1
If
ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH.
Established in 185.
RALEIGH, N. C, APRIL 19, 1899.
New Series. Vol. l, No. 9.
yirr. ...
Ad IS I iC XVIVt A. . A. Vail
RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
Organ of the North Carolina Conference.
Puijlisiikd Wkeki.y at Raleigh, X. C.
Entered as second-class matter in the post-office ai Raleigh.
T.N. IVEY, . .
tf. M WATSON,
ElHTOTt.
lie sins ss Manager.
'.V. TERMS OF SUBSCKIPTIOX. .
One Year, - - - Sl.SO. Six Months, ? .75.
'V Cash in Advance.
All ministers of the gospel d wives of de
ceased preachers, .$1.00.
' "All travelling preachers in the North Carolina
Conference, as authorized agents, 'will receive
the paper free.
., ."Watch the label. It shows the date up to
which your subscription has been paid. Change
in label serves as a receipt.
When address is ordered changed, both old and
new address must be given.
i In sending money, be sure to state whether it
is for old or new subscription.
:Address all letters and make all checks and
money orders payable to the
"p RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE
EMtorxal.
-.A Ye have just learned of the death of
Rev. J. T. Lyon, pastor of Henderson
ville Station, W. N. C. Conference. Fur
ther particulars will be given next week.
4 There is a power which cannot be ac
cumulated to excess I mean moral
power, that of truth and virtue, the
loyalty of wisdom and love, of magna
nimity and true religion. This is the
guardian of . all right. William Ellery
Channing.
"...One of the favorite devices of Satan
isto induce men and women to transfer
personal sins to the category of infirmi
ties. One who yields to this temptation
is Inot only guilty of a gross presump
tuous sin. but is in the advanced stages
qt-spiritual decay. John Wesley, doubt
less felt the truth of this statement when
lie said that he would as soon lie and steal
as: worry. ''Take no anxious thought"
! one of the most emphatic- commands
of our Master.
--Tli e' Nashville Advocate speaks wise
ly .when it says substantially that there
should be behind the great effort which
is . being made by Southern Methodists
to raise the Twentieth Century Fund
not only a desire to meet the emergency,
, satisfy public expectation, and consum
, mate the plan,but to express in a practical
way our gratitude to God for present
and past blessings. Duty, worthy pride,
and praise should constitute the basis of
every gift to this worthy cause.
We have never heard the modern and
seemingly popular exhortation, "Be a
Christ," without having ottr devotional
feelings somewhat jarred.There is at least
the shadow of sacrilege in the expression.
W,e like the substitute which the British
Weekly offers."Not Christs but Christ's.'
The position of the apostrophe is very
significant. The Weekly says: "In the
first place it is to put it very mildly not
our, duty to be Christ, for
to- give the advice is to be guilty of an
unsurpassed blasphemy." These and
other words are used" in a criticism of
"In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon.
.-We hear very little these days of the
"Revised Version" of the Bible. All the
same, the "Revised Version" is slowly
.but surely making its way into a larger
. public favor. We trust that we are not
guilty of anything wrong when we ex
. press our belief that the day is not far
.distant when the "Revised Version" will
altogether supplant the old. We may
not see the day. In fact, we do not care
to see it. But the law of the "survival of
the fittest" holds g-ood in interpretations
and formal expression as well as else
where. ; We wish that we had room for the
'matter in the first column of the eighth
'page of the latest number of the Texas
l Advocate: Briefly, Brother Rankin says:
jVWhen you write for the Advocate use
' clean white paper and good pen and ink ;
yoi have more time than we for the pre
paration of your article; an abridged
'dictionary is very cheap; one of your be
loved Presiding Elders sent us a badly
Written communication; we unravelled
all. of it but one sentence; wish every
writer for this paper could scan one of
Bishop Keener s manuscripts. It is writ
ten spelled and punctuated with a deli
cate. precision that makes a printer's eyes
dance with joy." This is trmy wholesome
talk;
TWO BOOKS.
It is a noteworthy fact that the richest
contributions to the spirtual literature of
Southern Methodism within the last
year have been made by two North Car
lina preachers Drs. Nash and Brooks.
To those of us who have been
accustomed to lament the poverty of
North Carolina authorship, especially in
the Wesleyan family, the afore-mentioned
fact is peculiarly gratifying and stim
ulating. Dr. Nash writes on "Spiritual Life;"
Dr. Brooks, on "Scriptural Sanctifica
tion : An. Attempted Solution of the
Hoi iness Problem." Both men are am
ply equipped for the task which they
have so successfully completed. We
have known them for years, and
we take pleasure in saying that the rich
theme upon which they have expended
the labors of their mind is as clearly un
folded in their lives as in their books.
