The following communication pretty fully explains itself. It was
written by Sister Warner, the wife of D. S. Warner, the Come-out
leader, and editor of the Gospel Trumpet. Those who know Sister
W. generally, among the straight holiness people, have confidence
in her integrity. God bless her, and may she save her husband from
his strong delusions. She desires the holiness papers to copy her
article:
Dear Brother Doty: My soul praises God today for a perfect
salvation in Jesus. He sweetly abides in my heart, and I do know
that his Word is true. His promises to save from all sin and keep
in perfect peace are most wonderfully verified in my case; praise
his name! Salvation is sweeter to my soul every day I live.
"And how sweetly Jesus whispers,
Take the cross, thou needst not fear;
For I've trod this way before thee,
And the glory lingers near."
Yea, praise God for the cross, and the glory that always follows.
I feel it my duty to say to all God's children, that he has opened
my eyes to see the evils of come-outism. I am free from it, and
forever renounce it and praise God that he has so completely
delivered me from the spirit of it. I am thoroughly convinced
that this effort to unite God's people by calling them out of
the churches is not God's plan of unity. It simply cuts off a
few members by themselves, who get an idea that none are clearly
sanctified unless they see as "we" do; and, then, they have a
harsh grating that is the very opposite of love. I have found
that the predominant spirit of the come-out movement is the same
self-righteous, pharisaical spirit that Christ rebuked when he was
here on earth. They hold and teach that no one can be entirely
sanctified and belong to a "sect."
It is not necessary for me to speak of the fanaticism and
absurdities connected with this movement; but I am not at all
surprized to hear of men losing their minds after passing through
such a meeting as the assembly at Sulphur Springs last November. I
have seen more Babylon confusion outside the churches than in. I
know whereof I speak, for I have been connected with the movement
from its beginning, and, as you all know, at the very head of it.
And while I believe it my duty before God to renounce it, and stand
aloof from it, I have all charity for those connected with it. I am
confident that I have nothing in my heart but love toward them all,
and love to my husband; nor do I reject him, but I can not endorse
either the movement or its organ, the Gospel Trumpet. I must obey
God, and walk in the light he has given me, or forfeit salvation,
which I can not afford to do. I have suffered the loss of all
things, but rejoice to know that I am counted worthy to suffer for
Jesus' sake.
In taking this step for God I have not been hasty. I have been
convicted of this duty for some time. Circumstances and the
manifestations of the spirit of this movement have been such for
several months past that I fear further delay on my part would be
disastrous to the cause of Christ and my own soul. I humbly ask the
prayers of all God's children that he will keep me firm and sweet
while passing through the furnace.
Mrs. S. A. Warner.
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Apr. 22, 1884.
Brother Warner deplored his wife's going into print with their
trouble. A number of the so-called holiness papers made remarks that
were reflective on Brother Warner and the cause of truth. On account
of this, he felt it necessary to make some reply in the Trumpet and
set forth the facts concerning his wife. In the issue of July 15,
1884, he made a very clear delineation of the whole affair. He showed
the sad deception into which his wife had fallen, how it had affected
her conduct, and hardened her conscience to do things she was never
known to do before, even to being untruthful, and yet publish her
testimony abroad that she was more sweetly saved than ever. Near the
close he says:
And this is the kind of holiness the sectarian sheets have such a
jubilee over. This work of the devil which has at present broken up
a family, brought a reproach upon the cause of holiness, robbed us
of our sweet child for over three months past, and which has filled
all hell with a jubilee, the Highway of Holiness says "should be
received with thankfulness." Yes, it is received in hell with
thankfulness, and just to the extent that Babylon glories in the
same she proves that she is in league with hell.
While our heart is sad for the sake of our dear companion, we have
great reason to give everlasting thanks to God for the glorious
fruits of these furnace flames. Oh, how our weaknesses have been
searched out and our patience perfected!
We would not cast away the gold
We've gathered in the furnace flame.
Nor would we wish again the dross
Here purged in our Redeemer's name.
In the Trumpet of July 1, 1884, a quotation is made from the writings
of John Bunyan in which are recalled the persecutions that culminated
in his imprisonment. He tells of how Satan, failing in one plan to
overthrow his work and make it ineffectual, tries another, which
was to stir up the minds of the ignorant and malicious to load him
with slanders and reproaches, and finally to have him arraigned and
put in jail. With this quotation Brother Warner makes the following
comparison:
In all these sufferings Bunyan had, besides the grace of God, the
consolations of a true wife to sustain and comfort him. With his
great heart glowing with love for the truth, and deep affection
for her that had been such a true friend in the past, just suppose
for a moment the devil had in the time of his greatest persecution
from sectarian idolaters, overthrown his faithful Elizabeth, and so
blinded and deceived her as to make it appear her duty to renounce
him and the truth he was devoted to, in all the papers of that day.
