Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-02-07


We begin our reply to The Suns ar
ticle Of last week in reference to church
taxes, with personal apology to our
readers. We are publishing non sec
tartan paper, devoted to the best in
terests of the country, according to the
Democratic creed; and all churches OF
every shade and order, high and low,
are treated with uniform fairness
without malice and Partially; and all
can have hearing in our columns
And this was one Of the reasons
being non -sectarian paper that we
declined last week to knock off the
chip which the editor of The Sun car
ried on his shoulder in regard to the
Episcopal church in England ard
Wales. He still carries this chip, and
we still decline to knock 1t off, for the
fight that might follow would not re-
suit In victory either for or against
church taxation in this country. This,
we assert again, Is side issue, in refer
ence to the question under debate. The
trouble with our brother editor Is, that
he opens every door as he goes from
room to room in his discussion Of the
subject under review. Again, in all
kindness we wish to say to him. we do
not understand his object In speaking
Of US as posing before the public as
Episcopalians. Our church views are
our own; and we cannot see how the
public has any interest in them. And
as long rs we do not intrude our Pc
culiar church views upon our readers
In these columns, we do not see how it
is anyone's business what our church
views may be. IL to believe, with st.
Paul, In the oneness Of faith and bap-
tism, and God and Christ; If to believe
In the Bible Us the inspired revelation
OF God to man; If to believe in the unity,
visibility and the catholicity of the
churchill to believe that all the ar
ticles of Christian faith are contained
in the Apostles Creed; and lastly, If to
believe In personal liberty, within the
line that separates liberty from excess
and license, and covers meat and drink
and amusement--if such belief is
Episcopaianism, then we are willing
to pose as Episeopalians before the
public, mot in these columns, but as
private citizens. Once more, the ed.
itor Of The Sun disclaims any Ill will
towards churches. But the logical
inference Of his former article would
lead anyone to believe that he had
such an i'll will. 1t had the marks of
Col, lngersoll. At least, that is the inn
preston that 1t would leave upon the
average mind. We accept the editors
statement In good faith. We believe
what he says; and we say that we mis-
took his unfortunate argument for Il
church tax to imply an III will against
churches In general. 1t Is now
In order for him to explain his attitude
about the Episcopal church, for his
remarks in this regard seem to us
gratuitous, as there is no such church
in his vicinity to trouble him; and he
might rs well talk about the Greek
church, and set it up to knock it
down.
The Sun regrets what we said in our
reply to his former article about the
crimes committed in the name of re-
ligion. We may have been too candid,
for our brother editor has changed
front towards the Christian religion, rs
Judged by his former article. We
freely admitted that such crimes
which he spoke had been committed
In the NAME of religion; and what we
meant to say Is clear to anyone who is
not seeking to make u point against
us. 1t Is plain to every reader of the
article, that we were speaking of
crimes committed in the name of re-
ligion underseore NAME of religion,
and Of Christianity its personal
manifestation in lives of men and
women and not of religion in the alb
stract You cannot read any other
meaning into what we said 1t is true
that good tree cannot bring forth
corrupt fruit. But this is true: no
matter how good the fruit is, if wrong
ly used 1t will do harm A good apple
tree will give us good apples; but let
the boy eat too many, and overdo this
matter of eating, and he will be sick.
The good apples will do him harm.
SO we argue, no matter how true and
divine an idea Is If abused, it does
harm. No one can dispute this.
Faith Is the good fruit of Christianity,
and yet Christian superstition, which
lies back of all crimes committed in
the name of religion, is the result of
an overdose of faith. So faith which
believes everything, is the parent of
superstition. In many ways this could
be exempliied. This is also true: no
matter how divine IN idea is, it cannot
become concrete, incarnate, in men Is
lives without taking on some human
coloring And il is this coloring that
decks the Wilderness of Christianity.
1t is this which st. Paul had in mind
when he said we have this heavenly
treasure in earthen vessels And II is
II ~.