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The Pilgrim’s Banner.
PUBLISHED-SEMI MONTHLY BY
LEE HANKS
AND
R. H. BARWICK.
BOSTON, - - • UA.
EDITORIAL STAFF!
LEE HANKS, Bost-n, Ga.,
R. 11. BARWICK,. • Pavo,
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EDITORIALS.
—The Change.
■ I- I.
Our readers learned from the
last issue of the Banner, that Eld.
Hanks and myself, had bought
the Pilgrim's Banner from Eider
Simms, and that it would be re
moved to Boston, Ga. and publish
ed in phamphlet form. In mak
ing this venture we h»ve assumed
enormous responsibilities which
makes me almost tremble to think
of it. • We have incurred a heavy
debt, and I realize that if the pa
per is not a success, J and ~ we are
unable to pay our indebtedness,
that it will be a very serious mat
ter with us.
I think of the hundreds of dear
brethren and sisters and their
children and friends who read the
Bannmr and have become attach
ed to it, and always welcome its
coming, and I hate for them to
joso it. We-cannot hope to make
money off of the paper—indeed
that is not our purpose, in assum
ing its management and owner
ship, and we wil* feel proud if it
pays expences, but our object, if
not altogether deceived, is to send
out a paper that will be a blessing
to God’s people, and one that will
be safe for them to read. Elder
Simms, its former owner and
Editor-in-chief, conducted the pa
per in such away, that together
with his able and instructive Edi
torials, he has won a warm place
in the hearts of God’s children
that will not cease to exist this
side of the grave.
We do not feel that we can edit
the paper better than Elder Simms
did, and tor my part, Ido truly
fully feel that I am far behind
him in every respect, and was it
not for the tact that Elder Hanks
is associated with me in this sol
emn task, I would fear to under
take it worse than I do.
I have tried to pray God to give
me a special endowment of His
Holy Spirit, that we may send
forth a paper that will have for its
object the glorification of God and
the good of His people. At the
same time we ask all lovers of
truth everywhere that if you find
the paper worthy of your patron
age, that you help us to increase
its circulation and keep the sub-
scriptions paid up, so that we
be able to continue it without any
great sacrifice.
Many who read it are prompt
to pay their subscription, others
let it run one year and sometimes
mor -, through carelessness or a
lack of the money just at the prop
er time, while there are others, I
am sorry to say, whose names are
on our books, and who have been
receiving the paper almost or quite
from its first issue, who have nev
er p*iid anything. We are puzzled
to know the object ot this class of
readers in taking the paper; for
all ought to know that we cannot
furnish the paper free, except to
agents and indigent readers, and
if they know and love the truth
published in this paper, I know
they are honest, for grace makes
men honest, and I am at a lose to
know why they don’t pay for it. Per
haps some have taken it through
courtesy to the editors, or, the
publication itself, and if so we
would insist that you pay for the
time you have received it, and if
it does not please you to read it,
just let us know and we will drop
your name from the list, only pay
what you are honestly due. We
mean business and cannot run the
paper on air, hence we want all
who are m arrears to pay up. We
do not expect everyone to keep
exactly up with his subscription,
but it looks like the paper might
be remembered sometimes.
While we write thus, if you
want the paper and will drop us a
card to wait with you until you
can pay, we will most cheerfully
do so, and if any one who wishes
to read it and is not able to pay
for it, will let us know, they shall
have it free. There is nothing
binding to cause anyone to sub
scribe for the paper, but »we ask
all who love the truth to help us,
by writing us their church news,
etc., and circulating the paper
provided you feel that it is worth
the money. We want x one
—> u ij i.» ilmi imfc. Ifyu4n unnd
it and who does not think it is
worth one dollar a year. If you
think it is, then we respectfully
ask lor your patronage, We do
not pnpose to dun you in every
issue, but we will shortly issue
some statements of what you owe,
who are as much as two years be
hind, and mail it to you and ask
you,to settle; it you are not pre
pared and will ask us to wait we
will do so, otherwise we will be
obliged to.drop you from our list.
We think this would be justice
to all parties. As is elsewhere
stated, the paper will after this
issue, be published at Boston, Ga.
but all the business part of it will
be conducted by me at Pavo, Ga.
All that is now due, or will
hereafter be due, should be sent, by
money order or registered letter,
to me at Pavo, Ga.and if tbe dates
opposite your names on the paper,
does not appear correctly, please
notify me, tor we want each sub
scriber to get his paper and get it
regularly, and we intend they
shall if possible.
