BY HURLEY & MOFFI I'T.
ESTABLISHED 1844
IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY.
_ ■ 1 .11 . ' ■ ■ ■■ ' ..-. . .
RALEIGH, N. 0., THURSDAY, APRIL 11. 1895.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
VOLUME XLVIII: NUMBER 15
Tl^ Christian Suri
The Organ ot the General Convention
the Christian Church (Sontli)
,«nMM»um«i«mn«k •%»*•%•** **■••**
CARDINAL PRINCIPLES.
t. The Lord Jesus Is the only Head of the
church.
2. The name Christian, to the exclusion
of all party and sectarian names.
3. The Holy Bible, or the (Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, sufficient rule
of faith and practice.
4. Christian character, or vital piety, the
only test of fellowship or membership.
6. The right of private judgment, and
the liberty of consciencp,.the privilege and
duty of all.
MKMMMMVUM**«**»«*»•*»*»»»»»***»•*'
Editorial Reflections,
Rhode Island has gone Re
publican again by an increased
majority. Mr. C. W. Lippitt
(Rep.) is to be the next Govern
or. The Democrats have gained
one Senator. They now have
three, whereas, they formerly had
but two.
Spain has gotten into more
trouble. This time she fired on
a vessel bearing the British flag,
stopped her, went aboard, and
searched for contraband articles.
Nothing of the kind was found,
and she was released. No doubt
^ Great Britain wili demand repa
ration ; but it won’t go very hard
with Spain—she’s getting used
to making apologies.
The rate at widen income
taxes are being listed indicates
the fact that the general senti
ment is that the constitutionality
of the law will be established.
Up to March io, 1895, taxes to
the amount of $1,500,000 had
been given in. The decision
now rests in the Chief Justice’s
hands, and the people anxiously
await his decree. For our part,
we sincerely hope that it may
receive his endorsement; for we
* think it but just that the greater
burden of taxation be borne by
those best able to bear it—those
with big incomes.
It is highly gratifying to the
people of the South to see so
many wealthy capitalists turn
ing their eyes and their pocket
books toward our fair land. We
are unsurpassed in natural re
sources, and these together with
the cheapness of labor, are be
ginning to- draw others to us.
New mills and factories are
V. springing up on all sides, and
eyery Southern industry is a
participant in the good results
following from this new awak
ening. Let us invite all the
capital we we can get: there
is plenty of room for it.
It is the opinion ot the leading
business men that the business
outlook of our country is promis
ing. They say that confidence is
being restored, and that investors
are becoming aggressive once
more. Improvement appears
slow, but it is steady. Many
of us are wont to cry that times
airfe getting harder ; hut the in
creasing investments all over
the country, the enlarged riier
(cantile operations, the restored
confidence of people in banks
and banks in people, all give
evidence of an increasing vol
ume of trade—and this means
progress.
- Some of the labor organiza
tions are already at work on
plans to have the peoples’ party
of Indiana push the nomination
ol Eugene V. Debbs tor Presi
dent in 1896. It will b,e.remem
bered by our readers that Mr.
Debs was the leader in the great
railroad labor movement that re
sulted in the notorious Pullman
strike in Chicago .last summer.
It is well for the laborer to be
recognized—t is an unjust gov
ernment that oppresses him ; but
it would be both unjust and
blind to turn the government
over into the hands of a strike
leader. The people's party will
not make such a nomination.
_-T=r= e.
The assignment act, passed
by the last Legislature, which
the farmers have been so loudly
crying out against, as prevent
ing their giving mortgages, and
thus obtaining supplies, has
i
been brought up to the Supreme
Court, and a decision has been
rendered. The decision is that
“the preference law restricts
only the right to execute assign
ments, mortgages and de<ds in
trust, or male conditional sales
to secure pre-existing debts.
Contemporaneous obligations
may still be secured by such
liens on sales." Thus the hard
ship imposed by the act is some
what modified. The farmer may
secure his merchant for supplies
for the current year, but cannot
embody in the security any debt
running over from the previous
year. The act was intended to
do away with preferred creditors
in the case of assignments, hut
as first construed it not only did
away with the preferences, but
at the same time invalidated the
farmer’s mortgage. As now in
terpreted, it is not so hurtful.
One of the latest and most
debased institutions that we have
heard of is a school for graduat
ing professional pickpockets. It
has been recently discovered that
there are tour ot these “schools”
in New York City,-each having
about twenty pupils—eighty in
all. Young boys were enticed
into these “miserable hells,” and
there carefully trained in the art
of picking pockets—mainly of
women on the streets. They
were to pay for their “tuition”
three-fourths of what they
robbed before “graduation.”
