The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-23
sunday Reading.

Editors Democratic Statesman - For
several weeks past have seen in your
paper, under the singular heading of
Sunday Reading" letters on the
points controvRrted between those who
call themselves Baptists and other
members of the Christian community.
Five-sixths or iiye-sevenths of these
articles have been in the interest Of
the former--a fact which would neces-
sarlly suggest 10 the ordinary reader
one or the other of the following:
First, that you have some special inter.
est in the denomination to whose cause
you have accorded go freely the use of
your valuable space; or, second, thSt
that denomination is particularly anx-
lous for notoriety and discussion: or,
third, that members of other religious
bodies have not considered it worth
rheir while to notice the attack thus
made upon their belief and practice.
As to the first of these modes of ac
counting for the fact, have nothing.
10 say, being entirely ignorant of your
caurch relations; but have sufficient
confidence in YOUR fairness to believe
ahat even if you bsve undergone the
ceremony which your pertinacious cor
-.
lar ceremony neither indispensa-
ble nor warrantable, when they
have been so unnecessarily assalled IN
YOUR columns. l am confident then
that you have not refused to print
communications On the other side, anu
SO must fall back upon either or both
az the other reasons that will account
fsr the undue proportion OF lmmef-
Siouist communications.
There are in every community many
weak souls who, by want Of knoWI-
edge and by their unwilingness or in
ability to give TO any subject
thorough consideration, are the natu-
raj prey of those who make the bold
! est assertions, or who place before
| them something that they mistake lor
sound reasoning. Such persons can
not understandl lwhy the things that
seem to them so important should ce
wholly disregarded by others. They
may have already almost made VI
their minds to accept the notion or sys
| TEN that has been. as they suppose, Sc
| ably advocated, and might possibly bt
prevented if some one would take th'
trouble to set them right. But whei
no one condescends TO do so, and thu
| plausible advocate uses that fact as al
admission that he is right, they readll.
accept that view, go over to his SIDE
and Join vociferously in the boastDg
| that follow.
| | cannot help thinking that the want
of this class are quite too much neg
lected. All right-minded persons knoN
, that the clergy have worthler Work /
engage their attention than watching
the columns Of the secular press fo
attacks upon their faith or discipline
And they also know that the clerg
dislike exceedingly to have subject
, of a sacred nature dragged in anon
the farrago of politics and news an
6 business affairs that the daily papt
, | must, of necessity, present TO Its read
: ers, Yet still it seems TO me, th'
e while the intelligent part Of the CON
munity respects and approves OF the
. Judgment on this matter, it would ali
readily excuse, aud even applaud, a d
parture from their usual course, VINE
+ circumstances seem TO demand It,.
4 II all were reasonable and well Il
formed this would be in nOwise nece
sary. but as that is not the case
seems to ME that the clergy should n
stand go stiffiy IN their dignity, whit
their most solemn ordinances are pr
II nounced valueless, and their chenshG
Ie tenets are boldly and publicly repI
,f sented as destitute OF a reasonab
, foundation.
: No doubt their silence in this ca
r has been at least in part ca1sed 9y {
l. fact that no person has assumed
Is sponsibility for the very extraordlna
statements and arguments that ha
been so confidently set forth. tn
re appeared originally in what affected
m DE your reporters own account OF q s.
= mon delivered in one of the churches
- Austin and they have been continu
nc by apparently the same reporter WI
ing over different signatures. i, Tor Oh
then. do not wonder that DIR. Ph.
as DIR. 5. or Mr.. /. should refuse to
al tice things sent out al cGptandam =
a 0us, and for which no person has p
fessed Willingness TO be answerable-
~ am sure. also, that the respective c.
e. oregatIons Of these gentlemen will
o. this account excuse them as readily
At do.
he Among the Extraordinary sta
mepts'' 70 which refer, would
- cIude the quotations made, or proft
ire edly made, from certain writers "
en- the intent of making them appear
witnesses in favor Of a sect with VII
they had no connection or sympAt
of and which some Of them stTenuor
m opposed. But the most e1traordin
20 WAS the assertion that the preacher
ef- the sermon which our reporter
sht bound TO give TO the public had,
so connection with another person,
no. amined sixty-four different iexleoni
m the Greek language, and that 10
ery one Of them the word "ilapu
I'D was rendered by such words as "a
As or s.immerse,r and by them slone
Il least BY sone that could eiys