The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-01-05
SP0TSYIv vANIA CONTROVERSY
How 1t Impressed MIR. Pound.
Parker, Va. Jan. ?.

Parker Va. Jan. ?.
To The Free Lance.
A certain controversy appears TO
me about like the following:
There lived little preacher a
long time ago; he only had one suit
OF clothes. which he always wore
and they were neither woolen, cot
ton, linen. silk. hair. nor fur, and
he was so bashful that he had 10
be fed in "a farmers barnyard. This
little preacher spoke two SIM
pie words one morning and caused
a man by the name OF Peter 10 re
pent of his faults insomuch that he
went out and wept bitterly; but now
there is a certain preacher OF these
latter days who is very eloquent and
has a bold countenance and
is clothed in purple and fine linen
$50 to speak, and fares sumptu-
ously every day He was clerk,
according to Peters statement
This preacher has been preach
ing to Peter Through the columns
of The Free Lance quite a lot.
and while his sermons are very
eloquent yet il seems rs ii they
make no good impression on Pc
ter. as we have seen no tears drop.
and not only that We still see him
talking back al the preacher even
after he has given him up as
hopeless case Well. think the
preacher was wise In doing so. Tor
il is written. "Ephriam is joined 10
his idols: let him alone. Now We
see that not only the preacher,
but Peter. too, can quote scripture
like the devil tread the temptation
of Jesus) but quoting Scripture Is
not all there is for one TO DO. II
il was eternal life would be gwen
to the devil. Instead Of Following
the teachings OF the authorized YER
sion they appear 10 be following
kind OF a revised version, for the
old version says DO unto others as
YOU would have them do unto you,
and each seems 10 try 10 do the
other fellow lest the other fellow
should do him And again II Is
written Confess your sins one TO
another and pray one for the
other" Well. so far as coniessing
is concerned, perhaps there has
been plenty of that. bur the trou-
bic is they confessed each others
faults instead Of their own. and
praying might have been done for
one another. but if IL was IL was
not done upon the house-tOp. Well
now let us hope they both have en-
tered their closets and are praying
earnestly for each other.
While we guess why the preach
er left the county at certain time
when scarcely anyone knew why he
went or where he went. did hear
that he took his Bible with him
and that he went to Mexico That
sounds like he might have gone
on a missionary journey. but thus
far | have neither seen nor heard
any account of his success as
missionary. and he says that only
one man besides himself knows why
he went. and as Peter says the Zee
book was not to be found, / thought
that perhaps the first report was
wrong and that il was the zee
book instead OF the Bible and II he
went To Mexico he had TO cross the
Mississippi or some other water
and the sailors thinking. perhaps,
they had modern Jonah on the
vessel cast him overheard, and as
Jonah was all that the whale could
get TO the shore with and the Bible
or fee book or fees or what ever
valuables he had OF course got
lost not to be found until our mod
ern Peter goes a fishing and takes
up the first fish that bites at his
hook
Now. a good deal OF the above Is
according to Peters statement, and
there has been a good many hard
things said about Peter by differ
ent ones through the paper and !
am not able to say whether they
were telling the truth or not. but
| have always heard It said where
there is so much smoke there must
be some fire" But suppose all the
reports against Peter are true,
have heard it said that the biggest
liar in the world could tell the
truth sometimes. and | believe In
giving every man his due. lhere-
fore. I do not care to be too hasty
in Judgment, but it looks to me
like the controversy has served TO
fulfill the Scripture where it IS
written BE sure your sins VIII
find you out.
l.. l.. Pound.