A Fighting Parson.

Otago Witness, Issue 2732, 18 July 1906, Page 88

A Fighting Parson.

A resort to bodily force in i-eligious work i* usually the most unwke iroans a Christian worker can adopt. But if that is the nile ilieie are exceptions. There arc timns when roigh situations call for "striking methods. Here is a. caw in point, taken from American local history .-—When the settlements on the Forked Deer River were new, taid Western Tennessee- was still Chiwsaw Country, ail attempts to start religio.is &ei vices were for a. long time broken up by a gang of young~outlaws who drove the ministers away. At last_ the Rev. Aithur Davis, a muscular Christian, came to try his skill at conquering them. They had given him notice that no Methodist parson shouM ever preach on Lower Forked Deer. Mr Da\is went to the forbidden ground and preached to a large audience When the service was over he 6teppod Qut into tJle ffrove which surrounded the log church, and taking off his ccat and collar, placed them on a stump. The outlaws had gathered on one side, the church people on the other. Turning to on© of the church -people, Mr Davis gave him a message for his wife, and then, facing the outlaws, demanded that they relect their champion. " You said I should not preach,"' he said, "but I have preach*? J. You say* l shall not preach agiua, 'Well, 1 say I shall* ua-

.less you. kill'TfiferHow-. _ Come on,, one at k \ time— fair play, and we'll see who is right." The outlaws looked at him in amazement. Then the leader stepped forward, holding out hia .hand. - . \ " I'm with you, Mr Davis," he declared. "Any man who has- got your courage can be parson here as Tung as he likes. Boys, step up and snake hands witfc the minis'* ter." Thenceforward^ .the "fighting parson." held forth regularly in the Forked Dees country. — Young, Englan- . ,