Blue-grass blade., 1908-06-07
BLUE GRASS BLADE

affiliations with the higher critics. In other
words he was generally supposed to be too
hei etcal in his construction of things sacred
to please the pious gang and he cut off
from communion. His congregation still held
with him and remained with him until he
died. Then came another preacher and the
newcomer managed to get the church rein
stated and in good working order. Seven
years has passed since the former preacher
died and upon the request of the members
of his old congregation the Synod has raised
the embargo previously placed on him and
though dead it has restored him to good stand
ing in the church.
Following such action the soul of the dead
preacher, If he ever had one, must now be
released from suspicion in the heavenly heir
archy. We must infer that prior to this action
he simply allowed to hang about the
gates of the New Jerusalem, INDUCING in an
occasional chat with the keeper thereof, never
allowed to even get peep inside, being held
probation until his release came. Seven
years of probation being regarded as long
enough for any soul to undergo a test for
the right of glory in heaven, the Synod has
graciously consented to open the gates for
him and permit him to enter upon its recon-
mendation. But what a farce! 1t is worse
than stage comedy Think of the terrible fate
in store for that soul had not the Synod gra-
ciously consented to restore him to the minis
try seven years after his death! Can it be
possible that the Synod has to his way
of thinking! No. indeed, let the thought perish
for the rule of orthodoxy is to move forward
backwards with it's face ever to the past and
it is only another dose of that liberal Chris
tian charity applied when it is everlastingly
too late.
What next? Now comes a so-called re
ligious vaudeville" in an effort to win souls
for Jesus Prayer is to be cut out of the
program and the agony the must take
a back seat. Calvary longer appeals to the
human heart and mind Rev. Nes Matheson,
a Christian evangelist is to do a new stunt
with a travelling menagere as a method of
enticng a few spare dollars from the pockets
of his congregation.
Innumerable schemes have been laid to
dodge honest labor but this caps the climax.
Reports from Teenah, Wisconsin, state that
the preacher named herein is bent upon tour
ing the state with a gospel tent and that he
carries with him, as a part of his OUTFIT, a
full booded Iggorote, fresh from the Philip
pines, cage of live monkeys and fake
mind-reader to entertain his audiences The
Iggorote is to give sample of the forms of
worship prevalent among his people. The mon-
keys will be expected to chatter during the
singing of hymns, while the mind-reader is
to be used to guess at the amount of cash
each member of the congregation has in his
or her pocket so that the evangelist may know
whether they are contributing according to
their respective means. The mind reader win
also be able to tell whether a genuine CONVEX
sion has been made, whether the confess
sion be merely make believe He might go
a little further and predict which of the re-
gions. above or below. the suppliant is des-
tined to inhabt in the hereafter. The dis
patches state that the evangelist has be-
slowed upon his outfit the appelation of Ere
ligous vaudeville" "A proceeding altogether un-
necessary, for the whole business is but n