The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

CHARLES G. FINNEY

1871

To Edward Payson Marvin

24 March 1871

 

[MS in Finney Papers, Box 9, Oberlin College Archives.]

 

Oberlin 24th Mch 1871.

Rev. E. P. Marvin.

My Dear Brother,

Yours of the 23d is recd.

Your copy of Morgan's book

is spurious, & the genuine

work has long been out

of print. The work was

bought up & gathered up

as far as possible by Freemasons

& destroyed. Two or more

editions were published

that were spurious & as

you see rendered ridic

ulous by promising on

the title page much

that is not found in the

work. Bernard copied the

whole of Morgan's book

(the three first three degrees),

verbatim. This being uni

versally known at the time

[page 2]

rendered a new & correct

edition of Morgan unnecessary.

& Bernards book containing

so much more than Morgans

was allowed by general consent

to take its place. All the

old seceeding Mormons who

saw Morgans book will

testify to the faithfulness

with which Bernard copied

his work. I believe the

spurious edition of Morgan

has the first three degrees

nearly as Morgan gave

them but it has so much more

that was introduced on

purpose to discredit the

whole that the book can

not be used as an authority.

I see the M. E. Church is fearfully

in league with this abomina

tion. It can not fail to be

[page 3]

sorely rent or wholly ruined

by free Masonry. If the minority

i.e. the Antimasons rise up &

unite they must revolt but

may save at least a part

of that communion. Satan

has seldom made so succ

essful a raid upon any

branch of the Church as in

this case. You have not seen

the end of the new philoso

phy of promoting revivals.

You need to see the kind

of revivals if any that will

result from the labors of

these modern converts &

their successors.

Do you read the "Christian

Cynosure. the Anti secret

society paper, the organ of

the National Society, publis

hed by Ezra A. Cook, 88.

La Salle street Chicago

 

[page 4][

published Bi-weekly at

$1. per year. If you do not

see this I wish you would

do for it is ably conducted

& contains the instruction

that the people need. It will

give you a list of the best

Anti masonic literature

& whatever is opposed to secret

societies, & also inform you

of what is being accomplished

by the present movement or

opposition to these works of

darkness. You speak of newer

measures than mine. I care

little for measures. It is a

false philosophy of revivals

that I fear. The assumption

that sinners can embrace

the gospel without first being

slain by the law. This is

a fearful mistake.

God bless you my Br.

C. G. Finney

 

Footnotes:

This letter is not in the Finney Papers.

This word is unclear, but looks like "revolt".

This word is unclear, but it could be "slain".