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VOL. XXVII.- NO 45. THE ORGAJM OF .THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE OF THE M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. ESTABLISHED 1855 "jAV ! Editor. RALEIGH, N. C, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 22, 1882. HUDSON, I. !., Cor. Editor. AX IMPORTANT NOTICE. Members of the Annual Conference, Clerical or Lay, who do not expect to at tend the approaching session will please tt-RlTE ME IMMEDIATELY. ; E. A. Yates. ! For the Advocate. EARS AND EYES. HY REV. DR. C. F. DEEMS. j There is a point of ethics connected j with the use of the ears which is impor tant in that particular connection and valuable on account of the general princi ple involved. When articulate utterances ire made within hearing distance we can avoid the entrance of the sounds into our ears only by an effort. The hearing in that case is the product of a lavv of Nature. A man is not responsible for having heard under these circumstances, provided he has not placed himself where he supposed he would hear these utterances. It is the voluntary giving of our ears to the voice of the speaker which makes us responsi ble for the moral effect of his language up on our character. This distinction, we think, is not ordi narily kept in mind in the usual employment of the English words "to hear; ' but it is dist nctly marked by a careful employment of the verbs "to hear" and "to listen." To w always signifies the reception of the articulate sound; but to listen implies not onlv that, but also a desire and an effort jo receive the sound. Whenever we use :he word "hear," meaning to listen, we give it a kind of emphasis. "Hear my words," is uttered in a tone signifying that we desire the hearer to be a careful listener. Xow, listening is a very important mat ter. Our intellects and our whole charact er are greatly influenced by what we hear, and that influence is intensified and per petuated by any voluntary attention which v,e may give to him that speaks. This aay be illustrated by the address of our fleavenly Father to Adam after his trans gression. "Because thou hast hearkened I into the voice of thy wife and hast eaten ! 1 1 . 1 1 t , a. i a.1 Jitne tree. it w as not sunpiy me cauiig, aor Adam's hearing the voice of his wife, bat it was because he intelligently put him self in the way of the evil. He hearkened or listened. In Proverbs i.27, it is writ ten, "Cease my son, to hear the instruc tion that causes to err from the words of knowledge." In this passage, in the or iginal Hebrew, the verb "hear," is the same as the verb "heathen" in Genesis iii. It is the sin of listening to the tempt er, it is the sin 01 heariner anvthinsr against God. In this day of excessive freedom it be hooves us to give this subject some atten tive consideration. Young men are re commended to go everywhere and hear everything They are charged with being higoted if they refuse to hear radical and nfidel addresses in which attacks are made upon the faith in which they have been reared. It is represented as being indica tive of narrowness and a want of sympathy rith free thought and free speech when "ten decline to hear addresses which at tack their faith. This is one of the devi ls of the enemy. certainly some things ought to be con sidered settled. Certainly there must be sonie sanctity in the relations of the mem bers of the human race to one another, lnd to God. Surely a girl is not to be con- !kred narrow and not open to the truth cause she is not willing to go into a Public assembly to hear her father abused, rtainly a son i- not to be respected who viuntarilv attends an assemblv to hear tat can be said against the chastity of his ther. Why then should young people alW' themselves to be driven into places ere they hear something said against ,Qd ;His word ridiculed ; His government cnt cised ; His name blasphemed ? So far lrm its not being right to avoid putting s-self in this position, it is eally a sin 10 listen to the tempter voluntarily for one ment. The instruction which causes us err from the words of knowledge is ethinp- ?ss nor a oru 1 ri,- u tua ',c wv-,vvl 111 Willi,"! tllVll IO 1 aching one may accidentally hear that j ich gives him an idea of what is taught ls instincts be clean he will at once Slst what he has heard. The sin begins jj en he begins to listen. ' Adam should I L ear ine very mom cut ue De&n i .. : J . against God, in that she was saying some thing which would cause him to err from the word of knowledge. And we must keep in perpetual remem brance that what is true of the ear is true of the eye. One may incidentally look up on a bad picture or a bad page The mo ment that he has an intimation that it is contrary to good morals and the teaching of the Holy Scriptuie he will turn away. The moment he begins to gaze at the pic ture, or to peruse the page, that very mo ment he is voluntarily putting himself un der the power of the tempter. The tempt er's responsibility began when he com menced to draw that picture or write that page ; and ours commences when we begin voluntarily to look at it. From every man or woman that disparages, and from every picture or book that is intended to disparage my father or my mother, my God or my Bible I am bound to