Belonging to different Annual Confer
ences, they nevertheless hold a. common
membership in the one great invisible,
indivisible body of Methodism in the Old
North State.
We have read carefully both volumes.
In doing so, we were prompted not only
by motives springing naturally from our
personal relationship to the authors, but
by a desire to learn everything possible
concerning the one great subject of the
Spiritual Life. This subject has, indeed,
come to the front within the last twenty-five
years. Cold, devitalizing rational
ism has had its day, and the fragrant
breath of the great life which is "hid
with Christ in God" is stealing over the
heart of humanity.
Dr. Nash gives his theme extensive
treatment. It is an ample landscape oi
which we look. It stretches from spirit
ual life in the abstract through all the
configurations represented by the phe
nomena of the spiritual man in the flesh
to the farthest outposts where "we shall
know even as we are known."
In the first chapter there is a lucid and
elaborate treatment of the spiritual
sphere, in which theology and psycholo
gy "meet and kiss each other."
We are glad that the subjects of Re
pentance and Regeneration are given
due emphasis. We have noticed in too
many works bearing on spiritual themes
an alarming tendency to depreciate these
"first principles."
The chapter on "Unity of Spiritual'
Life," is clear, practical, and exhaustive.
The author thus defines ' "Spir
itual Life:" Life as near as
we can define it in a spir
itual sense, is that kind of spiritual exist
ence, which belongs to God, is manifest
ed in Christ, and u imparted to mankind
by the Holy Ghost." In this chapter
there are definitions, respectively, of
"holiness," "sanctification," and "perfec
tion." According to the author "holi
ness," designating the state or charac
ter of being holy, or sinless, belongs to
all who are regenerated. To "sanctify"
is to set apart a person Or thing for the
service of God. The term "sanctifica
tion" is applied to every regenerated
soul. "Perfection" is defined as being
"the state, of spiritual being where the
whole nature is permeated with the love
of God and his righteousness." There is
nothing controversial in this chapter, or
in the whole book. Yet it is not difficult
to see that the author is in sympathy
with the views of the Crane-Boland
school, which, sooner or later, will be
compelled to modify its doctrine of spirit
ual birth and development.
Dr. Nash has not been carried away
with the seemingly popular teaching
concerning the second coming of Christ.
He believes with all his heart that the
world will be saved throug-h the preach
ing of a Crucified Christ, not by the
coming of a glorified Christ. His views
on the Millennium are, in our opinion,
sound. His views of the disembodied
spirit are stated in these words : "That
the soul enters immediately at death into
a state of conscious happiness or misery
is taught in the Scriptures beyond doubt
or cavil."
Dr. Nash expresses his thoughts in
terse and virile language. There are no
evidences of an exploring spirit. He
treads beat'en paths only to disclose new
beauties by the way. The reader who
goes to this volume to get revolutionary
ideas, or even new ideas on the "Sec
ond Blessing" and kindred subjects has a
disappointment in store for him. But
he who reads the book to come in con
tact with warm, stimulating thoughts
stronglyxpressed, logically linked, and!
practically applied, will be rewarded for
his pains.
The field of spiritual truth in "Scrip
tural Sanctification" is not so large as
that in Dr. Nash's book. The title of
Dr. Brooks' book is sufficient to show
that the object of the author is to estab
lish certain points with reference to the
spiritual life which lies between regen
eration and disembodiment. His object
is to prove by Scriptural and experiential
argument that, subsequent to regen
eration, there is a . second radical and
instantaneous work of divine grace in
and upon the believer which takes place
before death and completes the salvation
from all sin. The reasoning is earnest
and logical. There are no flashings of
fanaticism between the lines. As far as
fancies are concerned, the author's mind
is a tabula rasa. The spirit of deep de
vout earnestness breathes on every page.
It seems to us that he is very generous
as well as reasonable in his definition of
terms and explanation of phrases. It is
readily seen that he does not occupy any
extreme position. We-believe that he
has succeeded more nearly than any
other writer we know of in presenting
the real composite of belief on the sub
ject of sanctification.
He admits that entire sanctification
may be simultaneous. with regeneration;
that regeneration is always initial sancti
fication; that the instantaneousness of
the work of sanctification is similar to
the instantaneousness of the work of the
Spirit in regeneration ; that the believer
upon whom this subsequent work has
not been wrought before death may be
saved ; that depravity may be a better ex
pression than "inbred sin;" that, in sanc
tification, physical depravity is not taken
away; that. purity is not maturity; and
that the term "perfection" should never
be used except qualifiedly in the sense of
maturity or ripeness of character. But
the author believes that ,iii this second
work, moral depravity is removed. We
think that he, like all other writers on
the subject, has failed to make clear the
distinction between physical depravity
and moral depravity. For. this reason
and others we believe that he has failed
to disprove the doctrine of Mudge and
others that neither in regeneration nor in
any subsequent work is there any de
struction of the thing called original sin.
