Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-10-22


fed. We see Holmes, and Clark, and |
Crandall dragged before the Governor and
sentenced to heavv punishment We hear
the shril cry of their clerical accuser as
ne smites Holmes before the judgment
seal, seat, The e, curse OF God 60 with thee"
scourged through the settlement, until re-
prieved at last at the point OF death We
see Ann Hutchinson, her reason well nign
gone. driven through the deep SHOWS to
perish at the hands Of sa-ages. No ele-
ment of horror is wanting to the scene
Fines, imprisonment, whipping. mutila
tions, banishnent, death, await those who
under stress of present convictions seek
to be faithful to the lesson OF fidelity to
conscience learned from their. Puritan
fathers and associates in the land from
which they have come. Such intolerance
was hideous enough, though it was based
n part upon strength Of conviction.
To-day the pendulum has swung to the
other extreme. We are in a day when
mlschievous moral malaria steals subtly
into the fiber of slcong endeavor. The age
is drunk with materiaiis1l, the south wind
blows softly, and multitudes are e1ervated
by it's soothing touch Some would seem
to think that in this day the towers Of
lofty Christian life and character and of
the great splendid structure Of the king
dom OF God are, going to leap up in the
| night like Jonah's gourd; that we are
going to wake up some fine morning to
| find the building miraculousiy finished,
without our endeavor, to the ttarret-stone.
Understand me, the heart of the church
| still beats strong and true, but great
masses of nominal Christians are in To-
tus-eating atmosphere, listless, idle, unac-
complishing.
| Toseration is a long advance from intel
erance, but toleration easily becomes in
difference, and both are utterly made
quate to express the ideal relationship be-
tween bodies Of Christ's followers. Toler-
ate? Endure? Be indifferent? Shame on
afresh! Like a mighty army moves the
church of God" shoulder to shoulder,
heart beat answering to heart beat, steps
| swinging in time to the martial music of
the church militant and the church trium-
phant, Like a mighty army moves the
church of God" No regimental sacrifice
of conviction, but above the flag of the
regiment, the flag of the army above the
| standard of the denomination, the white
banner of the Captain of the host. the
| Commander of the armies Of the faithful,
the King, omnipotent and eternali Not
ence, but fellowship, is the rallying cry,
and we may believe that it finds sympa-
thetic chord in every heart of this great
company.
A good beginning has been made Fed
Grafton is fellowship put into practice.
Federation of churches and of Christian
workers has ceased to be a dream. It is
far from uncommon to-day. in single com
munities, in counties, in States. Let me
indicate a very few of the lines which have
been suggested and actually followed il
this federated work. A religious census O.
given community, resulting in religion:
directory, showing church and Sunday
tian citizenship efforts including those
| against the legalized saloon. and against
| the desecration and annihilation of ths
! day of rest, bulwark OF our national lift
now thrown down and trampled in thu
dust-our brethren under other nationa
flags are not free from the bitterness o
this assault; common rallylng for th
preservation or the securing of an idea
public school system; where it can be don'
| a wise direction of denominational enter
. prises in the way Of the founding of nev
! churches, thus tending to economy of eff
fort and wise stewardship of resource, bu
chiefly. chiefly, cooperation in the vital
) invaluable work of the church universal il
evange,ization. this above everything els'
1.-THE joining hands of those who believe
: that the world is lost without Jesus Chris
: in harmonious and loving fellowship O
action for the worlds salvation. In all o
| these endeavors we may work together
: our hearts beating as one in our common
love and loyalty to our common Lord.
T Let me suggest two thoughts which may
strengthen us in our fellowship.
First-The enemies OF Christ and Hi
followers are neither dead nor sleeping.
) Luther said, as a representation of tht
/ church in his day: "Who would paint
picture of the present condition of ths
church let him paint a young woman in {
: wilderness, or in some desert place, ane
| round about her let him figure lions, whose
eyes yth are Caring n - upon So her La and who's. $.
+ and Her beauty" That is the natural con
dition of the church. When the church
in that age. in this age. in anv age, is truly
alive, and is fulfilling her destiny, she vii
find about her, as Of old. men more crue
than ravenous beasts. The gospel means
: battle. It is rightly on the offensive, no
) the defensive The gospel divides, wher
it is manifested IL disciple whose EN-
, hodying of the gosnel is strong enough t.
| divide anything The block will bear al
most unmarked the edge of an axe han
t died by the feeb,e fn~ers of an infant, bu
the axe goes cleaving through the WOO
sweeping power Of a strong mans arm
True, naultitudes Of nominal Christians
, live on most amiabie terms with ths
world, and know next to nothing of an,
tribulation or opposition occasioned by
: their profession OF Christianity: But tha
5 | is not because there is anv real alteration
| | in the consequences of close union will
, Jesus. IT is because their union is so yer!
] slight and superficial The world loves it
own. and what can it find to hate in th'
, shoals of people whose religion is confined
| to their tongues mostly and has nothing t
do with their lives? It Las not ceased t.
he a hard thing to be real and thorough
; Christian.
! To be sure, opposition finds different
foes to-day than in some other days. Yo:
: know to what lengths It has gone. The
Inquisition, the massacre of St. Bartholo
new, the reign of Philip II. of Spain, the
: Duke of Alva with his satanic deeds in the
) Netherlands. the fires of Smithfeld, these
are not SO far in the past that mists o.
! oblivion have shronded them. But lei
us understand. NV fellow Christians thai
the world and the flesh and the devil are
! against Christian building and Christian
living still. just as they always were.
[ do not believe in people looking fo1
trouble, searching for some one who vii
consent to persecute them. but / have ar
idea that the sting of Smithfeld fires and
the wrenching of Torouemada's rack. il
those experiences could be repeated. might
correct some vagaries of modern theology
, The laundering summons of the enemy
1T the door might be wholesome anti
dote for some conditions in our churches
Of to-day. There is something in the call