MICROFILMED 1992 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES/NEW YORK as part of the "Foundations of Western Civilization Preservation Project" Funded by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia University Library •itKnV^'Vii^n COPYRIGHT STATEMENT Tht copyright law of the United States -- Title 17, United States Code -- concerns the making of photocopies or othf reproductions of copyrighted material... Columbia Universit}' Library reserves the right to refuse t( accept a copy order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the would involve violation of the copyright law. AUTHOR: FRAZEE, W. D. (WILLIAM DONIPHAN) TITLE: REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS PL A CE: NASHVILLE , TENN. DATE: 1 898, C1 892 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT Master Negative # l^s3o'MsJi Restrictions tn Use: BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARCFT Original Material as Filmed ■ - Existing Bibliographic Record 938.92 F869 1 i ^ n 1822- ""„S;;i3C0„ces a"d ser-cr. Nashville, Ta„„ Gospel advocate pub. co., ioyo. 396, 7 p. ports. TECHNICAL MICROFOI^M DATA FILM SIZE:__3^onf2-r^^__ REDUCTION RATIO: IMAGE PLACEMENT: \h \V^ IB IIB ^ DATE FILMED:__^l/iL^/o_2_ INITIALS tl_^l_ HLMEDBY: RESEARCIi PUBLICATIONS, INC VVOODBRIDGE. CT / OA Centimeter 1 2 3 C Association for Information and Image Management 1 1 00 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1 1 00 Silver Spring. Maryland 20910 301/587-8202 II! Illlilllllllllllllilllllllllllll 4 5 6 iliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiii T m 1 I II 8 9 10 II iiiiliii liiiiliiiiliii TTT Ml n 12 13 14 liiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiili m TTT 15 mm Ui Inches .0 I.I 1.25 1^ 1 71 ■ ■0 2.8 3.2 M i^ 1.4 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 MRNUFRCTURED TO RUM STRNDflRDS BY APPLIED IMRGE, INC. ■ *JM - r- 1 Y'Bi ii> f. '■■^L *riS iittlHMi Jfy,rt^ V» . ^^ "^;S^*««^s-*»*rt' .>*iifW«^^ br# •^(-f '"^' &M1 ^.->ir.- -.v.»v *\^wi^»;.^v*^^•>s^ss«*?a?«s«^»!«a«*^*8w'^^ I* % y WW 1' f i\:d 1' ,, ^ ^ t. 1 ^ r ^vc »■ '1 1'!^-^^ ^ 1 1 » %■ ^ - W*^ * 11 f# 4/ .;^^:;:^ A ^ ^^ m v^^^'^^-Si J ^. "*^ ^M^^ •y ^■-■^'•\<- y.«--' ^1 <^1^ F«K.- /jit^t- /f!^^ 'K- ro ^1 i'£,- ^:i ^r^^lXN THE LIBHAKIES Bequest of Frederic Bancroft 1860-1945 f\ / ^ ;«*^^ '-^ /S^': } - V^v '.p.-s-**?;;^ f/ li K^' ^^^ ^i:^' 1 i REMINISCENCES. AND E R M O N S , ■by- Elder W. D. Frazee, OCEANSIDE, CAL. Author of ' 'Sunshine and Shadows in Southern Lands'' ''San Bernardino County, its Climate and Resources, ** " Ocean- side the Gateway City,'' etc. Nashvii.i,e, Tenn.: GOSPKI. ADVOCATE) PUBLISHING CO. ^ « t 189S. W. D. Frazee. » « • t .. J » • » * ', » , > I J » • • « t « ^a-/^^«C ^ H Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 189S, By W. D. Frazes In the clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, for the District of California. 3/7f9C ■ 1 • • • • - . r : • : • • • • • « • ' • • • • • • V 1 » a * • • C • ♦ • . • *. * f f : 1 »'. r. K 1o % ♦ i * To Elder B. F. Coulter, This Volume is Respectfully Dedicated By His Friend, The Author. > PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. MY daughter sent me a blank book with a request that I would fill it with sermons. I wrote in her book a short sketch of the church during the first century. It is not gener- ally known that we have the writings of nine historians that have descended to us who live 11 CONTENTS. CHAPTERS I.-V.— Reminiscences of the Reformation of the Nine- teenth Century CHAPTER VI.— A Recapitulation CHAPTER VII.— The Office of the Holy Spirit in Conversion CHAPTER VIII.— All Men are Stewards CHAPTER IX.— Baptism CHAPTER X.— Moses as a Type of Christ CHAPTER XI.— God is Love; and Where Love is There is God also. CHAPTER XII.— Faith CHAPTER XIII.— The Lord's Supper CHAPTER XIV.— Advice to a Young Preacher CHAPTER XV.— Prophecies Now Being Fulfilled CHAPTER XVI.— Can Our Feelings be Relied on as Evidence of Pardon CHAPTER XVII.— Prayer CHAPTER XVIII.— Trinity CHAPTER XIX.— Reconciliation CHAPTER XX.— Solomon and Paul Contrasted CHAPTER XXI.-Suflferings of Christ CHAPTER XXII.— The World Upside Down CHAPTER XXIII.— First Peter CHAPTER XXIV.— The True Tabernacle CHAPTER XXV.— Growth CHAPTER XXVI.— The Soul CHAPTER XXVIL— Whither are we Tending CHAPTER XXVIII— David and Solomon Compared CHAPTER XXIX.— Large Oaks From Little Acorns Grow CHAPTER XXX.— What Must I do to be Saved.. CHAPTER XXXI.— The Name Christian CHAPTER XXXII.— Christian Union . • • .••••. ^121 122-183 18a-196 197-206 207-216 216-222 22a-240 241-250 251-264 265-969 270-284 286-293 294-300 301-309 310-314 316-321 322-327 328-333 334-^38 339-343 344-3 i7 348-357 36&^1 362-371 372-373 374-380 381-386 887-396 (8) Autobiographical Sketch of W. D. Frazee. Some of my friends having" expressed a wish to know more about the personal history of the author of " Remi- niscences and Sermons," I haVe concluded to preface the present edition with a short, condensed autobiographical sketch. My early paternal ancestors were English, one of whom emigrated to America before the War of Independence and settled in New Jersey, where he held a land grant from the Crown, One of the many descendants of this Frazee, now to be found scattered in several States of the Union, was my grandfather, Samuel Frazee, who was born in New Jer- sey, November 6, 1753. About twelve j^ears after this the family moved to the western part of Pennsylvania, where, two or three years later, the head of the family, Ephraim Frazee, died. This to a large extent left the care and sup- port of the family devolving upon Samuel, then a youth of about fifteen. Having neither the money nor influence to secure a position in permanent business, he resorted to hunting and trapping as a means of supplying the urgent wants of the family. After the battle of Point Pleasant, in which my grandfather took a part, the family moved to the Big Kanawha; and from here, with a single companion, he descended the Ohio River to Limestone (now Maysville), and thence proceeded to Harrodsburg. Space will not per- mit me here to record the many narrow escapes he made in his individual encounters with the Indians or his par- ticipation in Indian battles. I will only add an extract from an obituary notice which appeared a few days after his death, written by an old friend, an honored citizen of Mason County, Ky.: "Died, on the 12th inst. [November, 1849], at his resi- (i) ii AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. dence, near Germantown, Mason County, Kj., Mr. Samuel Frazee, Sr. The deceased was born in November, 1753, and departed this life in November, 1849, giving- a length of life of ninety-six years. After having encountered a border warfare in Western Pennsylvania and Virginia, he mi- grated to Kentucky in 1779, and was at the Falls of the Ohio at the original laying out of lots of the town of Louis- ville. He was sent alone from that point to Harrod's Sta- tion, giving important information that led to the con- vention of Col. Bowman's command at the mouth of the Licking. After the termination of that campaign he re- turned home, and again visited Kentucky in 1784, was associated with Col. Boone and Simon Kenton, and, under the command of the latter, was in the action of Todd's Fork; and, having ventured freely in reclaiming this por- tion of Kentucky, settled finally in Mason County. The writer of this article has more than once listened to the recitals of Kenton and Frazee; for Kenton never failed to visit his old companion after moving to Ohio, and they fought their battles over again. In all the relations of life the deceased was strictly honest and faithful in their dis- charge. The deceased was long since, with wife and most of his children, immersed for the remission of his sins. One faith, one hope, one Lord, one baptism, were the cardi- nal principles that led him, on each first day of the week, as long as his health permitted him, to be seen wending his way to the meeting house, and never was his seat vacant unless from stern necessity. The duties of parent were affectionately and faithfully attended to. He used neither liquor nor tobacco nor useless talk." My father, Ephraim Frazee, the second child of Samuel Frazee and Rebecca J. Frazee, was born August 17, 1792, and, after receiving his education, served one campaign in the War of 1812. Subsequently he read medicine with Dr. Anderson Doniphan, then a prominent physician and sur- geon in Northern Kentucky, and, in July, 1816, married AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. Ill Susan Doniphan. After attending medical lectures in Philadelphia, he commenced the practice of his profession in Mays Lick, Ky. Here my father continued the practice with both success and profit until the autumn of 1824, when he was taken sick, and, after a very brief illness, died on October 6, leaving my mother a widow, with four orphan boys, the youngest only two days old. My maternal ancestors, the Doniphans, were Sjianish, one of whom emigrated to Scotland and there married a wealthy heiress by the name of Mott. One of their sons moved to the colony of Virginia and settled on the Potomac River. My grandfather, Joseph Donij^han, one of his de- scendants, was born in Virginia about 1758, and, entering the Continental army, was with one or two of his brothers in the battle of Brandywine, his company being com- manded by Capt. John Marshall, afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In this engage- ment an older brother, George Doniphan, was killed near him. After being mustered out of service, he visited Ken- tucky, and, in the winter of 1778-79, taught the children in Boonsboro Fort, the second school taught in Kentucky. He returned to Virginia, reentered the army, and w^as present at the surrender of Yorktov/n. He married Ann Smith, a daughter of Capt. William Smith, of the Conti- nental arm}'. In 1786 and 1787 he w^as a Justice of the Peace in Stafford County, and afterwards Sheriff of the same county. His old docket as Justice of the Peace is still in my family, and is written in a fine business hand, and kept in pounds, shillings, and pence. In a number of the cases George Washington is entered as plaintiff, the " father of his country " having many tenants on his land in Stafford. As so many pounds of tobacco appears as a credit on some of the judgments in the docket, the weed in those days seems often to have been used as a substitute for money. In 1792 my grandfather, in company with his younger brother, Anderson, then a young married man, set- IV AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FBAZEE. tied in Mason County, Ky., about four miles from Washing- ton, then the county seat. In 1796 he was an acting Justice of the Peace in Mason County, his old docket for that year being- still in my family. I am told that he was a man of agreeable manners, popular among his neighbors, and highly respected for his integrity and his sterling worth. He died in 1812 or 1813, leaving a widow, three sons, and ^ye daughters, of which my mother, Susan Doniphan, was the third. She was bom November 12, 1794, and in July, 1816, was married to Ephraim Frazee. Her happy married life was suddenly cut short by the death of her husband, which left to her the sole care of her little children. She said that, in this great hour of trial, death would have been a welcome messenger; but, fortunately for us, she was spared to raise her children, which she did with great care and devotion. Our education was particularly looked to, and, after attending the best country schools, each of us was sent to college. In 1837 my mother moved to Rush County, Ind., locating on the large, handsome farm pur- chased many years before by my father, where she died on December 27, 1884, being, at the time of her death, ninety years, one month, and ten days old. She had been a widow for sixty years, and a worthy member of the Christian Church for more than fifty years. She left four children (never having lost one), twenty-four grandchildren, and twenty-seven great-grandchildren— in all fifty-five descend- ants. My mother was a woman of strong convictions and strong, lasting attachments, and hence made many warm friends wherever she lived. She had great pride of charac- ter and a profound contempt for mean acts. She enter- tained with liberal hospitality and was generous to the poor. She was refined in her manners and tastes; in her dress, scrupulously neat; and in her housekeeping, a model of industry. She was very fond of fiowers, and success- fully cultivated them with her own hands. She found time to do a good deal of reading, especially in the Bible and in AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. religious books and periodicals. Her memory was remark- ably good, and when nearly ninety years of age she could relate, w4th great clearness, incidents which had occurred three-quarters of a century before; but what was even more remarkable for one of her age was her familiarity with, and ready recollection of, very recent events. I was born in Mays Lick, Ky., April 9, 1822, being the third son of Ephraim and Susan Frazee. After attending various country schools, I went to Bacon College, located at George- town, Ky., and then under the presidency of that able preacher and polished speaker, David Burnett. In 1840 I commenced the study of law in the office of McClung & Taylor, in Washington, then the county seat of Mason County, Ky. This firm did a large and successful business. I obtained my license to practice law in 1842, and opened an office in Greenup, the county seat of Greenup County, prac- ticing in this and the adjoining county of Carter till Octo- ber, 1843, when I moved to Rush County, Ind. In May, 1846, in company with P. M. Cassady, I left Rushville and went West, locating at Fort Des Moines, la. Here Cassady, Dr. Fagan, and myself laid off a town plot, which after- wards grew to be a town and ultimately the capital of th« State. On November 10, 1849, I started for California. During my three years' absence I kept a diary, which was after- wards published. While in California, in May, 1851, I was selected by the Whigs of Tuolumne County to run for the State Senate. I entered into an active canvass, making a number of speeches and running ahead of the ticket, but not entirely overcoming the usual Democratic majority. On May 14, 1854, after my return from California, I mar- ried Rebecca Jenkinson, an accomplished Christian woman of a gentle, affectionate disposition, refined in her tastes, and loved wherever she lived. After living with her for more than twenty years, if she had a fault, I know it not. In this same vear I located at Winchester and opened a vi AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. law office with Judge Brown, and in 1856 formed a part- nership with Judge Jerry Smith. While living at Winches- ter I fitted up my cabinet of minerals, geological specimens, and curiosities, which, with some rare old books (one of them an illuminated Bible, printed in 1480, sent to me by my friend Luers, of Fort Wayne, Ind., Bishop of the Catho- lic Church) and my collection of autographs, seemed to prove attractive to my many friends and visitors. In 1869 I took up my residence in Indianapolis, and opened a law office with Prof. John Young; and four years later, my wife being in declining health, I moved to the town of San Bernardino, Cal. At this time the trains were climbing over the Rockies and the Sierras, reducing the journey from ocean to ocean from months to a few days, and giving a new impetus to the growth and development of this wonderful country. But dark days came to our happy home, and death to our little fireside. After a pain- ful illness, borne with true Christian resignation, my wife died on September 3, 1876. Besides this irreparable loss, later on I had the misfortune to lose my youngest child— a bright, promising boy— of lockjaw. This was the third time death had visited the family. We had a five-year-old daughter to go to sleep in 1870. In 1879, after having been engaged in the law for many years, I quit the practice. The case which gave me as much (if not more) satisfaction as any other during my practice, on account of the valuable interests involve*d, as well as the great ability and high standing of the opposing counsel, occurred during my residence at Winchester, Ind. I was solicited by Alexander Stephens to bring suit to gain title to two hundred acres of land left by his grandfather to his son, Samuel Stephens, with a proviso that, if he died without an heir, the land should go to his grandson, Alex- ander, and his sister. His uncle, Samuel, sold the land and deeded it away, but died without having married. Now, as every deceased person has heirs, even where he has no ATJTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. Vll issue, and the law of Indiana being explicit that the lan- guage of wills shall be strictly construed, my partner, Judge James Brown, a fine lawyer, said we could not re- cover the land. Thinking we could recover it, I contracted that if I did not gain it we would not charge a fee. We gained the case in the lower court, but the counsel on the other side. Gov. O. P. Morton and Judge William A. Peeler, carried the case to the Supreme Court, and the judgment of the lower court was affirmed. While living at San Bernardino, Cal., and editing the Argus, I published my book, entitled " San Bernardino County: Its Climate and Resources," which had a very flattering sale and yielded a good profit. In 1887 I pub- lished my small book, " The Gateway City," and sold seven thousand copies at a handsome profit. In 1892 I published my '* Reminiscences and Sermons," which has already passed through four editions. I obeyed the gospel in February, 1840, and have now (1897) been a member of Christ's kingdom for fifty-seven years. Soon after locating at San Bernardino, I began to preach regularly, and since then, a period of some twenty- four years, have continued in the work. In that time I have preached in quite a number of States and Territories — California, Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Ar- kansas, Texas, and Arizona — covering a distance of many thousands of miles. Through all these years I have been preserved and blessed by our all-kind Heavenly Father, my great regret being that I have not done more effectual work in his harvest field, where the grain is ripe, but the reapers are few. Let me say to my preaching brethren, especially to our young preachers, never be discouraged by small congrega* tions. I think some of the most profitable and enjoj^ble meetings I have ever held were where a few earnest spirits had come together to learn God's will and to faithfully Viii AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF W. D. FRAZEE. obey his commands. Of these many happy little meetingps, still remembered with so much pleasure, I will mention one: I was requested by Capt. Foster to preach at the schoolhouse, twenty miles north of San Diego. There were nine persons present — Capt. Foster and wife and seven others. I dwelt on the importance of Christian union, offered an invitation, and six out of the nine came for- ward. Capt. Foster and his wife, who had been members of the Methodist Church for eight years, were among the number. I buried them in baptism that afternoon in the lake on Capt. Foster's ranch. I organized a Sunday school and left them in working order, and instituted reading the Scriptures and family prayers in Capt. Foster's house. Only two out of the nine were left out of the Christian Church, as Sister Johnson, one of the nine, was a member l>«fore. W. D. FRAZEE. I^emi9i5ee9Ges aijd 5sr/nops. CHAPTER I. