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ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH.
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Established in 18??.
RALEIGH, N. C, MARCH 22, 1899.
New Series. Vol. l, No. ?.
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RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
urgan of the Sorth Carolina Conference
PCBMSJI&D AT Ralkigh, N. C.
Entered as second-class matter in the riost-office at Raleigh.
T.N.IVEY, . ,
N. M. WATSON,
Editoh.
Business M.kac;er.
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RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
THE CHRISTIAN'S BURDEN.
With 'thanks to Mr. Kipling.J
Take up the Christian's burden
For a people freed rod'ay.
In patience bear your du'ty
For man t j- w'ork aird pr ay
Go loose ihe fettered soul,
Go speed you to your go'ail.
Take up the Christian's burden i
Not for the rule of kings
N'c't for the lust 'of conquest,
The wealth the Orient brings;
Unfold redemption's plan
God'' greatest gift to man.
Take up the Christian's burden--
Send light across the path
Of oppression, deep and itoafieful,
And the light of aftermath
'Sstfrai'l shine from Giod 'on you-.
Be quick the work to do.
Take up Ihe 'Christian's lbur'd9n-
Till right the wlorM controls;
Go, give ycur soul to exile
To save these captive souls,
And reap your great reward
The faith 'of those you iguard.
Take up the 'Christian's Burden
Tell the story, itell it pl'ain,
And seek -th profit
And wior'k 'those 'cithers' gain;
The good for lo't'hers sought
Shall never ctome 'to motrghit.
Take uip 'the :Chr,istian',.s burden -
Send out your glitteTing gol'd,
Give your manihood to 'the tr'av'aiil,
Tiet the old story be retold
God gave His- only Son
That the world migh't be won.
EMILY J. BRYANT.
It is a sad 'thought that we are either
confessing Christ or Satan.
Xo man can leave sin by walking
backwards. Our eyes must be fixed on
the "hills whence cometh our help."
It is as foolish to argue spiritual ques
tions with one who doubts the existence
and immortality of the soul as it is to
try to explain the law of gravitation to
one who denies that the earth revolves.
Many men "cumber the ground" in
blighting by their influence the lives of
others. Every bad man or woman casts
a shadow on some other life. The time
willl come in every case for God to say,
"cut it down."'
We cannot measure love witli an ab
straction, but with a materialization.
You say that you love God and your fel
low man. To prove your statement
show us s'ome concrete form of this love.
it severely tries our soul to come in
touch with people who repudiate all ob
ligation to God and practically maintain
by their selfishness that 'their only debt
is' to themselves. Yet we are more sorely
tried when we 'are compelled, even for
the moment, to listen to the vaporings of
those who seem to have tire idea that
God is the debtor and they are the cred
itors. That ecclesiactico philosophical sys
tem of faith and practice known as
Christian science is getting in some of
its peculiar work in our State. It was
only last wee"k that a Christian Scientist
lady in the western part of the State
died of tvphoid fever, because, as it is
supposed,' she refused the services of a
physician.
The faith which expects God to cure
every malady without the human use of
the means which He has provided is a
faith run mad. Christian Science is a
bloated perversion of a common truth,
and, when carried out to its limit, be
comes a mon'strositx.
IN THE FIRING LINE, BUT
It is the glory of the Church Militant
that every one of her true soldiers is in
the "firing line." There are mo reserves,
all are at the frnot, steadfast,' immova
ble, always abounding in the work of the
Lord."' Whenever you see one in the
rear you may know that he is an un
worthy soldier. No true soldier of
Christ may retreat or rest in the great
truceless war with sin.
To be in the "firing line," however, is
not enough. We may be in the "firing
line" with weapons turned in the wrong
direction, with words that dull the edge
of heroism, and with an activity that is
subversive of discipline. We may be in
the "firing line" ami do more harm than
it we were in the rear.
Evangelical activity is an inspiring
thing. We love to hear of revivals at
tended with Pentecostal power. But
how often, unfortunately, is it the case
that hundreds that have been won from
Satan are taught to discount the autlior
itv of the organized church iji which are
bound up the hopes of humanity, and to
look askance at, if not to call down fire
upon, those fellow-workers who are not
able to pronounce with them the doc
trinal shibboleth. With the aforesaid,
Bishops and ether church officers are
tyrants, and the church, fattening upon
greed is hastening to its fall. They are
in the "firing line," but .
