Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / June 1, 1869, edition 1 / Page 7
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»i*v A j*3ac«e«rtry?tae* -• ■ ZION’S LANDMARKS. 103 •AYar, but I invariably received the I ratters returned or beard no tell of them. Altbougli your place is per haps some one hundred and eighty miles east of the place of my birth, yet, your letter brought fresh to my mind, the scenes of my childhood. My father and mother were members of the Baptist church in Eowan ■ county, (Salisbury the county seat,) on the Yadkin river. I v/as born in 1807 and removed to Lincoln county, Tennessee, when I was about 21 years old. It was there 1 got a view of the corruption of my poor wicked lieart, and was made to loath and abhor myself, and repent, as it were, in dust and ashes, and at an unex pected time, 1 hope and trust, the ■ Spirit of God unfolded to my view a crucified Iledeeraer, as slain for ray sins and raised again for my justifi- • cation, when I was enabled by an eye of faith to take hold of theprom- mes and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. I not long after jeceived a hope in Christ; removed to Greene county, Illinois, w'here I joined a Regular or Predestinarian Baptist church and was baptised. A few years after, when I was so'nes w'hat over thirty vears old, I com- inenced trying to preach the gospel ■ of God’s dear Son, and about a year after I was ordained by Elders Coon- rod, Gimblen, Simms and Fitzjerrelh And in 1847 I removed to this far 1763161-1) land ; the country was then a wilderness, inhabited by savages, A ery few Avhites having emigrated previous to that time. I found tAvo Add School Baptist ciders, to Avit: Kidei-s Simpson and Turnage, and a little church of eight or ten members; both these Elders have many years ago landed in eternity. Since my arrival here I have a considerable portion of my time been engaged in trying to raise the Gospel Standard in various parts of the country; I have assisted in the constitution of, 1 suppose, some seven or eight to their post office address before the feelings grew out of it, and the two parties or associations have remained separate, Avithout Christian corres pondence ever since. And some eighteen months ago a few scattering members in the churches of our as^ sociation, wdio were radicals or A'ery strong democrats, concluded that all the churches must put up political tests of felloAVship, declaring nons felloAvship against abolitionism, Avith the AueAY of excluding all Avho \-ote the abolition or republican ticket from church felloAYship. I took a decided stand against it ; there were but four brethren belonging to all the churches of our association Avho voted that ticket, and. they Avere orderly walking, and to all apeparance, God fearing men. I insisted if the churches to Avhom they belonged could not fellowship them, let them exclude them, but not disgrace them selves by introducing political tests of fellowship into the churches. But the leaders in the measure seemed determined to carry out what they undertook; tAvo churches has al ready split on it, one of them was all democrats and the other had only one republican. I wTote to several prominent elders in the Northern and Western States, and received very satisfactory answers on this subject from Elders Beeman and Hanover, Ohio; Elders Silas Durand and \Ym. J. Purington, Pennsylvania ; Elders Coonrod and Fitzgerrell, Illinois ; Elders T. P. Dudley and J. F. John son, Kentucky ; Elder Bell, District Columbia; Elder Benedict, New York, and yours also, was very sat isfactory to me and a number of others who liaAm read it. I have sent copies of these letters to different brethren, which, I think has done a great deal of good. I know of seA’’» era! brethren who a year ago was anxious to put up such tests in their churches, that noAV says it won’t do at all. It was urged that the Old School Baptist churches of the Southern States had put up such tests of fellowship, and we must show them where we stand, and put up similar tests, or Ave would cut our- churches, and in the ordination of .near as many ministers, and have b iptized, I suppose, over fifty sub jects of God’s grace, and have stood as moderator of our little association, • some fifteen consecutAe years. I hope I have enjoyed some precious .seasons, but haA-e encountered some • sore trials. Some seven years ago • our little association split on a point of order ; I done all 1 could to prevent it, but all in vain ; Ave split in near lAvo equal parts; considerable hard or Ave would cut selves off from their union. It was also strongly urged that the Old School Baptist churches in the North had generally put up such tests, which I find is not the case. Now, my