The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-07-14
A soodoloear.

In one of the interior counties of
Missouri lived, some eight years ago,
a man who followed preaching for a
living. He was called Elder B,
and was engaged to preach to the
Complexities his peculiarities soon
made him quite noted, and large
audiences assembled to her him.
OF late he has abandoned the pulpit
and is now a justice-Of-the-peaee
lawyer. On one occasion, when at
the zenith of his fame, he preached
a discourse on the deliverance of the
children Of Israel, in which he said:
Brethren, there are many diff
cult passages in the Bible, and you
are likely to be led into error unless
made to understand them. Now,
you all have read this chapter where
in Moses stretched out his hand
over the Red Sea and the waters be-
came a wall, and the children of Is
rael went over on dry ground safely,
and how the pursuing Egyptians,
the chariOts and horsemen, and all
the hosts Of Pharaoh were drowned.
Now, my brethren, as this reads it is
hard to believe and difficult to ex-
plain it. 1t don't mean what it saws;
Tor / tell you have read it in the
original Greek, and it Is there all
explained and made perfectly plain;
and in the next translation of the
Bible, which our Church is getting
out, it will all be explained. Now,
this passage of Scripture, when
properly explained, means simply
this: When Moses and the children
of Israel arrived at the Red sea they
camped all night, and it turned cold,
and the strong east wind caused it
to freeze over; and the truth of the
whole matter is plain, as you can see,
that the children of Israel passed
over 'dryshod,' on the ace. There
were no such things as great walls.
The original Greek will not permit
any such unjust and difficult trans
lations. And again, when the Egyp-
tians, with their immense armies,
heavy chariots, and great weights,
pursued the children on the ice, they
broke through it, and were all en-
quilted, drowned and lost. This my
brethren and sisters, is the true and
fair explanation of this circumstance
and the original Greek in the next
translation viii explain it to you all,
and make it plain.'
At this point brother sitting
back in the congregation arose and
said, Brother B., would like to
ask question if you have no objec-
tions."
The elder, looking triamphantly
toward the brother, answered, 'AlI
right Sir; ask just as many ques-
tions as you want TO-"
"Well," continued the brother.
my knowledge of geography and the
location Of the Red Sea shows that
it is located nearly under the equa-
tor, and is therefore in a very warm
country, and never known to be fro
zen. viii the gentleman please tell
the audience where the ice came
from ofwhich he spoken
The elder became excited, and
answered, with lofty disdain, "If the
brother who asked me this question
knew half as much about the Scrip
ture and the geography of the coun-
try as he pretends to, he would know
that this circumstance which 1 have
explained happened thousands and
thousands Of years ago; yes, Sir,
thousands of years before the age Of
biographies and before there lcas
ami equator! 1 think, brethren and
sisters, 1 have answered the gentle
man completely HarPeTs Maya
zine.