The Methodist Church is the best or
ganized church in the world. She has
much of machinery, but, thank God, she
has behind it enough power to run it all
and more. Her enterprises are well es
tablished and well manned. Take the
Sunday School. With what ease its ma
chinery runs! What an admirable litera
ture is furnished by our Publishing
House ! Yet it is no uncommon thing to
see Sunday Schools using other litera
ture than that provided by our General
Conference. The superintendents and
teachers of such Sunday Schools are in
the "firing line," but .
Take our Epworth League literature.
The organ of this department of our
church 'has passed tin oil gh ii period oi
darkness. It has greeted the sunlight.
Under the supervision of Dr. DuBose,
it is becoming one of the best religious
journals for the young in the whole na
tion, and the subscription list is being
swellled beyond the most sanguine ex
pectation. But the Era is passing
through a crucial period. To reach its
highest literary and artistic development,
and to rejoice in that success commensu
rate with the demands of the M. E.
Church, South, and general humanity,
the Era must receive the undivided sup
port of the great army of Southern
Methodist youthhood. How is such sup
port possible when small League papers
are springing up on the right and left?
They contain good matter. To change
the figure, they are in the "firing line,"
but .
Bishop Candler sent over our South
ern Methodism a ringing appeal for men
and money to be used in Cuba, where
the "fields are white unto the. harvest."
The appeal ha's touched the great heart
of the Church, and it is through the reg
ularly organized agencies of the church
that the white banner of the Gospel
must be planted in the Antilles. It seems,
however, that this truth is lost sight of
by some zealous ones. We heard only
a few days ago of an effort on the part
of some Methodists in this State to se
cure funds for missionary work in Cuba
-all independent of our regular mission
ary organizations. Such effort as this will
produce confusion, paralyze the mission
ary arm of the church, and render abor
tive our schemes for evangelizing the
territory which God has wrested from
the grasp of superstition and tyranny.
These zealous, isolated workers are in
the "firing line," but .
"Why place us in a straight jacket"
of church rule's and agencies?" you say.
"Why not allowT some latitude in this day
of expansion?" To these questions we
answer: God sent Christ into this world
to build from its ruins His everlasting
church. This church is .n organized
thing. Through this organization, the
world is to be saved. This organization
means coherency, autonomy, unity of ac
tion and interest, obedience to rules,
conformity to regulations, and unswerv
ing discipline. The absence of these
qualities in the great working, fighting
hosts of God, be the zeal never so great,
means disconcertation and final defeat.
You may stand in the front, but unless
you shoot according to orders, our
bravery will be fruitless, as far as victory
is concerned.
Men and brethren, let us stand in the
"firing line," and fire according to or
ders. We can do this without apotheo
sizing the church or losing our personal
freedom.
COMMERCIAL SUNRISE.
By every token this the next to the last
year of the century will be to North
Carolina one of marked material devel
opment and prosperity. The Commercial
pulse is full and steady. In spite of
croakings that come from different quar
ters, the people in all departments of ac
tivity are bright and hopeful. Confi
dence in the political, social, and com
mercial future of the State is strong and
manifest. A glance at some of the leg
islation just enacted by the General As
sembly will prove the truth of the fore
going statement.
Take railroad building, for instance.
The laws of North Carolina for 1899
will show that fourteen new roads have
been chartered. Of these, the Black
Diamond system is perhaps the most im
portant. It embraces 17 branches, ag
gregating a total of 1,639 miles.
The North and South Carolina Railroad
will prove of vast importance to the
State.
It will connect the Plant Svstem with
the Atlantic and Danville, whose eastern
terminus is Norfolk. The other roads
chartered have promise of great things
for the commercial life of our State.
Numerous cotton factory plants are
being established or projected. The de
velopments on this lhte during the year
will deepen the conviction in the mind of
the New Englander that the star of New
England prosperity is taking its way
Southward.
There was announced last week in the
newspapers of the State an enterprise
the mention of which almost takes the
breath away from our people. This is
the enterprise projected by a syndicate
composed of Messrs. B. N. Duke, Julian
S. Carr, S.
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Morgan, and others,
who have bought the famous Avater pow
er at Lockville in Chatham county. It
is expected that this syndicate will in
vest $3,000,000 in developing this prop
erty. This enterprise will mean much,
not only to the State, but to the South..
There is one sad thought connected
with these hopeful signs. Eras of mate
rial prosperity are not generally marked
by spiritual and intellectual growth. We
hope that there will be an exception in
this case. God has placed a great re
sponsibility in our hands and on our
hearts. Let us by prayerful activity see
that the church moves pari passu with
the State up tire shining slopes of pros
perity THE CHURCH CAN STAND IT.
