Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-03-01
Acriticiam.

Church of Columbia, No., il pub
lished by reqaest.-fRD. LaneeR,
We have received a eamiasmica-
ton from ], w. Highee, of Mexico,
Me-, which he asks us to publish In
this Department, Considering the
nature of the communication, and
our previous experiences with him
We consider his request rs cool,
decidedly cool, for even this cold
season, He objects to four state
ments in our Introductory article,
and demands retraetion and We
notice his objections simply as an
occasion of saying something more
in that direction. We propose to
have no controversy with him, as
we do not consider him as entitled
to recognition as II Christian until
he makes the fetfaetioa demanded at
the close of this article.
1. "a purpose has been gradu-
ally developed to repudiate the
basic principle of this religious
movement of the nineteenth cen
fury, To speak whea and as the Bible
speaks and to be silent phea II is si-
lent, and to add practices and
means suggested by human wis.
dom, of which the Bible makes no
mention, either by command, ex-
ample, or necessary inference"
We used this language in our in
troductory article, in taking charge
of this Department, and we made
it deliberately and advisedly. This
objector demands that we shall
make a public retraction of this
statement. We are not in the
habit of reeklessly making state
ments, and, hence, are not put to
the unpleasant necessity of retract-
ing. He claims that as we can not
read the secrets of mems hearts,
we have no right to say what the
intention was. If you see a man
stealthiiy approaching a house al
midnight, and building a fire
against it, you have a right to say
that it was the intention of that
man to burn that house. If you
know a man to be going among his
acquaintance telling discreditable
and false things about his ~neighbor:
you have a right to say that his in.
tention is to injure his neighbor's
character. Jesus says, "for the
tree is known by its fruit" Wher
you see a certain class of men act
ing together, step by step advane
ing in q certain direction, YOU have
a right to say, that it is their inten
tion to reach some point that liei
in that direction. There are me
who have been identified with thi!
religious movement who have beer
advancing step by step in a direc
:" ton antagonistic to our genera
usages and principles and we hav,
a right to say that their antentio,
was, and is, to change or abolish
those usages and principles. w
do not say that every man that hal
been drawn away by these leader
had such intentions, for we d,
, think that there are many VIII
have been enticed into these thing
+ through their love to God and thei
fellow men. But their zeal ha
/ not been according to knowledge
The proof of the correctness of on
. charge will appear as we proceed
5 this much in support of our RICH
10 SnooB of ,pfap+iopc
9. "These men have created
) new official in the congregations.
You take up any issue of any {
!. the papers controlled by thes
/ leaders. and you will read of me
S not elders, not havingthe scripture
qualification of elders, called spas
tors" of congregations; of such
, man being called to ''the pastorate
. of q certain congregation; of such
man having been "the PASTOR {
that, congregation for SO man
years; of the duties of this kindof
"pastor' being the oversight of tn
congregation. No one can den
this statement, and no one can sa
that this preacher PASTOR" is NJ
a new official in the congregation
Give see no occasion for retraetio
i of this item. If one of our reli!
ious papers, or one of our writer
twenty years ago, had used sue
language, he would have been prt
nounced unsound with scarcely
dissenting voice.
oil 3. "These leaders have accep
+ ed clerical titles" Our preacher
several years ago, in Philadelphia
" formally decided to accept tn
title "Rev.," and not a single p;
& per controlled by these leaders sal
one word of protest. One of thel
writing an account of the last NEE
h ing of one of these societies, for th
;e Independent attached this title
!, the names of his preaching brett
rem, who were prominent in th'
meeting; and not one of those pi
n pers protested, and ne longer ths
d about the last of January, wei
cards issued for the dedication
the new organ Westinghouse, i
'e Springfield, announcing that ii
is "Rev. F. NJ. Rains" would col
duct the services. Is there an
cause of retraetion here
VI 4. "These leaders have organi
d ed associations for the supervise
,. of congregations, for the manag
ment of educational and benevolel
+ institutions, and for the control
IS our periodical literature, and ha'
,r sought to make these association
N the representatives ofthe congreg
= tons" We suppose no n wi
d deny that the common teaching
these leaders is, that it is the du'
h and the prerogative of evangelis
.. to visit the congregations, and s
Is in order the things that r wan
=: ing. Only a very short time sine
a weekly report of the ca
ID respondiag Secretary of the Mi
souri, Society, he stated that he h.
just reorganized the congregation
ii Odessa. About three years ag
by a resolution formally adopt,
by the Missouri Society, the wo.
II Missionary that constituted
ut part of its name, was stricken OF