any
connection with it at all."
The next day the town marshall was called to the home of Mrs. Jane
Smith. She had embraced the new religion and was losing her mind. The
new teaching had so upset her that her weak mind could not stand the
strain. She was taken to the asylum, where she remains to this day.
When Kate Newby heard of this she became more convinced that there was
something wrong with the theory and she thoroughly renounced it.
The "tongues" meeting left Bethany in the worst spiritual condition
that town had ever been in. Families were torn apart, many persons
became skeptics, and there were debates, and arguments, and violent
clashes almost daily.
It remained in this condition until the time when Evangelist Monteith
began his second revival the next year.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A MODEL CHURCH ESTABLISHED
Jesus Christ brought the grandest conception of human brotherhood that
the world has ever heard. He intended to create a perfect society,
and to establish principles of social justice in the earth. He planned
that sin, with its accompanying maladjustments, should be destroyed
and that man should live in harmony with man and with the infinite
Creator. Nothing less than the transformation of society was His goal.
His plan of rejuvenation was based on the truth that all men are of
one blood, created by one God, whose children they all are by virtue
of that creation. All should have equal claims upon His mercy,
goodness, and love, and upon the material blessings which the earth
affords. Divisions into rank, classes, and strata are not the will
of God. Jesus put all on one common level when He invited all to come
unto Him and rest, when He said, "Him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out" (John 6:37).
This work of reforming society goes on like yeast working in dough,
particle by particle, a little at a time, but at an accelerating rate.
At first there were the twelve apostles and a few others. By and by
there were more. But always and ever Christ carries on His great work
through His people. First one man is enlightened and saved; he then
becomes a missionary to enlighten others. They in turn lead others to
Jesus until there are enough to establish a congregation of the church
of God at whatever point they live. This local congregation becomes
then, a model in miniature of what society would be if all were
Christians. Vast responsibilities rest upon a local congregation. They
represen
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