Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-10-18
For the Register.


quite variety of interesting items O
sayings and doings at that locality ant
thereabouts. And as the same con
tained brief reference to myself ant
others. though seemingly only as al
obiter dictu, 1 will now ask a littl
space in your present issue to maxi
some friendly answer to the same.
But, in order, that, the reader ma,
have just conception of the subjec
in question, l will insert the entir,
paragraph to which 1 have referred
1t reads thus:
Sometime ago moral upheave
was imminent here because the writer
in prayer-meeting, quoted Ps. 81
verse %. and construed it to near
that pure religion and undefled before
God is safeguard against want. Bu
Holy Mother Church and DR.. James
care for none of these things, for &C
cording to them, all Non-Conformists
are between the Devil and the deeI
sea. Let Presbyterians, and Metho'
dists, and Baptists remember that and
give Holy Mother and DR.. James a
wide BERTH
Now, it may also be convenient for
certain of your readers to have before
them the passage from the book OF
Psalms without being at the trouble to
refer to it In the Bible or Prayer Book.
They will find this one of the most
beautiful and assuring of all the texts
in the book of Psalms; will therefore
insert it here:
II have been young and now am
old, yet saw 1 never the righteous for
saken, or their seed begging bread"
The mystery to me is, how our mu-
tual friend at Stone Hill, knows wheth-
er the parties to whom he herein re-
fers do, or do not, scare for such
things" 1 believe l could say for
both the parties named and with great
candor, too, that they most unqualifi-
edly avow AMI heartily adopt all the
sentiments of that delightful Psalm,
the statement of the correspondent
from Stone Hill to the contrary not
withstanding.
But this is not all of it. The same
writer asserts "that both these parties
also hold that all Non-Comformists,
such as Presbyterians, Methodists and
Baptists are, unhappily should say,
placed between the Devil and the
deep sea- Where, pray, did this
gentleman learn this lesson touching
the faith and morals of these alleged
delinquents? Wherever he may have
obtained his Information, touching
these things, l am prepared to say
that it is wholly untrue.
And let me further add bv way of
general information, that there is
another verse in the Bible, containing
a precept that it would be we'll for all
Of us, ministers or lay people, to
strictly observe. 1t reads somewhat
as follows:
s.Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor." Now, do not
mean that the writer whose paper l
have just read, would fall into any
such sin, whether between satan and
The deep sea or any where else. Far
rom it. But will say, that the un-
1ersigned for many years past, has
in the interests OF peace
Ind good neighborship, to place the
pest construction on every thing that
ne may hear or see written; and it is
,nly consistent to adopt the same rule
,ow. He will therefore consider the
meaning of your correspondent touch
ng the standing ground of Non-Con-
ormists to be not in bad sense, but
.eally in good and safe one. For
Instance, he might only mean that
hey occupy place reasonably safe
rom either end, or both ends perhaps:
hat Is, judiciously avoiding both |
Scylla and Charybdis; or should the
-eader prefer the exact phraseology OF
he gentleman from Stone Hill, we
could write stunning the Devil, and
yet avoiding the direful yet lesser ca
amity of falling into the '.deep sea"
But again, want to meet this friend
half way on the score of good neigh
and so construe his request to |
sall Presbyterians, Methodists and
Baptists to give Holy Church and DR..
James a wide berth" to mean that in |
asmuch as these excellent parties are
to lead the whole people |
20 a right and correct knowledge of
Christ and his Church, it would only |
De wise and the proper thing on the |
part of all other Christians to afford
hem every opportunity and en-
courage them in every effort they may
make in a cause so praiseworthy in
Is objects and noble in its ends.
Such mild and becoming construc-
ion of request, such as the above.
must have much more gracious ef-
ect than ona leading SO MANY Chris |