We would most earnestly re
quest that all who are interested
in the welfare of the paper, would
ask the Lord in our behalf that
we may send you a nice clean
pamphlet, filled with such things
as will comfort and cheer, and in
struct, and benefit all into whose
hands it may come.
R. H. Barwick.
Godly Deportment.
The life of the ministry should
be an example in faith and purity
to all other believers. They are
chosen and called of God —the
Lord of the harvest —as minister
ing servants, under-shepherds,
reapers, and as ensamples to the
flock of God in all good works.
“Behold I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves, be
ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves.” Matt, x, 16.
Many of God’s servants have
brought shipwreck upon them
selves by not heeding this sacred
command: and not only to them
selves but on the flock entrusted
to their stewardship.
✓ When they should have been
engaged in studying God’s wi>rd
and how they should conduct
themselves, and minister to the
saints of their spiritual
Many of them have been engaged
in foolish and filthy jesting which
will increase unto more ungodli
ness and discourages, alm<^~over
throw the faith of some poor
trembling Christian who is looking
to him for a word of comfort and
exp ecting to hear someth mg| of
Jesus and his goodness to poor
sinners.
One instance I will here relate
that came under my personal
knowledge, and which uroves chat
ministers should be cautious at
all times.
I baptized a brother not long
since, who dated his hopes back
several years, to a time when he
.was walking along a road in a
strange cc untry alone, and was
greatly troubled over his sms.
Eld Simms was traveling the
same road and hud stopped to eat
dinner by the road-sid<and as
this brother came up they got up
a conversation and Eld. Simms
got led out on a Christian’s expe
rience, He knew nothing of the
other’s trouble, and it all was pass
ed trom his mind until I told him
of it, but while he was talking the
other was relieved of his biyden
and dated his experience back to
that day. If Eld. Simms had en
gaged in fnvolous conversation
the man might have been discour
aged and almost lost confidence
in the Old Baptists.
I have often heard people WU or
times when they would seek the
company of Elders to hear tipme
thing of Jesus and bis love and
how sadly they were disappointed
and their .confidence in religion
shaken by the indulging in fool
shness and worldly talk of those
fiom whom thiy better
things. It is do me
That infidelity is
.I-,
a cold stale condition.
Let the ministry arise and con
demn ungodliness in all its forms
and lead exemplary lives before
the church and the world and re
ligion will regain its lost ground,
God will be glorified and our re
ligion will be worth more to us.
I have no confidence in this sanct
ified Bunday religion which will
not last through the week.
We ought to mix cur religion
in our every-day life—in our walk
and conversation and let it be a
part of us.
I visited an old brother not long
since who is very feeble and his
family are watching for his death
daily, and he took me by the hand
and said, “Brother Barwick I want
you to pray for me, but do not
pray for me to get well. I am so
tired and sick of this world, that I
am anxious to go to rest. I have
seen the gates of heaven open for
me, and I know I shall be at rest.
I have dreaded death in the past,
but I- dread it no longer, lam
going to rest and 1 pray God to
let me go to-night.”
I looked upon his pale wasted
features as he uttered this sweet
language and I felt, “0 for such
religion as this when I come to
die.”
I felt as near the gates of heaven
as I had ever been—conversing
with one who was ready and not
afraid to die, one for whom the
monster death had been bound in
iron chains, one whos? heart was
completely taken away from earth,
and wholly centered upon heaven.
Dear reader, this is the kind of
religion I want all my life and at
my d*-ath. Let us all try to live
it here by doing good for evil, and
by looking daily for the coming of
our blessed Lord.—R. H. B.
Pamphlet Form.
After this issue we want to put
the Banner in pamphlet form,
tne same size as when published
by brother John Post at Troy, Ala.
containing 32 papes of reading
matter which will amount to 768
pages in one year for onh SI.OO.
You can have this bound if you
wish and pr< served for years.
This will incur quite an expense?
upon us, and a small sacrifice
from each subscriber in remi ting
his own subscription and aiding
in sending us new subscribers will
enable us to send forth a paper of
which you will all fuel proud. Let
us go to work at once and put our
shoulders to the wheel and have a
good home paper filled with the
good old doctrine of salvation by
grace which lifts sinners out of
the mire and clay and makes them
Kings and Priests to God. Pray
for us that our steps in this may
be ordered of the Loid, and that
izood may be accomplished in ad
justing little difference of opinion
and cementing us in love. Help
us brethren.
Yours in love.
