Good essay. Reminded me of Fr Navarre A teacher I had in high school. He was Spanish Basque; first son inherits, second joins the military, third the priesthood. A quiet guy I don't remember him ever raising his voice, let alone a hand, except once.
A guy on the school football team was arguing with him and said he was lucky he had that collar on a elsewise he's punch him out. Well Fr Navarrete took of his collar, stood there tee shirted arms folded, slight smile, didn't say a word. The kid took a mighty swing, next thing he was on the ground out cold. Fr Navarre shrugged raised both hands noting the kid clearly telegraphed his swing, put his priestly garb back on and walked away.
He'd played Jai alai in his Basque youth, ball speed often exceeding 150 mph & had excellent fast reflexes.
I’ve been reading the Old Testament and I am currently in Deuteronomy. What strikes me most is the farcical egalitarian strawman many make of the Bible. I now see self-evident truths such as the punishment of future generations based on their antecedent’s rejection of God’s Word and the implicit celebration of that rejection; and I see it in the Sins of human sheep meekly accepting the collectivist’s false egalitarian world view as they live lives of previously unimaginable comfort, satiating appetites carnal and slothful, blissfully unaware of the evil around them and seeping into them. Turning away from God is turning to the chaos of meaninglessness. We need Christian warriors not wimps now more than ever.
One of the reasons the Church Fathers are so important to read is that they give us interpretations of the Bible free from the filters of modernity and liberalism.
One time some doofus littered our Church parking lot with atheistic propaganda. Our pastor, being Scottish, wasn't exactly the most docile person. At Mass next week he gave a speech that would have made m the guy from Taken wonder if he should tone it down.
John Chrysostom had an enemy at court who was always scheming against him to the emperor. One day the official himself ran afoul of power and fled to Chrysostom’s cathedral for sanctuary. The bishop stood bodily between the soldiers and the official and they backed down. Then Chrysostom gave one of his characteristic multi-hour sermons about what an idiot the official was while the cringing man clung to the altar behind him.
"I don’t want to end by cuckdunking, but with a call to reclaim that fighting spirit. Peter Cartwright and his peers were at war, against Satan, against their own sinful natures, against the world and its temptations. Their lives were manly struggles for higher things. They suffered. There’s a lot there worthy of emulation, and much to be said about how to turn things around. The answers are there. Once you know what you should want, the only question remaining is, how bad do you want it." Bravo. Excellent comparison. I especially like what you say here.
"Cartwright was a circuit rider, an itinerant evangelist presiding over a territory of at least ten-thousand square miles. Sometimes they worked in teams, but Cartwright and the other Methodists might just as easily find themselves alone, riding through the trackless hollows of the frontier, a place where the Indians still represented a lingering but lethal threat, with bears and bobcats and rattlesnakes, or else the simple accident of falling off one’s horse that might result in your lonely corpse being left to scavengers in the wilderness, with only God knowing your fate. This is the life that Peter Cartwright embraced."
We were outside of the seat of my father's family name and where my great grandfather and his before him were from in VA. We had just driven from the tri state area by the OH river where my great grandfather moved to after the first world war due to the steel town it had become and diesel trucks, moving steel and coal and the parts and trucks they'd need became his focus. I looked at the ridge in front of me and remarked to my Dad why most of the people who later became residents of WV didn't care about the civil war and so forth and wondered how long our 3 hour car ride would have taken by horse over those hills. We both thought if fighting had moved into deep parts of WV and guerilla warfare such had broke out it would have been a more severe war than it already was. My mother's family had been in the now suburbs of that now rust belt city since the beginning of the frontier times. All in all we estimated 14 days plus and contending with wildlife and brigands to have a perilous journey over what is now a 3 hour drive through mountain tunnels and smooth interstate. Why anyone would discount how Protestantism and it's fortitude and how guys like Cartwright helped shape the nation is beyond me. The pros outweigh the cons. It is sad how denominations have become woke and esoteric. How people pleasing we've become as a body made of different denominations. We are not rebuking it on the whole and letting steel sharpen steel, with love. It's made us as lukewarm as Ladociea and a great shaking is upon us. Thank God for all of you with the insight to bring these examples to the forefront as they should have been for awhile now. I personally know I need fellowship with fellow believers and sound teaching and leadership else I falter and am in constant need of grace and mercy. The Protestants need a rebuke and another awakening. Nationwide revival and doctrines from woke churches that have adopted the normalizing of the sins of Soddom almost made me stray. If it had not been for me having been taught better by the fruits of the first great awakening then I may have been a lemming myself. Thank God I snapped back. Keep talking about it. God bless.
