The Danbury Reporter. VOLUMK XXXIir ANOTHER LETTER FROM TIMOTHY Endeavors to Prove that the Negro Is Soulless. Mr. Editor: It would seem from the last is sue of the Reporter, that "Well Wisher" is somewhat wrought up over my letter of some time ago, on the subject of man and the negro. He writes seemingly a very reasonable letter, but in order to understand clearly just what his letter contains, it should be viewed in all its possible and im possible phases. The first thing we wish to notice, is the condition in which he says it would place the negro were it proven by scripture that he was soulless. Now, dear reader, we desire to ask you a practical question. If the argument prevails and it is proven by the scripture that the negro is not a part of the human family, does it not place the negro exact ly where God intended in the l>e ginning that he should be? and should he be ashamed of the posi tion assigned him by the Creator? or should the white man be afraid to compel him to occupy the posi tion assigned him by God. Ho might have used the space in his letter that he devoted to ridicule and denunciation by explaining to the reader from whence came the negro, that if he is a part of the human family, whether or not he was created so in the beginning or when and where he came in. Also it would have been nice for him to have told us the cause of the great flood that he y mentioned and further, wo would have been pleased had he given the family "relationship that ex tented between Noah and the Ethiopian woman which Moses married, as that would enable him more clearly to prove that she was a negress or me to disprove it. But let us go back to the beginning of his letter. Ho asks the question, ' did not the whole family spring from Adam? 1 presume that he means the whole human family, and we will now endeavor to answer him in a Bible light. There are just two schools of learning in the world today which propose to explain the existence of the Hea ' ven and tho earth with all the L phenomena which characterize each. We must either accustom 1| ourselves to the idea that the various species of animals and I plants, man included, originated i independently by the supernatural I process of divine creation, which as such is entirely removed from the sphere of scientific observation, ' or we are compelled to accept the theory of descent in its entirety and trace the human race equally with the various animals and plant species from an entirely simple primeval parent form. Between these two assumptions there is no third course. The school of crea tion teaches that the heaven and the earth with all tho phenomena which characterize each, is the product of divine creation. In di ««oct opposition to this scriptural school the school of Atheism tea-lies that the heaven and tho earth with all the phenomena w Inch characterize each, is the result of natural causes working without design to accomplish their formation. In our investiga tion with a view to decide intellig ently whether the phenomena of i the universe is the product of ' divine Creation, or whether it is ;the result of natural cames, we have three reliable guides to a (correct decision. These are science, ! mason and revelation. Science teaches that the lowest element of .whioh it has any knowledge is matter. Science also teaches thai i matter exists in ttie material uni- I verse in just three forms. The j solid, liquid and gaseous and inas much as all bodies celestial and i terrestial are resolvable into matter in its gaseous state, science very properly decides that matter in its gaseous state was the primitive 1 condition of all bodies; science also ! teaches that matter is not self-ex- I istent. lint to the question, from whence came matter? Science which deals alone with second ! causes, gives no answer, but just at this point in our investigation to i which science leads us and beyond ! which science is powerless to guide us, reason comes to our assistance ! with the assurance that inas i much as matter is not self-existent !it must have been created Hence j the very presence of matter even j in its primitive state, the gaseous, clearly demonstrates the oxistence of a creator while its combination in all the varied forms celestial and terrestial in which we find it today bespeaks the most infinite design and reason assures us that design can alone be formed atul ex pressed by intelligence. But to the question when and by whom was matter created reason gives no answer, but just at this point in our investigation to which reason leads us and beyond which reason is powerless to guide us, anil it would seem that any further ad vance that we may attempt must be merely speculative. Revela tion generously conies to our assist ance with that sublime assurance that in the beginning, tioi' 'eatei' the heaven and the earth Gen. 1-1. Thus revelation in harmony with science and with reason emphat ically confirms the teachings of each that there is a God, a personal