The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-02-26

hcalthtnlness. Assures the food against alum
and all forus Of adulieraticu common to the
cheap brands.
ROYAL BAKING POWDER co. NEW YORK
Banner crave the permission t.
say that tic reverend gentleman is in
error, i as ! believe, he refers to Tie
Banner, for The reason that its utter
auces were accurate quo ations from
rhe sacred voIumn itself l added
nothing to. Took nothing from.
In justification Of the action of the
church under his direction, Mr. Oates
makes the following quotation:
Matt XVIII, Is, Il: But If he will
not hear thee, then take with thee one
Or two more, that in the mouth Of two
or three witnesses every word may be
established. And if he snail neglect
! to hear them, tell it unto the church,
and if he neglect to hear the church,
let him be unto thee as an heather
man and publican"
Wen, Mr Agnew was convicted Of a
crime of which he says be is innocent.
If he really and truly believes himself
to b. innocent would it not be wrong
fur him to acknowledge to the pastor,
or one or two witnesses, or the church,
that be was guilty?
Forced confessions are not even adj
mitted IN Dltr civil courts.
1t is not an unknown thing for
iurics to convict innocent men.
After al absence of thirty years a
man has just turned up in Georgia
whom it was thought had been mur
dered, and for whose murder an inno-
cent man had been tried, convicted
and suffered twenty-five years of pun
i.hment, and finally died in prison
with all the ignomy and stigma of
felon
The editor of the Star esteems it
feather in his cap to publicly proclaim
that he was convicted by jury, SEN
fenced and served term in prison.
The Christ himself was tried by
jury Of men, condemned and crucified
yet who, reading the evidence now,
believes him to have been guilty?
desire here to emphasize the lead
ing traits Of his character in this
supreme moment. In this awful hour,
suffering the ignomy and torture of
the cross, reviled, taunted and ridi-
culed, was not forgiveness the
whole tenor of his plea?
"Father, forgive them." was almost
his last utterance.
Long before his tragic ending, this
was his saying: Wherefore, | say
unto you, all manner of sin shall be
forgiven unto menh'
He made but one exception in the
whole long catalogue of crimes. and
that one was rot one Of the crimes
charged against Mr.. Agnew.
Further along in the self same chap
ter Mr. Oates quotes from (surely it
could not have escaped lis attention)
the Christ is recorded as having said.
q quote the exact languaee)
Then came Peter to him, aud said,
Lord, low oft shaH my brother sin
against .ae au4 forgive him? til
seven limc,
''Iesus saith uuto him, say not
unto thee, unfil seven times, but until
seventy times seven
Did brother Oates wait until seventy
times seven?
fear not gather that he became
quickly iuipatient--thuS showing the
weakuess and fraility Of the llesh-that
lie, like the rest Of as, is a worm OF the
earth, earthly.
But wha. else did the Master say.
or ye from your hearts forgive not
every one his brother their tresspasses,
shall likewise my heavenly Father do
also unto you!"
Following the example Of forgive
ness here 50 eloquently emphasized, |
forgive the brother the charge he
makes against the newspapers of the
city, other than the sanity Star, for
being il diseased sympathy with
sim" because he seems to be at pres
ent somewhat full of wrath and un-
charltabieness
In closing ! commend to him two
texts:
Judge not that We be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge
ye shall be judged, and with what
measure ye mete it shall be measured
TO you again"
Though speak with the tongues
Of men and OF angles and have not
chari ty, am become as sounding
brass OF q tiakling cymbal."
+. E. HARRIS.