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Fanaticism and Ignorance
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education so that they can speak in public with acceptance, and do
justice to the truth, and honor the Lord whom they profess to serve,
they should wait till they are fitted for the position.
Brother E, you cannot fill the position of a minister of Christ. I
saw that you lacked a correct religious experience. You have not
a knowledge of yourself. You cannot even read correctly, or use
language which would commend the truth to the understanding of
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an intelligent community. You lack discrimination. You would not
know when it was proper to speak or wise to keep silent. You have
so long thought, with the peculiar class I have mentioned, that you
knew it all, that you will not see your deficiencies when they are
presented before you. You possess a large share of self-esteem,
and your experience has been characterized by self-confidence and
boastfulness.
You are not teachable, therefore the cause of God would not
prosper in your hands. You would fail to recognize a defeat when
you met with one. The cause of God would be brought into disrepute
and dishonor by your labors, and you would fail to discover the fact.
A certain class may be convinced by you of the truth; but more
would be turned away and placed where they could not be reached
by proper, judicious labor. Interwoven with your experience are
things that will prove detrimental to the truth. God cannot accept
you as a representative of the truth.
Your manners have not been refined and elevated. Your deport-
ment has not been pleasing to God. Your words have been careless.
You lack piety and devotion. You have not obtained an experience
in the spiritual life. You fail to understand how to rightly divide
the word of life, giving to each his portion of meat in due season.
You have preferred to contend and contest points when you were
entirely out of your place and could but meet with defeat. This is
the spirit of the class in Maine whom I have mentioned. It is their
delight to engage in contest and brave it through. You would not
manifest meekness in instructing those who oppose themselves. You
will ever be crippled, in a degree, by your unfortunate experience.
You lack self-culture and meekness. You have important lessons to
learn before you can become an unassuming, acceptable follower of
Christ, even in a private capacity.
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