New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-16
PERCERTED SCRIPTURE.

! How easy II Is To pcrvrrt the text ami mSapply
/ the moral. For nearly nineteen hundred years
the picture of Our Lord bending forward pc-
tween the fallen woman ana her accus'rs anu
writing on The grOunl "as though lie harn
Them not has touched the heart oi huinahll!
with tenderness. awakening charity ana soften
ing ccnsur,. for the crring and misguided. ~ j.
II simple story that Johns Gospel tells: How
the Master, coming from The Mount al oHN'S
ana entering into the Tempt" 10 teach was sur
rounded by the Scribcs and PharisccS who
brought the woman taken in sin and set her
In the midst: how. tempting Him mat 'h'E
might accuse Him. they referred Him 10 me
law commanding that such should he stoned.
and asked What saycSt ThOuF; how lie
.sfoopcd down and with His finger wrote upon
thr ground rs though He heard them not A; how
He lifted up Himself when they continued
asking" and gave the answer that has stood Tor
nineteen centuries ms the supreme rebuke Tor
Pharisaisln and hypocrisy He that is without
sin among YOU let him first cast stone al
..hcr": and then the browning uttcrancc OF ID
vine pity and tenderness from the lips or that
soft meek. patient. humble. tranquil Spirit. the
first true gentleman that ever br,athcd words
that have done more 10 smooth the worlds
hear, and hope in all mankind than all the books
that were ever written Neither do ! condemn
thee: 90 and sin no more" More enduring than
ANYTHING on monumental brass or any tale mat
was ever told, the simple story will not cease
to quicken the pulse and moisten the eye so long
as human frailty invites and taxes Divine for
bcarance.
Is MOI the moral Of IT plain? Does II need 10
l. mt m
munity for wronglolng: that its purpose il not
10 put sin beyond the reach of punishment De
caus,. Of its commonncss nor 10 permit offend
crs against law To 90 rncondrmn"d b"ca'iS" law
breaking /. universal AMI no crrng. falliblc man
nay indulge in ccnSurc Of his fellows: Ana
vet that il the use that has been made Of 1t
for weeks and months in the canvass FOR Inc
Democratic nomination for Congress In lhc Ash
land District Of Kentucky, which has Just closed
The whole force aud point Of the story have
been put by the supporters OF Mr. brcckihrldSe
I'm the rcbukc administered to the accuScrS ~
the woman. and not in the words OF adm"hltl"h
and absoluiion with which the Great Teacher
I'm dismissng her CAV" Divin" example I" III"
world AZ II this man Br,ckinridg". a proven
offender against dcccncy and morals ana thr
written law. should 20 n>courG'd ~ punish
ingly and shamelcsslv among the people whom
he has dishonorcd because there ar" non" among
them righteous enough or free enough from
stain 10 east a stone at him What pcrvcrSIon
Of the text and msappllcalon of The moral!
How truly IT Illustrates Antoni"'S oigg"Sti"n:
Mark YOU This: the devil can cite ScrIptur" for
his purpose" Ii l. the favoric device Of rogueN
to ward of punishment 10 pcrvcrt Scripture.
,l.ff II. Al
ON somewhat smaller scale Democratic
orator arraigning the ncc1ISerS Of Tam
many Hall at meeting Of that organiza-
ton on Friday evening, rSoric'l 10 The same
living process when lie said thcy exhibited "A
spirit which had they lived in The old"n tim"
.would have led them 10 loosen the very walls
"of the sanctuary 10 hurl stones NJ the offend
ling woman" The figure Is inapr. II Is not
an offending woman In this case. br' large
number Of offending men. And il il not The
stones ~ The sanctuary that an Indignant and
outraged community are disposed 10 ning at
them; but The bricks Of the structure in Four
tccnhsl. where their lnipuitcS are contrvcd
are being "looscncd" for that purpose. And the
figure fails, too in this aS in the Kentucky in
stance that the offenders have never exhibited
the slightest disposition 10 go and sin no more"
On the contrary. they hold up their heads in
arrogant and audacious insocncc and say: "All
'.ncn are such as are. No man can fling Il
"stone at us We shall 90 right on in the course
eve have been pursuing" Therein, we are con-
ndcnt they make Il mistake. There Is nothing
in Scripture. or anywhere else. that will be ac
ccptcd In justification Of such wickc'lncss as
theirs. Scriptural references or quotations will
not avail them. Only one thing In the story APP
plies: they must '1;o.' And let us hope that
they will "sn no more"