The Democratic advocate., 1909-10-08
ELDER DANIEL P. SAYLER.
An Able Minister of the Brethren
Church Before the War.

Church Before the War.
j. L. Switzer, of Carterville, Mo,
writing to the Gospel Messenger, in
dulges in some "reminiscences of
his early life in Maryland, and has
this to say of Elder Daniel P. Sayler,
who was a prominent minister of the
Brethren Church before the war and
was well known in this county:
MY father was a Maryland miller.
My uncle, Ephraim B. Repp, late of
CentervieW, Mo-, also a Maryland
miller, learned the trade with Ed. D.
P. Sayler, Maryland miller, who
owned and operated a mill on Pipe
Creek Frederick county. I was born
and reared to manhood in my fathers
mill, situated within two miles of the
Beaverdam church, near where Bro.
D. P. Sayler was received into the
church, elected to the first and sec
ond degree of the ministry, and or
dained as elder Here he did, after
ward, a great deal Of effective preach
ing.
The last sermon, it was my privi-
lege to hear him preach, was in this
church, in 1860. His text was Isa.
1856. His sermon was indeed feast
to my soul. Two brothers, in going
home from the church, were COM
menting upon the merits of the dis
course. One of them said, How did
you like it," 'It was a feast of fat
things" said the other. "Yes, it was
wine and milk and honey, and the
very marrow of fatness. 1t was meat
and drink"
Solomon says: "The wicked are
afraid when no man pursueth, but the
righteous are bold as a lion" Bro.
Sayler was Of that well-rounded, full,
firm and unf1inching nature that, on
all occasions, betokened a perfect and
whoIe-hearted conviction and conf
dence in the doctrine and practice
of the Church of the Brethren. He
was firm as a rock, and bold as lion.
He had no fear Of man, and was equ-
ally fearless in defending the Truth.
His preaching was in demonstra-
ton Of the Spirit, and with power,
which, like the preaching of Paul, Of
ten aroused the ire of those who op-
posed him, but who flocked to hear
him, nevertheless, and were drawn
by the clear, whole-hearted manner
of his discourse. His voice, when most
animated assumed higher pitch than
normal, but in the flights of his ora
tory there was always the back
ground of convincing reason, accom-
panied by a very ready flow OF lang
uage and very little redundancy.
With Bro. Saylor every word count
ed. Every sentence was full of meat
and marrow His voice, though ami
mated and strong, was not unpleasant.
His reasoning was clear, plain, fair
and truthful. 1t might be character
lied as along the line of plain, com
mon se-interspersed always with
the most fair and legitimate use of
gospel quotations to back up his
theme.
Bro. Saylor would not shine-nev-
er did shine-as an evangelist. Some
times he seemed a little envious OF
those who were drawing multitudes
into the church, but when it came
to solid gospel work, in defending
the faith, or denouncing departures
from the faith once delivered to the
saints" Bro Saylor had, in his day
and in hisfWay, almost no peer.
He seemed never to fear man or
devil. He was at one time drawn be-
fore the County court as a witness
usual, the lawyers we're trying to con-
fuse the witness with cross-questions
to establish their respective cases.
Bro. Sayler did not escape. He
was one of the principal witnesses.
His testimony did not suit the oppo-
sition at all. 1t was too straight
forward, positive and unf1inching. He
was piled with a number of impatient
oss-questions, the answers to which
did not please the attorney, who be-
came irritated to some extent, and
finally limited something about the
hypocrites in the Bible.
Bro. Sayler eyed him sharply Tor
a moment and then said: "Woe unto
you lawyers, for ye load men with
burdens grievous to be borne, and ye
yourselves touch not the burdens
with one of your fingers
The Judge smiled and the lawyer
made no further reference to the
Scriptures"