The Bible Investigator from Atchison, Kansas • 7

3 INCIDENTS OF OUR WESTERN TRIP. brought Upon the whole human family, "The woman being deceived eat of the forbidden fruit." The motives of our first parents were not necessarily rebellious; there is nothing to show willful disobedience, but they were deceived, they lacked the proper light, and on account of their ignorance, lost life, and brought upon themselves death. They broke a positive law, and as now, so it was then, the penalty must follow. Oh how careful ought we to bo in moving onward in life's path. Lest in our ignorance we harm ourselves and our fellow.

How necessary, when we undertake some untried step in life, that we be sure we do ourselves no harm. The jailor would have killed himself as did our first parents, but there was a friend by him to make hood (this being true,) we ask brother Randall to show us what it takes amongst us, as a people, to constitute good standing, and thert give proof that wo are not in good standing. Is faith in Jesus as the Son of God, repentance in heart and life, baptism by immersion, and a perpetuated christian life, good standing i If not, will some of our official brethren (that appear to have the charge of the Christian Church and think by some sort 'of means thev are so essential to its exist-ence,) please show why not? There are none of our brethren that would admit a creed on paper or in a book, but have got a fixed creed on the brain, or in their heads, which of all creeds is the worst We say to the whole brotherhood -if we have no creed but the Bible, show us where we are not in good standing if we have a creed in our heads or on our brain, we had better be noble enough to write it out, and no more pretend we are on the Bible alone. At the exclusion of confessions and creeds, we preached three times here at Marsh Valley once for brother Kiggins, who took us home and heartily extended to us the hospitality of his home and And if the moralist, or religionist, thinks he only stands related to God in the light of the Bible he too must snfier the consequence of unheeded and broken physical laws in all their relation to this life as well as the life to come. Pius persons must observe the physical laws of health, or take the unhappy consequences of sickness, and untimely death.

Equally true must the skeptic observe the revealed moral law of God, or suffer the terrible results in this life, and such as follow him into the future life. He must surely know that God will demand observance of moral law, as well as physical, and that as a being it is as necessary to honor God and deal equatably with his fellow in order to the enjoyment of God and his fellow in this, as well as the life to come. It is as necessary that man should love his God, in order to enjoy God, as that he should love his wife or child in order to enjoy them, and a man should observe all the physical laws of his being, as an indispensible necessity to the enjoymentof physical life. Hence, we say to the skeptic and the indifferent, "Do thyself no harm," by the strict observanoe of all the physical laws of your being at the neglect of any or all the moral laws that regulate your yell being toward your God and fellow man, knowing that sure as God is, and that nature is true to itself, you are bound to suffer the serious consequences if you should. And to those who are strictly religious, we would say "Do thyself no harm," by breaking any of the physical laws of your being, knowing sure as God is, and that nature is true We reached Concordia in three days, pleasant roads, short corn crop we saw the best corn in parts of Jewell, Republic and Cloud counties.

Found Hull Son busy in their blacksmith and wagon shop, six hands at work. Had a pleasant time with brother P. W. Hull, visiting West Marsh congregation, of Jewell countv. Here we have a noble band of brethren and sisters.

Brothers B. Clark and W. II. Hale, (elders) are brethren of zealous and devout christian type. Such men are blessings to any locality, wherever their lot is cast.

Brothers Green and Slaughter (deacons) manifest a due interest in the cause. Brother P. II. Clark," beloved by all, is truly a congenial fellow. Brother Rohads and family, recently from the Baptist Church, are among the active, sincere ones.

Sister Rodgers (formerly Sabbath School Superintendent) encouraged us in our undertaking in the Investigator, and will do what she can for it. Last, yet not least, is our aged sister Dicks, an ardent worker for the advancement of the good cause, and who is agent to solicit and take subscriptions for the In vestigator. She feels she has not long to stay with us, and is anxious that her last days shall be her best in labors of love for Christ and his family. We next visited Jewell City, called on brother and sister Gray, a father and mother in Israel, and who keep a home for all our preaching brethren. They always make us feel happy and at home.

