The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-01-16
DR.. Thompson
and the Church

| Continued from LIST page.
| Virginia, and were not entirely un-
known, it is said, in North Carolina
while the Catholics in Maryland re-
spected the rights of conscience by
the side of intolerant Churchmen
and Puritans.
The fear of the predominance and
tyranny of some arrogant Protest
aut faction was SO strong at the for
nation of our Constitution, that it's
FIRST amendment is a guarantee of
religious freedom.
Only a little while ago the intoler-
ance of Protestant England found
expression in the ridicule, abuse,
and contempt of Gen. Booth and his
Salvation Army. His reception in
America was not more cordial. His
Church in England declared against
him THAT evangelistic movements
were contrary to Church order"
But, being more eager for the saw
ing OF men than for the preserva-
ton of Church order, his movement
grows in respectability now that he
has shown himself a modern Wesley
In the practice Of the divine method
of personal contact for the saving
Of the lowly and outcast, whom the
Church, in its pride, was disregard
ing.
The apparent tolerance of the va
rlous branches Of the Church at the
present day is rather a matter of
policy than Of spirit. Denomina-
tional bigotry and worldly rivalry
are potent everywhere. Witness the
too frequent bitterness Of doctrinal
sermon and religious press, and the
abusive criticisms with which preach
ers and laymen readily crowd the
secular journals. In their eager
ness to spread each its own creed,
several denominations crowd the
same community with more churches
than 1t can support, while they
leave many a waste place unsup-
piled till some rival enters the field.
They strive to surpass their rivals in
the costliness and elegance of church
edlices, in order that "our Church"
may be the handsomest; and thew
become conspicuous for their efforts
not so much to reach the ]owly as to
bring within their folds men of
wealth and influence, in order that
Our Church, may be the wealthiest
and most Influential. So enormous
IS this waste of energy and obstruc-
ton of Godliness-the root of il is
pride and muffled intolerance-that
they seem to the calmly thoughtful
less eager to fight the devil than to
keep abreast of their fellows on
dress parade.
And at this very time is there not
q considerable degree of "Bossismn
IN our denominations Early Meth
odism insisted that the doctrine of
holiness, or specification, the eradi-
cation of the tendency to sin by a
complete surrender to God and q
heart overlooking with His love-a
thought whose enthusiasm for a
time identified Methodism with phi
lanthropic movements-was 1.-THE
peculiar depositum which God hath
committed to US as people, for the
propagation Of which He hath raised
us up" From this doctrine the
Church has largely receded these lat
ter days. The old time enthusiasm |
Is subsiding. Rev. W. B. Godbev.
OF the Kentucky Conference, wrote
IN 1854: Il conversed with sancti-
fed people who certified to me that
they were forced to leave the M. E.
Church in Illinois because thew nro.
fessed specification. We live in an
age OF fallen churches, through
which millions Of souls are travelling
to hell: Men wrapped in deep SLEEP
don't like to be awakened. The
truth is, our churches are filed with
sinners and backsliders /
who are opposed to holiness becanse
1t Is opposed to them. Thew think
they can be Christians and sit in tho
easy chair of carnal policy and COM
promise with the world. the fesh
and the devil"
In 1898, the Quarterly Conference
Of First Church, St. Louis. ha5
charges preferred against Rev, Dr..
3. Carradine, a holiness evangelist
md member of that church, by the
Presiding Elder, DR.. Messick. who
ruled that DR.. Carradine ought to be-
'ensured because he went abroad
preaching specification. At the
'ame time. two very consecrated
7oung men, without moral stain.
we're refused renewal of license be,
'ause they dared go out and indie
'endently win souls to Christ. 1.-The
most recent and. perhaps the most g:
'dvanced step in this direction wal
made by the Los Angeles Confer
nee the other day written me Nov.
tn, 1S95] which refused one of its
most distinguished members, Rev.
!. c. Bane, the right of location at
is own request. Their ground Of
efusal was that they had heard that
Is purpose was to evanpelize.
'rother Bane is a holiness man. a
ne preacher, a man of great spirit
al power. Being refused the right
locate, which no Conferences nm
er Heaven had a right to denv. he
sked of the Bishop transfer to tho
'acific Conference, and was refused I
transfer by Bishop Wilson Who 6
as presiding"
A very pious end consecrated man a
reaching sancti6cation, in this