The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-12-17
Correspondence.
Those Hard Questions.

II
to make a rejoinder to the reply of Mr..
Mills to my criticism on his sermon.
had had my say and he had had his and
was willing to let the public judge for
themselves who was right and who
wrong. But since Amen has come, unin-
vited, to the aid of Mr., Mills and has
trained his ponderous Swamp Angel on
poor Senex he begs leave to add few
words more just to show that if he has
been hurt he does not know 1t.
Mr.. Mills reply to my criticism was
certainly very courteous, but it was en-
tireiy irrelevant and inconclusive, To
my charge, that he had made uncharita-
BILE filings at his former associates he re.
piled by quoting some complimentary
sentences which he had once uttered
about the Presbyterians. This was about
as conclusive as 1t would be for a father,
who was arraigned for the murder of his
child to say that he had sometimes fond
led the child and called her pet names
very likely thing but nothing to the
point. had clearly proved my charge
by quotations from Mr.. Mills sermon
and he neither showed that l had mis-
quoted him nor that his language was
capable of some other Interpretation.
My charge therefore stands entirely un.
refuted. To my second charge-that he
had misrepresented the opinions of evan
gelical ministers Mr.. Mill replied by ask
ing me several questions which he mag
ined l could not answer without giving
away my case, but which am perfectly
willing to answer since can do it with
out the least embarrassment.
now propose to answer the hard CD
questions of Mr.. Mills and his self con-
stituted ally with perfect candor. Amen
has earnestly exhorted me to "face the
music" not to "hedge," not to "play up
on words" and to "give it to him
straight" He evidently thinks his ques-
tons very hard for me to answer, but it
seems to me that any clever idiot could
answer such questions without half try
ing.
Hr. Mills asks if l believe that a
SANITY Jew" or 'saintly heather"
would be saved /? And l answer posi-
lively and Internationally Yes. The
thought that a "saintly" soul might be
lost never entered my mind until it was
suggested by Mr.. Mills. And l do not
hesitate to say that the thought is absurd,
unscriptural and contrary to the teaching
of the Evangelical pulpit of today. Such
a thought might have been suggested or
even affirmed by an ultra Calvinist hum
dred or two hundred years ago, but no
such doctrine is taught in the Evangeli-
cal pulpit of today. The belief of the
Evangelical church on this subject is in
exact harmony with the teaching of the
Bible, namely that lin every nation he
that feareth God and workelh righteous
ness is accepted with him" As to the
heather, they will be judged according to
The light they have and they will not be
nor punished for not believ-
ng on the historical Christ of whom
they have never heard.
Mr.. Mills asks and Amen repeats the
question: "Dare You teach your chill
1ren that Abram Garfield went to heaven
because he had certain opinion about
/esus and had confessed it by openly Din.
ng the church that bears his name and
hat Abraham Lincoln went to hell be-
;ause he did not ?" Aud l answer, GER
ainly should teach nothing of the kind.
lot because he chad a certain opinion
lbout Jesus" nor because he Joined d
certain church but because he was
ighteous man. Mr.. Lincoln also we
rust went to heaven and for the same
eason i. e. because he was fit to 90 there.
amen says that Mr.. Lincoln ''ded with
tut embracing Jesus" Now in the name .
If sweet charity how did Amen find this
ut Nothing is better known than that
ar. Lincoln was man of prayer. Dur
ne the busy days of his presidency he {
egan every day with prayer and the !
eading of the Bible. And as to his hon
sly and uprightness and humanity no.
ody but copperhead or a "Ltberal"
christian will raise any question. Amen c
5 quite right in thinking that "did not {
want to ssy that Lincoln went to hell"
Certainly did not, for the reason that
did not believe il. 1t took Liberal
to originate that abominable /
bought and that is a fair sample of their v
oasted "liberality." Moreover l am
OF the judge of my fellowmen and do .
OF wish to be. 1 never said that any
ian went to hell" If | should hear
morrow that Amen was dead | should .
OF say that eren he had gone to hell, :
Rough | frankly confess that l do not .
now of any other place that he is well .
tied to adorn
1t may be thought that my answers to
lie questions put to me are inconsistent 7
18th my admitted belief, that faith in G
lrist is the condition of salvation. But Il
us is not SO for the reason given in my
'evious paper, namely that faith in
hrist is not mere opinion about Christ, u
mere opinion about any thing, nor y
res it consist 10 joining an Evangelical
lurch, as Amen evidently thinks we y
I'D. To believe in Christ is to take d
m for our teacher and to do whatso- N
er he has commanded. This l think e
r. Lincoln did. 1t is to be regretted r
at he did not confess his faith by uni r
lg with some Church, but doubtless he
I'd reason for not doing so which sat. e'
fed his conscience and my conscience tu
IS nothing to do with the matter. G
Both Mr.. Mills and Amen have taken h,
e trouble to inform us that we are liv-
9 in the last years of the nineteenth
injury. Senex suspected as much and
w that he knoDs it through the courtesy to