The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-10

.heV are OOuHN LIZ
w PREACHER did at Gary, N. c., that
eo ID too much truth in what De.
thompson said.
nr Thompson, doubtless, used the
N, church" in its broadcast
W could have been styled a sectarian
Lot if he had not. AS has been for
' re. and is to day, the term church
.oos net mean exactly what God in
.snded it should. When first organ
;..d its dicipline was very strict and
-, r11rposes were to free" its mem
Sors at least, from sin and the conse-
onences of sin. In proportion as 1t has
y ambitious men been changed and
,;rarted from what God intended it
sbouId be, in that proportion has it re-
trograded from freedom" to slavery.
Hence, today, instead of freeing its
members from sin in all it's forms, it
admits, if not encourages them to be
come slaves to it. the church in its
organized state today, In a great meas
ure. is a failure. Christ prayed that
his followers might be n that the
world might believe on him. If unity
Of action begets faith, then a diversl-
fad action. as we witness it to day, be
cots unbeIief. The church, 50 called,
FIR ages, is a house divided against It
.oIf The Christians and pTofessed
Christians Of the present day, are
slaves to sectarian Creeds and so-called
c.urcb ~counsils. Their liberties in a
great measure are taken from them.
In fact. some branches" Of this SO
called church, which to day claims TO
he above reproach, have in days passed
and q when the law allowed them,
Dersecuted other ~protessed Christians
mt them to death, because they ex
ercised the freedom granted them by
Christ, yis: To worship God accord
ing to their own Consciences and their
own understanding of the teaching of
the bible. And to day too many of
these branches Of the church, if they
hadthe power, would prevent their
members from hearing or reading any
thing unless it had been sterotyped
and sent or carried out bv their own
constituted D Ds'. To enslave ones
conscience and education is to put him
in the mtss hopeless state of bondage.
The ridicule and abrse that is beipg
heaped upon DR.. Thompson by the
press of the State, and which is being
acquiesced in at last by the silence of
the church, proves beyond controversy
that tret dom of speech, the highest
type Of freedom is not to be tolerated
in this country. Now we could enter
more specifically into this part of the
subject; but TO free and sensible PEG,
PIE this is sufficient. For no one of
such can or will attempt to deny the
premises here laid down.
However, we want to say in conclu
sion en- this part of the subject, that
the chuI oh in the South, at least prior
to and during the late war, believed
in, preached and prayed for a system
or conditions, the very ultimeta end
Of which, was the human slavery" of
aIarge race Of, now acknowledged,
human beings. And even one branch
OF that church was divided on the sub
Ject Of human slavery" And it is
acknowledged to day, that the great
mass of citizens of our common coun
try, are being placed in bondage by
the rulers and money devils Of the
land. How does the church, through
Its pastors, officers and leaders, stand
On this subject2 Is it for or against
these conditions? We leave the En-
terprIse to answer We consider Gods
true church in this as in all ages, az
existing in the hearts of the humble
and regenerated people all over the
country, and not so much in what is
nothing more nor less than organized
sectariauism, which We believe to be a
twin sister to partisan politics and Just
as damnable.
We admit in one sense only, that the
50 called church is not for slavery. II
has become so LIBERAL and broad in its
dIclpline IS to allow its members tc
lie, cheat, steal, curse, get drunk, com.
nit adu,try, charge usury or be 6
revenue store keeper in spite Of all tn,
bible says to the, contrary.
In reference to the En5erp1i seI
thrust at II Populists, will saw tina
this is stale nut of that sheet +
takes care never to mention a case
We ask it to name one instance wbor
the Populists, through any of their r
HIencial members, have tried TO G,
cree their pastors to vote the Popuii:
ticket. When it begins this, it is