Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / Feb. 7, 1883, edition 1 / Page 1
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- r. ' VOL. XXVIII. iG. 0. THE ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE OF THE M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. ESTABLISHED 1S55 RALEIGH, N. C, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7, 1883. II. X. IHJIS:, 1. i Cor. Editor For the Advocate. LETTER FROM BISHOP WILSON. The two Conferences, Mississippi and Lousiana, with which the round for the year closed, were quite as free from dis turbing incident as the others. The ex amination of character and administration brought out but few complaints and, as I remember, but one case for trial. The complaints were dismissed ; the trial re sulted in a verdict of guilty and suspen sion for six months. The work of the year was closely scrutinized and made a very fair showing in view of the disadvantages under which the preachers had labored. In both Conferences the floods had des tioyed much property and taken away the hope of crops for the year. Whole Dis tricts were under water for two or three months ; and the canoe was sometimes sub stitu'ed for-the horse of the itinerant. Of course, the Church was the first to contri bute to the losses. That is usual. Salaries were short and collections did not come up to the measure of assessments. Yet the vear was not a fruitless one. Some re vivals were reported and the number of members was increased. Sunday Schools were kept in good condition and the pro portion of scholars to Church members enlarged. Interest in our Church litera ture grows. Missions are getting a broad er, firmer hold upon our people. The new Church Extension movement was in augurated and met with favor. Education in its relations to the Church and Chris tian character was carefully considered. All these concerns were represented by men whose hearts are in them. Dr. Kel ley, at Crystal Springs, and Dr. Young at Mansfield, brought the facts and figures of our Missions before the Conferences on Missionary day and at the Anniversary. The Church Extension Secretary, Bro. Morton, very properly magnified his office and gave a very just conception of the character and extent of the work contem plated by that Board. Educational interests were well repre sented by the retiring President of Cen tenary, Dr. ( G. Andrews, and his suc cessor, President Rush, and, for the female side, Dr. H. Johnson and others. Full time was allowed for the consideration of all these : but very little was wasted in superfluous, or irrelevant speech. The brethren spoke to the point and ended when they had said what seemed to be necessary. The decision of all questions was comm'tted, without attempting undue influence, to the enlightened judgn.ent of the Conference. There were no exciting discussions, no divisions by party lines. The brethren acted with great unanimity. There is a wide field for our Method'sm is these two Conferences. They hav suf fered more than most of our Church, not only from the immediate effects of the war, loss of labor,depreciation of property, etc. but from disasters to crops year after year and decline in prices of their staples These evils have subjected our workmen to hardship and, in some instances, have reduced strong circuits to missions, cr compelled them to be left without supplies. There is, notwithstanding, a vast amount of energy and persistency in the preachers and many of them are first class workmen, observant, skilful ready to take advantage of opportunites. In coming years the river will be brought under control. The Dutch diked out the Atlantic Ocean : surely the United States can do as much for the Mississippi. The lines of com municat on will make transportation to all sections of both States easy. Business will flourish and wealth will accumulate. Then, the standing we now have and the fidelity and activity of our preachers will insure our steady progress. In L-uisiana there is a Roman Catholic population, to which we have had but imperfect access heretofore. An effort to establish a French Mission at one point failed through the infidelity of the Missionary. Now and then a few of this class are brought in and every year some little advance is made in our ap- fered from the overflow, they responded freely to the calls made upon them. Bro. Morton collected $416, for Church Exten sion, the largest amount raised at any Conference, I think he told me. Some thought that the Missionary collection would fall behind after such a draft: but that gives tone to Christianity in any country. The progress of Christianity in th's count ry has kept pace with learning, science and civilization. Infidelity now seems on the increase, because the light of the gos pel is greater to make it manifest. There are more believers in the world now than is not according to the laws of the King-' ever before. We are 'in advance of our dom of Heaven. The anniversary meeting brought $1,000 into the Missionary funds. To these add some seventy-five dollars, or more to raise a monument to Dr. Thweat, the first Pr sident of Mansfield Female College, and one