The Deacon of Dobbinsville

The Deacon of Dobbinsville

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Title: The Deacon of Dobbinsville A Story Based on Actual
Happenings
Author: John A. Morrison
Release Date: June 4, 2004 [EBook #12512]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE DEACON OF DOBBINSVILLE
A Story Based on Actual Happenings
By John A. Morrison

Publisher's Preface
This narrative, written and first printed some 45 or 50 years ago,
depicts the contrast in that day between the nominal religious
professors on the one hand, and on the other the individuals who had
been soundly converted, made new creatures in Christ, filled with the
Holy Spirit and rejoicing on the "highway of holiness." There is a
distinct line of demarcation "between him that serveth God and him
that serveth him not."
The Apostle Paul warned: "For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; and THEY SHALL TURN
AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and shall be turned unto
fables." 2 Tim. 4:4, 5. The religious world has apostatized much more
since Paul's day, even to the extent in this modern age that professors of
Christianity are proclaiming the blasphemous "God is dead"
philosophy.
The author, John Arch Morrison, kindly granted this publisher his
permission to reprint this book. Here are his words in his own
handwriting dated October 26, 1965: "Dear Bro. in Christ, I have no
objection to you printing any number of 'The Deacon of Dobbinsville.'
Cordially, John A. Morrison."
Then hardly two months later, on December 23, 1965, and before this
book was printed, the author was taken suddenly from this life by a
heart attack at Anderson, Indiana in his 73rd year.
Time is rapidly bearing us all on to eternity. How all-important it is that
we remember constantly the words of the Psalmist: "So teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." The
Wise Man writes: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Eccl. 12:13.

March, 1966--Lawrence D. Pruitt, Publisher

The Deacon of Dobbinsville
By John A. Morrison
CHAPTER I
Mount Olivet church at the time of which I am about to write had
received the zenith of her glory. She was possessed of a full measure of
the denominational pride and prejudice common to the day and the
community in which she existed. Since Mount Olivet church is to
occupy so conspicuous a place in my narrative, it is fitting that I should
take time and space right here to describe her. I must also give my
readers an idea of the community of which Mount Olivet church
formed the hub and center.
Well, to begin with, Mount Olivet church was old. And like, all other
things old she had a history, partly respectable and partly otherwise.
The date of her organization reached back into the fifties, before the
days of the Civil War. Some great notables had lived and died in this
church. Tradition had it that one of the charter members of this church
was a candidate for president of the United States against James
Buchanan. Of course he was not elected, as you know, and I suppose
you have noticed nothing in our national history about this particular
man running for president, but you recall that the history of a nation
and the history of a local country district have a way of reading
differently.
But this aspirant to the presidential office was not the only great man
who had been a member of Mount Olivet church. The older citizens
told of a certain Preacher Crookshank who was pastor of this church
during and prior to the Civil War and was also a member of the State
Legislature; and, according to these biographers, he was the sole cause
of the State remaining in the Union. It seems from all reports that
Preacher Crookshank was not only a statesman of renown, but also a

masterful theologian of Mount Olivet's particular faith. It is reported
how he defended his theology with his splendid oratory, and how when
this failed he resorted to his fists. His oratory was said to be simply
overwhelming. They recounted how, in his oratorical frenzies, he used
to