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION OF THE NINE- TEENTH CENTURY. THERE is only one church entitled to be called " the church," and that T^^as not " enlarged somewhat," but began on the day of Pentecost in the year of our Lord 34, in the city of Jerusalem. The church is founded on the gospel, or good news, namely, " the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus." 1 Cor. xv: 3. And then, too, the church had to begin at Jerusalem. Micah iv: 2, " The law shall go forth from Jerusalem." And our Lord said, ''Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv: 47. ''On this rock I will build my church." Matt, xvi: 18. When or where else could the church have had a beginning? iTot at Sinai; that law was given alone to the Jews. John the Baptist gave no law to the Gentiles. And the apostles were forbidden (9) 10 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. to preach to any but the Jews until Tentecost, not until the first ripe sheaf had been waved as an oftering. Mark xvi: 16, " Go ye into all the world' and preach the gospel to every creature." This is the first time the gospel was ever ottered to the Gentiles. And it was a propitious time ; Pente- cost had fully come. The disciples, the apostles, the women and Mary the mother of Jesus were there. O ! woman ! woman !! thou art the pedestal upon which the human family revolves; first in Paradise lost, the first in Paradise regained, Chris- tianity found you a slave, and crowned you a queen. Last at the cross, and first at the tomb. Thou art the salt of the earth, the bulk of the church below, and of the church above. It was a beautiful Lord's day morning ; a throng was in Jerusalem, and as the custom was, persons from all parts of the civilized world had remained over from passover until Pentecost. And in the holy city, the former home of Shem, the Melchise- dec of Genesis. Here where Abraham oftered up Isaac; here where the temple stood, the church began. Fifty days before, an earthquake had rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom, and had REMINISCENCES OF TUE REFORMATION. 11 opened graves "and many bodies of the saints, which slept, arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many." And darkness was over the earth from 12 o'clock noon, until 3 p. m., and the body of Jesus had been missed from the tomb, and the soldiers could not tell what had become of it. And now to add to the excitement, illiter- ate fishermen were speaking in seventeen lan- guages. Then and there on Pentecost the church began, and on that first day as many as suftered them- selves to be led by the Spirit gladly received the word, repented and were baptized, for the re- mission of their sins and three thousand were added to them. Infants do not gladly receive the word. The church like a little stone cut out of the mountain-side, without hands rolled on con- quering and to conquer until Rome, proud mis- tress of the world was subdued. Within 350 years the Roman Eagle was replaced by the cross, yet the Bible met with bitter opposition all along the line of march, no fragments of an army ever sur- vived so many battles, no citadel ever withstood so many sieges, no rock was ever swept by so many 12 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 13 storms, or battered by so many hurricanes as the Bible, and still it stands. It has seen Daniel's four universal empires rise and fall. A few years ago while the writer was in Washington City, he beheld a few mutilated figures, that adorn our National Museum, all that remains of Assyria, once the golden headed universal empire. Media and Persia have long since been weighed in the balance, and found wanting. Greece only sur- vived in her historic period; it is living Greece no more. And the iron Rome of the Csesars is held by a feeble hand. But the book that foretells all this still survives, while poets and orators, statesmen and philos- ophers, kingdoms and empires have all gone van- ishing through the things that were and remain only to point a moral or adorn a tale. The Bible is still read, debated, and sifted, by the wisest men living. It occupies the highest niche in the temple of fame, it is more vehemently assailed, more devotedly loved, more traduced, more hon- ored and revered, more printed and freely given to the world, than any book the world has ever seen. In the midst of change, it remains unchanged. It sees all things decaying yet it remains incor- I) ruptible. It has seen myriads of books engulfed in the stream of time while it floats triumphantly on, and will continue thus to float until the mystic angel with one foot on the land and the other on the sea shall declare by Him that liveth forever and ever that time shall be no more. It is the only bridge that spans the river that flows be- tween time and eternity, between temporal and eternal life. It is the only guide that safely con- ducts Christians to the haven of unending bliss, where we will sit down w^ith Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and talk for a thousand years of the won- derful love of the Son of God; and in the full enjoyment of the society of all the redeemed spirits that burn around the throne of the majesty in the heavens. It was at the dawn of the Christian era that monuments were erected to forever commemorate the gospel i. e., " the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus." 1 Cor. xv : 3. These mon- uments erected by divine authority, have been continuously observed to the present and they will continue to be observed until time shall be no more. They thus establish the gospel facts. If we have celebrated the 4th of July continuously since 14 KEMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. 1776 to rejoice over the signing of tlie Declaration of Independence, it is conclusive evidence that it was signed at that time, otherwise the American peo- ple have been so stupid as to spend their time and money in celebrating an event that they must have known never occurred. It would be in vio- lation of all the rules of reason and common sense to imagine a shadow without a substance. To commemorate Christ's death, he instituted the sup- per. " And he took bread and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is broken for you; this do in remem- brance of me. Likewise, also the cup after sup- per, saying. This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you." This institution which has been observed by Christ's followers every Lord's day since his death, keeps before the world the fact that " Christ was buried," the mon- ument to commemorate Christ's resurrection, was the most difficult to introduce among the Jewish converts. For many centuries the Jews had observed the seventh day. God had not only commanded its observance, but had also incorpo- rated its observance in the decalogue. To intro- duce the observance of a new day was not so diffi- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 15 cult, as it was to abolish the observance of one that had been sanctified by God himself. But Christ had arisen on the first day of the week, and redemption was greater than creation, and the first day must be substituted for the seventh as a third monument, it establishing the resurrection. Nine of the ten commandments had been trans- ferred from the Old to the New Testament. The fourth ''Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy," has been omitted. Christ said that he was Lord of the sabbath. From Christ's resurrection until the present, the first day of the week has been set apart for the followers of Christ to meet and celebrate his death by that other monument called the supper, at which the loaf is broken to commemorate the giving of Christ's body. To suppose thousands of intelligent men and women who lived at the time, would substitute the observance of the first day of the week, in place of the seventh, to commemorate an event that never occurred is sheer nonsense. To show that the first day of the week has been continu- ously observed by Christians instead of the sev- enth day, let me quote from two or three early authors, whose writings have come down to us. 16 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 17 Barnabas mentioned in the Xew Testament as a companion ot Paul, (we have his writings) A. D. 72 saying, " We celebrate the eighth day on which Jesus arose from the dead." A. D. 107 Pliny, a Roman historian says, " The Christians meet on a stated day to partake of a meal and sing a hymn to Christ as God." A. D. 145 Justin Martyr says, " On the Lord's day, which is the day after Satur- day, all Christians meet together." A. D. 180, Iren^us, "On the Lord's day every Christian keeps the sabbath." The early Christians were not imposed upon; they were not fools. For beauty of style and strength of argument, Paul's epistle to the Ro- mans has stood unrivaled for eighteen hundred years. And all the writers of the New Testament would compare favorably with the ablest writers of the present day. If these three monuments did not begin at the death and resurrection of our Lord when did they begin ? and where ? If the Bible is a lie, falsehood is better than truth, for it has done more good than all the truth that has ever been uttered. If so, there is no object in creation, the earth turns around once every twenty-four hours, and passes around the i I I .s sun in every three hundred and sixty-five days. Day succeeds day, and year succeeds year. The vegetable kingdom flourishes and dies: the ani- mals live on the vegetables, and they die. Man lives on the vegetable and animal kingdoms and he dies. One generation succeeds another, and noth- ing is gained by the entire process, and the earth and all it contains was made without an object or wisdom in its formation, for if the Bible be not true God has not spoken to man and he who formed the eye cannot see, and he who formed the ear cannot hear, and he who formed the brain cannot reason, else he would not have placed in man a desire to know the beyond and never answered the desire. I see the filthy worm crawl- ing on the ground with a golden spot on either side, but the spots are turning to wings ; reason teaches me that it is destined to soar in a higher atmosphere. I see the babe, it has a tongue and feet, it can neither talk nor walk. I come again; it is now a boy fleet of foot, and chatters like a magpie. But is there not a w^ant of wisdom in giving him that brain to solve the most abstruse mathematical ques- tions? He cannot use it, but come back again 18 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 19 when the boy has become the philosopher and is in the zenith of manhood, his hands and arms, feet and legs seem almost to have run out into thought; he sees the apple fall, he gives us the attraction of gravitation by which the various worlds are made to revolve in their respective orbits. He gives the mariner magnetic attraction ; by it he has an unde- viating guide through the trackless ocean. He brings the lightning from the heaven, harnesses it up and drives it single reined around the earth; his voice is heard and recognized a thousand miles away; he bottles up the intonations of loved ones for their children's children. And yet if the Bible is not true there is a sad want of wisdom in his in- formation ; he longs to see beyond the narrow tomb and that desire placed there by his Creator has never been answered. The wants of the lower animals are all supplied, every desire is answered. In the formation of man is the only failure. God thinks more of mere animals than he does of men. And then, too, there is no evidence in martyrdom if the Bible be not true. The early Christians were martyred for a fact: they said they saw Jesus be- fore and after his resurrection, that they heard him talk and handled him for forty days after his resur- II i rection and saw him ascend, that they could not be mistaken; for this they were put to death. Now martyrdom does not prove an opinion but it does prove a fact, if our senses are not to be credited, there is nothing that is reliable in this world. They knew whether they had seen, heard, and handled Jesus, and if they knew they were telling a falsehood they were fools, for being martyred when they could have saved their lives. Again, more than a quarter of a century after Christ's resurrection there were then living more than two hundred and fifty persons, who had been with him after his resurrection. The courage and patience, those early Christians exhibited when tortured were surely supernatural. Look at that delicate girl, chained in the burnino- iron chair at Lyons, or the boy chained on the grate over burning coals continuing to rejoice while enduring such extreme torture, and submitting to a slow and tedious death rather than be released by denying the Lord, when it could have been done by a mental reservation is proof that nothing but the Spirit of the living God could have given sup- port, tor poor, weak, human nature could not, un- aided by divine power endure such extreme 20 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. torment. These persons would exult with joy, (we are informed by Antonius, a Roman his- torian who wrote in the year 161) while seemingly enduring such extreme suffering. Let us tor a moment glance at the history of the church. We have the writings of Barnabas the companion of Paul. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, A. ]). 75; Papias, Clement bishop of Rome, mentioned in Phil, iv : 3, and Hermes mentioned in Romans xvi : 14; these w^ere all well acquainted with some of the apostles. All of these lived during the days of the apostles and we have their writings in which they quote from the scriptures and refer to them as gen- erally known and the facts admitted. We have not only Christian but also Iniidel history dating back to the days of the apostles, that substantiates many of the facts related in the New Testament. Suetonius, a Roman historian lived A. D. 80. In his life of the Emperor Claudius who reigned from the years 41 to 54, he says, " Claudius ban- ished the Jews from Rome, Christus being their leader. " In Acts xviii : 2 this is referred to. In his life of Nero who was Emperor from 54 to 68, Sue- tonius says, " The Christians were punished with h REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 2] death, a sort of people addicted to a new and mis- chievous superstition. " Tacitus lived A. D. 63. In his life of the Em- peror Nero in giving an account of the great fire at Rome, A. D. 64, he says : '^ To suppress the common rumor that the Emperor had set fire to the city, Nero procured the Christians to be accused, and inflicted exquisite punishment upon them; they de- rived their name from Christus who in the reign of Tiberius was put to death as a criminal by Pontiua Pilate. This pernicious superstition, though checked for a while broke out again, and spread not only over Judea the source of this evil, but reached the city also whither flow all the things vile and shameful and where they find shelter. At first they were only apprehended who confessed themselves of that sect, afterward a vast number discovered by them, all which were condemned not so much for their burning the city, as for their enmity toward mankind. Their executions were so contrived as to expose them to derision and con- tempt. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs. Some were crucified, others having been covered over with combustible materials, were set up as lights in the '} 22 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. night time and thus burnt to death. " During this persecution it is said the apostle Paul was beheaded at Eome. Doniitian was Emperor from 81 to 96, under his reign a bloody persecution prevailed, under this persecution the beloved apostle John was banished to the isle of Patraos. Pliny, a Roman historian lived A. D. 62. He was appointed governor of Bithynia, A. D. 100; he wrote to the Emperor Trajan, " It is my custom, sir, to refer myself to you in all matters concerning which I have any doubt. For who can better di- rect me where I hesitate, or instruct me where I am ignorant. I have never been present at any trial of Christians. So I know not well what is the subject matter of punishment or of inquiry, or what strictures ought to be used in either. Nor have I been little perplexed to determine whether any difference ought to be made upon account of age, or whether the young and tender and full grown and robust ought to be treated all alike. Whether repentance should entitle to pardon or whether all who have ever been Christians ought to be punished though now they are no longer so. Whether the name itself, although no crime be de- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 23 ^ tected, or crimes only belonging to the name ought to be punished; concerning all these things I am in doubt. In the meantime, I have taken this course with all who have been brought before me, and have been accused as Christians. I have put the question to them whether they were Christians, and upon their confessing to me that they were, I repeated the question a second and a third time, threatening to punish them with death. Such as still persisted, I ordered away to be punished, for it was no doubt with me, whatever might be the nature of their opinion, that obstinacy ought to be punished. In a short time the crime spreading itself even while under persecution, as usual in such cases, divers sorts of people came in my way. They aflSrmed that the whole of their fault or error lay in this, that they were wont to meet together on a stated day, before it was light and sing among themselves alternately a hymn to Christ as God, and bind themselves by an oath not to the com- mission of any wickedness, and not to be guilty of theft or robbery or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them, when called upon to return it ; when these things were performed it was their custom to separate and 24 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 25 then to come together again to a meal, which they ate in common without any disorder. I examined by torture two maid servants called ministers but have discovered nothing besides a bad and ex- cessive superstition. Suspending, therefore, all ju- dicial proceedings I have recourse to you for advice, for it has appeared unto me a matter deserving consideration, especially upon account of the great number of persons who are in danger of suifering, for many of all ages and every rank of both sexes likewise are accused and will be accused. Nor has the contagion of this superstition seized cities only but the lesser towns." Trajan's reply: "You have taken the right method, my Pliny, in your proceedings with those who have been brought before you as Christians, for it is impossible to establish any rule that shall hold universally. They are not to be sought for. If any are brought before you, and are convicted, they ought to be punished. However, he that de- nies his being a Christian and makes it evident in fact; that is by supplicating to our gods, let him be pardoned. But in no case of any crime what- ever, may a bill of information be received without being signed by him who presents it; for that i' I would be a dangerous precedent and unworthy my government." A. D. 141, Antonius was Emperor of Rome; Justin Martyr at this time presented to the Em- j)eror his lirst apology. In it he says, " On the day called Sunday we all meet together, on which day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead; on the day before Saturday he was crucified, and on the day after Saturday, which is Sunday, he ap- peared to his apostles and disciples and taught them these things which we have set before you. Do not appoint capital punishment to those who have done no harm." But the persecution still raged. A. D. 161, Marcus Antonius the philosopher suc- ceeded Antonius Pius as Emperor. There is a book written by him called his Meditations in the eleventh book of which he says: " What a soul is that which is prepared even now presently, if needful, to be extinguished, or be dispersed, or to subsist still. But this readiness must proceed from a well weighed judgment, not from mere obstmacy like the Christians. And it should be done considerately and with gravity without trag- ical exclamations as to persuade another." Justin was beheaded in Rome A. D. 165. 26 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. A. D. 263, Porphyry says, " Since Jesus has been honored, none have received any public benefit from the gods. " A. D. 303, Hierocles says: " The Christians call tiesus God because he performed a few miracles." During these days the civil government persecuted the Christians to death. A. D. 361, Julian the Emperor of Rome had made a profession of Christianity, whether real or feigned, it proves that Christianity had triumphed over all religions, another proof that the fittest or best will always survive. On the Roman flag the eagle was replaced by the cross. The devil however had failed to learn that the blood of the martyr was the seed of the church, and he made use of the church of Rome ; and Christian Rome, instead of pagan Rome was then and there insti- tuted to destroy primitive Christianity. And although our Lord taught his followers to return good for evil, and non-resistance was practiced by the first Christians, it is strange how soon the devil got possession of the church. From the dawn of Christianity until the eighteenth century, persecution seemed to be the order of the day, and from the fourth century persecution was carried f REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 27 % on by the church. Our Pilgrim fathers fled from Old to New England that they might enjoy relig- ious liberty, and in 1636 they banished Roger Wil- liams on account of his religious oj)inions, and in 1737 John Wesley was imprisoned while on a preaching tour to Georgia on account of his not being orthodox. These things have not been caused by religion, but by the want of it. You could as well hold a bank responsible for the counterfeits made upon it, as Christ and the apos- tles taught the opposite of persecution. After Julian had become Emperor in 361, machinery to inflict the most exquisite torture was invented, and the meek and lowly followers of Jesus were tortured to death, or driven into the inaccessible mountains of Italy, or into the deep valleys of Piedmont. But God has always had seven thou- sand, who never bowed the knee to Baal. This blood persecution by the Roman church with but little intermission was continued down to the pres- ent century. In 1503 the Syrian Christian preachers from the south of India were ordered by the Roman church to appear before the inquisition at Goa, to answer the following charges. 1. You have married wives. 2. You own but two sacra- 28 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. ments, baptism and the Lord's supper. 3. You neither invoke saints, nor worship images, nor believe in purgatory. 4. You have no other orders, or names of distinction or dignity, in the church, but bishop, priest, and deacon." One hundred and fifty preachers attended. Their books were burned, and they were told that they were under tlie jurisdiction of the Roman church, and to abjure their doctrine. They answered, " We are from a place where the followers of Christ were first called Christians." These Hin- doo Christians had for thirteen hundred years en- joyed a succession of l)ishops appointed by the patriarchs of Antioch. They were driven into the valleys of Piedmont or butchered. It is true Martin Luther dealt giant blows against the corruptions of the Roman church. The abuses he saw, and reading the writings of Huss, produced a change in his opinions, in 1527. These opinions were roused into action, by an in- sult offered to his order, by the sale of papal indul- gences. Luther published a denial of this papal right to grant these indulgences. The Pope ex- communicated him, and he in turn condemned the Pope, in 1540. Six years before Luther's death he REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 29 i f'l If' enjoyed the pleasure of seeing the Lutheran church organized at Wittemburg; a great im- provement on the Roman church. Luther struck idol worship some heavy blows; and like old Israel Putnam he bearded the wolf in his den. Luther was as brave as a lion. The gospel does not change a man's tempera- ment, but only directs it into a good channe" While the beloved disciple and apostle John with his timid and child-like disposition, when he met the Lord on the Isle of Patmos, fell at his feet as dead. While Saul of Tarsus when he met the Lord on the road to Damascus said '' Who art thou Lord," and when the high priest ordered him to be smitten, he turned like a lion and said " God will smite thee, thou wdiited sepulchre." The spirit of Paul appeared in Luther, while the lamb- like disposition of the beloved apostle John de- scended upon the beloved Melancthon, or as Lu- ther called him " My dear Philip," who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; guile was not found in his mouth. Such characters are not selected by infidels when 30 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. tliey hold up a specimen of Christiainty, but the blackest sheep in the flock, this parasite gnawing at the vitals of Christianity is held up as a good sample. Counterfeiters are a greater hindrance to the progress of Christianity than persecution and infidelity combined. She can truly say deliver me from my friends. I can take care of my ene- mies. It required two such diverse dispositions as the lion-like Luther and the lamb-like Melancthon to successfully carry on the retormation of 1540. Ten years later John Calvin, in 1550, organized the Presbyterian church at Geneva. In 1G36 Eoger Williams organized the Baptist church at Provi- dence, Rhode Island, and one hundred years later in 1737 John Wesley organized a church, on a new method, ot classes, called the Methodist church. These have all long since divided and sub-divided into many parties, with their various rules to govern them, and frequently the cause of division has been very small; take for a samx->le, the only reasons given fbr the first division of the Lutheran church — only two reasons were given: 1. "We wish in church singing to use the second, in place of the first edition of David's Psalms." 2. "We • ••t I t I REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 31 wish in repeating the Lord's Prayer, to have it our Father who art in heaven, instead of "Father our who art in heaven. " I presume they might have come together again, had not the ofl-shoot assumed another name, i. e. "German Eeform." Since those days, the persons who have gotten up creeds, and started churches and attempted to make im- provements, their name is legion. The adversary seems to have concluded that the surest way to de- stroy Christianity was to divide their forces, pro- duce rivalry and enmity among them. As the Author of Christianity prayed that his followers might remain united, that the world might be con- verted, the evil one wished that they might be divided that the world might not be converted. And as Jesus said that he would build his church on the confession " Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God" and as the church had stood on that foundation for 300 years, to divide it, creeds must be formed, and men's names substituted for Christ's, and given to the church, and men forced to subscribe to human creeds, or be tortured to death. Men had to be of the same length, if too short, they were stretched out, if too long they were cut ofi*. They must subscribe to a set of 32 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. opiiiious that were not understood by their au- thors, and to glorify men their names must be tacked on with Christ's, and actually put before the name of the Son of God, as Baptist Christian church, Lutheran Christian church, Calvin Chris- tian church, Wesleyan Christian church, and so on ad infinitain. 11 CHAPTER n. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION OF THE NINE- TEENTH CENTURY. rilE apostle Peter, in the year 34, in the city of Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, unlocked and tlirew wide open the door to the Christian church, and from that day to the present, the door has never been closed. For four thousand years, God had been leading man up to this unequaled and transcendent display of divine love. If I wished to express a marked difference between our lieavenly Father and man, by using only two words they would be premeditation and precipita- tion. God is deliberate, man is hast3^ God sees the end from the beginning. Man is short sighted and cannot see afar off. God seems to work on the development plan. The mineral kingdom was first formed, then the vegetable, afterwards the animal, and in process of time man was created. A regular development marks the line from the mineral kingdom to man. And the strata are as regular one above another as the letters in the 3 (33) t! r if! 34 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. alphabet. More than forty years ago I remained over night with Elias Stone, wlio resided in Fay- ette county, Indiana. He told me that he had found stone coal on the surface, and thought there might be a stratum of it on, or near his land. I told him it was not possible, that he lived in the Silurian stratum, near the line between the blue and clitf limestone, that the coal was found 2,000 feet above, and had been washed away. That the strata were known by the fossils they contained, spirifers, trilobites, and other fossils found in the Silurian were always found below the coal. If a man unacquainted with our language should pick up a part of the English alphabet, where the letters were in their regular order and D was at the top, you could tell him that it was useless to look down the line for A as that was above and had been torn off, and also B and C. That God puts his sio-net on all his works. He has placed lead in Lias, silver in Silurian, and gold in the Diluvial stratum, and the strata are know by their fossils. God gave man the earth and a brain to govern it, be endowed him with a free will. The devil by strategy took possession of man and with him the earth. To induce man to return, it became neces- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 35 sary to attract him by love and nothing less was sufficient, than that greatest exhibition of it in giving his only Son to die. As love begets love, if this fails to awaken love in man and attract him back, there is but little hope. Now the church must be formed, and man must be edu- cated that he may be prepared for the scheme of redemption. God works by the development pro- cess. A child learns the alphabet before he learns trigonometry. The patriarchal dispensation was organized, and when man was sufficiently ad- vanced the Mosaic dispensation was instituted and the law given from Sinai. In process of time wis- dom, science, and philosophy were found insuffi- cient, and then the Jewish dispensation was con- fined to one nation, and was only temporary, as it could not save one soul. It was seen that the en- tire human family would be forever lost unless something better was inaugurated, that somethino- must be done for the entire family of man, not only to fit him for time, but likewise to prepare him for eternity. Do you ask if the patriarchal and Jewish dispensations were imperfect, I answer, no, no more than a child's alphabet is imperfect; they were only intended for the preparatory depart- 36 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. ynent. There is one glory of the stars, and another of the moon, and a third of the sun. The church of Christ was perfect when formed, hut man failed to comply with the perfect law of lib- erty and for fifteen hundred years oscillated from the true meridian. But for the past three hundred years he has been