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TBS ORGAN OF Volume 88. l)ie Biblical Recorder: PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY, OFFICE ; . drnei Hargett and Salisbury Sta., Raleigh, N. C Txsus or Subscription : de copy, one year. 2.00 ue copy, six months. . . . 1.00 20.00 Cabs of ten (copy extra to sender) Remittances most be sent bv Ree-ittered Ittr. ftstoffice Order, Postal Note, Express or Draft! dyable to the order of the Publisher, i i V ' (Obituaries, sixty Words long, are Inserted free of aarfe. When they exceed this length, one cent Br eacn word mast be paid in advance. fid Baptist Preachers of Virginia, , BY B. BTLA5IX Another Omnibus. ; When one gets to writing, his ideas in ul- iply upon him, and he la apt to be more roIix than he intended. Such has been ny late experience. . ' t . ., ' t Thornton StringfeUow was the co-worker with Wm.F.Broaddo8, Cumberland George, B. Grimsley and others in the Piedmont region of Virginia. Bat he was a man of more intellectual strength and of less ac ' tivity and usefulness than any of them, I once had an appointment on a week-day at one of his ch arches, and on account of an error in estimating the distance, I rode very hard to reach the place in time and began the exercises at 12 o'clock. Daring the .sermon Mr. StringfeUow came in and took his seat. It was a part of my discourse, already prepared, to condemn late arrivals at the house of God as interruptions of pub lic worship and evidences of Indifference on the. part of the individuals. Seeing him come in so late, I questioned the expedi ency of introducing the remark, lest he might suspect it as intended for him per sonally and might take offence. Courage I might say rashness however, prevailed over prudence, and I did not withhold the hazard ous expression. - I afterwards explained to him the predicament in which his tar diness had placed me, and smiling, he said, -i! I thought the remark was meant for me, but as I deserved it, rde'termlned tcrtake it and try to improve." I went home with him that afternoon, and enioved a pleasant in terview with him and his cultured family. He possessed rare conversational talent and : I drew him out on a great variety of topics in which preachers are rapposed to be inter- r eeted. His mind was stored with the treas ure of knowledge and experience. Still he was not devoted to the ministry in a degree corresponding to his opportunity. So im pressed was my mind on this point, that on reaching home, 1 wrote him a kind and faithful letter and warned him of the dan ger of hiding his light under a busheL He received the admonition very graeef nlly, but I did not hear of any marked improve- ' ment, r Men of large gifts and wide attain ments are surely placed under heavier re sponsibilities than ordinary mortals. We must not mage, dui we may counsel. "io a. a m . . - . . . . 1JII. -whom much is given," &a. Mr. StringfeUow afterwards wrote and ' published an able treatise on the subject of domestic slavery, as . that topic was then exciting the anxious attention of the public mind. The whole matter Having since been disposed of by the arbitrament of war. need not say more of it than this passing allusion. . Edwin Baptist. of Powhatan, graduated from Hampden Sidney College and conse- crated his early life to the gospel ministry. When the age of revivals and protracted . meetings began, he was eminently useful both as a pastor and evangelist. I heard Mm preach only twiee. His style leaned towards the ornate and flowery, rather than the -didactic and convincing. God calls to his serviee gif ts as diversified as are the dispositions and tastes of the classes to h won. and every herald should employ that particular quaiineauon wmcn uoa nas given him. His own voice and gestures jmd diet Ion are the best for htm to use. Mr. Rantist possessed more wealth than ordi nary preachers, but he was not diverted . from his Master' work either by its acqui sition, management or expenditure. --. He ' finished his course with Joy and bad not a spot on his garments. Bernard Grimsley was one of nature's no blemen. He sprang into public notice ana h -h &i?!reci&tion as & God-made and God- given workman, on whom schools and col had exerted no controlling agency. He enjoyed only a common English edncs tion, and yet, hearing him frequently, I never detected an instance of bad grammar, Tcar pronunciation or bungling structure y of sentence. nta a sryie oi oratory uen.t, i amezt and powerful, ana wita an mnu t ence only for good exerted for many years i amnryir .Annf.TV PClT! "TP'-'atlOElS. he SOCUTed, in his'advanced e, the epithet of "the old nan eloquent," He was poor in this world s roocs, but nca jn iaita ana uv gin s tt Pn!rit. Of sandy hair and afore- head defaced by a rude scar received in -".nrA- he was bv no means beautiful hi countenance. Dr. Jeter, always fond of a llttla dry bunorcnca iztrods.ce 3 hia to alar-s coc-acy cf criers at the Con- vcise, "Brctbrca, tL U Brother Bernard Grr.