The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-07-15
A Defence of the Truth.

FALLsToN, July 18th, 1881.
MIR. EDITOR: Seeing in your last weeks 1EgiS
a communication from Black Horse, written by
Mr.. Thomas Henderson, in regard to an article [
had written and while do not wish to enter into
any religious argument with him through the
county papers, yet feel it my duty to explain
some things he has thrown broadcast out into the
world. Some months ago | wrote an article for
the Signs Of The Times religious paper printed in
the State of New York, in which paper it has been
long-standing custom for some of the members
OF the same faith and order to give Il relation of
the exercises of their minds on religious subjects.
This seems to have offended the Rev. Thomas
Henderson so much that he feels himself called
upon to make a personal attack upon me through
the columns of your prper, in which he misun-
derstands or willfully misrepresents the senti-
ments advanced in that article. wish first here
to state that do not intend to follow the Rev.
gentleman in his low personal SANDER and abuse,
but call attention to few of his false statements
But while he wishes the public to know am in
Egyptian GLOOM if such is the case am fully
onvinced, from his understanding of my article,
that he is with me as company; otherwise he
would never have misconstrued my article or un-
dertaken tc reply to something he did not under
stand.
The reverend gentleman said the tenor of my
article went to show believed no one would be
saved who lived and died as my father did. This
] emphatcally deny for such base untruths do
not belong to our religious sect. Our church fully
recognizes the right of all persons and denomina-
tions to worship God according to the dictates of
charge the Methodists with practising what they
do not believe. This also deny; for am CON
WINGED that they, as well as all other denomina-
tions, practise just exactly what they believe in
| did state that had been given to see that my
own former personal religion was Pharisaical
so was wrapped up in that Pharisee religion"
&C., speaking only OF my own condition at that
time. This is the quotation the reverend gentle
man referred to-. He farther states that paraded
in print my mother. brothers and sisters, in an
unbecoming manner, so as to wound their feelings
into the world Does the reverend gentleman
presume to know more about my mothers circum-
stances than do? had no reference to her pc
cuniary circumstances, but to the cares that rest
ed upon a widowed mother in the moral training
of her children:
Frequent references are made to my article
without giving what goes before or after them
thus entirely changing their meaning, and leading
to unjust, unfair and un-Christian CONCLUSIONS
The reverend gentleman says he is not speaking
against any sect or denomination but calls the
religion of our faith new-hedged religion.
that they are not Worthy Of Comment But iS
conclusion will say that have the article In my
possession and am willing to give an explanation
of it at any time, but hope these few abbreviated
remarks will be sufficient.
The gentleman labors hard to show that there
tanly betrays want Of knowledge Of the fact that
q spiritual birth causes change in the mind of
the individual,
He ridicuies the idea of a Christian ever being
in that state of mind in which he feels too self
abased to take the name of Jesus upon his lips
Phase a od % g. uRs
chap 18th, 10-14 verses, inclusive. He denounces
the humble frame of mind possessed by the Pub
lican. Docs he adopt that of the Pharisee or has
he some other road to travel. The account allud-
ed to declares that "every one that exalteth HIM
self shall be abased, and he that humbleth him
self shall be exalted" MA 1
SO far as his article affects my personal charac-
ter as man of sound words, am perfectly
willing to trust to the Judgment of the public, |
among whom 1 was born, reared and have lived
all my life. AS for my religious convictions am
answerable to God and not to man, and think |
that the exercise of little of the Christian char
ity incueated by that Saviour In which. / trust,
we both believe, would have caused him to re- |
strain his pen when he began his attack upon me.
j. N. HENDERSON.