The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-02-25
Communications,
s.socI.al Affairs Again.
F1r the Iqurna

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Our position seems 10 be called in cues
tion by writer in your issue Of the 4th
inst, yho signs himself .'* X" In order
that We keep clear of fog, we will endeay-
or to keep the things at issue, clearly be-
fore US. First then, OBJ asserted that
eating, &c, at evening parties was the
af1ospitality' Which was the '.bond OF
union This is the sense in which we
understood him. "Evcning Parties" was
t thing under discussion. He then
adds "Hospitality forms the strongest
bond Of union among both civilized and
uncivilizei." f" This position is stated in
these words by the last reviewer: clos
pitality among the most refined, as well
as the most bcnighted, is observed for the
express purpose OF renewing social inter
course and Frightening the chain Of frien :
ship" Il is said to be 'cause and eff c..
4Ye confess that these statements, atho
positive, do not conyince Us and our rea-
sJn is that, Hospitality means, L0Ue to
strangers. It Is compounded of two
words, one meaning Love, the other
stranger or foreigner. The word is uscd
four times in the New Testament and in
each is enjoined lore to strangers, express
sed in supplying their wants aud enter
tsining them kindly: See Rom. xii -;
Tim. iii, 2; Tim. /, 8; Poteriv, Q. Hos
ptaliy is duty enjoncd in scripture, but
It nowhere says that it "cements the bond
pf union," nor do we gather Any such
idea that it is practised 'Fo; the cypress
purpose Of re,,e,oing social Intercourse" )"
for how can this be, when it is do0e to
straogcrs in need? done too VT :
out any reference as to Whit the res, l.
produced may be? Just as many 9Th r
nuties are cnjoined upon US, and which
we must practice, no matter what the re
suits are. Still farther, we have never
heard it said that these Evening Parties
were given in compliance with anything
commanded in Scripture. They are nol
ike "HOspitality' enforced there, because
they are not given to strangers, and that,
too, in need. opc'son by ncelecting to
give them, could be charged with r.miss-
ness in duty. We look upon evening
parties as got up for the purpose of social
Intercourse and enyQynaeRt; and the eat
ing part to be simply a neccsSary Incl
dental, growing out Of the fact that since
the guests have been busy for several
hours in conversation, or some other ex-
srcisa, that nature will demand some
punishment. We have never thought
they were got up expressly to eat. Our
motto still is, "eat to ice, AMI not live to
eat" We are asked for our auth Jrity
for saying that Judas had not this bond
of union arising from having eaten with
the Saviour. The writer seems to think
he had, only it was noutralized by his
love for thirty pieces ofsilVer Here then
is our authority: First, there was no such
thing designed, because the Saviour and
bis Apostles were eating the Passover
feast observed by all the Jews, in COM
nemoration of the destroying Angel pass
ing over the houses of the Jews in Egypt,
and sparilg them, while he destroyed the
fHst-born Of all the Egyptians.
Second, 1t was after this supper that
be instituted the Lords Supper. 1t was
i'aftsr he had supped' &c. This supper
was desIgned to do just what the Saviour
said, namely, to commemorate the Lords
death, h,-"My body broken for you
f'This do in remembrance of me - for as
oft as We eat &c. ye do show the Lords
death till he come" And, Thirdly, Ju-
Sqs did just exact " what he would have
done, if ne had had no friendly feelings
to the Saviour. Or in other words. Ju-
das' actions in betrayiRg Christ, were in
keeping with character CT hatred to him,
and not Of friendship. Now in the ab-
gsnce of any poSitiUe proof that he had
friendly feelings, we deem this conclusive.
The manner in which the Saviour viewed
the subject under consideration may be
understood from his remarks made to GER
tian persons whom lie had miravulously
fed; in John vi, 26,2 "verily, verify |
say unto you, We seek me, not because We
gaw the miracles, but because ye did eat
vt the loaves, and were Tiled. Labor not
for the meat which perisheth, but for that
which endur- tn unto ever as ing life We
understand this to be rebuke Of the mo-
tive which has led them to follow Christ. /
He had fed them because they were from
home and in need of something to eat. |
1t was an act of hospitality 1t was done
to strangers in need; and was in keeping
with what his apostles afterwards taught. |
But this is entirely different from go
cial Parties" now given, at which "B"
pleads for the chicken fxins" to Gee
nent the bond of union !" Should we
express our views upon what constitutes
the bond of union among civilized men
to-day; we would say that it is puttng
their name on paper, i. G. signing the ar
fec!es Of agreement, and we venture to say
that this is counted better cement, than
sll the feasts which could be got up. Nor
are we acquainted with any race Of civil
izsd people on earth, either of the past or
present, who ratify their treaties Of peace
by feast, 1t is done at present, every