Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-12-24

ehaAi Ia
be suspended from the ministry, and a k
private member would be ]reproyed by the /
pastor. v
For an offense in which there was no @
element of an immoral character, q simple t
imprudence, on the part of the preacher
he would be reproved. '
Now from the beginning l have never
denied that | did commit such an mpru- |
dence, an imprudence for which a private !
member would have been reproved;
spoken to perhaps by the pastor, and for {
which Il minister would have been re-
proved by his officers, and for which there
is no trial in our church, either on the
part of preacher of private member. But
that character of imprudence, an act OF
foolishness, l have always confessed.
When this matter first arose before,
was in Texas. 1t was known and settled
before | left there. And upon that settle
ment Bishop Parker, to whom the facts
were known and stated, gave his APPROX
al, which l have in my possession in his
hand writing.
utt NJtLiCiiiSII vi tiiC h"N
| settlement was afterwards broken. Not
by any of the parties concerned, but to
establishment and ignorance of all the
parties, an exaggerated report of the mat
ter was carried to the North Texas Con
ference twelve months ago, and ON the
statement of a preacher who personally
knew nothing about the matter, and who
stated his WI version of 1t, and that L
had confessed that which was not true.
The matter was referred to a commit
tee, and charges brought against me. The
Bishop decided that as 1 was not present,
and had no knowledge of it, | could not
be tried in my absence. The matter was
referred to the Presiding Elder, and a
committee of five of the leading ministers
l of the North Texas Conference-every one
| except one, | believe, was an elder, men
of high standing in the country-was
called, and before that committee all the
parties appeared. The entire evidence
was taken down in writing, and after all
l the evidence had been presented in writ
D ing it was submitted to the committee,
e and in five minutes, or less time, after so
n submitted, they pronounced a universal
verdict of not guilty. l attended that
trial. As you remember | left here and
went to Texas in December last. / rep
t resented myself. l was my own advocate
e in the matter; employed no counsel.
The question then arose (the Presiding
Elder raised it, as to this matter of i'm
i, prudence; a matter that does not come
, to trial, but simply demands reproof
The committee said of course he has &C
: knowledged the imprudence. The Pre-
siding Elder said if there was any impru-
d dence, that the committee was bound tC
Y suspend me until the next annual confer
a ence. They brought in that verdict aftel
three or four or five hours of labor will
the Presiding Elder. Soon after, tn,
II verdict of the committee was read to me
Is | told them that decision could not stand
% [ did not intend to return to Missouri un
nj til the second finding of that committee
| wrote to be telegraphed the decision
:. They tel~egraphed "If there is no immor
~ ality there can be nc sentence of an
I'll kind" That set aside the decision of tn
At Presiding Elder, and l came on back an
le preached all last year, and preached un
al der just such circumstances as that.
!, few months after l came back l receive
: Il letter from one of the committee, VIII
" had sat on the case, stating that the mat
ter was being worked up to my prejudice
and so much so that he believed he him
As self would nave to leave the Texas Con
4 ference, because he pronounced me in
, nocent. Through the whole year thi
matter has gotten worse and worse an
IL. reached its elimination in the wors
II form it has ever appeared in in the INTEL,
op gencer of last Saturday evening.
OF 1t was known all ever North Texa:
and | expected it to come here. At til
time the annual conference met the mat
~ ter was worked up to my prejudice, an
he when it was submitted to the COMMITTEES
to they had prejudged the matter before tn
* evidence was submitted. l will stat
err that the committee that finally suspende
n me did so on the identical testimony Q
as which the former committee had mani
.rs mously cleared me. 1t was the sam
re- testimony. | do not wish to reflect @
it the conference, but cannot state the fac
~ without doing SO.
D" propose to read you a letter as
he sample of many 1 have received. TIL
lp- letter is from a gentleman, a ministt
.ar who stands high in the Methodist churcj
ls- | withhold has name because, being
member of the conference there, and
'es this statement should get into the papel
N but l hope it will not-and go bat
TO there, it would prejudice him in the col
-"s ference to which he belongs. / will res
III the letter:
A, "DEAR BROTHER:-Your case came u
Was tried, and in spite of proof, pleat
Gu ing, etc, you were convicted, and Il
/ Is sentence liked at six months suspensio
he 1t is fatal to be a Missourian in a Nor
mr. Texas Conference. Praying that you al
yours may be blessed of God, l al
q yours, etc"
l withhold the name because 1 do n
wish any statement of mine to go ba
IN there to the injury of any preachers
no that conference.
He Now as to my silence in the matte
When | first heard of this twelve mont
mr. ago at the close of the session of t
md North Texas Conference, 1 fully intend
his on the next Sabbath to come and sti
nly the facts in this pulpit, that such chare
had been presented against me, but
ter wife urged me not to do it until l shot
else see the Presiding Elder. When B
ge McMurray came 1 stated my whole C,
nor to him, and said l will do just what y
/ say. He said, say nothing about it, |
he go On with your work, and we will pl
hat over the matter, that you will have 81
1t cess during the year. So l did. l &C
him suited with Bro McMurray at the W
Inn first meeting l had with him after
wv close of the conference in Texas.
Ilco When first the report came, 1 imme
eiui ately called on two of the leading bro