Suppose he had found her all at once fellowshiping his persecutors
and slanderers, and receiving the friendship and applause of the
popular sects of that time, rather than suffering persecution with
her husband for Christ's sake; do you not believe that such a trial
would have more cruelly "pulled the flesh from his bones" than
twelve years' imprisonment with a good and faithful wife at home
sharing his reproach and offering her daily prayers to God on his
behalf?
Of course the woman could not have published any sin of the man
of God, nor would it have been necessary. All that she would have
needed to do would have been to renounce him and the "come-out
movement" that he was engaged in under God, and remind them that
she "had been connected with the movement from its beginning, as
you all know, and at the very head of it," and then throw out a
few hints that she had "suffered" a great many things, and that
"circumstances and the manifestation of the spirit of this movement
have been such for several months past that I fear further delay
on my part would be disastrous to the cause of Christ and my own
soul." This were sufficient to confirm all the vile slanders that
Satan had sent out against her husband, with all who hated the
truth he taught. Oh, yes, that would settle the matter. Yes, yes,
you know all the terrible things that are reported of this awfully
deluded man, and now his wife comes out against him, which proves
that these things are true. And if the devil were as smart then
as he is now, he would have led the poor apostate guilty woman
to put on a very lovely aspect in her public comforters, to the
idolaters of those times, in order to have the more influence.
Yea, doubtless, while selling her husband to the devil for the
friendship of his enemies, and selling Christ, whose truth he dared
to speak, she would have hypocritically said, "I love my husband,"
and "Jesus sweetly abides in my heart." Oh, what a record the day
of judgment will unfold! But God be praised that Bunyan was blessed
with a true companion; but let him whose lot is otherwise "bind
this to him as an ornament," as Bunyan did the vile slanders heaped
upon him.
After a few years there appeared in the Trumpet, in the issue of Jan.
7, 1892, the following statement, from a person who knew Mrs. Warner
from her youth and who here speaks of her divorce and remarriage:
Nothing has ever been more surprizing to me than the steps she has
taken. It may not be generally known that she got a bill through
the court at Upper Sandusky, Ohio. The grounds upon which she filed
her complaint betray a dreadful absence of conscience and the fear
of God, stating that she had "been a faithful wife to him ever
since married," and that "he had been wilfuly absent from her for
over three years"; when the facts are, she had wilfully abandoned
him over six years before, during which time he twice visited her
and wrote many letters kindly urging her to return and that without
any conditions. And she was so far from being a faithful wife that
she did not even answer his letters.
Brother Warner did not feel led to appear against her, but
faithfully admonished her for her soul's sake not to put on record
in the county court and the high court of heaven statements that
she knew to be so directly opposite to the truth. And, worse yet,
the woman has recently shown her disregard for the counsel of
the Bible by marrying another man.[15] We insisted that these few
words of explanation be published to cut off all occasion for
unreasonable men to speak against the cause of Christ and against
his servant.
--E. J. Hill.
In the Trumpet of June 1, 1893, an editorial speaks of her death, as
follows:
While holding meetings in Portland, Ind. on Wednesday, May 24, we
were informed that there was a telegram at the office for us. On
going there we were startled with this brief dispatch: "Sarah died
this morning in Cincinnati. Signed, L. F. Keller."
He is a brother of the one we ought to be able to call our wife,
and this fact rendered the familiar name "Sarah" all sufficient in
the dispatch. O my Lord, is it possible that she is cut off in the
midst of her days! She who seemed so fresh and well is suddenly
called to be the first to break the circle of six children, all of
whom were early instructed in the fear of the Lord. Ah, we can not
help the conviction that had the dear woman never been alienated
by the adversary to break her solemn vows, and held by a blind and
erring influence from returning to the obligations of a mother and
wife, yea, and had she not been by that influence led to obtain a
bill, and that on absolutely false grounds, she would be alive,
well, and happy today. But alas, all is past now....
We wrote immediately to our friend who had kindly informed us of
the departure of the one who once so filled the vision of our
heart, for the particulars of her death, and received a prompt
reply that she died with acute typhoid fever, to which was added
peritonitis, and that she did not express herself about the
future. Out of a full heart we would love to say much, but we
have space only for these thoughts. May God comfort the sorrowing
mother, brothers, and sisters.