A noted speaker in expressing his
views recently on the desertion of the
Church by the younger element said:
"1 doubt whether there is any church
in Christendom," can stand such
a desertion ami live. These come
from the young people, who, when they
grow up, drift out of the church of their
fathers, and I believe it is due in great
part to the want of loyalty and love of
the church by the parents. I know many
parents of the Methodist church are in
different to this wholesale desertion be
cause of Methodism's strictures on pleas
ures, cards and dancing. Their children
join other churches for these social pleas
ures, not forbidden in those churches."
We are prepared to subscribe to the
view that the desertions spoken of are
due in great measure to the dislovaltv of
the parents. That many parents are in
different to' the desertions on account of
M'ethodism's "strictures on pleasures,
cards and dancing," Ave do not doubt.
That children join other churches for
these social pleasures not forbidden in
those churches, we only too well know.
But we must confess that we have no pa
tience with the statement "I doubt
whether there is any church in Christen
dom that can stand such a. desertion and
live." If the desertion of the church by
shallow-pates who cannot tell the differ
ence between true religion and selfish
ness or by empty-hearted boys and
girls w ho are willing to sell principle for
worldly pleasure, can put the quietus on
a Church, that church is not worthy to
live. But the Church of Jesus Christ has
stood worse calamities than the deser
tions spoken of, and she will live until
her great Head shall have put all things
under his feeU
A STRANGE LAW,
We see a stone fall to the earth. We
examine the stone. We do not see any
thing peculiar in it. We examine the
ground on which the stone falls. We
do not see anything peculiar in the
ground. Why does the stone fall? Why
does it not rise? If We should go to the
centre of the earth we should not be
able to solve the problem. This prob
lem is a sphinx before which the ages
stand mute.
So the law of moral gravity, which is
another name for moral depravity, is
a life-enshrouding mystery. Why, when,
and where man came under this terrible
law which draws him downward, we can
easily determine from the Word of God.
But a complete understanding of this
law we can never have in this world. It
is the sheerest folly to attempt to explain
the origin of evil. When we see "face to
face" in the upper world we may under
stand the mystery .
One of the strangest phenomena of
this strange law is the soul's tendency to
shun God and seek the companionship of
the Evil One. God is a Eather full of
grace and truth. He crowns all other
blessings with the unspeakable gift of
Jesus, through whom we have redemp
tion and the forgiveness of sins accord
ing to the riches of His grace. Satan is
our enemy and the enemy of our Eather.
He ge'eth about as a "roaring lion seek
ing whom he may devour." Yet in obe
dience to this strange law man turns
from God to Satan. He laughs at his
friend, but burns incense to an implaca
ble foe. Who can explain the mystery.
Another phenomenon of this law is
seen in the sacrifice of eternal interest on
the mean altar of fleeting enjoyment.
Indulgence in sin can give us at best
only a few perishable pleasures. Then
comes eternal death. Freedom from sin
through the blood of Jesus Christ will
give us not only the true pleasures of this
world, but the glory of that life which is
to come. Yet, in the face of this fact,
thousands hug sin to their bosoms, risk
their immortal souls, and rush madly on
in the darkness. -What an inscrutable
lnystery iii che aphituctt icaini!
Only when we come Avithin the radius
of the attractive and holding power of
the Sim of righteousness, will we, in spite
of the counter worldward attraction, be
able to revolve with thought, feeling, and
life around the divine centre. Let us by
the help of the Ho'ly Spirit seek that
heavenly radius, and be able to prove
the exultant statement of the great apos
tle: "Wherefore, the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and
election sure: for if ye do these things,
ye s'hall never fall.'" '
GOOD EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE.
Tlie biennial report of the Superin
tendent of Public Instruction of North
Carolina for the scholastic years 1896-97
and 1897-98 lies before us. It is a well
printed book of nearly 1,000 pages, con
taining 75 illustrations. In the first few
pages, Superintendent Mebane makes
his recommendations to the General
Assembly of North Carolina on different
subjects vital to common school educa
tion. Among these are some striking
practical thoughts on Local Taxation,
Civil Government- and the Relation of
the . Office of Public Instruction to
Private Schools and Denominational
Colleges. Some highly valuable pages are
those giving comparative statistics from
1884 to 1898. The lists of questions for
applicants for certificates are interesting
as showing that it is no easy matter for
one to receive authority to teach in
the free schools of North -Carolina. There
is a number of tables giving much valu
able information. Sketches of some old
or extinct schools in the counties of
North Carolina by Kemp P. Battle, LL.
