The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-02

the rising generation, it must be trans
lated into the language of that genrea-
ton.
DOGMATICS M LUNACY,
The theologian of the Dogmatic
Schools speaks in an unknown tongue
to the youth of this age. Dogmatics
belong to the infancy of the race. We
have reached the era of thought. When
the child reaches a certain age he de-
mands the a for things. He is
entitled to know. You had better tell
him. If you do not tell him he will,
sooner or later, spurn your dogmatlc
assertions and retry the whole case
de 2OUO. 1 defy any man, who thinks,
to take "Shedd's Dogmatic Theology"
believe it, and reason keep her throne.
The lunatic asylum would certainly be
his home. If I believed such stuff |
would lay down my ministry to-mor-
row, join hands with Col. Ingersoll,
and say with Carlyle, why, then, if
He'll must be braved-it must!" If
this be God, [ don't know Him; I don't
want to know Him!
THE HARDSHELLS.
Fifty years ago the Baptist denomi-
nation of North Carolina divided on
the subject Of misunderstanding the
doctrine of the sovereignty of God.
The majority of noses favored the
view Of the predestined damnation of
the heather world, and that it would
be flying in the face of Providence to
try to save them. In fact, they said it
would be an insult to almighty"
God. They solemnly declared that
what is to be, aUjU be-if it never isl"
They sat down there. And there they
died. The Church divided. The Mis-
sionary Church set up for itself. The
Hardshells, or Primitive Baptists, con
tinued to edify the saintsts. To-day
there are more than $50, 900 Missionary
Baptists in North Carolina, and about
6, 1000 H~ardshells. Fifty years from
to-day the difference in proportion
between the School of Thought and the
School of traditionaIism will be even
wider. This war was inevitable.
SHOT AGAINST SUMTER.
The conflict is an irrepressible one.
| The champions of a human-made or
thodOxy have begun this fight. They
could not have chosen a better time.
The prophets of the living God who be-
lieve in Jesus Christ, in a vital, applied
| Christianity, who rejoice to be the
messengers of a God of infinite love,
are ready for the fight, if fight they
must. Their souls are in arms and
eager for the fray. The first shot fired
against Professor Briggs was the first
| shot against Sumter. The man who
fired it will live to regret it. Above
the wall, against which that shot
crashed, floats the banner of Truth.
The end will be an Appomatox.
What are the issues involved in this
fight?
STAGNATION OR PROGRESS.
1. 1t means human tradition against
divine progress. 1t is an old, old fight.
1t is weary reading to trace it's history
through the dark and bloody centuries
of the past. Every inch of the way of
real progress in light and life for the
human race has been fought with this
grim enemy we call tradition. Con-
servatism has doubtless done much for
the world at times. But such conser-
vatism is in it's last analysis, the weak
ness of age, of the gall of pessimism.
That conservatism that has sought
with devilish p~ersistency to limit the
horizon of man to ancestral experience,
has only lived to curse mankind, to set
| back the work of years bursting with
promise, and fling over the dawn of
brighter days the pail of ages of the
darkness of superstition and slavery.
Do you believe in stagnation or pro-
gress2 This is the question. Do you
believe in the rolling, beautiful river,
ever moving onward to mingle at last
with the tides of the open, limitless
sea-or do you prefer the stagnation of
the lagoOn9
ONWARD!
Onward is the language of creation.
The wind whispers it. The stars sing
it in the oratorio Of the spheres. All
Nature rings with it in the Anthem of
the Universe. Life speaks it. Death
prophesies it. These are the footprints
| of God who walked with man in the
cool of the morning of creation. They
are so many index fingers that point
to Him, who has gone on before, as the
goal toward which we move. 1t is an
| ia Gil TI--zz L Gilt ,o-s-o4 4ISo