In fact we can not see why the learned
author could not consistently hold to the
"repression" theory.
A worthy feature of this book is the
ample space given to the argument from
experience. Is it not a fact that there
is a disposition at the present day to dis
count experience? This was the battle
cry of early Methodists. An experience
which confirms Holy Writ is one of the
most precious inheritances of the God
filled soul. The chapters of Dr. Brook's
book bearing on experience and its evi
dential value form, we might say, an ori
ginal acquisition to our spiritual litera
ture. Has Dr. Brooks "solved the problem?"
W e do not think that he has. We do not
think that Dr. Brooks" himself thinks so.
The problem will never be solved until
the doctrine of original sin is clarified.
This is the strategic point in the strug
gle. We wish to know if it is, and what
it is. With this knowledge men will
come nearer to &n agreement on the sub
ject of spiritual experience.
No, Dr. Brooks has not solved the
problem, but he has written one of the
best books of the present decade. It will
go out as a force working for righteous
ness, and calling men and women to the
shining table lands of the truer and
higher life. The intellectual honesty,
the exalted motives, and the sweet spirit,
of the writer will: commend the book to
every soul that is feeling after God.
We only wish that these books may
find a place in every Christian home,
especially in North Carolina.
We are proud of the fact that the
"white slavery" flourishing in so many of
the larger manufacturing towns of New
England has but a small place compara
tively in the manufacturing towns of the
South. Wre take pleasure in commend
ing Mr. W. A. Erwin, of the Erwin Cot
ton mills, for his recent act of philan
thropy in connection with his operatives.
For the one hundred and sixty-five of
his operatives who cannot read and he
will provide a schol with books and
other expenses, for five months. Strange
to say only fifteen out of the number
have refused, to take advantage of the
offer, ' 1
WILL SOME OiNE EXPLAIN?
Will some one lead us into the lisrht?
.before its adjournment Congress passed
a law, the 17th section of which reads
thus :
"That no officer or private soldier
shall be detailed to sell intoxicating
drinks, as a bartender or otherwise, in
any post exchange or canteen, nor shall
any other person be required or allowed
to sell such liquors in any encampment
or fort, or on any premises used for mil
itary purposes by the United States,
and the Secretary of War is hereby di
rected to issue such general order as
may be necessary to carry out the pro
visions of this section into full force and
effect."
Yet we learn that the anti-canteen
law so emphatically passed by Congress
has been nullified by the decision of the
Attorney-General, who says officially:
"If this act was intended to be prohib
itory of the sale of intoxicating drinks
in post exchanges or canteens, as well
as in encampments, forts , and other
premises used for military purposes,
then, to say the least, Congress used a
very circuitous route to reach that point.
Many superfluous words were employed
to enact a simple provision, which could
easily have been stated: in a' single sen
tence declaring hereafter no intoxicating
drinks should be dealt in or sold in any
post exchange or canteen, or any prem
ises used for military purposes by the
United States. The act does not make
any such declaration. On the contrary,
the first clause merely forbids the detail
of any officer or private soldier to act
as a bartender, or otherwise in the sale of
intoxicating drinks in any post exchange
or canteen. Why specify . officers and
privates as forbidden if it was intended
to forbid the traffic of all other persons?
The designation of one class of individ
uals as forbidden to do a certain thing
raises a just inference that all other
classes not mentioned are not forbid
den." We are anxious to believe that the
Attorney-General is both intelligent and
faithful to the interests which have been
placed within his care. But to be
candid, .we are now wrestling with this
problem : How can we reconcile ordinary
intelligence and average fidelity with a
decision which says that the term "no"
is particular instead of universal, that
negation means affirmation, in other
words that a law which says that no man
shall sell liquor in any fort or encamp
ment really means that some men may
sell liquor in any fort or encampment.
This seems to us some of the Devil's
logic. Will some one lead us into the
light? We look upon the army canteen
as one of the greatest' evils of our coun
try. Thousands of boys, who last Spring
Kissed their loved ones good-bye with
lips which had never touched intoxicat
ing drink are now treading the drunk
?tls pathand this path started at the
army canteen. Are we " still to
suffer this evil? Has not the
greatest representative body of
this countrv snoken np-ainst it? fan
w i.v,,,,- .:. i,J200 neoroes have been compelled to
face of the august law of Congress? If
so mnv God nitv us. Who will W1 J
into the light?
