Old Mumble on Mr Forlong

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 33, 28 August 1888, Page 3

Old Mumble on Mr Forlong

Having some ink that has no gall in it (I'm sure of • that, 'cause I made it myself) I will dip my pen in it in writing a few words about that •" communicated" report of the recent ■doings, or rather sayings, of Mr Forlong in Feilding. I notice that among the factors which operated in bringing him large .. congregations were the sympathy of the " Christian and general public" (whatever may be meant by such an invidious separation of the inhabitants of the district) and "judicious advttrtising." . Ah! that's more like it. Nothing like printer's ink for making a thing go. Mr Forlong ■" went on in his own forcible, graphic, ■and convincing way .to prove to a <leinunstration, &fi." This.is just how at should be. Pr»ve a thing to a demonstration, and then uo oue can help believing i . "Mr For long is particularly emphatic on the necessity of giving God's words supreme attention .above the opinions, thoughts, or «oinnientß of men ; " yet, notwithstanding this, he seems particularly ■anxious to have attention paid, to his own " opiuions, thoughts, and corauieuts," and. this regardless of his previous remark about men's " u£ual liability of error. It seems intensely -strange, on the face on this,ta>t Mr Torlonpj should advance such extraordinary opinions as he does ; and, more strange still, that he cannot see that what he. puts forward in one sentence he flatly contradicts in the. next. > peaking of the rich man and Lazarus ■" the speaker ventured the- rather novel (very novel I think; opinion that the text led to the belief that the location of the believers * is situate in the fiery interior of this world." (The italics are mine, because I think the word is a typographical error.) Yet, 41 the Lord Jesus did not speak the tragic story of the text as a parable, but as referring to circumstances which he knew to have occurred in the history, of the two individuals concerned^" Does Mr Forlong really know what he is talking about when headvances such outlandish " opinions, thoughts, and comments" as these ? and, if so, does he really mean to be so extremely absurd, and palpably contradictory ? Further comment by me is needless. Then he ventures to pull to pieces Professor Salmond's " Reign of Grace," and says -" the. author -is utterly incapable as a scholar of coming to any decision on the subject of which he wrote, and does not, by any means, stand high amongst theologians." What a blessing it is» though, to have such capable scholars, and who stand so high amongst theologians as Mr Forlong. But for this we should not know that people, who are guilty of the crime of being " well in," are shoved into the ** fiery interior of this world," It makes me feel quite glad that I'm not a " rich man." Now I am prepared to " give God's word supreme attention above the thoughts, opinions, or comments," even of Mr Forlong, and to find at least a score of texts to support the " Reign of Grace" theory for every one Mr Forlong will furnish to uphold his "fiery interior of the world" doctrine.' Just a "comment" or two, in conclusion, on that extraordinary yarn about the " French travelling preacher." Are we really to believe: (1), That French law cause* a man to be " locked up every night for preaching the gospel ?" (2), That this man did nothing for "20 years" but preaching and . being " locked up every night" for it ? (3), That to get his tucker he went and looked in at a window wijere people were dining, and they " invariably" asked him in, "with the greatest of courtesy," to join them ? (No wonder he got locked up.) (4), That when he wanted clothes he put on the seediest togs he could, and people gave liim better? I say the man was a mendicant, -and would get locked up iv any civilised country. Mr Forlong, no doubt, tells the tale as he heard it, but I feel compelled to take it cum, qrano salts. Old Mumble. f* This waß a typographical error, and should have be.eu«» relievers.— Ed.