Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-02-26
LIBERTY CENTER, Feb. II, 1855.

LIBERTY CENTER, Feb. IL. 1855.
Ed. NoRTHwEsT:-A communication in your last
weeks paper concerning the U. d. Church trosbes
at this place is such tissue OF fasehoods from be
ginning to end, such personal attack upon my in
tegrity preacher of the Gospel, calcuIsted to
iniure me where | am unknown, that deem 1t but
justice to myself and others correct OF tho
misstatements contained therein. The first false
hood that notice, is the assertion that ~. e. Graf
aco and wife, have been accepted embers of tho L.
b. Church for many years."
Something like twenty years ago they belonged to
the U. B. Church, but he was dismissed from the
church for vi iatng the discipline concerning secret
societies. Since that time himself and wife have
been vacillating between the NJ. and Christian
Union Churches, having been member of each,
stleast twice, until four five years ago. when
claiming that ho had renounced Masonry, sought
and obtained admission for himself and wife into
the L. B. Church again.
The next fa'sehood quote as follows: ''The
above named persons (J. G. Graffice, Susan Graf
ace Martin SNitzer, Hattie Switzer and John G er-
Hts) have had their names paraded In the public
prints, as though they were guilty of some grave
misdemeanor." Now, defy "Jus,ice,'' or any one
else, to produce single printed word, in which
their names have been used by any melsBer of, or
any sympathiser with the U B. Church There was
editorial notice of their dismissal in the Liberty
Press, followed the next week by two communicas
uons, one signed by j. &. Graffice, and the other
signed Spectator" in which their side of the ques
tion was aired doubt to their entire satisfaction.
But as all the circumstances connected with the
church trouble were we'll knownjin the community,
no reply was made to them, although j. I. drafice
did takespecia pains to parade me before the pub
lie as hog and dog, and claimed 1t would be Il
sin to pay anything for such preaching. Notwitfs
standing this however, he honors me with his pres
ence every time preach. Not probably 80 much to
obtain any benefit from the discourse, as for the
more high and holy purpose of criticsing all that is
said, and reporting 1t to his superiors ut Napo.
leon. u
The third falsehood is that prcmptorially for
bade them to testify to their holiness experience in
GLASS and other meetings, held in the church The
facts these: they were in The hab OF testifyipg
not only to their own experience but to the exper-
rience of Others, who had not attained to what they
call the blessing of entire sanctihcation in some
thing like the following: 1 am h1ly, aud pure, aud
free from inbred sin as Christ himself am
titled, have experienced the second death, the old
man is dead and oh it's glorious, but you if you
are not sanctifed you are carna full of inbred sin
and do not live in the light are not the children Of
light etc. Upon numerous occasions they called mt
and Others hypocrtes, and prayed for our removal.
OF course such testimony and praycrs as these could
not but stir up dissensions in the church. and conse-
qusptly became very annoying "a iac as pastor.
freasoned with them, begged of them ana as a last
resort commanded Of them to confne their testi-
mony to their own experience and to let others
a,opa which ,bor rsf,,sod q, d Tha, ol, ,a,,,s i
-'..-,,,..- - :. -
10 contribute anything toward the support OF the
pastor.
The iron bn finally came to a noit that tbreotonod
'' w 80 'N"' van '''e ''e'
W utteFlS uesroy INC chhrcn, therefore the follow
ing charges were preferred arainst ! G Grnfiice
Susan Graffice Martin sv,tyer u.,tio svi+ ,o o,,d
n"s"e ""-'He' anu
John derhtz: "A violation OF the discipline on
page IL, Sec $, III willfny refusing to pay to the
.nnnror+ of +ha ciro,it ,,ro,,toun n,o tau ,,.,
""pPo'' VI 'Ne rNI Pi."0"oa. ANe io'i'" ihs
charge against J, Il. Gratiice, Martin Swit2er and
John GerliZ: Doing violence to our confession of
ro;t, ;, s.. ,ooo 10 of di,,,,,o o,,.,, IT,, e,,,,
' ~ f"eO ' N 'Po e''en'h iine ~ o"i
the top OF the page, relating to the gifts, influence
and comfort of the Hoy Ghost and orr belief il A
r1o,, c,r;s.i., rburo, TIT s,;,, ,,na,,, ,,. .,a
H'S oHA 'a'AAA ~-"i'' AN"' '"iu Peisoh' "ie 'i"-
ducers and prosecutors of their brethren, in that
brother
- 1hu;ati,,, ovror,, 40 .
NAoS' Nhilst"n 'Np''ie' 20 "iAe's iroih 'HVif Own
Being careful whenever they pray or speak in church.
20 make uuirendly filings aud personal thrusts y +
-, ID ~. ,,no,,i,,l. ,,l,,,
o'hers' anu never praying as hoiy men ought TO
pray for themselves aud Others, but 10 ves
and at others and their pravers and exbo,t,tio bs
.aoa...,,,,,,.., ..:.,, -,
ing Always accoihp"hiea WIN phafisaical Doastlns,
openly declaring everywhere that they are more holy
tina, their h retbren. Thus nv tbeir urgod,y b,.st-
,-,s -.-,',,.,..,...,
ing ana sen rsh'ouShess tney nave rendered then.
selves repu sive and disgusting in the estimation of
the meek and lowly followers of Christ, wherefore
longer forbearancc on the part of the church cease to
be vi,tue."
To the first of these charges, all of the accused
plead guilty. The second was proven by numerous
responsible witnesses, they refused to make ac
acknowledgements, to cease such Objectionable con.
duct, they were expelled from the church.
The fourth falsenood Ii that the Presiding Elder
succeeded in working away the charges that mad been
brought against the pastor for alleged inprudent
conduct. These charges were trumped MP merely as
an offset to the charges against them. THE Elder
appointed committee to look into the saiH charges;
this committee returned that "no cause Of action s
found" and of necessity the charges were dropped
Falsehood number five is as follows. "Then by a
committee Of their own choosing expelled the above
named parties from the U. B. Church, The facts
are, that the accuse chose one of the committee