And all this in the light of nine
teenth century civilization, and
in the heart of out greatest citv !
These “training schools of perdi
tion” have been raided, and one
of the “professors” brought to
justice. It is to be hoped that
they may never re-organize.
Young boys are so easily led
astray, and thousands there are
year after year who are led into
crime and degradation by the
greed of unscrupulous men. He
who would thus train up crimi
nals is too mean for a simple
“killing:” he ought to be com
pletely annihilated.
Ever and anon we hear of
some man, who has been re
garded as “one of the wealthiest
citizens,” making an assignment.
The report goes out- that “he
is completely broke”—“isn’t
worth a dollar.” Dame Gossip
begins to seek for the cause of
the cala mity : and usually con
dudes that it comes from “trying
to live ,oo fast.” Too often this
is the real cause. It is not a
disgrace to make an unavoidable
assignment. Misfortune may
come to us many times when
we least expect'it. We are un
prepared to meet it—and The
only'sequel to it is tailure. Pov
erty comes, and it sorely pinches.
Many times—yes, very many—
if we would confess the secret
of our full, its true cause would
be summed up in one word,
•‘pride.” We had a neighbor
whose income was $5,000 a year;
ours' was only $1,500 We
mow'd in the same circle of so
ciety.. Our neighbor gave an
elegant and luxurious reception,
to whicjh we were invited. We
felt that “good form” demanded
a reception of us ; and, too proud
to en.crlain our friends less
handsomely than we had been
ei tertaine I, we go in debt to
|:r >vjide for such a display as
our neighbor could easily give
his own check for. Thus it con
tinues month after month, year
after year, aud finally the crash
comes—we have been “pushed”
by our creditors, and we “go to
the wall.” We have learned too
late the bitter lesson that $1,500
cannot any • means do as
much as $5,000 can. It is r.
mistaken idea that men who
live within .their incomes and
make only a poor display are
not recognized 'in tliel best cir
cles. The successful business
man, no maiter how wealthy he
may be, has far more respect for
him who lives within his income
than for him who outlives it. If
you are poor the world usually
knows it, and to try to make
your display as gorgeous as that
of the wealthy man only serves
to make you a target for the
sharp tongue of criticism. Re
member the invariable truth that
he who would“keep within caste”
must “keep within his income,’
From Dor Contributors,
THE OROANIC CHURCH;
BY REV. W. C. WICKER, A. B.
In all churches and denomina
tions there, are several classes of
Christians. Some churches have
more of one class than another
but the question for each church
and each individual to consider
is, to which class do I belong?
The first class of which we
would make mention may be
termed the static church mem
ber. Static has to do entirely
with quantity and place relations.
The idea of Christianity with
this class is simply church
membership. They stand on
the inside of the church and
that is their highest conception
of Christianity. Like the Ro
man Catholic they expect the
church to save them. Their re
ligton is made up ot dead lor
malit}'. They have not broken
out from the bondage of the
flesh and the world but are sub
ject to all manner of lust and
worldly sensuality. They are a
burden for any church to carry.
The church of which they are
members has to pay all their
church expenses for them. As
sessments are made for them by
conference and the more active
members have them to pay.
They worship in a house built
by other hands ; like ihe hermit
crab they are pure parasites.
•Narrow-hearted, self-seeking,
contracted in soul and pusil
lanimous in all they say about
the church and its work. They
are degenerating rapidly and by
reversion type they will soon
retrograde to pure and simple
worldlv-mindedness.
The second class may be termed
dynamic church members. The
characteristic of this class is that
each member is doing his own
work separate and apart from
everyone else. A member of
this class does what he expects
to do and thinks everybody else
should do the same thing and
never exerts much influence out
side of a very small compass.
We have hundreds of such mem
bers. The}' are trying to live
to themselves and expect to die
to themselves. If there is any
money to raise they are ready to
do what they think is their indi
vidual part without reference to
any one els '. In other words
they are simply worth what they
can do. The quality of the in
dividual member is the most im
portant factor with this class.