The unhappy woman, having forsaken her God, her husband, and child,
became married over a year ago to another man. But alas, how often
the path that leads from God is cut short!
As to what became of Stockwell, the author has found no trace. When
Brother Warner recovered his spiritual poise, after the terrible
conflict at Bucyrus, he renounced Stockwell, and the latter at once
dropped all profession.
An incident that occurred at Medina, Ohio, before Stockwell's
defection, gave Brother Warner some trouble. A Mrs. Booth had had
a vision in which she saw herself caught up with a thousand-dollar
note. Stockwell, who was at that time apparently in sympathy with the
Trumpet, interpreted her vision to her as meaning that she should
give the one thousand dollars to the Trumpet. She then decided to do
so and threw the money into the lap of Sister Warner, who refused to
accept it. Stockwell then said _he_ would take it, which he did, and
with it paid off the debt against the Trumpet office. After this was
done, Mrs. Booth came to Brother Warner one day in company with an
attorney for the purpose of recovering the money, whereupon Brother
Warner adjusted the matter by mortgaging the Trumpet equipment for
one half the amount and giving a note for the balance. The report got
out in some manner that he had fraudulently taken the money from Mrs.
Booth. In explanation he speaks of the matter as follows:
We feel rather like treating with silent contempt the wicked
aspersions that have gone through many papers, secular and
religious, against our character; but as friends demand it of
us we will just say that the report that we fraudulently took
from a Mrs. Booth a thousand dollars by mesmeric influences is
wholly and basely false. If we have been correctly informed, it
was fabricated by a lying infidel in Bucyrus and furnished to a
Cincinnati Enquirer reporter by him. That paper, after consulting
more reliable parties in Bucyrus, on the 15th of last February
published an article refuting all the reflections that had been
cast upon us. The Church Advocate, having published the Enquirer's
slanders, also took back the charges against us. The fact is, we
never had any hand in obtaining that money. We were at our home
and knew not that the woman had a thousand dollars or any money at
all, until a letter was sent me stating she had given the same.
We also have letters from her stating that she had cheerfully and
deliberately given the money; that God had called her to do so and
that she did not regret the step she had taken. But subsequently
she fell through the opposition of her husband and Satan, and we
gave security for the money because it was demanded, though we were
under no legal or moral obligation to do so.
One can imagine that during his severe trial at Bucyrus Brother
Warner felt very much forsaken. But God had many others who were
ready to stand with him. There were those who were solicitous with
reference to his welfare. In one of the issues of the Trumpet we find
this little note:
A brother writes thus, inquiring of us, "O Daniel! is thy God
continually able to deliver thee?" Through the amazing grace
of God we are able to answer from the lion's den and from the
seven-times-heated furnace, Yes. Glory to the God of our salvation,
he keeps our soul above the world, the flesh, and the devil, and
from all sin. He keeps us from these two opposite regions of
death, namely, the cold, hard-hearted, grating, fruitless spirit
of carnal sect-hatred on one side; and from the soft, spurious,
self-soothing, carnality-pleasing, and sect-compromising, all-bogus
love delusion on the other. God helping us we shall never move out
of Mic. 3:8 and Psa. 149:6-9.
He received many letters from those who were sympathetic and who were
thankful for the Trumpet. The following are a few:
I am so glad to get the Gospel Trumpet. I think it is the best
paper I ever read. It speaks the Bible truth.
May the Lord bless you in the good work, and give you grace and
strength to withstand all the fiery darts that Satan and his hosts
can hurl at you. God and Christ shall be for walls of salvation
about you. Whom shall we fear when God is our friend? I am trusting
in Jesus for a full and free salvation. 'Without holiness no man
shall see God.' It does my soul good to read the testimonies of
how God is healing both soul and body, I believe he is willing to
manifest as much power on earth today as he did when Christ was
here in the flesh. Your sister, saved through the blood,
L. B.
We are continually praising God for the way he is keeping you
through every severe trial. When we understood the reality of your
trials we all wept as if we had been at a funeral. How our hearts
go out in sympathy for you! O dear brother, hold on to God; he
will not forsake those that trust in him. You must come to our
camp-meeting without fail, for we know God wants you here; but the
sect people are hoping you will not come. Your sister,
M. J. F.
May God reward you in your great work. Some good friend is sending
me the Trumpet, and I do love to read it, because it has the right
ring. It sounds as if it had been baptized in the Holy Ghost and
with fire. I never saw until I was baptized with the Holy Ghost the
corruption of sectism. I am so glad that there are a few that do
stand for Christ and him alone. Your brother,
H. B. C.
My prayer is that you may continue blowing the Trumpet, and that
it may always give a clear and certain sound. I had a pretty sharp
discussion with a minister today on the subject of sanctification.
