The Arizona sentinel., 1898-10-22
AN EXPLANATION.
Brother Scott Thinks He Has Been
 Abused.

Abused.
 EDITOR ARIZONA SENrIyEI
 here give my reasons why
 objected to the Rev. J. A. Crouch
 being returned another year as
 pastor of Yuma ME church, also my
 reasons for withdrawing from the
 church at the present. I am full.
 hedged Methodist yet. When Rev
 Crouch came here3 we treated him
 as one brother in Christ should treat / another. ee near as we knew how
 At all events, we done by him as
 no one else done, as it ia well-kn0wn.
 In short time after he came here. one night when he was preaching, 1 saw he was somewhat troubled
 about making his points clear,
 thought 10 ask him to let me have 1 the subject a few minutes after he
 was through, but decided not to do 1 it. But afterwards told him what
 thought of doing, he gave me a sharp look and turned away. From
 that time on he commenced slight ing me. He would not call on me to pray, or take any part in the
 meetings. As a church member I continued to do my duty as op- portunity afforded me. When I would pray he never would say amen, but was loud with amens for others. My wife saw it and it affected her very badly. She said to me Are you not going to defend yourself?" said, Not now. When It ripens I will defend myself" Such course as that ripena. He swayed others as l knew he would; as it is
 very natural he would, and made it very embarrassing for me and my
 wife, and ruined my influence for good. This coptinued for months. When this thing got noised around I learned that he said the reason why he treated me so was because my r. ayers were too long. When tn Superintendent $. \. Thompson cdme l brought my case before him in the presence of Crouch. sup pose he would reprore him for the course he had taken with me. and teii nim il 1 had done wrong or was doing wrong, and ask me to make my prayers shor CT, and s1 ''You have committed a great sin in the course you have pursued with Scott. Now it is your duty to ask his pardon, and confess also to the church what you have done and pray God until your sins are fore given. You cannot preach the gospel until your heart is right" But none of that. He reproved me sharply for my long prayers. He said prayer from a half minute to a minute was long enough. suppose he thought as I was a sheep and he was shepherd that my bleating ought to be very short, that ought to put up with what he gives. What he gives is on the outside. What I wanted is on the inside. What Christ gives to them that dilligent- ly seek it. Food On the outside satisfies no one. prayed in the church when the superintendent was present once, he said I prayed about five minutes, Crouch said I prayed six. It came very near rupturing his patience. He said he prayed to God: 70 give me patience" Now reader imagine what my feel ings must have been under these circumstances? What Is in the heart of man will out. Tn Crouch's last sermon. JrIv r, in his cuiogy in hls closing remarks he stated he used Co cry, and pray, to God to give him converts. out God did not answer his prayers. He said if l could not convert anyone was not willing anyone else should convert them Now I am willing if I cannot convert them anyone else may con- vert them, He said he did not pray anymore to get converts. He left that with tEe Lord. I thought he was wise in that. If he had ceased to pray for anything except clean heart, and 8 right spirit, toward God and man, until he obtained it, he would have manifested great wisdom, I do not wonder at his looking up to the calling and CO., ners of the house when he IS preach