$le', tappc-:! to be the c-..e:tEap-tL-trre-cber ia VL-" TBS NORTH CAROLINA BAPTISTS-DEVOTED TO BIBLE HBLIQION, EDUQATION, LITERATURE AND GENERAL RALEIGH, ;N. How often have t been humbled under the preaching of this servant of Jesus in cntr4etiug my poof abilities, after many riy advantages, with his. who had none! ud o praloiHi for raising np such men, to irov ;tbar he is able to take caw of his n-wo eAns -K Stilt excentinni to arnle dd iiot sho w that wise training is of no utility to moderate men and even to men of lofty genins. v He left a preacher son. - i ZitUebernt W. AUen was raised nn In the Tour-Mile-Creek church below Richmond. He was first heard of as a militia colonel and this title adhered to his name, as do all titles, through life. Next he was a door keeper to the Senate of Virginia, given to maaiog ana mending pens in tne days of goose-quills, and perhaps of copying resoln uons, or drawing tnem for members. He then became a preacher, of little expert ence, but of strong self assertion. After some skirmishiDgas a pastor, he was chosen as an agent for collecting funds for Rich mond College in Its struggles for life. 8 trange to say, this employment brought him into notoriety among the churches. He had a general acquaintance , with men of the world, a good personal presence, dressed neatly and was quite affable and concilia ting. As a preacher, he was below medi ocrity, but zealous, brave and confident of success, lie nit grammar, logic and rhet oric and even theology some hard licks, but all in a good humor and with the best in tentiohs. 'His perseverance -was phenome nal. He adopted a method wholly original, and it was crowned with rich results. Se lecting a church in a secluded region and in a "destitute condition, be would hold ' with it a protracted meeting and say not a word about college or money. His memory of names was such that after one introduction, he could recognize each man, woman and child in the neighborhood and talk with all as old acquaintances. This art gave him an immense advantage. : Of what avail are fine sermons, if . the preacher .wounds the' self esteem of people by forgetting their names after frequent interviews! And then only one in a hundred can perceive defects in grammar, logic, or theology. They all can see and feel enthusiasm, and so they fell in love with Mrv Alien and a revival begins. Baptizing fifty persons, he intro duces his College business, gets a handsome subscription, receives an urgent call to visit some other - cnurcn and departs witn tne best wishes of the brethren and strong omens of future success. He thus improved his talents, revived a drooping church and did a fine, business for the College. It is success that makes success. At the break ing out of the late civil war, Mr. Allen formed an independent company of. cav alry, planned his own campaigns and did his own fighting. I am not skilled in mili tary tactics sufficiently to know lust bow be did this, or to say to what extent be was serviceable to the Confederate cause. One of the Federal generals sent him thanks for hanging on the rear of his marching corps and preventing his soldiers from straggling. it was tnose straggling marauaers mai aia so much harm to life and property, and if . " .a . m -S A m. 9 Mr. Allen kept them in check, he was ser vieeable to both classes of belligerents. At the close of the war, be returned to the arts of peace and died as a soldier of the cross of Christ. ; - - Jamei 7). Coleman belonged to a family lone distinsmished In Virginia for teaching. His father taught many years. Frederick Coleman sueceeaea nu xainer wiui even sweater renutation: and his nenhew. Lewis MinAr Coleman, was the torofessor of Latin at the University of Virginia when the war commenced. James u. was a ripe icnoiar and a high minded gentleman. He gained .n honorable fltandinar In the Goshen Asso ciation as the pastor -of several growing churches, and died at his post in the me ridian of his usefulness. 