Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-10-18

use of this evil habit. Either you al
profane man wish to condemn you
brother to eternal misery or you ar'
lacking In reverence to God, which Il
precisely the attitude condemned II
this commandment. Either you de
spise the name of your Creator ant
your King. There Is no other outcome
to these two extremes. Either you are
cursing your fellow man or else you
are mocking your divine Maker.
The Beginnings of Profanity.
The profane habit is to he dreaded
because 1t is often the outgrowth OF
seemingly very harmless beginnings.
The blood curdling oaths heard In the
home of the rich man and among the
so called respectable members Of 80
ciety are not, as rule, born among
the saloons and the outcasts. They
were not once the inhabitants Of the
slums and the places Of wassail and
crime. In all probability their germs
were fostered In the parlors Of Chris
tian homes and IN the weekday school
rooms and even In the Sunday school
rooms attended by Christian children.
These germs of the most horrible Of
profane oaths were once the exclama-
tions and CALCULATIONS and the slang
expressions so commonly used by la
dies and children upon our streets.
They are the "By Georges" the "By
Graciouses," the by This" and "By
That's" and the by Other Things"
They are the CALCULATIONS which are
used today by many people who con-
slider themselves educated and polite
and refined.
Profanity can grow from seemingly
very harmless beginnings. Therefore 1t
is the duty Of all Christian parents not
only to refrain from the use of such
unnecessary and absurd exclamations
as those just quoted, but they should
instill into their children the right use
of the English language The Anglo
Saxon tongue Is a noble tongue. 1t Is
especially rich In vehement emphatic,
expressive and, II might use the ex-
preston, sledgehammer words, power
full enough to annihilate any foe. In
its broad sweep Of denunciatory words
the English language is unexcelled by
any language. Therefore, Christian par
ents, In the education Of your children
you should teach them never to use
slang. You should teach them that
slang is only the immature child which
will grow up into the destroying mon
ster called Profanity. You should
teach them that God hurls his con-
formations at slang as well as at the
hideOus monster called Profanity when
Christ says: Swear not at all; neither
| by heaven, for it is Gods throne, nor
by the earth, for it is his footstool;
neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city
of the great King. Neither shalt thou
swear by thy head. because thou canst
not make one hair white or black. But
let your communication be. Yea, yea;
nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than
these cometh Of evil" Could any de-
nunciation be more vehement against
the use Of slang common among our
women and children and alSo among
the men than those words OF Jesus
Christ?
a Suicidal Habit.
Profanity is Il suicidal habit because
it runs directly counter to the express
ed commands OF God Albert Barnes
once wrote, There is Lot IN the uni
verse more cause for amazement than
Gods forbearance In his dealings with
the blasphemer. But that God will
ultimately punish those who take his
name in vain there is no doubt The
Bible distinctly asserts II. And that
God sometimes Instantly Furnishes the
sin Of blaspheiny is also unquestioned.
Incident upon incident can be cited to
illustrate this fact.
Some years ago two English soldiers
in the Chatham barracks gathered
some of their comrades about them as
judges. Then these two men made q
wager Then each started out to find
out who could utter the greatest num-
Der and the most awful variety Of
blood curdling Oaths so as to win that
wager. After one OF the soldiers had
gone on for awhile In his blasphcmous
sin he suddenly stopped and said, Now
! shall utter one more oath. more hor-
rible than all the rest Of them, and
then / am done" Instantly Gods con-
demning wrath struck him dumb. For
three long hours lie suffered and strug-
gled for breath. Then he died, con-
demned blasphemers death. After the
heart Of the blasphemer's body had
teased to beat his corpse. by the order
of his officers, was made public spec
tacle to teach the populace and the SOL
diers and the sailors alike that they
might realize the awfulness Of the
warning In the third commandment,
that God will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name In vain." Gods
condemning wrath In that instance
came as suddenly as a stroke OF light
ming.
Ny father often mentioned an Incl
dent showing how sometimes the
wrath Of God can and does strike the
blasphemer down; how 1t can strike
the profane lips In the twinkling Of an
eye. The scene took place In a noted
infdel club In Scotland. That night 1t
was decided by the club members that
the man who could make the most aw-
full oath In defiance Of God should be
elected president Of the Sub. In this
competition Of oaths one man uttered /
so vile an oath that his comrades were
dumfounded But no sooner was it
unanimously decided that this bias
phemer should take the presidents J
chair than his tongue began to swell.
1t kept on swelling until it protruded
from the mouth. The blasphemer's
tongue kept on swelling until the BIAS
phemer died. He died quickly, be-
cause God had once said, IN the words
of my text. Thou shalt not take
nl1 In