We visited brother Shackleford, a cautious, thoughtful, sensible brother. We expected to have answered two questions propounded by the official board of the Jewell City Church, regarding our standing at home, but for some reason it was not required probably the case was decided by hearing one side, but below. we give the other: On our way from Jewell City to Concordia, we called on brethren Sellers and Kiggins, expecting to have answered two questions, on standing and doctrine, but the bishop allowed us to pass in peace, choosing rather to deal and condemn us in our absence. We returned from Concordia to Marsh Valley, and was urged by many brethren to offer defense of our standing and the doctrine of justification by faith, but the bishop did not appear. He had stated we were not in good standing with the brethren at home; brother Williams had said we were under bonds not to preach this doctrine what this doctrine was he publicly refused to state, and which we positively deny and ask any brother to show the opposite.

The bishop stated publicly that brother Randal (State Evangelist) had said we were not in good standing with the brother known to him the facts in his case and so save him. "Do thyself no harm," ought to be the motto and watchword of every one, in every step and in all the paths of life. Here our first parents fell. Cain failed the Old World was ruined; Sodom burned; Esau suffered the loss of birthright; Egypt drowned Israel, as individuals and as a nation suffered the punishments inflicted by their God and here the heathen nations and individuals suffer the sad penalties for broken laws. How fortunate is the conditions of those (who in their ignorance would take a course that would probably cost them all of life's best interest, and even life itself,) to have near at hand a true friend that would point out to them the facts, and their consequences, and so like Paul with the jailor, save them from the awful consequences by pointing out to them the truth God pointed" out to Adam and Eve the right, but the adversary pointed out the wrong and deceived them, and having deceived them they "eat of the" forbidden fruit." Oh how often in our ignorance do we make choice of the wrong, and for want of light, refuse the right.

RULE OF CONDUCT. I will govern my life and my thoughts, as if the whole world were to see the one and read tne other; for what does it signify, to make anything a secret to my neighbor, when to God (who is the searcher of our hearts) all our privacies are open Seneca. Meanness overreaches itself, vice vitiates whoever indulges in it, the wicked wrong their own souls generosity greatens, virtue exalts, charity transfigures, and holiness is the essence of angel-hood. What a sacred and solemn responsibility we assume, when we take upon ourselves to mould and fashion the thoughts and feeling of ourf fellow creatures. Fitting vessels for, the Master's use.

"Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of family, made us feel at home and happy, just as all such good brethren are able to do. He will, in connection with Father Kiggins, receive names and subscriptions for the Investigator. Here we obtained about fifty subscribers for our paper. And though we offered our defense of standing and doctrine within twenty rods of Bishop Sellers' home, he never appeared. In our next trip west, we expect to defend ourself at Jewel City, where the same untrue reports have been circulated by the bishop.

We also visited Omeo, preached twice, had a pleasant time, made many precious acquaintances, got many subscribers, and. was well cared for by the voluntary hospitality of Mr. Gill, who keeps hotel at this place, and who is a noble specimen of cheerfulness and good heart. Omeo is a thriving little place. The best corn I saw was a little south of there.

We next visit Pleasant Gap, near White Rock preached some. Here we have brother Wm. H. Fesler, a large farmer, cattle raiser, and who owns and runs a cheese factory; all of these he runs successfully. Brother Fesler is one of our noble brethren, raised under Dunkard influence, but who is a member of the Christian Church (and I scruple not to say) is as warm and fast a friend of the Investigator and its editor as we could wish, and will act as agent for the Investigator.

Here we met many warm friends, brother and sister Stansbury, brother and sister Switzer, of the Dunkard order got many subscribers. At this point we visited Reubens, on White Rock River, met E. L. to herself, you are bound to suffer the unhappy and mournful consequences for transgression of physical laws. How many examples we have of the truth we have presented, in the history of the past, both sacred and profane.

The Bible is but a history of the consequences of obedience and disobedience to law. How mankind has succeeded and ennobled themselves by obedience to the law; and how they have' failed and ruined themselves by their disobedience and transgression of law. This makes up all the dealings of God with man, showing how God ever approved the obedient both in nature and grace, and how he disapprobated the lfiwless and disobedient. In Gospel "He that believes and is baptised shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." Could some one have been by the side of Eve when tempted to eat of the forbidden fruit and spoken to her, as Paul did to the jailor, with a loud voice "Do thyself no harm," and made known to her that, she was ignorant of the facts in the case they might have prevented the first misstep by which death was.