turn with dislike. The more one cultivates the love of the truth, the more one will hate error.; and one of the most alarming things to any man ought to be that he loves the error because it is pleasant; as one should feel himself in danger when he discovers that he is tasting poison beause it is sweet. For the Advocate. KEV. JOSEPH E. DOUGLAS, I). I). In Memoriam. Rev. Joseph E. Douglas, D. D., whose death is announced in th Advocate of Nov. 1st, as having occurred October 24th, was a member of the N. Mississippi Con ference. As I was associated with him in that Conference several years and for two years pastor of his family, perhaps I am as well prepared to speak of him as any one in our Conference. Dr. Douglas joined the Tennessee Con ference in 1834, and traveled two years as junior preacher on Duck River and Frank lin Circuits. He then located for the pur pose of entering LaGrange College, then under the Presidency of Dr. R. Paine. He pursued his studies successfully and grad uated. Subsequently he entered the itin erancy; but spent most of his life as an educator. The instruction of girls was his chosen department in this important work He sustained himself well in it. Having secured as his wife a lady of very superior qualifications, he managed for quite a number of years the affairs of Franklin Female College, Holly Springs, Miss. Then was President several years of Mar shall Female Institute, Miss. Having re signed that, he removed to Iuka, Miss., and took charge of the Female College at that place. Herein 1872 or 1873 his wife died. She was almost idolized by him, and never a man felt more seriously such a loss than Dr. Douglas. This greatly de pressed him and led him in about two years to give up teaching and take pastor al work. He was appointed in 1876 to Clarksdale, and in 1877 to Cherry Hill, small pleasant stations, but both in the Mississippi Bottom, so called. That sec tion is ragarded unhealthy. He was never robust. The country was not healthful for him. He was so enfeebled that at the ensuing Conference he took a superannuat ed relation. This he sustained with con stantly declining strength till his death. He was a nephew of the late distinguish ed Thos. Logan Douglas. Dr. D. was a man of great purity of character, a devout Christian, a catholi c man in spirit ; an earnest preacher, who always in preach ing came near the Cross and its hallowed memories. He was a successful educator. He did a great work for the women of Mississippi and Tennessee, hundreds of whom he returned to their homes well in structed in science, literature and religion. He s emed never to think his work done till he had led them to the knowledge of the truth in.Chrisr. Doubtless he now rests with the loved ones gone before. N. Mississippi Conference during the year, has, like our own been called to mourn the' death of four of its venerable and venerated members. Loudly are we call ed to be in duty and readiness to depart. . Thos. S. Campbell. There is a mountain pass in Switzerland over wnicn uieuttvcici ia wnuuu u fold He might lose his footing if he caught but one bewildering glimpse of the chasm below. In like manner a wise love conceals from us those circumstances that might district our attention from the im mediate line of duty, withholds the knowl edge that might occasion bewilderment and a fall. Cho rl s Stanford. UNCHARITABLE CRITICISM. BY R. T. NABORS. Fault-finding is a strong evidence of hu man depravity. There are those who are ever on the lookout for the weaknesses and frailities of men. True manly virtues are overlooked by these critics of our race, or, if not overlooked, weigh as straws over against imperfections, in the balances of their judgment. There are insects in the natural world called flies, that will buzz all about your hand until they find a sore spot, and there they congregate and call attention to the fact. There are also cer tain birds that feed solely on carrion. Over the most beautiful landscapes, over smiling meadows, and over gardens blos soming with redolent flowers, they will fly without detecting a hue of beauty or an atom of fragrance, but the moment their olfactories are touched by the odor of a decaying carcass, they hasten to alight and revel with delight upon the banquet of pu tre'action. So in society there are men and women like these flies and buzzards, seeking the sore spots and the carcasses of human characters, and when discover ed, they feast upon them as upon a sweet morsel. Tale-bearers and busy-bodies they are in social . circles. What is worst of all, these fault-finders find listening ears among those who 'profess and call tjiem selves Christians.' We -boast loudly in this present age of our Chi istian civiliza tion and of the refined morality of Chris tian society; but how few are the Chris tian households in which there are no slaughter pens full of the carcasses of slaughtered . character. - Some persons might, with propriety, be called the "devil's mail bag," distributing his letters of slander and criticisms from house to house, and, strange to these letters are read with great delight. These fault finders are nothing more : than moral scavengers, gathering up all he garbage in the sp ritual sewerages of the social world and emptying it at our doors, frequently