Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1909-11-11
DR.. BARNES STATEMENT.

Editor News:
Your paper has just arrived bearing
your exposure in large headlines.
As subscriber and recent contrbu-
tor to the News feel. that am entitl-
ed to speak few words to those who
have followed us in the discussion OF
Biblical subjects in the News columns.
The Editors exposure of the fact
that am an inmate of an institution,
deprived of personal liberty, should
not in anyway arouse your prejudice
against the grand and glorious truth
that have been permitted to present,
though but feebly, and in nothing like
its grand concordant scripture setting
/ remind you that though am. bound,
l am Christ's free man. And thank
you and the editors and publishers OF
the News-the one for your kind at
tention and interest, and the other for
the generous amount Of space given
my articles. Many of you know .me
personally, and some Of you are my
closest kin You already knew OF my
whereabouts. And you who are thus
informed will not be surprised by the
exposure. You will love me as much
as ever But to those who do not l
would say, "Cast not away your conf
dence." The truth that l have but
feebly presented to you is the only
thing in the way of religion that ever
appealed to me- l was raised up under
the nurture and admonition of eternal
torment When boy | went to Sun
day School and from there to the
swimming hole, and generally into
some devilment. The so-called ortho-
dox teaching never penetrated me.
But the truth as / now understand it
drew me to God, and it has effected a
cleansing work in my heart that moth
ing else could ever do. 1t drew me
into full conservation to the Lord
and by its redeeming power the work
of inbred sin has been checked and the
things that once loved now hate,
and the sweetening influences of the
truth has saved me from madness and
hopeless despair. | used to curse and
swear and smoke and chew, but all
such habits left me without any effort
ON my part to Danish them. Such is
the power of truth. sold things pass
away. and all things become new. "
Is this your experienceS
Now, as you have discovered oul
theology is very different from all
Others, and it causes a great furry a.
mong the old schools. Hence, we pre-.
! sent it as lovingly as possible, and with
all due Difference to those who differ.
We stick to the Bible and point you
to our source of information.
In this letter which may be my last
1.-THE Lord knows would say to you
, that all the insane are not confined
and deprived of personal liberty. We
believe, and statistics and the daily re-
ports show that the race is very un
sound, insane, as whole. This is thu
. only reasonable inference when w
: consider that Adam lived to be 93(
years old, whereas his puny children
live about 80 years on an average.
{ Now, with regard to my own insan
} ity, know all about it. The crazies
people are those who are crazy an(
| don't know it. Mine is a nervous
and circulatory arrangement. But
by the inerrant aid of what Sain
Paul designates ''the spirit of sount
D mind" I am enabled to press on ant
serve the Lord under perhaps create
discouragements than you know of.
7 I will not censure the Editor for ex
= posing me- My critics were badl,
beat in the debates, and he must con
fess that the controversy brought hin
some fame, and aroused more interes
than anything that has happened dow
. there lately. My reply to the "Dive
!, and Lazarus article was classic
: and he couldn't stand it, But 20,
may get it yet, the Lord knows. Il
. any event trust Him. / also remin,
you that was not afraid of my name
and during the controversy never at
i tempted to strengthen my argumen
t by any claims to education, piety O
t anything else. 1 am not ashamed O
. anything l have written, and 1 an
. perfectly willing for each of you +
n choose the argument which most near
d ly sccords with your views of the God
s who is not only perfect in wisdom, bu
d also in power and in love. All hav
. written is harmonious, and if the Lor
q had seen fit to continue the articles,
b am abundantly able to convince thos
It who believe the word
;. Again thank you and assure you c
= my love. And in closing remind 70
4 that our Lord was accused of bein
It crazy. They said He had demon
n and was "beside himself" And on
e Lord says, ''If they have called th
- master of the house Beelzabub, ho'
much more will they call them of h
own household"
7. Content what e'er my lot may be,
,e Since tbs His hand that leadeth me-
L LORENZO D. BARNES.