oscillating back to the meridian ; and the development theory has been slowly but surely going on ; with man, but not with the word, for it is divine, therefore perfect. Luther strides up the ladder of imi)rovement, and ten years later, John Calvin followed. He was one of the most devoted, earnest and learned men of his day. One hundred years later Roger Williams, the great reformer of the seventeenth century appeared upon the stage, and one hundred years after Williams, John Wesley the indefatigable worker shook England with his eloquence ae though shocked by some heavily charged battery ; he was the great reformer of the eighteenth century. These reformers all displayed great zeal for the church and were a power in the forum. But it was not until the nineteenth century, that man learned that true wisdom was to know nothing but Christ and him crucified, and to throw aside all re- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 37 forms and take the Bible and the Bible alone without note or comment. The reformation fjr three hundred years had been leading to this. God's finger was in it, it was reached by the de- velopment process, the fittest always survives and in 1804 they were back at Pentecost learning of Peter. The change like the rose from the bud, was imperceptible. It was fit that the Presby- terians were the first to raise the standard, their motto was, "the Bible without note or comment." The Christian world was waiting for some grand development. " Coming events cast their shadows before " — as they did eighteen hundred years ago when the angels informed the shepherds of the birth of Jesus, Jew and Gentile were looking for some wonderful event. Just before that occurrence a Gentile poet living fifteen hundred miles away wrote: " A hoh^ progeny from heaven descends. Auspicious be his birth, which puts an end To the iron age, and from whence shall rise, A golden state far glorious through the earth, By thee v/hat footsteps of our sins remain Are blotted out, and the whole world set free. " It was then in the spiritual atmosphere. The world was looking anxiously when the church of Christ was born. And wlien it condemned in i i 38 1 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 69 sdch strong language the lusts and sinful practices of men, and the evil disposition of the human heart, saying that " covetousness is idolatry ; that he that hatetli his brother is a murderer, that no murderer shall inherit eternal life, and that for every idle word men shall give an account, that we must bless them that curse us, and overcome evil with good," thus censuring what the natural man is the most unwilling to relinquish, has been one of the chief causes of the church meeting with such viru- lent opposition. The morals taught in the New Testament are supernatural. "Love your en- emies " never had its origin with man. " The proud shall be brought low, and the humble shall be ex- alted. " The scriptures have for their author, bad men, good men or God. Not wicked men I am confident ; it is not in the nature of men to write a book con- demning their actions and assigning themselves to endless torment and at the same time setting forth the best code of morals the world has ever seen, infidels being judges. Good men were not the authors, for they inform us that God is the author and that they acted merely as amanuenses, and that the Holy Spirit spoke through them. I refer to that part of the scriptures that professes to be the word of inspiration. The Bible is composed of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Law, His- tory and Poetry. If good men had been the authors of all they indited, they would gladly have claimed the authorship. It then remains that God must be the author. We should always judge a tree by its fruit; we do not gather figs of briers, nor peaches of thorn trees, nor walnuts of buckeyes, nor does a bitter fountain send forth sweet water. A want of faith in the divine authenticity of the scriptures may generally be traced to ignorance of them. Lord Littleton and Gilbert West may be taken as two good specimens. They were dis- believers and agreed to write books against the Bible's inspiration. In studying the scriptures and the history bearing on that subject, they became convinced of their divine authenticity, and Lord Littleton wrote to show that Saul of Tarsus was converted as recorded in the Bible. And Gilbert West wrote a book to prove that Jesus ot Nazareth arose from the dead according to the scriptures. I have been reading their arguments with much interest. 40 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. The Bible is the only book that pretends to see beyond the grave. If it is a tietion, all beyond this life is as obscure as Egyptian darkness; but the Bible is adapted to man; this proves that the author of the one is the author of the other. When we see sixty books written by forty per- sons, in different languages, and through a period of 1620 years, from Job to John ; and in after years these books all collected, and come together like the material in Solomon's temple, forming one grand whole, and Christ's resurrection the one hinge to all the books, we must conclude that the writing is from God. All the books written prior to the resurrection, point forward to that event as the most wonderful in the affairs of men, and all the books of the Bible that have been written since the resurrection point back to it as the native magnet to the human family. And for an infidel to say " it just happened so" is a specimen of credulity that excels them all. Wliy will the disbeliever choose the hardest part? The gospel is the only anchor, faith the only cable, that can keep the frail barque of human life from being wrecked. And as the world was lookins: for some fiTand event at the dawn of the Christian era, so was it REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 41 ripe for some great religious movement at the ushering in of the nineteenth century. Six Pres- byterian preachers were struck by the tidal wave and wafted back to Pentecost and landed at Jeru- salem. Baptists and Methodists fell in with the movement; and the world had not seen such a re- ligious upheaval since the days of the Pentecostal shower. These six Presbyterian preachers started the reformation on the 28tli of June, 1804, and in 1890, they numbered eight hundred and fifty thousand. In 1804 there were four hundred thou- sand Protestants in the United States, not counting infants. If they had increased in the same ratio, in 1890, they would have numbered forty times the population of the globe. There is nothing like the simple word of God to win souls to Christ ; then why not take off the brakes and let the church march triumphantly on without hindrance? On the 28th of June, 1804, Barton W. Stone and five other Presbyterian preachers, started the Chris- tian church at Cane Ridge, Ky. ; at that time the Baptists were very numerous in that State. About fifty years ago Alexander Campbell was preaching in Lexington, Ky. He had never seen Mr. Broadus, one of the leading Baptists in that 42 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. State. He occupied a front seat while Campbell was speaking. He and Campbell had been spar- ring through the papers. Campbell wanted a new translation of the Bible ; Broadus " wanted it to be a Baptist translation, for he was a Baptist of the old Virginia style." Mr. C. began by saying "Mr. Broadus says he wishes the translation to be a Baptist translation, that he is a Baptist of the old Virginia style." What then will become of the name of his church ? for he says he desires every w^ord translated. John the Baptist would be trans- lated John the Dipper, and the Baptist church would be the Dipper churcli. But he says that he is a Baptist of the old Virginia style. An old Virginia style of dipper was a gourd; hence he would be a gourd of the old Virginia gourd church." After meeting, Campbell said that although he had never seen Broadus he recognized him by his ex- pression. It was so very unusual for Stone or Campbell to attempt wdt in the pulpit — ^you will excuse tliis dis^ression. When the reformation began, the Baptists made but little ettbrt at proselyting. They were the bone and sinew of the State, having moved from Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas at an early REMINISCENCES O-F THE REFORMATION. 43 day, and were extensive land owners. They allow- ed no one to preach until he was examined by the association. As men occasionally felt called on to preach, who possessed no other requisite but zeal; amusing instances sometimes occurred. Brother Raccoon John Smith, it was said, convinced an applicant that he was mistaken in the call by saying to the brother : " If I show you by the Bible that you were not called, will you withdraw^ ? " When consent was given, he read from the seventh verse of the lii of Isaiah: "How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth sal- vation." "Now according to this, a preacher must have beautiful feet; you have the biggest, ugliest feet I ever saw." I was informed that the brother reluctantly withdrew. Although there were many illiterate preachers in the Baptist church, yet they had some of the ablest men in Kentucky; among them w^ere Broadus, Grundy, John T. Johnson, John Smith and others. They were giants with the sword of the Spirit. But as a class the Presbyterian preachers were from the East and better educated, and in eloquence were an over match for the Baptists or Methodists, 44 REMINISCEx\CES AND SERMONS. There were in those (hijs more Baptists and Pres- byterians in Kentucky, than of all the other de- nominations combined. It was fortunate the Presbyterians began the reformation, as one of the most exciting and mooted questions was and is, '*Is anything but immersion baptism?" And although the reformers, or as they called them- selves Christians, required the Baptist to give up his name for that of Christian, and to substitute the Bible alone for his articles of faith ; yet o-reat numbers of them united with the Christians, and in 1832 and 1833 they came over in great numbers. In 1802, Richard McJ^emar, an able and eloquent preacher, was up before the Presbytery of Ohio, for preaching contrary to the Confession of Faith. His case was removed to the Synod of Lexington, Ky. He appealed to the Bible, but he was told that he must be tried by the Confession of Faith. There were present at the trial, Robert Marshall, John Thompson, John Dunlavy, David Purviancaj and Barton W. Stone, who, knowing that they were guilty of the same oftence withdrew from the Presbyterian church. After their withdrawal, the Synod excluded them. These men then be^an preaching '' God loved the world, and gave his well REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 45 beloved Son to die, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life. That the gospel was provided for every man. That if sinners were lost, it was their own fault, and not because God decreed it, but because they would not be saved, that all men could come. " Go preach to every creature." That Jesus Christ suffered on the cross for all men. That God would not tic his children and then tell them to come." This had a good effect in inducing men to believe, as they had been taught it was im- possible for a man to believe, until God operated directly on his heart. Thompson, Dunlavy and Mcl!s*emar lived in Ohio. Marshall, Purviance and Stone lived in Kentucky. They were all noted men in the Presbyterian church. They finally concluded that it was best in religious matters to only use Bible language, and on the 28th of June, 1804, they met at Cane Ridge meeting house, in the county of Bourbon, Kentucky, and drew up the following "Last Will and Testament, Etc." " The Presbytery of Springfield sitting at Cane Ridge in the county of Bourbon, Ky., being through a gracious providence in more than ordi- nary bodily health, growing in strength and size 46 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. daily, and in perfect soundness and composure of mind, but knowing that it is appointed for all delegated bodies once to die; and considering that the life of every such body is uncertain; do make and ordain this our last will and testament in manner and form following, viz : Item 1. We will that this body die, be dissolved and sink into union with the body of Christ at large, for there is but one body, and one Spirit even as we are called in one hope of our calling. Item 2. We will that our name of distinction with its reverend title be forgotten, that there be but one Lord over God's heritage; and his name one. Item 3. We will that our power of making laws for the government of the church, and executing them, by delegated authority forever cease, that the people may have free course to the Bible, and adopt the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Item 4. We will that candidates for the gospel ministry henceforth study the holy scriptures with fervent prayer, obtain license from God to preach the simple gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, without any mixture of philosophy, vain deceit, traditions of men, or the rudiments of REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 47 the world. And let none henceforth take this honor to himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron. Item 5. We will that the church of Christ re- sume her native rights of internal government, try her candidates for the ministry as to their soundness in the faith, acquaintance with experi- mental religion, gravity, and aptness to teach, and admit no other proof of their authority, but Christ speaking in them. Item 6. We will that the church of Christ look up to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest, and to resume her primi- tive right of trying those who say they are apos- tles and are not. Item 7. We will that each particular church as a body actuated by the same spirit choose her own preacher and support him by a free will offering without a written call or subscription, admit members, remove offenses and never henceforth delegate her right of government to any man or set of men whatever. Item 8. We will that the people henceforth take the Bible as the only sure guide to heaven, and as 48 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OP THE REFORMATION. 49 many as are offended with other books which stand in competition witli it, may cast them into the fire if they choose; for it is better to enter into life having one book, than having many to be cast into helL Item 9. ^^e will that preachers and people cul- tivate a spirit of mutual forbearance; pray more and dispute less ; and while they behold the signs of the times, look up and confidently expect that redemption draweth nigh. Item 10. We will that our weak brethren who may have been wishing to make the Presbytery of Springfield their king, and wot not what has become of it, betake themselves to the Rock of Ages and follow Jesus for the future. Item 11. We will that the Synod of Kentucky examine every member w^ho may be suspected of having departed from the confession of faith and suspend every such heretic immediately, in order that the oppressed may go free and taste the sweets of gospel liberty. Item 12. We will that J. A. — the author of two letters lately published in Lexington be encour- aged in his zeal to destroy partyism. We will moreover that our past conduct be examined into by all who may have correct information; but let foreigners beware of speaking evil of things which they know not. Finally we will that all our sister bodies read their Bibles carefully that they may see their fate therein determined and prepare for death before it is too late. Springfield Presbytery,) ^ ^ June 28, 1804. j Robert Marshall, John Dunlavy, Richard McNemar, B. W. Stone, John Thompson, David Purviauce, Witnesses. i CHAPTER in. