The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-02
RALEIGH, N. G., Nov. /

Church's Endorsement of Slavery.
RALEIGH, n. G., Nov. L.
To the Editor of the News and Observer:
Recently / have been so busy as not tc
have time to reply to my last critic,
Prof. III. H. Williams. No one has vet
criticised my sermon as whole. Two
have called in question my statement
concerning the slavery of the church to
wealth. They have been announced.
1t now remains for me to answer him
who denies that part of my sermon re-
garding the relation of the church to
human slavery in other forms, ancient
and modern.
Prof. Williams says | did not
make good my point. again say
that did, and that the more closely
church history is studied from the fourth
to the eighteenth century the more will
one be convinced, beyond the shadow of
a doubt, that my position is right DR..
Kilgo, in his article to the NEWS AND
OBSERVER said, that if DR.. Thompson in
his charge meant the church from
the 5th to the 10Th century he was right.
to ''play mum" on all that part of her
history. 1t is passing strange that a
Protestant professor in our State Univer
sity should try to defend it. But to be
more special, Prof. Williams says: ''To
my mind the grossest slavery is that to
the passions Granted The church
of the first centuries was all right in
giving relief from that slavery. Would
to God that she, instead of wedding the
world under Constantine, had continued
to abide in the same pentecostal purity
and power. He speaks of how Gregory
the VII. "thundered against" slavery to
passion and ''forced every priest to lead
a virtuous life." That is morethan the
Pope can do row. Think of pure
Christianity having to ''force'' priest to
lead a yirtuous life Christ did not
force men to live right, save by the at
traction of love.
Prof. Williams speaks of the slavery
of feudalism and says that ''the church
played large part on the side of free
dom. " 1t is well that the professor did not
claim any more for the church than 'sa
large part''of the credit for freedom from
feudalism. During all the existence Of
feudal slavery the church got her "bene-
ft'' for clergy. The truth is, ''that the
ecclesiastical organization became baron
ical and feudal throughout all its pro-
vinces and dioceses." How thoroughly
the church had accepted the general
rehabilitation is shown by the address of
Pope Innocent H. to the Laterean coun-
Gil, April, 1889. Might as well expect
coed maid to kick the generous COW as
to have expected the church of that age
to overthrow the feudal system.
Prof. Williams says: "The third
form of slavery was that of the intel
lect, and furtter says that 1.-THE church
alone fought against it from the eighth
to the fifteenth century. | positively
deny this statement and say that "the
church during those very centuries
fought against intellectual liberty He
mentions number Of good and great
men who worked within the church"
for intellectual liberty. The professor
knows that those men did not get what
they worked for; that some of the very
ones named by him were made to suffer
by the church for their earnest efforts
in behalf of intellectual liberty. Ans
lem was written down as hereto by
s'churchmen" Abelard stood trial, and
was condemned for heresy; went into
the forests and preached to the crowds
that followed him.
At one time Rome condemned Bern
ard unheard." Rome to him was by
no means holy city" Roger Bacon
tried to restore the Bible to it's diyinely
intended place, and 1.-THE church" put
him in prison for ten years.
Luther took up arms against the
church and gave us all the intellectual
freedom that comes with the Ieforma-
ton.
John Wesley, being shut out of the
Church of England, led his warfare in
the open fields against sin, both IN and
out of the church.
The Salvation Army of to-day studi-
ously avoids the common name Of
"church," and churchless, is doing a
mighty work for God. Jesus
said: Eye shall know the
truth and the truth shall make
you Free The spirit of Christ is the
spirit of liberty, and the hurt of this
question lies in the fact that the church
has not kept in touch with Christ. am
a slave of Christ, not OF the church. Fin
oily, Mr.. Editor, your endorsement of
Prof. Williams article reminded me Of a
Joke that is told on Zeb Vance and Tom
Settle when opposing candidates for Gov
ernor. Get bet Tom so that he did not
know the Lords prayer. Tom said he
did, and began to say: "Now lay me
down to sleep, etc." when Zeb said
Here's your money. | did not think
yoa knew word of it,"
ID. Fl. FUTILE.