Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/101

Rh a United States permit—this being necessary, as his name was on the military enrollment—he made a trip to Oregon, driving an ox team.

Upon arriving in this state: he immediately became connected with the colony of Aurora, and remained until 1871, when he returned to Bethel, but came to Aurora again in 1882, where he has since remained. His recollections of Doctor Keil are very clear, and he holds the doctor's remembrance in the highest esteem and affection. He retains his teaching more exactly perhaps than any other member of the community.

Mr. Miller states that Doctor Keil was from Prussia and a man not highly educated, yet a good practicing physician, and of remarkable personal power, having a quality strongly bordering upon magnetism. His religion was entirely Christian, and was based upon the Bible, which he accepted in full. He also taught the relations of natural laws, and the natural results of moral action; deriving religious beliefs from life and nature, as well as from revelation, and thus led out finally to faith in God and the hope of immortality.

His preaching was delivered in German, though upon a few occasions he made speeches in English. The power and indeed the truthfulness of his preaching may be inferred, says Mr. Miller, from the fact that the most of his followers were well-to-do people when they first became interested in his doctrine, and in order to join his society were obliged to give to the community all their goods—a test of sincerity required by few modern preachers.

His social philosophy was communistic, but based, as he taught it, entirely upon the Bible and upon the practice of the disciples, of whom it is said, "They had all things common, neither were there any among them that lacked." In order to accomplish such a result, there