Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-06

| outlines of Messiah so early in their
history, he must only have been a
temporal ruler and guide. This was
the prevailing conception of that peo-
pie all along down to the time of the
nativity.
Hence, in process of time, when their
long-wished-for Messiah appeared in
different garb he was rejected, con-
demned for usurpation of Office, and
subsequently slain.
| 1t is true, however, that from time
to time, in the days of the prophets,
were many who had spiritual discern
| ment bestowed upon them for the edi-
! fication and pious advancement of the
| people. OF such were Isaiah, and the
aged Simeon, and others who spoke
and wrote as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost. | am not at the present
writing concerned about the religious
practices of ancient Greek and Romans,
spoken of in the paper before me, as
| though these things were In point now,
but am concerned in what is alleged
of the church and people of whom it
/ has been my lot to be an humble
priest" l am asked by my Ironton
friend, chow many o. my people go
through our ceremonies with the hope
of lettering their temporal fortunes,
yet those who do SO may be fairly
charged with superstition and the per-
Torrance of superstitious acts" In
| asking such simple question or max
| ing such statement he shows himself
to be ignorant of, and stranger to
our entire service. and | am compell-
ed to say that it derogates from a gen.
| tleman of large intelligence and can
| dor when he undertakes to criticise Or
even describe system of religious be-
lief or practice, the principles of which
he is wholly unacquainted with. The
truth of this will appear obvious as
we pass along.
| All of our church services are con-
Quoted under the open light of heaven
and in the presence of all the wor-
shippers who are considered as partici-
pating in every act that is performed.
All these acts of worship are well I'M
derstood by our people, and are en-
rra1 fha
telligent manner. There is no room
for superstition here. These services
are generally of such high order, and
withal, so reverent and rational, that
they are not only admired by the most
refined and purely Intellectual, but
are also espoused and adopted by
thousands of persons in the highest
walks of life in every great city in the
world. Does this like superstition of
the 10Th century or even in the city of
Ironton to-day if impartially inspect
ed? Il trow not
Now, while this gentleman writes
very pleasantly and with much per-
spicacity, once and while, l drop on
a sentence or passage that 1 do not
comprehend; of such is the following
at is quien sabe? business to indulge
in criticisms involving matters of be-
| lief.''
| Candidly, | do not know very much
| n ,h Int hoa
ed phrase of three sylables might be
understood by even a tyro in that lam
guage, but it is how to dovetail it into
| the remainder of the sentences; espec-
tally, when it is writ in common Amer
lean, that bothers me. Albeit, this
confusion may arise out of my own
| obtuseness of perception or grave stu
pidity.
| But | must now pass on to other
| things which. peradventure, / can I'M
derstand, and which find so much of
piece with what has gone in adj
vance. For example-''To the de-
| vout Catholic the ceremonies of the
Protestant churches are but super
| stitlous observances, and cice Uersa,
| when, as a matter of fact, both church
es embody numbers to whom the
ceremonies they practice have no
meaning, and are therefore to them
mere superstltions!' Now, who would
ever think of that exec pit the astute
philosopher of Ironton's vicinity! After
| all, it is entirely new to me. confess.
| The Roman Catholic church does hold,
am quite sure, that all Protestant
sects are in state of heresy, and
church people like myself, believe that
| they are in a state of schism, which is
in a manner equally sinful in the sight
of God, but have never heard any in
| telligent churcnman assert that the
beautiful and devout services of the
Roman Church, much less his own,
were in any sense a superstition. 1t
is indeed far otherwise; the supersti-
ton, if any where, appertains to the
person or persons, who being wholly
unacquainted with both the language
and forms of such worship, and the
performance of these solemn functions,