, j .--j . . . ...
THAT FAST DAY PROCLAMATION.
Governor Rollins,, of New Hampshire,
speaks in his Fast Day Proclamation of
"the decline in spiritual religion in New
Hampshire and further on says : "There
are towns where no church bell sends
forth its solemn call from January -to
January; there are villages where chil
dren grow to manhood unchristened.
There are communities where the dead
are laid .away without the benison of the
name of Christ, and where marriages
are solemnized only by justices of the
peace."
When we first read these words, we
were disposed to . thank God for Gov.
Rollins and to believe that he had rea
soned from a particular to a universal,
and, in doing so, had painted for the
whole State of New Hampshire a
gloomy picture which belonged only to
certain localities in that State. . But we
were not allowed to rest in this happy
belief. Dr. Buckley in the last number
of the Advocate confirms the statement
of Governor Rollins. The Doctor thus
writes: "For a long period we have seen we are inclined to believe that in the ap
this change taking place. There is pointment of the Commission, the prob
scarcely a town in that State in which we lem has been solved. Samoa is too small
have not travelled on foot or on horse-' an object to be receiving so much of QUE
back. For .twenty summers, ye vandei anxious thought. ' . rs
ed through its forests and climbed its
mountains, and many a town in which
we saw large congregations gather in the
house of God is now churchless. Nor is
New Hampshire alone. The situation
can be paralleled in every State in New
England. But the same transition is
taking place in the Middle States."
We are thankful that the situation
above described does not obtain in
North Carolina. While there is too great
popular indifference -to the value of
preaching, we do not know of r.ny town
or village where there is not a preaching
place of some kind. The "" 9ytr.?
great Methodist and Bap-. 'Ss are
fixed too closely on all points of the field
to allow any village to be without a
church. Time only strengthens our con
viction that the bulwarks of the' Chris
tian civilization of this country are in
the South. Over a century ago a great,
chilling, devastating wave in the shape
of slavery came sweeping .down on the
South from New England. Can it be
that it is in the eternal purposes of God
that from the South will roll back upon
New England, the warm vitalizing waves
of evangelical religion? Stranger things
than this have happened.
It is ebb tide in New England now
God grant that it may not be so long
There will be a glorious flow when
Christ is lifted up again among those
bleak hills.
WEEKLY REVIEW. :
, '
Since the taking of Santa Cruz by
General Lawton, we have heard but little
of the operations in the Philippines
There is a period of comparative in
activity there it seems. It is thought
that Aguinalolo is reorganizing his army,
north of Malolos his fallen capital. There
are flying reports that the insurgent army,
is suffering greatly from desertion. But
it must be evident to any one acquainted
with the situation that the insurgent lea
der can count on additions to his armj;
for some time yet. "
if
The Cubans have sprung a surprised
upon the people in the States by an
nouncing that the $3,000 000 appropri
ated by the United States, must be di
vided among 48,000 soldiers, mostly of
ficers, instead of the 13,219 given in the
estimates prepared under the direction of
the provincial Governors. The lists will
be carefully studied and all names not
representing a member of the Cuban ap
my will be eliminated. It is widely be
lieved, however, that the first estimate
of 13,219 was too small an d based upon
inaccurate and misleading information.
The pro rata amount will probably be '
less than $100.
5jC
The "negro question" will not
"down." The people in a section of
Georgia embracing several counties are
in a ferment over the horrible crime per
petrated by a negro in that section last
week. The negro has not yet been
caught, but it is thought that at least
leave the country. It is probable that
public indignation was never more fully
j.ii j.
aroused in tne oouin man m me pie&cin.
time in Georgia. Illinois still meets the
negroes at the border with shot gunji.
The trouble culminated at Pana last
week in the death of a number of people
including some women. In Tennessee,
in a certain section, the negroes are giv
ing great trouble.
It has been announced at the Stat
Department in Washington that the
Commission appointed by Great Britain,
Germany, and the United States would
sail from San Francisco for Samoa on
April 25th. It has been practically
agreed by the three governments that no
finding will be valid unless unanimously
approved by the Commission. Whatever
the Commission determines will be ac
cepted by each government. So all fears
of a difficulty in this direction, have been
dissipated to some extent. The accept
ance of the unanimity provision is equiv
alent to a recognition of Mataafa's Gov
ernment which has already been recogr
nized by the three consuls. Some of the
German newspapers are very bellicose in
their tone. They speak of Germany's
"dignity and honor." At this juncture
i 0