4 1 happened to be present at the burial ot the godly wile or Ia, W. Allen, and be nreached an able dis course on the resurrection of the dead. I bad heard him previously with great pleas ore in the First African church of Rich mond. It is verv refreshing to see a man of wealth and culture placing himself ankarelv amonar the messengers of peace and giving himself heartily to the cause of UhflSE. . Archibald B. Smith was a pudU of prom ise with me at the Colombian College, and I think be graduated at Brown University and Newton seminary, ue pegan ms ca tiL I i - A . . It.i Awmm reer Wltu liur yrueywut ui iuicm, uui 1np his nreliminarv studies, he had married a young woman who was not a, helpmeet for him. She was good in her way. but not in the wav that God prescribes. The hus band is to love his wife as he loves himself and as Christ loved the church, but at the com tlm. ha is to be the head of his wife. and Mr. Smith, from some cause, failed to maintain this relation, ue was too easy. A mother in- Israel among bis Lynchburg mamhAn nndertook to lecture his wife for hindering him in his pastoral duties, and she received this aexenee: "i nave men va mnka Mr. Smith ansTV and I cannot do it. and I have a contempt for a man that ean nt K maAa nrrv " Findinff his usefal- ness impaired In Lynchburg mostly by her oddities, be visited his native Georgia and received a flattering call, which be accep- resiaminsr at the same time his Lynch hnrv chars-e. But when he came back to TTs.rfl'fl for movini to Georda. she vowed she would not go, not she! and the poor fpiinw w&a thrown out of a place I He af terwards found some country churches tips.r richmond and spent an active life G, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1889. among them, but he looked cowed and de pressed. She was a constant thorn in bis flesh. Having invited some brethren to tea with him one evening, be requested her to furnish a "light supper? for them, but when they were invited in to the repast, they found the table loaded with lighted lamps and not a mouthful of food! A les son to young preachers J Don't marry while at school; don't marry without due ac quaintance, and do all the courting your selves. After the decease of this woman. the Lord gave Bro. Smith a second wife that proved to be a rich treasure to him. His countenance brightened up and he spent the calm evening of his days in the holy duties of the pastorate. He was a good minister of Jesus Christ, but did not occupy the high position to which his thor oogn education and bis blameless life fairly entitled him. No man unhappily married can ris superior to bis heart-trbuble and be fully himself. ' He bad a son that was ordained to the ministry, but be preceded nis iatner to tne tomo. ..... Poindexter P. Smith, who save the initials 1. S. to Doctor Henson of Chicago, was an active pastor in one of the upper eounties of the State, but like his friend Just de scribed, was unfortunately mated. He, however, was more buoyant in spirit, and worked away ' his perturbations by long trips of pastoral service or by - immersing himself in the cares' of protracted meet ings. So much was be from home, that to a stranger who called one day at his house to see him on business his wife said naively Mrv Smith dou't live here tie lives in Buckingham" (a field he was evangelizing); beard : him preach a sermon at an Asso ciation which was eepecially adapted to win souls to Jesusv In the . private circle he could Introduce spiritual topics in a playful manner and then give a serious turn to tne conversation, v He baptized huodreds of converts and was released from toll in com paratively early life. ' Report said that his widow married a Presbyterian minister who reformed her refractory manners by quite an original remedy.' ' When she got into her tantrums, he would fall on his knees and pray loud and long prayers till she was tranqulllzed. She declared that she could not stand that! Prayer certainly has some Btrange effects. ! ": William A. Baynham . was one of the loveliest spirits I everwa acquainted with. Nourished in the lap of refinement, be was educated mainly at the University of Vir ginia, and afterwards graduated as a doctor of medicine. But becoming a disciple of. Jesus, he spent his long life and his ample means in advancing the cause of