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BY EMMETT L. MOFFITT.
IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
ESTABLISHED 1844.
ELON COLLEGE, N. 0.. THURSDAY, HAY 18, 1899.
VOLUME LII: NUMBER 20.
Otyietiar} SUr\
.PUBLISHED WEEKLY.
The Organ of th« General Convention
the Christian Church (Booth).
CARDINAL PRINCIPLES.
I. The Lord Jesus la the only Head of the
ehnroh.
1. The name Christian, to the exclusion
of all party and sectarian names. *
8. The Holy Bible, or the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, sufficient rule
of faith and practice.
4. Christian character, or vital piety, tbe
only teat of fellowship or membership.
A. The right of private Judgment, and
the liberty of oonsolence, the privilege and
duty of all.
Reflections.
All the principal railroads in
North Carolina arc required to
put on separate first and second
class cars for the white and col
ored races by June i, 1899.
This is in accordance with the
“Jim Crow” car law passed by
the last General Assembly.
Quite a number of the leading
plow manufacturers met in Chi
cago recently and organized a
gigantic trust with a capitaliza
tion of over $65,000,000. They
propose to take in after a while
all manufacturers of agricultural
implements. They agreed to
• advance the price of plows J5 %■.
We hope that every state with
an anti-trust law will rigidly en
force it, and that those that have
none will enact one that will
hold. In view of the numerous
recent trust organizations this
course seems to be absolutely
necessary.
As a result of the action of the
last North Carolina Legislature
in re-organizing some of the
public departments, several
suits have been carried to the
Supreme Court to determine the
right to certain offices. In the
case of Cherry (Dem.) against
Burns (Pop.) for the office of
Keeper of the Capitol, Mr.
Cherry wins. Mr. Patrick (Rep.)
retains the presidency of the A.
& N. C. Railroad. Edwards &
Broughton (Dem.) get the pub
lic printing. The Democratic
Agricultural Board goes into of
fice. Mr. Wilson (Rep.) retains
his clerkship of the Criminal
Court of Buncombe county.
The conference of Virginia
Democrats held in Richmond
last week for “the purpose of
adopting such measures as may
be deemed best to promote the
election of Senators of the Unit
ed States by the direct vote of
the people*, and until that result
( is accomplished, the selection of
party senatorial candidates by
some popular method", passed
resolutions endorsing the elec
tion by direct vote and urging
other states to take steps look
so favor, until the constitutional
amendment can be secured, the
nomination of their Senators by
legalized primaries; We be
lieve this is a step in the right
direction, and one that will be
largely endorsed by men of all
parties.
ing to the same
Mr. James W. Alexander,Vice
President of the Equitable Life
Assurance Company,has recent
ly asked prominent bankers
throughout the country their
opinion as to the rate of interest
that will prevail in the future,
and the greater number of those
who replied gave it as their
opinion that the rate wjll not
average more than three per
cent, during the next twenty
years. The estimate generally
ranged from af to per cent.,
but nearly all of them agreed
that the average rate will not
exceed three per cent. The
ability of our city a few weeks
ago to sell $600,ood worth of
four per cent, bonds at a prem
ium proves that Norfolk is al
ready on a four per cent, inter
est basis, and it may be that
when the time comes to retire
other bonds a still more desirable
interest rate will be secured.
i I
But a few years will elapse be
fore a large block of eight per
cent, bonds will mature, and the
indications are that the bonds
that will be‘sold to retire them
will bear a rate of interest which
will enable the city to save more
than fifty per cent, annually ol
the amount now paid out (or in
terest on that particular loan.—
Norfolk Ledger.
Those who have looked into
the matter insist that an aston
ishing number of premature
burials occur year after year,
the suffering from which, if true,
is most shocking to contemplate.
One investigator along this line
says he has collected evidence
of live sepulture in seven hun
dred cases, and another in 2,313
cases. If these figures are cor
rect they open up a subject that
is well, worth further examina
tion. And if it is true that all
of these persons have been pre
maturely buried, may it not be
that the flickering lamp of life is
often extinguished by the em
balming process which is so
prevalent in this country? It
would seem the part of wisdom
to so deal with bodies supposed
to be dead that every possible
chance for resuscitation might
remain.—Ledger.
In the reunion of the Confed
erate Veterans at Charleston this
year the poetry and the pathos
that have ever marked the re-as
sembling of those who wore the
gray more than ever predomin
ate. In the “cradle of seces
sion,” how many and how vivid
must be the memories that rise
in the minds of these heroes ot
war and of peace! Memories of
the years ot bloody strife that
stretched between Mtmltrie and
Appomattox.