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION OF THE NINE- TEENTH CENTURY. AFTER tlie meeting at Cane Ridge, Stone and his colleagues published the tollowing: '' Witli deep concern we have viewed the divisions and party spirit among professing Christians, prin- cipally owing to the adoption of human creeds and forms of government. While we were united un- der the name of Presbytery, we endeavored to cul- tivate a spirit of love and unity with all Chris- tians, but found it extremely difficult to suppress the idea that we ourselves were a party separate from others. We have taken the name of Chris- tians not because we considered ourselves more pure than others, but because we knew it was the name first given to the disciples of Jesus by divine authority. It better agreed with our spirit, which is to unite with all Christians, without regard to names or distinctions. There are party names too many already in the world, without our assuming another. Partyism is distinctly opposed to the (50) REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 51 plan of heaven, which is to gather into one, or unite all in Christ Jesus. It is contrary to the express command of God, to the doctrine, exam- ple and prayer of Jesus, to the repeated exhorta- tions of his inspired apostles, and to the very Spirit of Christ in all his new-born children^ for they are born with heavenly love and union with the whole family of Christ. But alas! how many are corrupted from the simplicity of the gospel. En- listed into a party, they too soon are taught to despise others, and to forget the good exhortation, " Let brotherly love continue." We have neither made nor adopted any party creed, but have taken the Bible only as our standard. We have taken no party names by which to distinguish ourselves from others, but the general name Christian. We have raised no bars from our communion but what the Bible has raised before us. It is said that heretics are to be excluded from the church. Granted, but by what law are they to be judged? Certainly by the Bible. Rom. xvi: 17, "Mark them who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them." Among fallible mortals who know so lit- tle, a tolerant spirit ought to prevail, especially 52 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. among Christians. A Christian is to be judged by his fruit; if the fruit be good, the tree is also good. If we determine a man to be good or bad by his notions or opinions, we are sure to err, as matters of fiict. For how many have orthodox sentiments and wicked practices, and how many are holy in their lives, but have erroneous opin- ions. If to the profession of faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior of sinners, be joined a depen- dence on him alone for salvation; if to this be added a holy life according to the gospel, this man thus professing and acting is a Christian in the estimation of heaven, and if God deigns to receive and commune with such, who shall reject him? What if he may have erroneous opinions; yet they do not become principles of his heart or his life so as to influence him to err in practice. A person of this character should not be excluded from the arms of charity. Yet we should not spare his errors, but in the meekness of wisdom labor to correct them. By thus treating him as a brother we can have access to his heart, so as to impress it with truth. This I hope, dear brethren, we shall labor to do, from a disposition to please God rather than man. In this too there is danger of REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. F^^ erring, but it is safer to err on the side of charity. One thing I have ever observed that in every re- vival of pure religion, the spirit of toleration revives with it, and as religion declines intolera- tion increases. Pure religion expands the souls of Christians, but bigotry contracts them." The above manifesto written and published by B. W, Stone is an honor to the head and heart of any man that ever graced our country. Shortly after this meeting at Cane Ridge when the Springfield Presbytery was buried, Dunlavy and McNenuu* went off v/ith the Shakers. When Gideon's army went out to battle, it was found to be too numerous, lest the credit of the victory be given to man, and he will say "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom. Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith." So in the restoration of the ancient order of things, six men were too many, and Dunlavy and McNemar joined the Shakers. And yet an army of four was too numerous, lest the credit of the victory be not given to him who holds in his hand the destiny of nations, and weighs the dust of the earth in scales, and the mountains in balances. Is it not the law that ia 54 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. the moiitli of two witnesses everything shall be established. And Marshall and Thompson were permitted to return to the flesh pots of Presbyte- rianism. But the Christian ensign i. e. the new covenant never trailed in the dust when borne by Stone and Purviance. These two noble men caused a perfect upheaval among the churches in Kentucky. B. W. Stone having a fine collegiate education, at the age of twenty-four settled at Cane Ridge, Ky. Two years later he had a call from the churches at Cane Ridge and Concord. He studied attentively the confession of faith. He says, "I went into the Presbytery, and w^hen the question was pro- pounded *Do you receive and adopt the confession of faith as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Bible?' I answered aloud, so that the whole congregation might hear,' I do, as far as I see it consistent with the word of God.' No objection being made, I was ordained." In 1801 a meeting began at Cane Ridge. Stone says this memorable meeting came on Thursday or Friday before the third Lord's day in August. The roads were literally crowded with wagons, carriages, and footmen moving to the solemn REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 55 1 camp. The sight was affecting. It was judged by military men on the ground that there were twenty or thirty thousand collected. Four or five preachers were frequently speaking at the same time, in difterent parts of the encampment, with- out confusion. The Methodists and Baptists preachers aided in the work, and all appeared cor- dially united in the work, of one mind and one soul, and the salvation of sinners seemed to be the great object of all." Even this early the people seemed to be drinking in the spirit of union. B. W. Stone says: '^Having in 1804 divested ourselves of all party creeds and party names, and trusting alone in God and his word, and being lauo-hino- stock fo the sects around us, all people prophesying our speedy annihilation, yet from this period I date the commencement of that refor- mation which has progressed to this day. Through much tribulation and opposition we advanced, and and churches and preachers were multiplied. " In 1803, David Purviance, an able and eloquent Presbyterian preacher, united with Stone in the reformation, although they did not withdraw from the Presbyterian church until the following spring 56 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. Stone, after his withdrawal from the Presbyterian church, continued to preach at Cane Ridge and Concord, night and day; hundreds of persons made the good confession; new churches were formed throughout the interior of Kentucky and the western part of Ohio. In 1806, Purviance moved to Preble County, Ohio. He there found able brethren proclaiming for a union on the Bible alone; among them was Thomas Kyle. In 1804, Kyle while living in Woodford County, Ky., united with the reformation. lie was quite spiritual and deeply in earnest, and had but few equals in winning souls to the cross, and at times became quite eloquent. In 1805, he moved to Preble County, at that time a thinly populated frontier county. His preaching extended not only over Preble, but also over Miami County. He continued a successful proclaimer of the gospel until 1809, when he fell asleep in the arms of Jesus. ISTathan Worley was also an able expounder of the word; he moved from Lexington, Ky., in 1805, and settled near the little sickly village of Davton, Ohio. He united with the reformation in 1804; he formed prayer-meetings and preached up and down the Miami valley He was quite successful REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. CH in winning souls to Christ. Ilis whole efibrt seemed to be to keep Christ before the people and to keep self out of view; he continued a faithful and humble preacher until death, and was buried in Dayton, Ohio, in 1847. Reuben Dooley was also a faithful laborer in our Master's vineyard. While living in Madison County, Ky., he united with the reformation in 1806; in 1808 he moved to Preble County, Ohio. At that time John Dunlavy was a noted and elo- quent preacher in the Shaker church in that part of Ohio, and as he had been connected with the reformation he made a protracted efiort to con- vert Elder Dooley to the Shaker faith; he followed him from place to place, until Dooley became very much enraged and said to him in the language of Paul: " Oh, full of all subtlety, and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" Dooley was no longer troubled by the Shakers. In 1809, Dooley preached through Kentucky, Virginia, IsTorth and South Carolina. Although he was quite eccentric, he was popular as a preacher. In 1810, B. W. Stone and R. Dooley commenced travelling together In 58 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. Ohio. They began preaching in Preble County. B. W. Stone wrote : " We preached and baptized daily in Eaton for many days. No house could contain the people that flocked to hear. We had to preach in the open streets to the anxious multi- tude. At night after service, the cries and prayei's of the distressed in many houses around, were truly solemn. Almost the whole town were baptized, and added to the Lord. We left this place, and preached and baptized in many other places. We were poorly clad and had no money to buy clothes. Going on at a certain time through the barrens, a limb tore brother Dooley's striped linen pantaloons very much; he had no others nor had I anotlior pair to lend him. We consoled ourselves that we were on the Lord's work and he would provide. lie tied his handkerchief over the rent, and we went on and preached to the people. That night, we lodged with brother Samuel Wilson, whose wife presented him with a pair of linen homespun pantaloons." In 1811, Dooley and Stone travelled throug-h Kentucky and over part of Tennessoe, teaching and exhorting the people to turn to the Lord. After Dooly returned, he settled in Preble County, REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 59 Ohio, and while preaching in the Miami valley, he took the milk sickness, and never recovered from the eltects of it. It was a common disease at that time in Ohio and Kentucky. In 1817, Elder Dooley preached in Missouri ; in 1821, he preached in Virginia. He died in 1822. The time would fail me, were I to give a faithful account of all the noble, able, self-sacrificing preachers who went about proclaiming the word of the Lord, winning souls to Christ, and would refer the reader to the writings of Campbell, Stone and Purviance, from whom I have received much of the information of those early days of the refor- mation. In those early days, Kentucky sent missionaries to the adjoining states. These evangelists, like those sent by the Lord, provided neither gold nor silver nor brass in their purses, nor scrip for their journey; neither two coats, neither staves; and although a workman is worthy of his meat they frequently went hungry. They left loving families and comfortable homes that they might win souls to Christ. These were among the ablest, in rightly dividing the word, our country ever pro- duced. Cushioned pulpits and wealthy calls were I ' > 60 RExMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. unknown among them ; their battles were fought and victories won, at cross-roads and country school-houses, and woe betide those imprudent theologians who crossed swords with their old Jerusalem blade ; they were soon routed, foot, horse and dragoon. In what consisted the secret of their success? Chiefly, I would say, in their religion and the scrip- tures. Stone and Purviance, it is true, had not only studied, but taught the dead languages; but their success was, to a large extent due to their familiarity with the :N'ew Testament. The Testa- ment was introduced into the churches ; members could be seen bringing their Testaments to church. It was read in the family, in the school ; read every place and every place read, good results followed in its wake. The land was full of disputers, and disputings were the order of the day. Old Brother Pritchard, forty or fifty years ago, told me that a preacher said to his audience: "Do not have anything to do w^ith the Campbellites ; they are always dis- puting; coming through town, an old negro standing in front of his master's door, with the Testament in his hand, he stuck it at me, saying : REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 61 « 'Spute, 'spute. ' All they want is for some one to 'spute with them ; I advise you to let them alone." It was good advice, for when you took hold of one of them, you desired some one to help you let them go. It was a sad aftair when the scriptures were ex- cluded from our public schools. The New Testa- ment continued to be used as a school book for more than thirty years after the reformation of the nineteenth century began. I read, many years ago, of the belated traveller calling at a cabin to stay all night. He had considerable money and felt uneasy, but was relieved when his host read a chapter in the Bible before retiring. i\ X CHAPTER IV. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION OF THE NINE- TEENTH CENTURY. IN 1808, Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian preacher, delivered his first sermon on the union of all Christians on the Bible alone. He was one of the most venerable looking men I ever saw; his face was as fair, as fat, and as smooth as a baby's, and he was about as innocent and as unsuspecting and as easily imposed upon. Honest himself, he seemed to regard everybody else as honest. He loved everybody ; in this respect he was very much like B. W. Stone ; each were, in warp and woof, composed of the material that forms martyrs. If any one man deserves the credit of intro- ducing the ancient order of things, that man was B. W. Stone. But the credit belongs not to any one man. Before the beginning of the nineteenth century, God's Spirit was moving upon the great deep, and the union sentiment and death to creeds seemed to be inhaled in the mental atmosphere. This inspiration emanated from the fountain head. (62) REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 68 The good and great in Europe, as well as in America, were breathing the spirit of religious liberty. On the 26th of May, 1786, James Madison, who subsequently became president of the Episcopal church, said in a sermon he delivered before the Protestant Episcopal church in the State of Vir- ginia: "I earnestly recommend our Christians to reject every system as the fallible production of human contrivance, which shall dictate articles of faith, and adopt the gospel alone as their guide. Those Christian societies will ever be found to have formed their union upon principles, the wisest and the best, which make the scriptures alone, and not human articles, a confession of belief, the sole rule of faith and conduct. " Some of the churches in Scotland occupied ad- vanced ground at the beginning of the present century. In 1808, the Independent church at Edinburgh met every Lord's day to b/eak bread, baptized only believers, and had the Bible alone for their creed. In 1809, Alexander Campbell, then a young man, fresh from college, educated for the Presbyterian ministry, moved from Scotland to the United States, 64 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. and settled in the western part of Virginia, and after preaching for a short time, concluded that immersion alone was baptism^ and that baptism should be administered only to believers. For these reasons he withdrew from the Presbyterian church and united with the Baptist church in southeastern Ohio, induced them to change their name to the Disciples' church, and to discard their articles of faith and to take the Bible alone, for their guide. Thus, in 1811, he became iden- tified with the union movement. Ilis vast acquire- ments, thorough scholarship, and undaunted courage, made him a terror to Babylon. The be- loved disciple and apostle, John, labored for seven years to establish the gospel, before the lionlike Paul was sent to his aid. So the beloved Stone, with his timid, sweet, child-like disposition, battled for seven years against sectarianism, the flesh and the devil, before Alexander Campbell joined the union movement. In October, 1823, Campbell had a debate with AV. S. McCalla, in Washington, Mason County, Ky. John A. McClung, who afterwards became a distinguished Presbyte- rian preacher, was McCalla's friend. lie after- wards said to me: "We were very much sur- , \ REMINISCENCES OE THE REEOllMATION. 65 prised in Campbell; he came here a young man of whom we knew but little. McCalla was an eld- erly man and well informed. We expected him to defeat Campbell without much trouble, but the first charge Campbell made, he struck McCalla's front, fiank, and rear, and so confused him that he never recovered from the shock during the entire debate." In 1823, A. Campbell began the publication of the Christian Baptist. It contains his best thoughts. His custom for many years before his death, wa.