Navigation
Book Two - Pages 141-150
[[140/141]] in seasons of such great excitement, some join in whose hearts the work is not sufficiently deep, who resemble the stony ground hearers, yet as we cannot discriminate, it is just & proper to give them a fair trial, and such is the wise economy of our church, keeping all on probation for six months, before they are admitted to membership, in the mean time carefully teaching and instructing them in the doctrines and requirements of the gospel, that few are finally admitted to membership who are not worthy. And although some who joined on probation at this meeting turned back to folly, yet others became faithful Christians, and consistent members of the Church.
At the time of this revival there was residing in Vevay, & near the Church, an attorney at law, of considerable eminence, who had represented the County sometime in the State [Legislature del]<Senate>, a man of more than ordinary mind & of much reading, who was a s[c alt to]keptic with regard to the Bible and religion, [[141/142]] At the time of this meeting he was absent and did not return till near its close. His lady attended the meetings and became seriously impressed, but thought it prudent to wait his return before she should join the church, shortly after his return, she joined with his consent, and became a permanent member of the church. The Lawyer, Mr. E___, came to church once or twice before the meeting closed, and looked on with enquiring wonder. On the last day of the meeting he was there, and while they were holding prayer meeting, and singing and rejoicing in, and around the altar, the P. E. seeing Mr E__. sitting towards the rear of the assembly, and having before met with him and formed a slight acquaintance, he walked down the aisle, and taking him by the hand said, “Mr E__. I am glad to meet you here, I learn that you have been absent from town during the most of the time of this meeting, and I presume you witness, with some surprise, the change [[142/143]] which has taken place in this community.
Said the Lawyer, “I do, and I scarcely know what to think of these things, I have no objections to you recieving + my wife into your church, but I don’t think it would do for me to join.
O no, said the Preacher, I would not wish you to join the Church at all Sir unless you are satisfied of the truth & importance of these things, & intend to be a Christian
Well Sir, said Mr.__ “I suppose you are aware that, perhaps unfortunately for me, I have ever been s[c alt to]keptical on the subject of religion & even with regard to the truth of the Bible, I cannot say that these things are not true, for I will admit to you, Sir, that I have never fully examined the subject.”
Said the Preacher, “a very candid admission, and permit me to add that, if the Bible & its religion be true, if it be worth anything [to us del] it is worth everything to us, and is not a subject presenting such high claims worthy our attention, at least does it not demand a careful investigation?
Said Mr E.__ [[143/144]] “It does Sir, and I will examine it carefully,”
Being much pleased to hear this candid admission and firm resolve. The P. E. replied ‘This is all I could ask Sir, take the Bible, read it carefully, you may obtain some aid, perhaps from the writings of the learned & good, who have written on the subject, but permit me to advise, that you first attentively peruse the Bible, do this Sir, and pray for divine direction & I have no fears for the result.
The Lawyer responded “I will do it Sir.”
They parted, and the meeting closed. Soon after, the P. E., at the earnest solicitation of the friends, in Vevay, removed his family to that town. But being much from home as the Dist + was large, and as Mr E__., soon after, removed his family to a farm on the River Bank a few miles below the town, he seldom saw him, tho, he still kept his office there. He felt much interest in behalf of this attorney, knowing him to be a man possessing strong intellec[[144/145]]ual Powers, of high standing, and much influence in the community, he knew that his course either for, or against the church, would have considerable effect upon some of the Citizens, But he thought it best to let the Lawyer pursue the promised investigation, in his own time and manner, about one year after he had commenced the study of the Scriptures, the circuit court being in Session in Vevay, Mr E. was very busy in the court room, or in his office, <he being the principal attorney in the County,> on one occasion when writing in his office a number of Gentlemen sitting and standing by, the conversation turned on the change which had taken place among the Citizens, and one observed, that he thought it a great blessing and hoped it might be permanent &c. A Gentleman being present from a distant, or rather adjoining County, an avowed Universalian, and who was proud of his opinions, and fond of expressing them, remarked that, it was all well enough, but he had no opinion of this [[145/146]] hellfire religion, That men were punished sufficiently for their bad deeds in this world & and all would be right with them in the next &c., Mr E__ raised his pen, and looked up at the speaker, and calling him by name said “Mr S-- that wont + do.”
