Blue-grass blade., 1890-09-20

friends among orthodox religion
lists are still willing to condonc
what they consider a fault, or
perhaps more accurately, q mis-
fortune, in me, for the sake of the
good that they believe | am hon.
cstly trying to do, in a line OF
thought which is in consonancc
with their own.
l think when my friends un-
derstand it they will see with me
that the publication of my book
has been Fortunate as regards my
labors in the cause of Prohibition.
/ have long felt q moral obli-
cation resting upon me to cx-
press fully in print my convic-
tions about the great subject of
religion, and now having done
this in a concise and compact
form in a book, much more ac-
curately than / could in a news
paper, or in personal conversa-
ton, I feel disposed entirely to
dismiss the subject, feeling that l
can do so without any compro-
mise of my convictions, and
thanking my orthodox religious
friends for a generosity which
has led them frequently to ex-
press their willingness that /
should entertain my convictions
if I would not use the columns
of my paper to express them.
This last, l think they may
rest assured l will not do, not
only because the writing of my
book has done away with any
necessity for it, but because / am
tired of the mental and physical
labor of q discussion for which,
according to my own admissions,
there is no longer any occasion.
An old man who got tired of
praying according to the usual
formula, got a copy of the Lords
prayer and hung it at the head of
his bed. Every night then he
simply pointed to it and said
"Lord, them is my sentiments, -
and jumped into bed. Even so
the book expresses my "senti-
ments," and anybody that cares
to know them must take the pains
to read it. 1t is pretty strong
neutrality-suspicious. more ultra
than Rationalistic thinkers gen.
orally. But the same impulse
that makes me put all my might
and soul and strength in the Pro-
hibition cause, if l believe in that
at all, makes me put into my
book all the energy of which /
am capable.
AS to such Biblical abstrusities
as tax our faith, or credulity, or
capacity to comprehend, it will
make not a snaps difference to
me whether the whale swallowed
Jonah or Jonah swallowed the
whale, or they swallowed each
other; nor will | care whether
any man swallows, or fails to
swallow, the story about them.
But all the moral traditions of my
nature are based upon the code
of the Great Nazarene, to whom
l recognize all obligation for his
impress for good upon the age
and country in which l live, and
with the greatest reverence and
love for the great author of that
code, 1 will quote and: apply its
precepts as being binding and au-
thoritative in this country among
Christians and Rationalists, just
as l would quote Copernicus as
authority in astronomy, Euclid in
mathematics, or Webster in the
orthoepy, photography or ety.
mology of the English language.
From long familiarity with the
New Testament Scriptures, it be-
comes natural to me to express
my moral conception in its
phraseology, and this | may often
have occasion to do in speaking
of the inconsistencies between
faith and practice, but it will al.
ways be done in earnestness and
sincerity. Further than to make
some notice of my book in the
future, possibly, for advertise
ment, just as l would any other
book, this may be regarded as a
final dismissal of a question that
has occasioned solicitude among
pnu frian1o