Further Explanation.
The
statements contained in circulars sent out through the church have done much to mislead
the ministers and members in regard to the real condition of the case. It may not have
occurred to everybody that none of the members of the Board went into an examination of
the books and accounts of the ex-Agent for the very good reason that none of us, not even
the senior bishop, is qualified to do so. We therefore employed an expert to do the work.
The expert we employed, Bishop Wright chose, and declared to be the equal of any that
could be had.
After
this expert work was done and presented to us by the said expert with all the explanations
that he had a mind to give, we took that as the basis of settlement, and no member
of the Board at that time proposed that Keiter should be required to do anything further
than to answer to the allegations of shortage set up in report of said expert regarding
the quadrennium closing in 1901. Nothing previous to that time was placed in our hands and
no other matter, only the books and accounts of the ex-Agent during the four years just
past, and we know that every item contained in the circulars sent out that was taken from
the books of the house was in the hands of the expert, G. D. Crane, and included in his
report, and that every item of shortage or error charged in said Crane's report was
examined and explained by Mr. Keiter, and no member of the board at that time complained
of any unfairness or incompleteness in Mr. Keiter's explanations, and not until the
resolution of exoneration was presented, and then nothing only a general objection to its
adoption. No member of the Board was in any way allowed to do or say anything that was not
granted to all, and no one was prevented from asking any question they wished concerning
any of the books or accounts of Mr. Keiter, and no one did at that time ask for any
further explanation on any matter contained in the allegation of shortage in Crane's
report or in the books of the house. However, Bishop Wright did undertake repeatedly to
ask questions on the Mary Bond bequest note which had been surrendered to her nearly three
months before on Bishop Wright's motion and was no part of the Crane report, and he was
ruled out of order, and also about another note, as to what kind of a note it was, and
this was ruled to be irrelevant. These questions, as was shown soon after, were to get
something out of Keiter to use in court against him in the forgery case that he (Wright)
was secretly planning. As to the complaint that expert Crane was not present, we would say
Mr. Crane  |
had been employed by the Board for $10 per day and expenses, and had completed
his work and submitted it to the Board. The majority of the Board thought there was no
need for further expense at that time, but they stated that Mr. Crane was not so far away
but that, if needed, he could be called on short notice. Also, Mr. Crane was notified by
the chairman of the committee of the time of Keiter's reply, and could have been there had
he so desired.
It will be
seen by the above, that the Publishing Board in every particular, carried out the
instruction of the General Conference, and settled with Mr. Keiter, and surrendered his
bond, thus relieving him from further responsibility. Therefore, the Board has no
authority to reopen the case.
H.
T. Barnaby,
Halleck
Floyd.
R.
G. Montgomery.
Isaac
M. Tharp.
Observations of a
Winter's Campaign.
REV.
H. J. BECKER, D. D.
The writer
spent the past four months in evangelistic work. His observations may not come amiss to
those who have had like experiences in revival services. Our labors were conducted in the
cities of Portland, Mich., Chambersburg, Pa., Warren, Ind., and in the town of Arlington,
Iowa. We also held forth a few nights near Oldwine. At each of these places we had to
encounter the ravages of a severe winter. Besides there was much sickness which prevented
many of our people from attendance.
It is a
delicate matter to tell any one that he is backslidden, and were it not that it can be
impersonally reported to the paper one would hesitate to speak of it at all. Not less than
one hundred were reclaimed and many of them, indeed, nearly all of them, members of some
Christian church. Many also were converted. How many, no one could with certainty tell. A
number joined the church. The candidates were all substantial people. Some one has truly
said, "If you save an aged person, you save a unite, but if you save a child, you
save a whole multiplication table." Many children were saved in these meetings. But
we began writing more especially to make known certain observations which we record as
either a help or a hinderance to effectual soul saving work.
Our
church has many excellent people who are full of spiritual life and are desirous of seeing
the work of the Lord advanced. How sad that there should be a larger number who are not so
inclined. Then we have to contend with certain formalities which greatly hinder the work.
Unless the evangelist does as these sticklers for ceremonies did when they were converted,
or saw others converted, he is thought not to be or- |
thodox. With some it is thought that there is no sign of a revival unless there
is noise enough to be heard above every dignified voice of appeal in prayer or testimony
in class meeting.
But the most
difficult thing to handle is the insistent demand that feeling must ever be associated
with faith in securing the desired blessing. It is true that there will be feeling
wherever there is true faith, but that feeling should be insisted upon as a test of faith
and become its evidence, is so contrary to the word of God, that to advocate it, makes its
votary guilty of perverting the Word and doing despite to the Holy Spirit who teaches that
"faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things, not seen (Heb. 11:
1). How much better it would be if in our testimonies we would not tell how we received
the blessing of pardon and peace, but simply the fact. The writer, (beg pardon), was
converted while alone on a bridge, but does not insist that no one can be converted
without getting on a bridge. Paul was smitten on horseback, but now-a-days people may
become convicted who have not learned to ride on a horse. Dr. Torrey uses largely a
four-paged card in his revival work, and those who desire to be saved may sign them. He
is
among the most successful soul-winners in the field. But, alas! there are those who
think his methods are "paper preachers," and condemn them. Moody held that
regeneration was not the removal of the old nature, but the implanting of the new nature
along side of it; both natures existing simultaneously; "The Spirit lusting against
the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit;" that before regeneration we have but one
nature, the carnal, and after regeneration, two natures, the carnal and the spiritual. The
spiritual was to mortify the carnal and not allow it to rule. "To be carnally minded
is death, but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace." But, alas! these teachers
have gone beyond the great and most gifted evangelists, and teach the very opposite.
Secrecy also
hindered us somewhat, but God opened the eyes of a number and they left the lodges and
will ever be living witnesses against them. We regret that some professing sanctification
withstood us, and, although we had not uttered a word either for or against their form of
doctrine, they did much to hinder the work by casting reflections upon some of our best
people—people whose lives are above reproach. Some have gone lame on the "coming
of the Lord," some on second probation, some on soul-sleeping heresies, and some on
sinless perfection. If their lives, who teach the latter, were more consistent, it would
be a much stronger argument in its favor than their logic.
Besides a
deeper spitituality, more  |
