Evening journal., 1909-04-27
HUKILL DEFENDS
DIR. LIGhTBOURNE
Methodist Layman Writes
Concerning the Dover
Church Matter
EdItor rHE EvENING JouRNAL.

have studiously avoided all such. with
one exception, when / concluded that
/ II II had to be and certain things
come to pass as threatened l would be
found among the fighters.
There was little village blacksmith
at Duck Creek. (Kont county, Del) who
had a license 20 preach and was used
by the elder to MI vacancies. In the
summer Of 1864 he was appointed to
a vdcancy on Smyrna Circuit. The
said local preacher was posscssed Of
some gift Of CAB and being of Scot
tish birth did not suffer FROM lack
Of confidence in himself lie could
preach fairly well, and il being when
the late war was at its worst and the
country was still in peril. he would pray
for the government and for the sue
cess of the Union Army which was
very distasteful to a majority OF his
hearers and they notified him at the
close Of his sermon that he need not
come back on his next round on the
circuit. four weeks hence This was
a great surprise as well as a shock TO
the little preacher and when h. had
regainod his composure, he replied, Il
think this is very unkind. however, I
will report to the elder and if he says
not TO come l win not be here. but mark
you, If he says come. / will be here
and they let IL go ct that So when
they found they were mistaken in their
man they gave it out that tho would
carry him out If he came back 10 old
Union on the next appointment. ] was.
satisfied that he would he there, I went
there that morning (for IL was my
place of worship) with the fun inten-
tion, that If there was any attempt at
carrying him out there would be one
to have a hand in 1t that would not be
helping TO get him out, even il / was
in the minority and got my Sunday
clothes torn as consequence. lie
came and preached on the outside ac-
cording to the elders order They re-
considered their threat TO carry him
out and decided on the plan 10 run a
prayer meeting in such a manner as 70
deter him from preaching. which caus-
ed him to withdraw TO the yard The
prayers were long and loud. and
thought it was the most sacriligeous
thing l ever behcld. I think Il was
perpetrated under a very similar spirit
as the spirit beneath and back Of the
Lightbourne persecution and / think
had been a delegate. or in any way
qualified to take part in the proceed
ings Of the last session Of the Will
mington Conference l would have taken
a hand in that wrangle.
I don't know that / ever knew a case
where I was not necessarily or directly
interested that / felt so indignant and
wanted to get at a set OF people like
l did that Wilmington Conference.
chaffed and gGlded and brooded over Il
up to two weeks ago. till I concluded
u TO express myself on the subject any
= how. and showed my article othe editor
when he said to me 1 will publish t.
Il but you better put your proper name
TO it as the rest have all done. but
. think you better take il homeNand reaC
= Il over and tone Il down a little. fol
think you are a little too severe.
I took his advise by reading IT ovei
L but ! did not tone it down much, and
since the i1test developments have con-
cluded to give utterance on the subject
l wonder TO myself IL the members oi
that conference, particularly those few
who so persistently pushed the prose
. cution if they could hear the great
- numbep Of people expressing themselve:
would they feel ashamed, and if not
goodness. save us from becoming sub.
ject to the Wilmington Conference
There are times when old adage ant
proverb, together with passages OF
Scripture may be practically used t
demonstrate common occurrence in thi.
life. So now let adage be heard. Con.
F, sistency thou are a jewel" Can any
one see any consistency I'm swallowing
camel and then gagging and straininl
at a gnat for a throat that could gull
down a~camel with apparent ease ough
to be an easy channel for a gnat with
out making a wry face. Now let mn
aglr
ton Conference did not play the came
swallowing act only few years ago
when two members of that conference
transgressed and were arraigned. con
demned and suspended from preach
ing for the offense was a grave one
Now I will not contend that a maj
who goes astray shall not return TO tn
fold again, but the true way is opei
confession, sorrow for his sin and con
trite repentance and a promise 10 d.
so no more
II that was required of them an,
the conditions compiled with. in m.
judgment they would be eligible 4
reinstatement. Preparatory TO swal
lowing the aforesaid camel and re
ceiving them again into the white-ti
brigade, they made a heavy application
Of white wash.
Now we are overwhelmed will
amazement and astonishment at see
ing this same conference gagging an,
straining at this Lightbourne gnat
How could the same throat become 81
congested or the same stomach so sicl;
so soon. We can only see one chan
mel for excuse, and that is. that thi
monster died, and DR.. Watt propose,
burying the carcass, and it was gen
orally supposed that it was buried
Now 1 hear Mr.. Pathfinder saying
How erratic; how unreasonable. Yol
must recollect this was a united con
ference; a unanimous action on tn
part of that body. oh yes, brother
and Christ had many acchsers. ant
the multitude cried out against Him
and the governor said. "Why wha
evil hath He done?" But they criei
out the more. Then the governor tool
water and washed his hands befor
the multitude. saying, II am innocen
Of the blood OF this just man." HOY
httingly the bishop might have imi
tated that example. But notwith
standing the multitude was agains
the Saviour. when the soldiers becam
too aggressive one Of the deciple
drew his sword and smote off the ca
Of one of them (Matthew 26th chapte
and 51st verse;. Now among all tina
aggregation of preachers there wa
N...N e. u H..F..