The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-12-03
NATIONAL
correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
OTTN NJ ~

A0O 4SOROAAVy ~UN P~ARSSNAVy -
every nation depends upon the obedi-
ence to Gods laws on the part of its
rulers and people. AS a proof of this
all fallen nations had, prior to their
fall, turned away from the service OF
the true God and set up gods Of their
W making. Unbelief, selfshness ard
idolatry have been the great sins OF the
world in all the ages of the past, and
are really the greatest of the present,
though it is the age of civiliz alton and
| Christianity. For a time England and
the United States of America seemed
to be steering clear of the breakers that
wrecked the many nations that arose,
furnished for q time and went down
to rise no more; and others are nov
crumbling and ready for reformation
Or destruction. But the bright anti
cipations which arose in the hearts OF
those Christian and patriotic leaders
who were guided under G0d by the
great reformation seem to be dissipated
ere they had time to eliminate IN sue
cess and produce mucd fruit; and the
tendency of both these so-called Chris
tian nations is downwards rather than
upwards. that is, if we are to judge
from the lives of a majority Of our
rulers and people and the constant
violation of Gods laws and the enact
ment of many bad ones. In the early
history of both these nations, which
were born amid the fires Of religious
persecution and rebellion, the stalwart
sires who founded them showed their
love for God and good government,
which resulted in the enactment Of
righteous and honorable laws and ODE
dience to them, from which sprang
great peace, prosperity and happiness
And yet, in this age of scientific re.
search and attainments, the result OF
the faith and obedience of ances-
tors. we find ourselves d~ebauched our
leaders corrupted and their cOnsGitu
ents running wild after positions, power
! and unhallowed gain, while the church
of God is only nominally Obedient to
Gods holy communicative result OF
the compromising tendency OF lis mem
bers and lack of discipline in all her
branches on the part of priests and
ministers. And so teLd3r are the con
sciences of many of those priests and
minis tiers, and so reluctant are they to
believe their labors are falling short OF
fual success, that they lift up their
hands and voices in holy horror when
other ministers or laymen speak or
write against the declining pie5y of the
church and the oppression or neglect
of the DOOR, when it is we'll known that
Christ CAM to bring peace on earth
and good will to all men, and that the
poor had the gospel preached to them,
while now we are reversing His law by
preaching to a few of the rich or we'll
to do, and ~neglecting the great aud in
creasing masses of the poor and IN
learned, while both classes, or extremes
of society, r becoming o
rupted every day. Can these once
Christian nations stand this downward
tendency much longer and live9
{ WHATEVER YE SOW, THAT SHALL YE
ALSO REAP
The history of the Jewish, Greek and
Roman churches and the governments
formed and continued by them attes5
the truthfulness of the above Bible doc
trine, while the righteousness, or I'm
righteousness, of the rulers Of those
churches and nations shaped and
guided the conduct and lives of the
people into real Christianity or idola-
try; and the lives of all these govern
ments rested upon the faith and prac
tices of those directly in power. Many
cases might be referred to in both
Sacred and Profane history to prove
that Gods blessings or curses follow
In the wake of the conduct and lives
of the rulers of all nations. But we
will only name one In this article and
leave the Bible reader to search for
others, as they are numerous. The
18th chapter of 2nd Chronicles tells us
that the Spirit of God appeared to the
Prophet Azariah and told him to say
to Asa the King of Judah: THE Lord is
with you while ye be with him; and if
We seek him he will be found Of you:
but it We forsake him he viii forsake
you" etc. And Asa needed these and
other encouraging words that follow
(and the reader is requested to read the
aAAsmn nLn~&n~N -AS.E