The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-12

aS LeCLdiIdu says theJ toli % StsSi GU
stones,' and not like soldiers fight.
Stones are they, even foundation stones.
upon which we are ourselves edited
-'built,' as St. Paul says, upon the
foundation of the apostles who, like
consecrated stones, were rolled up and
down exposed to the attack of all
men
1.-THE Pauline doctrine of the sword"
like the alleged Pauline doctrine
against woman's preaching, has done,
do believe, great disservice TO Chris
tianity. 1t was said by Paul of the
power of the magistrate, that 'he
beareth not the sword in vain," yet,
though the power of Pharaoh and the
power of Cyrus were made to perform
the purposes of the Almighty, the
Israelite had no proper place in the
warning camp of either the Egyptian
or the Persian. The complete equip
ment and defence of the Christian re-
mains to be the "sword of the spirit"
and he is not to train with the worlds
warning weapons, seeing that his Cap
tain has said, "My kingdom is not of
this world; if my kingdom were of
this world then would my servants
fight" Having referred to Paul in
connection with woman's preaching, I
only add that while his opposition to
her out-ofplace babling or speaking Is
evident. lie would not have prescribed,
as he does, how she should appear
when engaged in the solemn service of
prophesying if he held the doctrine
that she had not the qualification and
was not open to the divine call thereto.
I feel unwilling to dismiss this dis
course of Pastor Behrends without re-
ferring to a quotation which he gives
with approval from q work of the
Duke of Argyle. 1--WE may confident
ly affirm, then, that all theories,
whether of religion or ethics, which
disparage the military instinct or
which fail to grasp the universal fact
that every existing civilization rests
ultimately on military organization.
are theories which have no practical
application to the condition of human
ity az it now exists, or as it ever has
existed, 80 far as it historically known
to w."
Well, if the civilization which was
of this proprietary province of Pennsyl-
7snia two hundred years ago may be
dissociated from the "eXisting civiliza.
ton" of the British kingdom as a
whole, should say that it Is historic
fact of practical application that dur
ing the space of nearly seventy years
after the foundation of the province by
William Penn, that is to say, during
the time that bis equable Christian
maxims and laws of government pre-
vailed in the council and assembly
the commonwealth neither rested up
on nor was backed by any military or.
ganization no soldier with his gun,
nor battery Of cannon, nor troop of
sabered cavalry was known, no sever
er exponent of the sword of state and
of him who bore it was seen that the
constable with his staff.
That doctrine of the sword which
was of Constantine, Clovis and Charlie
magne, Paul the Apostle never knew,
for in leaving off the "old man." Saul,
when he "breathed out threateniDgs
and slaughter" became transformed
thence into "new man in Christ Je-
sus," breathing the word of peace to
his breathren, "Be not overcome of
evil but overcome evil with good." !"
This is the revived evangel which
the protesting church needs to learn
anew, and what ifit be proclaimed by
them who in times past have been call
ed no preachers, but who now may
say, 1.-THE Lord gave the word, the
women who published it were great
host" What such as these are striv-
ing to do is to lay those evil spirits still
unmortified by the state, the liquor
devil, the tobacco fiend, the unclean
spirit of impurity, the gambling and
lottery demons, the giants of brutality
and animalism, that hidden shape
which shuns the light of heaven, the
oath bound secret lodge. These, the
enimees Of our peace, are the allies of the
world, and they it is that make war,
for the apostle James, making inquisi-
tion of this very matter, says: "From
whence come wars and fightings
you? Come they not hence,
even Of your lusts that war in your
members 2"
Philadelphia, Pa.