The Worthington advance., 1879-05-29

teachings so commend themselves to
our common sense as well as our cOnsci-
ences, and setting them over a. ainst
the so-called Liberalism of these sad
days, how they shine! Don't you think
so? How can you publish those acri-
monious, sacreligious utterances which
find their way into your columns, with
the sweet and wholesome truths that
permeate the blessed Book of Books.
T.. II. c.
We give tho above communication
just rs it comes to us. Who the au-
thor is we do not know positively, but
we judge the rebuke to be from per-
son who is not subscriber to the AD-
VANCE; who has said to several persons
that our paper was unfit to 80 into a
Christian family, but who borrows it
regularly from his neighbors and reads
it on the "free lunch" plan. He be-
longs to that class which we long since
denominated "Free Lunchers.
This person is u church member Of
the ''straitest sect,'' who reads no re-
ligious or philosophical literature out
side of his own narrow church papers
and books; who believes that the uni
verse is governed by the Westminster
Conft ssion of Faith; that the Church
Catechism is AS bunding upon the hu-
man soul as the Decalogue; and who
will not even take the sinful newspa-
pers for fear of contributing to their
support, but who borrows them regular
ly and reads them in secret, just as so
many church members sin on the sly.
We are familiar with the passages of
Scripture quoted for our benefit. In
fact, we are familiar with the whole
wonderful volume. For years, it was
our spiritual meat and drink; for years
We have been preparing Il book upon the
literature of the Bible, and, as our spir-
itual or inner sense gradually opens, we
are more and more convinced that what
is called the Bible was largely given by
spirit inspiration, and we look back
with smile upon the crude conceptions
of the book which we got from the
churches which are still foundering
helplessly and hopelessly in the letter.
which killeth, and condemning all
those who have risen into the spirit of
the word, which maketh alive.
Our friend whose communication is
given above is one of those blind,
church-ridden persons who is still CROP
ing about for God in the letter., mistak-
ing the clothing for the man, the body
for the soul.
We agree as to the purity of Christ's
teachings, but we disagree as to the
Interpretation of the Gospel. Our
cl,urcll-biind friend mistakes Theology
for Truth and Phariseeism for saintli-
ness. May the shackles drop from his
mind and tie scales from his eyes, and
may he come up to the breezy aud shin
ing table lands where We stand, looking
back with love AMI pity up N ill churcl.
bigots and with contempt upon all big
otry.
AS our friend has quoted a few pass
agess which he thinks apply to us we
will return the favor by quoting few
which apply to him and majority of
his church associates:
Woe unto you, scribes. and Pharisccs, hypo
| critics! for ye shut III, the kingdom of heaven
against men tor ye neither go in yourselves, nO1
% Woe unto % yoa s scri6es sal and f fSarksees @ hypo
critics! for We dcv0ur widows houses, and for
| pretence make TONG prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation.
! Woe unto you, ScrDcS and Ph1risces hypO
| critics! for ye compass sea and land to make ono
prose'yte; and when he is made, yc make hi,r
Woe unto you, sc,bes and fhsrisees, ss hyps ;p
cuMmin and haze omited the weiESter e mater ter
the OF the IA aW 1Mage1ent 1 mercy and Faith: ties.
undOnc.
Woe unto you. scribcs and Pharisecs. hypo
critics! for ye make clean the outside of the c,lI
and Of the platter but within they are ali full
e1tortton and excess.
Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypo
which indeed appear Icauti ful outward but ar
| within full of dead mems bones. and OF all un
''cHniSe Ve hwnoc,ur. We'll did Fs,i,s nro,,,osv :,
you, saying. This people draweth nigh unto ~,
| with their mouth, AMI honorcth me with tl,ei
lips but their heart is FIR from me:
able Tor the land Of sodom in tie day of juds
ment, than for thee
Yc scrpents! Yc generation OF ripers! how cal
| We escape the tamnatiOn 0thel?
| How the Great Teacher could com
bine such acrimonious, sacreligion
utterances with the sweet and whole
some truths that permeate'' the book
We can easily see. The Pharisecs o
his day were proud and selfish hypo
critics and his bitterest deuunciation
were hurled at them on all occasions
And the Church, -Pl,arisee Of to-day is
very accurate copy of the Judaic Pllari
see.
l TIT, EI0R TAY,