n
i
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
tion and.School of Methods at
Liberty and Christianity—
these words are pregnant with
significance. No other combi
nation can exceed them in the
magnitude of their importance;
no other single substantives out
weigh^lhem in their implica
tion., r:V
Liberty is exemption re
straint, freedom from co#lon,
the privilege of following the
jn&ji *,*. ‘ .
3 Intelligence cannot conceive a
higher aspiration, imagination
can not covet a grander acqui
sition. There is no price man
will not pay to purchase it, no
sacrifice he will not undergo in
order to possess it.
e weak. On every hand
g usurp the substance
i the helpless to be
for the shadow.
id power and have
lower levels of op
L proscription to the
mere is no avenue ox conuuct,
no point of social contact where
in freedom is not more or less
restricted. Since this is true, to
what extent is liberty consist-*
ent with Christianity. The an
swer hinges on the operation of
Christianity, whether as a the
ory of minking or as a principle
of living. . • v.; .■, ;
l The fact is recognised that
most of what is called Chris
tianity consists of the bare ad
mission of its theories. The ma
jority of its proclaiiners are in
nocent of even the pretense of
practicing its principles. They
are speculative Christians, liter
al pofessors of religion. They
learnedly discuss its doctrines,
they lavishly extol its virtues,
tey ostentatiously wmtnfauTr its
■opaganda. If need be, they
Of fight for it, and some will
rail die for it, but they dis
^&whateverthat
Experience confirms the dec
ration that professing Chris
ans constitute the bulk of
world’s
is torn with facti
Visions? Ia there
cureedwith tear an
lable consequence!
wonder that men’
peace that? nevercomesi 3 :
It is appalling to contemplate
the hypocrisy exhibited in the
glib recital^of those;^at%ords,
tSm ethS°7hishepSto should
be gratified. Nothing is more
remote from the intentions of
the multitudes^ who unctiotisly
utter it, Z
Were this petition uttered in
sincerity, were its spirit fofiowed
with fideUtylihe fils of the earth
would vanish as the shadows
flee the eon. AH phases of in
tolerance would fade before
the frown of universal reproba
tion. Christianity would cease
to languish as a lifeless theory
function
and it would assert
ps a living principle,
rule, musty with antiquity and
rusty with disuse, would then
otherwkan. f . f :
The failure of Christianity to
work oiit its designs is tracea
bleto nothing faulty in its prin
ciples or in its possibilities. The
fault is in the substitute parad
ing in its name. The sham is
generous in promises but stingy
in performances. , To such ex
tent the counterfeit is taken for
the real that the latter is con
demned as disappointing and
delusive.
It is freely said of prohibition
that it does not prohibit. It is
observed, however, that no one
says it can’t. Its defenders claim,
therefore, that the refusal of its
opponents to let it have a trial
hot only commits them to con
fession of its possibilities but
convicts them of the guilt of all
the evils that it offers to re
move.
It is the vogue of some to say
that Christianity does not
Christianize, that it does not ac
fresh the
stubbornly
A patient may with truthful*
ness if not consistency declare
that he receives no benefit from
medicine he'has not Used. With
equal truthfulness and with the
same consistency may ft be said
that Christianity does not satis
fy. These aU are instances of
values predicated upon benefits
derivable as well as upon those
derived.
Great as are tile benefits
Christianity, has given, they are
not to be compared with those
that it is capable of giving. Its
Author challenges His children
to a test of its potentiality. Neg
,r mk
Self-proclaimed superiors will
; grovel In the ditch to get the
senseless satisfaction of keeping
their so-called inferiors therein.
iThis stupid policjr forbid* the
rise of both the upper and the
under dog. No people will ever
advance out of proportion to the
general enjoyment of all its op
portunities and all its immuni
ties. The most progressive peo
ple are the most contented peo
ple. Contentment is proportion
ate to equality of privilege.