truth. Having been disappointed in some love en gagement in bis early manhood, he never afterwards made any adventures in that line. But his genial temper and hia-good breeding would nave adorned and messed any domestic circle. He was an instructive preacher and a tender pastor, but be ac ompllshed more by the unsullied purity of his character than by the brilliancy of. bis genius, r His churches were in Essex and lower Caroline, and he died in his buggy while on his way to see a sick family. At an advanced age he was gathered in the year 1888 to his fathers in honor and peace. No name on the catalogue of Baptist minis ters in Virginia is suggestive of such pure and lovely associations as is the name of Baynham. After all, what is more precious In the eyes of . God than simple goodness f Knowledge, power, wealth, office, noble birth all pale in the august presence of goodness! There Is a large number of preachers whom I knew with more or less intimacy in Virginia, but their history would be so much a repetition of what I have written of late, that the reader would accuse me of tautology.- I will, therefore, simply give their names with an occasional word and close the paper. - Wm, C. Zigon and James B. McAllister, both pastors of the First church In Lynch' burg during my residence there, were good men and true. r-;, v-; Elijah W. Roach, pastor in Charlotte county simultaneously with Clopton and Jeter, ma & plain, unvarnished, excellent man. James Leftwich and Oeorye W, Lettotch were sons of Wm. Leftwich, of Bedford, and worthy of their father. y0eo W Harris, pastor and teacher in Upperville, before the war, a chaplain in the Confederate army, wounded while tak ing a disabled soldier from the battle field, removed to Kentucky after the war and died at Shelbyville in 1871 while pastor of the Baptut church. Dr. Wm. BT. Kirk, of the Northern Neck. was a zealous and eff ective shepherd of the fold of Jesus. He uniformly attended the sessions pf ' the General Association, but rarely occupied the floor In debate. , - Charles Lewis, of Caroline, was a most devoted and holy man. He seemed to ag onize for the conversion of sinners, 1 was once thrown with him in a series of meet logs and he said amen so often and so loudly during my prayers, that I had to ask him to desist. I love the hearty amen at the close of a petition, but during its pro gress it produces distraction of mind and chills my devotions. For the same reason I can seldom enjoy the leading in public prayer among the Methodist friends, be cause they break in upon the train of my thoughts while addressing the mercy seat. uatit is eeconcnature.; - Absalom C. Demvsey. of Flneastle came down and preached a good sermon for me at Lynchburg, though his manner was ex tremely modest, we rode together to an appointment, and I was amused with the tricks he had tangbC nis noree.. xie looaea around to bis rider while eating atr apple and seemed to say, " Give me a bite," and he always got it At a certain signal he would turn bis mouth piayiuny towards me and threaten to bite me Bro. Demp eey was a simple-hearted Christian. . . Brother William ift Buncan labored In Amherst up to about 1830, and removed to Missouri. . At the baptism of a young man of his congregation, he used substantially this language : " In by gone days I knew and labored with this boy's father, a godly minister of the word. He often told me he doubted his piety beeause he : had long prayed for his children and not one of them had been converted. But," continued the; administrator, ' this is the last of bis six children whom 1 have baptiz ad since his death." Verily God heareth prayer, though the answer is sometimes delayed . f John L Boaa would have been described more at length but for his having lived so short a period In his native State. Soon after he assumed the duties of the ministry be was preaching in a private bouse one evening when the floor gave way and the whole crowd feu into the basement. His lower limbs never regained their normal strength after this fall. ; He preached in a Bitting posture for several years from San som Street pulpit while pastor in Fhiladel pbia. On bis way to or from that city, be called at the Colombian uoiiege and preacn. ed in the ebapel from James 3: 13, dwelling on: the meekness : of wisdom.? xnreat. ened with the loss of vision, he was eon! fiued to a dark room for some time. He removed to Georgia and occupied huh po