It is a wonderful thing this
free masonry of the lost cause
that has no tinge of disloyalty
in it, this brotherhood born of
blood and battle. Truly the
world has not seen its like before,
this democracy of comradeship
that lifts the lowest to the plane
of the highest; this gathering of
men to celebrate under one flag
the battles fought under an
other.
And who will say that it does
not add to the pleasure of every
old veteran as he renews the
friendships of ’60 ’64, and fights
his battles over with his one
time comrades in arms, to know
that at last he can do so without
danger of being misunderstood,
that the vicious clamor of ran
corous tongues has been stilled
for aye and that a united coun
try looks on, not with illy dis
guised tolerance, but with sym
pathetic appreciation. He and
the sons he has bred have shown
that, however much the “Stars
and Bara” may be loved and
cherished, he and they hold no
jot less of loyalty to the “Stars
and Stripes” than the men born
under colder skies that have
known no other flag.
And as if an earnest of the
fact that the veteran of the Con
federacy has finally won the
right to cherish without censure
the ashes of his dead and to re
turn without carping the hand
grasp of his li ving comrades, a
common country sends to his
reunion a vessel bearing the
trophies of a victory shared alike
by the North and the South.
The reunion at Charleston is
bound to be a memorable one,
and there is no American worthy
of the name that will grudge to
the ranks in gray, thinning all
too fast in recent years, the thrill
that sweeps them as they cheer
the men who led them at Sharps
burg sod* Anteitam, ait Manassas
and in the Wilderness. AH will
the rather rejoice that, “or ever
the golden bowl be broken,” the
Confederate Veterans have been
permitted to meet together again
where the first page of the his
tory of the Confederacy was
written.
With just pride in a past made
glorious by their heroism, the^
meet also “to pledge the South’s
unfailing support to every wor
thy cause for strengthening the
bonds of American unity
and thus accelerating the on
ward march of the republic in
its benign mission to humani
ty.”—News and Observer.
Contributions
IS CONSCIENCE A SAFE UUIDB?
HY W. F. PRICK.
‘ iUcre is a way which lecmeth ri^bt unto
a man. but the erd thereof are the ways of
death.” Prov. 14:12.
That silent, but ever remind
ing monitor called Conscience is
one of the most vyonderful facu
lties olj man. It js one of the
three inherent, and perhaps im
mortal principles that go to form
man’s moral and mental make
up—the concience, the memory
and the soul.
But whether it is immortal
and shall be a part of man’s pos
session in the other world is not
a matter with us at this writing.
The great question is : How im
portant a part does it play n iw
in the affairs of men? Is it an
inlal'ible rule that will guide us
neither to the right nor to the
left, if faithfully followed ; or a
it simply a creature of the mind,
and liable, therefore, to err wh< n
the mind is not enlightened? In
other words, is conscience a safe
guide?
I believe all knowledge was
given for man’s enlightenment.
The rocks, the rivers, the moun
tains, the trees and the flowers
were all given by the great cre
ator, God, and serve to teach us
of His glories and omnipotent
power. By these the Saviour
made plain many of his greatest
truths and taught many of his
most wonderful lessons. God
never intended that we should
live in ignorance concerning
himself, or his laws, or our duty
towards one another. He has
placed before us the great vol
umes of nature, experience and
inspiration and has invited us to
look therein and learn, and has
made the way of truth so plain
“that a waytaring man though
he be a fool need not err there
in.”
But with all this man is prone
to tollow his own convictions,
even though they may be in op
position to the teachings ol God’s
word. He erects himself a stan ■
dard of right, and whatever does
not measure up to it he rejects
as being wrong. He does not
stop to ask, “what sayeth the
law of the Lord,” but blindly
follows the dictates of his own
deluded conscience, and the con
sequence is, of course, his con
clusions are often very erroneous.
The Holy Word of God is the
only standard of truth. It is
God’s law, and we all have ac
cess to it, and can therefore
know the truth if we will. Now
the question is, if we fail to study
that law and go on tollowipg our
own blinded consciences, doing
things contrary to that law, will
we be excused because ot our
ignorance? I do not think we
will. I believe God will hold
every one of us rigidly account
able to Himself in this matter on
the day ot judgment. Why?
Because we could have known
better. In his blessed book he
has given us commandment af
ter commandment and admoni
tion after admonition, and warn
ing after warning, and still we
go on heedless and careless
about these sacred things, draw
ing our own conclusions and fol
lowing our own blinded convic
tions regardless of whether they
are in accordance with the laws
of God, the standard ot truth, or
the will of the Almighty. Oh,
I tell you, some people will wake
up to a sense of their awful mis
take, I feari when they come to
the judgment har ot uoa. ig
norance ot the law is no^excuse,
even among frail mortal men in
this world, and what right have
we to presume that the great and
eternal God of all worlds will be
any less exacting in his require
ments “when he shall judge .the
quick and the dead.”
