The Osceola times., 1886-02-27
ONE or two preachers holding pas

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the habit Of denouncing as vile sim
ners and ungodly hpyocrites all per-
sons who find it impossible to coin
eide with their personal views touch
'ing the dmanner Of regulating the in
ternal affairs of society, and fixing
the standard by which men and wo-
men are to be governed in their Sc
culiar conduct. We by no means
favor a go-as-you-please system of
morality-far from 1t. Whatever a
mans honest conscience tells him is
wrong, that should he, without hesi-
tation or mental reservation, de-
nounce as wrong. Whatever mans
honest conscience tells him is com
mendable, that be should commend
without regard to consequences.
Whatever mans honest conscience
tells him is an evil, that should be
stunned by God-fearing men, that
should he shan even though it forced
him to wander alone through the av-
enues of life. Whatever a mars
honest conscience tells him is an i'm
perfection in the superstructure of
society, that should he earnestly and
without fear or trembling aid in Grad
seating. Whatever a mans honest
conscience tells him is best calcula.
ted topromote the greatest good of
the greatest number of his fellow
men, that should he champion with
all his mind, heart and strength.
But in this country there is no reli.
gious test prerequisite to make
man good and worthy citizen.
Every man in America may, with
impunity and with none to make him
afraid, worship God according to the
dictates of his own conscience, and
under his own vine and fig tree; and
the preacher who assumes to criticise
this man or that woman because he
or she does not happen to gauge his
or her conduct by his self-carved
standard of moral ethics, is an in
fringer upon the inherent rights of
his fellow mortals, and an invader
Of domain in which, if he listens
attentively, he will hear the warning
cry of his God to "hre from the
wrath to come" The biblical in
junction, "ju'lge not that ye be not
Judged" should, if possible, be more
deeply Impressed upon the minds Of
those preachers to whom we have re-
ferred. They should not permit it
to escape their memories that it was
the Lord who said, "John the Bab-
tis, came neither eating bread nor
drinking wine. and We say he hath
a devil; the Son of Man is come eat
ing and drinking, and We say, behold
a glu:tonous man aud wine bibber,
a friend of publicans and sinners.
But wisdom is justified Of all her
children"
We can, in the language of dis
tinguished contemporary, easily con-
ceive of good, honest people striving
very earnestly to lead upright and
Godly lives, who vet think, and sim
cercly, that true Christianity is per-
fectly compatible, with a cherry,
joyous and pleasurcable living. We
can imagine such persons at proper
times and places, with proper sur
roundinps, indulging in a social game
of whist, euchrc or billiards, or oc-
casionally y attendinga theatre, II ball,
Il trotting or running horse race, and
at the same time surprising them
selves none the worse for it. Pro
gressive civilization, increased intel
ligence, more philosophical and log
ical conception Of the religion which
our Savior taught, has inspired a
large majority Of the best men and
purest women in America with an
absolute aversion for the varied
phases ofpuritanism, and tight-laced
dogmatisls. Scimitar.