sitions in the literary world. He published a treatise on theology wbieh is of great depth and value. While I was teaching, he sent me for examination a work on Eng lish Grammar in which were advanced some orieinal ideas on the syntax of our lan guage. it was already printed, out l never heard whether be pushed the circulation. Its chief objection was the change in. the terminology of our grammar. Dr. ' Dagg died lately at an advanced age, loved and venerated by alL Dr. Christian, of Middlesex, G. W. Trice. and John Byrd, of King and Queen, were amiable, faithful preachers. In my "next, I will call np some of the first "Seminary boys." Baptists and, Religious Libert v. -NoJi. . BY ELDXB 3. 3. IiASDSOEIX. " The people who settled this country were of different religious faiths. The dominant party of New England were Pumans, a part of whose creed was to "remove, ac cording to bis place and calling, all false worship, and all ' the monuments of Idol atry." The civil magistrate occupied one place, and it was not long before the power of civil authority was brought to bear on such as differed in religious faith from the dominant party. As early as 1644 a law was passed by the General Court banish ing those who "refused to countenance in fant baptism and the use of secular force in religions things." ; This law embraced Baptists and Quakers. Under the perse cuting. laws of Massachusetts, one of the most remarkable eases of persecution was Obediah Holmes, a Baptist preacher, who went with two other. Baptists from Rhode Island to visit, In 1651, an aged brother at ijynn, wno nao been whipped lor being a Baptist. While holding religious services at this brother's house on the Sabbath. they were arrested and fined and impris oned. The others were in a short time re leased, but Mr. Holmes was retained, to be more severely "punished as a public ex am pie. c He was sentenced to be whipped in Boston in September, 1651, and so bar barously was the sentence executed that for days and weeks he could take no rest, put as ne lay upon nis knees and elbows, not being able to snffer any part of bis body to touch the bed whereon he lay. The sentence pronounced on him contained these words i You did take upon yon to preach and baptize: that you did baptize such as were baptized before, and thereby did necessarily deny the baptism before ad ministered to be baptism: and did. also deny the lawfulness of baptizing infants." (See "Story of the Baptists." p. 205V A Quaker, Nicholas Upsal, an old and feeble man, about this time, was fined, imprhh onea, ana nnauy baxuaned from Massa chusetts for : speaking against - the law forbidding the bringing of Quakers Into the jurisdiction, and found refuge with an Indian prince, who took good care of him, and said; "What a God have the English, who deal - so with one another about their God." (See Hughes & Breck inridge's Debate,' p. 409.) When Roger Williams embraced Baptist views he was banished, and found a resting place in Rhode Island. vsj:; vsat The first charter of the Colony of Vir ginia was granted by James I. 1608. . The law in regard to religion provided, that J If mey snail nna within the said colonies and plantations any person or persons so seek ing to withdraw any of the subjects of us. our heirs or successors, or any people of these lands or territories within the pre cincts aforesaid, they shall, with all dilli- gence, him or them so oUanding, cause to INTELLIGENCE. Number 7. be apprehended, arrested and imprisoned, until he shall fully and thoroughly reform himself; or otherwise, .ben eause so re quire th, that he shall with all convenient ' speed, be sent into our realm of England, here to receive condign punishment for his or their said offense or offenses." (See Howell's "Erly Baptists of Virginia," p. 37).. a In 1611 a law was passed requiring every man and woman, then present or thereafter to arrive In the colony, to submit to an ex amination by the Episcopal minister, to the end that he might ascertain whether he or m she was sound in the faith ; that is, the faith of the Episcopal Church, and In de fault of this, the minister was to notify the liovemor, or the enief otneers of that town or fort wherein the offending parties re- sided, and for the first refusal the offender was to be whipped ; f or the second, whip-', ped twiee, and for the third, to be whipped every day until an acknowledgment was made and forgiveness asked. (See