without a word of remonstrance on our part. Especially is this true . among persons engaged in similar callings in life. If a lawyer begins to lise above his fellows in prominence and distinction, at once dark suspicions are put into circulation as to his character. Let a man announce himself a candidate for an important office, and these flies of the social world begin to search for the sore spots in his past career. Where can we find a distinguished politican who has not been forced to defend his reputa tion, however stainless may have been its lofty escutcheon. We rejoice in the proud prerogative of "An American Free Press," which in many instances means only free dom to damn with impunity an honest man before the bar of public opinion. One-half the secular journals of our coun try are nothing more than mud-slingers, covering with slime and filth - the reputa tion of those men who do not chance to be their special pets and champions. The church and the ministry are not al together free from this uncharitable criticism, and this spirit of fault finding. Many a Dorcas Sewing Society has stuck the needle of criticism into some weak sister's character with more delight than it has used its material needles in making garments for the worthy poor. We have known instances of brethren in the house of God, waiting for a prayer-meeting to begin, to spend the time in dissecting the imperfections of a frail member, rather than in prayer to God for his spiritual growth and perfection. At the sessions of our annual conferences, how often do we hear a group of preachers discussing the weaknesses and suggesting the possible flaws in the life of some brother who hap pens to' be a little more popular than them selves ? Now, we lay down this proposition : No man or woman has the right to dive down into the experienci s of other men and wo men, and drag up their faults for public observation, unless from a bfyjevolenl mo Hue. Criticism, simply for the sake of criticism, is a sin against Goaand man. "But" says one,. "I only.te'li the truth." That may be; but no man has the right to j tell a damaging truth against another man, unless silence would be an injury to the church or to society. Besides this, these fault-finders do not tell the whole truth. They exaggerate weaknesses, and magnify strong elements of character. Such men are both ignorant and idle; ignorant, be cause if their minds were crowded with knowledge they would have no room to store away for discussion the faults of men. And they are idle, because a busy man never has time to go about hunting for the sore spots of humanity. It was Dr. Chal mers, if we mistake not, who once said : "The more I see of human nature, the more profoundly I am impressed with its weakness; and the longer I contemplate the tides against which it has to contend, the more deeply do I sympathize with its struggle, and the more inclined-1 am to cover its faults with the broad mantle of Christian charity." Noble words are these, worthy of being inscribed in letters of gold over the doorway of every Chris tian heart. Many a man, like Peter, falls under the pressure of temptation; and while his fault-finding brethren are feast ing at the banquet of his misfortune, like Peter, he is out under the stars, looking up toward a forgiving God, through bitter V ars of repentance, and praying for future strength. . . "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Texas Christian Advocate. THE CONQUEST OF KINDNESS. Not twenty years ago a city pastor in Western New York was appealed to for advice by an almost heart-broken, sorrow stricken wife, who had been suffering a series of long-continued and aggravating wrongs from th u.ngpverne terrip;et of a rude and abusive husband -The 'appeal came to the pastor in his study at an early morning hour. The conversation (here very considerably condensed and abbrevi ated) was substantially as follows: Woman. "I come to you with a sad message, but. you; vyiU forgive. me when I tell you that my suffering has been so long and so severe that.. my nervous system js breaking down .tinder- it, and my life is becoming one of terrible despair.' All this was said with a look of misery inex pressible in mere words; and, as she ad ded, half hesitatingly, a few sentences de scriptive of the abuse she daily received, her intense emotion found vent in tears and sobs. Pastor. "Has your husband always been unkind to you ?" W. "O, no; at first, and for two or three years, he was sufficiently, or at least pass ably, kind." P. "May I ask you to give me the cause or causes of the change?" IV. "Reverses in business, poverty and sickness, and general discouragement. The world went ill with us, and my husband couldn't bear it." P. "And how did you bear it ?" IV. "I tried to be heroic and patient under the burdens, and kept up until hard words were used." P. "And then ?" W. "I chafed under them, and as they grew worse and worse my patience became exhausted, and our home a place of sad ness." P. "Did you describy your troubles to others " W. "Never; I would not do that; but I have shut myself up in the wretchedness of my condition, and suffered on until I can not endure it longer. You are the first one to whom I have described our home griefs " P. "My dear woman, I think