The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-17
HOME JOURNAL.

willfully or throuSn iBnoi"n0o, "oo'
GROSSLY misrepresents the views OF the
editor of the Home Journal. Having
tried to create prejudice against us be-
cause we published the views of an anti
nrohibitionlst, it now assails US as an en-
emy to everything that is praiseworthy
in Church, State, or morals.
The writer says we pronounced "faith
;,oelf" n "dead dolt." We never did
ouv such thing. We have said that
blind .GadA was u dolt, and we repeat
il Honest skepticism on every subject
investigates in search of truth, and if
this were not so there would be no
rroqress, no invention, no safe conclu.
sions. The teacher who would have
his students advance in knowledge tells
them to investigate. He tells them
there are certain rules in trigoaomctry
in regard to the relations of sides and
ANGLES, aud indeed rules in all the
branches of mathematics which must be
investigated. He does not tell them to
trust to faith. That we have 50 many
branches of the Christian church in this
world is because men, who cannot, all,
see and think alike, investigate the
Bib]e for themselves and refuse to act
from blind faith. When cnce faith is
adopted, be it right or wrong, the hon
est believer III that faith is, in our opin-
ion, as sure of Heaven as we are sure
that the author of the malignant article
in the News is trying to help that paper
by trying in in a most unjournalistic
and nnchridim manner to invest our
scribblings with dement's Of moral ma
ture. Having adopted a faith in regard
TO the salvation of the soul, it surely be-
comes one to act in perfect accord with
that faith and show by his works that
it Is all he claims for it, else he should
not try to instruct or proselyte others.
We are persuaded that the salvation of
our soul and happiness forever in the
future should concern US more than
mathematical rules, and command all
our reasoning faculties, and since the
grave gives no response to our inquiries
as to future state, we claim the right,
aud deem it duty, to exercise our
reason, just rs the Bible commands. |
And just here we wish to express our
admiration and love for this wonderful
book that has girdcd up the hearts Of
patriots on the scalfold and the battle.
field and shone like n glory over mil
lions of beds upon which poor humanity
died. No honest, sensible person, who
is not bigot, will accuse us if we say
it contains many contradictory and
Understandable passages, for 1t has
been translated by uninspired men, but
il comes like blaze of love and beauty
through the dark cloud of human guilt,
and it tells us of One who, Us we have
said in former writing, WAS without a
single human fault, but whether He was
really God manifest in the fesh is mat
fer of faith.
But if we condemn those who are
hypocrites in Church Gas well as all de-
partments); if We can see no sincerity
in those who assume to be Christians
yet practice all sorts of uncharitable-
ness; who pray, but denounce and SIAN
der; who take the Bible as IL book that
enjoins charity, but also gives charter
for hatred who have no sympathy for
men as men but only as Uristians,-|
then this writer in the News dares to
open flood gate of sinful abuse upon
US. lie even takes us to task for say.
lug we did not fear hell. Well, we do
not, because we do not believe God, who
could not delight in eternal punishment,
would overlook some of the virtues we
have, though linked, perhaps, with
many crimes nor the good we have
done, though admixed with evil. We
are inclined to think that hell has much
more chance for those who, us Macaulay
says, join sect when it becomes power
n full, and when its favor is the road to
riches and dignities. Then they "crowd
into it, talk its language, conform strict.
ly to Its ritual, mimic its peculiarities,
and frequently 60 beyond its honest
members in all the outward indications
Ofzeal" And it is further said that no
dlscernment, no watchfulness on the
part Of ecclesiastical rulers can prevent
The intrusion of such brethren. The
'ares aud the wheat must grow together.
And because the Home Journal would
wlun0w the chaf and tares from the
Wheat, this ssIfappointed and anony-
nous Judge, in the News, must try to
'fng reproach upon us, in order, it
seems, to court public opinion.
AS to his allusion to our efforts in be-