Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-10-23
AN OPEN LETTER
To MIR. Ora L. Jones, Editor The Sylvan
Valley Sylvan News. BreVard. N. C.

My Dear MI. Jones.
God hath chosen the weak to CON
found the mighty. list. Cor. 1:27.
Nine times out of ten SILENCE is
the best answer to false accusations
and misrepresentation. 1t is a sad
fact and yet true that not a few people
have enough religion to hate others
who differ with them on theology. 1t
should be the policy of everyone to
htlp others and never harm them.
| am using this OPEN LETTER in
The Democrat in reply to your unfair.
unchristian and fanatical attacks on
Pastor Charles T.. Russell, of Brook
Ign, N! Y, for the purpose of enIighten-
ing the readers of your paper on the
other side of the matter. After read
ing our farcical editorials (?) against
russell and As teachings it is a plain
TACT that all may see that you are not
yet ready to bury the Ratchet of strife
m bitterness that has separated
Christian people so long! If you
calm to be a follower of the Lowly
one that taught us to love enemies it
is a plain fact that you have not yet
learned to love those who differ with
you on the Bible, say nothing of your
enemies! 1t is not necessary to here
mention the fact that your methods of
dealing with others who differ with
sd on things theological are anything
akin to the sweet Christion spirit thai
we are commanded to emulate; and no
doubt your insidious fashion of going
tc the extremes when it comes to deal
ing with religious discussions has al
ready been discerned by your better
informed readers!
Nobody with a limited amount of in
formation on religious matters is mar
low enough to claim that any certain
denomination has a monopoly on re-
lgion. Every fair minded Christian
will agree that there are saints and
sinners in all denominations, whether
they be followers of Wesley, Calvin,
Campbell, Luther, Knox, Russell, or
the Pope of Rome. We wont be judg-
ed by our creeds but by our deeds. If
cur deeds measure up to the standard
OF love, which isl the foundation of
Christianity, we Will make our calling
and election sure, End Pet. 1:1O). Our
Lord said II am He that searcheth the
reins of the heart" (Rev. 2:23) As /
cannot read your heart and you cannot
read mine, neither can you read Broth
er RusselPs and nobody will be ready
20 believe that We editor has had any
special revelation from on high to that.
effect. One mans opinion is no bet
ter than another's and. we believe that
We EDITORS opinion is crooked when he
expresses it on c. T. Russell.
Fo rthe fact that all creeds are in
conflict with each other is all that is
needed to convince the simple minded
that a mistake has been made in the
true Interpretation of the Bible. If
RUSSELL can give us a better interpre-
tation than is taught by our creeds, let
us investigate and if we find that Rus
sell can bring harmony out of confu-
sion let US Hold fast to that which is
good" list Thes. 5:21.) If Russell
can harmonic the Scriptures, altho,
he may have to abolish our pet creeds
to do it, let us investigate his exposi-
tons. The Bereans were called
noble" because they searched. (Acts
I17:11.) Your reference to Pastor Rus
sell as "the DEVILS first lieutenant
and as an "Imposter" is ALL RIGHT.
The Pharisees of old accused our Lord
CT doing His works by Beelzebub the
prince of devils. Matt. 1924 "a
servant is not above his Lord" Matt,
10:24.) Because the editor of the
Sylvan Valley News brands C. T. Rus
sell as "the devils first lieutenant
isn't sufficient proof. We must have
higher authority than that. While
! Russell has many enemies, he also has
twice as many friends. No great man
ever lived without enemies. When the
world produces an extra smart man
one that has the nerve to say what he
thinks whether it agrees with others OF
Lot, 1t is then that small calibreas get
their heads together and croak. The
J lamented Sam Jones, once said Its
| the hit dog that hollers55 and from the
certain amount of noise we hear lately,
and from the certain amount of holler-
ing we are about to be convinced that
somebody has been hit! Unable to re-
fute Pastor RusseIl's teachings those
who differ with him with some noble
exceptions) have launched a campaign
of Islander against him. SANDER is a
lame weapon to fight with. SlandeT
has never abolished anything yet e
cept the one that uses it.
Some Shadows Fro mthe Dark Ages.
Neither Catholic nor Protestant can
deny the pages of historye All true
Christians are ashamed of the record,
Our Catholic friends blush at the story
Of the Huguenots. Our Church of
England friends blush at the story of
the Covenanters. Presbyterians are
not proud of the atrocious acts done in
the name of CalYinism. Baptist were
| whipped in public and driven from
place to place to exile. So were the
2uritans. John Wesley the founder OF
the Methodist church suffered for
righteousness sake. His wife desert
ed him and Wesley was blamed for the
separation. The newspaper took up
the matter and gloated over the down
fall of the "Methodays". He was call
ed every ugly name that could be
thought of. The Gospel Magazine of
his day published a poem against him
of which we quote two lines-as fol-
lows:
o think of this thou gray-haired sin
nAp