The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-14
MOODY, THE EVANGELIST,
JUSTLY CRITICISED FOR A VERY
INDISCRRET REMARK.
He Charged That InIldelity Was Re.
spOnsible for All the Thieves, Har-
lots and Murderers.
To the Editors of the Appeal:

the crimes IN the cAlenOar 1nlb 3D.
aertinn is not only untrue but 80 mani
testify absurd that it is a matter OF sur.
prise that a man OF sense should pub
licly make it; but Mr.. Moody went
further and insisted that he could
prove that a mans a:tions we're regu-
lated by his belief by the very pueTlle
illustration that "a man in a build
ing would make quick haste to
depart il a warning voice
told him the house was on
fire." as though any parallel existed
between a mans action being inhu.
enced by a perfectly natural an
nouncement, and a mans morals be-
ing affected by his acceptance or re.
jsction Of the supernatural. Granting
his theory TO be correct, We should
find honesty extant only in the
church. Unfortunately the beautiful
theory is not supported by experience
Jews, Mohammedans, Buddhists ct
al. would then be composed logically
OF thieves and murderers. In the first
place, neither morals nor crimes are
absolute, but are regulated by public
opinion, time and place. A virtue in
Asia may be a crime in Eu-
rope, and vice versa. Polygamy,
a virtue in Turkey, becomes a crime
in Christian countries, and is left I'M.
punished in America among the Nor
mons because 1t is recognized as an
obedience to convictions OF duty on
the part Of its adherents. However
great the evil, and whatever steps
should be taken to suppress the
shocking immortality, yet the reason
given above is the true reason OF the
laws delay in the matter. The pa
triarch Abraham obeyed conviction
Of duty in his willingness to sacrifice
Isaac, yet in this day and generation
he would be regarded as a monster.
The morality OF to day would have
been the 9fossest immortality to the
PuritRns OF the sixteenth century-a
people who punished the most inno-
cent youthful diversions with fine and
imprisonment, who even laid
penalty on women who used paints,
cosmetics and scent TO allure youth
would regard with holy horror peo-
pie whose women use those adjuncts
Of the toilet daily, and who allows the
promiscuous assemblage OF the sexes
in the theater, the church, the dance,
nay, even sanctions their bathing To-
gether. The fact is that man is guilty
OF sin only when he acts contrary TO
his convictions OF right. A man In
strange country may innocently CON-
NIT an objectionable sin OF profana-
ton, may incur ignominy, even death
Rs the penalty, yet that does not
make the man nor the law or
custom he infringed matter
OF either right or wrong, rep.
resent merely clash Of two ideas Of
morals, both Of which accord with the
religions and customs OF the respective
nations where they obtain. So we'll Is
this truth recognized that no crime
leo IA. 40 the actor in the crime is
eoncerned) can be committed where
man follows what he may enormously
deem line of duty, that no man Is
ever punished for crimes against the
peace, safety and welfare Of the COM
munity) when he obeys q conviction ;
but II the conviction be contrary to
all custom and tenets Of law and order,
and the obedience thereto involves
dire attractions OF the rights and safe
ty of others, society confines the Of
fender as a lunatic, not rs q criminal.
A terrible instance OF this was the
case OF Freeman o! Poceasset tragedy
fame. Freeman, an adventist acting
on supposed revelation ftom God,
killed his five-yeaT-old child, his wife
holding the lamp to light him to the
commission OF his crime. Several
neighbors OF similar belief and equally
fanatical sat with the father and
another for three days confidently
awaiting its promised resurrection,
Here was q singular example OF a
whole community crszed with relig-
ious enthusiasm. The crime was not
known to the authorities until the
three days had elapsed, then Freeman
was arrested, but no jury on earth
would convict such man OF
wiliul murder. The law recog-
nized that such a man acted
on supposed sense of duty;
hence to protect society from a repeti-
ton OF such an ofense, freeman was
and still is confined as q lunatic. The
neighbors, who were particeps Grim
inis, but we're passive fanatics or luna
tice, we're, OF urse, not confined, as
they presented no menace 10 the s. tety
OF society, law in civiliz I'd countries
taking cogniESnce OF the actions, not
the beliefs OF the citizens. There is,
however, another and opposite theory
to that Of Mr.. Moody, Intidels are not
80 illiberal as their opponents and do
not charge them with The RESPONSE
bility OF all crimes, but they do
hold tba, a system Of morals cannot
be pure when founded upon the
immoral theory of q vicarious
atonement on the one hand and of 4
system OF rewards and punishments
in future state on the other, OBJ
tainable, nos by actions, but be
lief. They claim that Chris
tianity as illustrated by the re-
pentance OF the dying thief on the
cross and the pNa5le Of the hus
bandmsn, who gave 10 the la6orei
who hired at the eleventh hour his
equal per with those who worked
through the heat Of the day, teaches
the inference plainly that man muir
dered may be denied his reward
while the murderer, repentng and be-
lievipg on the scsffold, enters into
eternal rest, and while churches do
not recommend postponement OF the
day OF regeneration, yet they all sane
! ton the idea OF eleventh houl
repentance and salvation as com
padble with Gods will, ant
this by permitting men TO lay
this fiattering HnCtion to their souls
that they may at the last be relieved
of the consequence of transgressior
and be saved by belief, is productive
Of crime instead Of being a restrain
thereirom. Nay, further, thieves