Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-03-16


If there is anything which proves
person to be bovr. a rowly, and
thoroughly a wretch, il il to attcnd
place where persons are met to-
gether for purposes nf religious wo,.
ship, and disturb the exercisea, or
make mock OF them.
But we see going the rounls os
the Iowa press just now spccimcm
OF logic which seems to ms very shai.
low The following item. which
originated, il onr contemporaries cred.
il correctly, in the Jasper Republi.
can, we have seen in at least a score
OF orr State exchanges
Terrible Warming to Scoffers--At
a series of rel gions meetings being
held at the Black Oak school house.
three miles north OF LynnviI, e, a
young man by the name OF Foset,
on Monday evening Of last week,
while making light of the services,
to the merrimcnt of a few irrelia-
ions comrades, was suddenly strick-
en- by paralysis, as by an unseen han !,
and at last accounts was lying in q
powerless and insensible condition.
The claim is, that the hand of
Omnipotence intertered to strike
down scoffers. Without stopping
to question whether this view is one
that reflects credit upon Him who
rules the Universe, let us see whith.
er this sort OF argument would lead
MS. The argument seems to be.
l. A man was scoffing at a relig-
ions meeting.
2. He was struck down with para.
lysis.
B. Therefore, scoff'ng at a religious
meeting is d.spleasing 10 God, sud
dangerous to life.
Let US apply this logic in few
other cases.
Some three weeks ago, Mr.. Amos
Burrows, attending to some legal
business before Mr. Rouser, Justice
OF the Peace at Rel Oak, Cedar
,unty, while answering some ques-
tions propcundei by the latter, was
struck by paralysis, and died instant
~. Therefore, attending to legal
business before a Justice of the
Peace is displeasing to God and dan
gerous to human lite.
A fortnight ago. Mr.. William
Frost, OF Bellevue, JACKSON county,
went out 10 sweep the snow trols
the sidewalk in front OF hisresidence.
A short time afterwards he was found
dead upon the sidewalk. Therefore,
sweeping the sidewalk is displeasing
to God AMI dangerous co hum.n,
life.
On the 9th Of February, John Big
Glow, residing ten miles north west
Of Fort Dodge, came home iron.
church i'll apparent health, took his
seat at the dinner table, asked
blessing-atter which his head drop
ped upon his bosom. His wife spoke
to h,m, but he did not answer ; and
on examination was found that he
was dead. Therefore, asking bless
ing b. fore q meal is displca2 ing to-
God and dangerous to human hfe.
In l.ockrilge township, Monroe
county, during one OF those series
OF protrac,ed meetings, Mr.. Louis
Brant arose, and spoke in earnestness
Of his bright hopes Of heaven, closing
by saying, Il have wife an! two
children in the promised land, and l
am going to meet them, %and drop
ped to the floor, dead.
At the Methodist church at Free.
dom, Lucas county, few weeks
since, IN the absence of the pastor,
Mr.. Joseph Cary was called upon to
leal in prayer. After prayer, he
arose and spoke OF the Christians
trials said some great generals fin
ally suffered defeat, "bnt shouted he.
s'the Christian is always triC Cnphant.'
The words were scarcely out Of his
mouth before he fell to the foor,.
dead.
Therefore, it is displtaslng to God,
and twice as dangerous, to speak AMI
pray in religious meeting in earnest
ness and sincerity, as it is to do so
in mocscry AMI blasphemy
Seriously, there seems to us to be
much harm in sach reasoning As that
IN wh,ch the Jasper lsupublican and
its co-,aborers indulge. A vast
amount OF skept,cism is engendered
by this habit Of dragging IN the snp-
ernatural interference of the Omnipo-
tent-but ignoring it under precise
~ similar circumstance elsewhere.
Besides. when so mncn ado IS made
over an argument SO weak, It gives
tho opponents OF religion an oppor-
tunity to claim that all arguments in
behalf Of religion arc corresponding.
lv wpaE