94
ZION’S LANDMARKS
way, for six months. 1 was still ro'
joicing, w'hen something said, “you
are another Judas I burst into tears
and begged I might leave the cause
as good as 1 found it. This trouble
soon went off, but I have had many
ups and downs since that time.
I will close. I sometimes fear it
is ail a delusion ;
“I lear at last that I sliall fall,
For if a saint, the lea‘.t of all.”
Transcnbed
Euntyn.
fo- 2ilrs. Elizabeth
M. A. B.
WiT.LIAMSTON. N. C.,
May 6, 1869
Elder L, I. Bodentiamer—Bear
Brother;—If yon can find room and
can afford the labor of publishing
the enclosed letter in Zion’s Land
marks, I think the cause of our Mas
ter will be subserved.
Elder Deatherage is of opinion
that the church in Texas is at pre
sent more assailed with flatteries than
with denunciation, by the new order
of Bapti.sts. lie is desirous, there
fore, of being ai'rned witli the writings
of those who stood no in defence of
Truth and Gospel ordei', at the pe
riod of separation and for some years
thereafter. He has the ivritings of
Elder Beebe, of New York, as pub
lished in his first volume of “ Edito
rials,” and wants the writings of
Elder Lawrence of this State also.
I am of his oninion, tha.t these wri-
tings should be published. They are
cnipiired for at home, and more so at
the South and Vfe.st.
Brother J. 1. Lawrence, son of
Elder Lawrence, contemplated having
:hem published some years ago, in
one or uior-.- suitable volumes, but
from some cause he has not done so.
If he declines tlie enterprise alto-
-'’Other, I think it behooves the bre-
thren in North Carolina, more espe
cially those connected with the
churches of the Kehukee Associa
tion, to have it accomplished.
Elder Heatherage’s letter will, I
.am in hopes, draw the attention of
brethren to the subject.
1 should like for others to express
;hcir view.s, in the Landmarks, in
relation to the propriety of the un-
.'iertaking.
Yours in the best of bonds,
C. B. HASSELL.
can truly say I was glad, and hope
my feelings were a little akin to
Paul, when the brethren from Rome
met him at the three taverns, whom,
when Paul saw, he thanked God and
took courage. I am truly thankful
that He has left to himself seven
thousand (a figurative number) that
have not bowed the knee to Baal.—
Yet I must say I am sorry brother
Lawrence’s waitings have not been
compiled or published in a volume.
My opinion still is, that the Baptists
of North Carolina owe it to their far
distant and scattered brethren of the
West. I do noG wish to be under
stood that I consider the work as
perfect; that would he folly, for I
have seen an end of all perfection.
But 1 think the work would be valua
ble as a historical reference, to fresh
en the min is of the old and enlighten
the minds of the young. The ques
tions then and there discussed were
vital—radical issues between the
then contending elements. Now in
my acquaintance, the soft deceptive
expression is often heard, that there
is hut very little difference between
we only differ a little about the
us
pay of the preacher, While I be
lieve three-fourths of the New School
do not know what split the Baptists,
and too many of our own members
are in the dark on the subject and
are liable to be deluded by the soft
speech of Tobiah and Sanballat,
saying, Let us build together.—
Bight here 1 will explain what I
meant by the word amalgamation,
(which I suppose I used.) I know
it is a political phrase, used expres
sive of mixing races, but is equally
as expressive here with us in regard
Fannin County, Texas, \
March 26, 1869. j
Ei.dkr C. B. Has.skll—Mij Bear
H rot her:—Yours of 1st March came
to hand rc.sterdav, together with the
copy of your last year.*' minutes. I
to mixing creeds, or spiritual whore
dom. I am a native of East Tennes
see, and was in the war when the
Baptists separated their cattle, or
when Lot’s family took theirs and
went to the plains of Jericho. Now
it is astonishing to me, that after a
lapse of thirty years of peace, they
would suffer themselves to be beguiled
by the Moabitish and Amoritish
daughters that have been raised up
from Lot’s own daughters. And is
it not strange that old and good men
too, (1 reckon,) can bo made drunk
on flattery, by puffs and titles of
dignity, such as D. D., kc., and made
drunk by the success of their own
little inventions; 1-ut more strange,
that Abraham’.s f.imily should be
found playing at the coiitrirod fes
tivities of a Balaam. Now m.av be,
strange a? it seems, it is ncverihel«g»
true, that old and tried brethren,
churches and associations have uni
ted with the New School herds m
Tennessee and other localities. The
spirit is spreading westward—has
done its work in parts of Arkansas-—
and is sliming us poor sheep in Texas,
ready to swallow us, after the manner
of the famous snake of the South.
