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<1 izement, and increased their disposition for more
exclusive privileges; ali of which goto show
plainly that &ch aspirants with their pretended
religion, are of this world, and not of our Lord
Jesus Christ, for He Las said, 44 My king lorn is not
of this world —if tny kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight, that I should not be
delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom
not from hence,” John xviii. 36. Again, lie has
taught his followers that they should call no man
n earth their father, 44 for one is your Father, even
God, and all ye are brethren.” lie has also charg
ed them that they should not call any on earth
Ih -rr benefactors, seeing they have one Father,
even God, and one Master, even Jesus Christ.
It is worthy of notice that the Church of Jesus
Christ, in her simple organization, have never, since
the organization thereof, been known to seek from
any law making powers, any religious liberties
whatever; but have been satisfied that their God
reigns, to protect and defend them, with heaven
and earth at His command, and holding the keys
of death and of hell; and surely nothing but a
lack of confi lence in God and the truth of IJis
word could influence professed religious bodies to
apply to the puny arm of the laws made by men
for more exclusive religious liberties than we al
ready have in this highly favored country, viz
laws to protect every man in the right to worship
according to the dictates of his own conscience.—
Being satisfied with these excellent liberties, we
Old School Baptists ask no more; but really feel
to rejoice that we can heartily believe and public
ly proclaim tbe precious truths of our God, a3 re
corded in His holy word, which we consider a full
and finished rule, both of faith and practice, for all
who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
While we have been constantly contending for
the doctrine and ordinances of the gospel, as once
delivered unto the saints, we have had to come in
contact with all other denominations, and even
with many claiming the name of Baptists, and oc
casionally some claiming tbe name of Old School
Baptists have been found to call in question some
deep and important points of doctrine, not so
much because they considered that deep points
were false, but rather because they were too deep
and mysterious to be easily and readily coinpre
bended. I refer to the predestination of ali things,
and the actual eternal vital or life union of Christ
and his Church. Though there has been some dis
cussion and inquiry among the brethren on these
points, it is a pleasing reflection that a spirit of
brotherly forbearance has been manifested, while
those who can heartily receive the dootiine on
these points, have shown no disposition to exercise
dominion over the faith of their brethren who
could not so readily receive the doctrine; the lat
ter class seem to manifest do disposition to take
dominion over the faith of the former. Ibis is no
thing new in the church of God, for in every age
there have been some points of the doctrine of the
gospel in discussion among the saints, but with
proper forbearance they have continued to live to
gether in brotherly love, though occasionally some
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER;
have become so self-important that they would
bear with none but such as conformed to their
notions—and away they have gone, and but sel
dom have gone out alone, but have taken off all
they could get to conform to, and follow them.—
The time to discuss doctrinal points has been
mostly in times of coldness and declension, and
not while tbe church have been enjoying revivals,
for liven all are teachable and childlike. 0 ! that
such a state of feelings could be once more real
ized by all the dear children of God. The doc
trine cf the gospel, is the doctrine of the Cross,
and the more contrary to all natural human calcu
lations, the nearer right the doctrine is—while any
system of doctrine that appears right, and easy to
be understood by our natural reasoning powers, is
wrong J because in such a system of doctrine the
offense of the cross would cease.
With anxious desires for the peace of Zion, dear
brethren, I hope and pray that God may keep us
from the many hurtful snares that lie in the way,to
entangle our feet, and destroy our peace and use
fulness) one to another, but may each esteem others
better th&n himself, and all be found striving to
gether to keep the unity of the Spirit (not the
flesh) in the bonds of peace. Wishing prosperity
to the Messenger , as a channel of free correspond
ence, and of friendly religious discussion, on all
points connected with the gospel of our Lord Je
sus Christ, I close for the present, confessing that
if lam a saint at all, lam less than the least of
all, —the chief of sinners—yet faintly hoping for
final deliverance from this present evil world, ac
cording to the will of God and our Fath-er, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory, now,
and forever.. Amen.
Yours in love,
D. W. PATMAN.
Opelika, Ala., Dec. 2<, 185&.
Brethren Beede & Purington: —Having to
write for the accommodation of some brethren and
friends who wish to renew their subscription to
the Messenger , I will say that the church at Prov
idence in Russell Cos., Ala., has for a short time
past been enjoying a time of refreshing from the
presence of the Lord. On the second Sunday in
November, a very cold day, I baptized three, and
on the second Sunday in December I baptized
two more, others &re expected to join soon. Sev
enteen years ago, l was received and baptived at
the same church, but there is now but one member
there, who was a member when I joined. Some
have been expelled from the church fellowship,
some have moved away, some have gone to their
long and eternal home, but God has still gracious
ly preserved the visibility of the church and it is
very evident that there is now a work of God’s
power and grace, going on in the vicinity of this
little church. Sinners, poor lost and ruined sin
ners, who have hitherto delighted in sin and folly,
are by the mighty power of God, made to see aud
feel and know their lost and ruined condition. —
They are made to know the exceeding riches of
God’s grace in bis kindness towards them through
Christ Jesus, in setting their poor distressed souls j
at liberty. They come to the church “confessing
their sins,” and telling what great things the Lord
has dons for them. They tell us they feel very
poor and unworthy, but still they feel a desire to
follow Jesus, to be burned with him in baptism, to
keep bis commandments, and live in union and
fellowship with God’s poor and afflicted people. —
Ihey tell us they esteem the reproach of Christ-,
greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.
Dear Brethren, I am much inclined to believe
that there are some few who have an humble hope
in Christ around nearly all the churches of my
acquaintance, who still linger without, halting,
fearing, and trembling. They need help, they
need the godly counsel and advice of Christians.
They desire to hear Christians talk of the dealings
of God with them. They would themselves freely
talk at times, if church members wouid only start
the subject and mention it to them. But O how
careless have we become! llow worldly minded,
how full of vain and light conversation, that is
more calculated to distress than to-comfort and in
struct the little lender lambs of Christ. Let
church membeis live lip to their duty and privi
leges as Christians, speaking often one to another-,
in love, meekness and kindness, each one standing
in his place, bearing one another’s burdens, and so
fulfilling the law of Christ, and then these little
ones who are without, feel doubly anxious to meet
with you, to talk with you, to live and die with
you. But while church members are remiss, they
can afford but little encouragement to others;
I remain yours affectionately,
W. M. MITCHELL.
‘/ EDITOEIAL
WM. L. BEEBE, 1
J. L. PURINGTON, j *aitoTß
covin
REMARKS ON 1 PETER IY. 14, 15.
“If je he reproached for the name of Christ, hap
py are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth
upon you : on their part ho is evil spoken of: but on
jour part he is glorified. But let none of you snf
fer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or
as a husy-hody in other men’s matters.”
This epistle was addressed to the strangers scatter
ed abroad in the primitive age of the church, and
who are called the elect of God. Their professed
standing as the followers of Christ subjected them to
much persecution and suffering from a gain-saying
world. Peter wrote to those brethren, who were,
probably, most of them Jews according to thefleshjto
comfort, and confirm them in the truth amid the fiery
trials and temptations to which they were exposed,
to direct them to he subject to the Governments un
der which they lived; and to warn them to take no
part in the insurrections then formed by the Jews
against the Roman Government. They were not to
•think strange of the fiery trial which was to try them
as though some strange thing had happened to them,
but they were to rejoice, inasmuch as they were par
takers of Christ’s sufferings, that when his glory
should he revealed, they might be glad with -exceed
ing joy. Then follows our text in immediate con
nection to show that amidst all the reproach they
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