Africo-American Presbyterian., 1899-12-21

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There are employers whose kindness to
their servants is patriarchai; and there
are masters whose rutality surpasses
that of the Roman who threw female
slaves into his fish ponds. There are
people who cheerfully tax themselves to
educate Negroes, and Others who curse
themselves for allowing them to live.
The lynchings, immcralities irresista-
BILE on account of Negro poverty, and
general cussedness ascribed to
some employers, would be utterly in
applicable to others, whose exemplary
conduct calls forth admiration. All
this is voluntaryism but voluntary
ism whose evil overbalances the good
it works out. There is, moreover, a
voluntary submission to the action of
the enemies Of law and order, in order
to carry out sentiment that Negroes
are not men, and are, therefore, to be
ill-treated by men.
On the other hand, the Creator
established certain fixed laws when he
voluntarily made the world Who
ever has read these laws carefully
must have seen that they cannot be
broken without punishment. Who
soever sheddeth mans blood, by man
shall his blood be shed" has not been
spoken in vain. Men kill only to be
killed in turn. Men steal only to be
be robbed. The first murderer es-
capped hanging only TO be succeeded
by many hangmen. Assyria became
violent only to be violently assailed by
Babylon and the latter was brought
under by Cyrus, in order that God
might pave the way that his empire
might be beaten by Alexander. One
party in Kentucky gains an advan-
tage only TO be attacked by the beaten
party with renewed vigor. Volun-
taryism il, these cases assists in an esta-
blishment Of oruvI. For when men
find voluntaryism insrpportable, they
must establish order.
In Church government voluntaryism
leads to uncertainty, if it also accom-
plishes great things The Hebrew
Theocracy was established so far as its
form, ministry and priesthood were
concerned it was VOhntary so far as
the free will offerings, VOWS, and build
ings went. God ordered tabernacle
of certain form and size but be left
the offerings for building it voluntary,
until the people brought SO much,
that they had to be restrained. But
many years after, the temple was en-
tirely neglected This is voluntary
ism. On the other hand, an establish
ment is authoritative. That authority
is based on government : the Hebrew
establishment on the authority of God,
and established churches on their sever
al governments. In their cases, vOlun-
taryism is given to, or merged into an
establishment. Iu other words, the
people consented to give the power
of church government to the nations
officers, and to pay their clergymen
tired stipeuds for sacrificing or preach
ing the gospel. This obtains in the
established Churches Of England, Scot
land, Norway, Sweden, and Russia,
etc. In these cases, however, uniform
ity often produces formality ; but men
90 to church regularly often because
they feel that they pay taxes for the
support of the clergyman anil strange
as this may appear, they really feel in
terested in every part of the service,
and resent the leaving out OF any por-
ton of it.
Voluntar ism, again, only pro-
vokes greater zeal in the establish
ment All who are not nom conform
lists claim its benefits. Where there is
no establishment, however, the indif-
ferent often send denominational
preachers about their business else
where heard of a family that told
a Baptists clergyman that its members
were Methodists assured the Metho
d;ot minister the the members were