It's if I try to restack a quote. I could restack with note which I will but I can't highlight your writing with that offered feature. Maybe you muted me idk, my neurodivergent traits with info dumping through restacking happen sometimes. It's Jessica j. I just changed my name because of this girl at work, I actually quit the job and don't want my name attached to their methods. Anyways it won't let me quote you. I should have been more specific.
You should read Hellfire Nation, by James A. Morone. And the works of Herbert Asbury. Many more stories like that. Americans are so exaggerated! A young people, on the wide horizons of a frontier. Finding themselves or losing themselves, as the case may be. Sometimes finding themselves again, sometimes not, sometimes dying trying. Freedom is heady. Opportunity is invigorating. Carpe Diem!
As a former Methodist and now a Pentecostal, I delight in the fire and brimstone of Cartwright. I truly wish that all of us that pit on the armor of God each and every day, could band together and begin a new Crusade for Jesus, heavily armed with bibles and bullets. Wipe out the heresy of the “new” Methodists, Presbyterians and Lutherans, and crush the devils head in the form of Islam. I guess being rowdy is too much for the church these days. Great article, it got my blood up.
Good essay. Reminded me of Fr Navarre A teacher I had in high school. He was Spanish Basque; first son inherits, second joins the military, third the priesthood. A quiet guy I don't remember him ever raising his voice, let alone a hand, except once.
A guy on the school football team was arguing with him and said he was lucky he had that collar on a elsewise he's punch him out. Well Fr Navarrete took of his collar, stood there tee shirted arms folded, slight smile, didn't say a word. The kid took a mighty swing, next thing he was on the ground out cold. Fr Navarre shrugged raised both hands noting the kid clearly telegraphed his swing, put his priestly garb back on and walked away.
He'd played Jai alai in his Basque youth, ball speed often exceeding 150 mph & had excellent fast reflexes.
Humility is an important virtue; that priest did well to impress its value on that young man.
I went to a Jesuit prep school back in the early 70s. One of the fathers was an ex-longshoreman and not to be messed with.
Great mini-biography of Peter Cartwright. A lot of history interwoven and very well written as usual.
There are thousands of other stories like that awaiting a fuller retelling.
Nowadays, most Christians are too wimpy to read the Old Testament.
I’ve been reading the Old Testament and I am currently in Deuteronomy. What strikes me most is the farcical egalitarian strawman many make of the Bible. I now see self-evident truths such as the punishment of future generations based on their antecedent’s rejection of God’s Word and the implicit celebration of that rejection; and I see it in the Sins of human sheep meekly accepting the collectivist’s false egalitarian world view as they live lives of previously unimaginable comfort, satiating appetites carnal and slothful, blissfully unaware of the evil around them and seeping into them. Turning away from God is turning to the chaos of meaninglessness. We need Christian warriors not wimps now more than ever.
One of the reasons the Church Fathers are so important to read is that they give us interpretations of the Bible free from the filters of modernity and liberalism.
One time some doofus littered our Church parking lot with atheistic propaganda. Our pastor, being Scottish, wasn't exactly the most docile person. At Mass next week he gave a speech that would have made m the guy from Taken wonder if he should tone it down.
John Chrysostom had an enemy at court who was always scheming against him to the emperor. One day the official himself ran afoul of power and fled to Chrysostom’s cathedral for sanctuary. The bishop stood bodily between the soldiers and the official and they backed down. Then Chrysostom gave one of his characteristic multi-hour sermons about what an idiot the official was while the cringing man clung to the altar behind him.
"I don’t want to end by cuckdunking, but with a call to reclaim that fighting spirit. Peter Cartwright and his peers were at war, against Satan, against their own sinful natures, against the world and its temptations. Their lives were manly struggles for higher things. They suffered. There’s a lot there worthy of emulation, and much to be said about how to turn things around. The answers are there. Once you know what you should want, the only question remaining is, how bad do you want it." Bravo. Excellent comparison. I especially like what you say here.
