The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-06-21

q b.
Sam Jones Is religious revolt
ZIONIST. He rebels not against the
tencts, faith or policy of the church
or any branch OF IL. but against the
modes'in common use to reach aud
influence the people. Il is sad con
fession TO make, but II is true never
ihelcss, that the church and its minis
tiers are rs much the slaves of fashion
custom or style as are other worldly
institutions and their ministers. A
coat must be cut by a certain pattern,
certain kind of music only must
celebrate praise in the house of God.
A cold heartless Journalism has grown
up which cares far more for the income
style and appearance Of the church
and its notaries than II does for Ell
iher the temporal or the spiritual
welfare Of the people. Apparently
the requirements are met when the
pews which were formerly sold at
forty, are in demand at one hundred
dollars, when the income of the
preacher which was ON only n
thousand dollars have been increased
to five thousand. Once, member o
Sam Jones' denomination was pro-
hibited from dancing, from over
dressing, from debauchery and from
dishonest practices. Now alasl he
may indulge in all even In drunkenness,
but the hole his expulsion will leave
in the congregation will be so large,
the income of the church so small
that sound worldly policy dictates
his retention even at the
scandal of the pure Cos
pei of the Nazsrene. Sam Jones
has inauguratcd q movement against
all this kind of thing. lie is lighting
sin in high and holy places as well as
lowly, under the black flag. There Is
no compromise possible. Either Sam
Jones himself must go down or the
workers of evil. In strong, rugged
and homely phrases he rams his ser
ried columns against the full front o.
satan's works. lie does not stop IL
count the odds against him. So fal
victory has remained with the swar
! thy Georgian How ians>--it ~,rife II
self will solve. But there is one thinl
certain. Sam will not give way. ii,
may be annihilated, but no will never
, surrender.
This brave and devoted advocate O
purer life does no: confine himsel
} only 10 his own denomination. II,
works faithfully as patriotic chris
tian minister for the good of all, ever
the irreligious. Wherever he has gon,
he can proudly point to substantia
progress made. He can point to mel
and women of high degree rescued
from the cold, clammy grasp of for
malism, as those OF low degree from
. the vico-like grasp of the passions
! which soil and degrade our common
human nature. lie has by pursuing
this course aroused the deathless hos
tility Of all Influences naturally at wa
with his high and holy purposes
They fight him bitterly. They 10,
have hung out the black banne
and propose TO fight to tn
death for their footing. II is an In
teresting struggle 10 us and to al
men. We confess that in such strug
gle all OF our sympatbics are with th
man who bravely purposes to do III
/ people service whether they will o
no. Mr.. Jones assaults the drunk ard
the debaucher, of whatever characte
: he may be; the whoremonger, tn
gambler, the polite thief, the impur,
men and women who too often ge
into society and scatter broadcast In !
the seeds of a moral laxity which ulii
, mately bears full crop of thos,
crimes which startle and shock III,
moral fabric profoundly.
To-day this great man will agail
read his inaugural TO Waco. lie again
opens trenches before sin In all OF II,
forms. Listen TO him. Hear him, and
judge him upon the character of tho
work he docs. lie will tramp upon
some very sore corns OH the moral
corpus. But VIC must grin and bear II
or get out Of his way. Let MS ac-
cord him frank, manly reception, a
fair chance, and IL he is in error LEI
him take the consequences. lie has
the faculty of putting old truths into
new guise, and one must be wary to
be able to dodge one of his Theological
hot-shot when aimed at some pet sin
or wicked indulgence.
lie deserves an immense crowd at
every meeting and will doubtless have
the pleasure of greeting such during