The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-12-10
Another Richmond in the Theological
Field.

Another Richmond In the Theologic.
Field.
Mr.. EDITOR confess to feelin
degree of interest in Senex' crit
cism of Rev. B. Fay Mills discours
on Hope, an extract of which you re
Gently published, and this has beef
heightened by Mr.. Mills reply.
1t has been said that man is an ep
itome of nature and l sometime!
think that the Gods of some men ar,
an epitome of themselves-that thu
character of the worshiped is reflect
ed in the worshiper. The whole
tenor and spirit of Mr.. Mills lettel
is so kind, loving and charitable thai
a God of like disposition-a gentle
compassionate father of all humanity
is clearly seen. On the other hand
Senex' criticism reveals the same
conditions only in reverse order. Its
whole spirit (and letter too) is IN
charitable, censorious and disengen.
uous, rejecting a God that would
punish his own children Throughout,
all eternity.
Senex' "Man of Straw" is one Of
his own building. In other words
his entire criticism is based upon q
play of words. He quotes the fol-
lowing sentence from Mills but
leaves out the words l have italicised
"Dare you teach your children that
Abram Garfield went to heaven, be-
cause he had certain opinion about
Jesus, and had confessed 1t By openly
joining the church that bears his name,
and that Abraham Lincoln went to
hell because he had not
Why were these words left out of
this quotation ? They are the pith
of the sentence, showing, as they do
that Mr.. Mills in speaking of theo-
logical opinion had in mind only those
recognized by orthodoxy as essentials.
The open confession of Jesus is one
of the fundamental doctrines of or.
and Senex admits it further
on by saying that Evangelical Chris
tians do teach that faith in Christ is
the condition of salvation. Then
why did he misquote Mr.. Mills !?
There are two reasons that are self.
evident. 1st, he did not want to cay
that Lincoln went 10 hell. By leav.
ing out these words he could avoid
this and secondly erect man OF
straw that he could pierce with his
"A-doctrine which nobody. belle s,
or-cares- to defend lance, borrowed
from Sancho Panza. Mr.. Senex
did you show "Your prowess in bat
tsring it down p
Come now, Mr.. Senex, no hedg-
ing; face the music and tell me did
Garfield 60 to heaven and Lincoln to
hell =? Garfield died church mem.
Der and, so far as l know a consist
ent one, and Lincoln died without
Jesus and, besides, was
killed in theatre, horrid place fo
one to 60 to, in the opinion of many,
ind l haven't doubt In the opinion
If Senex. Did Garfield go into eler
lal happiness and Lincoln into .
state of endless misery Let me
lave no play on words; give it to me
straight, please. Don't say it is moi
or your decision that it is matte
or God to decide. Tell me straight
s the man who has embraced Christ
ind lived consistently assured OF
eternal happiness while his brother,
Who has not acknowledged Jesus.
hough living moral life, as Lincoln
lid, has no hope whatever.
Again. Senex kicks against Mills
assertion that the conception of the
possible and certain eternity of evil
)reeds low ideas of God and human
ty. Now, my dear Senex, this isn't
. "Man OF Straw" 1t will take the
combined lances of Don Quixote