You may think that this is the
highest conception of Christian
duty and spiritual progress, but
we find it otherwise in the phy
sical world and by analogy we
conclude that it must be so spir
itually.
in the physical worm we
may take the example of the
horse. Two horses that are
strong in physical strength are
willing to exert their power every
time they are told to do so. Let
them be hitched at opposite ends
of the same vehicle, pulling in
opposite directions. They may
both pull five hundred or a thou
sand pounds, but they will not
move the vehicle as long as they
pull equally in opposite direc
tions. This is the way some of
our dynamic church members
do. They pull every time they
are told,yet oftlimes they pull in
opposite directions and leave the
church in the same condition
that it was in before ; and they
are in much worse condition be
cause they are made weaker
and become discouraged at the
slow progress of the church
work. This leads up to the third
and highest class.
This class of members may be
called organic church .piembers.
They look upon the church as an
organism. They want to see all
its members in a healthy condi
tion performing their respective
functions. They see Christ as
the head of the church and them
selves members one of another.
They see Christ as the vine and
themselves as the branches. In
the organism we do not see one
membqr fighting against anoth
er. The eye does not say to
the ear, I have no need of xhee
nor the hand to the foot, I have
n > need of thee, but all the parts
are needful. 'It one member
suffers, all suffer. Just so is the
church and when all its mem
bers see this, then they will cease
to be dead and static members
They will see society, state and
church as an organic whole,
and see our interdependence one
upon another.
A church with all its members
of the static kind is a church with
dead formality, ceremonies and
ritualism more prominent than
spirituality and life and activity.
A church with all its members of
the dynamic class is qne in
which there is no progress, no
end in view. One in which all
are trying to carry out strictly
the principles of selfishness. It
would be like the different parts
of the body thrown together
without any order. There would
be no organization and hence
no life ; for all life shovp itself
and acts through an organization.
A church of the last class of
members is in the first place
well organized. It is made up
of organic matter and no other
kind has ever been animated
matter. The reason the other
churches fail is because they are
made up of inorganic matter,
they may possess some power
but it is inanimate and therefore
cannot make any progress. The
organic church is an organiza
tion full of life. In a growing
condition with a progressive
spirit. On the principle of the
survival of the fittest, the lowest
form of life has greater possibi
lities for .the future in its nature
than all the inanimate world.
How much greater is the possi
bility of advancement for the
souls of men!
We need living churches,
well organized churches, church
es that are united in all their ef
forts. We need churches with
no dead branches, but with the
branches all# purged that they
may bear an abundant harvest
of fruit for the Master’s cause.
A static church is a dead
church, a dynamic church is a
church that is disorganized in
its methods of work. An or
ganic church is a living, work
ing, progressive, growing church
with all its members in a healthy
condition.
Chapel Hill, N. C.
THE TRUE ttKOUNI) OF FELLOW
SHIP.
BY REV. D. E. MILLARD.
The aim of the church which
takes the name of Christian only,
is to unite the “pure in heart,”
of various shades of belief, in
the great law of love to God and
man, in serving Christ, and in
doing good in the world. This
looks to character and life rath
er than to creed ; to what men
are, rather than to what they
mav believe about things 01
questions that do not affect their
conduct. In the past, different
church organizations have wor
ried themselves much over
questions in which there ;s really
no moral element, but which
should be left to the thought or
tastes of each individual. To
day the prevailing sentiment of
the Christian world is against
controversy and wrangling over
questions that do not affect con
duct and are Without practical
value.
We, who have no formulated
creed, assert the right of each
one to read the Scriptures and
judge tor himself. And, since
there is no creed held by any
body of Christians, outside the
Bible that contains all the
truths, or condemns all the errors
in doctrine, what ground can he
assumed^ more just and reason
able than this? Bishop Foster,
of the M. E. Church, in referring
to this subject says: “We are
safe in saying that up to date
there is no perfect creed; we
even doubt if there ever will be.
There is therefore no creed that
may not change, . that must not
change, or become obsolete in
parts.” Very few, if any, will
disagree with the learned Bish
op, in the statement here made.
While nearly everybody who
calls himselt a Christian has
some sort of creed in which, for
the time-being, he claims to be
lieve, we all know very well
that we cannot make our creeds
binding upon others—for, while
they might express the beliefs
of some, they would,'with scarce
ly a doubt, stand in the way of
others.
