VOL. 15
Mr. Bailey and the
Church affair.
CHERRYVILLE, N. C. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1915
In his last article Mr. Bailey
still contends that the church is
one. To this I h ve already
agreed. But the contention be
;tween us is that the kind, of
unity Mr. Baily contends for
did not exist in the times of the
Apostles and does not exist now.
He contends that there , can be
no inner unity when there is
outward difference. If that be
true, then the church was not
one in apostolic times if we fin'd
any divisions existing then. This
is the reason I suppose that Mr.
Bailey finds it so hard to admit
the statements of the Bible to
which I referred. He says I
seem to think i,hat division ex
isted in thchurch at Corinth,
and then adds, “I will admit
that division was about to rise
among the little church.” He
is not willing to admit that any
division existed hut says it was
about to rise. Contrai’y to this
is the plain statements of St.
Paul in 1 Cor. 3:3 that there
were divisions among them.
Now I think that St. Paul knew
more about conditions at Corinth j
than either Mr. Bailey or myself,
and when he said there were j
divisions among them I kaow
they existed. |
It was further charged in his
article that I used the church at
Corinth to justify present
differences, I really ^hink Mr
Bailey knew
apper that there was any diff’s
ence among them from the ' use
of the plural “churches,” I am
either ignorant or unfair. In
the second and third chapters
of Revelation. we have Christs
own judgment upon these
churches. I hope every one
interested in this discussion will
read those chapters. Let us
look at a few of them, Christ
commended the Church at
Ephesus - tor some things but
found their love growing cold.
He finds no fault with their
faith. They jealously guarded
against false teachers who
claimed to be Apostles and ex
posed them as liars for which
Jesus commended them Rev. 2:2.
In the church at Thyatira Christ
finds a congregation active in
goods works, faith and patience,
but condemns their permitting
a wicked woman to teach and
seduce the members. The
church at Sardis Christ said
was dead. He had said this of
none of the others; and if the
judgment is different then the
congregation must have been
different. But even in this dead
church Christ says He finds a
I few faithful ones who shall walk
with Him in white.
And the church at Laodicia
I was still different from the pre
ceding one.s. It was the luke-
! warm church. It was careless,
indifferent and overcome with
worldliness. No two of the
seven were exactly alike as
Christ
NO. 1
jFunctions Of Banking.[ Homicides In North I Lincoln Wrote Soldier s
Carolina.
the believers, and accepts those
whose faith is weak as well as
those whose faith is strong. I
would not say that Paul and I C’* Bank Notes.
Peter were of a different faith j A Bank is a means for organ-
because they differed on onej'^'ng capital, whereby its full
occasion, but their faith differed j Power may be utilized. The fun-
I in degree for Paul had a fuller ktion of a bank in storing up
knowledge and a clearer vision j capital, and thus increasing its
of the will of God than did Power, may be likened to the
Peter. Now take matters at damming of a stream. By stor-
the present time. A man may | ing up the vagrant force it may
be ignorant and not able even j niinister in a very potent way to
to read, but through others he j advance the material prrsperity
Will.
I . ®aw them and passed
better, 1 .did.Jjudgment upon them. Yet Mr.
tiie cnurchi uiffly says-'tliey were' one and
existed there in spite of these j whoever says otherwise is either
divisions for Paul addressed it |'"orant or unfair.
ji'Certainly these differences
i.lould not nave existed, but the
point I am arguing is that the
as the “Church of God” and I
am not willing to admit that he
made a mistake or told a false
hood when he said so. But if
there must be outward unity and
organization before there can be
a church, then Mr. Bailey is
right and Paul was wrong in
calling it a church at all. With
in that congiegation was com
mitted the horrible sin of incest
1 Cor. 5:1, They were also in
constant disputes and lawsuits
one with another before the
heathen courts 1 Cor. 5:6. They
also were guilty of eating meats
which had been oft’ered in sacri
fice to idols, and were in danger
of destroying thereby the weak
brother for whom Christ died.
They had greatly corrupted the
observance of the Lord’s Supper
as we find later on; and some of
them didn’t believe in the resur
rection from the dead 1 Cor. 15:
2. Now all this was wrong and
I am not defending it. But it
does seem to me that Mr. Baily
could see that if the true church
of God existed in a congregation
like that at Cormth, that he
ought not to condemn the
Lutheran church because he may
find some thing about it he
doesn’t happen to like.
Now I think if Paul were
living today he would recognize
the Lutheran church for I know
of no division or false doctrine
or flagrant sins among its
members as existed at Corinth,
and yet he calls it the “Church
of God.”
Now Mr. Bailey says that the
church at Corinth had no differ
ent faith from the church at
Antioch, but if he can find where
there was division, or a denial
of the resurrection at Antioch
we would be glad for him to
point out the passage. This did
exist at Coiinth. Now let us see
about those seven churches in
A?ia, Mr. Baily says they
“were separated by geographical
distance and not by difference in
belief.” And he says' further
that when I try to make it
differences didn’t destroy the
church nor even its unity, for
Christ found some faithful ones
in each congregation, and it was
these that constitute the true
church.
