Show LETTER FROM MISSOURI the of Mar have politics ties temperance religion in ale plentiful to til I 1 quant quantities iti e 8 with their e eleven 1 ven churches a and of course eleven ministers there are quite enough societies and rom which to select a path to lead to the realms of peace hereafter the thought strikes me that one church of the right quality would be better than all of the eleven the scriptures inform us that there is one hope of our calling one lord one faith and one baptism and they warn us against the lo 10 herell and lo 10 theres that were to be multiplied among the children of men mell and here are perhaps eleven ministers to be paid each a salary of 1000 per year rather expensive for a town of inhabitants especially as at least ton ten ont of the eleven denominations must be found in error forthe for the savior plainly his gospel is to be preached to all the world and its amba ambassadors dors are to go forth without purse or scrip and not dot preach for hire or divine for money he instructed his apostles to preach faith repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the reception of the holy ghost so far as has ome under my notice these churches or their min aisters do not preach this kind of a gospel in its entirety I 1 have attended three meetings here and failed on each occasion to hear the full gospel of christ taught I 1 heard quite a number of wholesome views advanced and moral truths clothed in beautiful language and enunciated according to unexceptional rules of rhetoric such I 1 have often heard by able lecturers who made no profession of religion such are taught in the enlightenment of civilization in all countries and are excellent so far as they go but they fail to formulate the grand system of the gospel as taught anciently by christ and his apostles rev T H 8 minister is certainly a genial gentleman he possesses versatile abilities As a speaker he charms the attention of his audience his enunciation is clear and his rhetoric unexceptionable but like most other ministers he needs converting to the order of the true gospel as he falls fails to preach it in its fullness if the people are satisfied and upon the free exercise of their agency choose these shallow systems to live and die by it is their privilege r v i lege or at least they have it in fh their e ir power so to elect and I 1 would offer no hindrance to their wishes more than to offer them the plan of the gospel as laid down in the scriptures should it be in my power I 1 gave audience of two hours at the catholic church father anslem scolded his congregation nearly an hour for what he called the mortal sins some of his flock committed two weeks previous in going out doors during divine service from his account the act was not a courteous one but it often occurs that people are excusable for withdrawing even though it be in the time of service it is something however that should be avoided unless a condition unforeseen occurs to render a withdrawal imperative also alm some had failed to attend the ceremony of mass for which neglect the speaker pronounced rather strong denunciations after which the priest subsided into a more benign influence and began the ceremony of mass occupying about one more hour of precious the benches were growling growing hard on which we sat but that was the ceremony I 1 went thither bither to see and I 1 looked and listened with deep I 1 beheld the form of the cere ceremony monys but failed to be instructed there them was erected back of the speakers speaker stand a splendid altar six candles standing upon it were lit ht by a little boy dressed suitably for that service the priest issued from an adjoining room dressed in his priestly garments and was attended au ar through the ceremony by two little boys dressed in character whose whom tart part of the ceremony consisted in kneeling nee shifting the bible to the right ant and left of the priest to suit his convenience in lifting the skirt of his robe ringing of bells and briny bring ing what I 1 supposed was called holy water in glass vessels etc all of which was done at the proper per time when the right one V as given at intervals beautiful singing came from the choir situated tn in a gallery alery at the back of the audience ful during ring the ceremony the back of the priest was towards the audience he assumed a variety of solemn and quite graceful postures knelt and rose up frequently before the altar often making the sign of the crow all was done with solemnity but there was in it nothing explanatory or edifying to a str stranger aDger one object attracted my attention it was the representation of the virgin mary which had its place toward the upper portion of the altar it represented a female in full stature attractively clothed with a form perfect in symmetry and gram grace the liniments lina ments of the face were exquisite and seemed to radiate the charms of benevolence and charity it was certainly a beautiful orna ment but it seemed to me it was wonderfully out of place mary as the mother of christ is a personage of great distinction ara and eternal will be the glory that avra awake her unstinted will be the hanm which glorified beings will pay her through the eternal ages but tt seems to me the catholic idea Is ie to deify her beyond what Is her true position they th sem to elect her as the th instep cessor between them and the venly father ini making aking her chosen advocate to represent cedres de aires their penitence and implore his pardon I 1 always have understood it to be the most consistent way bopray to pray to the father direct without the agency of a third person to bear our petitions to the throne of grace christ is the intercessor and g be 0 is the great mediator and his is the legitimate name to be used and associated with that of the father in the important matter of prayer in the ath chapter of st matthew we find the following instructions and when thou grayest thou should st not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners earners of the streets that they may be seen of men verily I 1 say unto you they have their reward but thou when thou prasert pra yeat enter into thy closet and when thou liast hast shut but the door pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly but when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking be not ye therefore like unto them for your father what things ye have need of before ye ask him after this manner therefore pray ye our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy win will be done in earth as it is in heaven etc notwithstanding this very plain instruction the catholic people choose to pray if not directly at least jeaa indirectly to mary as will be made clear by the following form of rayer which I 1 copy from a catho cc brayer c book remember mary kenderest hearted virgin how bow from of old the ear hath never heard beard that he who ran to thee for refuge implored thy help and sought thy prayers was forsaken of god virgin of virgins mother molher emboldened by this confidence I 1 fly to thee to thee I 1 come and in thy presence I 1 a weeping sinner stand mother of the word incarnate oh cast not dot away my prayer but in thy pity hear and answer amen Capt captain aili shields has been drawing almost the entire population to his large open tent to hear him upon MoZ the temperance arance question for the last two or three weeks the people lie seem to go almost en masse on runday sunday evenings the churches generally discontinue their meetings to g give ve their e r members an opportunity of hearing bearing him I 1 understand he takes the names of children irrespective spec tive of age any and everybody who will sign the pledge for themselves or their families are at liberty to do so I 1 understand some borne 1800 of toe the citizens of maryville markville Mar and vicinity now wear the badge a red ribbon n as the token of their intentions to adhere to the requirements of temperance this is certainly good if the resolution is formed substantially AU to be kept and not to be broken V mr shields is quite eloquent and earnest in his appeals he may be ty sincere too but I 1 am informed he ba requires 76 75 per week for his ser tides if this amount is raised this fOB tIeman ww will consent to remain 41 in maryville markville Mar one more week to reclaim the wayward make happy homes and add to his own substance doubtless he is largely actuated by humane ideas but minus the 75 he declines his generous services the world is filled up with such philanthropic souls they figure in temperance in politics in religion and in the multifarious industries of trade A t best this is a fast age money aloney produces the enchanting ring that sets communities and governments ern ments in motion many great men who sway the masses and direct the helm of government say it esthe is the good of humanity they seek but money must be amassed to kee keep p them the high plane of popularity and affluence such is life in this portion of the nineteenth century respectfully L 0 littlefield MARYVILLE mo aug 22 1889 |