The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-01-04
IF CHRIST SHOULD CONF re-
DAY; WHO WOULD RECEIVE
HIM AND WHO WOULD
CRUCIFY HINT

"
An Interesting Article by Judge Walter
Clark, Supreme Court Bench Of North
Carolina.
Every age has it's specialvices as well
az its special religious development.
The past centuries we're often marked
by great fame, and sometimes great
fortunes acquired by military tri-
umphs. But there at least vas this re-
deeming feature that the despoilers
had the manhood to risk their lives
and persons on the battlefield. This
age is marked by the accumulation OF
etill vaster fortunes, but il is done
without personal risk, without heroism,
by the wholesale deprivation and
spoliation Of the masses Of the people
the creators of this wealth-in the in
terests of q few combinations Of cap
itaL.
Do you think that If Christ came to,
day He would be better received in
this so called Christian age and land
than he was in Judea nineteen centur
les sgof Remember that He was q
carpenter and His apostles we're poor
laborers and fishermen. Suppose some
obscure carpenter, in this day and gen
GRAFTON, accompanied by such com
panions, should go about the country
denouncing the robberies of the rich
and corruption in high places; suppose
he should say that salvation could only
be had by believing in Him and that it
was more possible for a camel 70 pass
through the eye of a needle than for q
rich man to enter the kingdom of God
suppose such q one should enter your
rich churches. where the preacher, re
clining on soft cushions, ofsrs incense
and adulation to the millionaire bond
holders, gorged with the wealth they
have illegally Wrung from the people,
and with His knotted cord should
BCourge those ministers and those
Worshippers of Hammon from these
temples erected TO God, how would he
fArel Suppose he shoald teach the
naked gospel % Christ taught it, that
wealth Confers no privileges, but inn
poses great duties and responsibilities.
Suppose further that when these men
who daily rob . whole people OF their
just earnings shall be won't 10 give q
huRdEed dollars here, o thousand
yondeF, q milliOn 10 this hospital, two
millions to yonder college, and every
time thOy thus give back . small part
Of their sseatings they should cause
every Newspaper in the land to pro
claim their magnificent generosity.
and that this obscure carpenter, with
bis barefooted followers, should do
nounce such ~hypocrites, as he of Neg
Greth did those in his day, who, in like
manner, when they gave their aims,
had q trumpet blown before them; and
suppose that obscure man who was no
respector of persons had aroused their
fears as well as their hate by his
miracles, which should cause the com
mon people to hear him gladly and
what, l ask, would this generation do
70 sucn q mani If it did not cruelty
him, it would be only because of the
influence of his teachings, which in the
lapse of nineteen centuries have given
the masses q power they did-not have
in Judea. The millionaires and their
tools, the preachers that worship them F;
she papers, whether church or secular,
that defend them, and all the other fol
lowers of Mammon would hate Christ,
as those other rich men hated Him in
the coasts OF Jordan and Galilee nine
teen centuries ago and as they to day
really hate everyone who truly teaches
His sayings in their purity. If the rich
syndicates and trusts and other rob
bers of the people of this day and their
Uoadies and b~ene1ciaries were not
allowed to cruelty Christ they would
wish to do it. They would surely hale
Him into prison and denounce Him and
His followers as anarchists, socialists,
and communists.
Is not this true. men and bFethreni
If Christ came to day, who would re-
ceive and who would cruelty HINT
Have you ever thought about it, The
pure minded little children would re
cejve Him. They did so when He came
nineteen centuries ago. 'Suffer little
children TO come unto me for of such is
the kingdom of heaven" Then the
good women of this land would gladly
receive Him. And SO they did nine
teen centuries ago.
mot she with trait'rous kiss her Mas
ter stung.
Not che denied Him with unfaithful
tongue.
She, when apostles fed, could danger