For the information of the young especially, many of whom it is hoped
will read this book, I will give a brief description of the state of
the country through which our beloved brother expected to travel,
partly alone and on horseback. No doubt you have read the story of
George Washington, not quite twenty-one years of age, starting on
horseback with only a single companion, to carry a letter from
Dinwiddie, Governor of Virginia, to the commander of the French
military forces at Venango, in the extreme northwestern part of
Pennsylvania. Washington delivered the letter and returned the answer.
Many books of American history give an account of this wonderful
achievement, and praise the man who performed it.
Brother Kline, in part, passed over very nearly the same ground on
this journey that Washington had passed over on his. Washington went
with a motive altogether worldly. He was complying with the wish of
the governor of his State. Brother Kline went with a motive as far
transcending in sublimity and importance anything appearing in that of
Washington as heaven is high above the earth, and the thoughts and
ways of God are above those of men. He went to raise men from the
depths of sin into which they had so deeply fallen, and exalt them to
companionship with angels in the skies. His mission was to turn men
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. He laid no
claim to any power within himself to do this; but he went in the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and in the power of him who is able and
mighty to save.
We must bear in mind, too, that this journey was undertaken more than
fifty-eight years ago. A very large part of the country through which
he had to pass was yet in a state of virgin forest. No railroads bore
the lightning trains on their bosoms. Very few houses in much of the
country were to be seen; and many of these offered little besides
shelter, and some barely that. There were hardly any bridges. Broad
and deep rivers had to be forded on horseback, or crossed in what the
Indians called a CANOE. This is a kind of long boat made from the body
of a single tree, by cutting or burning out the inside, and leaving
the bottom, ends and sides like a trough. He reports having crossed
some streams in this kind of a boat. His life was several times
endangered by crossing deep waters.
SATURDAY, September 12, he arrived at Abbey Arnold's, in Hampshire
County, West Virginia. On the thirteenth he attended a love feast at
Daniel Arnold's nearby, and reports a very joyful meeting with the
Brethren whom he had not seen for a time.
MONDAY, September 14, he took leave of the Brethren in Hampshire
County, and directed his course through Maryland into Pennsylvania;
and on Friday, September 18, he crossed the Ohio river, two and
one-half miles below Acreton. He was ferried across in a flatboat.
SUNDAY, September 20, he arrived at Brother George Hoke's. He says: "I
have been exposed to some bad weather, and have passed over some bad
roads; but to meet such a dear and kind brother as George Hoke, and be
received in such a pleasant way as I have been by the dear brother and
family, is more than a compensation for all the exposure and toil it
has cost."
As nearly as I can, I will now give the substance and manner of a
conversation which took place the same evening between Brother Kline
and Brother Hoke. The Diary is silent upon it, but Brother Kline
related it to me himself in the year 1862. Brother Jacob Miller, of
Greenmount, Virginia, told me afterwards that Brother Kline had
related the same to him. The weather being a little cool and damp, the
two brethren sat by the fire. I will name the parties in the order of
the conversation.
KLINE.--Why do not we ordain deacons in the same way the
seven were ordained at Jerusalem?
HOKE.--Do you think the seven were deacons?
K.--Yes, I have always thought so.
H.--I do not think they were.
K.--Well, here is a difference of opinion between brethren.
H.--Let us try to get together on this point.
K.--I desire, above all things, to know the truth, and to see eye to
eye with all the Brethren on every point of Holy Writ.
H.--So do I. Now let us see. I do not think the seven were deacons,
because they are nowhere _called_ deacons. Have we a just right to
call them deacons when the Word does not call them so? Again: I must
think the church at Jerusalem was fully organized before any demand
was found for the appointment of the seven. Did it not have deacons at
the start? Who attended to gathering up food and hunting shelter, and
making general provisions for the comfortable entertainment of
thousands of brethren and sisters, and their children besides? I
rather think that the deacons already in office attended to these
things. But the number of the brethren increased so rapidly that the
deacons needed help in the way of general oversight, and the most
natural thing in the world would be for them to apply to the apostles
for advice in regard to the matter. But the apostles replied, "It is
not reason that we should LEAVE the Word of God and serve tables."
This proves that they had not done so before, and that it would not be
right for them to do so now. Hence the importance of getting men of
real executive ability to serve the present necessity. Such ability
and fitness they found in the seven whom they set apart to that work.
But they must not only possess business tact; they must be "men full
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, and men of _honest_ report," whose
record in life proved their HONESTY. This, Brother John, is my opinion
as to the reason why the apostles were so particular on this point.
These seven men would certainly have a great deal entrusted to their
general keeping; and unless they were _honest_, they might take
advantage and make personal gain out of it. They soon got things so
arranged in the hands of the deacons, that Stephen, one of the seven,
could leave and give all of his time, or most of it, to preaching; for
we are directly informed that the opposing Jews "were not able to
withstand the wisdom and the spirit in which he spake." Right on the
strength of this began the terrific persecution which soon resulted in
the martyrdom of Stephen, and eventuated in the dispersion from
Jerusalem of all the leaders and most of the influential and
well-known members of the body. Philip only, of all the seven except
Stephen, is mentioned in the New Testament after this. It seems that
after he had preached for some time he married and settled down at
Cæsarea, where, years after, Paul found him, and spoke of him as one
of the seven--not deacons--although it would have been very easy for
Paul to call him such, had he been a deacon. Paul here calls him
Philip the evangelist. Acts 21:8.
K.--I must admit, Brother George, that your argument is fair and
pointed, and I will reconsider the whole subject. I never before saw
the office and appointment of the seven in the light in which you have
presented it to me this evening.
H.--I believe there are points in addition to those already given, but
you may find them yourself.
MONDAY, September 21, Brother Kline attended a love feast at Brother
Snider's.
WEDNESDAY, September 23, he attended another at Brother Samuel
Mishler's. He spoke beautifully on 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, now are we
the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we
know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him."