dear Brother, you are doubtless a lover of peace, andl hope I am, and feel thankful truly, that your letter Avill clear the minds of num- Carkoll County, Va., 1 May 23, 1868. j Dear Brother in Christ:—By the blessing and mercy of God, I am yet in the land of the living, and I may say enjoying good health. I have not forgotten the time when we got lost and rode so late in the night by moonshine. I have met Avith many ups and doAvns since that time. This is the first Sabbath I have been at home and rested for I ean’t tell how long; and by chance one of Zion’s' Landmarks came into my hand. I think it Avas dated the first of April. I Avas AA'ell pleased with the commu nications and order of your messen ger. I had had some information be- bers here. If you can be of any foi'e of your editing a paper, but further assistance in the good cause of allaying the troubled water among brethren in this far off’ country, you Avill not lose your rcAvmrd. I aa'ouM be much pleased if you could write again, and direct to Roseburg, Doug las county, Oregon, as before ; and I AYOuld be much pleased to open cor respondence with as many of our Southern brethren (especially aged elders, that take a charitable view of the existing political differences) as I could, so if you could give me their names and post office address, of as many as you conveniently could, I AYOuld be glad. I would also like as many minutes of the Southern Old School Baptist Associations as I could get. I preserve all minutes and sow them together in bunches. I now have minutes of the Y'adkin Association and Mountain District Association of North Carolina, that was held over fifty years ago. I suppose you don’t knoAV anything about the Associations in RoAvan, Surry, Wilkes and Davie counties.— I would be much pleased to hear from them. It is growing late and I think likely 1 have written as much as you Avould wish to be bothered with. I suppose, from the card on your letter euA-elope, that you have a good deal of Cmsar’s business to at-' tend to, as well as the things of our Master’s kingdom. I am glad, how ever, to find that you don’t believe in mixing the affairs of the two go vernments together. I Avill send you some minutes. I was not at the last Association, having moved some two hundred miles south of where it was held, and I have none of the minutes. Farewell, my dear brother; I shall long to hear from you again. May the Lord bless and prosper you. ISOM CRANFILL. I thouo-ht it had gone done. I am glad to find out it has not, and that its circulation is increasing, and that the Primitive Baptists can have a medium whereby they can correspond with each other; and I would be glad if it could be managed so as to get some account from all the Associa tions in the United States. When I Avrite again I will give you some ac-' count of hoAV Zion is travelling in this section. We have a refreshing time in our church and the prospect is good for a further continuation. I Avili come to a close for the present, hoping that God Avill be Avith you and make you to prosper. FareAvell. HUGH JONES. I sa}q when I remember this pre- cious text: I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed— (and not Esau)—and then meditate on the reason, I have to hope in Jesus and remember that I AA'as myself a lost sinner, unworthy of God’s notice; when I would have changed stations with the vulture and took his fare if I could; when I would have believed but could not; so poor I felt unfit to pray; Avhen I felt like a helpless child—at a time I did not expect any fuA'or of God, suddenly I believe I felt this electing love, which made every thing look new, feel new, and there Avas a great calm. I thought at that time I should never see any more trouble, every thing looked pleasant and sweet, and it seemed to me that I could show it to others ; but alas ! it was not long before I felt it had subsid" ed—I mean that love. I could not tell what had become of it; I began to grieve because I could not grieve; I tried to pray to God to give me again conviction; I was willing to suffer more; I thought I had not suffered enough, and if I could feel that eternal electing love again, I would know more about it and be more careful. And so dear brother, from those times until now I have had my times of difficulties and times of refreshing; and I still love that doctrine th-it placed my name in the Lamb’s book of life from the founda tion of the AA'orld.—Buriodl Temple, 1886. If there should mistakes occur in the list of subscription receipts, we request those interested to notify us at once, in order that the proper cor rection may be made.
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 1, 1869, edition 1
7
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