This brings up, of course, the
great question, “Will the heath
en be saved?” I do not know
w hether they will be saved or
not, but if they are it will be be
cause of God's great and un
bounded mercy, and not because
ot their ignorance. Some one
has very truly said, “If ignor
ance will excuse or save the
ignorant in heathen lands, it will
also save the ignorant in all oth
*
er lands, for God is no respecter
of persons.” If ignorance will
save the ignorant in all lands,
then all should be ignorant. If
all should be ignorant, then'we
have no need of the gospel, and
so the life and death and resur
rection ol the blessed Christ, and
the great plans of salvation and
redemption are in vain.
This style of reasoning, of
course, reduces the matter down
to the most absurd of all absurd
ities, and yet tlys is the kind of
a foundation that many are wil
ling to build their reasons upon
for not believing in foreign mis
sions. Brother, you are not
only wrong, but you are terribly
and awfully wrpng. And this
is not all, your Stand and influ
ence is hurting your Master’s
cause. Had#t you better
change? You may have thought
you were right, but what does
the text say ? “There is a way
that seemeth right.” And what
is the consequence of such be
lieving? “But the end thereof—
is death.” It is more honorable
in the sight of both Gcd and
man to change one’s opinion
than to stick to error, and then
you know the Bible says a man
may believe a lib and be damn
ed. (2 Thes. 2: |i, 12.)
What I have iaid about dis
believing ki missions will apply
also to many other of the firmly
established and well authorized
aids to the churdh, such as Sab
bath schools, joung people’s
meetings and the higher branch
es of education.
As to the Sunday school, let
me say that I believe that more
souls are born into the kingdom
of God under its sacred influence
than by all other means com
bined. Have we not evidence
of this fact in the rapid growth
of the church since the Sabbath
school was established? And
look at Methodism, with all the
word implies. I tell you, the
Sabbath school is literally the
ante-chamber to the eternal par
adise above.
Ana wnat are me couamons
of those who do not believe in
Sunday schools? Too often
their children are found playing
ball or rabbit hunting on the
Sabbath in the country, or steal
ing in and out gambling saloons,
and “blind.tigers” and places ol
sin and shame in the cities. You
say,^‘Give the boy a chance.”
Yes, give him a chance to be a
man; and he will never learn
the lesson faster than in the
grand and glorious institution
known as the Sabbath school.
Give him a chance to follow
older and more evil companions
into sin (and there is no better
day than Sunday for it) and one
day he will cast a shadow„J>ver
your happy home, and a blot
upon your tair name, and your
heart will be bowed down with
sorrow' and grief because of your
wayward boy.
Oh, I tell you ignorance of
these great facts will bring ter
rible results on the day of judg
ment ! It will even in this world,
which has been demonstrated
over and over in the lives of our
young people many thousands
of times. We should know the
truth. Ignorance of any kind is
attended more or less with fatal
results. The old proverb,
“Where ignorance is bliss ’tis
folly to be wise,” does not com
pare very favorably with Jas. i :
5, “If any bf you lack wisdom
let him ask of God.”* Neither
will blissful' ignorance keep the
man from dying who takes
slrychnine^for calomel, nor give
back to life the unfortunate vic
tim of the ignoramus who*‘didn’t
know the gun was loaded.”
Environments and $$sociations
make comvictions', but this is no
proof that they are correct, and
may be followed. The poor, de
luded heathen may worship idols
with all of the fidelity and ardor
of his soul, but this does not
make it right.
And so we may say we do not
believe it is wrong to- dance, or
play cards, or drink whiskey, or
swear, or make of ourselves
slaves to the filthy habit of using
tobacco, and may associate with
those who indulge in these
things till we really believe there
is no harm in them. But what
is the truth? Our convictions
are simply biased by circum-.
stances. It we had been reared
among different association?,
say in a Godly,Christian family,
we would detest ay such evil
practiced. In such a case as the
first one mentioned, the consci
ence is seared, and biased, and
biased, and blunted by wrong
conceptions of truth, and like the
false compass, guides the un
wary mariner upon lhe rocks to
his utter destruction.
I believe God will hold us to
account for our convictions.
The conscience is simply the
creature of the mind, and may
be educated to believe or disbe
lieve almost anything. It all
depends upon our moral training
and the influence of the blessed
Spirit of God. As I said, it is
simply the creature ot the mind,
and unfettered by evil it will al
ways dictate the right, so tar as
the mind has knowledge of the
right. Hut when the mind is in
error, of course the conscience
will be in error also.
