X
I
(le^d, plucked up by the roots; rags
ing waves of the sea, foaraing out of
ZION’S LANDMARKS.
their own shame; Meandering stars,
to whom is reserved the blackness of
darkness forever,” etc. Time, space
and ability, brother Pate, forbids a
full exposition of this text and its
connection, as you requested, taking
into consideration the characteristics
of those creepers, filthy dreamers, as
given by the apostle. It indeed
M'ould be a melancholy spectacle to
look on mixed up Avith the saints, or
those sanctified, preserved in Jesus
Christ, &c.,dreamers, filthy dreamers;
Averse indeed, brother Pate, than bi
ting of dog’s noses. All they know
is by dreams, (idle fancy) slumbering
in nature’s tiight, fancying themselves
gods that will accept at their ungod
ly hands fruit of their oaa-h produce
tiou, (gone in the way of Cain;) claim
ing largo rc'.vard for labor (ungodly
deeds). The main reason Avhy they
know nothing, except they dream it,
is, they are slumbering in midnight
darkness, with great religious zeal;
must needs be religious, idly fancy
ing to themselves a belief and man
ner of worship, which is an abomi
nation in the sight of our God.
Thc.se religious filthy dreamers have
been in the Avorld, endeavoring- to
creep in among the saints of the most
high God, from that murderous Cain
until now. I shall not attempt to
point out all the marks and brands
by which we are to know them, but
only say, my brother, by their fruits
Ave are to know them. TheA^ also
despise dominion, and speak evil of
dignities, both .secular and divine.—
You mav soon detect them, if they
should stealthily creep in among you.
Ju.st.sosoon as you advocate God’,s
sovereign right and dominion over
the Avorkmauship of his own hands,
together with his dignified po.sition
as God, the eternal God, they despise
such doetriiie, and speak evil not only
of you, my brother, hut of His dig
nity—acknowledging noncother God
than their carnal mind, (which is en
mity against God,) has fancied or
dreamed of. Brother Pate, and dear
brethren, if there has ever been a
tijne Avhen Zion shou id be wide awake,
and each one at bis post, since our
day, it i.s at the present time, and e.s-
pecially the watchmen on the A\'all.
Wherever you see a church ha\'ini- a
faithful and sound miui.eter, you are
very apt to see a Jiealthy and pros-
perou.s church. But if her minister
begins to make compromises w'ith
anti-Christ, or filthy dreamers, or in
other Avords, Avith error, (Avhieh you
know cannot be done Avitbout a sac
rifice of truth,) forthwith cometb
strife, envy, hatred, Ac., no matter
i hoAV small the sacrifice. Some of our
I dear brethren in Texas, of the min-
I istry, (it generally starts Avith them,)
j have gotten into a snooze, and haA’e
di’earaed that it AA'as right to receive
members from modern Mi.ssionary
Baptists, (that bad joined since the
separ.atiou,) Avithout baptism, provi
ded the applicant did not Avish to be
baptised, or said they Avere satisfied
Avithout. I think this is a filthy
dream. Just take down that bar, and
Ave are flooded Avith graceless meni',
be^'s, disorder and confusion the re
sult of such a precedent. Some others
have gotten into a slumber or trance,
and concluded to unite Avfith the Mis
sionaries upon an instrument written
out and subscribed to by each ])arty,
on church government—not a princi
ple embraced in it—Avliich they did ;
but there was a little noise made in
the camp, and those good brethren
were not so sound asleep, and at the
noise they become Avide awake again.
This all occurred in less than one
v(a ’, and our good brethren came to
the next Association, and said, bre
thren, we have done wrung. So they
lost no seat in the Association for
that slumbering dream, though it Avas
a little filthy. Indeed, .some others
of our bretliren have concluded, with
their idle fancy, that it AA^a.s right to
receive a member into her fellowship
AA’ho Avas excluded from a sister
church upon certain charges, because
he Avas a devoted man and an able
minister, over the head of her sister,
independently and irrespective of her
.sister church’s feelings. And \mn
see, brother, that those of our own
house get into a snooze and dream a
little filthy .sonjetiraes.
Yours to servmin gospel bonds,
JEFF. STHINGER.
Rosebud, WnrTE county. Ark , \
Octuber 19-th, 1870. J
Eld. L. I. BoDKNiiAMF.r. ; Dear Sir:—
I wrote you some time back to send me a
specimen copy of the Landmarks, and I
attervvards received a copy of September
1st, No. 19. and three numbers ot .Inly 1st,
No. 15, which contained the reply of
Elder P. D. Gold to a l^Ir. Wm. Hooper,
which AVHs a very able article.
I will say to you. as I did before, that I
belong to no church at all, but my wife
belongs to the Old Primitive church, and
likes to read tlie Old Primitive papers.—
She likes your paper, and every thing she
has read r.B yet she likes very well, and it is
on her ae-couiit mostly that I subscribe for
the Landmarks. I also like to read them
myself. I don’t profe s to know any thing
about religion or religious principles, but
I see this much altout you Old Baptists,
let you be Avhere you m-iy, N rth or South,
East or West, you preach the same thing ;
you surely must all he taught at the same
scliool and hy the same sclioolmaster. I
, don't pretend to be a judge, but ^o far as
I am able to understand the Scriptures the
Old Bajitist doctrine is tlie same that the
Saviour and the A|)Osties preached and
taught.
