The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-12-16


II would be difficult to find better Illus.
tration OF the popular conception OF what
religion ought to be than is afforded by Il
brief story in the humorous department OF
widely read magazine. According to one
of its contributors the 'godmother" of
little eight.year.old girl had given to her
as birthday present Bible. And not
long after the donor found the child read.
ing some passages in the Old Testament
which were full of hell fire and the wrath
OF God We are next told how the little
girl grave,y closed the book and said she
believed she would not read it any more.
because heretofore she had had a very
favorable impression of Cod The writer
does not attempt to add a moral. He
seems to think the lesson is quite evident;
in which opinion, says the Chicago Inter.
Tor, we agree with him. but to lis the story
tells something of which neither the writer
nor the editor had an inkling. Contributor
and editor impliedy agree that religion
ought to be rather pleasant impression
than such ascertainabic knowledge as
might embrace painful fact.
This joke concocter--wc will go no fur.
ther than that appellative in intimating
our subjective doubt OF the veracity OF
his story-might be brought to book very
forcibly on his ignorance OF Scripture. Had
he known the Bible thoroughly well him.
self he would not have attributed the doc.
lTlne Ol neil IRE 10 lne OIu
in truth, the sane, solemn warning to
which this coarse phrase is applied belongs
distinctiveiy TO the New Testament-to
the teachings OF Jesus. But for the pres
ent we care only to discuss his apt hint at
the popular preference in religion The rea'
son why so many people shut up the Bible
and stop going to church is because they
would rather cherish dreamy "impres
sion" of God than to have the spiritual
nature so far walked to truth that it will
cry out for Ruler and Father who shall
correspond to their needs. The Bible has
a dsagreeab.e way OF forcing upon its
readers clear-cut convictions OF right and
wrong, of duty and sin, OF the nature OF
freedom and the attributes OF deity, whla
most people prefer an impression which
shall leave them free to believe anything
that will not disturb their peace. II relig.
ion comes to them it must come voicelesS
and impersonal as the perfume OF rose
not as a prophet with his intolerablo
Thus saith the Lord Religion Is we!'
come if it be represented by iewcled win
dow and "Te Deum" of some great com.
poser. but not if it mean a decalogue grl'
ven on stone and "Miserers' OF contri'
tion and suppication. So tens OF thou
sands of immigrants crowd to our shores
who have "a very favorable impression
that liberty means doing as YOU please un'
der the protection of Star-Spangled ban
DuI WHO TeDtl NHcu IL IL lOuh'l w
mean civil order backed up by a police
mans club and militaman 5 bayonet. IL
in both church and state we had more fact
and less of vague impressions 1t would
mean much for patriotism and piety, too.
A man to be OF much value to his age
must not be afraid OF SCATTERING the I'M
pressions of his fellows ii they do not
agree with the truth john Knox made
himself hated at the court os Scotland, but
he saved his country from foreign domina'
tion. Ii John the Baptist had bowed be-
fore the blast like bulrush he would have
saved his head. And if Jesus Christ had
been Just a little more anxious to make
favorable impression uDon ruler and priest
and rabble there would have been no cross
on Calvary. Men who expected to lind
Him plant found Him rigid. Men who
thought to see Him compiaisant discov'
cred Him inheXibe. and those who fat
tered themselves that they were the pillars
upon which both state and church rested
were told that they were "vipers,' and
"whited sepulchres full oil dead mems
bones" He cared little for impressions.
but He cared much for truth.
1t may as well be confessed that il the
impenitent transgressor OF Gods law
wishes simply to retain pleasant impress
sion" of God he had better shut his Bible.
But ii he wishes to know the truth about
God and to learn how. having sinned. to
find a full and free and divine forgiveness,
there is no other book which can take it's
place, and if he lose a childish impression
of God he will have obtained a glorious
knowledge OF God-for which all dreams
and fances form but poor substitute.