Equality of privilege prevails in
exact proportion as Christianity
controls men’s actions and rela
tions.
Every unequal assumption oi
preferment, every unequal im
position of restraint, every une
qual distribution of advantage,
is an instance of injustice and a
repudiation of Chrstianity. >
We say of certain circum
stances that they nullify the
nation's constitution. Incom
parably worse is. it to nullify
the constitution of Almighty
God. Fearful indeed is the in
jjgagainst
all the evil their observance
would avert
Notwithstanding that this
age is one of uneclipsed enlight
enment, notwithstanding the
preeminence accorded the reli
gion of the Galilean, idolatry is
quite as prevalent today as ever
it has been. No greater hom
age ever arose to Baal, Dagon
and Dianna than pseudo-Chris
tians daily pay to power, prej
udice and pleasure.
The abominations of the. an
cients in no degree exceeded
those committed every day in
history's most enlightened land,
under its most benign religion.
Power requires his worshippers
to lay upon his altar the liber
ties of which they rob their fel
low men. Prejudice demands
his human sacrifices even more
unmercifully than ever did the
Ganges or the red-hot-handed
Moloch. On pleasure’s altar
burns the essence that its devo
tees have taken from Christian
ity as they have substituted sen
suauiy.
Were hall the zeal with which
these modern deities are served
devoted to the service of Jeho
vah, He would verify His prom
ise and would bless in such
measure that the world would
bubble over with His goodness.
Were half the faithfulness with
which these later gods are lift
ed up devoted to the lifting up
of Jesus, He would bring to
pass His guaranty to draw all
men to Him, and that would end
the era of hypocrisy and hate
and introduce the glad regime
of charity with its attendant at
tributes.
Is there any wonder that non
Christians are so slow in their
acceptance of Christianity ? The
wonder is that they acknowledge
it at all. To me it seems prepos
terous to ask the Chinese to
accept religion from the hands
of those! who brought them
opium, from those who urged
them to accept their Deity and
compelled them to accept their
demon. It is inconsistent to ex
pect the Japanese to welcome.i
religion that admits them to cit
izenship in Hie kingdom of . its
Author yet denies them citizen
ship within the coasts of its pro
clannere. It evidences the ere
dulity or Africans that they sc
readily receive the religion that
have taxed their in*
find a panacea for the
affiict society. Ages
have pet found the
at has always been at
that ever was or ever
m
July 30th
a has the
& this in
turtiums were placed on the ta
ble as a center piece. This, we
learned, had all been done by
Mrs. McCrorey*s own hands.
Everything had a homelike ap
pearance.
The opening, as heretofore,
was a song mid prayer service
which began promptly at 10:30
o’clock. This part of the ser
vice ia always our Spiritual
preparation and all enjoyed it.
The Preisdent, Mrs. M. G. Da
vis, called for the regular order
of the day which was the read
ing of the minutes of the last
meeting, which were read and
received. Then new business
was taken up. Mrs. Davis
spoke of increasing the Ruth
Carr scholarship from $15 to
$25. Mesdames McCrorey and
Pride discussed briefly the
method by which it could be
done. Mrs. McCrorey made a
motion to the effect that we give
the $25. Mrs. Pride seconded
the motion which -was that $25
should be paid instead of $15.
Mrs. Davis spoke of tne sec
tary of Overseas Sewing and
iked that we give Mrs. Spen
cer more hearty .support. After
hearing Mrs. Spencer's report
ail felt more inclined to do more.
Mrs. Spencer asked that all
work be in her hands by Sep
tember ML
The Presbyterial decided also
as new business that $15 or $20
be set aside in order that Our
Young People’s Secretary may
be able to reach the local fields
and organise the young people.
Drs. McCrorey, West, Russell,
and Foster were accorded seats
as correspondng members; also
Revs. Wilson, Cotrley, Mrs. C.