D., are published. Part Two gives a
thorough history of the State colleges
and institution's and of the denomina
tional colleges; also of the high schools
and academies. In fact Superintendent
Mebane has embodied in his report in
formation touching every point of edu
cational life in "North Carolina. We
must confess that Ave Avere surprised
when Ave saw the Volume. Wre Avere
more surprised when Ave examined it.
Such a volume is seldom seen south of
the Mason and Dixon line. It is a credit
to Mr. Mebane and the State.
In this connection, we wish to con
gratulate Mr. Mebane on the efficiency
with with he has served the people in
the capacity of Superintendent of Pub
"c Instruction. He came into his of
fice under great disadvantages. He has
wrought Avell. Two years ago he A-ork-
ed hard for an increase of appropria
tion by the Legislature for the free
schools. In the recent appropriation of
$100,000 for this purpose, Mr. MebaneJ
can see some of the fruits of his labor
The State would do Avell to keep Mr
Mebane in his present position as long as
possible.
WEEKLY REVIEW.
American citizens in Cubta have sent
to the United States government claims
amounting to over $20,000,000 for dam
ages received in the recent Avar Avith
Spain. The articles of peace between)
the United States and Spain provide
that each government shall be liable
for damages received by the citizen's of
the other gOA-'ernment. The payment of
the above-m'entioned $20,000,000 can
not receive attention until the next Co:ii-
gress meets.
The smallpox scare is spreading over
the Avhole State. The disease is said to
exist in over twenty counties. It is
mainly isolated, and very few fatal cases
have been reported. Vaccination has
been made compulsory in a number of
towns. This, in the long run, will prove
beneficial, even though the order be
disregarded by a large proportion of the
people. It seems to us that if compul
sory vaccination be ordered, it should
be done before the disease makes its
apppearance.
Our eAiangelical churches Should
watch lest enemies from our shores out
strip us in the missionary race. The
Mormons have successfully planted
themselves in the island of HaAvaii.
There are nearly 5,000 Hawaiian's who
are membres of tire Mormon church
The missionaries sent forth are strong
and active. They find no difficulty in
having access to the hearts of the na'ti"es.
A Mormon colony has been formed at
Laie. With 45,000 Buddhists already;
in the island, the outlook for Christians
Ly is nonc'ct -tht b-igi.te -
The question as to what should Te
done with the criminal insane of the
State has been a very vital and pressing
one for some time. It is contrary to rea
son, it seems to us, that this class of per
sons should be placed with the rest of
the insane. The Senate passed a bill
appropriating $6,000 for the care of the
criminal insane, but the bill, through
carelessness, failed to pass its third read
ing in the House. This is to be regret
ted. The need is so pressing, and there
was nothing in the Avay of supplying it.
The onlv thing that can be done is to
wait for the next session of the Legis
lature. There seems to be some difficulty Just
now 'between General Otis and General
Rios. General Otis has ordered stopped
all negotiations of the Spanish General
with the Insurgents for the release of the
Spanish prisoners in the custody of the
Insurgents. General Rios protests
against this action of the American Gen
eral on 'the grounds of humanity, claim
ing that the prisoners are exposed to
many privations and arc in danger of
death. General Otis claims that the
large ransom to be paid to the 'Insur
gents Avould so strengthen tliem that the
American cause would be weakened. In
ihe meantime, the American troops have
captured the city of Pasig, and, are pre
paring for the final blow.
The proposed constitutional arnenft-
ment prohibiting poly gam ists from be
ing elected to Congress has met favor
able consideration at the hands of the
committee having it in charge. The com
mittee in its report says : 1
''Enough has been presented to show
that the people of the United States,
through Congress, have placed on the
statute books their unequivocal and un
compromising hostility to the crime of
polygamy. Therefore, shall the possi
bility be allowed to continue to exist of
a State electing to a Congress a person
Avhb is a polygamist, to participate
in the framing of laws for a people AA"ht
have unmistakably, in no uncertain way,
but deliberately and positively, declared
that polygamy is a crime and a disease
which should not be tolerated in a civili
ed community, but extirpated in the in
terest of the homes of America, which
constitute one the nation's strongest bul
warks against moraj decay?."
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