Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-01-23
Angry Christians.


I-----------------
Angry Christians.
How good and pleasant it is for brethren TO
dwell together 10 unity" was illustrated yes!er
day in the Baptist Ministers Conference. The
brethren bad good lime generally di:cassiug
the essay read by Dr.. Samson week ago on
The Beast Of Revelation. The Doctor dis
appointed several of his brethren who can't see
prophetic beast anywhere except in the Ro-
man Catholic church, out Of which, 10 their
view, nothing good can emanate. But Df.
Samson took the position that the beast was
principle and not person, and he maintain
ed that that principle was the prosecuting spir.
it which began long before the Christian era
aud iu the time of Christ was located IN the
Jewish hierarchy in Jerusalem; was afterWard
taken up by the civil power of pagan Rome and
later by the civil power of Christian Rome;
that WheG the papal power succeeded to the
latter the marks of the beast and the number
of his name" was transferred With the price!
pie, and that the apocalyptio description was as
applicable to the prosecuting principle aud splr'
it of Puritanis 10 Old Eogland and New Eng
land as it is to Rome OF Romauism. This was
the position the Doctor maintained yesterday al
SO. and be put 'clinohar to bis brethren
when ho asked them what they thought
the teaehiog of revelation would be on this
pciDt wheo Popery went down, ss they
believed it soon would O! curse when the
mau or the system dies the prophecy that re-
fers to the man or the system will disappear
toe; but Dr. Samson maintains that no matter
what system is up or doWo, what man relgo5
10 Rome or Jerus,Iem persecution OF and nos
tiiiy to tho Church of Christ will never cease
from the earth.
So far The public will cohesive DR.. Samson is
right. And DR.. Heddcn agreed With him,
tboush be confessed that he hoped Brother
Samson would have made it plain that the
| Church OF R9mo is the beast, &s.-his own
| feelings leading him to apply the apocalyptc
prophecies to her. Dr.. Sheldon also agreed
| With Dr.. Samsou's Interpretation. Dr. Hoyt
did not, and Dr. Knapp did not. Each Of these
| good brethren read extracts, the t.rmer from
Secretary Tbompson's "Papacy and the Clvl!
| Power" snd tho latter c,rraspoodenoes between
Dauicl'5 beast and Johns. Brother Potter,
| the secretary, who presented such favorable
picture Ct the Catholic Church in Europe
few weeks ago, read from commentators TO
| show that there are almost as macy and diverse
Vi.ws Gu this point as there are Commentators.
| Drs. Lodge, SWAP, Symonds aud others. while
| tnvy were pleased with DR.. Sanson's learned
| paper, did not agree with his CONCLUSIONS. DR..
| Eddy, Mr.. Rhodes and others did not thiok
| he brethren knew enough about the subject
| 10 discuss it, and Mr.. Gussler believed it was
| 40 unknown land OF prophecy that can be un.
| der5tood only 10 the light OF fulfilled events
| Ire roll had been called, aud the time for
| ADJOURNMENT arrived, and yet Dr.. Fulton, who
was boiling over for chance to tell all he koew
| about DR.. Samson and the beast, had not had
| bis chauca The time was extended, but DR..
Fulton could not be reached before adjourc-
ment. Eve minutes more we're tackled on Tor
his special benefit. When be took the f,or it
was evident he had something marvelIously
grand or terrible to utter. Ho got of a string
of uames of fathers and writer's OF the early
Church to show that they applied st. John s
prophecies TO the Roman Church end to moth
log cls,. But he did not stop there. lie was
msd, evidently. He fired at Brother Potter
for prcsuming 70 say that the Roman Catholic
Church, which he insisted is not Church of
Christ st all, is all sufficient for tho evaDgellz
iug Of Europe. But he could eXou5o Brother
Potters youth. But that DR.. Samson, man
of gears scholarship and varied experience,
should intimate that the Church OF Rome was
not the beast" aud "tbe scarlet lady" and
"the man of siu" and all that vas uneudurabIe.
A brother mildly suggested that the LADY
and the beast" cn which she rode might not
mean one aud the same person or thing. But
the Doctor wes mad. He went on to say tha,
otter all it was only what he might expect from
q map who went all through our late war with
oui once raising his voice for liberty, though
occupyiop . prominent pulpit 10 the capital Of
the nation. No wonder that he should defend
the Papacy
When DR.. Fulton took his seat it was plsir
that The gauntlet had been thrown down snt
s,nc would take ii up. 1t was lifted up by one
tSo. three dcz,u brethren, who at first pro-
, tested against the mean advantage DR.. Fultor
had taken of the courtesy of the Conference t
so grossly insult Dr. Samson. whom they al
loved and honored. Dr5 Gillette and Edd!
lived 10 Washington at tho time referred to, aut
knew DR.. Sansons record, and they ssket
, Brother Fulton to withdraw bis otfaDsiVc re
, marks.
Di. Fulton dumping up)-I will if he II prov
that be did speak for freedom.
DR.. J. S. Holmes-l move that DR.. Fulto
= be excluded from this Conference unless b
HithdraWs his offensive remaks.
DR.. Fultop-l have nothing to withdraw.
Dr. SWan-I move substitute that Dt
Fulton be kindly requested to apologize tor th
insult to Dr.. Samson.
Several brethren gatnereo around VI, faf
q ton aud tried to persuade him 10 do an &C
which Christian courtesy, not to say commo
courtesy and gentlemsnly instinct ought
q have prompted him to do, but they failed
. The chairman did not wish to put the me
ton and thus bring the moral force of th
:. Conference TO bear on the Doctor. But it VIZ
& DO use, the motion WAS put. and the oD
. apology Dr.. Fulton made was an expression
regret that he should have taken advantage
the religious discussion to ring in a polite
D matter. Several brethen tried to get the Doot'
10 withdraw his language, but he repeated
and defied the Conference to frighteu zone mt
: by the name of Fulton" He bad no regr
v to offsr for the insult to DR.. Sampson, who TOT
il very coolly, and said be had Withstood tb
= kitd of charge for twenty years. But he =
q ferred the irquisitive 10 his record in the W
Department at Washington.