The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-07

was not, either i'll point of situation O,
in point of emolumcnt, a desirable one
and it looked moro than usually cheer
less On that chill November night; but
Rev. Clement was in pretty good
spirits, because he felt that he had
done his duty. Drcading and dislilli ing
the subject of eternal punishment, he
had more than once shirlcd preaching
upon it, in defiance of the bchestS of
his conscience; but this evening, with
all the imprisoned eloquencc that had
drawn crowded congregations to listen
to him, lie had laid down the orthodox
doctrinc-thc doctrine Which who
soevcr will be saved" must needs ac-
ccpt.
THAT was fine sermon Of yours"
remarked Il tall and very seedy looking
old man in II battered, greasy hat WHO
had apparently been waiting for him to
emerge from the vcstry and who now
joined him without ceremony
II am glad you liked it," answered
the preacher.
1T was no new experience to him to
be accosted in the street, and the only
thing about his present intcrlocutor
which aroused his curiosity was that
the mans intonation was n good deal
more refined than might have been OK
pectcd from his extremely disreputablc
appearance.
"Oh, l didn't like it; no human being
could like Il sermon of that kind I:ut
it was scholarly and well put, and YOU
spoke as if you were in earnest. was
wondering whether you had really edu-
Gated yourself TO believe in endless tor
mcnt-that was all"
I'VE are bound to believe in it. We
arc bound to believe in much that we
cannot understand"
Yes, to be surc-thc Trinity in
unity, baptisnal regcncratiou-ctern
" itself, if you come To that Still,
there are eases which bring the alb
surdity OF this particular dogma home
to man; my own case, for example.
Once upon time had an only son
who went to the devil as straight us lie
could go. Personally have always
been bad lot-drun!cn. unprinciplcd,
absolutely without belief in any form
Of revealed religion. so that | didn't de-
serve TO have good son. am not go
ing into the details Of the story, but
may mention that was fond of the fell
low, that he was ungratcful, and that
he practically ruined me,
"NOw, supposing that. after the lapse
of some years, had met with that son
of mine under circumstances which
placed him ut my mercy | have, or
had, great muscular strength; and sup
posing that had fallen in with him i'm
some lonely spot; that he had crawled,
exhausted with fatigue and hunger, to
my camp fire; surprising that had said
to him: Now You shall he made to suf-
fer little of what you made me suf-
fer snpnosing that | had bound him
hand and foot and thrown him upon
the top Of that fire to roast slowly to
dcath, with nobody to rescue him from
what nc had we'll earned. What then.
Mr.. Wri1ht?"
II cannot believe that any mortal
man wonld be such Il monstcr."
Well, You needn't believe it, because
nothing Of the sort ever took place
was merely making use of Il parable"
My dear SIR" interrupted the clcr-
Evinan, eagerly, you are falling into
the common error OF applying human
experience to what is supcrhuman.
should like TO talk this matter over
more fully with you, and if you Will
come and eat supper with nc"
''Do look like the kind of a person
who could tee taken home to supper in
u respectable house? No, no, Mr..
Wright; you are welcome to your
creed, since it makes you happy. /
didn't wait outside the church in order
to discuss theology with you. began
as did partly because it wasn't bad
way at opening II conversation, and
partly because my little allegory has
foundation i'll fact which may interest
YOU. daresay you haven't forgotten
that you once had an uncommonly ras.
cally uncle, Alfred Warren hy name,
whom your people were compelled TO
diSown."
II had supposed that my uncle was
dead" Mr.. Wright answered. with Il
;o.acwhat uneasy glance at his
Gresti0acr. Il sent him Il little money
once. in response 10 an appeal which
reached me from America; but that
was Il good many years back, and
have heard nothing of him since"
Don't he alarmed; am not about
to reveal myself as your long lost rel
ativc. What wanted to say to you
was this. ! knew Alfred Warren out
in Nebraska, and assure you that Inc
liaa his good points. Perhaps you
never heard that he married widow
in Nebraska shortly after circum-
stances had rendered IL advisable for
him 10 quit his native shores? Well,
he diI; and tho result of his mari iage
was an only son, who grew up to rob
him and ruin him. Now, Mr.. Wright,
will frankly confess that. if were
poor old All, | couldn't bring myself to
forgive that young prodigal. But
take it that your religion commands