The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-23

silence Sometimes a Crime.
There has been aDotheOsizaticn 81
silence. Someone has said silence is
golden. and sometimes the greatest
triumph Is to keep your mouth shut
But sometimes silence Is crime and
the direct result OF the baleful infu-
encC Of the dumb devil OF our text
There Is hardly q man or woman who
has not been present on some occa-
sion when the Christian religion be-
came . target for raillery Perhaps Il
was over ia the store some day when
there was not much going on and the
clerks were in group. or It was in
the factory at the noon spell. or It was
cut on the farm under the trees while
you we're resting, Or it was in The club
room, Or il was in a social circle, or
Il was In the street on the way home
from business. or it was on some occa-
: sion which you remember without ny
describing #. Someone got the laugh
on the Bible ana caricatured the pro-
fession Of religion as hypocrisy. or
made a pun ont OF something that
Christ said The laugh started. and
you Joined in, and not one word Of pro-
test did You utter. What kept you
silentz Modesiy? No Incapacity to
answer? No. Lack of opportunity
No. T. was a blow on both your lips
by the wing OF the dumb devil II
someone should malign your father OF
mother or wife or husband or child.
you would flush up quick and either
with an indignant word or doubled mp
fist make response. And yet here is
our Christian religion which has done
50 much for you and SO much for the
world that ii viii take an eternity 10
celebrate it, and yet when It was at
tackled you did not so much as say.
II differ. / object I am sorry TO hear
you say that. There is another side
TO this. You Christian people ought
In such times as these 10 20 armed.
not with earthly weapons, but with the
sword Of the spirit You ought to have
four or FIVE questions with which you
could confound any man who attacks
Christianity. A man 90 years old was
telling mellow he put to fight a scoffer.
My aged friend said to the skeptic.
Did you ever read the history OF
Joseph in the Bible?" Yes" said
the man. 1t is a fine story and as in
terestlng a story as ever read.
Well. now. said my old friend. sup
pose that account Of Joseph stopped
half way?" oh said the man. then
Il would not be entertaining" Well.
now said my friend. we have IN this
world only half Of everything. and do
you not think that when We hear the
last half things may be consistent and
that then we may find that God was
rightg'
silence Gives Content
Oh, friends, better load up with a
few interrogation points, You cannot
afford to be silent when God and the
Bible and the things OF eternity are
assailed. Your silence gives consent
70 the bombardment Of your Fathers /
house. You allow a slur to be cast on 4
your mothers dying pillow. In behalf /
of the Christ who for you went
through the agoniez Of assassination
On the rocky blum back OF Jerusalem.
you dared not face a sickly Joke. Bet
ler load up with a few questions. SO
hat next time you viii be ready. SAY
% the scolfer. My dear cir. win you
Ell me what makes the differences be-
.ween the condition OF woman In
china and the United Statesg what
10 you think OF the sermon on the
nountg How do you like the golden
'ule laid down IN the Scriptures? Are
'ou in favor OF the Ten Command
nents? In your large and extensive
eading have you come across a love
ior character than Jesus Christ? VIII
'ou please to name the triumphant
Ieathbeds Of inndels and atheists7
low do you account for the fact that
mong the out and out believers In
we're such persons as
benjamin Franklin, John Ruskin.
'homas Carlyle. Bablngfon Macauiay. !
William Penn Walter Scott. Charles .
Horace Bushnell. James A.
fairfield. Robert z. Lee. stonewal
ackson, Admiral Fo0te. Admiral Far (
agut. Ulysses s. Grant. John Milton. !
William Shakespeare, Chief Justice
Iarshall. John Adams. Daniel Web
ter. George Washington How 40 {
on account for their fondness Tor the 6
rellgion7. Among the in- J
umerabie colleges and uniyersities of &
ie earth win you name me three q
arted By inddeis and now supported Z
= inndels? Down In your heart are q
lu really happy IN the position you &
,cupy antagonistic to the Christian ?
llgion2 When do you have the most &
Ipturous views of the next worlds" &
o at him with a few such questions. "a
"a he viii get So red to the face as 70 d
.gsest apopiexy. and be win look az 2
s watch and say BE has dn engage q
eni and must So You Riii put BIN IS
a sweat that win beat q Turkish q
.ih. lou uili put him On a roai com- e
.red with which our troops at Bull 4.
aa made 10 iime at al Arm voar- s.
lL not Wiih arguments but with in- d