Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-25

can be raised against 1t? Has not q
believer In baptism BY immersion the
right to convert Methodist, a Presby-
terian or an Episcopalian to the doc
trlne In which he believes? And II he
regards that ordinance as essential to
! salvation, Is II not his duty 20 try to
impress II upon others, particularly II
they profess faith In the Christian re-
ligion?
AS matter OF fact, II Is not true
that our missionaries make a specially
| Of proselytlng members OF other
churches. Their message is to all peo-
pie in every land; believers aud unbc-
levers, high and low. rich and poor.
preachers and congregations. In doing
this, however, they are not disturb
ers OF the peace" unless It may be the
peace OF those preachers who cannot
meet their testimony and arguments
from scrlbtural or logical grounds. and
therefore desire TO have them summar-
lily expelled from the cities and towns
where they attempt TO proclaim their
message.
Another reason set forth by this
preacher why those missionaries should
be turned out OF town IL, that they had
been doing their work so cautiously
and secretively that their presence was
unknown to the pastors and to the
churches Of the city, until they were
apprehended and accommodated by
the city officials How does that har-
monte with the assertion that they
were "disturbers OF the peacef" The
minister who considered their removal
"a most delightful ana enviable priv
ilege" on his part. ought never to rush
into print until some kind friend, with
at least spoonful Of brains, overlooks
and revlses his copy"
He next attacks the only pretense OF
authority for their mission" which he
asserts Is the certificate OF the head
of prlestly hierarchy" whom he pro-
ceeds TO accuse OF all kinds OF evils
copying the libels uttered by vile apos-
tates and repeated by other preachers,
without knowing anything Of the facts.
But II Is evident that he has not In
quired into the authority Of the PRIEST
hood held by the missionaries, In whose
expulsion he delights. and which he
would find does not altogether depend
upon the written certificate which he
holds up to derision.
But let that pass. Suppose they have
no other certificate OF authority than
that which he mentions, are they not
at least on level with himself and
his confreres, whose authority Is sole
ly derived from certificate issued by
conclaye or synod, or some other body
which might just as well be called n
hierarchy as that association Of &C.
ciesiasts whom he 80 violently con-
dennis? But even, n all he asserts
were true, what excuse would that
form for his conclusion that "the OH
Gals Of church and state would be
derelict to duty. who would tolerate It
within their Jurisdiction or condone II
elsewhere?"
His final reason for legal and moral
right" TO cast those mon out OF the
city, Is their impertinent advocacy
and defense Of polygamy on scrlptural
grounds, made by them to the mayor"
This he constructs to be "indubitable
evidence OF the continued dissemina-
ton Of the doctrine and practice of this
moral leprosy." That IL to say. that
when the mayor assumed they were ad-
vocates OF polygamy, without the
slightest reason for such assumption,
the fact that they cited him to the
scriptures, which relate TO the prac-
tees of ancient worthless recorded
therein, proves that they were "dissem-
mating the doctrine In public and pri-
vate." Yet he admits that the officials
OF the Church declare that they pro
hibit the teaching OF the doctrine as
well as It's practice" The poor fellow
does not seem to be able TO connect the
threads OF his own theory. nor to for
bear from exposing his own folly in
every paragraph he writes.
We need not go any further into this
conglomeration of chop logic. Chris
tian" uncharity, lame law and limping
morality, as enough has been said to
show the weakness and nonsense Of It
all, We hope our Elders In the vicin-
ity OF York. Pennsylvania. will profit
by the attempts of such adversaries
to muzzle them and cast them out. by
finding access TO honest, rational and
| truly Christian people. who will at
least listen to their testimony and treat
them as human beings and American
citizens, even IL they do not believe In
| their teachings or accept their mes
sage. And We hope that the Mayor Of
York will learn that 1t Is not his duty
to eNpel from town anyone who does