It looks like a man is ignorant to send
so far for a religious paper, when the)e is
so mucli religion and pleaching in his own
country as there i» here. There is hardly
a man of my age in these parts but what
belongs to some clinrch or other. I am 47
years of age and yet a sinner. The pi eaeh-
ers of the M ssionarries and Methodists
have tried very hard to nsake me a chiis-
tian, but liave failed as yet, though it may
lie my fault, and proiiably is. I expect
that I am too liard hearted to obey their
counsels. Tliere is several Old Baptists in
this country; they are \'ery par icular in
their material, hut the majoi'ity of religions
are the do and live system, and I, being a
very lazy man natunilly, I don't like to
Avork so hard for nothing, as 1 think it
would lie for no profit. I will merely say
to that, I think the devil instituted the do
and live system of religion in the garden
at the time he persuaded our old mother
to partake ot the forbidden fruit and live
forever. It seemed as if that was the
principle that he t,aught, do and live and I
think the prindiple has been kept up from
that day till this. And as I believe it
c.ime from the devil, I liave no use for the
system. We find the same system taught
by the opposers of the Saviour in his day,
l.)y the Scribes and Pliari-ee.s, &c ; by the
the same people that crucified the Saviour.
I think the missionary system for money
commenced about the time the Saviour
arose from the grave, at. the time the
guards reported to the authorities, and
they were hi'ed to go and tell the story
that while they were asleep that He was
stolen aivay. I think than the very same
story is still being preached by the do
and live preachers. I do not profess to
be a judge, and am very liable to be Avrono
but so far as I can understand the Scrip
tures, the Old Baptist doctrine is bound
to be the doctrine taught by the Saviour
and the apostles: That God A'lmighty
has all pOAver in heaven and eaitli, and
every thing Avas fore-ordained and is ac
cording to His will and not man’s. By
this you can draw some idea of my belief.
Yours respectfully,
JESSE NORMAN.
Eorsyth Ga., )
NO. f
Oct. 10th, 18
Dear Brother Bodenhamer:—Since
I Ijave to Avnte to you on bu.siuess, I
have also concluded to write a fcAv lines
for the Landmarks, Avhich I submit to
your better judgment to dispose of as
you think best. Should you think pro-
jier to correct and publish all or a part
of them, do so; if not, commit them to
the fiames, and all will be right Avith the
uiiAvorthy Aviiter. When I read the many
communications published in ycnir paper,!
Avhich are so comforting to me, I can’t help ’
but feel a disposition to cast in my mite;
and it Avould surely be a pleasure to me
'o do so, if I kncAV T could say anything
to comfort the least of the children of God,
or tliat liy so doing I Avould not be use-
ing the p n that belongs to another. I
greatly feel my weakness and inability m
write as I Avould wish to, or to Avrite to
the comfort of others as they do to me.
But I knoAV, if left to myself, I will not
Avrite anything to profit or comfort any
one. Bin if avc have put on Christ, by
uniting ourselves Avith his church, avo
should at all times he found Avalkingiii
obedience to his commaadments, by do
ing with all our might Avhat-oover Ave
find for our hands to do. And although
our effort may be a feeble one, lam pn--
suaded th-4 there is no Vietter Avay for
tin- Christian to find thaa ease of con
science, than to take up tlieir cross and
follow their blessed Saviour, in all of hia
examples and precepts, AA’.alking Avorthy
of the vocation Avherewitli we are called.
■As ye liave therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so Avalk ye in him. (Col. 2:#.)
Noav liow and in Avhat way is it that the
poor condemned soul receivs Christ?—
Does he receive him when his heart is
puffed up with pride, thanking God that
he is not as other men, boasting that he
has of himself gained s great victory,-
claiming great honor to himself for his
many good deeds; feeling to be a little
better, and to serve God a little better than
any of those Avho profess to be Christians.—
Oh, no, but' on the contrary he is made
humble and Avilling to be saved in God’s
own Avay, and feels that if be is saved at
all, it is by grace and grace ah me, from be
ginning to end; not of Avorks lest Ave
should boast, lut by grace; and if by
grace it is no more of works, otherwise
grace is no more grace. No, it is not for
anything the poor creature had done or
could do, for he has alre.-idy worked him
self out of material; he has tried the 1s.av
in all the ways be could devise and yet he
is left Avithout God and without hope.—
But Ave are told that the law is our school
master to bring us to Christ, and when ili«
poor soul has exhausted every means
within his poAA-er, and is brought to an un
conditional surrender, (worked dean ouE
of self,) and is made humble, he not only
feels his condemnation, but justice seems
to demand it; and noAv the very breatu-
ings of his soul is. Lord have mercy on me
a sinner; and when it is pleasing in the
sight of God to rcA'eal himself to him as
his 8aviour, it is a matter of iistouishment
to him : his sorrows are turned into joy
and praise to God, who lias done so much
for him: glory to God in the highest,
peace on earth, good will toward men; a
ncAv creature in Chris^; old things have
passed away, behold all things become
new; anew songisputin our mouths even
praises to our God.
Then as ye have received Christ, so Avalk
ye in him, by Avalking humbly and obe
dient, keeping ymrsolves unspotted from
thcAvorld; setting such examples befma
others that they may see your good works
and glorify our heavenly Father. Ch,
brethren, how often we are found Avalking
in a contrary direction to what we were
when Ave received Christ. I f,av gome