The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-04-11
THE J.iSpEkT.t " THEORY.

lttCnLnOnu, virginia., has been III an
excited state over a discussion going on
between some colored preachers of the
baptist denomination. john Jasper
has been preaching land proving it by
the Bible) that the ''sun do move" and
not the earth us the ncw-fanylcd scivn-
cists and inlidels assert. Several color
cd preachers are opposing him aud IS
sorting that the earth moves. The col
ored people of the city arc ranging
themselves on both sides, some holding
to the Jasperian theory and others op-
posing it. At one Of Jasp3r'S sermons
about five thousand coloretl persons and
four hundred whites wore present, and
Jasper announces that he will continue
the controversy until every man, wo-
man and child in the city is convinced
that the sun ''do move"
Here is zeal and boldness for you.
Jasper has the Bible and the church Of
former days to back him, and he will
not yield though host encamp against
him. Don't the Bible say that 1.-THE SUI,
rises and sets" and that tho sun stood
still ut the command OF joshua? How
ridiculous then to say the earth rises
and sets and that the earth stood still
ill Joshua had won the battle? No,
cir. Let us have no more of this anti-Bi-
bic nonsense. And didn't the church
put Gal1lleo. to the rack for claiming
thnt tile earth moves? Didn't the
church kill Bruno because he insisted
that the sun was in the centre and that
thu earth reyolved OH its own axle-tree?
aud didn't tho Pope beg Bruno to re-
cant, and show him the absurtlity Of
his theory, "for,'' said the Pope rs he
turned his cap over in his hand. ''don't
you seq, Bruno, the absurdity of your
theory for if the earth turns the water
would spill out Of the seas?" Have
not the churches steadily fought as
Economical, geological and other sci
entific developments, because in their
molr-eyed literal Interpretation of tt e
Bible. the new discoveries seemed to
conflict with the sacred record?
But the ''world moves'' in every re-
sl'ect, brother Jasper, and the literal
lists to the contrary Notwithstanding.
And nine-tenths of the clergy to-day,
Protestant rs we'll as Catholic, are hold
Ing positions upon scientific and theo-
logical questions fully us absurd and as
Anticipated az those Of brother Jasper.
II it were not so sad Il sight, it would
be infinitely amusing, to see the clergy,
who claim to be educated and adyanc.
ed, stoutly maintaining scientific and
theological theories which are as alb
surd and as long since exploded as the
theory for which this sable clerical Don
Quixote is doing such valiant battle
Some years ago in Memphis we saw :
meek tournament, a number Of South
ern bloods, dressed in knightly cos
tune. riding headlong and picking
ringsfrom hooks with their blootlless Ia.
ces. And when we see the clergy of ou
dry going forth to fight imaginary dew
lis, and to uphold dead IDEAS and sys
tens, we cannot help thinking of til,
Memplian tournament and Of the val
orous Don Q"ixote who was the last o
the knights, the solitary and ridlculou
representative Of system which lon.
before had had its day.
The Scandinavian society of Re,
Wing, recently formed for tie purpos
OF securing Il body of land in,tlle west
ern part of the State. have authorized
SPECIAL committee to negotiateWitIl; til
st. Paul & Sioux City railroad coin pan,
for about seventy-two sections, 81 Ian,
III Mobiles county, near Wortliington.-
Blue Earth City Post, :. 70