same, p. 88) In 1623 the law was enacted for building a bouse or room in every settlement for wor ship.; In 1643 it was required by law that "alt ministers shall be conformable to the Orders and Constitution of the Church pf England ; that no others shall be permitted to teach or preach publicly or privately," and that !tbe Governor and Council shall take eare that all non-conformists depart the ; colony with all conveniency." (See J same, pp. 41, 42 ) - In 1661- 62 a law was enacted, punishing with a fine of two thousand pounds of to- bacco any person refusing to have his child baptized by an Episcopal preacher, (iota, pp. 45 '46) ah mis looKs iiae nxing np wings to make people Episcopalians by force. The 'Act of Toleration" ; was passed by the British Parliament daring the first year of the reign of William and Mary, but was not recognized by the Virginia Legislature for ten years after ; (1699), That act is properly named, "Act of Toleration," for it only tolerated Protestants who were not Episcopalians by exempting them from - certain penalties, and allowing them lim ited privileges. . The act was not , one of religions uoerty. v as even in email gain, no doubt the Legislature was .in ad vance of the clergy, for when was it ever known that the elergy of a State Church went forward in the work of freeing the mind and purse from the sbackela of re-, ligious tyranny t The elergy have always been prune movers In forging the chains of religious oppression ; they have relinquished UiVU UUiU VU UWUW. U4W IUUOK antly. and when the people, by their own struggling energies,have released themselves . from religious tax, the wails of the elergy : have been the loudest and longest. It is doubtful whether they have entirely died out of Virginia to this day, where "the church" .was more snugly intrenched in State sup port man. peruana in any otner state. But the time came for a strike to be made for rt ligious liberty as well as civil freedom, . and the Baptists who were among the first and foremost in the latter, took the lead, and hora tha harden of the Btrarele In the former. - - - - Rev. J. 8. Beynoldson. Bear Recorder 1 have read with intense interest the sketch of J. 6- Reynoldson, given by the venerable Robert Ryland. I note that ut. Ryland says that alter Rey noldson had apprenticed himself to an Eng lish sea captain, he he left this eaptam on a voyage to America, and : enlisted on an American vessel, and that it is not known whether he left the English vessel lawfully or nnlawf ullyv ; M -v -' -"'k',-';' The late James L. Graves, of Yancey- ville, N. Ct used to tell this Btory about Revnoldson. Mr. waves had spent seven teen years in Brazil, and on his way home had . stopped , at the . Burmuda Islands. While he was at dinner in the hotel a young sailor came in who was evidently trying to escape from ' somebody, and Mr. Graves made way at the table, pushed him under it, drew the overlapping cloth down so as. if possible, to conceal him, and also took his plate and held it in his lap. An officer and men came in search of the runaway, but did not nod him, and went out, and so Reynoldson escaped. This is the story I have often heard from a prominent citizen of this place, a native of Caswell county, and he has recently repeated it to me. Uy informant adds, that long afterwards. when Reynoldson went to Yancey vllle to preach, Mr. Graves, who was remarkable for the accuracy of his memory, said, when he aaw Reynoldson In the pulpit: Why, I know that man.' and he told of the occur rence at Burmuda to some who were near him. They doubted the statement of the much-traveled man. After services were over, Mr. Graves went up to Reynoldson, and a conversation eonlrmed the statement made by him, and of course an unusual hand shaking occurred. Can there be any mistake about this matter t Did any one ever hear from Rey noldson the account of his transfer from the English to the American vessel t It seems a strange story. A man from a far away inland village of one of the States, while in a British port, suddenly takes a notion to conceal from the British officers a young runaway saUor, and that sailor be comes a preacher, under whose ministry four thousand people are said to have been converted. J T. A. Danville, Va., July 29, 18S9.
The Biblical Recorder (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Aug. 14, 1889, edition 1
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