Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-11-08
CRITICISM AND CHARACTER.


LODGE, d. D., Editor
All teachers of great principles, all leaders
in worthy causes, especially icOnoclasts who
SILVER to atoms long -cherished idols, are
peculiarly exposed to that consciousness,
arrogance of ignorance, and rash judgments
which characterize many whom they are
called to serve. There is an element of
authority in teaching under which some
are restless, and others rebellious. Truth is
always dogmatic and Independent. 1t adj
mits of no compromise with either error or
vice. 1t is not content to hold an equal
place with that which it opposes, but con-
tends for absolute regency over the hearts
and minds os men, When the inevitable
opposition is encountered, the rule for all
faithful teachers is, to diligently seek to
commend themselves TO the great Author OF
truth, and to every mans conscience, hold
ing the unrighteous judgments of men as
less than nothing, and perseverng in ali just
and righteous ways, till the hand OF the
great Judge shall stamp final and eternal
approval upon their works of purity and
faith. The value OF such character sur
passes estimate. Diamonds are cheaper than
dust beside this thing that scorns all price.
Two chief things conspire to fill the world
with weaklings The desre::to placate pub
lie opinion, for the sake of its supposed re-
wards; and the opposite dread of the evil ma
jority's scorpion lash. The base sentiment
grows upon false proverb rashly accepted,
and the natural affinity of time serving and
commonplace minds. Public opinion is
often sceundrel as well as a fool. Voe
populi, cor Del, is the hugest lie of the cen
turtles. The voice of the people has drenched
continents with the gore OF the innocent;
corrupted kings, kingdoms, and. republics;
all but exterminated Christianity from the
earth made servants ride while princes
walked, as we see now, in our day; quench-
ed reason with seas of blood overturned
Justice and enthroned wrong; abolished God
and stamped out the Sabbath; slaughtered
priests, closed churches, and nailed upon
their doors the thesis that death is an eter-
nal sleep; and made pandemonium where
had been peace Hear how living writer
revives and urges the hoary lie: "Then the
decided majority of all affected by like
environment, by concession, or otherwise,
agree to, or adopt any particular idea OF
modus OF conduct, that majority is right, all
refined arguments to the contrary notwith-
standing The voice Of the people is the
voice OF God the majority, freely acting,
unconstrained by extraordinary conditions,
is always right. And, whenever the ma
jority shall have freely abandoned dis
tinction between Sabbath and other days,
from the temporal, if not also from the moral
standpoint, it is intaliby right And, more
over, any contest against it is futile, how
ever supported" That is to say, that, now,
while God is supported as to the sanctity OF
the Sabbath by sufficiently large percent.
age of the more decent people OF the United
States, it will be proper to hold on to what
is left of it till the filthy hordes of anarchists
and other beer Tiers, assisted by the beast
ly element who curse their nativity with
their presence, shall become an efficient
majority, and dissolve all law, obliterate all
social and civic order, and turn hell loose
in our midst God being then in the mi
nority will be wrong, and must make the
best of it. The voice of the people is far
| oftener the voice of the devil than the voice
of God. lnfalibility, as to precept and ex-
| ample, is the predicate of God only. Even
| Luther, when demonstrated with for trans
lating the Bible so as to make it say man is
saved "by faith alOne," replied, 81 would put
in anything to beat the Pope" A saying
of which he ought To have been ashamed,
and for which his eptaph should be burn
ing blush. Not astonishing, however, in
man, who, though reformer was perse-
cutor as well.
Error is likely to arise out of ignorance
of the subject matter proposed for belief
/
separate them from the appreciation of the
mass So, astronomers, discoveries, philos
| ophers, statesmen, have suffered ostracism,
| indignities, death, because the loud mouth
of public opinion brayed where its idiotic
head had no power to grasp and utilize the
| disclosures of truth as they came from mas
ter minds When the majority represents
righteousness it is heavens mouthpiece Z;
but we cannot reverse and say, because the
number is greater the principle Is just.
The great majority of men are against God i;
how then can their utterances be His voice
In point of fact every beneficial revolution
in politics and religion has begun in the
mind OF one man; there has arisen a mi
nority holding truth or principle with
persistency. When the majority has been
attained, there is limit to its time through
the corruption sure to come: in time, the
effort at publication reduces again to a mi
norty, so that there seems to be a continual
repetition Of the preservation OF remnant
And majorities in bodies called Christian
are as often wrong rs right. This must evel
be true where majorities are made up 81
materials whose antecedents are vulgar
whose tastes are low, whose judgments are
warped by passion, and whose tendencie:
in thought and habit are essentially earthly
In given location where public opinion
was essentially enlightened and undoubted
ly religious it might then be considered a!
speaking for God. But commonplace mer
land they are great for multitude) first as
certain in what quarter the wind of popu
lar opinion blows, and match their actions
to meet its praises. Many man would be
ashamed, upon reflection to realize to whai
extent his habits of thought and specially
his actions, are governed by the sentiment
of his equally falli5le and even more ignor
. ant fellows. 1t is weak and contemplate
to be moved by judgment not bound to bt
respected, and which has nc right to expires
sion Material that betrays this weakness
is not that out of which to make men tina
shall move the world! Great meA and es
pecially great leaders, are the handiwork o
nature: like poets they are not made, but borr
Character may indeed be formed, but thu
formative process is essentially development
of residentiary elements of greatness, tn
evolution of qualities inherent and peculiar
BuckIen's ArRica SRlVe.-The bel
Salve in the world for Cuts, Bruises, Sore
Ulcers, Salt Rheum, Fever Sores, Tette
Chapped Hands, Chilblains, COrps, and a
} Skin Eruptions, and positively cures Pyles, {
no pay required. Ii is guaranteed to gi'
perfect satisfaction, or money refunded. Pr,
IS cts. per boz. For sale by D. F. Owes
Druggist, Rockville, Md.