Evangelist Brown Preaches Purity in Seattle
Evangelist H.W. Brown concludes a nine-week residency in Seattle with a sermon on moral purity at the Seattle Theater.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Evangelist H.W. Brown addressed a large audience yesterday afternoon at the Seattle Theater, under the auspices of the Young Men's Christian Association. Mr. Brown delivered a spirited and earnest address, choosing as his text, Timothy v:22, 'Keep thyself pure.' Mr. Brown approached the subject from the practical and social side as well as from that of a theologian, and discussed the effect of prenatal influences in developing a criminal and vicious class, as well as those of early training. Among the many causes which lead to crime and depravity Mr. Brown mentioned ignorance, poverty, filthy literature, looseness of the public in regard to the sacredness of marriage, and the consequent trivial divorces; extravagance, low, vicious theaters, and dancing. Mr. Brown has been in Seattle about nine weeks, engaged in assisting at the various churches. He leaves tomorrow for Tacoma, and will spend the winter in Southern California.
“Keep thyself pure.”
Evangelist Brown's moralizing campaign against 'vicious' culture represents the 19th-century 'social purity' movement. Modern echoes are found in today's intense political debates over family values, media morality, and the role of religious leaders in civic governance.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.