Twenty-eight years ago the church at Jasper had just gone "digressive"—it is still the only "digressive" church in the county—and it at that time still claimed to be "one of us." There were a few faithful souls; in Jasper who would not go into digression, and these few arranged for the "boy preacher" to hold a tent meeting in that town. The "digressives" claimed the meeting, and "wined and dined" the "boy preacher" in royal style; but he did not compromise with them, but contended against their error as best he could. That was before Brother Kurfrees’s book was written, or the Briney-Otey debate was held, and the literature that we now have on digression was not then extant. The "boy preacher" had not seen what was then available. He knew but little, but he clung to the chapter-and-verse slogan and kept in the negative and demanded that the "digressives" cite proof for their practices. That only annoyed and angered them, except those who attempted to laugh it, and the "boy preacher" saw then that they had abandoned the "Bible proof," chapter-and-verse principle.

Reply: Yes, this "chapter-and-verse principle" knocks the wind out of all "digressives," not only the organ variety with their "Pastor," or "minister," Sunday-school, Christian endeavor, Missionary society, and other things for which there is no "chapter-and-verse principle," but also the non-organ variety with their "Pastor," or "minister," "Sunday-school capacity," "Young Peoples’ meeting, "cups" communion, "classrooms to prevent so much confusion, and other things for which there is no "chapter-and-verse principle." And the only way either attempts to meet those who use the "chapter-and-verse slogan," is either to get mad and storm and use ugly epithets, or "attempt to laugh it off." As a matter of truth, both sets of "Campbell-movement" digressives have about quit "the chapter-and-verse slogan." True, each uses it once in awhile in trying to hide the "cloven foot" that sticks from under the "sheep’s clothing." And many are deceived thereby. Both have about quit evangelizing and gone to "Pastoring" the churches, and the result is about the same as a hen’s trying to incubate rotten eggs, as is seen from the fact that "it is still the only ‘digressive’ church in the county." "Like causes produce like results." A few of the "boy preachers" have been proof against the "wining and dining,"—yes, and the kicks and the curses, the jeers and thrusts, of both classes of "will-worshippers" (Col. 2:23). Some have died in "the faith once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3), and some still live to contend for it. And the "crown" is to the "faithful." (Rev. 2:10.) "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Blessed promise. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58.)

The Gospel Advocate (July 1, 1934) seems to realize that the non-organ but Pastor, Sunday school, individual communion, hurches, claiming to be churches of Christ after the New Testament pattern, have actually gone into "the "monkey business," a thing some of us have seen, lo, these many years; but we shall here quote a few of his paragraphs, that all may see "We are drifting," as J. D. Tant, who has long since drifted from the New Testament pattern with his own "monkey business," has repeatedly pointed out. The G. A. writer says:

The thing we want to get away from 4n the conduct of the local affairs of the church is this "preacher" complex—the monkey business.

Reply: And had "we" not seen this "monkey business" in all its unscripturalness in the Christian Church years before this "monkey business" went into the churches of Christ? Then why did they ever go into it? Because like causes produce like effects. The people want it so, and the incubators (colleges) had made it possible. And now what? He tells us:

There are too many so-called preachers being turned out and not enough churches being planted to provide them with employment.

Reply: He means "pastorates," of course, by "employment"; for we all know "all the world" is a big place, and there is plenty of "employment" for preachers, except the "too many so-called preachers." He says:

We have built up a false standard for "preachers." We mollycoddle them. We have forced professionalism down their throats. Do we expect a baby to spurn his sugar teat?

Reply: No, no. And the person they at first called the "located evangelist." later, our "minister," now "our Pastor," (in trying to "whip the devil round the stump) thinks he has the people fooled by tickling their "itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) with "feigned words" (2 Pet. 2:3), making "merchandise of" them, and the people think they have the "so-called preacher" fooled by making him preach what they want through fear of losing his job, when there are many more ready to take it and give the people what they want. But the truth is, the devil has them both fooled. Again he says:

Once the churches themselves get away from professionalism and catch the missionary spirit, most of the old wounds of professionalism in preachers will heal. If any do not, a few operations might be resorted to, but at the present the churches cannot with good grace complain of the disease, since they are the carriers of the germs.

Reply: But there is no complaint from these so called churches of Christ and "so-called preachers" —they have what they want. And the "so-called preachers" would rather go to the Christian Church than to lose their jobs, and the "so-called churches of Christ" would rather put in the organ (about the only difference now between the two) then to lose their "Pastors"—so-called. Again he says:

If such a reform can be bridged, all will be happier, the conscience will be more peaceful, and by all means more real work will be accomplished.

Reply: "Conscience"—what will a "conscience seared with a hot iron" (I Tim. 4:2) do? "If such reform"—you might as well try to reform the devil. Why did not the Catholic Church reform? Why did not the Christian Church reform? For answer read: I Tim. 4:2, Tim. 3:2, Pet. 2. God says to come out of this iniquity, Rev. 18:4 ;2, Cor. 6:17. This is—the only thing that will keep those clean that now see they have drifted away from New Testament Christianity. "If the blind lead the blind, both will go into the ditch." Let those who want "a good conscience" (I Pet. 3:16) "repent" (Rev. 2:54) and "come out of her," the apostate, Rev. 18:4, "that ye be not partakers of her sins."

In the same issue of the same paper one writes:

"The depression and the exchange-meeting system have made it very hard on the evangelist." And he says, "I have decided to take up work with some congregation."

Reply: "The exchange-meeting system" -what is it? It exists where one "Pastor or "minister," holds "the meeting" for another "minister’s church," and the evangelist is left to establish the work in new fields without support, or with but very little of it; but as for me, I would turn to some other means of support before I would go to hell by "taking up work with some congregation," and "pastoring," and sending the church to hell by so operating. "Awake to righteousness."