St. Landry democrat., 1883-04-21
COMMUNICATED
BELLEVUE, April 8, 1888.

Il DEhOSnfhA
For years have listened to the SEN
able stable talk of the Irishman on the
Bnuf, and the tete-a-tete style OF Chi
cots 'Pine Knot" and that girl OF
anine," letters from whom have ap
peared from time to time in your jour
nal, and which almost seem part OF
1t.
But 10, change! The dulcet notes
from the Nightingale of the Nezpique,
strike upon the raVished ear, and the
clash of resounding arms, come from the
champions styling themselves "Revela-
tionn and "Vandal," who, stripped for
the combat, give and take in right
athlete style. as if they were virtual
masters of the "Ring.n But honestly,
1 have never seen any very great good
TO come out of theological discussions.
Either side will have their admirers and
supporters, no matter what is the out
come of the contest; and the war will
cease because the combatants are ex-
hausted; and little effected, that the
public can see is Of much utility.
do not propose to enter the arena as
com blatant, and probably may never
trouble you to publish another article
of mine upon religious topics, no mat
ter how savagely this may be criticised.
But as friend of reasonable religion,
morality and good society, would
offer few suggestions to Revelation
and other Jealous preachers q take him
to be preacher) of his class, in all
kindness, for the purpose of aiding
the good work and to elevate the NOR
ais of society.
First. Would it not be better to use
snilder terms than you seem to convey
in your writings and discourses against
such as think differently from you by
such epithets as scofers, enemies Of God
and his church, bIasphemers, infdels,
creatures Of perdition, rile sinners only
tit for the damnation Of he'll, etc, etc.
Is there anything gained by calling one
another names? Haven't / the right
to my own opinions without your heap
sng upon me vile epithets and abuse.
Are you to dictate what I am to believe 2
Are you my keeper Am answerable
to you for what do or how act, and
what think, or to God Then let Him
do the cursing and utter the words OF
reproach, and not you yourselves. No
man can say Of religion that he kno,rs
he is right. He only thinks he is. The
best biblical scholars admit that there
lis doubt about many Of the cardinal
doctrines OF the church, but that the
evidence is stronger for them than
against them hence they think or be-
1ieve them to be true.
To illustrate, Mathew, Mark and
Luke are entirely silent on the theory
OF the ;tonement. Eitherthey had new
er heard Of il, or hearing Of it, did not
think it Of sufficient Importance to
mention it. It is left to JOHN to di-
lvulge that great and startling disc0v-
cry. Now it's claimed by eminent
scholars that the Gospel Of John is a
forgery. BY others that the text from
which the atonement theory is deduced
is an Interpolation OF the early fathers.
But all scholars I believe, admit that
there is some doubt about the anthem
ITCHY OF this Gospel, but think that the
evidence is stronger, that it is authent-
5c, than the contrary.
y Fisher. who is said to be the best bib-
aical scholar in this country, sums up
the evidence thus Irenaus in the lat
ter part of the I'd century had persons
ally known in the east the. martyr Poly
carp and heard him describe the man.
lner and appearance Of the apostle John
whom Polycarp had personally known
at Ephesus where John spent his clos
sing years, 2 and closes thus: ut is NOR
ally impossible for Polycarp to be mis-
taken on point like this" The evi-
.slence summed up then amounts to this:
That Fisher says that Irenaus says that
Pelycarp says that John said that he
wrote the Fourth Gospel. Truly might
we quote from that good old hymn
which our colored brother sings with
such JUNCTION at the "gay funeral:s
AOh! Lord, on what a slender thread
Hang everlasting things"
We then have this theorem to pro-
pound to our clergy
AIf a man is inspired to write the BIZ
1ography Of another, is he inspired to
tell the whole truth Was Mathew,
Mark and Luke inspired ? If so,
why did they not tell the whole
truth 2 or was John more