Charge I: In his public teaching he has assailed the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ.
Specifications - (1) He has declared that when Christ came to this world He emptied Himself of all His divine attributes - found guilty. (2) That Christ was no better than any other man - not sustained. (3) That the life of Christ would be a farce if He had had advantages we have not - found guilty. (4) He has not positively taught the divinity of Christ - found guilty.
Charge II: He has disparaged the authority of the holy Scriptures.
Specifications - (1) By asserting that the Bible is no more than any good book. (2) That the Bible was simply history like any other history. (3) That some of the epistles were never intended to be put in the Bible. (4) That parts of the Bible had no authority whatever - they were written by man and not to be taken as the word of God. (5) He has not recommended or advised reading the Bible and has frequently referred very slightingly to it. (The evidence in all these five specifications was found conflicting; but the committee found that the tendency of his teaching had been to lower the authority of Scripture.)
Charge III: He claims to know the will of God by direct revelation of the spirit as well as Christ or the apostles.
Specifications - (1) He has declared that he did not need the authority of the Bible for his teachings - (finding of committee) while not ignoring the Bible as authority for his teaching, he claims the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit as of equal or superior authority. (2) That he did not know that Paul's writings had any more authority than his (Truax's) declarations, because the same spirit that guided Paul directed him - found guilty
Charge IV: He has attacked the doctrine of eternal punishment.
Specifications - (1) He has declared publicly that he did not believe that there was any future punishment other than the remorse of one's own conscience. (2) He said in a sermon, "If any one got into hell he could get out again." (The specifications in this charge were not sustained.)
Charge V: In his preaching he has omitted to present the leading doctrines of the Methodist church.
Specifications - (1) He preached Christ exclusively as an example - found guilty. (2) He has not preached about Christ's love, the atonement, regeneration and the possibility of backsliding, within the past year - evidence conflictory. (3) He has not preached to unconverted people or exhorted them to come to Christ as a Saviour - committee's finding was that, while the evidence has not sustained this specification, yet we find the burden of his preaching has been chiefly to the members of the church, and not to the unconverted.
Charge VI: He has in nearly every sermon denounced all creeds - found guilty
Charge VII: He has made light of the duty of prayer, and his teaching and example have led others to do the same.
Specifications - (1) He has stated: "It was not necessary to pray or read the Bible unless the spirit guided you to do it." (2) He habitually neglects family prayer in his own home. (3) He habitually neglects prayer in his pastoral visits. (4) He has said that some people pray too much. (5) One member of the church has abandoned family worship, and attributes the change to Mr. Truax's teachings - the committee found in this charge that the two first and the last Mr. Truax was guilty of; the third was not sustained, and in the fourth the statements proved that the prayers referred to were but pharasaical or formal.
Charge VIII: His influence has been very prejudicial to the church and its customary means of grace.
Specifications - (1) His teaching tends to unsettle the faith of believers - found guilty. (2) Two prayer meetings have died out because prayer was discouraged by the pastor - reason assigned not sustained. (3) He has ridiculed in the church and in public places, as shops, the experience given in class meetings, thereby discouraging many from attending them - sustained as regards church. (4) He has burlesqued and heaped scorn on evangelistic revival services - not sustained. (5) He has publicly attacked the language and sentiments of hymns in our hymn book - found guilty. (6) He has recommended the people to read anything they liked - the burden of proof was that he would not disapprove if guided by the Spirit. (7) He has declared that Sunday is no better than any other day, and that the people could read newspapers on Sunday if they liked; it was nobody's business - found guilty. (8) He has publicly attacked in his pulpit the editor of The Christian Guardian, and charged the editor with having libelled him, so that he (Truax) could secure pecuniary damages - the committee found that this specification was unimportant. (9) He has circulated tracts that are exceedingly mischievous in the tendencies of their teaching - found guilty.
Conclusion: "Your committee, in view of the above findings, respectfully submit the following report, that whilst thankfully recognizing the personal piety of Brother A. Truax, regret his teachings are not in accord with the doctrinal standards of our church, to which Bro. Truax gave his full assent when ordained to our ministry, and he is hereby suspended to the meeting of conference."
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