thero is great
liberty now for infdels; freedom of
platform. Infdolity shows it's power
flom tho fact that it is everywhere toll
grated, and it can say what it will"
Why, my friends, inhdclity is not half
so blatant in our day as it was in tho
dnys of our fathers. Do you know that
in tho days OF our fathers thero wore
pronounced iLfiiels in public authori.
ty, and they could get any political
position? Lot man .y declare
himself antagonistic to the Christian
religion, and what oity wants him for
mayor; what state wants him for COVER.
nor; what nation wants him for prosi-
don't or for king? Let man openly
proclaim him solf the enemy OF our
glorious Christianity, and ho cannot
got maj orlty Of votes in any state, in
any city, in any country, in any ward
of America.
A distinguished infdol years ago rid
ing in a rail- oar in Illinois naid. ''What
has Christianity over done?'' An old
Christian woman said ut has done
ono good thing anyhow. 1t has kept an
infidol from boing governor of Illinois,"
AS ! stood in tho aido room Of the opora
house Of Peoria, Ills, prominent gen-
tloman OF that city said, can tell you
the secret OF that tremendous bitterness
against Christinnity." Said l, .'Wat is
itY Why, said he, ''in this vory
house thoro was q great convention to
nomlnato q governor, and thoro wore
three or four candidates. At tho samo
timo thoro WaH in church in this city
q Sabbath school convention, and it
happened that ono of tho mon who was
in tho Sabbath school convention was
also mombor Of the political oonvon-
ton. In tho POLITICAL convention tho