The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-24
MODERN life
IS TRIUMPH OF
CHRISTIANITY
Preacher Tells Crowd at the
Chautauqua How Christ's
Teaching Conquered the
World in Few Centuries.

1.-THE Triumph Of Christianity in
Modern Life" was the subject with
which the Rev. Daniel F. Rittenhouse
dealt in his sermon-lecture at the
ChautauQua yesterday morning. "The
Twentieth Century American" was his
topic In the evening. The Rev. Mr..
Rittenhouse is pastor of the First Bap-
fist church of Middletown. O., where
he has built up a very large organiza-
ton. He toured Scotland once, Ireland
twice, England and Wales half dozen
times and has travelled widely in four
continents. Both of his addresses
were filled with illustrations drawn
from his travels.
God set out on a world campaign"
he said in his morning address, Ito
subject the whole business to His
own name and the power of Christian
truth. How did He expect to win out
on this big undertaking?
Progress Of Christianity.
Jesus began the program and then
turned 1t over to eleven men. The
progress Of Christianity in these earl
Ter years Is to my mind an invincible
proof of it's divine origin. Within
three years after the death Of Christ
paganism began to crumble, and in
three centuries was nearly conquered.
The Roman empire was converted to
Christianity in less than sixty years
after Jesus had lived. The early
Christians faced this world program
with empty hands. The fact that they
won the world to Christ shows that
God was behind them.
Three things always characterize
the progress of Christian truth in the
world. First, it must be proclaimed;
second, it is opposed; third, it is &C
cepted.
The gospel is triumphing in the
world every day of your existence and
in every instance of its triumph it
passes through these three stages"
In illustrating this truth the Rev.
Mr.. Rittenhouse told the story of Tyn-
dale and his translation and printing
OF the Bible in the English language.
"Tyndale was strangled, but he man
aged to SOW British soil with Christian
truth. I believe it was a miracle that
the printing press was invented at just
the time the world needed the gospel
Wherever the gospel is preached and
accepted that people rises to world
power. Wherever the gospel is limit
ed or kept from the people that nation
falls from it's supremacy AS long as
the American people can have an open
Bible. 80 long Wilt the United States
government sit on the pinnacle of
world supremacy.
Affects Education.
"The Christian gospel has given us
the great intellectual life of the world.
The leaders in world thought have
been Christians. Shakespeare, Brown
ing, Tennyson, Wordsworth and Dante,
these all drew their inspiration from
Gods word. You won't find six uni
versities in Europe or the United
States that were not originally founded
as religious institutions.
christian truth has also triumphed
in the commercial life of the world 1t
furnishes the sole basis of economies
Realty values in city life would sink
to a negligible quantity were it not
for the presence of the gospel of
Christ. Even diamonds or gold have
little or no value in lands that have
no gospel. In southeastern Asia
have seen the heathens blowing their
field with a crooked stick. l have
seen the same natives cultivating their
fields with implements made by the
international Harvester company.
Business Aspect.
"In Mohammedan countries I have
seen the butchers hang their meat in
the open street where it was covered
with filth and flies. In W same
country. nay, in the same city, in the
Christian district, you will find them
selling ham and bacon from Chicago
packing houses. For the sake of it's
commercial advantages alone the Unit
ed States government could profit
easily by giving one million dollars a
year to foreign missions
"The Christian gospel has been the
basis Of all scientific improvement and
knowledge. You can't find inventions
worth while where the people have
had no gospel, and you will not find
scientific advancement in those lands
that have never known the Bible"
nIICCIA MnT0nI0IlC