as well as great sorrow. Elder James Quinter officiated at his funeral. His third daughter, Sarah Jane, died of consumption, Feb. 1, 1880. At this time he wrote Elder Quinter: "To give up such children is full of hope for the spirit world, but oh, how sad and gloomy it leaves the dying objects of this, until nothing seems dear unless it has death or God or heaven ringing in it. Under these sorrows our pathway must be lonely and we can only look beyond the cold river made dearer because Jesus and Janie have passed through its waters."

But his cup of sorrow was not yet full. So much sickness brought him great expense. Being absent from home a great deal, his farm work was entrusted to others. For these reasons he failed financially and was forced to make an assignment. Nearly all of his creditors realized the cause of his misfortune and freely forgave him all the debt that he could not pay. The loss of their home, however, greatly weighed upon his wife. This, together with the late loss of their children, was greater than she could bear. Her health began to fail and in March, 1880, while Brother Robert was absent, she was stricken with pneumonia. He was hastily summoned to her bedside where he realized that the greatest sorrow of his life had come. His own account in the Primitive Christian, two weeks later, tells the sad story:

"Sarah C. Miller, wife of Elder R. H. Miller, died of pneumonia, March 26, 1880, aged 53 years, 1 month and 10 days. She was the daughter of Samuel Harshbarger, born in Botetout County, Va., and came to Indiana in her eleventh year. She leaves four children,

two grandchildren, two sisters, five brothers and many friends to mourn a loss which all things of earth cannot supply. She was a faithful member of the church for over twenty years, a faithful wife and mother, though for most of her life she was in feeble health. She never ceased to overtax her strength until her work on earth was done. Long watching in weariness over her two children, who died of consumption, had so worn out her strength that she was unable to bear the severe attack of the disease by which she is called to lay down the cross and take up the crown.

"This is another deeper sorrow still added to our load of troubles. Wave after wave comes rolling over us, leaving a desolate home without a mother, while we weep in sorrow which no tongue or pen have language to tell. Every silent object around us brings back in sadness the fond memories of a wife and mother, a grown son and daughter, all taken in a little over two years. So soon have come these troubles, deep and lasting, that life and death seem mingled together, all earthly objects seem changed, and cares multiplied till with aching heart we turn to God and sympathizing friends for strength and help to bear the clouds and storms. We turn to him who is the Immanuel to lead us through the deep waters, sustained and better prepared to meet those that have gone before to the spirit land. All the interest of parental care turns us to the welfare of the children left with us that God may lead them up in faith and hope to follow the example of a Christian mother whose love and life has all been given for their good, that this weeping, dying

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family of earth may be a loving, rejoicing family in heaven."

The many letters of condolence which Brother Robert received at this time showed the high esteem in which he was held by the Brotherhood at large. The heavy hand of affliction seems only to have stirred him up to greater diligence in the Master's cause. The Annual Meeting of this year placed upon him more committee work than was ever placed upon any other brother in one year in the history of the church. The whole summer was given to these duties. In July of this year he accepted the presidency of Ashland College and in September he left the scenes of his life for nearly fifty years to enter larger fields of influence and service.

CHAPTER II.

DEBATES.

A debate between two men representing different denominations, on questions that pertain to their respective principles, was no uncommon thing during the nineteenth century. It has been claimed by some that these debates grew out of a narrow-minded, bigoted and intolerant religious zeal that cared more for humiliating an opponent than to find the exact truth of God's Word. But this view is evidently far from the truth, in a great many cases at least. Men of different denominations had strong convictions as to the teaching of the Bible on doctrinal subjects. Once convinced of the truth, they uncompromisingly advocated those principles and felt it to be their duty to bring others to the true light. Nothing that God's Word contains seemed small or trivial to them. In striking contrast to them is the preacher of the twentieth century, who advocates a liberal theology and who has no time nor inclination to stand up and defend many things which he considers trivial.

The Church of the Brethren has produced many able defenders of her principles. Because of the fact that she professes to accept the whole Bible and reject none, she has had many zealous opponents who have attempted to tear down her strongholds. Such a task is no easy undertaking in the face of a "Thus saith the Lord."

One of the earliest debaters in the Church of the Brethren was Elder George Wolfe, of Illinois. One of his debates was with a Catholic priest in the town of Kaskaskia, Ill. It was attended by the Governor of the State, who afterwards said that the arguments of Elder Wolfe against Catholicism were crushing. Elder D. B. Sturgis, of Illinois, also held a number of debates, one of which was with a Mormon elder. The next debater of much experience was Elder James Quinter. About 1853 he engaged in a debate on the subject of baptism with a Lutheran minister. Other debates followed from time to time.. From September 1866 to September 1869 he engaged in six public discussions. Two of these debates were with ministers of the Lutheran church in Indiana on the subject of baptism. Three of them were held with ministers of the Disciple church, on the subjects of trine immersion, feet-washing, the Lord's supper and the salutation of the holy kiss. Of these, the one held with Elder McConnell, in Linn County, Iowa, was published in book form and had a large circulation in the Brotherhood. Elder Quinter did not greatly enjoy a debate and only engaged in them because he was urged repeatedly to do so. Then, too, he had such conviction of the truth of the position of the Church of the Brethren, and had such ability to defend those principles, that his brethren felt they had no one else to whom they could look. That his active work so suddenly stopped can largely be explained by the fact that another giant had appeared to whom the work of a debate was more pleasant; and to him Elder Quinter gladly gave the polemical defense of our principles. This man was Elder