The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-13
REV. MR.. DIXON.
Rev. Thomas Dixon Writes the
STATE Chronicle and ake.ret.
the HasIy w ord. he Used
hi. Recent Letter
The ". ". Herald.
Special Cor. State Chronicle.j

DoNGAN HILLS, \. Y, July 30
In answer to some letters received
from friends in North Carolina
which | am too busy fishing to
answer, individually, l will drop
you q few lines that | may speak to
all. / am just now subject TO much
personal abuse from the champions
of so-called "orthodoxv."
Ur here I pay little attention to
this. am used to being lied about,
cursed and abused every day in the
year. I'm getting pretty tough by
this time. But | don't like to be
misrepresented and yiIified in North
Carolina. | love the dear old State
and her people. grew in North
Carolina soil and the tendrils of my
heart still reach out toward her
signing pines, her magnificent
mountains, her glorious sea, her
Straightforward, honest people.
Woven with the prayer of my soul
for other good is the hope of her
prosperity and happiness.
Let me say therefore one or two
things personal to my brother tar
heels.
Orthodoxy Is an unknown guam
tity. | defy any men to give a
definition of it that will hold water.
Orthodoxy" is my doxy-heresy is
the other mans doxy. I he hereto
of yesterday is the saint Of today,
The Missionary Baptist "departed
from the faith" about forty years
ago. The primitlves alone are or
thodoX judged by the standard OF
90 years ago.
The older | grow, the less | think
of denOmlnatlons-the more | love
Observation-Disclosures Catholic Or
Prot estant, Baptist or PeGobapti.t.
My faith in Jesus Christ is stronger
to-day than at any time IN my life.
He is to me no longer a theory, but
Il glorious fact in life. He grows
sweeter to me each day as the living
personal friend of my heart as we'll
as tie Savior of life.
| hold to every essential prin-
ciple of the falth Of my fathers, but
deny the adequacy of the phrase
oIogv in which that faith is express
ed by the so-called "Orthodox"
champions of the day. The Bible
has become new book to me. I
love it. | rest my whole weight
upon It's revelation. 1t is more
precious to me than ever before. |
rejoice IN its inspiration.
MY faith in God was never
stronger. My love for him and His
work is become to me a living en-
thusiasm. glory in my work. |
am sigbing now for the day to come
in September when | shall look
again into the upturned faces of the
listening people in Association Hall.
have been driven into the fight
against a defunct theology because
[ have been called in New York to
the work Of rebuilding for men and
women the faith they have lost
amid the rafting Of the dry bones
OF these dead theoiogies and the
csumbling creeds of the past. l
have not chosen my present position
1t has been forced into it in my
office to save men.
| do not profess perfection.
make mistakes. The tooilShly iu
temperate language in which
expressed my recent letter Of protest
about my brother A. C's attack Oh
Beecher, [ heartily regretted the
moment read it in print. Il should
have been said in a sweeter way
When our hearts are hot sometimes
we say things in a way we would
not if given a second thought.
rejoice in the privilege of fight
ing for truth. l rejoice that | live
to day and that God has given me
youth, anu health, aud hope, and
faith and love for my fellow men
Let the battle roll along the line
my souls in arms and eager for the
fray.
am still praying for more light,
working with all my might, and
believing that God will surely SCI
light every stalking wrong, and out
of confusion bring order aud beauty
and glory and peace.
Asking the pardon of your critics
Of the egotlsm Of all these personal
pronouns and giving as my apology
that | am talking to home folks.
whom | love. | am
FTaternally,