To illustrate, a man may saj',
“This is the road to Boston” and
be traveling in it. Hut it it is
proven to his mind that he is on
the wrong road, his conscience
will immediately dictate going
another way. This is also true
in spiritual things, only we do
not commonly exercise as much
common sense and good judg
ment in spiritual things as we do
in others.
Conscience, therefore, is not
an infallible rule or guide ; it is
governed entirely by the mind.
To have your mind and con
science then in harmony with
the will of God you must study
his holy law, which is the stan
dard of all truth. Let your
every question be “what saith
the scriptures?” The only safe
way is God’s way, which leads
from Gethsemane to Golgotha,
and thence to the mount of
transfiguration. “I am the way,
the truth and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father but by
me." John 14:6.
MISSIONARY ORGANIZATION'S AND
MINISTERS’ RELATIONS TO
THEM.
BY MRS. AMORETTB BALLENTINE
Before our Lord’s ascension
le announced one little word
which has caused many mission
ary organizations to spring into
existence. This powerful little
word is “Go.” “Go ye into all
the world and preach my gospel
.thievery creature.”
The church, directed by this
Command, feels it has a mission,
and the mission calls for organ
ization, then it establishes one
best suited to its specific need,
thus the numerous mission so
cieties have been formed. It
was this same impulse which
fave birth to the British and
oreign Bible Society, and her
sisters in France. Germany,
Sweden, and America, th^ vari
ous tract societies, the religious
press, the church extension
boards, and the yonng people’s
societies, comprising the Young
People’s Society of Christian
Endeavor, which is 2,636,000
strong; the Epworth Leagues,
1,801,000 strong; the Baptist
Young People’s Union, 225,000
strong; the Young People’s
Union of the United Brethren in
Christ, 74,600 strong; the Luth
eran Leagues of America, 60,
000 strong, and^other, smaller
but similar organizations, 75,
000 strong, making in all, an
army of 4,801,661 Christian
young people, who are trained
and ready for the service of the
King—more than a million more
than all the men who were in
the war of the Revolution, in the
JUDD.
war of Tripoli, in the war ot
1812, all those who were in the
late civil war and in the ten
great Indian wars.
We can scarcely comprehend
such a host of trained and or
ganized, strong, vigorous, and
enthusiastic youths; yet under
all-wise supervision, and by the
tireless energy and consecrated
work of devout Christians this
torce exists, with its power lor
evangelizing the world.
One ol these societies with a
membership of eighty-five, in
1894 gave $50.00 for missions ;
by work and prayer the interest
grew till in five years this same
society contributed $1,085.00
pledged for five years to keep a
young missionary in the foreign
field.
With societies like this
throughout our land the speedy
evangelization of the world
would seem possible, lor in the
different colleges of the day
there is an abundant supply of
young men who are preparing
themselves to minister to the
heathen'of the world, and only
the funds to support them seem
necessary to provide teachers,
and preachers for the benighted
lands.
li the 4,801,000 young people
should do as well as this society,
they would contribute enough
in three years to support 1,200
missionaries. Thence the ques
tion arises, how are they to be
stimulated to so great a work?
Not through the printed page
alone, although books, tracts,
and periodicals can be used to a
great advantage and should be
scattered all over the land, but
these do not reach the heart as
a message directly from the lips'
of a man who is thoroughly ed
ucated along the line ot missions
and whose life is consecrated,
and permeated with the mission
ary spirit.
Let us have leaders like this
and the societies will be set
ablaze with the great fire of mis
sions. ^
Do you say, whence are such
leaders to come? How are they
to be thus prepared? The high
er institutions of learning of the
American continent can alone
answer these momentous ques
tions. It is in these colleges
that this education and conse
cration is best obtained.
Let our young ministers in
their college career thoroughly
inform themselves as to the his
tory of missions, its advance and
possibilities—let them come to
their churches filled with the
spirit that all are one in Christ,
and that the world must be con
quered for him, and under such
leadership there \jpll be an up
rising of missionary interest.
The great need of the people
is knowledge and information in
regard to missions, and the only
way for this to be given is
through the pulpit—as it is
mainly those who have already,
knowledge of missions who read
enough on this subject to get the
necessary information, it is only
the fevtf who may be reached by
the press, leaving the masses to
the ministry. __ ^
It is the young ministers, the
college students of today, to
whom we look for leaders in
this grand and glorious work of
inspiring churches and their so
cieties to diligence in preaching
the gospel to every creature.
