The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-17

ness of what he so deeply censures me
for saving. | submit, in all candor, that
he should have made some effort to turn
sinner from the error of his way.
81 can but condemn the statement, "
he saws; and while regretting that l said
il, he attempts nothing more. "The
church can stand it,, he writes, "but |
don't think that you can stand it"
If the declaration made is half way
true. the church cannot stand it. What
effect nv remarks at Gary might have
upon my personal fortunes | neither cal
culated nor cared. / am conscious OF
no ambition that would whisper: "Be
cautious; suppress the truth as you see
it for the sake of your future" MY only
ambition is to do some substantial ser
vice for the uplifting Of men that are
oppressed. that humanity may be free,
hammer and more sure of Gods love be
cause the Father gives me life. There
fore can stand to speak what | CON
ceive to be true with reference to any
organization or institution; but / could
not stand to conceive thing true and
not express my conviction.
Ny reverend friend writes me fur
Their:
"lfake yoetr aCar up0n sin, but not upon
the church of Christ" as if l had at
tackled the Christ of the church. | was
not even making war" upon the church
as it is. What said as to its attitude, |
said in a serious sadness aud with
out bitterness. Against christianity
| said nothing. In behalf of Christian
ity, Christly living, was pleading.
For verify | believe that it is the one
supreme need of the time, and that
Christ should be the measure of all
things for all men. And If love CHRIS
tianity, may not "make war" upon sin
wherever find it, even If in the church,
Or shall "make war; only upon sin
outside of the church? In that case, to
be at ease, sin need only get under
cover of the church. steal the livery
of heaven to serve The devil in" From
the Gays of the Seribes ard Pharisees
until now the history of the church
shows that much Of this has been done.
''The devil" preached Latimer, sis the
busiest prelate in all England The
church should never be more sacred
than the truth.
When was demonstrated and declared
the dogma of church infallibility, that
we should entirely disassociate the nc
ton of sin from church organism? Was
no crime ever done by it or sin commit
ted in its name2 When some Stephen
was stoned did it never stand by con-
senting unto his deatb2
Christianity is as free, and as blame
less of my accusation as Democracy Is
immortal; but the Democratic party IS
not immortal, and know of no period
when the church has been clear Of sin
in either of its rank and file or its lead
ership When the church is made sy
nonymous with Christianity, it will
stand wholly on the side of human free
dom. The churchmen of that day will
read with amazement of the things I'M
condemned, tolerated and upheld by the
church to day. When will that day
come, do you ask God alone knows.
But we may believe that a happy
and peaceful evolution of humanity
is in the line Of His eternal purposes
concerning the race; and we may
hope that the church confessing its I'M
Christly disregard Of mans daily needs
until he is pauperized and unnamed
may be led on by the progress Of human
itv to comprehend its duty and enjoy
the proud privilege of co-working with
the eternal Father to this beneficent end
1.-The church has often, like the Priest
and the Levite in the parable, passed by
on the other side, and Left wounded
humanity to the care Of the hereto,
while it hurried on to the temple ser
vice at Jerusalem For that disregard
of humanity in a pretended conservation
to God, | have no words but Of lndi1aa-
ton and contempt
In conclusion / desire to say that,
while did not expect at the time OF my
speech to be called upon land have not
been yet) to establish the position then
taken and since censured by the press,
and while | am not eager for c0ntro-
versy, | am none the less willing to pre-
sent to the public such facts and argu-
ments as have convinced me of the truth
fulness Of my statement
CYRUS THOMPSON,
Richlands, NJ O., Sept. 10, '95.