Novy Mr. Bailey thinks that if
all had been gathered together
in one place they would all have
been one in their external union.
There would have been no
differences, and all could have
said amen when Paul preached.
That appears plausible but I
don’t believe ii is true for the
following reasons, There were
those who opposed Paul as we
saw in the divisions at Corinth.
There were others who question
ed his apostleship, and he ar
gues defend to himself. Others
said he could write weighty
letters but his speech was con
temptible. Then also let Mr.
Bailey read Gal. 2:14 and he will
find that even the Apostles them
selves were not in absolute unity
in everything. Peter and Paul
had a discussion over circumcis
ion. And so if we take the
Bible as our guide we find that
there was not that outward
unity, nor even a perfect under
standing of the one faith which
Mr. Baily tries to set forth.
From all these things we see
that the church was not a unit
in its faith and life. And yet
the Bible says it is one. Now
we know the Bible does not con
tradict itself. Nor can we
select certain passages which
speak of its unity and disregard
those which tell of the differ
ences among the churches. As
set forth in the Bible, the church
was one, not because there was
one external organization, ^but
because there was one faith.
But how could the faith be one
when there was differences?
Simply this: their faith differed
in degree but it was one in
essence. As Christ goes through
those churches he searches out
has^ learned of Christ as the
bavior and accepts Him as such.
Another man may be well in
formed through years of study
in the Bible and have a much
stronger, clearer and purer
faith than the ignorant, but the
faith of both is one in essence
for it looks to one Savior for
Salvation. Wherever there is
faith in Christ it saves whethei
it be weak or strong, but we
want the faith of the weak to
grow. “Whoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of
God.” Now in Mr. Bailey’s
family there may be a strong
young man, and a tiny babe. I
hardly think he would disown
either because they are not ex
actly alike. They are different
and yet they are one family.
And so the church is one because
of one faith, even though that
faith may not be exactly alike
in all. It is one because that
faith binds and unites all be
lievers to the one Savior. It is
one because one Holy Spirit
sindc= and ctjlishtcnS hia
people, It is one because
brought into the one body of
believers by one baptism. It is
one because it looks to one hope
in the world to come. It is one
because it lifts its petitions to
one Father in heaven. Now Mr.
Baily can’t see how these denomi
nations can belong to the one
true church. I admit that these
differences ought . not to
be, just as they should not have
existed in apostolic times. The
ideal would be a perfect unity
of the faith. That is the ideal
that God has set before us, and
to it we press. But the ideal
was not reached in the times of
the apostles and it is not reached
now.
I am free to confess that these
denominations believe some
things which I do not believe;
and if we may judge from the
expei’ience of the seven churches
in Asia, God sees many things
to which He does not approve;
but God didnt condemn the whole
church,-only what he found
wrong. A child may be a right
bad child, but it is still a mem
ber of the family. A church
might be a right bad church as
was Corinth and some of the
others, and need a great deal of
correction, but when it still holds
to Jesus as the Savior, it is still
a church, “Ye are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The doctrine of justification by
faith in Christ is the very sub
stance of the Gospel. It is the
doctrine of a standing or falling
church, “Beheve on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved.” This is God’s promise
to which the Lutheran church
holds, yet Mr. Baily says it has
no W'arrant in Scriptures.
B. D. Wessinger.
.Home Burned, No Insurance,’
Is a sad story to any one.
Donations to rebuild are hard to
get. Fire insurance is cheap, in
strong Companies by David P.
Dellinger, who has paid more
losses than all other local agents
combined. Also best life insur
ance and land.
of man. In like manner, banks,
by collecting the numberless
little rills of capital, which other
wise would minister much less
effectively to human needs, per
form a most valuable service to
commerce, for by accumulating
them a great force is created,
which is always needed in pro
duction and exchange.
At certain seasons the merch
ant finds a large number of
people owing him and his stock
needs replenishing. Instead rof
crowding his customers to ps i
he accepts their notes for six V
or ninety days, takes these notes
to the bank, guarantees their
payment when due by endorsing
them (writing his name across
the back) and asks the banker
to discount them by lending him
the mcyiey that he needs to
pay for new goods he wants be
fore the people who owe him pay
thier accounts.
The bank has the money that
depositors have left with it for
safekeeping until they need it,
■''O
chant tha money he requires and
charges him interest for its use,
thus helping him to buy more
goods and pay for them without
pushing his customers.
At certain seasons the manu
facturer is in a similar situation.
He needs money to buy raw
material and meet his payroll. So
the bank lends him the necessary
money to carry r n his business
until such time as his product is
sold and he can make collections.
In this way the bank helps every
working man in the community.
It puts money in circulation and
makes it possible for labor to
earn what it should.
Likewise the farmer needs
money in the spring to buy seed,
fertilizer and implements. So he
goes to the bank, makes his
notes payable in three or four
months and secures the cash for
his purchases. At the time his
notes become due he has harvest
ed a portion of his crops and is
able to pay them. Perhaps if the
market price of the crops is low,
he renews his notes and stores
his crops until a time when he
expects to sell at a figure that
will not only pay the interest but
yield a handsome profit besides.
