The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-23

4iul&lA "a "a go 49,
came and begged the leaves OF n OF
the children's school testaments, that
had been accidentally torn. 10 lind on
her arm for rheumatism She said
she did not like 10 tear one out of the
Bible for the purpose, for that would
be a sin. but as il was torn she knew
it would do her good to wear II. Ii Is
not a month since | heard here IN
North Carolina, that there was. within
ten miles of Newbern, a Baptist
church called the Split Bonnets, who
held that Jesus Christ has ordered
split bonnets to be worn by men and
women at the communion. Now,
would not any one say we We're cranp-
ing our minds into No. IS if we gath
cred from these three ignorant people
the doctrines of the Presbyterian,
Episcopal. and Baptist churches: Ger
tainlv they would yet the Catholic
faith is Judged just as unfairly by
those who say it makes the Virgin
equal with God, or teaches idolatry of
images and pictures. Let us of all
things put our minds and hearts INTO
No. los. when we come to Judge the
religion of our neighbor, for ON no
other subject are men SO sensitive, ana
no other requires TO be judged SO sym
pathetically to be rightly judged.
Renan saws. "to Judge a faith, one
must have professed and abandoned
it," | cannot go quite SO far as that
but | do say that every religion IS
most fairly represented from the inside,
and is best understood when studied
sunpatheticaUy and we nave no right
to Judge a religion except from It's
authorized teachings. We may ex-
press our opinions as to how these
teachings may be mistaken, and thus
lead to error, and, as a minister in one
of.the pulpits of his own church, Mr..
Pratt had a right, if he thought 1T best
to do so, to warn against the error m
to which any tenet OF the church or
Rome, or any other church might lead
in his opinion. but. with all due de-
fence. [ cannot think he was right in
saving that Roman catholics are
taught that the Virgin is equal
with the Father. Any educated cath
Ole will deny this teaching, and avOw
as distinctly that they are taught that
they eat the real body of Christ in the
consecrated wafer and that a miracle
is wrought whenever it is blessed by
the priest; all of which was duly set
forth in the lecture. "Charlty' thinks
it was a startling act that their dis
tinguished moderator fell from his
position (and died. while they We're
preparing to train their guns upon
the venerable old mother of all the
churches"
confess [ cannot see any connection
between the two things, and think MIR.
Vass rather "got his unknown op-
ponent on that point.
wish Miss S. B. G.. and the other
Young ladies would put on their think
ing caps and collect as many North
Carolina poems and writings suitable
for defamation as they can find and
forward them to Major John G.. James
Principal Of Military Institute, Austin,
Texas, who is preparing a speaker
for the use of Southern schools, and
wants our State fairly represented by
her sons and daughters. The book
will be published by A.. S. Barnes &
Co.. New York. | wish it was by +
J. Hale & Son. but if we can't have a
North Cnrolina publisher we can have
North Carolina well represented in its
pages if we will only take the trouble
to do so. NJ. B. G..