walk together except they be agreed,”
and this faith must not only agree
in the word, but in the doctrine of
grace, and yon know full as well as
I do, George, that Missionisni, Ar-
ininianism and Free-willism, is one
thing, and grace is quite another.
You also know full well, that the
first named principle; to wit:
Missionism’s office is to sit in the seat
ot
God—supposing its self to be God,
Mis
sive
in the office of qualifying, sending,
paying and appointing the bounds of
labor, for one to preach the gospel.
So that if any good is done by the
qualification, or any glory given-
justice would say give it to the quali
fier. Who is that? missionism.
'who is the sender? Missionism.
Then give Missionism the glory.
Who is pay-master? Missionism.
Who then shall have the glory for
thcbsupport of the Ministry? What
do you say, justice? I say Mis
sionism. Whom are we to thank for
the gospel’s being sent to our settle
ment? Question. By whom were
you sent out ? Answer. By
sionism, or the Board. Then ^
these things the glory.
What does Arminianism say for
its self? (Speak Arminians.) Ar-
ininians; Every man has a sjrark of
grace left in his heart, and his salva
tion depends on whether he cultivates
it or not. If he cultivates it he will
be saved, ifnot he will be lost. Who
then shall have the glory for his sal
vation? (Speak justice.) Justice.
As I am bound to render ray name
"lo evet^v question tha^ conies beiore
me 1 am bound to render advice in
favor of the one who cultivated the
spark. En ter, Mr. Clerk, the verdict
on docket that human works is, by
virtue of its having saved a sinner,
meritorious, and deserves.the entire
adoration and glory of the sinner
saved. Free-will—for examination.
Free-will, What can you say for
yourself? Free-will ; 1 claim for my
self, power to will good, or bad, soon
or late, strong, or weak, and that my
salvation, or damnation depends en
tirely, and absolutely upon my own
indipendent sources of free-will, and
that neither Devil nor God has
any right or power to infringe upon
or take any steps or action, for, or
against me; neither for good or bad,
and that the Devil, angels and God,
must and shall remain'indifferent, and
powerless, until my good pleasure
wills that the Lord shall accept me
in my own will and time, and on
Zion’s Landmarks : Wilson, N. C.
139
such conditions as ray will only shall
suggest, and that the Devil shall in
like-manner relinquish all claims as
my soverign will may, or may not,
or otherwise ordains. Also if I will
to hold Armiiiian,lYee-will, Mission
principles as to salvation, and then
WILL to hold by claim the Bible
mode of baptism—no authority,
neither men, angels, nor God, has
any right to disannull or reject.
So, George, yon see the system un
der which you were baptized.
A"ou know very well that our
Saviour says, “he that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved_,” &c.
The word “believeth” does not apply
fn water bantism alone, but to all
the gospel of Christ, to preach sal
vation by grace according to God’s
good pleasure, and that of his own
will begat he us. They were not
sent out to preach Arminianism, and
gospel baptism. They were to go
under his order, whither he himself
would go, and not under the Board
of directors—wdiither they would
send others.
I suppose, George, you would not
be satisfied to submit to a Campbell-
ite’s baptism, because he denies re
vealed justification. If so, why be
content with baptism at the hands of
one who, denying the sufficiency of
Christ’s righteousness, by substituting
his own, denies the sovereign will of
the Deity, by asserting the sovereign
right of his own will. Each would
be unbelief, yea worse than unbelief,
it would be rebellion. Christ com
manded the Apostles to do things
bidden by the Pharisees, but not to
do it after their manner. So if these
false denominations command bap
tism we are to obey, not because
they * commanded it, but because
Christ has commanded it. We are
not to be baptized after their man
lier; that is manner of doctrine of
free-will &c. It is not consistent to
receive their baptism, and not their
faith. “What is not of faith is sin.”
So with these brief hints I leave
3mu. If you tiiink more of the Ar
inin ian, F ree-will, Flission baptism
than you do of the,
Churchy yon wdll
will f’ome iui- T
shall know them.
Think of these thiiip, Tjeorge.
Give my love to sister Payne, sis
ter Daniel’s and husband. Elder
Teague, and everybody else that
knows, loves and obeys the truth.
I hope when I hear from you
again I shall hear that you have re
considered the case.
I will now return to the Falls of
Tar P„iver, N. C.
I was in the dark at the Falls, so
dark that one could feel it, and while
I was going through the dark Elder
James Woodard walked in and took
his seat as far back in the house as
possible. I did not blame him tor
that, for I imagined he could see the
edge of the darkness I was in, and
thouirlit he had better stop out side
of it, and glad would I have been
to be out side of it too. How
ever I had some light, enough to en
able me to stop. Thank the Lord
for that much.
I then called on brother Yfoodard
to come on the stand and preach.
He replied: “I think enough has
been said.” Come up brother Wood
ard and preach. “I do not feel like
preaching.” AVell come up and tell
us what you do feel like then. He
then came uj), and while he was tell-
iim us what he did feel like, it it was
not preaching it was so near like it
that one in the dark where I was
never would find it out unless some
one would tell him, and then nine
times out of ten he would not be
lieve it.