The expression is ofeen used to me,
by our lovers : “I can swallow you
all; nothing but what I can take.”
I often receive a message from some
of their noble parsons, saying they
“ would love to see me ; I think we
would not differ much.” Sometimes
say to my children, when they are
out among them: “I would love to
see your father ; I think me and him
would agree pretty well,” &c., &c.
While these deceptive expressions are
going the counds, they more or less
make their impress upon the minds
of the uninformed, and make our
resistance to their flatteries look big-
gotted and churlish. So far as my
acquaintance extends, their manner
has been to endeavor to make the
uninformed belifve that they have
dropped many of their inventions or
objectionable features in them, and
changed the name and manner of
some of them, and come up professing
to be willing to subscribe to the old
articles of faith ; by this means no
doubt have deceived many. But
when Old Baptists suffer themselves
swallowed they will bo like every
thing else that is swallowed, they will
lose their identity. This is what I
mean by amalgamation. Yet 1 am
like you, I believe God will preserve
a remnant, elected to keep the truth;
but what trials await them as keep
sakes, God only knows. I am nor
much sorry you misunderstood my
application of the term amalgama
tion, since it has led you to give such
a satisfactory account of the relation
the whites and blacks sustain toward
each other as ehurcb members.—
Though an uncompromising opponent
of amalgamation of the black ami
white race, politically, socially and
affinitively, yet, in the house of God,
I think they are equal, according to
their gifts or ability, and heirs to
gether of life.
I will now say to you that I have
brother Beebe’s Editorials, and am
well pleased with them, and hope
they Aviil be extensively circulated
through the South, especially as 1
think the spirit of amalgamation
mostly abounds in the South, and
could the book be in every Baptist
family, it would at least strengthen
the little ones to stand the assaults
making upon the “little city with
few men in it.” Yet still 1 cannot
away with my desire for Lawrence’s
works to bepublbked; they would
perhapis be lea*t an armor bearer
to Jonathan in going over the steep
rocks to the Philistian camp. If his
waitings were of God, they were dc.
signed for the church by the brother.
And I think the battle being fought,
and to be fought, is the same that
engaged the hearts and pens of those
old soldiers of New i"ork and North
Carolina in the days of my youth.—
I was a reader of the Primitive Bap
tist several years. I now feel my
folly in not preserving such papers as
I then prized and that memory still
cherishes. I remember an expression
of an old brotlier about that time.—
I had in my possession some Mission
ary works, setting forth their boast
ing pretensions. He said to mo,
“ You had better file thorn away and
keep them; the day is coming when
they will deny these things.'’ And
so it has come to pass ; these paper.s
are lost, and they are denying those
things then so exullingly and boast-
ingiy proclaimed from botii pulpit
and press. They are now more si
lently working on the infant mind in
Sunday Schools. The devil, being
more subtle than any beast cf the
field w'hicb t'nc Imrd God had made,
knows that an impress of the infant
mind nothing but a God ca,u remove;
hence some of their w'orks -call Sab
bath Schools one of the most effectual
means of converting the worTi.
Let me .suggest tb.e idea, that
young brother Lawrence, ortho Bap
tists, by bis leave, -ebMri sonie man
or men to collect the io other's wri
tings ; and if there is any portion
that -would not refleet ligbr and give
strength and eomfort to Zion, just
omit it, that the book may be a- dear
and pointed as possible ; and publish
it under such circnrastanccs, if pos-
sib'e, as would place u in reach of
the poor of tlie flock, i do believe
the crisis upon n> and the awful
delusions and powers of anti-Clirist,
calls for us to make .souju' exertions
and sacrifices to suMai'u and comfort
each otiior in tbi.s dark and doudy
day. Bemembtr that the 3ia>;tista
generally in the \Vest ai e descen
dants, so to spurk, of the u'.d rather.s
that battled for liberty in the Caro-
linas, that stemmed tliu tome t of re
ligious abomin.-uions tliat flooodd the
land, embraoiTig tb ‘ period from 1830
to 1840 : thev have S'oroad from vour
old mother associations, carrying
-with them the pn cions jewels of
truth that will do to buy but not to
sell.
Brother Hassell, should you find
time and disposition to write again.
2ive me your information in regard
to this religious amalgamation, whe
ther it extends to much extent in
Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia,
fec. The reason 1 selected thi.s time
to write, was because I am not able
to be our. I have wrote hurriedly,
and perhaps I have wearied you, but
if 1 have, bear with me with the for
bearance of .a brother. Let me hear
from you, and oblige an unworthy
brother.
J. E. DEATHERAGE.