The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-10
Ar Ir AGAIN.

angels. The whole subject was thoroughly threshed out some months ago. and 1t seemed that all the argu- ments. pro and con, which could by any possibility be advanced were used. but not so. Within the last few days a number of our best exchanges have bounded into the ring and are at it. hammer and tongs.
 The cause for the revival of the con- troversy is almost whimsical In 6 new church built in New York there were a number of sculptured angels and every one of them was a distinctly feminine figure. Thereupon the high officials of the church issued an order that all the figures must be so changed as to make them represent males and 1t was so done. somewhat to the spolia- ton of the figures as works of art, but to the satisfaction of the objectors.
 Naturally this action has re-opened the discussion. and Heaven only knows when and where it will end. But what's the use of it.? So far as we are aware, the sex of angels is not made an article of faith by any religious denomination, and therefore it cannot be looked on as heresy for pfofessing Christians to believe as they like about 1t. If any church teaches that angels are males the members of that church should conform to the teaching, but suppose some other church solemnly decides that they are females. and another declares that they are entire ly without sex, who is to settle it?
 The Indianapolis Star. somewhat re- luctantly admits that only male angels are known in the Scriptures, and has this thrust at our women:
 Women who in this twentieth cen tury are up and coming In a way Cleveland, win be taught their place so far as the cathedral influence goes; they will have the fact impressed upon them that though they may think well or and may have a poor opinion of man, it Is men alone and not women, who are thought fit to be angels: Wii the lesson have a permanent enect ana will be just like the women of today to class the ancient worthies who wrote the Scriptures as behind the times, ana the Building Committee as old fogies; eventual angelhood undisturbed by masculine snub and rebuke. But 1t Is at least entertaining to know that saint John the Divine will not have to vouch for any female angels.
 But The Star rather inclines to the opinion that the angels are not males. but "invertebrate entities. lacking in most human attributes. Might as well call them worms, and be done with 1t, but it admits that all our ideas of them as pictured and sculptured have at least suggestion of femininity," and that is true, at all events.
 Then we have The Richmond News Leader leaning to the female side of the question, saying that most of us are willing not only to concede but to contend from personal knowledge and observation that there are female angels in this world. Paraphrasing a familiar and somewhat ffippant witt cism, the average man of wholesome mind and condition feels that if there are no women in heaven he would pre- fer on the whole taking his chances in the other direction. Certainly 1t is im- possible to imagine any place of purity. beauty, peace, love and ceaseless light and happiness without women" That is very nice in our contemporary, and The Chicago Journal is equally nice when 1t says that the ineffable con- ceit of masculine man may lead him to depict angels as men-the history of art teens with illustrations. But he will be quite as near the truth and the tradition if he leaves them with no small share of the attributes of the only angels most of us will ever see on this earth, the good women who bless us from the cradle to the grave"
 Then The Milwaukee Free Press butts in with a long editorial, ending with this fling at the women:
 In the ancient days when angels were more in use and evidence than they are at present, women were not supposed to cut much figure in church or other wise. There were no clubs then, and there was better discipline than there is now. Women "knew their places" then. or the men knew them for them, which amounted to the same thing. With the feminine portion of the race occupying the humble sphere to which it was consigned by the lords and masters, 1t is not at all strange that in the selection of such fanciful crea- tions as angels there should have been none but of the masculine sex. Today -ah, today 1t would be different. There would be no gentlemen" angels now. if a million angels should be created.
 There is spirit of selfishiness after a ri n | out of place and in the present case un- called for. Women become so watch full and appear to be so jealous of every encroachment that they are not as years ago. The world speaks of every fE Rassie she. e United states sas? She. ne; no, 'it." with chances that 1t is she" after all. And all the war vessels, and every ship that sails the main, Is called she" The moon Is she" steam en- zines are all she" and so are auto mobiles and windmills. and about every thing else that amounts to anything. Besides that, all of the. angels there ference, then, does 1t make if the other angels are he? What Is the use of an angel being a pig?
 That is real mean in The Press and if the women's clubs don't give the guess
 And so. it goes on. Each newspaper makes It's own deductions and an of them don't prove anything. nor will they. No living mortal has seen a heavenly angel. we take 1t for granted, and so none can speak from personal knowledge. If Bible readers and