Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-12-22

otiler DOCK was not found until some
time after my exclusion from the
church.
Here is a verbatim copy of what l
have since learned was the notice to
me to appear, the only one l ever re-
ceived, written Or verbal, and on
which l am informed, that l was SUBJ
s%equently excluded from the ongre-
CATION:
NATIONAL FIRE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF HARTFORD.
MEXICO, Mo-, JUNE p.
Dear Sir & Bro at a meeting of
the Roardo Officers | was Requested
to Notify to meet Them at my Office
Thursday 30th at 4 p. NJ. They
want to have some understanding
about the payment of Dues. They
learn from The Treasure you have
not Responded for a Long Period
back and Want to Know why you
Refuse if The time mentioned does
not Suit you if you will Notify me
Will arrange a time that will.
Fraternally yours,
w IL. WOODWARD.
To this letter enclosed in an enyel-
ope and addressed to me at Mexico.
| paid little OF no attention, as | was
not a stock holder in the Fire Insur-
ance Company Of Hartford, and was
not a holder of any of their policies.
Having made no promise to the
church that | had not complied with,
and having usually thrown something
into the hat while at church, | felt,
in no sense, derelict in my duty, and
therefore paid no further attention to
the note. The dues here alluded to,
| have learned since, we're such as the
Deacons of the church had seen fit to
charge to my account, and this with
out my knowledge or consent. Now
in August 1877, Brother John A..
Brooks was called to this church, and
in order to carry out the plan and
have each member assessed by the
Dcacons, Ga thing | am now, have al
ways been, and still expect to be OPP
posed to) he, (Brooks) came to me
and made the following proposition
in writing, to-wlt:
| hereby agree with c. z. Wade,
that | will pay upon his assessment.
for church dues, for the year begin
ming August LIST, 1877. and ending
August LIST, 1873, all the balance that
shall remain after he (Wade) has
paid what he conscieutiously thinks
he ought to pay for the year, pro-
vided lie (Wade) shall say nothing
against the system of raising money,
known as the assessment system dur
ing this year.
JOHN A. BROOKS.
I This immunity WAS granted to me
as a sort of indulgence by Brother
Brooks, although he has on all occa
sions declalmed very loudly against
the Pope and all his cardinals for
similar acts During the time above
referred to | pad what l thought was
dae from me, and left Bro. Brooks
to settle the remainder, which he was
bound to do under his said agreement,
but | never knew what that balance
was, whether Brooks paid it or
not. Brooks was retained q second,
a third, and q fourth year, and as the
same reason still existed, why, |
would oppose the assessment plan,
| guess he must have tired of paying
my assessment, (and no wonder that
he should have become tired) and to
ease him Of this burthen n greater one
than he thought, his Dcacons and
Elders determined to cast me out,
right or wrong, and thus end the mat
ter, without a notice, without a
charge made to me, Il right always
accorded by the courts of the country
to the most common thief. | was, as
l stated, on a Wednesday night at a
prayer meeting, cast out by these
SAID church officials. This was the
act of discipline alluded to in the fol-
lowing letter granted to my wife and
two daughters, Sallie and Carrie.
The Church Of Christ, at Mesico, No.
To the Deciples of Christ, wherever
this may come greeting, that the
bearer, Sisters G. F., Sallie and Car
RE. Wade are members with us in
good standing, but being dissatisfied
with an act of discipline on the part
of the Mexico Church., desire to
change their membership to some
other congregation. We therefore,
in Difference to such desire consent to
this unusual procedure and do hereby
| dismiss SAID sisters from this congre-
CATION. Done by order of the church,
this 18th day of August, 1881.
j. ID. MORRIS, Clerk.
One lawless act always paves the
way for another. BY this last act,
three sisters are virtually excluded
from the Kingdom, and from all part
in its benefits because they could not
indorse the unwdrrunted exclusion of
Il husband and father from a church
to which he had devoted the energies
of q long life in building up. Not
withstanding these proceedings, we
have used all honorable means thrO'
friends to obtain a settlement of the
differences honorable, alike to us and
the church, but thus far have been
unsuccessful. We haYe no sympa-
thy with, nor do we envy the spirit
with which we have been treated. 1t
may have been done ignorantly, but
it looks to us very much like a COM
hinatiOn of IGNORANCE coWardice and