Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 1
February 23, 1950
NUMBER 41, PAGE 7

The Overflow

F. Y. T.

Write Congress ! ! ! !

"Did you write a letter to your congressman? Well, I did. By the way—what kind of protection did you want congress to give our men in Italy? What do you want Uncle Sam to do if violence over there against our men does not cease? Do you want him to give the boys military protection if necessary? And if he does send over a few bombers and warships, just suppose somebody's pipe organ or images get in the way of a bomb or two? Yes, I wrote a letter. But I'm just wondering if some of the conscientious objectors I know wrote."

—Floyd Thompson, Santa Ana, Calif.

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Very much too high

It was the Sunday evening worship hour in a rural congregation in central Oklahoma. An aged brother arose to lead the songs. His number was announced, and the song began—a full octave too high. The opening bars sounded like this: "Holy, holy, holy; Lord God Almighty that's too high!"

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Just a friendly visit

Then there was that elder from the Huntingdon Beach (California) congregation who went to visit his brother last summer. His brother was a Baptist, and wanted to take his visiting relative to the Baptist church that Sunday morning. And did. The elder said he "just went along to see how the Baptists are doing these days." The faithful congregation of Christians was meeting in that town for worship less than one block from the Baptist church at the very hour this bishop of God's flock was worshipping with the Baptists. Is there any other state in the nation besides California where such an elder could be accepted as a scriptural and faithful shepherd of God's church?

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"Masonry and the Church"

We are receiving quite a few comments (most of them commendatory) on the series of articles on Masonry which we recently ran. Brother L. C. Pope, 2315 Washington Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi, has written a tract "Christ or Masonry" which he will send free to any member of the church who might like to write for it. A few have taken exception to Brother Hobbs' articles.

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Joe Smith's Plates

Joe Smith said that the "Book of Mormon" was a correct translation of certain plates covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics, which had been buried in the earth since the year600 A. D. Yet this "Book of Mormon," supposedly authorized in 600 A. D., contains verbatim quotations from the King James Bible and from the writings of William Shakespeare! Not only so, but it describes how the Jaredites brought horses, swine, sheep, cattle, and asses to the American continent, when it was a fact, known even in Joe Smith's day, that Columbus had found the new World devoid of these species.

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Out of the past

Fifty-eight years ago, E. E. Hoss, editor of the Christian Advocate, official organ of the M. E. Church, South, sent a clipping to Brother F. D. Srygley, with this note of explanation: "Dear Brother Srygley, this is too good for the Christian Advocate. Maybe you can use it." Srygley did use it, and here it is:

"A good old lady near West Line, Missouri, objected to her son studying the New Testament so much. Her friend asked her, "Are you afraid he will become a skeptic?"

"No," she replied, "much worse than that." "Do you fear for his health?" "No; no; still worse than that." "Are you afraid he will go crazy?" "Oh, no, no, a great deal worse than that." Then sinking into a chair, she gasped, "I - I'm afraid he will become a Campbellite!"

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Letters on "that rock fight"

We've had a cascade of letters commenting on Brother Cled Wallace's recent article, "That Rock Fight In Italy." Some of the letters, written in the heat of anger, would obviously bring embarrassment t o their writers if they should be published. Out of deference to them, and realizing that no man can be fair to himself when he is angry, we refrain from publication of any of these letters. But we thought you might be interested in seeing some of the more moderate and reasonable ones we received:

"No, I am not in full accord with all that is being done through the church at Brownfield, but the fight with the Catholic Church that has developed through them should be pushed by all."

—Homer C. Winnett, Dimmitt, Texas

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"What do you think about the publicity on the Italian persecutions? At least a lot of people will hear of the church and will be aware of Catholic intolerance. I hope you can urge your readers to use their influence. The three months extension of visas will not be worth anything unless we can get some permanent guarantee on the orphanage."

—M. Norvel Young, Lubbock, Texas

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"I do detest the sentiments of a man, or group, who have no more interest in a good work than to sit on their "backsides" and snipe at the efforts of others with destructive criticism."

—Jesse F. Doggett, Tyler, Texas

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"I cannot encourage the circulation of a publication that is so often merely critical and unfair to others. So you may stop my paper at any time."

—Harvey W. Riggs, Owensboro, Ky.

* * *

"Some people engaged in preaching in foreign countries and others in supporting them do not have my con,- fidence, but that is no justification for all of our writing to be throwing rocks at all of our "foreign" work. This is about all the Gospel Guardian does."

—Jack Meyer, Okla. City, Okla.

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"We all know those boys are young and impetuous and that they are going to make mistakes, but personally I like the way they are doing it better than the way Brother Cled is not doing it. When he stoops to impugn motives, he reveals something in himself that I cannot admire. Do you suppose a round of Carter's Little Liver Pills would improve his disposition?"

—Fred Custis, Beaumont, Texas

"Square-bale Campbellites"

One of our readers would like to know the significance of the derisive term "square-bale Campbellite." Can anybody help us? We have an idea the "square-bale" part of it refers to the old square shape in which some of the early gins pressed their cotton bales. But why apply the epithet to Christians? If anybody knows, we'd like a letter on it.

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Cleon Lyles, Little Rock, Ark.: "Four were baptized, and seven placed membership at Fourth and State in January. We averaged thirty-two dollars per week above our budget of one thousand dollars per Sunday. We are enjoying our best interest. Our building is filled for both morning services and also at night. Last night we used forty-eight extra chairs to seat the audience. Attendance on Wednesday night averages about three hundred. Our work continues to be pleasant."

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Hugh Boydston, 10524 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas, January 30: "Four have been baptized the last two Sundays--two yesterday, and two the Sunday before. All my meeting time is tentatively booked, except one meeting."