Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-05
"TRE SUN DO MOVE"
r. WHITa0RE,
Publisher and Proprietor.


er-BTOthtr jasper ReIEerntes hia
Belief that the "Sun DO MOve."
A correspondent writing from
Richmond on the 31st ult., says:
At three o'clock this afternoon
Rev. John Jasper, of the Mount
Zion Colored Baptist church, of this
city, repeated, by general request,
his now celebrated discourse on the
sun. The novel position taken by
Mr.. Jasper on the subject, setting
at defiance, as it did, the ccnclu-
sions of the ableSt astronomers for
ages past, and supported, as it was,
by a formidable array of bible testl-
mony, had made his discourse the
theme of universal comment for
the past ten days in white and col
orcd circles alike. Interest in the
promised repetition of the discourse
was intensified by the fact that a
colored brother, Richard Wells, ,and
two of his deacons, well known in
colored Baptist circles here and else
where, had thought proper a few
days ago, in a public card, to repu-
diate DR.. Jasper's efforts in cluci-
dating the movements of the sun
as not conducive to the spread of
orthodox Christianity. Wells and
his deacons branded the Jasperian
theory as "base fabrication," and
stated that they would not be "bul-
lied" into its belief by him or any
body else. DR.. Jasper had mildly
replied to these brothers by stigma
tizing them as "those three hypo-
critics." and challenging them to
show wherein his teaching was DIFF
ferent from that Of the bible. Pos
sibly q suspicion or hope that these
objurgating brethren might engage
in a joint discussion this evening
about the location Of the sun and
earth, and during the same exhibit
some of the beauties of oontroYer-
sial theology, may have had some
thing to do with attracting the i'm
mense crowd that commenced to
assemble at the Mount Zion church
this evening two hours before the
time announced for the discourse
to begin.
Brother Jasper appeared prompt
ly; so did u crowd large enough to
fill very nearly every available nook
and corner in the church. Possibly
fifteen hundred were thus accom-
modated with sitting or standing
room. Certainly twice that number
left because unable to see or hear.
The colored people comprised some
of the best in the city; not all OF
them, however, in sympathy with
Brother Jasper and his idea of the
suns movements.
Among the white auditors were
the faculty of Richmond College,
headed by Professor B. Puryear |;
Judge Joseph Christian, of the
Supreme Court OF Appeals Col.
George W. Mumford, Col. r. j. /
Reilly ana DIR. John Mahoney, off
GERS of the Catholic Beneficial So
ciety; the commohERalth's attorney,
Geo. d. Wise; Lewis II. Frazer,
many press representatives and
doctors, lawyers and other citizens
too numerous to mention, includ-
ing a couple Of hundred ladies,
THE DISCOURSE.
After singing and prayer by Rev.
Mr.. Winston, Brother Jasper rose
and expressed his satisfaction at
seeing so many Of his friends. he
announced for his text, "The Lord
is man of war; the Lord is his
name" He then had distributed
through the church number of
bible references, which, he said,
sustained "the pints of his authoR-
ity." He directly entered on a
running commentary on the his.
tory of man, tracing him from the
creation down to The food. For q
hundred years thereafter, he said,
the world had "become consjdera-
bly, multiplied" He gave a his,
tory of Abraham and bis part in
sacred history. lie sad that the
editors had credited him with say
ing that an angel called from a
thicket and commanded him not TO