The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-02
CJLPEPPER IRA HELS SOME AND
 SEES THINGS HE OUGHT NOT TO.

I think "if I had thought of myself wouldn't ha' done It," but after it was done consoled myself with the comforting refiection--the church will forgive me. The church is so forgiv- ing that 1t really invites offenses. though have noticed that forgiveness seems always more cheerfully extended to the good paying trespasser than l otherwise.
 who discovered that the church mantle of Charity can cover every sin or the Fifty Thousand Dollar member. circumstances alter cases. I knew | of case where a church wlsnoreV .1..1ss < turn an honest penny In the "Blind. Tt- ger" business fand very generously toTgave the brother sas %nS os s6a fonor
 It seems to me that sometimes the church IS nruther" nasty in pardon (un- less the offending brother Is extra good
 1 was glad when heard that my old friend, Ben Mason, had joined the church, but q shadow fell across Say nay smith, who baptized him and who was an expert in diagnosis of calls, hag given expression to tho. fear that Bro. Mason would likely ask to be fiber ated." (The readiness of the church to forgive" is only equalled by It's readi- ness to ..1iberate."l am afraid @ this is
 
 Bro. Mason made the brethren throw stumbling blocks in his way and make him fall from grace. At any rate he s found Jordan is a hard road to traxef' and got off the track,
 On one of his visits to me. to see the working out of his "assmy.,, rsin1 s1 along in the church "Why, nanergod, mani hain't you hearn about it2 I'm
 Relieved of the fear of Liberation" I became solicitous about his general spiritual condition and asked, with feigned concern that he tell me all
 sSWeli, sir, hit was this away, One of the brethren got to stealin' hogs, confined his stealins to ane onregener- 1t an the niggers, but he didn't Why, namergod, man, he tuck one of mine eyep ey pren.y on. an, m treed m i'm. Yes. sir-se; treed i'm I had a mind to take i'm before ole Jack Hall. but the brethren ongodly an the sinner, tho ole Jack was a melierin' up nightly an we had hopes ov washin' him pretty soon, an brother before ole Jack I woulder got my gilt in short order--as 1t is, hits goodbye John with that gilt So ! namergod, what do you thinkf
 Why that goldened son of gun got up in the conference and owned  sorry fur 1t an asked the church to furgive i'm. The passtur got up an said he was mighty nobul an Chris tian like in the brother ter confess an we otxer furgive i'm as the scripture says seventy time seven. Elf they had- der lei me Five i'm seventy times seven hundred lashes would bin willin' to furgive him. That's what he needed So. l wouldn't rurgiye I'm The aea- furgive i'm but told 'em, sez I, namegod, Deacons! nary one of you didn't lose the gilt, hits my gilt that's gone an that's where the shoe p 'nehes. An, shore as you names Culpepper, they withdrawed from me cause l said woulden't fellership no hog thief. God wouldn't furgive me but l up an told 'em God wOu dn't have nary chanoe to furgive me fur stealth hogs. Well, wouldn't feiiership the feiler what get
 Affer Mason had gone I thought the matter oyer and concluded that while there was some extenuatlon for his course in being turned eutp" perhaps he was little representative about as- hogs. Perhaps, hog stealing lacks the refinement which characterizes the higher orders of theft.
 Several years afterwards I happened to meet Bro. Mason in the road. He looked so cheerful and spiritual couldn't help but inquire the cause.
 W n.y. AdIlGiHpug 1Atif hdiHA you hearn about it? I'm back in the church. Yes. Street. That ..-sre hog stealth brother what I tole you about, got into the deacons bunch ov hogs an that brought on more talk. Ths time the deacon said he'd be damned eff he would live in the-church with i'm, eff he was sorry ansoforth an begged fur giveness. So, the" turned the hog stealth out an sent fur me to come back, They shore had a hullabaliOo shakin' hands an cryin' over me an cussin' the hog man. Yes, sir. I've been feelin good ever sence."
 After we separated l meditated and concluded it isn't safe to lay uuhallow- ed hands on the deacons hogs.
 wish l could get out of this way Of digressing-I reckon it comes of age
 started out to tell of my own Iapses and how l anticipate church forgive ness. Confession and Avoidance" don't mean reformation by long jump. We church members who know the lati- tude of Charity fall into the habit of | putting no limit to offenses.
 almost believe that offenses tnvolV-