The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-27


Church in all Ages has Reen the Bet
termeat OF Man and Opposition TO
whatever il Thought 10 be Harmful
--Mr. Tut les Sermon not Logical
Development but Mosaic OF Obser-
watiOns--Slavery in all Ages.
CHAPEL Hill, N. O., Oct. 20
To the Editor of the News and Observer:
The sermon of Rev. D H. futile has
excited so much interest that perhaps
review of it and brief consideration of
the issue raised will Oe timely.
The subject of the sermon is Human
Slavery aud the Church The first di
vision discusses the relation of thu min
lister to party organization in politics.
The CONCLUSION is that the minister can
net be party man.
The second division considers the re
latlon of the church to Christ. The con-
oiasi IN is that the church is composed
of human elements; "men have con
tcolled the church men have shaped IFS
destiny" Fl nee a criticism of the
church is not a criticism of Christ
The third division considers slavery in
the Old Testament. The conclusion is
that slavery prevailed generally
Then follows the observation that
in the first century the Gospel was
preached in Greece and Rome. and that
the relations OF the slave were not dis
tHrbed
The next thing is an account of the
introduction Of slavery into Europe and
America The Catholic Church encour
aged slavery. The Church of England
encou raged slavery. The Methodist
Church declared against slavery in 1874
The Quakers we're against slavery. The
conclusion from these observations Is that
the ''Church has been the friend OF and
has encouraged slavery The emancipa-
ting work il due TO tie Spirit of Christ.
The fourth division considers modern
slavery II Scotland, E lgland, Saitzer-
land and Norway, there was intellectual
slavery Moral slavery existed in Ger
many until destroyed by Luther. The
church destroyed Clrist. The slavery
to-day is that to creeds There is race
among the churches for numbers This
eagerness for numbers leads to free dis
cussior. Free discipline leaves the rich
man in the c urch. The church is silent
against the wickedne S OF wealth. and
this is leading TO the education CT the
negro and the ignorance Of the poor
whites
The sermon is not a logical develop
ment II is a mosaic Of observations.
Hence a salts actOry analysis is rather
difficult to make | think the above
gives the main ideas
Mr.. futile has not made good his
point. 4 charg 50 serious and sweep
Ing h 1uid have more careful con
sidera ion. The church is and has
always been on the side Of human
slavery The first argument is that
slavery prevailed throughout the old
Testament and for the blessing Of all,
both master and his servants. Next
the church killed Christ. Then the
slavery in Europe. And the last argu-
ment is that the church fails to dis
cipline rich men, That is, when the
church fails to discipline a class Of men,
fails to govern them vigorously, it is to
be accused Of enslaying men. In giving
freedom, it is the friend Of slavery.
Strange logic.
To my mind the grossest slavery is
that to the passions. The aid Of the TEN
pie service to the Hebrews, and Of the
church TO the Chris ians Of the first six
centuries, in delivering them from slav-
cry to their passions is simply incalcul-
able. Tie great Augustine was father
at sixteen years Of age. 1t was the
church that lifted up and helped him
to a decent life. If Mr. futile will look
into the life of these centuries he win
see th the church was the one power
in Europe that strove to give man FREE
dom from his lusts. Gregory VII.
spok in the name of the church when
he t1undered against this morality;
and he used the arm Of the chu ch
when be forced eyerg Priest to lead a
yirtuous life And ii was this very work
that gave this great man permanent
place Ia the heart Of the church.
The second form OF slavery IN Europe
was Feudalism. Ia this the people were
divided into q gsses and the lower classes
were in complete subsection TO the up
per classes
The overthrow Of Feudallsm cost a
great struggle And in this struggle the
church played large part on the side of
freedom. Let me specify. In the e Gle
siastical courts the aim was to deal out
divine justice. The peasant and the
baron stood elbow TO elbow in this court.
The leveling influence of this practice
was profound Again, in the church
life there was no regard for titles. Ba-
ron, prince and peasant bowed at the
same altar and confessed the same sins.
Thus the church insisted all the time
that in the deepest life all mea were alb
solutely on a level. Aud to my mind
this profound democratic doctrine
preached steadily by the church counted
more than any other force in the under
aiming of Feudalism.
The third form of slavery was Of the
intellect. The people of Europe for CEN
:uries mad no intellectual life. High
diguitaries we're utterly ignorant. Otto |
learned to read after the death of his
wife. The slavery here was even unto
death. And it is an accepted fact that
from the eighth to the fifteenth century
40 Nsbk fxa+ 4 l.