We know of two or three wandering pilgrims that are now old men, of
good enough talent to have made a permanent record long ago, and yet
received in doubt wherever they go, held in distrust, and, to say the
least, they have nothing that could be called a standing. To be safe,
all the overseers in the church need do is simply to receive no man
till he produces clear evidence of good standing. Look back over the
record and see where the men have gone to who have tried the _gospel
of soul sleeping_. Where are Elias Shortridge, Wm. P. Shockey, Wm.
S. Speer, J. K. Speer, Snooks, and others of the same ilk? and where
are their works? A streak of desolation has followed in their train
all the way. They have divided churches, set the people of God at
variance, and sown the seeds of discord. This is the kind of fruit that
has been gathered from their work. Look back over the ground and see
what has followed every man that has stranded among us. Nothing but
ruin has followed. Men that stood fair, had line talent and valuable
attainments, by some kind of departure or other, have gone, little by
little, blaming those that loved them, and would, had it been in their
power, have done anything to make them happy, till all is lost and
they feel averse to almost everything. This is what it brings to get
restless and dissatisfied with the plain truth of the Scriptures.
The race of some men is short, and the mischief they do is certain.
The ruin they bring to the churches is inevitable. Nothing is more
important than that the churches should guard against false teachers.
In the place of being flattered that all is well, and that they mean
all right, we should be on the lookout; watch all unscriptural words
and phrases; every false move and pretence; every doubtful man and
measure, and encourage that which is safe, sound and good. Make every
public man sensible that it is of importance to him, and to the cause,
to be known to be sound in teaching; to hold fast the form of sound
speech that can not be condemned; to be entirely safe and reliable;
to have a good record during his past history as a preacher. Make all
our young men specially sensible of the importance to them to become
permanent men, firm, decided and determined in their course. We want
no milk-and-water men, a little this way and a little that, but men of
settled principles, religious convictions and reliable purposes. Be
careful who you “indorse” as preachers of the gospel. Men who want good
indorsers should be good men.