The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-03-06
WHOLE NO. 229.

vOur usually good -natured friend Pox
ERoY Of thn Lacrosse Democrat is mad q
some church members of his town and h,
"slops over" in savage style. Our rela
tons with church members at McGregol
arc of the most amicable kind and hence
we d. not publish this article as a rchec.
ton on any one here. People generally
require more perfection Of professors o.
religion than frail mortals can come up TO-
and any little delinqucncy.on on their part is
marked with large want of charity
"Outsiders' pay a high compliment to
christianity when they insist that its pro-
fcssors should be angelic in conduct. 1,
would be we'll for all Of US to behave in
such manner as to deserve credit our
selves before we fire volleys Of censure at
our neighbors; knowing our own frailties in
moral way we do not care to lecture other
people very extensively.
"Brick" has terrible pen for his hypo.
critical acquaintances and we advise them
to do better at once or "compromise" with
the Editor Of the Dsmo:rat.
ItaIic Christians. -.....
The world is full Of them. An Ttalic
letter is ono that leans away from itself,
that is anchored safely enoug at the bot
tom, but leans off on its own hook, very
careful, however, not to lean clear over !
The italic christian prcfesses religion He
has found out that he was counterfeit, done
himself up in the best Of paper, labelled
himself A No. l, and prevailed on some
minister to lay him on the orthodox shelf
among the genuine article, where his
wrapper will deceive all save God. The
italic christian is great man. He makes
long prayers on the bended knee in the
prayer meeting. lie makes lengthy trips
to the Throne of Grace, touching for wood
or water at the n gro, heather, Indian,
President, Governor, poor in distant lands,
the sick everywhere, the cannibals. pas
sensers by land or water, and on his re-
turn 70 earth, firing as grand salute in
honor Of his return, terrible AMEN !
He makes others believe he is christian.
He prays to God in every meeting but
never in his closet. He makes great pre-
tensions to honesty. morality, sobriety,
etcetera, just for show. lie don't laus sh
on the street, don't joke any one, don't
cheat person with whom he deals except
he can make something by it--never abu-
ses his wife before Company never runs
horses except when long ways from
home-never gets drunk except when in
the city for goods-never goes to any place
Of amusement when any church members
are round never lets his wife enjoy her
self or his children play-never wears a
smile or has a kind word for those he
meets-never acts as though his heart was
the heart so full Of the love he tells about.
But one thing he does, however. Just
one He lies in his heart when he says
he is christian, or believes in his own
profession. He can take the inside track
every time he deals with person. He
can act meaner than any man outside the
church to which. he belongs lie can fool
man, but he can't come his gum games
over the Deity. He can make long pray
ers in the church, but he can't make every
body believe he is an earnest. He can
slander his neighaors, for their good He
can lie, if he can make a cent by it. He
can steal, if the chances for detection are
| not too great. He can 60 round like a
bear with sore head, as though that was
a sample Of the Work of Grace lie can
preach better than he can practice He
can hurt the cause of Christ more than a
hundred real christians can benefit it,
There arc SO many of these italic chris
tians in the churches now a-days, that an
honest man hates to compromise himself
by joinin. There are lots of them in every
church, who have gone in and put on the
| cloak of religion, the better to hide what
| they steal and carry off, True christianity
is soul-satisfyip blessing. True christi.
ans we both respect and admire. A churcl,
member who acts as though the saving
grace Of God had given him good wash.
ing from sin, We respect above all others;
but these raised bills, diluted, galvanized,
falsely labelled, shaky-in nthe-butt.hypo.
critics, who steal the livery of Heaven to
serve toe devil in; hang us it we can tolcr
ate them. If a man is going to be a chris.
| tan, let him be one. If he has got good
thing, let him hang out his sign. If hi
believes in what he processes, let him ac,
it out, shame the devil, and 60 to Heaven
when lie dies We know church mem.
bers, whining professors of religion in this
town, who we would not trust with ou,
dinner as far as a sick baby could throw q
COW by the tail, and we know those who VIC
believe are in earnest.
II churches would have sort of religsi.
GUS house-cleaning every year trim of
and throw out those who have got in by
mistake, some rascals we know Of would
not thrive as well as they do, and christians
would be more respected. The temple o.
Christ is too magnificent for thoscin charge
to allow leaning columns in, Of botch work
men on.