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YallobushA County, Miss., Feb. 24, 1860.
Dear Brethren — l have been thinking of wri
ting a few lines concerning Missiotiism for your in
spection, which you can dispose of as you please.
Be assured that I will content myself if you com
mit it to the flames or otherwise.
The modern Missionary system is perhaps be
lieved by some of its advocates, to be almost as
old as the gospel ehttich itself, from the fact that
they hear it proclaimed from the pulpit that Paul
Was a missionary. There are, however, liv
ing at the time beihg, who are older than the Mis
ionary Baptist Church. The first account that we
have of Missionism among the people called Bap
tists, was originated in England in the year 1792,
by Andrew Fuller; 1792 from 1860, just makes
sixty-eight years. Therefore, the Missionary Bap
tists are sixty-eight years old only. It is true, how
ever, that a Missionary Society was constituted by
the Lutheran Church as early as 1706, and by the
Moravians or United Brethren as early as 1734.
Previous to the origin of this Missionary or Fuller
ite Society, the Baptists had ever held the|inven
tions of men in religion in contempt. Here I will
’ insert one or two declarations put forth by them
more than seven hundred years ago, they speak for
themselves, “We have ever regarded the inven
tions of men in the affairs of religion, as an un
speakable abomination before God.” Again, “ We
hold in abhorrence all human inventions as pro
ceeding from anti Christ, which produce distress,
and are prejudicial to the liberty of the mind.”—
These declarations put forth by the Waldensian
Baptists upward of seven hundred years ago, show
plainly that the ancient Baptists stood, with regard
tothe of men, just School
Baptists now stand. Therefore, I contend that the
‘Old School or Primitive Baptists are the real de
scendants of the ancient Baptists, for it is evident,
bad our modern Missionary or Fullerite Baptists
been in existence when the above extracts
were written, that they would have been treated
with as much “ abhorrence” as others who partic
ipated in the inventions of men in that remote age
of the church. Those Baptists in those ancient
times looked at the inventions of men quite differ
ent to what the Baptists of a certain class look at
them this day. The Southern Baptist Sunday
School Union met at Canton, Miss., Nov. 25, 1859.
And here are some of its proceedings which I copy
from the Baptist Messenger, a Missionary paper
published at Memphis, Tenn,, Dec. 9,1859, “That
a way be opened for individuals to become Life
Directors, and Life, and Annual members by the
payment of SSO, $25 and $5 respectively.” The
object of the above mentioned Union is to “train
up children in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord,” according to their statements. But when
we go into these schools we find them teaching the
children the fabulous works of their societies, de
nominated Sunday Schools books. Thus fulfilling
the Scripture that says, M And they shall turn away
their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables ” 2 Tim. iv. 5. In consequence of these
human inventions, children’s minds are chained in
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
darkness to the true import of Scripture, beneath
the dark clouds of human devibe, which has been
the cause iti past ages of the world of the fcaHh
being stained with so much innocent blood. It is
evident to my mind, that it will eventually be the
result of the modern religious inventions. I can
see no cause why Protestant ibVentiohs are any bet
ter than Catholic inventions, the only diffsrence'wor
thy of notice for want of power; the modern In
vehtonists have not as yet shed so much innocent
blood as the Qatholics. But lo:>k if you please at
the corruptions in the North, the head quarters of
these various religious inventions where they have
changed the use of the pulpit from religion, and
desecrated it for the purpose of power, that they
may carry on a system of rapine and assassination
against their Southern brethren. Why are
old order of Baptist united North and South as a
band of brothers, as a denomination battling
against these rebellious societies from Maine to
Mississippi, and from Mississippi to California, in
short from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocewv?
answer is at hand, they take the Bible for the man
of their counsel, and reject human device in reliv,
gicus affairs in whatsoever form it comes; for which
cause they have ever been persecuted in some fora,
or other, but they bear it patiently for Christ’s sake.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suf
fering, gentleness, goodness, Ac. Gal. v. 22. But
the works of the flesh are, “ Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings, murders,” &c. Gal. v. 12—?0
21. Now Paul has given a rule in the above ver
ses by which we may easily distinguish the works
of the flesh from those of the spirit. Where the
woiks of spiritism to,b% found* I
for ttie attentive observer to judge. That the works
flesh are manifest in the popular religion of
the day is obvious. The traditions of men in our
day like those in Christ’s day, are making V e
“commandments of God of none effect.” “In vain,”
said he, “they do worship me, teaching for doc
trines the commandments of men.” Malt. xv. 39.
“ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness.” “That the man
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works.” 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. Here
is a declaration from the Apostle Paul to Timothy,
that the Scriptures are sufficient to “ thoroughly
furnish the man of God to all good works.” Where
then the necessity of the inventions of men, such
as Sunday Schools, Temperance Societies, Bible
Societies, Missionary Societies, &c., &c! If the
Scriptures furnish unto all good works, no room
for societies.
My sheet is full and I must close.
Yours with Christian Regard.
R. M. MOORHEAD.
Reform, Ala., Dec. 31, 1859.
Dear Brother —“ There reraaineth therefore a
rest for the people of God.” The above text has
been taken as a subject twice in my hearing lately,
and we were not satisfied with either discourse, for
they only spoke of a temporal rest, which we think
does not remain only for a short time, and the
rest ib&t iVas spoken of in the above, is an eternal
rest, a rest that ftaS prepared ffohi the foundation
of the world for the people of God. And they
only look forward to the time when they will enter
into that rest • and sometimes feel some encourage
ment to press forward to the mark of the prize; for
lae saints believe that Jesus has gone to prepare
a place for them, that where he is, there they may
be aiso, and to enjoy that inheritance which is cal
culated to render them eternally happy.
Who are the people of God ? God who at sun
dry times and in divers manners, spake unto the
prophets, has spoken to us by his Son, whom ha
hath appointed heir of all things. That shows that
the Lord Jesus was appointed to heir something or
all things. Christ said my sheep hear mv voice,
and I know them ; he said also to his Father, thine
they and thou gavest them to me. He said
in anoy?er place, “ All that the Father gave me
shan c<pe unto me.” Now, we think, that God
Jibing all power, quickens the soul that was dead
to all feMing or knowledge of an absolute, just and
tmeipi iff God, and makes it alive to a sense of his
condition as a vile sinner. Then he begins to la
bor to get from under the curse of the law, or to
work himstlf into the favor of God, but the more
such persons labor, the more they see their imper
fection, and indeed they see no rest night or day
until the light of divine grace shines into their
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus. Then there is
peace tfithin, for the hope of that eternal rest that
remains to the people of God. They have to toil
here while they have to do with thft.jKQild~jjaA..
they eanilot enter'into thaFresfc vrETFTe on this earth.
One of the writers said, If in this life oply we hare
hope, of all men we are most miserable. We are
looking forward to the time when we shall enter
into that rest.
Yours in Love,
HARDY STEVENS.
Near Conyers, Ga., Feb. 25, 1860.
Beloved Brethren Editors —You will please
insert the following in the Messenger, as I have ta
ken a little tour out through Fayette, Meriwether
and Troup counties, also Chambers county, Ala.,
and as I promised to write to let the brethren hear
from me after my return.
Very dear and much beloved brethren, especial
ly those of you that I visited last December. I was
blest to return home and find all well, for which I
desire to return thanks and adoration to the God
of all grace, if I know how. And brethren, I wish
to say the same to you for your kind greeting and
hospitalities to me while with you —a poor worm
of the dust. May the good Lord bless you and
give you grace according to your day, so as to en
able you to abstain from all appearance of evil, and
to discharge your duties. And brethren, pray that
the Lord may keep me humble, and at the feet of
my brethren; when we become exalted there is
great danger of a fall, but he that humbleth him
self shall be exalted, so I can say with the Poet—