^ to retire to bed at ten and get up at six o'clock. Ai'ter reading and writing all day, at night he would repeat to his family that which he had been reading during the day. If he had company, when the clock struck ten, he w^ould rise, saying, <' it is my bed time." Shortly after he began the publication of the Christian Baptist^ he visited Ken- tucky on a preaching tour. In 1824, he preached in Mayslick, Kentucky, where I resided. In 1832, a union was formed between the Chris- tians, represented by Stone, and the Disciples, represented by brother Campbell. The first meeting to u^ite the Christians and Disciples was held in Georgetown, Ky., December, 1831, and 5 66 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. lasted four days. Other meetings followed in quick succession. I think it was in 1831, that John T. Johnson withdrew from the Baptist churcli and united in the reformation. He was nearer a model than any man I ever knew. I have not for- gotten, when alone with him, his pleading as though his own life was at stake, and big tears tracing down his manly cheeks and it was all to induce me to leave oft* my boyish ways and be- come a devoted Christian. Brother Johnson was very earnest and quite eloquent, and in 1824, while a member of Congress, exerted quite an influence in that body. Bat there are other persons whose names should not be entirely forgotten. I think it was during the summer of 1831, that I formed the acquaintance of Bro. Abernathey of Missouri. He had strong, attractive qualities and a continual overflow of love, and by that mysterious agency called love, he won souls to Christ. About the same time, I met Elder Luke of Ohio; he was also a successful preacher who drove the truth into his audience as with a sledge hammer, and his old Jerusalem blade was well handled. They had come to Kentucky on a preaching tour. John Brooks, who lived be- i REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 67 tweeii Minerva and Germantown Ky., was also a polished speaker. I think that it was in 1830, 1 heard him trying to show by the scriptures that the Jews must be converted to Christianity and re- turn to Jerusalem before the final judgment. In the years 1832, '3 and '4 B. W. Stone and John T. Johnson edited the Christian Messenger at Georgetown, Ky.; it exerted a powerful influence in bringing about a union. After arrangements were made for a union in 18 32, John Rogers of the Christian church and John Smith formerly of the Baptist church were se- lected to visit the churches and labor for a union. They were a power in the land. Rogers was of a commanding appearance, a ripe scholar, a devoted Christian ; his head was as clear as a bell. You would have to travel long to find the equals of these two men. Elder Raccoon John Smith went through Kentucky cutting and slashing like a kitchen knife whetted on a brick-bat, rough and deep, with a limited education gained at the rude log schoolhouse of that day. Possessing an un- usually vigorous mind and retentive memory, brimful of wit, with a droll voice, he was a one- book man, having studied carefully the New Tes- >y 68 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. taiiient. He was very powerful in debate; his quiver of wit was always full of pointed arrows. Persons would go to trouble to call out his wit. He was called Raccoon John Smith. A young pedo-baptist preacher (it is said) remarked: "I want to go with Raccoon when he goes coon hunting." Smith replied: ''I want you along; a hound puppy can smell a coon further than any other kind of dog." " Mr. Smith, Tl\ give you the rough side of my tongue." " Yes, every calf has a rough side to its tongue." In 1832, when Rog- ers and Smith started to visit the churches there were eight thousand Christians in Kentucky, about two thousand in Ohio, and a few in Vir- ginia, Tennessee, and Missouri, and nearly an equal number of Disciples. In September 1833, John Smith said, " Within the last two months I have baptized 278 persons, within seven miles of my house." In 1833, Walter Scott who was at that time editing a paper in Carthage, Ohio, re- ported a meeting with thirty additions. J. T. Johnson, John O'Kane, and Love Jamison were present, and preaching. O'Kane about this time began publishing a paper called the Casket, in Con- nersville, Indiana. In Kentucky, Henry T. An- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 69 derson, the translator of the New Testament, was doins: a irood work as a teacher. From the 15th of July until the 15th of September, 1833, there were reported from the interior of Kentucky 700 accessions to the Christian church, and quite a number were added in Indiana and Ohio. In In- diana, John O'Kane, Thomas Lockhart, Love Jam- ison, Jacob Daubenspick, Johnnie P. Thompson, John New, B. K. Smith, S. K. Houshour, George Campbell, B. K. Reeve, McPherson, Ilaselet, J. M. Mathcs and others were preaching the word. I think that it was prior to this that S. K. Hou- shour moved to Wayne county, Indiana. I did not form his acquaintance till 1840. He had been educated for the Lutheran church. He soon fell in with the reformation, and was a bold and suc- cessful proaclier. By close application and unre- mitted exertion lie became noted as a linguist. He told me that he had credit for more than he was entitled to, thr.t he only claimed to be familiar with six languages. He is the author of Altisonant Letters, a singular book and a literary curiosity. He was dubbed the ^'Puzzled Dutchman." After his arrival in Indiana, he attended a pedo-baptist meeting. The subject was baptism. The speaker I 70 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. said : '' Into " in the Bible was a bad transla- tion, for it says Moses went up into the mountain. So going down into the water should read, going down to, or near by the water and they were then baptized by pouring or sprinkling. He then gave an invitation to any one to speak, whereupon, I am told, this strange Dutchman arose and said: " Mister Breacher, I ish so glad I vas here to- night, for I has had exblained what I never pe- lieved before. Oh, I ish so glad dat into does mean only close by. "We read dat Taniel vas cast into te ten of lions, and came out alive. E'ow, I ncfter could pelieve dat, for the wilt peasts would shust eat him right up, but now it ish exblained. lie vas shust close by. Oh, I ish so glad I vas here to-night. We reat dat de He- brew children vas cast into de firish furnace and dat always look like a beeg story too, for day would have peen purnt up, but it ish plain to my mint, for day vas shust cast py or close to the iirish furnace. Oh, I vas so glad I vas here to- night. And den Mr. Breacher, it is said dat Jo- nah was taken into de whalesh pelly. Now I never could pelieve dat, but it is all plain, he shust shumpt on to his pack and rode ashore. Oh, I vas so glad I vas here to-night. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION, 71 And now, Mr. Breacher, if you will shust exblain two more passages, I shall be, oh, so happy dat I vas here to-night! One of them ish where it saish de vicked shall pe cast into a lake dat burns mit fire. 0! Mr. Breacher, shall I pe cast into dat lake if I am vicked, or shust close by or near to, shust near enough to be comfortable? Oh, I hope you tell me I shall pe cast py a good way off, and I vill pe so glad I vas here to-night. De odder passage is dat vich saish blessed are day who do dese commandments, dat dey may enter in troo de gates into de city. I^ow, Mr. Breacher, if I vas good, shall I go into de city or only shust close py or near enough to see vhat I have lost. Please exblain and I shall peso glad I vas here to-night." In 1834, John T. Johnson started a Sunday-school in Georgetown, Ky. The members committed to memory portions of the New Testament and on the next Lord's day repeated it. Sometimes whole chapters would be repeated at a time, thus difter- ing materially from our present Sunday-school, where each scholar is supplied with lesson leaves and simply reads off the questions and answers, ^nd the word has no abiding place. While the 72 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. writer attended school from 1828 until 1839, the New Testament was a school book, and girls and boys studied the scriptures, and the word of God dwelt in them richly. How is it now ? Not only among the private members of the church, but also among the preachers, if you can find one who can repeat three chapters correctly, he is the ex- ception. IIow can we reasonably hope for the gospel to have the success it had in those days when it dwells so little in men's hearts. The word is the seed and it is not strange that a famine is the result, when the seed is not sown. Oh ! that parents would teach their children the 'Sew Testa- ment, particularly the words and acts of our blessed Lord. Then we should not find so many irreligious young men in the country, for igno- rance is the source of irreligion. I have never known an irreligious man who was versed in the scriptures. I presume that Bacon College at Georgetown was a child, and the Bible College at Lexington is the grandchild of the Georgetown Sunday-school. Those early preachers dwelt upon the fact that the word is the seed, and faith is its product, and that repentance is the fruit of the motive the gos- REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 73 pel presents, and love for God will produce obedi- ence, and obedience will produce pardon, as Christ has promised pardon to all who believe and obey, and the Holy Spirit is bestowed on all such and eternal life will be given to all who continued to be governed by the word of God. The reformation has had a salutary influence upon the Protestant churches. It was very com- mon in those days to hear them praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to convert the sin- ner and give him faith, and sinners would con- tinue a long time at the mourner's bench and the preacher praying for God to give them faith and convert them, and in some churches the applicant gave in his experience, and a committee canvassed it, deciding whether he was a fit subject to obey. Many good persons would seek in vain tor weeks and months, at the mourner's bench, for faith. They have learned a lesson from these reformers who told the penitent believer what to do, and after obeying as it was during the days of the apostles, it was not an hour until the convert, in possession of the Holy Spirit, went on his way re- joicing. The reformation of the sixteenth cen- tury struck a death blow at the Inquisition, but it '^ 74 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 75 had taken such deep root it was two centuries dy- ing, and although the reformation of the nine- teenth century struck a deep blow at creeds, they may require two centuries dying. A church would withdraw their fellowship from a good member if he partook of the Lord's Supper with the reformers. The writer has known a preacher to return thanks for the loaf and then re- fuse to partake, as it was against their rules. Truly the world moves. An anecdote w^as told, that goes to illustrate Walter Scott's blunt way of speaking. Preaching at night after the meeting had been in progress a week, his irreligious audience were almost asleep. He said to the small boys in the front seat : " Boys, I passed by the school-house at noon to-day, and you were playing sky-ball. You dug a hole in the ground, put one end of a paddle in it, caught a harmless toad, put it on the lower end of the paddle, and the poor toad was thrown into the air and mashed. Poor toad! it never harmed you, boys. Oh ! the poor toad ; see it, boys, all mashed. " When the boys began to cry, he turned to the men : "Oh, you generation of vipers! I have been talking to you for a week about our Lord who was nailed to the cross for you, and you are asleep, while the boys are crying over a worthless toad. " In 1832 and 1833, while Stone and Johnson edited the Messenger^ there was a greater ratio of increase in the Christian church than there has ever been since the days of the apostles. I think that it was in 1834 that the writer met, for the first time, John O'Kane. He was holding his first series ot meetings in Mason County, Ky. He was a very able and eloquent speaker, and inherited with his Irish descent, an unusual amount of ready wit that added to his power in debate. He con- tinued to proclaim the word with great power until he was eighty-four years of age. In 1835, J. T. Johnson and B. P. Hall, published the Gospel Advocate in Georgetown, Ky., B. W. Stone having moved the Messenger to Illinois. During this year, C. T. Fanning, J. Creath, Jr., John Kogers, L. L. Pinkerton, Thomas Smith, Walter Scott, J. A. Gano, J. T. Johnson, John Smith, Morton and others were making it lively for the enemy in Kentucky, while Turner, Wills, AVright, Abernather, Dr. Jordan, T. W. Allen, Jesse Wilkes and others were doing a good work in Missouri ; in Tennessee, W. D. Carnes and T» 76 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. Fanning. In 1838, we hud 20,000 members in Ken- tucky. During tliis your, Jolm T. Johnson re- ported 700 as having obeyed the gospel under his preaching. In one of those early days, a man said to the writer: "Going to heaven is like two farmers hauling wheat to town. A. says: "Which road do you take ? " B. says : * The right hand road. ' A. says: "I'll take the left hand one; it matters not what road, so your wheat is good when you get there. " At the last interview our Lord had with his apostles, he told them of one way a man could have his sins pardoned, and in reading the Acts of the Apostles, I find they followed his direction in pointing out that one way. I was reading of a friend of mine who is an eloquent preacher, saying : " There are two roads to heaven, a dry road and a wet road; you can take your choice. " Now, if our brother is travelling on the dry road, I fear he will find it not only dry, but very hot, and he may want water, but he will not be the first rich man who wanted water and could not get it. About 1837, I heard J. T. Johnson say, in a ser- mon: "When I get to heaven, if there is only REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 77 one bright crown left, I'll say, put it on my wife's head." About 1835, J. J. Moss, an able and eloquent proclaimer of the word, preached and sold books in northern Kentucky, and was, I am told still living in 1890; and Dr. Jordan, Jesse Wilkes and Love Jamison, stood like rugged oaks that had withstood a thousand storms. Except these and a few others, the early reformers have crossed the river and died in the faith, not having received the crown but having seen it afar ofl', and were per- suaded of it and confessed that they were stran- o-ers and i)ilo:rims on the earth. For they that say sucli things declare plainly that they seek a country and truly if they had heen mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned, but they de- sired a better country, that is a heavenly, where- fore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. The great secret of their success, was in their knowing nothing but Christ and him crucified. Self was so submerged in them, that the salvation of the great human family monopolized their whole thoughts. After these, there were three thousand and three soldiers in the Christian church, that with tlie old Jeru- 78 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. salem blade, went forth conquering and to con- ouer; among them, Dungan, of Missouri, Camp- bell of Oregon, Hay, of Colorado, 0. A. Burgess, of Illinois, A^an Buskirk, Franklin, Pritohard, John Young, Sbawer, Ilopson, Sweney, of Indiana, AV. C. Dimmit, of Texas, Erret, of Ohio, McGarvey, R. Milligan and Hopson, of Kentucky, Lipscomb, of Tennessee, and all the other states are represented. Brother Ben Franklin was dubbed by the Cir- cular Paper J " the one-book man." While holding a debate in Missouri, his opponent, taking a wheel- barrow load of books to the meeting. Brother Ben was trudging along with the New Testament. They could have added with propriety, the de- bater, the one-book debater. If I have not for- gotten, he said that he had twenty-six public dis- cussions, and that nine of them had been published. This outnumbers any brother of the Christian church. I was at Brother Ben's in 1847; he lived at that time in Hagerstown, Indiana. His dwelling was a one-room house, with a loft. He had five small children playing about the house ; I did not examine the loft to see if there were any more. Sister Franklin impressed you with her Christi- anity. To me, it looked like extreme poverty, yet REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 79 everything was cheerful, and Bro. Ben did not slacken his labor in his Master's vineyard. He was an animated speaker ; the blood would rash to his face, and he seemed all earnestness. He ought to be a very encouraging example for young preachers. With a very limited education, not talented by any means, low down in poverty's vale, and nothing to commend him to the work except his ever abiding earnestness, and his never flagging zeal, by an unwavering faith, and an un- remitting application to the word of God, caused him to do much good. Brother P. S. Fall preached for a longer time. I think that it was in 1820 when he obeyed the gos- pel, and in 1822, he began preaching. He organ- ized the first Christian church in Louisville, Ky. He was a devoted Christian, a fine scholar, and a man of great energy. He died at the advanced ao-e of ninety-one. But we lack space to give mention to the names of all the great and good men in the Christian church at that early day ; we can simply record the names of a few of them. If I had the naming of three, of modern date, who have made giant tracks on the sands of time, I would mention Jacob Creath, John W. McGar- 80 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. vey and Moses E. Lard. For passioiuite, pathetic, and logical eloquence, and