The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-24
The DEVIL IN THE CHURCHES
Holiness and Other Things.
Church Suppers, Etc.
a wise Dissertation Against tho Practice
OF Holding Festivals and Bazaars for
tho Benefit OF Christian Church-Noth-
Ing in the Bible to Encourage the
Idea-Unscripturai and Not synopy-
/ nous With Bible Teachings

wan DAbGo 4GdCnlnKe.
What fell owshtp hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what com.
munion hath light with darkness? And
what concord hath Christ with Belial?
or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel?" We find she Church,
In many places. in the habit OF raising
needed funds by Church suppers or other
entertainments. These things are CON
trary to true Bible holiness, which
should always and everywhere adorn
the Church Of God. No Church will
succeed in plishing the highest
spiritual results which follows these
questionable methods of raising money.
for they do not tend to the glory Of God.
l. These methods are not taught by
the theory or practice Of Christ or other
Bible characters.
When did Christ say or do a thing
that would encourage the raising of
money for his work by Church supners.
socisbles, grab bags, ice cream festivals,
or any other similar entertainment?
Where and when did Moses, David,
Solomon, Nehemiah, or other Old Testa.
ment worthless set an example or by
precept encourage such things? Did
Peter, Paul, John, or any Of the twelve
or OF the seventy, do or say q thing that
would point to these things 80 being
then In use, or declare prophetically
that we OF this nineteenth century
SHOULD spread the kingdom OF the Lerd
by the sale of oysters, soups, cakes,
etc? All, my brethren, we all know
there 10 not single passage of the HOLY
Scriptures that gives any show of en-
couraRemens to the use Of these unholy
and ant-scriptural ways OF getting
money to bear the expense OF the Lords
work in the earth.
III there ever was time when such
methods were necessary, and when they
should have been called into use to ad-
vance the interests of the Redeemer's
Kingdom among men, it was in prophetic
or apostolic times. Then the Church
wss weak In numbers; her followers
were unknown to fame; they were com.
monty unlesrned and generally Door.
The foundations were to be laid; thew
had to commence from the ground, as
IL were. Everything had to be done;
churches, parsouages, homes were TO be
Quilt; ministers to be supported; the
poor to be helped; every Item OF home
expense was to be met, and the great
commission, freeh from the lips Of her
risen Lord, pressed upon the hearts and
conscience Of the apostolic Church. Did
the apostles institute the use of sup
pers, fairs and festivals as means of
financial relief and success? No. They
enforced Gods claims upon property.
They dared to teach 'the words of the
Lord Jesus, how he said, I, ia more
blessed to give than to receive" (Acts
Xxx. 35) Neither precept nor example
can be adduced from Genesis to ReveIs-
ZION that Will give any manner of ooun-
tenance, support, or encouragement to
these church frolics. Is not the Church
failing away from the scriptursl stand
ard when she has such things? I'm
doubleday she IT,: ~ have somewhat
sgsinst thee, because thou hast left thy
hrst love. Remember therefore from
whence thou art fallen and repent, and
DO the trst works; or else l will come
unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
canolestick out of his place, except
thou repent. REV. ii. A.,
ii. They cultivate q worldly spirit,
Q tendency to go farther and farther
from God.
Many Churches begin with orderly,
decently managed suppers, and the
thing grows upon them till they have
"theasricals. donkey parties" kiss
Ing parties" and other demorallzing,
senseless frolics in the name of our
holy religion. These disgraceful pro-
ceedings frequently wind up with q
rsHls, which is nothing but gambling,
somewhat churchizsd in this case.
Gambling in the Church OF God, in the
name OF Jesus Christ And yet we are
asked to believe that there Is no harm
In Church entertainments. AS we'll call
thief honest, liar truthful, IS to call
these things religious. Christian ins.i-
buttons. Their tendency is away from
the Christly. the holy life. Anything
that cultivates the worldly, the non
spiritual element in US is NOS the right
thing for the Church of God. We are
TO be "a peculiar people, Jealous Of
good works, pa holy nation" But The
spirit OF all these entertainments Is In
exactly the opposite or worldly direc-
ton. Some say to me: 30 our suppers
are very orderly; they are properly COM
Quoted" This you may sincerely try
to do. but / still believe the best of
them tend in the direction Of the worst
that is, to the worldly element. The
rill, as well rs the river, runstoward the
sea; so all these things work to the
tetriment Of the true spiFtual life, and
their influence is to drag the Church
life down.
"Who wonders that our childpan ave