In the entry just quoted the reader will notice his prejudice, existing at that time, against the doctrine of holiness, or sanctification. How strange it seems to those who knew him afterward to be a whole-souled advocate of the doctrine of holiness, that he should thus speak! It was altogether a matter of light and understanding. His heart was consecrated and he certainly was not unacquainted with the Holy Spirit during his early ministry. But as a definite experience to be believed for and testified to, he knew nothing about sanctification as yet. Also, it is possible that in its advocates whom he had met thus far, the doctrine and experience had not been rightly represented.
It will be observed also from these quotations from his journal that he meant to stand, and believed he was standing, free from sectarianism. He had considerable light on the church question and spiritual Babylon.
The place referred to in the following entry was near Holland, Lucas County.
13. Visited Father and Brother John McNut and Brother Irvin. Eve, preached in the brick schoolhouse, on Jas. 1:27. Here the Church of God had long been slandered and persecuted, principally by the United Brethren Church. One of the epithets they had for years called us is, "Johnny Cake Church." Bro. Henry S. McNut lives here nearly alone. He and his wife and their ancestors for generations past belonged to the United Brethren, but in the fall of 1870, after a hard spell of sickness in which he feared that he should die and be lost for not obeying the truth, he came to the West Ohio Eldership and received a license and began to preach amidst a storm of persecution from the United Brethren Church. Even his own companion, though an amiable woman, had been so poisoned against the Church of God that she joined in to oppose him. But he was firm and now commands the position. Every foe had fled and all that truly fear God join in to encourage the truth. Some will doubtless soon cut loose from sectarian bondage. Those that were the bitterest enemies now confess that we are right and they are wrong.
The Church of God, as we have seen, repudiated sectarianism, and the assumption by that church that it was the Scriptural one was a strong underlying principle. In some respects it held the correct idea of the Scriptural church. To some extent, therefore, Brother Warner's membership in that denomination afforded him light that naturally led to the full Scriptural standard which he afterward taught. His affiliation with that denomination in the first place was, as we have seen, because of a disposition to be Scripturally right on this point.
14. Brother McNut and I went to Toledo to look for a place in which to open a mission in that city.
15. Walked nearly all day in search of a place to open a mission. No success. May God soon open the way for the establishment of his church in this place.
In his diary Brother Warner recorded something for each day. Every time he preached it was noted and numbered and the text was given. The Eldership required each minister to give a report of his work. It is not necessary to quote all the shorter entries and items from his diary, which are much the same and generally speak of his visiting some one, making some trip, reading, writing, preaching, praying, fasting, baptizing, etc. Only the more interesting items, or such as are the most representative, will be given.
22. Returned to Auburn. Meeting at Basswood still in progress. The young men who made a start the last night I was there have all found Jesus their Savior. Preached from Mal. 3:8. A deep seriousness pervaded the minds of all. The feeling of that night shall not soon be forgotten. It was as solemn as the grave. A sensation of dark and fearful forebodings of some approaching calamity ran through every mind. Bro. H. Caldwell arose and said he had a matter revealed to him that he felt impressed to relate, and that was that before tomorrow's sun should set some one in this community would suddenly be killed. At his request we arose and pledged ourselves to offer one more fervent prayer that night in behalf of poor sinners.