for the power of con- centration, I doubt if Moses E. Lard had his equal in this country; and McGarvey, as a scholar, a theologian and a writer, stands preeminent. His book on Palestine is without an equal, and will re- main a standard work. And Elder Creath needs no encomium from me ; he lives in the hearts of the multitude whom he has been the means of converting, lie occupies a warm place in the re- cesses of the hearts of the Missourians. Knowles Shaw was a remarkable young man when w^e take into consideration the disadvantages he labored under. liaised in the dense forest of Rush County, Indiana, with a very limited edu- cation, noted only as a fiddler, he would go for miles to play for a dance. While playing one night for a party, he suddenly ceased playing, and seemed to be listening as though he heard a voice; he then said : " Boys, never ask me to play again ; I intend to lead a diflerent life." On the fol- lowing Lord's day he went to the Flat Rock church, and at the close ot a sermon by George Campbell, he made the good confession, and suddenly like some unlooked-for comet of w^onderful size, flashing REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 81 J. I i for a moment athwart the heavens, and then as sud- denly disappearing forever, so, he too, darted from the lakes to the gulf — from Cliicago to New Orleans, and at the latter, and at the former city, and at the large cities on the way, he drew larger audiences than had any preacher of any denomin- ation. His eccentricities, and the wonderful amount of magnetism he possessed, nuide him one of the most popular preachers of the nineteenth century. He was a tine musician, sang melodiously, and was proficient as an organist : of commanding appear- ance, six feet three inches tall, a flashing eye and a musical voice ; at times he became truly eloquent. He was a close student of the New Testament, pos- sessing a retentive memory, and above all, his whole soul was in the work — these were what gave him such a prestige, and riveted his arguments on the hearts of all who gave him a hearing. We but seldom see such a man when we consider the dis- advantages he labored under, starting with but a limited education from the common rank of men. At one time he informed the writer that he then had more than one hundred letters requesting him to hold them meetings. He preached but a few years ; he was killed while singmg "Bringing in the 6 X I. ' I 82 BEMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. Sheaves" as he was travelling in the cars in Texas. ])at diirlug the few years that he was among us, more than ten thousand persons obeyed the gospel under his preaching. William Black was also a popular revivalist, par- ticularly among the women. He was scrupulously iKuit in his dress, rather fine looking and popular iu his manners. He had been a good student, and was blessed with a retentive memory— could read a whole sermon and repeat it almost rcrkithn. He was a good scholar and a fair speaker, though not eloquent, and possessing the elements to a very limited extent, that nuikc great men, except that one important element, called industry. His torte consisted in having short and popular sermons, well arranged and thoroughly digested; he had enough religion to make him popular. Not noted f„r w^onderful depth or for remarkable magnetism, yet by a tenacity of purpose, he has become some- what noted as an evangelist, and is a lesson to youn^ preachers, that they may, without possessing any wonderful amount of ability, succeed by close application and perseverance if they possess popu- lar manners, which is a distinguishing feature in Brother Black. I have been particular in trying REMINISCENCES OF TUE KEFOllMATION. 83 <^ . to describe the elements and traits of character of Brother Black, as I have every Lord's day, for two years, listened to his preaching. And hoping that his example as a student may encourage some of our young preachers to study to show them- selves workmen that " need not to be ashamed." Brother Thomas Campbell was one of the most innocent, lovable preachers; his son, Alex, one with the most knowledge; B. W. Stone, one of the most learned; Henry Pritchard, one of the tallest— six feet and four inches; B. K. Smith, the weightiest —275 to 300 pounds; Miles Dardin, of East Ten- nessee, heaviest deacon— 995 pounds ; Isaac Erret, the finest looking, and "Wm. E. Black, the dressiest evangelist. In 1832, T. M. Allen and L. J. Eleming, P. S. Fall, John Rogers, John Smith, John T. Johnson, F. R. Palmer, P. Batson, J. Irvin, B. W. Stone, Luke and J. J. Moss, and many others, were in the interior of Kentucky, earnestly contending for the faith delivered to the apostles. Sometimes we see the same trait cropping out in famiUes. Ben Franklin and his two sons preachers, William Dowlin his father and brother preachers, and the three Sweeney brothers I 84 BEMINISCENCES AND SERMONS, preachers, and the three Blount brothers preach- ers, and others that might be mentioned. There were able men connected with the Butler Uni- versity at IndianapoliSo 0. A. Burgess, E. Good- win, A. R. Benton, K. P. Brow^n, William Thrasher, these have all been presidents of that institution, and able defenders of the ancient order of things. And Butler K. Smith who weighed two hundred and seventy-five pounds avoirdupois and three hundred pounds in the theological scales, at an early day did good work in the blacksmith shop, and hammering out sermons on the anvil of truth. They w^ere full length and good in quality. But the w^orld has become a shortener of sermons and everything else. It will not tackle an old fash- ioned sermon; the world w^ants something short that can be taken in at a glance. This age de- mands short articles, short sermons, and in fine, short everything. Who now, unless it is some old crank thinks of reading a long book or even a long ser- mon. It was at one day common for boys to read Rollins, J osephus, Plutarch's Lives, Hume's Eng- land, Gibbon's Rome. Well it is said that the world is oscillating, it may get back to the true meridian. In the church in the long past sixty A { REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 85 years there has been a tendency to change. The present is a fast age. If a preacher does not wish to weary his audience, and render himself unpop- ular, he should not preach more than from thirty to thirty-five minutes at a time, and an equal amount of time might be devoted to the praise service, singing and praying. And then too a majority of persons desire the sermon to be flashy if not trashy. A dream a death-bed scene. Chris- tians murdered in China, the missions in Japan, concluding w^ith a few pointed remarks on the development theory and a compliment to the intel- lectual appearance of the ^'ladies and gentlemen" present. To get down to a plain, old fashioned Christian sermon, to prove that Jesus is the Christ, to describe his suftering for sinners, and why sin- ners should obey him, and then pleading as though men's lives w^ere at stake for sinners to come and confess and obey him before it is forever too late, that it is a heinous sin to refuse to obey the Lord when an opportunity is offered — such a sermon is the exception. I have been reading the sermons of a man who is getting forty thousand dollars a year for preaching the gospel. I have been unable to learn from these sermons what is meant by the 86 RExMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. gospel, or what a man has to do to obey the gospel. If he has in tlie last twelve moutlis told his audience what the gospel is, my mind has been too obtuse to observe it. The Lord's injunction is " go preach the gospel." Is he a faithful servant who preaches and yet preaches not what Christ has enjoined? Sixty years ago a sermon w^as from one to two hours in length; it was dry, argumentative, made up of facta : the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus according to the scriptures, these were facts to be established. It was not opinions or theories that men then established but facts, and the Chris- tian gave his faith in facts. Why he was a Chris- tian, dreams, death-bed scenes, and feelings cut no figure in the program, when men were arguing of temperance, righteousness, and of a judgment to come. The preachers sixty years ago seemed to have more of that mysterious principle that attracts men. Whether to ascribe it to their being more earnest, or to a natural quality, I am at a loss, but we have all seen this tendency in men, to repel or attract. One man would make an expres- sion, and a stoic would declare the joke laughable, another man might make the same expression in the same tone, and not a smile would be produced. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 87 f Some men are attractive while others are repul- sive. Raccoon John Smith would come down stairs of a morning and say : " Sisters, I want some water to wash." "Brother Smith, there is a bow^l and water in your room." " I saw a little dab, but I want some in the yard w^here I can splash." I heard the remark repeated as being very witty. Had I have made it they would have said he is becoming demented. At the table he picked up a glass of water, and said " Sister, what is this for? " "It is to drink water, or milk out of." "Well! w^ell ! my wife has bowls that wnll hold a quart." I heard this repeated again and again as being quite funny. It is pretty hard to discriminate where the wat- comes in, yet the world will have it so, and we must have it. In short his droll man- ner of expression made everything he said consid- ered witty. Now there is a mysterious something in man— you may call it nervous fluid, positive electricity, life, or w^hat you w^ill, the su<3cessful evangelist has always a large stock of it on hand ; and it was at least partly owing to a good supply of this quality that gave the early reformers such an influence. I heard Senator Reeves say that he stood bare-headed in the sun one hot summer day, 88 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. T^ and heard Alexander Campbell preach, and when he closed the senator said that he felt provoked, for he thought that Campbell had not been more than fifteen minutes speaking, but when he looked at his watch he discovered that the sermon had lasted for three hours. Campbell was powerful in argument, but there was something in addition that claimed the audience while he was speaking. I have been charmed if not spell-bound while he was speaking, while the same argument from another would not produce a like effect. Another evidence of our tending to fickleness, is oar constant changing of preachers; about every year the church wants to make a change. This is not universally the case, but it is the rule. It was not so,formerly. John T. Johnson preached for the same church, for twenty years. And Alexander Campbell preached for the same church for over twenty years, and Barton W, Stone preached for the church at Cane Ridge, I presume, for twenty- five years. And Samuel K Houshour, a like period, for the church at Cambridge, Indiana. My brother, Ephraim S. Frazee, preached for the church at Fayetteville, Indiana, for forty-five years, and Jacob Dauben spick, for the church at Ben Davis i REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 89 Creek, Indiana, for fifty years. But it is not so, now. The church and the preacher scarce be- come acquainted until a change is made, unless the preacher is fortunately a young man of preposs- essing appearance, or if he be a married man with fine looking sons and daughters, and is careful to oftend no one. And by the way, if a preacher wishes to be popular, he must look well never to give offence. The writer, a number of years ago, by an invitation from the elders, went to a church to preach ; before he ascended the pulpit, an elder whispered to him, not to say anything on a certain subject, as it might oftend some persons present, who belonged to another church. I said to the audience: "I am requested not to speak on a cer- tain subject, for fear of giving offence to some one present; would it not be better, for me to talk about the Mormons, as there are none of them present?" The old blunt way of presenting the gospel, and calling things by their proper names, has become almost obsolete. Men and women are called gentle- men and ladies. The devil is called the adversary, and hell is dubbed the home of the wicked. I was told, many years ago, that a young preacher whis- 90 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. pered to the old preacher, that General Jackson was present, and not to say anything that would oftend hira. The old preacher, in a stentorian voice, exclaimed: "General Jackson, he will go to hell, too, unless he repents." It is said to have pleased the old general, who had a contempt for sycophants. The great effort in these latter days, is to obtain large and fashionable audiences, when in truth there is more religion and frequently more good done in a country school-house, when there is a small audience, than there is in the crowded city church. I think that it was in 1884 that Cap- tain Foster, who has a large ranch twenty miles north of San Diego City, requested me to preach at his school-house. I had as my audience, nine persons. I felt, that after riding twenty miles, it was a small audience to preach to. Two of the nine. Sister Judson and one other, w^ere members of the church. I had left seven persons to work on. At the close of my sermon, six out of seven came forward and made the good confession, and that afternoon I buried the six with the Lord, in baptism. As a specimen of a large result from small begin- ning: In DeKalb County, ludiana, in 1846, ^ REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 91 man that was intoxicated, put in the box a ballot that he had cut into strips. The ballot was re- jected by the judges. Each candidate from that county, claimed his seat in the Legislature, as each had an equal number of votes. The Legislature ordered the judges of the election in DeKalb County, to count the drunken man's marred bal- lot. This gave the Democratic candidate a ma- jority of one. He found an equal number of Whigs and Democrats in the Legislature. They had, for two or three weeks, made an unsuccessful effort to elect a United States senator. The representa- tive from DeKalb County gave the Democrats one of a majority; that vote elected ll^ed Ilannigan. When he went to Washington City, he found Con- gress locked. They had been trying for three weeks to annex Texas to the United States. But as the Whigs and Democrats had in Congress an equal number of members, and as the Democrats voted for annexation, and the Wliigs against it, there was nothing done until N'ed Hannigan arrived. He gave the Democrats one of a ma- jority. His vote annexed Texas, brought on the Mexican war, and the acquisition of California, Kew^ Mexico, Arizona, etc. This all resulted X X 92 REMINISCENCES OP THE REFORMATION. 93 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. from the drunken man's vote in DeKalb County. A book handed to Washington, when a boy, or even a casual word dropped in his ear, might have caused him to have turned to literature instead of war, and we might have from that circumstance lost the war of the E evolution, and still been in bondage. In 1768, Thomas Jefferson was elected to repre- sent Albemarle County in the House of Burgesses, at the early age of twenty-five. The night prior to a discussion of a very important bill, which was to be brought before the House, Patrick Henry called at Mr. Jefferson's room, and told him that he must make a speech on the bill. Jefferson promised to make his maiden speech the next day. Henry went to Mr. Mcrser's room and obtained a like promise from him. Jefferson and Merser were each young men who did not speak in public. Henry advised them to practice beforehand. He had been a member of the House for three years, and was seven years older than Jefferson, and observed that public speaking depended alone on practice. Three quarters of a mile west of Williamsburg was a fine spring of water. The next morning at the peep of day, Jefferson could ii have been seen in the path that led through the forest to the spring Just before he arrived at the spring, he saw the trunk of a tree lying by the path, and a large hollow tree just beyond it. He mounted the log, bowed to the big tree, and had scarcely begun his speech, when he heard some one coming down the path, and hid in the hollow tree. It was Mr. Merser, who, discovering the log, mounted it and bowing to the tree, said : " Mr. President," Mr. Jefferson answered: "Mr. Mer- ser;" they had a laugh, and this was their first and last speech. Thus, two able men who might have been useful orators during the stormy days that gave birth to American independence, had their oratory nipped in the bud, by this singular coincidence. I have frequently preached in the city to large audiences, and as a rule there was not one conver- sion or one addition to the church. Flattering remarks would be made about the charming music, and about there being such a crowd, but little or nothing was said about the sermon. The early Christians preached from house to house, they never became weary of telling the same old story, and they never ran out of sermons? 