Lee Hanks.
Read It.
We hope every Primitive Bap
tist parent into whos hands this is
sue of the Banner may fall, will
read the article on the first page
headed “How.” It is a well writ
ten article on a timely and impor
tant subject, and furnishes food
for thought for . all parents who
desire to raise and train their chil
dren in that way that they would
respect the worship of Gcd and re
flect credit upon those in to whose
hands they have been intrusted.
Also the concluding paragraph,
teaching how pastors should teach
important and lasting lessons to
the rising generation, is of
paramount importance. Read it.
—S.
Atlanta Ga, Aug, 96.
Mrs R. A. Phillips.
Dear Sister in hope of Christ—
I feel inclined to write you to-day.
Wish I could have seen you again
you left Atlanta. I was
asked me the question
Mbrufd Millers,- the last
¥v>u-
you asked me what spirit prompt
ed or caused a Christian to doubt
and fear? I was sorry to have
been placed in the position to
either have to evade the truth as
I undei stand it, or tell it in my
light and thereby be an offense
or stumbling-block to you and oth
ers. My natural make-up is to
meet everything squarely—dodge
nothing. And I followed that
plan that day answering your
question. I said just as little as
possible, and soon left. I never
want to be a stumbling-block to
any one. If I cannot be benefi
cial; I prefer not to talk at all.
I cannot alter my experience
and would not, if I could. So I
often think it best for me to say
as little as possible about it. I lose
no opportunity, and spare
no effort to fully do what God
tells me to do. 1 cannot afford
to be distrustful of God. I know
lam living here in a sinful body
of flesh, and that its tendency is
to sin all the time; and not a day
passes that I do not feel and know
that through this fleshly body I
have sinned. And my greatest de
sire is to so control the flesh as to
commit as little sin as.possible.
And to do this, dwell on spiritual
thoughts all the spare time I have
from tiie actural engagements of
my profession. Notwithstanding
these daily sins I commit, I never
nave, sii ce my deliverance, had
one dark and gloomy feeling like
1 hear others speak about. I feel
sorry about having committed the
sinful thoughts or acts; and never
fail at the very time they occur to
beg God to forgive me.
Had you not left the hall that
day, I would have offered you one
more thought on the reason of
“doubts and fears’’ And will
here venture to mention it. hoping
I may not widen the difference
between us that I then caused by
my answer.
and fears, —in addition
to T the answer then—will also
arise from a lack of perfect trust. *
Now, in one sense, (hat lack of
perfect trust is a disobedience.
But we doubt uolbiisg in a natur
al sense when wh have unbounded
trust. To illustrate—ll I own a
gentle buggy-horse, I drive him
in any and all kind of places, and
he never gives me trouble. And
I reach the point of perfect trust
in the animal; —I have no doubt
or fear as to how he will behave
himself. I put all confidence
in him?—do not ever watch him at
anytime, or undei any kind of
circumstances; —1 feel to know
that horse will behave himself
properly. But I change my horse
for a trickish mule; I trust him for
nothing; I feel to know that he
must be watched all the time. I
have my doubts and tears of him
continually. I never feel perfect
ly easy wtiile driving him:—know
I cannot trust him.
1 trust God infinitly more than
I could my gentle horse. I know
he is not only trust-worthy, but
that he is able to perform all his
premises, I further know that he
is not only able, but will comp’y
with them, 1 do not trust John F.
Daniel as much as 1 would my
trickish muel, because I know he
is nothing but flesh, and as sinful
as could be, if not held in check.
So you catch my idea. That Gods
little children will trust more or
less to themselves, and just in
propoition as they trust to them
selves, are their doubts and fears;
for God is a jealous God, and the
moment hi* little children rely on
themselves that moment he with
draws his light and power, and he
withdraws just in propoition to
the amount they distrust him;
hence, the grades of doubts and
fears experienced by God’s chil
dren.
During the two long years of
my conviction,time and time again
I promised God that if lie just
would let* me live, I never, no,
/never would mistrust him. And
tiinuhn b® to holy • iisme II
never have mistrusted Him a, sin
gle time since my deliverance!!
And oh what a joy he is right now
giving me while I am penning
these truths to you!! My dear sis
ter, I hope you will more fully
understand me after reading this
very imperfect letter; and be dis
poseed to throw the mantle of
charity over what you may be con
strained to believe my errors.