L. I. BODEXIIAMErw
two at least, I wish corrected. First
where it reads “my eighteenth year
of age,” it should read eighth year
of age. Again, “then to the law I
trembling plead.” Should read,
fled. “It cursed me,” &c. Me is
left out. There are others which we
will not ask you to correct, and will
now proceed with our experience :
I was at that time living in a new
and sparsely settled countiy, conse
quently there were but few visitors
to try to allay the suffering of my
body which they did; but none of
them could relieve my sin oppressed
soul, no man of God around me to
tell my grief to. In this condition I
lay sometime, suffering in body and
distressed in mind, feeling I was
sinking down indeed, beneath God’s
righteous frown, and that I must
soon bid a lasting' farewell to all
earthly objects ; but thanks be unto
the Lord our God for the wonderful
display of his grace to me a poor
needy and helpless sinner.
On a beautiful babbath day in the
month ofFebruary 183.5,1 was pros
trate upon my bed, my youthful wife
near me, I was in a trance, or insen
sible as to what was going on in this
world of sin, and I saw before and
iust above me Jesus Christ the Re
deemer, In the form of a man, and
just abovediira was God the Ever
lasting Father, and from him a foun
tain of the most beautiful and clearest
water I had ever beheld was flowing
flm Medaator direct]
my justification, and to feel that my
iniquliies were all pardoned through
the blood of the Son of God that
cleanselh from all sin.
Gold-
Dee. 22nd, 187
-Dear lirother
I ihonght I was from sin set freer
No more involved therein I’d be;
Ent oh, alas, I soon did find
Another law to cross iny mind.
And before I was able to go and
the aged Elder in Israel I found un
belief lurking about me, I could
not do that I desired to do, i was in
doubting castle, and such fiery darts
of unbelief hurled against me I was
again brought low, my heart failetl
me ; I was alarmed, this tenement of
clay again trembled ; my soul thirst
ed for God, and in my distress I
cried unto the Lord, and blessed be
God, he heard rny cry, ami said,
“fear not, I am with thee !” O I
embraced him. lie said unto me
“if ye love me keep rny command
ments.” ‘•'Follow thou me.” I began
to search for his footsteps, read his
word, found his foot prints in Jor
dan, and to follow him I mm;t go
there ; but O I felt so unworthy, I
was again frightened ; but my Lord
said, “be of .good courage: follow
thou me,” and, “being justified by
faith, we have peace with God,
throusih our Lord Jesus Christbut
o-ood works are an evidence of the
C5
implantation of faith and likewise
justify God’s Children ; hence the
the love of Christ and asen.se of duty
constrained me, and in much weak
ness, and trembling, I went tO'
nhmsted for, and
Tvras enabled to drink, and drinking
to rejoice with joy inexpressible and
full of glory, and under this feeling
I seemed to become conscious, as
though I had been awoke out
AM in receipt of the Laxt)-
:UAUKS ot Oct 15th, in wiiich
I find my very imperfect com
munication of June 2dth, and
of sleep, and in tears of joy, praise
and adoration to God, insomuch my
wife was astonished- at my appear
ance, and fell to weeping herself
and asking what wae. the matter ?
My first reply was : had I been asleep?
She said my eyes were not closed.
I told lier not to weep, I ^hould get
well, and went on telling her of the
eoodness of God in delivering me
from the power of sin, thinking she
would rejoice with me; but soon
found I tvas mistaken. But, O the
joy and comfort of a soul delivered
from sin, I never have been able to
express; my burden of sin was all
gone, old things passed away. I had
an abiding faith, which is an evi
dence of things not seen. O how I
drank of the water of life, and felt
as David declared in his prosperity :
“I shall never be moved.” O I felt
free from sin, and the Apostle de
clares the blood of Jesus Christ,
clcanseth from all sin. I wanted to
talk of the goodness of the Lord, and
instructed my wife to send a young
man who was at my residence after
Elder Win. A. Knight, a distance of
twenty miles. O how I wanted to
see and converse with him. My
wife replied : “he may bC’ on a
preaching tour, and she hoped I soon
would be well and I could go and
see him; I consented to her entreat
ies; but O the joys of a soul deliv
ered from sin, by the reigning gi-ace
of God. O how ea,sy now by the
o-ift of faith to believe in the Lord
"areason of my hope in Christ, and,
to my astonishment, was received into
tlie fellowship of said Clnirch, and
had a few short moments of rejoic
ing ; but the doubts, fears, tempta
tions, &c., that harrassedi my mind
through the evening, and until we
met next morning at the water, I
shall not here attempt to express ;
but grace sustained me, and we met
the fifth Sunday in August 1835, be
side a beautiful stream, the water
rippling over the sand beautifully and
clear, and I was baptized by Elder
W. A. Knight, and was raised from
the watery grave with praise and
adoration to the Lord, feeling the
ansvver of a good coirscince tovvards
God. O what a rest I had found,
how calm and serene. Wo repaired
to the house ; Elder Wm. A. Knight
preached, it was a ffiast there; it was.
a day of days with me, and here a
volume might be written ; for after
Jesus was baptized he was led into
ihc wilderness to be tempted of the
Devil, and fasted forty days and
forty nights; but Aill close for the
present.
Your w(dl wi.sher, and I ho,pe
brother in, Christ.
E. J. Williams.
TRIP TO GEORGIA.
It is my desire, and present inten
tion to be- in Georgia during tin.
month of Sopt. If the Lord will, f
hope to be at the Upatoie Aji^meiation
which commences on Tuesday after
the 1st Sunday, aiid then remain in
%
Georgia until the AYllow River As
sociation meets, which will in; o;v
Saturday before the dth Sunday in,
j Sep.—[Ed.,