Banking also exercises a pow
erful influence on the morals of
society. It tends to produce hon
est and punctuality in all finan
cial engagements.
During four years beginning
with the fall term of the 1910
courts and ending with the spring
terms of 1914, the homicide
cases that came to trial in North
Carolina were 889, or an average
of 222 per year; as shown by the
reports of the Attorney-General
of the State. Our population of
1914 as estimated by the Census
Bureau was 2,339,452; and sup
posing that all homicide cases
reached the courts, our average
annual rate would be 95 per
million of population.
The Pathfindex’.
In the capital city there lives a
white-haired old lady, now in
her 83rd year, who soon after
the out-break of the Civil War
became an army nurse and for
four years did what she could to
alleviate the sufferings of soldiers
wounded in battle. She is Mrs.
Emma Brinton. Her four years
of work as a nurse were filled
with thrilling, never-to-be-for-
gotton experil, nee, sad and tragic
others inspiring and pleasant,
w ui. '• i ber reminiscences eon-
Lighty-eight of these homicide, cerned a wounded soldier who
deaths occurred in 63 towns of | had an exceptionally profound
A Card.
I wish through the columns of
The Eagie, to thank my good
friends and neighbors for their
kindness and sympathetic help
during sickness in our family.
D. Y. Brendel.
the State having 1,000 or more
inhabitants; which means that
the town rate of homicides in
North Carolina was 248 against
a country rate of 68.
The figures of Dr. J. R. Gor
don, deputy registrar of vital
statistics for the State, show
that the homicide problem in N.
C.. concerns the town population
in largest part. Barely more
than a fifth, 21 per cent, of our
people live in incorporated towns
jof any size whatsoever; but they
commit two-fifths of all the
homicides. Seventy-seven of the
Sci town homicides were committ
ed with firearms; and 63 of the
killed were negroes.
Three counties, Hyde, Pamlico,
and Randolph, had no homicide
cases in fnurt during these four
years.
Six counties had between 20 and
30 cases—Guilford, Buncombe,
Union, Forsyth, Pitt, Haywood'
and three counties had 30 or
more-Robeson, 30, Wake, 36,
and Mecklenburg 45. More than
a fourth, 28 per cent, of all the
homicides of the State during
this period occurred in these nine
counties.
During the last two years, 13
people have been tried for homi
cide in Ha.vwood county alone,
thus presenting the w'orst record
in North Carolina, says the
Waynesville Courier in a recent
issue.
Ten of the counties making a
showing worse than the State
average are in the mountain, re
gions; twelve are in the pied
mont region; and 22 are in the
coastal plain and tide water
country where negro populations
are largest.
One hnndred and seventy-
seven or four-fifths of the homi
cides in North Carolina were
committed with firearms. This
single, fact provokes earnest
thinking.
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reverence and respect for Presi
dent Lincoln and fairly worship
ed him although he had never
met him. During the entire time
that this man was under Mrs.
Brinton’s care he kept mention
ing the President’s name and
saying what a wonderful man he
was. When he recovered he
learned that his brother had
been wounded and was a prisoner
among the Confederates. A
short time later when the broth
er had been paroled he went to
visit him. The wounded man
believing that his life was rapid-
ly drawing to a close, requested
that a lawyer be brought to him
as he wished to make a will be
queathing all his possessions to
his sweetheart. The poor fellow
Kpincr
ly not far from death, the broth
er started out on a run to find a
lawyer, As he hurried along he
ran plump into a tall, homely
stranger coming from the op
posite direction.
‘You almost knocked me
down, young man,” said the
tall man good-naturedly. "What’s
your hurry?” The messenger
explained his errand and Lincoln
—for it was he—replied:
“Well, I’m something of a law
yer. I’ll go with you to yot»r
brother.” When the will had
been properly made out the dy
ing man who, like his brother,
was an ardent admirer or Lin
coln, reached a feeble hand out
and picked up a newspaper lying
near him. Pointing to a speech
which Lincoln had made he said:
,What a wonderful speech
that must have been, and what a
noble man he must be to have
made it. How I should like to
see him. ”
The President much moved,
leaned over the bed and, clasp
ing the dying man tenderly by
the hand, disclosed his identity.
Mr. Blaine Sellers, an energe
tic young man of Kings Moun
tain R 1, was a Cherryville
visitor last Saturday. While here
he had his name enrolled on the
Eagle list.
Abraham Lincoln said—I am
not bound to win, but 1 am bound
to be true. I am not bound to
succeed, but I am bound to live
up to what light I have. I must
.stand with anybody that stands
right, stand with him while he
is right, and part of. him when
he goes wrong.
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OH! THOSE CHILDREN!
' What can you give them that will please them-that
you can afford- that won’t be thrown aside in a few days —
and that will be more valuable this time next year? Only one
thing answers all your requirements—an Account
Farmers Bank & Trust Co. Why not give each
youngsters a Bank Book on Christmas morning?
No parents has ever regretted teaching their
sons habits of thrift. You can open an ac
count here for the children with any sum
from ,$1.00 upward.
FARMERS BANK & TRUST GO.
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We pay liberal interest in our Savings Department
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