The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-26
HERETO LADIES.

While the lamp holds out to burn there
will doubtless be differences and disagree
ments regarding religious beliefs and
practices. AS CHRIST taught but one Cos
pei, and that very plain and simple one
in the opinion of everybody, it seems some
what strange that there should be such a
variety Of views and so many Numerically
opposing opinions among the protesting
Christians. Not only arg there scores of
radically different beliefs and forms of
religious observance, but within each of
these beliefs and forms there are wide Gif-
ferences, individuals of the same sect ep-
psing each other in interpretations anu
practices. In the light of the frequent dis
sensions and numerous quarrels in church
it is to be feared that the unifying in
fiuence of CHRIST is not strong enough to
make an impression on some natures.
The little community of Alpharetta,
Georgia, is just now sadly torn up re-
ligiously. The Methodist has been the
popular religion there for many years, the
great majority of the people belonging to
that church. Lately some Seventh-day
Chris tians appeared there and
began work; in little while
they had made several converts,
and were making such progress that
the Methodist authorities took the matter
in hand, and with view to checking the
secession from their church, cited rfour
prominent la lies-Mesdames j, NJ. How
ELL. J. NJ. DoDDs and REYNIE LUTsoN and
Miss MINNIE DoDDs-to appear for trial
on the charge of heresy. The Atlanta
Constitution contains an interesting ac-
count of the trial which took place before
the Rev. c.. V. WEATHERs and a committee
or ''iury'' of six, Laymen ANDERSON S. BELL
prosecuting. The ladies appeared without
counsel, and conducted their own defense
When asked to plead, the defendants read
a statement as follows: 1--WE, as members
of the Methodist church. plead not guilty Of
the charge of heresy, with which we have
been charged by Brothers BRowN, HooF
and WEST. We are prepared to prove botf
by the Bible and the Methodist discip lint
that we are innocent of holding to or prac
Using heresy."
They then went on to say that it wa:
true they were observing the seventh day
of the week Saturday for the Sabbath
but that they were prepared to show by
the Bible that they had the authority O.
COPS word for doing so. They read Exc
dus Xxx: S-11, and claimed that the com
mands there given compelled them, as be
levers in the.good book, to remember tn
seventh day and keep it holy, and not tn,
first day. Concerning Immortality, the.
read / TIMOTHY vi: 1916, that only Coz
hath immortality. And thus they went OF
quoting scripture with a cleverness ant
glibness that must have been surprising
passage after passage being made to d.
duty in their behalf. Finally, they pre-
scented letter, in which the Bible and tn
discipline were made to sustain them il
their attitude. The letter concluded thus
We have read of the Dark Ages, how tina
Gods people we're cast out as heretics, ant
MANY Of them put to death, but never did WI
dream that we should live 10 see anything of tn
kind in this so-called land of liberty. In tn
, language of PAUL, as he stood before FELIX, "
would saw You cannot prove the thing whereo
YOU now accuse u.s." But this we confess unit
: you that after the way which you call heresy
so worship we the GOD of our fathers, believin
l all things which are written in the law an
, prophets We will not yield to discourage
ments, but hold up the Man of Cavalry, to fias
his light TO those who are sitting in darkness
2 In CHRIST there is perfection. We can b
, cleansed from every spot and stain through tn
merit of His blood. His righteousness may b
5 impaired unto us, and in His strength we stan
to-day.
? 1t was all tono purpose, however. Stron
l., as was there defense it could not avail
1 The Rev. WEATHERs charged the jury thf
r the question to settle in the case was nj
whether the accused were obeying tn
Bible and its teachings or not, but wa
their belief in harmony with Method: