The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-12-14
WHY REV. HOMER BUSH LEFT THE CHURCH
wELI-KNOWN MINISTER STATEMENT TELLING WHY HE
WITHDREW FROM CHURCH

} become dim to blinded eyes. Hence
we find the nominal church today
unappreciatiVe and uneXpeCtant with
reference to the great things which
both the signs of the times and the
word of the Lord proclaim close at
( hand No matter how the creeds
may read, reformation has been sub
/ stituted for regeneration in the real
working program of the modern
church. The unappreCiated and the
seemingly ineffective work of cher
/ ishing and sacrificing all for the es-
tablishment of ultimate and univer-
sal ideals has been supplanted by "a
vigorous policy Of expediency. The
world applauds and approves as it
sees its standards and methods de-
Tended and justified, and rewards
literally the interpreters of the
teachings of Jesus who skillfully ex-
tract from them approval for all this.
Strange it is, indeed, that these same
words of His once so plainly con-
demned these same things as to
make Him despised and rejected of
men
On the surface the nominal church
is meeting with considerable sue
cess, for it is on the surface of things
that her energies are being expend-
ed. Her membership is slowly in
creasing in numbers and rapidly
gaining in social standing and
wealth, and these are the assets in
which she measures her strength.
But the riches and the influence with
which she is invested are not the
rewards of fidelity to Him whose
name she bears, but rather as the
gifts of another; they are the en-
blems of her dislOyalty to her es-
pousal vows.
Two Pictures.
Two pictures of this church are
given US in the latter part of the .
thiru chapter of Revelations One |
shows her rich and proud and gor
geOus as she appears to herself; the
other shows her wretched and naked .
and poor and blind as she appears
to Christ. Whatever else she may
have it is plain that she is without
Him and the riches which are the
fruit of the spirit He promised His
own.
This applies to the church as
:
who compose it. Among these are
still found tEose who see things and
the seeking in some way to remedy
them and turn the heart Of the
church as a whole back to her Lord.
My heart goes out in sympathy to
all such as have this desire.
But for me there is nothing left
hut to protest against these condi-
ions, which l believe prevent even
the earnest ones from having any
cal success as the witnesses of
Christ in the ministry of testimony
to which the true church is appoint
ed. l will not attempt to Judge these
or any individual man. I must walk
in the light which is mine and be
faithful in my testimony as a CO.
witness with Christ
| am ready to fellowship with any
individual who claims with any ap-
parent evidences of sincerity to have
the mind and spirit of Christ, and
who desires to glO"ify Him whether
by life or by death.
To the true church of the wit
nesses of Jesus | would cling, desir- |
irg to have the privilege of her fell |
lOwship and the JOY of rendering |
some small service of encouragement
and edifcatiOn
From this church the world must |
learn yet what is the true bond of !
brotherhood, the true spirit of unity, |
and the only fellowship that is salts |
flying and full and free. This church |
must experience the luxury of lean
ing upon Jehovah's word. and must
prove His faithfulness to all them
that truly trust and obey.
l cannot add more to the length |
of this statement now, but hope to
issue soon, by the assistance and
grace of Him whose glory I seek, |