Birth of a Reformation; Or, The Life and Labors of Daniel S. WarnerByers, A. L. (Andrew L.)
Religion
Birth of a Reformation; Or, The Life and Labors of Daniel S. Warner
Byers, A. L. (Andrew L.)
Church of God (Anderson, Ind.) -- History; Warner, D. S. (Daniel Sidney), 1842-1895
An event that had to occur sooner or later was Brother Warner's
separation from the Northern Indiana Eldership. At the Eldership
meeting which convened at Beaver Dam, Kosciusko County, Ind., in
October, 1881, he proposed some measures by which that body might
be made to conform more perfectly to the Bible standard with
reference to government. In this he would not be heard, and on
their rejection of his reform measures he realized, probably for the
first time, that the new Eldership, bent on continuing their human
organization, was a sect with which he must sever his connection,
and he then and there did so. This event does not properly mark his
coming out of spiritual Babylon, as some have supposed. In heart
he had already been out, and had preached against sects. But he
ignorantly supposed that the Northern Indiana Eldership of the Church
of God was not a sect and therefore that he was keeping clear of
sects. Thus his act at Beaver Dam was a _keeping_ out of Babylon as
much as a coming out. It was the latter only in the outward sense,
but of course it emphasized and gave more definite character to the
anti-sectarian stand he had previously taken.
There were others in attendance at the Eldership meeting who had
heard his preaching against spiritual Babylon and who also took the
same step with him. They were David Leininger, William Ballenger and
wife, and F. Krause and wife. We give their names and also their
pictures as being of those originals who declared themselves free
from all outward forms of Babylon.
A similar thing occurred in Michigan. About the same time the
Northern Indiana Eldership was formed, there originated near Pompeii,
Gratiot County, Mich., the Northern Michigan Eldership of the
Church of God. This body was formed because its members had been
isolated from and generally dissatisfied with the old Eldership,
which sanctioned secrecy and was steeped in tobacco. About the fall
of 1878 there joined this new Eldership J. C. Fisher and his wife,
Allie R. They had never heard of Brother Warner at that time. In
the spring of 1880, J. C. Fisher had occasion to visit Indiana on
business, and it happened that while there he heard Brother Warner
preach, and he accepted the doctrine of holiness and received the
experience. The following autumn the Fishers sent for Brother Warner
to come up to that part of Michigan and preach holiness. It was then
that Allie R. consecrated for and also received the experience of
sanctification.[13]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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