"Cartwright was a circuit rider, an itinerant evangelist presiding over a territory of at least ten-thousand square miles. Sometimes they worked in teams, but Cartwright and the other Methodists might just as easily find themselves alone, riding through the trackless hollows of the frontier, a place where the Indians still represented a lingering but lethal threat, with bears and bobcats and rattlesnakes, or else the simple accident of falling off one’s horse that might result in your lonely corpse being left to scavengers in the wilderness, with only God knowing your fate. This is the life that Peter Cartwright embraced."
We were outside of the seat of my father's family name and where my great grandfather and his before him were from in VA. We had just driven from the tri state area by the OH river where my great grandfather moved to after the first world war due to the steel town it had become and diesel trucks, moving steel and coal and the parts and trucks they'd need became his focus. I looked at the ridge in front of me and remarked to my Dad why most of the people who later became residents of WV didn't care about the civil war and so forth and wondered how long our 3 hour car ride would have taken by horse over those hills. We both thought if fighting had moved into deep parts of WV and guerilla warfare such had broke out it would have been a more severe war than it already was. My mother's family had been in the now suburbs of that now rust belt city since the beginning of the frontier times. All in all we estimated 14 days plus and contending with wildlife and brigands to have a perilous journey over what is now a 3 hour drive through mountain tunnels and smooth interstate. Why anyone would discount how Protestantism and it's fortitude and how guys like Cartwright helped shape the nation is beyond me. The pros outweigh the cons. It is sad how denominations have become woke and esoteric. How people pleasing we've become as a body made of different denominations. We are not rebuking it on the whole and letting steel sharpen steel, with love. It's made us as lukewarm as Ladociea and a great shaking is upon us. Thank God for all of you with the insight to bring these examples to the forefront as they should have been for awhile now. I personally know I need fellowship with fellow believers and sound teaching and leadership else I falter and am in constant need of grace and mercy. The Protestants need a rebuke and another awakening. Nationwide revival and doctrines from woke churches that have adopted the normalizing of the sins of Soddom almost made me stray. If it had not been for me having been taught better by the fruits of the first great awakening then I may have been a lemming myself. Thank God I snapped back. Keep talking about it. God bless.
Oh, for some reason I can't restack you.
I’m not sure why, but thank you for the kind words.
It's if I try to restack a quote. I could restack with note which I will but I can't highlight your writing with that offered feature. Maybe you muted me idk, my neurodivergent traits with info dumping through restacking happen sometimes. It's Jessica j. I just changed my name because of this girl at work, I actually quit the job and don't want my name attached to their methods. Anyways it won't let me quote you. I should have been more specific.
I’m following you like normal, no muting.
Pull no punches when fighting evil.
Very interesting. Thanks.
This is great. I always wondered what a Methodist was. Besides the guy in the rear.
It’s an interesting story with real value for today, I think.
Are we sure Peter’s last name wasn’t Griffin??
Well regardless I think the tale would make an outstanding Family Guy special.
Man. Drama.
You should read Hellfire Nation, by James A. Morone. And the works of Herbert Asbury. Many more stories like that. Americans are so exaggerated! A young people, on the wide horizons of a frontier. Finding themselves or losing themselves, as the case may be. Sometimes finding themselves again, sometimes not, sometimes dying trying. Freedom is heady. Opportunity is invigorating. Carpe Diem!
I might check that out.
And the circuit preachers have us the opening of Blood Meridian, for which we should be eternally grateful.
Their cultural influence is more profound than we realize.
As a former Methodist and now a Pentecostal, I delight in the fire and brimstone of Cartwright. I truly wish that all of us that pit on the armor of God each and every day, could band together and begin a new Crusade for Jesus, heavily armed with bibles and bullets. Wipe out the heresy of the “new” Methodists, Presbyterians and Lutherans, and crush the devils head in the form of Islam. I guess being rowdy is too much for the church these days. Great article, it got my blood up.
A rip roaring good read! They should make a movie about him!
There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit out there if you want to tell a period story about a tough white guy making the world a better place.
Agree. It would be much better than the shallow dumb shit The Daily Wire has produced/promoted/released.
Wow, what a fantastic story told with great humor yet matter of fact. One if the best pieces I've read on Substack.
Thank you very much. There’s a lot more out there like that for others, a great well to draw upon.
May I ask which denomination do you belong to, Calaeno? My spider-sense tingling you are Catholic...
Orthodox (catechumen)
So, a convert? Yes, it squares.
Contend for the faith. Great article. Inspiring.
Thank you very much.
It would be well such a race should rise again. A wonderful look back at the roots of our late national conscience.