Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1884-02-29
NUMBER SO.
To Luna C.

Kiergan began preachlngs anctifica
ton, and claimed to have attained it
So soon as the Methodist church
heard Of it they arraigned him be-
fore the conference and proved i
on him, and turned him out. He
came out in pamphlet entitled
"Out, And How?" This pamphlei
remained unanswered till a few
months since, when the Rev. James
o. Swinney came out in reply tc
Kiergan in pamphlet entitled
"Sanctifcation as Taught in the Bi,
| ble.''
This pamphlet of Swinney's quotes
many resolves from the proceedings
of the conference to prove that this
doctrine of "entire sanctification'
was taught in the Bible, and believed
to be true by the same conference
that turned Kiergan out. Twill here
quote few of the resolutions adopt.
ed by this conference:
"Resolved, first, That the doc
trine of entire sanctification, as
taught in the Word of God, is no
new doctrine to us.
"Resolved, two, That as Metho-
dists we heartily embrace this doc
trine.
'Resolved, three, That it Is the
duty of all our ministers to carefully
study Gods Word, that they may
be able to clearly present this doc
trine to their congregations" &c.
So. you see, you have been fight
ing the Methodist church as well as
me in your warfare against sanctifi-
cation.
The preachers who composed this
conference, when they were ordain-
ed, swore on their bended knees
they were groaning after it (Sanetifi-
cation). So how could they, as you
have, deny it?
But resolutions four and five tell
how they get out, and you can get
out the same way if you are silly
enough to do so:
Resolved, four, That we are pain
ed to believe that this hallowed,
scripturaI and Methodist doctrine is
being brought into contempt by un-
authorized, irresponsible and fanati-
cal persons banding themselves to-
gether, and without the authority of
any church, holding public services,
making speciality of this precious
doctrine.
Resolved, FIVE, That we earn
estly exhort our preachers and peo-
pie to abstain from all alliance and
cooperation with services conducted
by irresponsible persons.
You surely are too sensible a wo-
man to oppose sanctification as
taught in the above resOlu-
tions. The principle objection
seems to be that they had
'banded themselves together" and
preached and practiced sanctifica-
tion outside the Methodist church.
They were obliged to do this out
side the Methodist church, if at all.
For if they did preach and profess
entire sanctifcation they would be
expelled, as was Kiergan.
This thing of banding themselves
together to preach and practice sane
tifcatlon is just what the Methodist
church did in John Wesley's day.
And it had to be done outside the
Episcopal church, for whenever
Wesley preached this doctrine in a
church he was informed he could
preach there no more. He was hum
dreds of times denied the use of the
church, as anyone can see who Will
read his journal. This originated
field preaching.
This is too free country for any
denomination TO get up corner on
religion. When any sect get num-
erous and rich and corrupt they get
intolerant. A thousand different
sects claim they are the church, and
are trying to make everybody walk
their log. But, thank God, every
man in this country paddles his own
canoe. No man or woman will suffer
any middle man between them and
their God. This doctrine of entire
sanctihcation is all right if put off
long enough, but when one processes
to have attained it now hell Is
aroused.
This fourth resolution above quot
ed comes with bad grace from Meth
odists, when we reflect that that
church originated just this way.
That it preached the same doctrines
and was composed of the same class
of people. They were composed Of
the "offscourings of all Gods crea-
tion."
The Jews seemed to have the best
claim on God for long time, and
seemed to be the only church; hut
God cast them off, and since then
the Catholics, Mohamedans, Bud
hists, Campbellites, Mormans anu
even the Baptists claim that all out
side of their fold are out IN the cold.
But 1 must confess that until L read
the above fourth resolution j never
knew that there were enough idiots
in the Methodist conference to get