By the grace of God I was under the necessity of telling him
that he was not a competent witness on the subject, having never
received the experience. Oh, why will men attempt to explain and
preach that of which they know nothing! May the God of all grace be
continually your refuge and your exceeding great reward.
M. M.
That the Trumpet had the right ring was a fact recognized wherever
there were spiritual Christians who had felt the oppression and seen
the evils of human control in the so-called churches, and of course
that meant in all parts of the country. There were many ready to
fall in line with its teachings. Besides Beaver Dam, in Kosciusko
County, Ind., and Carson City, in Michigan, as original centers,
there had come to be congregations in other parts of the States
named, and in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and others.
The reformation was in all places marked with spiritual vigor,
enthusiasm, joy, love, fellowship, confidence, and activity. People
who came in contact with it and who were not already prejudiced by
sectarianism, were made to feel, by a spiritual discernment, that
"this is the way" and "these people have the truth." A spirit of
victory pervaded the work everywhere. God manifested himself by the
outpouring of his Spirit and by miraculous healings and answers to
prayer.
A remarkable instance of healing occurred at the first camp-meeting
held near Bangor, in southwestern Michigan, in June, 1883. Emma
Miller, who lived in Battle Creek, had been an invalid for nearly
three years. Her eyes had become affected and she had to be led
about. For nearly the whole period of three years (or, lacking one
month) she had not read a line of print. After her conversion, which
occurred nine months previously to her healing, she was plainly
shown by the Lord that she would be healed. On being invited to the
camp-meeting she was again shown, in answer to her prayer, that she
would be healed. She requested her friends to provide her with paper
and envelopes, promising to write to them. In this confidence she
went to the meeting.
On the fourth morning of the meeting, after continued prayer had
been offered, she was impressed she would be healed that day.
Brother Warner had been called away from the meeting, but J. C.
Fisher and others were present. Here was a case of blindness. Her
eyes were covered with a film and the lids were closed through
paralysis and she could not open them. But nothing daunted the
little body of spiritual workers here assembled. Fasting and
importunity characterized the earnest prayer. About 5 P. M. of the
day mentioned, while Sister Miller was seated on the rostrum, where
she had been requested to sit that all might see, suddenly her eyes
were opened and she gazed upon the audience and praised the Lord.
The people were amazed. Some fell to shouting, which was heard two
miles away. Others trembled and cried. After praising God for an
hour or more Sister Miller went out into the bright sunlight without
any unpleasant sensation, the first time for nearly three years, and
wrote two postal cards. Her eyes became bright and strong. Sister
Miller (now Mrs. A. B. Palmer) is still living and has had her sight
ever since.
Marvelous healings were common, but as this one was a healing of
complete blindness and was one of the earliest cases, it is here
mentioned. Another divine manifestation was the power given to the
ministry over devils. Since the early centuries it has not been
characteristic of any spiritual movement prior to this one, so far as
the author has learned, that devils were in such subjection and had
to come out of those possessed.
By this time quite a force of ministers had been raised up in various
portions of the country. Over in Missouri was a man named Jeremiah
Cole, who had been led into the light independent of any human
instrumentality. He had suffered from dyspepsia for twelve years;
he had been so bad he could eat only specially prepared articles of
food. He was instantaneously and wonderfully healed in answer to
his own importuning prayer, so that he could eat all ordinary foods
without discomfort. His own healing led to the healing of his sister,
Mary, who had been an invalid all her life. She began to have spasms
at two years of age, and later dyspepsia and other ailments, until
her life was one of continual suffering. Through her own prayer and
that of her brother, she also was led to claim her healing, and the
work was done. Both of these persons became effective ministers in
the reformation.
In northwestern Ohio God had raised up several persons (among whom
were A. J. Kilpatrick, William N. Smith, J. N. Howard, and Sarah
Smith) who also became prominent workers. In western Pennsylvania
was G. T. Clayton, and in yet other parts of the country, far and
near, were those who had received light on the church, in some cases
without any teaching from any one, and who were by the Spirit of God
added to the ministry.