God, a creator distinct from his creation, that there was a creation and as clearly stated in the Mosaic record there was a iletinito plan of the creation, a creation success ive extending through six days. The initial step was the creation in the beginning of the lowest element, matter, as stated in the first verse; this is followed in the second verse by a correct descrip tion of matter in its primitive or gaseous stato and this by the pro production of light, cosmic light, the first day, continuing by the formation of the heavens on the second day; the separation of the dry land from the waters and the introduction of plant life on the third day, the formation of the luminaries on the fourth day, the introduction of animal life in the fisli followed by the fowl, on the fifth day, the bringing forth of the cattle, creeping things and beasts, the whole terminating in the creation of man ill the image of God on the sixth day. We are thus en abled to realize the necessity of a direct revelation of these great fundamental truths to which human wisdom could not attain in any other way which without the sanction of God's word were doomed to remain simple hypoth eses incapable of proof. The Mos aic record teaches that there are just three creations. The first of these is described in connection with the Heaven and the earth in the l>eginiiitig. The second crea tion is described in connection with the introduction of animal life on the fifth day, and the third creation is described in connection with the first appearanco of man on the sixth day. In that we may properly appreciate the value of this scriptural teaching, we must first understand what constitutes a creation as described in the Mosaic record. This, we understand to lie the introduction STOKES AND CAROLINA. DANBURY, X. ?., THURSDAY JUNK IT., 1)( into the material universe of some I element that had no prior exist | once there. This leads us to de cide that in the remote past, in the beginning, what is now the mater ial universe was empty space. This condition gave place to the creation and formation described in the record. First, the creation of the Heaven and the earth in the beginning, that is, the creation of matter, the material out of which the Heaven and the earth with most of the phenomena which characterize each were formed. That matter was the creation described in the first verse of the Mosaic record is clearly proven by the correct des cription of matter iti its primitive or gaseous state as given in the second verse of the record as fol lows: And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. We are thus en abled to recognize the broad dis tinction which the inspire'd auothor draws between creation I and formation; a creation is the lirst introduction into the material j universe of some element that had | ao prior existence there; a forma -1 tion is someting made out of some ! pre-existing material, the result of | a mere change wrought in the form of the original element. The era of progress opens with the first day's work at God's com - • maud: movement begins and first | result is the production of light. This was no creation but a simple manifestation of the activity of j matter, for according to modern physics, heat and light are but different intensities of thevibra : tory motions of matter. The pro duction of the heavens on the sec ond day was not a creation and is not described as such as they were simply formations out of the orig inal creation matter, The introduction of plant life on the third day was not a crea tion and is not described as such. God simply commanded the earth to bring it forth. The luminaries which made their appearance on Hie fourth day, were not creations and are not so described. They were mere formations out of the original creation matter. From the creation of matter in the beginning throughout the first four clays, the work of God was confined to handling of matter, but the fifth day distinguished its predecessors by the introduc tion on that of a new element which made its first appearance in the material universe in combina tion with matter as presented in the physical organism of the fish which is described as follows: And God created the groat stretch ed out sea monster and all living creatures that creep which the water breeded abundantly after their kind. It is the universal opinion of theologians and of such scientists as accept the Bible as true that this creation was that of animal life. To this view, which is at once opposed to the teachings of scripture and of science, we are compelled to dissent; animal life is not a creation; life itself is not a creation; neither plant life nor animal life and it is uot so des cribed in the Mosaic record. Aside from the teachings of scripture and of science our per sonal observation teaches us that there is not such difference in plant life and eniuial life as would justify us in deciding that plant life was merely a combination of the elements inherent