hundred dollars to in sure the College buildings. It will be dif ficult, when all things are taken into the account, to find a Conference that has done better or as well. I must stop. I would like to tell of very delightful intercourse with Bishops Keener and Parker, the latter just through with his Conferences in Texas and of many other things that now come to mind. But this is long enough for yourself and your read ers. A. W. Wilson. large foreign, For the Advocate. THEN ASD NOW. Dear Editors : In the Advocate of Jan. 24th there is an article entitled Gospel Preaching, by Dr. Curry. Articles of like character are to be found in almost every religious paper. The writers do not say that the preaching of the present time is not gospel preaching. But they premise that the Church, the ministry, preaching and Christianity have degenerated, is evi dently assumed. I suppose that Adam and Eve were not more than a mile from Eden whenAdam said "times are not as good as they used to be, ' and one generation after another have been repeating :t ever since. And if the good times referred to are the golden age when our first parents lived in their Eden-home the saying may have a shadow f truth, though not much. For we have gained as much or more in re demption as we lost by the fall. But the intention of these articles is to teach as a historxal fact, that the genera' ion next preceding the present, was characterized by much better preaching singing and religion than the present. Many changes have taken place during the last fifty years. The style of dress of half a century ago has changed. Our fathers were plain and eccentric in dress and proud of it too. They, with an ominous shake of the head, warned young people against arranging their toilet be fore the glass Now the preacher's tent at camp meeting is not well furnished un less it has a good mirror. Who would go back to these old puritan landmarks? r s for old t'me revivals there was more de monstration then than now.The preaching was probably more vehe uent. More ex c'tement,shouting and noise, and services continued nearly all night. But often more noise' was made than there was good acconiDlished. We have a few of the old time sort of revivals now, m some sec tions. How they do shout ! In these re vivals the preacher must not take up a collection. "So many people don't be lieve in it." The stewards must not ask for quarterage, or the revived will think that the preacher "preaches for money." There is a circuit in the N. C. Conference that has been having "old time revivals" for seven years. During this time at least five hundred persons have joined the Church Last year this Circuit was serv ed by a good zealous preacher. Oh how they loved him! He received about one hundred and fiftv dollars salary. Let us get away from all such old times. This kind 01 revival tire has never burned out self-love and stinginess; yet the greate -t revivals known to the Jewish Church were when the people brought their offerings and sacrifices and tithes to the Lord with no reserve. God was wel pleased with such performance of duty arrd gave them times of refreshing from his presence. If we could have such a revival from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean we could fathers. To evidence ;his, compare the present with the past Put our modern Church buildings by the side of those our fathers built. We havi many more Churches and far bettcr nes. The preaching retails the sense and spirit, if it has lost some of the sound. The arguments are as clear and as effec tive as ever. Preachers are. receiving larger salaries. Every interest of the Church is receiving a far greater support. In finan ces the Church is going rapidly and grand ly forward. Compare the morals of the present time with those of the past. What sin is committed now tlat our fathers nev er witnessed? If sin ippears on the in crease the appearance comes from the in crease of people and the extensive and swift communication of news from all parts of the world. More people are reading the Bible than in any past age. Bible helps are more numerous and Scripture better understood. More people go to Church, and Sunday is tetter kept. The fear of the Lord largely prevails. Should the march of the Church continue to in crease as it has during the past genera tion, we will soon stand on the Delectable mountains and see the kingdom of heaven seating its king on everj throne on earth, and hear God's praises arid Zion's sonss rendered in all languages, and the an nunciation that the Son of God has receiv ed "the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his posses sion. tolerate it. The spirit of humility and meekness demands love, harmony, and charity in the place of jealousy, strife, bitter contention and back-biting. The writer neither intends nor means any personal allusions or reflections in this article. He is only contending for a ( hristian principle, and referring to an obstruction to the progress of Methodism and the cause of Christ. No man more admires, honors and venerates the Metho dist ministry of this State than he does. It is for this and such as this that he