Let our ministers be wide-awake,
intelligent, enthusiastic advo
vates of missions, full of mis
sionary zeal, born of knowledge,
let them teach that the noble
plan* is to “do the thing we can,”
whether to teach, preach or send
the preacher “and not fret be
cause it seems so little.”
Let the people, through the
ministry, be taught the whole
gospel. .
4 Information is the only means
of making a missionary people
and through the young ministers
this information is mainly to
come. Oh, young student-lives
in all the world, ye hold the key
of missions! Ye see the beauti
ful vision. Ye have faith in it.
Ye are God’s chosen vessels.
Unto you much is given and of
you, thank God, shall much be
required.
THOUGHTS ON HEAYEN AND
ETERNITY.
BY S. A. A.
Eternity, Oh, eternity I Where
are we going to spend that vast
Unknown and untried realm?
should ring in the ears of the
unsaved soul, and on and on
until tne greatest question the
soul is concerned in can be an
swered, “Where shall I spend
eternity?” Will I spend it
around the throne of God with
the angels and all that holy cir
cle who sing praises forever and
ever to the Father, and the loved
of long ago, walk with them
j beside the clear waters, rest with
I them in the shade of the ever
green and blooming tree of life,
and gather flowers that grow
and bloom forever in that celes
tial city, or will 'it be down in
the regions of gloom and despair,
misery and woe, wl ere demons
shriek and howl and we are
tormented without one ray of
hope, no joy, no peace, nothing
but pain and sorrow forever and
ever.
We have the chance of mak->
ing our choice now and only
now for all eternity, and if we
are wise and faithful ours sha
be a home of untold bliss, buti
we go on in sin and heedy/
the warnings of the tender/
ing Saviour, then no tong' ^j'n
tell nor pen portray v Y the
greatest artist picture to h^ the
misery that surely will be ours
in that world where those who
forget God have gone and where
nothing can reach and save us.
Beyond the golden sunset^
there is a happy resting platted
tor the soul, and there is a star
that will guide us there. The
Star of Bethlehem no mat
ter how rough the way,
no matter how steep and high '
the mountains we must climb,
His hand will hold ours firmly
and keep us from falling into
the deep abyss of despair, that
may be on either side, His arm
will encircle us and His words
cheer the drooping and tired
heart. The child of God often
has great trials and the most bit
ter disappointments; but the
heart staid on God never utterly
fails, though the dark clouds
may lower and the sun be hid
for a time. The promise that
He has given that He will never
leave nor forsake is never for
gotten by the faithful. Amid the
very darkest and saddest hours
of life, there is a sweet peace
that fills the soul with joy, the
realization of a loving and pro
tecting Father who loves us,
with the assurance that beyond
this there is a joy unspeakable
awaiting them. But to those
who know not God, what can
they have to look forward to
and what consolation can they
have when sorrow and death
come, where can they turn for
comfort, if they do not trust in
God who alone can give them
peace and rest? Oh, poor,
weary, suffering and wandering
child come, rest thy tired head
on His bosom and cast thy bur
den on him for he has promised
to bear it for thee, and to give a
blessing the heart cannot con
tain. Look unto the loving
Father, who can save to the
uttermost; make peace with thy
God, and spend eternity with
him around the great throne of
heaven. The golden gates will
open wide to receive thee, an
gels will welcome thee with a
glad shout of glory into the
mansions^of light and beauty.
Some sainted loved one even
now stands waiting to receive
thee and some sweet spirit is
hovering near, whispering and
beckoning unto thee to come
this way. The voice of the dy
ing asking you to meet them in
heaven, the spirit of an angel ,
mother who loved you s^dearly.
who has prayed and labored for
you—her true heart has ceased
to beat and the hands are cold
and have been crossed on the
bosom where you have nestled
so oftfen, but in <■ heaven she
stretches those faithful hands
out to you and they say “come.”
Shall all this be in vain? No.
Something surely will touch the
heart and bring the wandering,
lost child home at last.
This world can give no last
ing happiness and if we miss
heaven we miss all. Gold and
silver, grandeur and fame can
not save us—nothing but the
blood of the Lamb. Oh, that
we could wake the heart of ev
ery unsaved one and bring them
home to God in one unbroken
circle, where we would spend
eternity in the realms of bliss.
Ramseur, N. C.
Life and death are great mys
teries. Good and evil are great
mysteries. Light and darkness
are great mysteries. But man’s
unfinished work and undevelop
ed faculties in the life that begins
today and ends after the lapse of
a few fleeting years are a greater
mystery. Here it is absolutely
i certain that “we know only in
part.”—Sel.