The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-21

hELlilOuS ulsputdtiul ID 6IhAuoAS 6S'"h
out OF fashion, and 1t is well that it is So
Intelligent people do not longer relish
sectarian controversy. First, it is endless,
and, next, 1t Is protltess. 1t creates bad
blood between religious societies, and
rarely convinces any body. We observe
that at some points in the interior OF West
Virginia 1t Is still the thing TO carry on
these protitless discussions. Grafton and
Buckhannon have had their share OF them
At this time, one OF these controversies is
on the tapis in Barbour county, between
Rev. j. s. Corder and Elder George W.
Bailey. One OF the points Of dispute is
this:
"Did Christ redeem the whole world,
that ia the progeny OF Adam, with the
price OF his precious blood, or did he re-
deem his covenanted people only|
One would suppose that by the year
1880 this point would have been settled
one way or the other, for it has been de.
bated hundreds OF years, and by the ablest
theologians OF the Christian world. And
yet it has TO be gone over and over again
by men who are perhaps the merest
smatterers in theology. AS showing
what We mean by smatterers in theology
we quote remark OF Rev. Mr.. Corder in
the last issue OF the Barbour county
PLaind.aler, showing his qualifications for
such discussion, as follows;
desire to do nothing deleterious to the
sweet influence OF Gods spirit, or act in a
pusillanimous manner. With puIblind
reason have now been trying to preach
the Gospel OF the Lord Jesus Christ to
the best OF my ability for about forty
years. have coveted no mans silver or
gold. have preached the Gospel with.
out charge. My own hands have minis
tered to my necessities. ] would rather
brown my hands in the field than 10 be q
burden on my church, or make merchan-
disc OF tho truth.
This record should certainly be very
creditable to Mr.. Cordcr, and, accepting It
as true, he deserves, and no doubt re-
ceives, large measure OF public respect.
But what does he mean by saying that
with "purblind reason" he has been Try
ing TO preach the Gospel? That is very
enigmatical expression. A man who is
purblind is generally very shortsighted,
and "purblind reason" is sort Of con-
tradiction in terms. Ii it means anything
itmeans the person who is under It's in
lluence Is very narrow and bigoted, and
wholly unfit to preach the Gospel. We
do not apply these differences personally,
for we doubt not that Mr.. Corder is an ex-
cellent man-perhaps very charitable-but,
rs showing how, in the slang phraseology
OF the day,-he gives himself away by
the use Of such words as a competent
person to enlighten his fellow men on
the great mysteries which he proposes to
discuss.
Writers on logic tell US that correct
understanding and definition Of terms is
an Indispensable prequisite to oil forms Of
intelligent discussion, and this being true
how can Mr.. Corder expect to edify the
world by anything new or profitable on
such an abstruse topic as the scope OF the
Atonement when he contesses himself to
be victim OF "purblind rcason"-what-
ever that means.
The great necessity that is laid nova.
days upon people who, like Mr.. Corder,
feel called upon to expound theological
mysteries, is to recognize that the time
has gone past for endless and vexatiQus
disputes on subjects which they do
not, more than other people, understand,
and address themselves TO the simplicity
of all that makes for the good OF mankind.
This is an age OF doubt and unrest, and
the public mind needs not to be torn up
by metaphysical hair splitting over involv-
ed and iar.ietched points that are in.
capable Of settlement, but rather to I've set
at rest as far as possible by the plain and
simple presentation OF truth in It's most
striking forms.