desires to see the Church purged of ministeral jealousy and strife. Feb. 1883. May it soon be announced in JieayenJ and earth: . v 1 he .Lord tCm: potent reigneth." j. . kectus Non. nrnarhpc tr tfpm TherP is want of men i uv , . t t - - , lL . , v0,o.i,r Upv Duiia many snziv umucsc universities, who can use their own tongue freely, ihey J ,,, . . . u-.. .u 4- nniu'and fill them with professors. Innity - univi 111 w-.. fc J J indifferent. It ought not to be an inipos- would no longer languish. The quaUty of sible thing to show our gospel the power the preaching we now have backed by lJ , -4- c r i ' i, j r.i; 1 SUCH tX III ucytu i-vivxj nuuiu tuuvcil of God in saving mult tudes of this people, ! au J c , , , ! the world to Christ so long neglected. ! , - . , . . c j.t. I I for one, am opposed to any newspaper The Louisiana Conference deserves , , j . , r i i'u v r 'article that indicates degeneracy in the special mention for the liberality of itSjarui-lc b . i. t i u i, -., I ministry or its effects. The preaching contnbutions. Largely as they had suf- 11,1111 j r a For the Advocate. MINISTERIAL JEALOUSY AND STRIFE. Messrs Editors : l"he writer is without the pale of apy Church. He feels his un- worthiness and that he is a guilty sinner, although he has been striving for a long time to get the consent of his conscience to apply for Church membership. He has sougl t to inform himself of the faith, doc trines, and usages of the Methodist Church to the end of b coming able to act from suggestions of judgment as well as from convict'ons of the heart. He is already persuaded that an examination of the claims of Methodism greatly commends it to the approval of a sound judgment and a good conscience. But although this is so, and though the intelligence, perceptions, and sympathies of the writer are with the Methodist Church in preference to any other, there is one other difficulty in the way of his asking admission to its hallow ed enclosures and its sacred protection. It is the same obstacle and objection which operate powerfully in the prevention, all the time of keeping hundreds of thousands of persons from asking admission into Evangelical Churches. This common ob jection is the proverbial strife and jealousy, not among ministers of different religious denominations, but among those of the same Christian Church. The writer makes no charge that this is more com mon or sinful, or injurious in the Metho dist Church than in any other. But he j does say that, loving Methodism as he does, regarding relig'on, pure and unde fined, to be free from bitter stiife and con tention, especially among those bearing the Cross of our blessed Savior in their hands, he is sickened, discouiaged, mortified, at the persistent prevalence and activity of so much distraction and jealousy in the Methodist ministry of our State. There is no need or call for it. The character and usefulness of theChurch suf fers by it. The cause of Christ is injured by it, the advancing hosts of Methodism, hin North Carolina, numbering over seventy thousand, are more and more wear'ed and grieved at the distracting and sinful ele ment of ministerial jealousy. Most of the n desire to put it down. They loo' hopefully to the n. blest, most pious, and most consecrated ministers and laymen of the Church to rise up in the -grandeur of hristian love and devotion and put it down. The Church has higher purpose0, nobler ends, a sublimer mission, than to For the Advocate. FIGURES FOR THE FAIR-MINDED. P rive-list of the Publirotionx of the SoutJn n Mttlioilisl Pahlixhiny II oas . It has been w itten and published, and openly declared in many places, and some times by those whom we suppose to be our friends, that the publications of this House are higher, and cost our people more money, than do similar publications issued from publishing houses North and East. Oi r H use and c ur Church have been injured, and many persons have been prejudiced against our institut'ons,because of these statements. Now I propose to lay before the public a few facts which may speak for them selves. With catalogues, publications, and standard authorities before me, I state first, that our papers and periodicals are published in as good style and at as low rates as those of any respectable house be longing to any Church or denomination of which I have any knowledge, located East or North. Of course, we do not pretend to compete with the American Bible So x ciy ; -srt-fy' I n sti tuti OUT that is sus ta; eu in a great measure by gifts, donations, and collections taken annually for their sup port; but we are ready to compare with any regular business house conducted on regular business pr nciples. Earnest Worker," Richmond, Va., 2 pages, single subscribers, Ten or more, Westminister Teacher, Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia 38 pages, per annum, Six or more copies to one address, The Baptist Teacher, for Sunday school workers, American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 36 pages, single copy, To clubs of five or more, Bible Teacher (Presbyterian,) Phil adelphia, 24 pages, monthly, Sunday-school Herald (Lutheran,) Philadelphia, 