The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-03-14
An Open Letter to
Rev. Mr.. Batten

Missouri
Further along in your interesting
letter to me you say:
"Again, you say that every preacher
who is beseeehing the aid Of man.
made law is confessing that the Cos
pei Of Jesus Christ has failed. Now
that is one of the most surprising
statements have seen in print for
long time, and I can hardly believe
that it reflects your maturest judg-
ment. You seem to suppose tnat the
Gospel of Christ is kind of weak
milk and water doctrine, a goody.
gcody sentiment, vague and indefi
mite influence that remains up in the
air and never gets down to real life"
Pardon me, Brother Batten, but you
have your cowcatcher on behind. In
stead of supposing that the gospel os
Christ is "a kind of weak milk and
water doctrine, a goodbye senti-
H,ent, a vague and indefinite inf1u
ence that remains up in the air. I
believe it is living, breathing, vital
force in the regeneration and saliva
ton of men. Because I so believe l
do not deem it necessary to supple
ment it with legislative enactment
and a constable's club. Because
believe it sufficient for the regenera.
ton and salvation Of men l believe
i,,, ;a;f Nc brsc
terance, And /, if be lifted UP from
the earth, will draw all men unto
n e"-John 1872. He nowhere says
that if He is lifted up, ana properly
sheriff's writs, hired spies, and con-
stables clubs, He will draw all men
unto Him. For | am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power Of God unto salvation to every
ore that beliaveth. Romans 1:16
Because / am not ashamed of it, l
am not ready to confess that it lacks
power and must be supplemented with
Legislative writs and made dependent
upon fallible officials.
If either of us is supposing that
the gospel of Christ IS a kind of weak
milk and water doctrine. l submit that
IL: the face of the facts it is not 1,
but rather you. who confess by your
public utterances. that it needs bolster
i1g up by legislatures, city councils
lard hired infOrmerS
Further along in your interesting
letter you say:
Jesus of Nazareth, as you very
well know, was no harmless dreamef
and visionary recluse; the fact is He
was a terror to evil-doers and was
killed on that very account
l know that quite as well as you.
Brother Batten. Slavery was COM
mon in His day-show me if you can
one word He uttered In denunciation
OF slavery. Yet His whole doctrine
ard His whole life was living, vital
protest against slavery. Before He
came the law of force-the law of
Thou shalt not'-was in ( force
This law He superseded with the law
OF love. Not because He roundly
denounced and bitterly condemned;
not because He prohibited and prose-
cEted--not because of these things
was He crucified. He was crucified
be cause His precept and His example
impelled the evil-doers of His day to
riG themselves of His presence so it
might no longer reproach them. A
weak milk and water doctrine?
Without court in the land to aid
Him, with man-made law against Him.
He wrought out the. plan of redemp-
tion and salvation, and shall we now
confess that it has lost its power?
Not l, Brother Batten.
| l have no desire to lengthen this
ccntroversy, although I assure you the
columns of The Wageworker are
open to you, subject to reasonable
limitations as to space. I merely
want to add that not all those who
may oppose prohibition are hire
lings of the liquor interests" nor are
az prohibitionists Christian or TEN.
rCrate. Not all opponents of prohibi
tiCn are actuated by a desire to per.
lpetuate the saloon, nor is the judg-
ment of all prohibitionists as to rem
edy infallible. With renewed assur
ances of my distinguished cohsidera
ton am, yours very truly,
WILL NJ MAUPIN,
Editor The Wageworker.