Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 2.
Dear Brother Respess:—lt is
now a long time since the Baptist
in this country were all one people,
and the word ‘Baptist” conveyed
but one signification. But al
though a long time, there are
those living who remember it well - ,
while a large majority of the
present generation have grown up
separation, and know
nothing of the general division
into New and Old School Baptist,
only as they have been told by
others. As a matter of course, the
great bulk of the people are liable
tb be misinformed, and con*
iiequently misled as to many
imnortant points involved in the
controversy. I say controversy,
because each party to the separa
tion have generally claimed to
occupy the original ground. Thot*e
. who lived before and all through
the conflict which ended in sepa
v ration, are the ones to speak and
to b« heard; because they speak
What they know, and testify, what
they have passed through and such
* testimony will not be likely to lead
us astray. I may, hereafter, write
„ you particularly of some of the
incidents and events of that time.
One that occurs to me I will
relate now, as bearing upon the
question of what the division
was, what led to it, and what it
eventually came to be. I do not
propose, however, to give real
In my early life, and long before
the division above referred to, I
• ■ ■ ■. •
was acquainted with the location
ot a certain Baptist church and
personally acquainted with many
of its members. Os their character
as church members, or their sin
cerity, I have nothing to say. This
church settled a pastor, to serve
every Sunday, Os his character,
as an upright man, and one that
did what he thought was right, I
have nothingjmfavorable to say.
As the elements that led to divi
sion began to work and develop
themseves, this man began to be
regarded with doubt by some, as
to his soundness in doctrine.
No noise, however, was raised
about the matter as yet and the
call was renewed and accepted
from year to year. It may be ob
served here, that these yearly calls
were in accord with quite general
practice of the churches, nearly al
ways being accompanied with a
stipulation for the year’s services
On one occasion, the wife of one of
the deacons told her husband that
she would accompany him to the
approaching annual church me
tinga. She told me that she had
become dissatisfied with the
preaching, and she did not know of
another one, neither did she expect
any countenance or sympathy from
any body, not even from her
husband. She felt constrained
in honesty and conscience to vote
against the preaher’s stay although
she expected to vote alone. She
said nothing however, of her
intentions to anybody. When the
vote came, the large number in
attendance voted unanimously to
renew the call. As the reverse
was called for, she rose to her feet,
voting “nay’,’. Ofcouisj she was
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“THOU* HAST GIVEN A BANNER TO THEM THAT FEAR THEE, THAT IT MA
questioned, and asked to show
cause if any she had , the. preacher
being spokesman. She said to me
“I told nim as well as I cou.ld“ You
always put the sinner first ; you
say that the sinner must take the
first step, and then the Lord will
assist him, that there is a work
for the sinner to do, and if he will
do his pact the. Lord will do his
part. You say that ff chnrcMs will
have any revivals or other prosper
ty, that they must move first in
the matter, and use the means, and
then they may expect that the
Lord will blesr their “efforts.”
‘‘Well,” says the preacher, “that
is the way it is and that’s the way
we must preach it.” “It don’t tead
so, my Bible don’t,” was her quiet
reply. I will not folow the church
meeting father than to sav that
the preacher lost his temper, and:
got exceeding angry’, the storm of ;
passion raged around the quiet
little woman while she kept calm
as a summer morning. The
preacher accepted the call and
remained. The discussion of this
day was but the beginning. The
Association is about to convene
with his ehuroh. Nearly all the
preachers of the Association
including the pastor above spoken
of, have by this time become
known ae in accord on the above
sentiments. In order, I suppose,
to rally all their strength, the
in the church letter and presented
to the Association. Now comas
the issue, the interesting turning
point. The session of the Associa
tion commences. The flesh is
sometimes timid and weak; sister
S. told me that she had resolved
in her mind not to go but remain
at home. However, it was fixed
for her to go, and she was urged
and finally went, so as to hear the
first or introductory sermon. The
Lord moves in a mysterious way
his wonders to perform; and >f he
did not move in this matter, to
have that man preach there at that
time, it would be hard to say how
it came about. Because the inter
ests and inclinations of that
Association would never have had
it so. Be that as it may, the man
was there, from some place; and
he came in the fullness of the
blessing of the gospel of Christ.
His word was of that kind that
burned and consumed like fire
among stubble. It came not in
word only, but in power. Sister
-S, said: “When he commenced
he commenced well enough, but
she expected to hear it spoiled be
fore he went far ; but instead of
.that, she said, “it got better and
better as he wont on, and better
and better all the way through;
that taken it all in all it was the
best sermon to her and did her
the most good, of any one she had
ever heard, either before or after
ward”. After preaching was over
quite a number gathered around
her and as soon as they could
speak to her, began ; “Why, Sister
S.that is the kind of preaching you
wanted.” And truly enough it
was; but it had not been heard in
that place in so long that its
peculiar ring bad been almost
DEVOTED TO THE CAU
V ALDOSTA, GA., HARCffI
forgotten. The other preachers
complained, “Why, brother G.,you
give us pork, and give it to us in
the whole ham.” This meant, of
course, that they could not swal
low it. That sermon was, on
that occasion, the fan that purged
the floor; and fourteen members
drew out from that organization
to be known afterwards as “O S.
Baptist.” That preacher (long
since deceased) was aftewards
extensively known as a sound
and faithful minister among the
Old order. It seemed that the
Lord had need of him there at that
time. Th i sister who acted the
prominent part, as above shown,
in these events, was a woman of a ;
retiring disposition; one of the
most quiet, modest and diffident
of women, and withal under 0~-
dinary size. That this battle'
have been fought, alnl the
victory won, by such a feeble
instrument, was indeed wonderful.!
Strong and able men came in after !
ward to reap the fruits and enjoy
the rewards of this victory. The }
Lord had indeed taken a worm i
and threshed the mountain (Isa xh I
14, 15.)
' >ln this eveiit can be the el
emerits and the workings of the di
vision. The bulk of the then Bap
tist ministry was gradually, but
surely, drifting from' the track.
A few saw and felt it. A grievous
famine was developing in the land
Trmr-ihe hungry were - VneTWlJwuiq k
instead of bread. The preacher
comes to a strange land, and
among a strange people, to find
some ready to famish with hunger
fcr that very word of the Lord
that he has brought. Can we doubt,
er question, that He whose ways
are equal has provided a gospel
adapted to the wants of the hun
gry, the poor, and the needy ? Can
we doubt that this hungering for
the word of the Lord, is the devel
opment of a life in the Spirit? The
people personally are strangers to
each other. No particular satis
faction is looked for. It has teen
long enough since nure gospel
preaching has been heard, that it
is not now expected. But a sur
prise is near. And it is like Joseph
making himself known unto his
brethren. The famine will yet go
on in Egypt; out Israel will be
nourished in the land of Goshen,
and from Joseph’s storehouses
they will henceforth have plenty
of bread.
E. Rittenhouse.
—Gospel Messenger.
Dearly Beloved Brother:—From
a deep impression which I cannot
put away, but whether of the Lord
I know not, 1 have decided to pen
a few thoughts for your considera
tion, on the duties ot Christians.
When I consider the fact that I
am but twenty-four years of age,
have been numbered with the
Baptists but four years, am nothing
but a little lay member and not at
all worthy of that, my great weak
ness, sinfulness and inferiority to
my brethren in knowledge and wis
dom I shudder at the task.
The subject I am about to grasp
is one that is most agitating the
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