1 94 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. The amount of information possessed by some of those early Christians, was astonishing. Go read Campbell's debates with Owen, Purcell, and Rice ; then read the thirty-nine other books that Camp- bell has written, and you may well wonder how one man in a single life-time, could gather such a vast amount of information. But "there is no one perfect, no; not one. " Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Job ; they all sinned, and Stone and Campbell were not perfect. God says, look to Jesus; he is the only model for men to pattern after. Campbell had one failing, and had a man ever less? If ambition is a fault, he seemed to have it. In 1843, when he was known over land and sea as the intellectual giant of the century, Stone was very popular and may have stood somewhat in the way. During the fall of that year, in a speech made in Lexington, Ky., one of the most polished cities in the Union, he said : " I cheerfully say I do not approve of all that Barton W, Stone has written and said, yet I believe our society has been, and is pursuing a most salutary and redeeming policy. Whither has fled the Newlightism of former days. How long will its speculations be remembered, that floated X REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 95 on the winds of thirty years." Presbyterians and all the other parties in the field could not dispose of it till the pleaders for the reformation arose in the length and breadth of the land. They have indeed disposed of it in such a way, as to lead the honest and candid into more scriptural and consis- tent views and practices, and to paralyze and sil- ence the uncandid declaimers upon the specula- tions. New generations will now grow up under new influences. The offspring of those persons propagating erroneous speculations will grow up under new influences. The Bible and its facts, and new associations, will make of them a new people. They will rally round the banners of the original institutions of Christ. They will place themselves upon the naked book of God alone. If they err and do wrong, the Bible will set them right again. They may go wrong for a time but they are in the safe keeping of apostles and prophets while at school with the Great Teacher and the holy twelve. These teachers, should they err, will set them right again. I believe we have done a good work, for which even the Presbyterians should thank us, in removing out of their way what they could not, and for correcting errors growing out of their own 96 KEMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 97 misinterpretations of the Directory of God, wliicL, with all their learning, ability and zeal, they failed to vanquish." When reading the above from A. Campbell, we should remember that Stone and his associates would acknowledge no other name but that of Christian, that they were through derision by their enemies, called New Lights, in 1804, because they had discovered a light by which they could be govei'ned without a creed. At that time, A. Campbell was eighteen years old. Seven years later, in 1811, Campbell started what he called the Disciple or Reform church, called by their enemies, "Water Salvationists." In 1832, Campbell came to Kentucky, gave Stone the right hand of fellowship. The Disciples assunjcd the name Christian There was no chancre in their views; they each had the Bible as their only guide. The two streams mingled into one and ran smoothly and harmoniously along without a ripple. Why then, after the lapse of many years, w^ould Brother C. go out of his way to kick what he called the New Lights? Had Stone said anything about the Water Salvationists? Not a word, but he had published, '^The world owes more to Alex- ander Campbell for establii^hing primitive Chris- i tianity, than to any other man living." Jolm T. Johnson was one of the best men I ever knew ; he was a convert of A. Campbell. Let us read his letter to A. Campbell. Georgetown, Ky., July 8, 1814. Beloved Brother Campbell. Dear Sir, — I have learned, within a few days past, that many of the brethren in various parts of the state, are much grieved, because in their judgment of the great injustice which was done our aged and venerable brother Stone, by the charges and imputations of Mr. Rice as they appear in the published debate. This unhappy state of feeling is increased by the supposition that your remarks made and published on the last proposition, pages 864-65, are calculated to make an improper impression, and to detract from the merit of those (now our brethren in Ken- tucky,) who were formerly, slanderously styled New Lights, Arians, Stoneites, etc., etc., and that in publishing in the third number of the Millemal Harbinger, of 1844, a list of the periodicals en- gaged in the advocacy of i\\Q Bible alone, to the exclusion of all human creeds, etc., the Christian Messenger seems to be designedly omitted. 7 98 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. Couscious as I am that Brotlier Stone as a Christian lias your conlidenee and attachment, I the more readily address you. That the most ample justice may be done, it is requested that you publish in the M'dlenial Har- binger the letter of Brother A. Kendrick and Brother Stone's reply, as given in the Christian Messenger of January last, on page 261, inasmuch as your paper has much the greater circulation. A few words more before I close this epistle. I was one of the actors at Lexington when the union took place, so far as one was effected, be- tween Brother Stone and those friends who were identified with him in contending for primitive Christianity as set forth in the Bible alone, and those friends who were identified with you in the same great cause. The union was not a surrender of one or the other, but it was a union of those who recognized each other as Christians. The union was based upon the Bible and the terms therein contained union of brethren who were contending for the facts, truths, commands, and promises, as set forth in the divinely inspired record, the Bible alone, w^ith the express under- standing that opinions and speculations were pri- \k I REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 99 « vate property-uo part of the faith delivered to the saints, and that such matters should never be debated to the annoyance and disturbance of the peace and harmony of the brotherhood. I have mingled much with those brethren, and I think I can truly say that you have no better friends on earth, and that they have redeemed the pledge made at Lexington as faithfully at least as those with whom they were united-perhaps to the letter. Many of them do honor to the Christian ministry, and constitute as able, intelligent, learned and pious persons as any engaged in this reformation. Many of our opponents seem to derive especial pleas- ure in misrepresenting them, and to esteem it a merit to denounce old Brother Stone while their piety and goodness in comparison with his would sink into insignificance and contempt. I have often heard him preach and have read most of his writings, and in my judgment he neither denies the divinity of the Savior nor the virtue of the atonement so called. I have heard him affirm the divinity of the Savior as well as the obligation to worship him, and deny the charge of his being a created being. And if I am not^grossly deceived, he regards the virtue of the death, burial and res- 100 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. urreetioii of Christ as essential to salvation — the sine qua non. Our enemies would feast with delight upon any discord or internal discussion among us. But I trust in God that no such disaster will ever occur. We are upon the Rock of Ages and if true to the cause we cannot be moved by all the tornadoes of earth. Faith, yea, unshaken conlidence in Christ ; love, yea, unbounded love for him; and obedi- ence, yea, implicit obedience to him, will insure us a safe passport into the haven of eternal rest and joy. Most affectionately yours, J. T. Johnson. And did Brother Campbell retract? No, how could he ? he knew not that word ; but he soon learned that he had struck with that large hand of his a vibrating cord that had sent a thrill through- out the Union. B. W. Stone at that time was sev- enty-one years old, minus three weeks, and for forty years he had been embalmed in the hearts of the best people in America as the great leader of the reformation of the nineteenth century. More than forty years before he had thrown away the "confession of faith" and alone in the face of four REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 101 hundred and fifty thousand creed worshipers, he stood alone, and waged a war against all human creeds. He soon induced five Presbyterian preachers to rally around the standard that he had unfurled to the world— ^^ The Bible alone without note or comment." But in a few months four out of the five seemed to be alarmed at what seemed to be their rash act and abandoned him and D. Purviance to face the great army alone. No, not alone, for one man, if God is on his side, is with the majority. And now from that one man, when that speech was made in Kentucky, there had in that State alone a family grown up around old Brother Stone, of twenty-seven thousand stronir. This great family had been taken back to Jeru- salem, and were seated at the feet of Jesus and were learning from his divine lips and from his in- spired apostles. It is not strange that this onslaught should have created a stir among his boys at his home. Indeed, in that State, the church was shocked as if by some heavily charged battery. But the church was not only shocked, but deeply grieved, but it was not so with this writer. It has pleased him that the speech was made, and made where it was; he saw, or thought he saw God's 102 KEMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. linger in the move. Good often results from what to men, seems evil. A. Campbell and B. W. Stone were becoming too much admired, particularly in Kentucky. By many they were looked upon as perfect patterns. This to those was a lesson taught, that the only model is away beyond them. And it required one of these giants to show a foult in the other, and the showing was the greater fault of the two. But another generation has sprung up since those days, and now no evil can result from a full-face view of the good that the Lord brought about from this seeming evil. At the time, it was by many feared that harm would result to the church from those imprudent remarks. But how could evil come, or the church become unsettled, as it was founded on the Rock of Ages. Stone and Campbell with all their followers of that day, might have been en- gulfed in the stream of time, without producing a ripple in the quiet flowing current of the church. To-day, the stream is increasing in volume and strength, fairer than the moon, brighter than the sun, and more powerful than an army with banners, and will continue thus to march until the last human creed is buried in the ocean of forgetful ness, and a family that no man can number, speaking the same REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 103 Shibboleth, using only Bible language, this vast blood-washed throng seated around one table, com- memorating the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God. How can it be otherwise ? The Protestant church, at least, must eventually come back to the fountain head, to the word, to the pure river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God. The church must finally see that all humanisms are frail reeds to lean upon; and it is to be hoped that they will move their edifices from off* the sand and place them on the Rock, and to the writer, it seems that this is now the ten- dency of the church, and may God speed the day. As this was the first breeze that was calculated to disturb the church's equilibrium since the union of the friends of A. Campbell and B. W. Stone, and indeed the only time that aught but harmony has ever been seen in their ranks, I have been explicit in its rehearsal. It was a few days after Brother Johnson's letter, that another of more authority was indited. Kentucky, July 15, 1844. Brother A. Campbell, Dear Sir, — Believing that great injustice is done to our aged and pious brother, 104 REMINISCENCES AND SERxMONS. Elder B. W. Stone, by the uncontradicted slanders of Mr. Rice, as they appear in the published "Debate," we most respectfully request that you will publish in the Millennial Harbinger, at as early date -as possible. Brother A. Kendrick's letter and Brother Stone's reply, as they appear in the Chnstian Messenger oU ^nu^ry l^^i, beginning on page 261. Owing to the comparatively limited circulation of the Christian Messenger, we are the more anxious for their re-publication in your peri- odical, that the antidote may the more certainly go with the poison, both now and in the future. In connection with this request, permit us to say, in all candor and affection, that we regretted to see that some of your remarks in the discussion of the last proposition with Mr. Rice, as published to the world, are calculated to produce a wrong impression with reference to those (now your brethren in Kentucky) who were once slander- ously styled .Yew Lights, Arians, Stoneites, etc., see for instance, the Debate, pages 864-5. Now, as we understand this matter here, where the union between the Reformers and the Christians, or as they were invidiously called Campbcllites and Stoneites, first commenced, you were not regarded REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 105 as saving Brother Stone and his associates, or they as saving you and yours; neither considered the speculations of the other as of a damning char- acter. It was rather an equal, a mutual and noble resolve for the sake of gospel truth and union, to meet on common, on holy ground— the Bible— to abstain from teaching speculations or oi)inions, to hold such as private property, and to preach the gos- pel—to preach the word of God. Neither consider- ed the other as holding views subversive of Christian faith and practice, and having for a length of time previous, advocated the same great principles, the all-sufficiency of the Bible as a creed-book and directory, the right of private judgment and the necessity of implicit faith and unreserved obedience in every member of the body, how could they remain divided ? It was not your joining Brother Stone as a leader, or his joining Brother Campbell as such, but all rallying in the spirit of gospel truth, liberty, and love, around the one glorious center of attraction— Christ Jesus— thus out of the two, making one new body (not Campbellites or Stone- ites) but the church of Christ, so making peace aiyl long may it continue to bless our land. Amen. 106 REMINISCENCES ANl) SERiMONS. > Evangelists. Elders y and Deacons. Jolm Rogers, S. G. Marshall, W. Morrow, John A. Gano, George Williams— An Elder. Joseph Wasson, James A. McIIatton, James McMillin, Paschal Kirtley, T. II. Stout, James Aunett, John D. Ward, Lewis Coppage, Did Brother Campbell ever pul)!ish the letter of Brother Stone's on the Trinity, as he was requested by these brethren? I think so. Did he retract that part of the Lexington speech that gave ofience? Xo, he had nothing to retract. It was thought by some, that he had only given to Brother Stone a gentle reminder that he might be advancing up the tottering ladder of fame, too rapidly. There was one trait of cliaracter in which A. Campbell and P>. \V. ;^innc differed, as widely as the poles. The former deliglited in the forum, he REMINISCENCES OF THE KEFOR?.IATION. 107 was like the petrel : old sailors say that bird is always found in the storm, so the old bishop was always in warpaint with a chip on each shoul- der, and his tomahawk had a keener edge, and ho used it with more skill, than any ehief in the nation. He was always ready for a debate. Xot so with B. W. Stone. He shrank from everything like discussion, not from inability, nor from a want of self-reliance, but from a perfect dread of wound- ing somebody's feelings. The only thing like a dis- cussion I ever knew him to have was when, at Broth- er Campbell's request in 1839, he wrote a few^ arti- cles on sin ofterings, Le.on Unitarianism and Trini- tarianism. They discussed these questions, and they each concluded that there are three divine beings, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit- Creator, Provider and Enlightener, and if I rem- ember correctly, their discussion was like the old darkey's, who said, the hardest discussion he ever had in his life, was with his old master: " He said that taters growed best on black ground and I said so too, and we discussed that question half a day." Brothers Campbell and Stone differed very little. No giant in Gulliver's times ever made such a stride as B. W. Stone when he wrote in the church i .1 108 REMINISCENCES AND SERMONS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REFORMATION. 109 at Cane Ridge: ^' The Bible without note or com- ment." A. Campbell, seven yeaivs later, made a stride like unto Stone's. He wrote: 1. ^