Letters

Mr. G.H.P. Showalter Austin, Texas Dear Brother Showalter:

I have just finished reading your editorial in the Firm Foundation dated January 22, 1952; and I would love to say that it is good. But I am prone to ask why you did not come out with those facts long ago? That would have helped keep the cause of our Lord from bleeding as it has from your upholding this "sponsoring" stuff for the past two years. You know that loyal brethren have been contending for the very kind of work you outlined in your editorial; and for almost two years you have blasted these brethren, and have been "hovering" those who were doing contrary to the principles set forth in the editorial.

It certainly did not look good for you to refuse to allow any of the Gospel Guardian brethren to answer the "sponsoring crowd" through the pages of the F.F.; and neither would the Gospel Advocate allow them space. It did not look fair; and it was not fair. It showed that there were some who did not want the light. I also noticed that the Gospel Guardian DID offer space for those who wanted to write on the question; but the F.F. and the G.A. were not big enough to offer space in their pages for a fair discussion of the "sponsoring" acts that were being carried on. After reading both the G.G. and the F.F. arguments, I could easily see the reason why the F.F. and the G.A. wanted to keep it out of their papers; for most of their readers, who desired, could have seen the light if they had allowed the Gospel Guardian articles to be read.

Now I notice that brother Cecil N. Wright is back again with over two-and-a-half pages in the Firm Foundation, and the same material in the Gospel Advocate, of the same old hash that he has cooked over and over these past two years. If the two papers that are running those long articles of brother Wright's feel that their readers like stale hash, perhaps they will continue to run such stuff indefinitely. I do not know what percentage of people like warmed over hash, but one time I was eating at a boarding house, and our evening meal was always hash, hash, hash. Some of us that got soured on hash found another place where hash was not placed before us so often; and when we let the word get out on the job where we worked, it wasn't long till, lo and behold, our buddies moved over with us—just to get away from so much hash.

To be plain, brother Showalter, that hash, hash, hash stuff of brother Wright's reminds me of the farmer's milk cow he was trying to sell. "See that big fat, slick cow standing over yonder?" he said, pointing to her. "Yes," said the other fellow. "Well," said the farmer, "that cow can bawl louder, jump higher, eat more, and give less milk than any cow in the herd!"

Now, brother Showalter, after carefully studying both sides of this "sponsoring" stuff, and reading and carefully studying all the scriptures given by both sides, it is perfectly plain to see that the Gospel Guardian plea is the divine pattern. It would be nice for you to go back and publish a lot of the hard things you have said about these brethren concerning this "sponsoring" stuff, and then publish your editorial of January 22 right under what you have written. It would be good to publish many of the articles that the Firm Foundation has carried lambasting the Guardian boys, and let us all take a look at it NOW in the light of your editorial.

I do not hold any malice against any man on this earth. I may not endorse a man's acts, and would not try to endorse them if they seemed wrong; and I want to say to you that I have received many good lessons from your writings. But I DO NOT endorse your refusal to allow those who were being criticized through your paper any opportunity to answer their critics. I find a lot of Firm Foundation readers who feel exactly the same way I do about it. I get both the F. F. and the G.G. and I read them through as soon as they come. But I think those who have made the mistake of covering up some of their writings and then holding the cover over them to keep the whole brotherhood from seeing them uncovered have done wrong.

If you wish you can place this in the F.F. and be at liberty to comment on it all you wish; but I feel sure you will not allow this to appear in your paper.

Your brother in Christ, J. W .Hays, Hughson, Calif.

—O—

Dear Brother Tant:

In the Firm Foundation of January 29, brother D. Ellis Walker writes as follows:

Attention: Brother Tant Please explain why an "ABSOLUTE, deadly, and undeniable PARALLEL" "does not mean identity?" Thank you.

Fraternally, D. Ellis Walker

—O—

A wire clothes line sixty feet long is drawn tightly between two posts in a back yard. A grass rope plow-line sixteen feet long and running parallel with the clothes line is drawn between two stakes. Though the rope and the wire are ten feet apart, they form an "ABSOLUTE, deadly, and undeniable parallel." Do you think we ought to bring D. Ellis out here to Texas and try to show him the difference between a wire sixty feet long and a rope sixteen feet long? Even after he saw the parallel rope and wire, do you think he would be able to "explain why an 'ABSOLUTE, deadly, and undeniable PARALLEL' 'does not mean identity'? Thank you."

Cecil B. Douthitt

—O—

W. Earl Mansur, 241 E. Arlight, Monterey Park, Calif., Feb. 11: "One baptized, one restored, and one identified in the past week at Montebello. We now have 51 members with attendance around 70 and 80. If you are in this area worship with us at 6163 Northside Drive."

—O—

E. Ray Jerkins, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Feb. 12: "For about the past nine years the church here has planned to start a new congregation and put aside a definite amount each Lord's day for that purpose. Last October this new congregation began meeting. Prior to its beginning, the one congregation had about 300 in classes. Last Sunday, there were 603 in the classes of the two churches, 308 of that number being here at First Street. Sunday morning there was one baptism, making a total of fourteen baptisms since our beginning. This congregation also has taken the initiative in conducting a daily radio program, enjoying the fellowship of the rural congregations."