But this lite ot mine has been a
glorious one to me ever since Sept,
1871. I may some day to
travel through darkness and gloom
spiritually, but hope not. The
sad death of my only son this
last April, was the most crucial
test I have ever had in the 25
years; and in all my sorrows in
giving that sweet boy up God
has entermigled His joys and
comforts in the proportion of two
to one. I immediately after the
last breath left his body, began
to sing with more joy and comfort
two to one than sorrows “Praise
God from whom all blessings
flow." And so my life wears on and
I ft el perfectly resigned God-idea 1 -
ing with me and mine. I want to
do his holy will, whatever that is,
or may be concerning me. And I
feel all the time that 1 shall be
glad when his will shall be to take
me to my blessful home where I
can praise Him without any mix
ture of sin; —Where all will be
light;—where that spoken of in
Proverbs (the path of the just is
as a shining light that shines more
more and more unto the perfect
day) will end in Christ’s everlas
ting presence.
Your humble brother in God’s
hands.
J. F. Daniel.
Bro. D. will pardon me for this
literty with his private letter (mis
laid for a time) also he now know
that he was mistaken as that his
words were distastful or stumbling
block to me—P.
‘RE-BAPTISM.’ 4
During the last few years sever-) 1
al brethren and sisters, of differ
ent localities, have asked me to
write on the above; then recently
Eld. Barwick insisted on it; and
now Eld. Hanks strongly solicits
me to do so at once. I suppose it
is because they know this question
was once practically before me.
And here let me say, of the many,
this was tbe most difficult obstruc
tion to surmount in my way of
leaving the Missionary and going
to the Primitive Baptist.
In complying with the above re
quest, I feel constrained to give a
part of my own personal experience
that h d me up to the investiga
tion of this subject, with the idea
and hope of, perhaps, more fully
meeting the case of some others.
In my eighteenth year I receiv
ed a hope early one Wednesday
morning in 1851, and was baptized
by the Missionaries the, next Sun
day, and soon after was married.
I had not searched the scrip
tures, but had read the new testa
ment. So regarded the Missiona
ry Baptist as one of the churches
of Christ. 1 loved them because
they seemed so devoted to his cause
and to love and serve Jesus, my
wonderful Savior. After baptism
I certainly felt the answer of a
good conscience. And Jesus “all
the day lone was my joy and my
song.” I then felt that I cdiikL
f >rsake all earthly kindred to fol
low him. I remember grieving be
cause there was no severe test to
try and prove my love for him.
Alas, in what an unexpected way
it came. I think one of my main
objects in joining them was to
join in their ready system of good
works. I was eager to begin, in
heart exulting at the. thought and
intentions of doing so much -in
timely works for him who had
done all things for me in eternal
salvation. I believed in the Bap
tist doctrine of salvation by grace,
but also in good works that should
follow from love as a result. And
that as believing their Institutions
and systems of work were support
ed Ty "scripture, “*■' V "rejdttsl
that they were established ready
to my eager hands, and that I had
the means as well as the privilege.
I never thought then of being
anything but a Missionary, and a
working one.
But before I had done anything
in this line—a few weeks after
joining—l was arrested by a scrip
ture —the peculiar force and pow
er of which I can never describe—
spoken aloud, apparently, in my
heart, or inner being, saying—“lf
ye love me, keep my command
ments.” The effect was wonder
ful : For it seemed to turn me
right about, so to speak, and send
my mind in new channels of
thought—of fields unexplored. I
had accepted, love, and worshipped
Jesus as my Savior, and was eager
to work, more as a “free will offer
ing” from my love, than from a
thought of obeying and honoring
Jesus I think. But now I was led
to see that as my Savior truly, he
had bought me with a price, and I
was not my own ; —that my Savior
was my rightful Master and law
giver. And now “if ye love me,
keep my commandments.” This
came to me often, and at the most
unexpected time. And now I dare
not engage in any work until' I
found his command tor it. I
thought there were scriptural
commands for the Missionary
works, but I must see them for
myself. This sent me reading
and searching the new testament.
In two or three months I almost
knew it “by hea,rt.” And instead
of a command of Jesus for all
their Institutions and. inventions
for good works, —and that com
prised the issues between, and sep
arating them from, the Primitive
Baptist—l lound them condemn
ed and forbiddened. I then told
them I could not
stay with them, and culled for my
church letter. Tney tried to sat
isfy me, and as a last resort, r&-
sered me to J. R. Graven— Editor
of the “Tennessee Baptist,’’ of
Nashville Tenn, —who wrote me
that there was no scripture for
these things, that the best that
could be said for them, was, that