4 pages, monthly, Sunday-school World, American Sunday-school Union, Philadel phia, 36 pages, Look at the price-list of our Periodicals:: The Sunday-school Magazine, with expository notes and application of the lesson, per annum, $ The Sunday-schrol Quarterly, for Bible classes and advanced schol ars, single subscription, per an num, Five or more, to one address, per 5" 3" 6c 5 75 6c 5 2 c? annum, each. The Intermediate Quarterly, single subscription, per annum, Five or more, to one address, per annum, each, Illustrated Lesson Paper, for inter mediate classes, single subscrip tion, per annum, Five or more to one address, per annum, each, Our Little People, beautifully illus trated, weekly lessons, single sub scription, per annum, Five or more, to one address, per annum, each, Sunday-school Visitor, weekly,single subscription, per annum, Ten or more,to one address, per annum, each, Semi-monthly, single subscription, t per annum, Ten or more, to one address, per annum, each, Monthly, single sul scription, per annum, -itch uraiuic, iu one tuuicss, per annum, each, Christian Advocate, the organ of the Church, mailed to any address, one year for, To ministers of all denominations, BOOKS. IC IC w - Ik 2d IO IO 7S 50 4x 2S 2ft! 12 2 CO I oo WEEKLY PAPERS. We take, for example, the following Methodist Book Concern, New York, Cincinnati, etc. : Christian Advocate, New York, 16 pages, per annum, VS estern Christian Advocate, Cin cinnati: 8 pages, per annum, North weste n C hristian Advocate, Chicago, 8 pages, per annum, New York Observer (Presb.), per annum, Christian at Work, N. Y., 20 pages, 11x16 inches, per annum, New York Independent, 3'i pages, 11x16., per annum, Lutheran Observer, Phila., 8 pages, 35x50 inches, per annum, The Churchman, N. Y., 24 pages, 9x13 in., per annum, Baptist Weekly, 16 pages, 11x15 inr-hes, Our hristian Advocate, at Nash ville, 20 pages, 11x15 inches, Our sheet in quality of paper, type, fold ,ed and pasted, will compare favorably with any of ths above-named journals, and is as cheap, if not cheaper, than any in the list. SUNDAY-SCHOOL PERIODICALS. Sunday-school Journal, Methodist, New York and Cincinnati, 25 pages, per annum, In clubs, Sunday-school Magazine, Nashville, M. E. Church, bouth, 18 pages, Sunday-school Advocate, New Yoik and Cincinnati, Me hodist, Sunday-scho 1 Quarterly, for Bible classes and advanced scholars, Nashville, Methodist Church, South, Five copies or more to one addr'ss Picture lesson papers, New York and Cincinnati, Methodist, Illustrated Lesson Papers for inter mediate classes, Nashville, Our Church, Five or more t ) one address, Here is "Our Bible Teacher for Sun day- school s, ' ' United Brethren, Dayton,Ohio,answering the place of c ur Sunday school Magazine, 38 pages, per annum, Sunday-school Banner for teachers and ycung people, Ton nto, Can ada, 32 pages, at the "low rate, ' the publishers say, per annum, in variably in advance, Over six copies to one address, , each . - - V The Evangelical Sunday-school Teacher, Cleveland, Ohio, 26 pages, each, In clubs, Here, too, we are ready for the com parison : Take the Methodist Book Con corn, New York and Cincinnati, which we believe publishes at lower rates than any other Church Publishing House in the North or East : The Discipline of the M. E. Church, New York, 465 pages, $ 3$ Nashville Discipline, of the M E. Church, South, 376 pages, 25 Life of Fletcher, New York, 1 00 Nashville, 75 j Watson's Biblical Dictionary, with 3 00 maps, New York, 4 5 Nashville, with Atlas and Gazetteer 5 oa Watson's Sermons, two volumes, New York, 5 00 Two volumes, Nashville, 5 00 Watson's Institutes, two volumes, New York, 6 00 Nashville, two volumes in one, 4 oa Wesley's Sermons in two volumes, New York, 5 Nashville, in four volumes, cloth, 4 00 Four vol mes, Sheep, 5 ocv Stevens' History of Methodism, averaging I think less than 500 pages, 1 5 Meth dism in Tennessee, averaging 525 pages, 1 S Bishop McKendree's Life, by Bish op Paine, 500 pages, 1 25 I might go farther, but this I think is enough. I ask papers friendly to the Publishing House to copy this article, and ! much oblige, J. B. McFkrkin, Agent. Nashville, Tenn. $2 70 2 20 2 20 3 15 3 00 3 15 3 5 2 70 2 00 65 55 50 25 5 Dark and stormy as the Winter is, in a few wee" s the Spring business, the Spring; moving and household confusion, the Spring lassitude, and the Spring dissipa- 25 j tion will be upon us. Awake, slumber ; ing Churches ! Contemplative pastors, i become practical ! Indolent shepherds, IO look closely after the flock, and do not forget the sheep on the mountains lone I and bare . Evangelists, redouble your i zeal ! Warriors at the front, press the bat- tie ! Hundreds who can now be reacnexs will be beyond reach when the birds be gin to sing and the flowers begin tobloom. 1 See to it that the volume of the songs oi I Zion is greatly increased by new voices 65 ! before "the Winter is over and gone.,, jyCW IvrK AHcwMft ..... . , . 60 50 40 SuBscKiiii: tor this Advocate. Price, $2.00 per annum, post-paid.
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 7, 1883, edition 1
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