Hence we say to all who be
lieve that Jesus is the Sen of
God and who accept him as
their Saviour, Redeemer and
Friend, “Come with us and we
will do you good”—come with
the cree*d you have, with'your
faith and all your differences of
opinion: take the Bible, and
trust the leading of the Holy
Spirit for your knowledge of its
teachings. There is one above
us who is able to judge, and to
Him and to our own consciences
we must answer at last. Bear
ing this in mind may none of us
forget to exercise ' the charity
that thinke'.h tlo evil—but seeks
to bless and save the world. The
earthly' church as an organiza
tion will soon, for us, be dis
soRed ; and then the only ques
tion will be whether, under the
influence of the' Holy' Soirit, we
have come to apprehend and
participate of that in Christ
Jesus which transcends the
things of time, which our dis
solution in death shall 'hot
change, nor the ages of eternity'
reverse. If we have Christ
formed within us the hope of
glory and we walk with Him in
holy companionship then is he
to us truly' the anointed, our
healing Redeemer; and “by his
grace are we saved.”
Portland, Mich.
One thousand stands of arms
and a half-million cartridges
were shipped last week from
New York to Colombia, and it
is thought by Spanish author -
ties that they will eventually get
to the revolutionists in Cuba.
They tried to stop them, but
could not "do so, as the vessel
was |^t bound for Cuba.
The Pulpit.
WHAI’ CHRIST HAS DOSE FOR US.
BY REV. JAMES MAPLE, D. D.
Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us.—Eph. 5: i.
In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins.—Col. 1:
14.
Christ is the only Saviour ol
the world. “For there is one
God, and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ
Jesus.” This being so it is a
matter of great importance to us
to know who and what he is. and
what are his feelings and pur
poses toward us. It is affirmed
in the Scriptures that he is un
changing. “Jesus' Christ the
same yesterday, and to-day, and
forever.” Now if we can learn
what he has done, is doing, and
will do for his disciples, we can
tell what his thoughts and feel
ings are toward us now, and
what he will be to us in the com
ing ages of eternity.
Let us consider what Christ
has douc-tor us. He is revealed
as existing with the Father be
fore the angels were created, or
the vast universe of’worlds were
called into being.
“In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with
God, and li.e Word was God.
The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made
by him- and without him was
not anything made that was
made.” “For by him were all
things created, that are m earth,
visible and invisible, d whether
they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities or powers: all
things wore created by him, and
for him: And he is before all
things, and by him all things
consist.”
Seven centuries before his
birth into the world the Prophet
Micah, speaking of the place
cohere Christ should be born,
said :
“But thou, Betu-lehem Ephra
tah, though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto
me that is to be ruler in Israel ;
whose goings fo-th have been
from of old, from everlasting.”
In this exalted state Christ saw
and pitied the lost condition of
man, and to redeem him he left
his home in heaven and came in
to the world in the humble form
of a servant. “The first man is
of the earth earthy ; the second
man is the Lord from heaven.”
Hence Paul could say to 'nis
Philippian brethren. “Let this
mind he in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus : who, being in
the form of God, thought it not
robbery to he equal with Gdd ;
but made himself ot no - reputa
tion, and took upon him the foyfn
of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men : and being
found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross.” -
There are in the history of
man some noble, examples of
self-sacrificing devotion to the
good of others. One of the
grandest is that of John How
ard, who, after visiting the abodes
of crime, poverty, and misery in
England, was so moved by the
wretched condition of the chil
dren of crime thfct he left his
home of refinement, comfort,and
happiness to visit the wretched
abodes of those who-were bound
m fetters, ana in want in other
parts of the world. He spent
twelve years in this benevolent
work. He travelled three times
through France, tour times
through Germany, five times
through Holland, twice through
Italy, once through Spain and
Portugal, and also through Den
mark, Russia, Poland, and part
of Turkey. He gave up his own
comfort for the happiness of the
most degraded portion of man
kind, and he died in this noble
work. It cost him his life ; for
in visiting a young woman dan
gerously ill with an epidemic fe
ver, he took the disease and
died.
This was noble and Christ
like, but falls far short of Christ’s
amazing condescension and deep
humiliation in 'coming into the
(World in the likeness of man to
|save his enemies. Paul says:
j“It passeth knowledge.”
Christ was rich in heaven,and
j became poor to lift mail out of
the poverty of ‘sin, and make
him rich in time and eternity.
"For ye know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that, though
he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich.” We
cannot measure Christ's henevo
ent sacrifice in coming into the
world, and becoming poorer
than the birds of the air and the
foxes of the earth ; for wo do not
and cannot now know all that
was embraced-iu his riches. Hut
wt know enough to fill our minds
with wonder, and warm our
hearts into a glow ol lovy.
Mr. Peabody gave millions for
the benefit of the poor, to furnish
them with comfortable homes
and good schools; but he had
millions left.