there is help for you." IV. "Help! Help for met" P. "And possible a cure for your home troubles." IV. "Where? How?" . "The remedy is simple the simp lest possible and within your reach. If it should succeed, and I think . it will, . it will not only bring you present relief, but also transform your home into one of peace and happiness. Return to your now sad and suffering home with the purpose and I with the prayer for Divine help, which will , . J ' ' u u a surely be given you, to meet your husband; with a smile, and respond to him only with words and acts of extraordinary kind ness. rie may noi aeimc uicui, um am prise him in that way, and however diffi- cult it may he, keep it up for the next six weeks, and then come and tell me the re sult." With a courteous, grateful, and half hopeful "Thank you, sir will try it and may Heaven help me!" the woman retired. In just six weeks, and at the correspond--ing early morning hour, the bell of the; pastor's study rang again. "I have won him! With God's help I have conquered myself, and our home is lovely '".were the joyous words which greeted the pastor's salutation. The story was soon told "kindess did it." Two weeks later the husband was a member of the same Church with his wife, and with the new home and new Church life came a better business and a. prosperous future. Kind ness did it. A GOAT ATCnURCII. There are some good anecdotes con nected with the history of Cumberland Street Church, one of which I will narrate. It is connected with the second church building, and dates back something less than fifty years. A flight of granite steps led up from the pavement below to a large open vestibule, through which the church goers entered: A venerable "Billy Goat" frequented the sidewalk in front of the building. He was an old habitue; and, from his ordinarily good behavior ' was generally respected by the church goers, and by the community living adjacent to the sanctuary. He had stout horns, very firm legs, shaggy hair, and long gray beard. Sometimes he made a decided stand against any one who contested the right of way with him, or who attempted to push him from the sidewalk. He was not viciouv but firmly asserted his rights, whjchi'forbbviously prudent reasons, were generally conceded by men, women, and children without controversy.- He chewed his cud, nodded his head, maintained his accustomed gravity, and frequently saluted his old acquaintances with his character istic b-b-bah! Not -unfrequently on Sun day mornings be entered the open gate to the church, ascended the granite steps and took his 1 stand bh one of the abutments; and, in "a very dignified way for his goat ship, welcomed all who came fo the house of worship. On the occasion to which I now refer, "Old Billy ' had taken his posi tion on the abutment, in an out-of-the-way space, obstructing no one entering the church. The congregation, w'uch was very large, had assembled, Rev. Wm. A Smith, then a young man, of magnificent physique and commanding presence, was then pastor of the church. He had arisen, and was reading, ore rotunda, the opening hymn, commencing "Jesus, the mine high owe ail '? He had proceeded through two or three stanzas, when "Old Billy' entered the front door, and started deliberately up the centre aisle, chewing his cud, nodding his head, swaying his gray beard, and looking this way and that, until, just as the Doctor was reading the last stanza, he reached the front of the chancel, where he paused, and looked np at the preacher ; and just as the last line of the hymn fell from the Doctor's lips, which reads, "Behold, behold tin Lam'i.'" "Old Billy" responded, "b-b-b-bah " An awkward pause ensued. A suppressed tit ter ran through the congregation. Where- i upon one of the Stewards of the church not a strong, stout man, with more of va lor than discretion, took it on himself to eject the intruder. "Old Billy" stubbornly maintained his rights, and resented the in dignity offered him. The steward took him by his strong, annulated horns to lead him out. "Old Billy" was insulted, and, in violation of the proprieties of religious worship, he made a vigorous push and toss ! of his horns, and lifted the steward over I the pew, to the consternation of the ladies, j Reinforcements were called into requisi tion, and a ter a very ridiculous scuffle, the goat was put out from among the sheep, and the services proceeded, but not without a serious disturbance of the gravity of the worshipers. The redeeming quality of this anecdote is that it is truv. Dr. Smith j never forgot it tnj the dav of h5s death.- Dr. J E. Edwards m S. C . Advocate. S'v'nu 1" a lne Colored M. E. Church in America k following showing Eishons. 4; preachers, 1,79; members, 125,000; O O M. 9 Sunday schools, 1,457; Sunday school yvuv"v, - 'j oo) , j 42,254. .. The New York Book Concern of the Methodist Episcopal Church is doing an immense business. The net profits of the past year are $70,000. The sales have been so great, that notwithstanding the presses have been run to their full capa city, the stock in hand is $28aooa less than a year ago. ,Uf i 'it I i! i 1 1 t: 1 ! perceive that fcve was talking
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Nov. 22, 1882, edition 1
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