The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-11-28

ana Wnen near a man eXpaulate upon Sucn
selt-evident truth. begin to think there
is something" wrong lin Denmark" 1--WE
cannot all have the faith of ST. Paul" l
ask: Why not? do not believe that faith
is measurable commodity; we either have
it or we have it not; there is no half meas
ure. Do we believe in God? do we believe
in His goodness? st. Paul could believe no
more. TO say that we cannot all have the
faith of ST. Paul, is to say that we have NO
faith.
l quote from Memo: His reference to
those within these walls who may have been
at one time protesting christians, is also
without logical force. There may be men
here who have fOrSaken their faith and COM
mitted crime. This very fact may make
their repentance the mole sincere, and
renewed intercourse with God may enable
them to attain such spiritual strength as
will enable them to hold fast to the faith to
the end" Another Misrepresentation. He
implies here that l said that prisoner
could not become christian, when, in
truth, my reference was to this effect that
man who has been a protesting christian
on the outside proves by coming here that
he has lost his hold on christianity. | do
not say that he cannot become christian
while in prison, but | ask if such man
should be allowed to reap advantages from
professions while in prison. 1t is really
tiresOme to be correcting this writer's mis-
takeS.(?)
Again: Conscience is the moral sense
which enables us to discern the right from
the wrong. We all possess this sense, but
how closely have we followed its admon-
ton? My dear sir, if we were not all in
need Of religious instruction. not only to
help us to discern more clearly between
right and wrong, but also to teach us where
and how to obtain the necessary strength
to follow the dictates of conscience. what
would be the necessity of churches. of min
listers of the gospel, of religious literature?
Was Christ and his disciples imbeciles? Is
every minister of the gospel an imbecile?
Are all who attend church. are we who at
tend chapel imbeciles?" That we do not
follow the dictates of conscience, is because
of a perverse nature, and not for lack of in
structon in theology. Claiming says, ''All
mysteries of science and theology fade away
before the grandeur of the simple percep-
ton of duty. which daWnS on the mind of
the little child. That perception brings
him into the moral knowledge OF God
That lays on him an everlasting bond. He
in whom the conviction of duty is unfOlded
becomes subject that moment to law
which no power in the universe can alb
rOgate." This sense of duty dawns on a
little child. You know. l know. and every
man knows that this is true; not because we
hear it from Charming, but because it is an
individual experience. When conscience
fails in compelling us to do the right un-
limited instruction is of little avail. Do you
really think that people go to church for
religious instruction.? Do you really think
that we 60 to chapel for religious inStruc-
ton? You ask what do we go for? In the
case of outsiders: Some of the ladies go to
display their new bOnnets; some go because
it is a social custom and the proper thing to
do; some of the men go for this last named
reason and a very few of both sexes, be-
cause it is their honest Way to worship
God. In our own case the principal reason
is. that we may spend an hour out of our
cells. Give the men the choice of an hour
on the grade on Sunday morning or an hour
in chapel, and l am afraid that our chaplain
would talk to empty benches-Nemo ex-
copied. This is not very complimentary to
our chaplain, but [ am almost certain he
is as we'll aware of the truth as any one.
| think, that. at the last day. when the
trumpet is sounded it will be every one for
himself, and the weak mortal who. in jour-
neying through this vale of tears. has found
it necessary to be bOlstered up by others,
will be in very sad predicament when he
finds, as he will. that he must answer to the
call alone. On that day he will find that no
one will go with him. and his only recon-
mendation to favor will be his good deeds
in this life. shall close this paper with an
extract from the works of Emerson.
Power and purpose ride on matter to
the last atom The ends of all are
moral, and therefore the beginnings are
such The moral law lies in the CEN
ter of nature and radiates to the circumfer-
ence. 1t is the pith and marrow of every
substance every relation. and every pro-
cess All things with which we deal preach
to us. What is farm but a mute gospel?
The chaff and the wheat, weeds and plants
blight, rain. insects. sun--it is a sacred en-