in matter and that animal life %vas a creation distinct from matter. Each has its germs containing I the same elements in (he same proportions. Each has its circulat ing fluid, each its formative period, each its youth, each its maturity, each its decline and final dissolution. i Mr. Dana says the vegetable and animal kingdoms are but the opposite but mutually dependent sides or parts of one system. (See Manual of Geology, P. 115.) Hence if life was a now element in the material universe, it would have been described as a creation when plant life, which is merely one side or part of tho system, made its first appearance on the globe. But inasmuch as plant life, the first side or part of the system I to make its appearance is not described as a creation, it would be at once irrational unscientific, and unscriptural to decide that animal life, the other side or part t f the system which afterwards made its appearance, was a creation distinct from matter, it would have been so described at its first appearance. The strength of our position is clearly demonstrated by the more detailed description of tho subject given in the 4th and sth verses oi the second chapt. of Gen. "These are tho generations of the Heaven and the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and tho Heavens and every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every hefb of the field before it « reW -" * ) I \\ e are thus plainly taught that j tho elements of plant life are siin- I ply parts of the original creation matter. Hence thoy existed in matter prior to the formation of matter into the earth. Thus by creating in matter the elements, of life, the Lord God made every plant of the field before it was in j the earth and every herb of the field before it grew. Inasmuch! as plant life and animal life are i mutually dependent sides or parts of one system of life, whose ele ments are identical it follows that the elements of animal life like those of plant life were parts of the original creation matter and that they existed in matter prior to tho formation of matter into the earth. Hence the combination of those original elements into I plants and animals and the first | appearance of these on the globe in obedience to God's command were not creations and are not described as such in the Mosaic record. That the elements of life, both plant and animal life, were parts of the original creation mat ter and that they existed in matter pior to the formation of matter into the earth is further shown by the identity of language used by God in commanding the earth and the water .to bring forth plant and animal life as follows: And God saiil let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth and it was so. And God said let the water bring forth abundantly the many crea tures that hath life. And God said let the earth bring forth tho creeping things and parts of tho earth after his kind and it was so. (See Gen. 2- 11-20-24. We hoped that ere we had to close this letter, wo would reach the creation of man, but wo have written too much already. So we will continue our comments on narrative of creation at another date. So we hope ull will boar in mind what has lx>ou said so that wo may gut the connecting link. Wo will also add that we will answer the questions asked us by "Well Wisher," as we get to them. i systematically so we would ad- j vise him to keep an eye on our j work until wo are through. We ! also hope that the readers of the ' Reporter will study our work in a i careful and prayerful manner and j if in any instance it can be proven i that it is not founded on the Bible! in toto and scientifically digested I then we are willing for it to be I trailed in the dust of oblivion. TIMOTHY. PINE LOG. Pine Log, June B.—Wheat is looking well in this section. Farmers have about caught up with their work. Preaching at the Bethany Luth eran church Sunday by llcv. C. A. Phillips. Base ball at Flat Shoal next Saturday. Everybody cordially invited to come out. All that won't take a part in the game, can ; take a seat on the grand stand, ! free of charge. Now, a word please in reply to ! Mr. '"Yellow Jacket." I called you Mr., but 1 believe you are a Miss. 1 did not mean to get you tipsy turny, I know you are migh ty afraid the 40 year old grass widow will get ahead of you, but there may be a little chance for you yet, but as for myself, I know ! lam not so free of speech, but ] when 1 do talk, U is to some that i is more worthy of my time than some of you are Now, a word in regard to build- j ing that car line. In the first place, we don't have to get aid from the { county to lay as short a line as 1 that. Second. We won't let none but first class passengers ride on it. All hoboes will have to walk, or. | stay at home one. ! Third. Neither can we give i you employment on it, but if you I will come over home, we have an old blind rooster, we would like to j have you to catch for us. BINGO. Confederate Veterans' Reunion. Louis ville. Ky.. June 14-16. 