What wont + do? Responded Mr S—
“Why your doctrine wont + do. Replied Mr E__.
“And what do you know about it,” said Mr S_..
The attorney replied seriously, “Well I do not know much about <it> that’s a fact, As you all know, I have been [an] infidel with regard to these matters, but I have <been> studying the subject more closely of late, and I am now pretty well satisfied of the truth of the scriptures, I am not yet through with my investigations, and am not fully satisfied, but one thing I know most certainly.”
“Well what is that,”? said Mr S__.
“Why” said Mr E.__. “That whether the Bible be true or false, It does not teach your doctrine, no Sir, that Book does not teach the doctrine of Universal Salvation.
At this rebuke from such an unexpected [[146/147]] quarter, the Universalian stood dumbfounded, the Lawyer resumed his pen, and thus ended the conversation. This little incident is related, (just as it was that day reported to the P. E. by a gentleman who was present,) to show with what carefulness he was reading the scriptures, the correctness of <his> opinions formed and the candour with which he expressed them, All of which was characteristic of this man. [A del] Some time after this at a quarterly meeting in Vevay, which he attended, at the close of an interesting sacramental occasion, in the afternoon of Sabbath, Bro- Ruter at the request of the Preachers of the Circuit, (Brothers Jas.. Crawford & H. J. Durbin) invited any to come forward who might wish to join the church. Mr E__. arose, deliberately walked up to the altar and extended his hand.
Said Bro R. as he grasped the hand, Mr E__. I trust that you are now satisfied of the <truth &> reality of these things.’
He replied with emotion, “Yes Sir. I am fully satisfied.”
His joining [[147/148]] at that time, greatly surprised the whole assembly, and caused much joy in the church. From this time he became a consistent practical Christian, & a faithful member of the church, every known duty was properly promptly performed, and he appeared anxious to do all in his power to make amends for past neglect of religious duty, and to counteract what ever + [ever del] evil might have been produced, by his past example of unbelief, Hence by the advice of some of his friends in [the ?] ministry, he commenced preparing, and delivering a course of lectures on the truth and divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and evidences generally of our holy religion. For this work he was eminently qualified, and the church looked forward with pleasing hope to a life of promised usefulness,
But God seeth not as man seeth, For after a short period of usefulness & Christian enjoyment, <it became evident that> a fatal disease had fastened upon his vitals, at this he was not alarmed, but <with> the calmness of a Christian Philosopher, he made every needful arrangement, and cheerfully yielded his spirit up to <God> with the firm hope of a blessed future. [[148/149]]
October 6 th 1841 Conference met in Terre Haute Bishop Roberts Presiding. Bro— Ruter was returned to the Madison District. At this Conference Rev. A. Wiley, (who had been the last year on the Greencastle District,) One of the oldest and ablest Preachers in the Conference, desired to be appointed, to the Madison Station. This placed Bro— Ruter in an unpleasant situation, He had ever loved Bro. Wiley exceedingly, They had joined the Ohio Conference at the same time, were examined & admitted in the same class, They had been much together in Indiana, after Bro. Wiley came to this Conference. [I alt.] He considered <him> as a sound & well informed divine, and ever looked up to him, as, in some respects, greatly [as smudged, possibly del] his superior, Yet he ever considered that Bro— Wiley was much better suited to a District than to a Station . Indeed to the embarrassment of Bro— Ruter, several of the official Members in Madison had told him, before he started to Conference, [[149-150]] that Bro. Wiley would not be acceptable, (for they had by some means learned that he would probably desire it, and hence they stated their objections to their P. E.)
Allen Wiley
They said they loved him as a man, as a Christian & as a minister, Yet he had laboured so much there, on the Circuit & then on the District, that he was worn out in that City, and then, though his Sermons were highly instructive, yet owing to his unpleasant manner of delivery, many would not attend his ministry. When Bro, Wiley had expressed his desire, and then retired that the council might consider his case, Bro-- R. with tenderness, reluctantly stated, these facts and told them that, objections existed; and that he felt himself in a very delicate situation, that he could not ask for Bro. Wiley to be appointed to Madison, yet he felt reluctant to oppose it, and the Bishop and counsel + must decide, It was soon decided that he had better [[150/151]]