Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-08-21
Clerical Cowardice.

fDr. Holland, in September scribHer.)
The Reverend Moses Smith thinks
that new statement of the doctrine
OF the inspiration of the Bible is
wanted, -something broader and bet
ter than that generally received or
written. Why does not the Rev.
erend Moses Smith write it himself,
and for himself? II he is an honest
man, and considers the doctrine OF
the inspiration of the Scriptures, as it
has been written and received, OF
any Importance, what right has he
TO give that doctrine the slightest re-
spect, to seem to hold it, or to tolerate
it for a moment? The worst that
can happen to him is deposition from
the ministry, which ought not to be
very great calamity, especially
when it releases him from the neces-
sity of preaching, or seeming to be
lieve, dogma which he regards as
rotten and pernicious. II progress
in Christian truth is to be made,
somebody must be sacrificed, and it
may as well be Rev. Moses Smith as
any other man. Augustus Blauvelt
and John Miller have been thrown
overheard, and it hasn't burt them.
and il Moses Smith has got far enough
along to complain OF his bondage,
and to wish that a portion of his
creed could be rewritten, then he is
just the man to rewrite it and to take
what comes OF it.
Woman wants broader field Of
labor and action. Very well, there
is no law against her having it, Let
her take it. BY some of her strong
minded representatives, she goes up
and down the land, demanding a
larger place for herself in industry,
in education, in power and influence.
Men naturally object to her political
aspirations that she has no right to
make laws or ordain policies which
che expects them to execute and
maintain, but so far as education and
labor go, she has only to do what
she pleases. She can enter college
with men, she can practice law and
medicine, she can preach, she can
carry on any kind OF business for
which she has the capacity, without
saying "by your leave" to anybody.
II she thinks she ought to have a
larger place than she occupies, then
her first duty is to repent OF the sin
of not taking it. She has but to
write her own rule Of action and en-
deavor, and it will be respected. II
consequences naturally follow which
are unpleasant to her, she must take
them. If she loses sympathy among
her own sex, or sacrifices the admira-
ton and respect of men, she must
yield the cost of her independence
without murmur. But let her not
complain that she is not free, and
that ii she but had a chance che
could improve her lot and remodel
her destiny. Women have always
written the social creeds OF the world,
and women have only TO agree TO re-
write any social creed. Man certain
ly is not her oppressor in this cOun
try, and if she needs liberty let her
take it, in any measure and direction
consistent with her obligations as a
moral being.
There are many men who are dis
contented with the political party
with which they have acted, perhaps
during a long life. Its principles
have changed, its leaders are unwise
or uDprinolpled, its policy unfair and
unjust, and they are sick Of it. But
they do not break away from it.
Their character for consistency
seems to be at stake. If they have
any political aspirations, they are
identified with the party with which
they have always acted So, with
caviling judgments, or against con.
scientious convictions, they stand by
their party and are unhappy. Now,
there is no good reason why these
men should not declare their indie
pendence, and take what comes OF
it. Nay, there is every reason why
no man should remain slave to any
body of men, or to himself
To 90 back to the Reverend Moses
Smith for moment, we should Judge
that, in religion particularly, one of
the most damaging SINS of the day
lies in continued assent to dogmas
that are really dead in the best
Christian belief. We believe that
there is nothing more common among
educated Christian men than the con-
viction that the old opinions touch.
ing the inspiration of the Scriptures
are unsound and ihdetensible; and
il IL fearful to witness the apathy with
which this conviction is held in the
presence of the conservative bigots
who "learn nothing and forget moth
ing" While men write or speak
about what ought to be done, and
find responses in thousands of hearts
and judgments, the majority look
calmly on but man has only to
write his own creed and stand by it
to have his head chopped off, and the
simple reason why the questioners do
not enter their protest and undertake
O crusade for its establishment Is that
they are afraid their heads will all be
chopped off. Otherwise, does any.
body suppose they would be fools
enough to delay their enterprise for
day? There certainly never was a
time when a reformer with brains
and convictions and enthusiasm can
do better business than he can do
at present in the Protestant church,
a church in which the original
spirit of Professionalism seems to be
hopelessly lost--s church in which
free expression ofopinion is tolerated
as little as it ever was in the Cath
Ole church, and in which the con-
sentative forces have it all their own
way.
THE wheat crop of Illinois, this
a.