1905. For the above occasion the | Southern Railway will sell tickets jto Louisville, Ky., and return at I rates named below, Goldsboro $15.55, Raleigh $13.(50. Durham 11.'5.(55, Greensboro $11.95, Wins j ton-Salom $11.55, Salisbury 811 .IX), Statesville§l(3.so, Charlotte si 1.10. j Concord $11.45, Approximately low rates from other points. Tick lets sold June lOth. 11th, 12th and [ 13th with final limit leaving Louis ville June l'.Uh, 1905 provided | tickets are officially stamped by j Joseph Richardson, Special Agent, j Original purchaser may secure an j extension of final limit to leave Louisville not later than July 10th, 1905 b)' depositing ticket in | person with Joseph Richardson, I Special Agent at Louisville, Ky., I between the hours of 8.00 A. M., and 8.00 P. M.. June 10th to 19th inclusive, and upon payment of a - fee of 50 cents. ! General J. S. Carr has selected j the Southern Railway, via Ashe- ' ville. Knoxville and Harrinion Jet as the official route for his voter- , aus' Special, which will consist of first class day coaches, and stand ard Pullman cars to be handled through to Louisville witnout | change. These special cars will j leave Raleigh at 3.30 P. M., Mon day June 12th 1905. Berth rate from Raleigh and Durham $4.50, t Greensboro $4.00, Statosville and 1 Hickory $3.50. Two persons can s occupy a berth without additional ( cost. Excellent service on regular trains in both directions. Ask I your Agent for rates from your » station. For further information 1 and Pullman reservations write R. L. VERNON, 1 Trav. Pass. Agent, Charlotte. N. C. " NUMBER 20 THE DEATH OF DR. G. B. MABE. The following in regard to the I death of Dr. 11. 15. Mabe appeared i in the Big Stone (rap Post. Dr. Gr. B. Mabe was born in i Stokes county, North Carolina, and I when a young man moved to Yir- I ginia in which State he practiced ! medicine for a period of twenty i live years. About seventeen years j ago Dr. Mabe settled in Big Stone ; Gap where lie built up a large ! practice. As a citizen, he was al ; was true to his convictions and was never swerved from his prin ciples by any man. As a physi cian, he stood in the front rank of his profession, and was always ! progressing, devoting all his spare time to the study of medicine. !' )ne of the most prominent traits ! of his character was his charitable : work among his poorer patients. Many are the unpublished deeds of kindness which lie performed and by these will he be remember ed by those whom ho has so often befriended. The esteem in which he was held was evinced by the large congregation which attended the funeral at the Trinity Metli ! odist church. The service was held Saturday. Rev. J. A. H. Shuler officiating. PEA RIDGE. Pea Ridge, June f»—Mrs.Carrie Boles visited Mr. and Mrs. Abe : Tuttle Thursday night. Come ! again, Carrie. (5 lad to have you I with us. Mrs. C. W. Holland visited Mrs. W " r..lar Saturday and Sun day. Walter Kiser went to kiss his j girl good-by Sunday night and 1 she hit his nose and knocked it to ! one side. BUTTER BEAN BLOSSOM. Prayed With Hammons. Rev. J. W. Pinnix, of Kerners ville, visited the jail this after noon and held prayer with J. W. Hammons, who is condemned to be hanged July 20 for the murder of his wife. Mr. Hammons con fessed that he was guilty, but j stated that ho was not prepared for death. Ho made a request that all Christian people pray for him. Winston Sentinel. Take Notice. Chapter of the Public Laws of North Carolina, ratified Feb.2B, 15)01. and Chapter (ill! of the Pub lic Laws of North Carolina, ratified March 0, I'.KJH, protect Telephone lines from injury, and make it a misdemeanor for any person to carelessly or negligently cut or fell any tree or limb or branch there from in such a manner as to cause any injury to line or poles, or to cut, tear down or destroy, or in any way render unfit for the trans mission of messages any part, of the wire of a telephone line. People living along telephone lines might save themselves trou ble by bearing the above in mind. The old Dodson Brothers' to bacco factory at Pilot Mountain will soon resume the manufacture of tobacco under new management. It is learned that the new firm will do business under the name of Marion Bros. Tobacco Co.. and will be incorporated. Notice Of Application For License To Operate A Grain Distillery. Notice is hereby given that on the ;ird day of July, 1005, being the first Monday in July, the under signed will apply to the Board of County Commissioners of Stokes County, at the court house in Dan bury, N. C., for a license to oper ate a grain distillery of six and less than twelve bushels daily capacity, in tho town of Walnut. Cove, N. C. This tho :ilst, day of May, I'.lO.j* J. W. WILLIAMS.

Page Text

This is the computer-generated OCR text representation of this newspaper page. It may be empty, if no text could be automatically recognized. This data is also available in Plain Text and XML formats.

Return to page view