The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-10
A PLEA FOR PRRsBYrERIALIsM
Immaculate Scriptural Authority the
Clear Cut Requisite for Forthcoming
Ordeals- lit Becomes All DenOmina-
tons to Overhaul Their Creeds.

Or0G&lS""AG 9GCOHSS SA SC9S@1A
lions to Overhaul Their Creeds.
LReprinted by Request ]
To the Editor Of the Charl- tie Observer.
A summary glance at the ecclesias
tical history reveals the fact that while
three grand dispensatiors have brought
their virtue to peal upon the develop
ment of the Church only n princl-
pie of government bears their tribune
seal of Abraham, Mosaic and Christian
validity.
Virgin presbyterialism obtained
without rival in the patrisrchal age.
The jewish economy was inaugurated
and propitiously launched under its
auspices. Israel stumbled and fell
when they demanded a King. Thee
cratic arrangement was set aside poll
ticaIly. Church and state severed, Is
rael's national development came fnal
" to naught, and her ecclesiastical de-
velopment was switched into captive
reformatories. Reformation TOOK
place and Israel re appeared in her
synagogical form of worehip, under
the old regime of elders, denominaUed
"Rulers of the Synagogue" just IN
time to transmit the Church officially
into the hands of a Christian dispense
ton.
Presbyterialiem was birthright in
heritance Of the Christian Church, and,
under apostolic sanction, became the
metropolis of Christian government.
While equiIibriaI authority, its p2tri-
monial and safeguard feture, garri
soned still the eldership citadel Of pres
byterialism. The gates Of hell awaited
nothing in open assault against the
Rock founde Church until the ''calm
centre" of its cyclonic fury was Gov
ertly Ieveled at the Church's citadel OF
equipoised authority. Ailing symp-
toms were apparent in the early dawn
of the second century. Parity OF
elders" gradually yielded to the etress
of narcotic treatment on the n hand,
and stimulating physic on the other,
fell in course of time a helpless prey to
the swoop of clerical supremacy. Para
site authority was inoculated, and the
"Spider of Aoostasy" laid hold with
hands and was in the Kings palace,
when teaching elders were constituted
exoficio moderators, fret of parochial
and after wards of presbyterial assem-
blies.
Note this point carefully aud mark
the nab of It's design; for in the cruel
BILE OF succeeding events this self same
clerical ex off jio ''primus interpares, "
proved TO be the rudImental step and
entering wedge of med; sc 7al apostasy.
In taking this step the Church efec-
lively bowed itself to prelacy and made
demonstrative obeisance to anti Christ.
"Wnile men slept the enemy sowed
tares," aud within a few short centu-
ries the golden wand of Church author
ity was "choked" entirely from presby-
terialism to clerical hands, and a boun-
tiful harvest. of twelve prelatic, papal,
precipitous centuries ensued, the
swine OF whose f~ornication" brought
the Church simultaneously to the
brink Of destruction and border Of ref
ormation. Reformation prevailed, but
with ali It's boasttul record Of four
hundred years standing, it has never
yet awaited to the recovery OF a single
specimen Of general unalloyed presby-
terialism. A sovereign calling Of our
day is emphaticallg a contamination
in this respect Of the reformation Of
1917
The Church in its infancy wes swad-
died with presby terial bands and nur-
tured under it's sacred scriptural au
thority for more than twenty centuries
previous to the onslaught of prelacy,
papacy, i~ndependency and mixed
wine" Of modern isms. For more than
a dozen centuries radical presbyterial
authority has lost its distinctive sway,
and SO far succumbed to rival irfI
ence even in our ''doctorei' pres
bySerian formu'8 that none msy lift
their teatifyiDg voices in its behalf,
save at the peril OF their official exis-
tence. But fundamental authority
must be maintained at all haz ards, and
sink or swim, go far as it's advocates
r concerned, the Church, il astray,
must return to Scriptural mornings in
this respect or som day founder again,
AlIegorically considered, u form of
government, as to it's clerical element
of admins ration, Is H ,gsr" and not
Sarah; "Ishmael in its tendency
and not the heir according to promise. -
It gendereth TO ''bondag9'' and not the
"perfec5 liberty Of the G 1spel" Its in
tnronI1rsa of clnricni ON nnnnLnA-n:.1