The Romans shut up 7,000
prisoners in the city Amida, and
left them'to starve to death. The
clergy of the city sold all the
gold and silver vessels in their
churches, and used the proceeds
to feed the ‘ suffering prisoners.
This was noble, but they still
had a good salary to meet their
own w ants. Christ's* self-sacri
ficing benevolence went far be
vond this, and to measure it we
must find a prince who is ready
and willing 10 give up wealth
and position to save his enemies
from perishing. Cyrus said he
had prodigious wealth, and the
chief end he aimed at in the use
of it was to reward the faithful
servants of the public,and relieve
the needy : but he would not
have given his riches tor the
benefit of bis enemies who were
seeking his destruction and the
ruin of his empire. Christ did
this.
A rich merchant in St. Peters
burg, at his own cost, supported
a native missionary in India,
and gave like a prince to the
cause at home. He was asked
one dav how he could do it.
He" replied : “When I served the
devil I did it on a grand scale
and at a princely expense, and
whe.11, by His grace, it pleased
God to call me out of darkness,
I resolved Christ should have
more than the devil had. * This
was noble, but Christ sacrificed
all for the salvation of man.
A fire broke out in a village in
Denmark. A man who was
very active in helping to extin
guish the flames was informed
that his house was on fire, and if
lie would save his furniture not
a moment was to be lost.
“There is something more pre
cious,” he said, “that I must first
save. My poor sick neighbor,
who is unable to help himself,
he will he lost if I do not assist
him : I am sure that he relies on
me.” He flew to his neighbor’s
house, rushed through the flames
at the risk of his own life, and
carried the sick man to a place
of safety. It cost him all his
property to save, the helpless
man. How great the saved man’s
obligation to him.
Sinner, Christ sacrificed all
his riches to save you from your
spiritual poverty, and make you
rich in divine grace here, and
enrich you in heaven with “an
inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not
away.”
Christ suffered death for us.
He “suffered for sins, the jus Her
the unjust.” “While we were
yet sinners Christ died for us.”
He not only gave up his riches,
and became poor ; but he gave
lip his life, and died to redeem
us from sin and death. This
was voluntary on his part. . lie
said : “Therefore doth my fa
ther love me, because I lay
down my life, that I might take
it again. No man taketh it
from me, but I lay it down my
self. I ha\e power to lay it
down, and I have power to take
it again.”
In Grecian Mythology it is
said the Prometheus offended
Jupiter because he befriended
womankind by teaching them
the * aris. The angry Jove
caused him to be chained to a
rock. Then a vulture preyed
upon his liver, which was re
newed as fast as it was devour
ed. Prometheus possessed a se
cret by which he might have
freed himself, but he disdained
to do it.because he was suffering
for the good of the human fam
!1y- , .
Christ could have freed him
self from the murderous hands
of his enemies. He could have
prayed to his Father, and he
would have sent him “more
than twelve legions of angels.”
With such an army he could
have swept all his enemies out
of existence ; but he s.acriticed
his life to save a lost face.
tn the first days ot the reign
of' Queen Victoria, when she was
eighteen years old, the Ruke^of
Wellington brought her a death
warrant of. a soldier to sign who
had been condemned to be shot.
She read it. paused, and looked
up in the Duke's lace, and said :
••Have von nothing to say in be
half of this man?'- "lie is cer
tainly a bad soldier: he has de
serted three times.” "Think
again.” said the queen. ‘-There
was somebody,” said the duke,
•‘who spoke of his go.od charac
ter ; and he may be a good man
for aught I know to the contra-,
rv.” “Oh, thank you a thousand
times!’’ exclaimed the youthful
Queen : and hastily writing
“Pardon” in large letters across
the fatal page, sent it across the
table, her hgnd trembling with
eager emotion.
What a noble thing the ten
der-hearted Queen did for the
condemned soldier. Sinner,
Christ sacrificed his life that you
might be pardoned. He wrote
“Pardon” across the sentence of
death in his own blood. “In
whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the for
giveness ot sins.”
What Christ has done for us
shows his tender sympathy and
boundless love. We can love and
trust such a Saviour, for what he
has done for us wins the heart's
warmest affection, and lays a
firm foundation for abiding trust
in him.
Christ -‘loved us, and hath
given himself tor us.” This was
the greatest sacrifice that he
could make. A man may give
his time and all his property tor
the good of his country. This
is noble, but to give himself is a
greater and nobler sacrifice^ for
he hath no greater offering to
make. Christ gave all his riches
to make man.rich, and then sac
rificed his Hfie that he might live.
“Greater love hath no man than
this.”