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Monary Idaptisis i u... ..one; but the interrogative
was intended to know ray objections to joining
them, and after telling him some of ray objections
for not joining that Fraternity, this Missionary or
Missionist thought my objections trifling, or of but
little weight. Missionaries generally believe and
advocate that man’s will is the pivot upon which
his soul’s eternal salvation depends, that is, man is
left at option to will or not to will the salvation of
his soul. This is Arminianism, is it not? Armin
ianisin is to ray understanding, the belief of the
unregenerate world, hence, there is no need or ne
cessity of the new or second birth, and if so, what
Christ said to Niecodemus, “ that ye must be born
again,” has no meaning. This belief (Arminian
ism) is as far from supporting my experience of
grace, (if any I have,) as the east is from the west.
And hence, a serious difference occurs or is made
manifest, and how can we walk together except we
be agreed 3 This Mr. Missionist remarked that
there was not as much difference between the two
sects of Baptists as people supposed. A few days
after we had this little talk my companion was
over at his house, and he told her that he would
not consent for his children to go to hear one of
the old order of Baptists preach, that there would
soon be none of them. Why Mr. Missionist, atone
time you say, there is but little or do difference be
tween the two sects, and yet can’t even consent for
your children to go to hear one of the two sects.
My companion being a Missionary Baptist it suit
ed your taste to eome out iu full against this sect
every where spoken agaiust; but when with me
better to keep back part of the price. Enticing
words and excellency of speech can’t or won’t catch
the “Tried,” (those who have been made to trust
in Christ for light and life, the only safe refuge.)—
Here is the only difference between you and me.
What you can’t consent for your children to go to
hear preached, my poor soul loveth and feasteth,
yea, liveth upon, which is Christ and him crucified
as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and when one
has been taught experimentally that Christ is the
Way, the Truth, aod the Life, he or she is a saint
of God, and no power on earth can make them less;
neither is Arminianism food to their souls, but is
to them lies in hypocrisy, or lies of hypocrites. —
This is plain language, but Christ cannot preach
through all the different preachers of all denomina
tions without constituting himself the author of con
fusion, for says the Apostle, we preach not our
selves but Christ, and we your (the churches ) ser
vants for Christ’s sake. I am no preacher, but there
are more preachers of the old older of Baptists than
the world is aware of, yea, more than you Mission
ists would believe, for they need not jour mission
ary machines to learn them to preach, for if they
have the axe, the hoe, the mattock, the plow-han
dles, or with spade in hand, and half leg deep in
mud in the ditch - they ean preach or talk, and tell
how Christ is made unto them Wisdom, Righteous
ness, Sanctification and Redemption, thereby glo
rying in the Lord and their joy unspeakable.
’ b ALEXANDER G. McKENNEY.
verse o .
And he saith unto u.~,
hither not having on a wedding-gan*.^..
he was speechless. A. G. M.
——< o > i
Mount Morris, N. Y., June 23, 18A0.
Brethren Editors —It bas pleased the Lord to
place me among Arminians, where I can hear noth
ing but choose life or death, and what is more con
trary to truth, they contend that there is three
Gods in the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. They say their bible plainly shows it.—
Well, all I can say to them is, their bible does not
agree with my experience nor with my bible. My
experience shows me that I was born in sin, and
that it was my great delight to serve in sin with
all my might. I well remember when God open
ed my eyes to see myself I saw then that of all the
earth I was the most wicked creature in it; my
heart was 60 opposed to God that if it was in the
power of the flesh, the flesh would dethrone the
Almighty ; but how soon I was brought in sub
jection to God’s will when in the hour of great des
pair, when all hope was gone, when God’s veugeance
was so just in my condemnation, and I crying God
be merciful to me a poor helpless, hell deserving
sinner; when an Old Methodist preacher came to
me and asked me how I felt, and I told him ; he
asked me if I did not believe Christ died for me,
I told him no, if I could believe that this mountain
of agony, I thought, would be removed; be then said
do you believe Christ died to save sinners 3 I an
swered 1 thought I did. That is enough then he
said, and immediately rising on his feet exclaimed
to his congregation that bro. Thorp had passed from
death unto life, and now was rejoicing in the Lord
Jesus Christ. 0, how miserable that word made
me feel, when I was yet under condemnation, they
made me sink deeper than ever. Then every
thought of my heart arose in enmity, I could hard
ly keep from swearing, and in fact before I was
aware an oath would break forth, which again
made me miserable beyond describing with the
pen. But at last l raised my whip to strike my
horse, for I was driving a stage in New York City,
the lash of my whip returned with great force and
struek me in my left eye, and then instead of an
oath, these words came to me, It is better to enter
into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be
cast into outer darkness. Ob, the joy and peace
then flowed into my heart that it appeared that
everybody was praising God. I immediately want
ed to see someone who loved God to tell them
what God had done for my poor soul; previous to
this time of deliverance I was a Methodist in prin
ciple, but after my deliverance I wanted to follow
my Savior’s direction and example, and in seeking
them I found Christ was a baptist and all his Apos
tles, and all the Apostolic Church were baptists, and
so I could not help being a baptist, although des
pised by all other denominations.
Dear brethren, I find that it requires the same
power to keep me from serving the flesh that it docs
to raise the dead sinner to give him hope in Christ,
own w 1..,
dom to this little flOc*., ~
for Christ has chosen them out of the wonu, -
they are hated by the world even as their bead was
bated, and this little flock are they who love the
doctrine of free grace and contend for the faith
once delivered to the saints : and for this very rea
son they are despised by those who call themselves
disciples of Jesus, while they spoken of in di
vine revelation as heaping to themselves teachers,
having itching ears, preaching them to heaven on
flowery beds of ease, while God’s word in opposi
tion to them said his people are a tried people, and
are drawn in the fiery furnace, and view themselves
the most unworthy of all beings, seeing their entire
dependence wholly on Christ for salvation. They
have no where else to go but unto Christ, for they
know by experience that he alone has the words of
eternal life, and came to seek and to save that which
was lost. C, brethren, what a glorious thing it is
that we are not our own keepers, but are kept by
the power of God through faith unto
ls 1 were to believe my hope of salvation depended
on my good works, I would be sure to be lost, for
I never as yet have seen one good thing that I
ever have done that would please God. I believe
the bible teaebes me that the sinner is dead in sin
and transgression, and that there is no life-in him.
Now if this be true, and it is, for we have the word
of the Son of God, who cannot lie, for i‘, i. is just
as absurd to try to teach our children literally be
fore they are born as it is to teach the sinner the
way of righteousness ; for none but God can teach
them that, and he teaches them first that he is God
and besides him there is no other, and that they
have sinned against him. God has bid these things
from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them
unto babes. Brethren, bear with me, for this is the
only way I am privileged to open my mind freely
upon this great plan ot salvation, for I have no ope
here who can bear the truths of the gospel as I
view them, and I find in the columns of the Signs
and Messenger whose God is the Lord of hosts,
whom they love in the truth, and who they try to
serve while strengthened by grace to love and com
fort one another.
Dear brethren, though not acquainted with both
of you in the flesh, I leel to love you for the truth’s
sake. It pleased God last summer to let me hear
the gospel preached by bro. Purington at the con
ference at Dansville, Western New York. All the
preaching 1 have is what I get through the Signs
and Messenger , and my prayer to God is that he
will fill the hearts of his dear children with grace
and love, so that they may have the sword in their
right hand to face their enemy, trusting in God
who is able to keep them from falling. Brethren
do with this scribble as you think best.
Your Brother in Christ,
WM. J. THORI\