J. Sloan and others. After a few
statements from each we ad
journed fe dinner, Dr. Wesi
echo the sound
hymns were bei
pTi Shute
We here had gx
Mrs. McCrorey. Sh
ease and grace in
us yrelcomC She a
deed a pleasant tas]
left mfltone unti
teresting re]
thanked the
making it p
attend, whicl
Mrs. Pride sweetly sang “t)o
Something for Somebody Every
Day .""There is a Beautiful Land
on High” was sung by Miss No
ra McSwain with telling effect.
Miss Annie : Brodie captivated
the audience with her clear,
bird-like tones when she sang
“Understood.”
Collection was taken to the
otnAiinf rtrf AR
The benediction was pro
nounced by Dr. Foster.
Saturday morning, July 31st,
at 9:30 o’clock, Mrs. Phifer and
Mrs. Granam, of Huntersville,
conducted a short praise service.
Elder Phifer closed with prayer.
The-regular order of the day
was called. A mission study
class was conducted by Rev. H.
Wilson, of Concord. “Peasant
Pioneers” was the subject dis
cussed. Rev. Wilson was well
prepared to teach this subject
and all felt greatly benefitted to
have such an able instructor.
Mrs. E. B. White, Secretary
of Literature, in her report,
urged that more local societies
read literature pertaining to
their work in order to know
more about it.
A motion was made by Mrs.
McCrorey that we make it a
part of our work to send a re
presentative from each local so
ciety to the School of Methods
each year.
Mrs. M. J. Alexander second
ed the motion, and it carried.
A very gratifying report by
our Corresponding Secretary,
Mrs. P> W. Russell, was given.
Mrs Cowan being absent,
there was n report on the
Division of Missions tor Colored
People.
Mrs. S. L, Rollins always
gives a detailed report of all
money sent to her and that paid
out. She is our treasurer. :u ,
Mrs. M. J. Phifer was elect
ed delegate to the Synod. . . s &
All Committees reported at
this time.
The present staff of officers
i was reelected with one excep
tion. Mrs. C. M. Wilson succeed
, ed Mrs. Sudie Cowan as Secre
tary fear Hie Division of Mis
sions for Colored Peoeple.
i Dr. Melton inducted Hie offi
■ cial staff into of flee.
Mrs. Murphy read resolu
te tions of thanks, voicing the aenr
timent «f the Presbyterial in
dent; Miss .. Opheha V. Reeai
Vice-President; Mrs. B.M. Here
ford, Secretary ; Mrs. J. $. Msy
er, Treasurer; Jessie-*Npt’
Fowixes, Corresponding Sec’y.
Next in order was a paper,
‘The Need and Value of
Trained ^ay Workers,” by Mrs.
G. R. Carter/ Owing to the ab
sence ox Mrs. Carter there was
a general discussion of the sub
ject. •••■«■.:
Music was rendered by tiie
Convention followed by another
interesting discussion, “The
Ten Points' Standard for Town
and Country fSunday School,”
led by Prof. S. L. Young, which
was very interesting and in*
spiring.
After music and the offering
the benediction was pro
nounced by Rev. Fowlkes.
Friday Might
At 8 o'clock song service was
led by Prof. S. L. Young.
The welcome address was giv
en by Mr W. M. Lampkins,
Superintendent of Mt. Lebanon
Sunday school. Miss A. B.,Log
gins being absent, response was
mad# by Rev. C. M. Dusenbury.
These addresses were enjoyed
by all.
After music by the Conven
tion the opening sermon was
preached by Rev.’ C. M. Dusen
bury, owing to the absence of
Rev. G. P. Watkins. Rev. Dusen
bury took as his text Dan. 1:8.
The text was very ably dis
cussed by Rev. Dusenbury and
all were benefltted by thefsr
mon. n >J:; . :V. ■
Saturday Morning ■
The meeting opened at b:00
o’clock with Bible study and de
votions, led by Mr. S. D. Mitch
ell. . .
Then came the reports of the
various Sunday schools; after