Minutes of the ... annual session of the Highland Association of Primitive Baptists

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.t.~SOCHTIO~ 01:'

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'(.;onirncuciJlg .on l•'l'iday, prcccdiu+; illo ~~i-.

Lord's day in ~optcmucr, 18:3'!, /

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The introdue:ory <ermcn was preac1JCd l.y Elder E. W. Earl, agrccahlc to nrpnintment; frcm lst. REn.'l. 3 Chupt. l&lh vcrs<', •·It is the Lord let l:im do what oeeme: h him ~cod:'

Letters from •he fuiLwin!.t Churches were read, and :heir Mc~<en:;ers enrdled, viz:

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Be•hcl 1\L--No lctt~l' nor me,i'cnr-;er~, Be:hcl H.-G. Ncgly·, J I>ry, C. Hebard,

Cvpr<'~~.-J. Arnold,

Cunoe Creek-J Rankin, .I Fcllowi', Crne Rnr,-E!der, B Ezell, W Metcalfe,

·f" Fiat Crecl:-E!der E W Enrl, D Fox H Siek, Grm·e Creek-E!d., W H ttchc<, It Church J

Cheanev - - - -

HighLn

:-W

HosmJn, D Thrclkil

Pruvir!cn e-Eidcr, J D.JlTIO, B Given:;; J Ma-

thewr, - - - -

Little Be hcl-Eld. W C B ;ck, AM Henry, Salem-W Hickerson, W Cruise,

Tirza-D Trice, A Cates,

20 22

3 6

UnitY-J S uart, ,

Ne whope-Eld. T Siek,J Fra,nklin' WMegrig.or, · 29 80

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474

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The Association being regularly organised, Elder Wm. C·

B•tek, was ch,,sen M;dcrator, and Alexander l\1. He11ry, clerk•

B;·e•hren Tison and B2thcl requested to fill the stand to-day·

Letters of C.>rres;J.>nJence lJCing ca,llcd for, were received from the f0llowing Association~, viz:

Little River, by Elder W. Tison,

Salem, fndi:1nn, by Elder L. Duncan, Elder C. Bethel, E. l{ing and T. L')w,

Goshen by Elder T. D.1wnQ and Elder W. DownF, Red River, bv Elder John B.Jbbett.

Correspondi~g messengera invited to seats.

Resolved, That the committee of arran"'ements consist of the following brethren, viz, E. Given~, E V/Earl, W. Hatchet, J. Fellows, J. D.Jrri~, with the MJderator and Clerk, who are to arrange the business of the Association for to-morrow, and make report:

The Circular Letter c~lled for, read, and refered to the committee of arrangement. .

A letter handed in, by brother John Willingham, refered

to the committee of arrangement.

The following bretheren were appointed to write to the sev- eral Associ'ltions with which we correspond. viz: E. W. Earl to Little Rirer-E. Givens, to Goshcn--W. Hatchet, 1o Red Itirer, and Sisk, to Sn.lem.

The letter of c:)!'respondence from Salem Association, re- feree! to the committee of arrangement.- Appointed brothers

B)bbe't, Moore, Wm. Downs and L. Duncan, to preach to- morrow.

AdjournCJd until to-morrow\) o'clock.

SaturdaY.-Met agreeable to adjournment, & after sing- ing and JWayer by brother Bobbett, proceeded to business.

1st. The committe of arrangement made their report, which was received, and !he committee discharged.

2nd. On motion. the rules of Decorum were read.

3J. The letter h~mled iu hy brother J. Willingham, Will

td:cn up and read; whercupou, upon motion,

E.eso!ced, Th:1t the Association recommend to the Bethel Gnrc\J. tln.l she rc-::onsidcr alll1cr acts from last association,

tJ thi5 t'imc, which rabccs to the present Jifficulty; and Resob:d, Further, that the follo1·~ing brethren be ;t com f'!i te" i ~. .1. J ;n'lld, J. f;jllys·, W. Met~alfe, C ''. F . .ar

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R. C'i;n;-ch. IY. n.~~m::n, E. Ginm;;. A.. M. Ifp,nJ~,-, 1\". Cruh:c,

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'i'rire . .T. SICit~:rt :u.d

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J'Jer'f!:l'i''TOJ". nqe third of whom

~ h:tll l·e :1 'jllonnn lo rlo h;;,:inf'~~;· "1JOfC dnt:--: it slmii be to

lnPI'l thr clmrrlt ::t hrr monthly sc:o~ion in November next :·d ];,lJrmr to rrrr.rwilo them itpon priiJciplrs con~istcnt with 1l.r rlirrrtiur,o cftLr A.s~ociations la~t Yrnr; nnd ndri~c the J,rrtl:rrn to :tf't "·ith chri;::ti~n Jo\+ nnd forLcarnncc; nnd that thP cmnmittcc report t:"l the next A.~~ocintion.

'' il:.. Tl:c cr.r;c,ponding lett,or from Salem A~fociatiim In- Len i::lo Cf'n~irlct:t!icn·, r.nd ll.ltcr duo· rlcliborution,

Rcsalru!, Thai our correFpondcnt to Sulcm, he directed to inf.m:1tlmt A"-crintion. thnt this A,mrintion hitre rcfered tho r.uhjcct to :heir next mroting- in order to infimn themselves r.:or0 pnr:iculnrly conrerning thr molter suggc~ted in their ll':ter; ~ncl nlsa that Go>'itrn ./!fshciation: Lc requested to gire m· nil the inf(n·rnr.tion nprn the ~utject trhirh flw may po~ses~:

r>th, The Cr,rmnittce :1ppoinl<'d to v.i~it the church nt Grave f'rrrk, rcperl. 1hnt theY Yi::<itcd the church agrerably to the :·ppointmcnt of the A"::orirrtion; rince when the church has llf'rn rc~·torcd· to·orrler.

<i:h.' Brother~ Fcllmr~ m:d Metcalfe, appointted a commit-

tee ofFinnncc.

'7tl·, 'i'he ci;-culr.r lcUc·r rrnti the f·cconcltirr:c, read and or- rlrrrd t0 Le nppendrrl to onr minute~.

fl:h, Ht-;,tllcr .1. Dorri,, appointed to pr'lach the ne:xt intrc- rbc:on· :rrmcr. anrl. in rn;:e of failure brother T. Si~k.

!it!< The IJC';l A~socinlion

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be held at C:--·prN:s l\1ecting H..n::p, .\1nhlenlmrglr connfY (Ky.) corr.Jner.cing en Friday p:wrrlinr:: !l:c Fecond Lord~rlny. in Sept. fS33.

l O;lr, The l>rrthrrn nppointed to wri~c the :::evernl letters c.l l'G~:T:pcrdrnr<'. rend thrm"; \d,ich, wen' react nnd the ful- inv ir:-:: l.rcthrn r>ppnintrd (,1 l <'Dr tiJCm to LittlcTI.iwr ,Elders 'i'. f-ii;·l; :-tJ;r] .T. Dorri.o--RedRin~r, E!rlrr~. \Ym. C. Tiucl\ :1nd H. E1r.!!-~~nlrm, Eldf'n::, .T. DorriP, W. Hickerfon nnd .T.

J'rl:m·:r--CJcdlrir, Eli.<'r,

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v;,-Enrl.

Ill h. J.r.;p<:in~f'd Lrothcr~ Wm. C. BucL J. BoLbctt und T. D. \":m r.~ prp~,cli en t'HT.OJTJW.

i;!tli. Tirr.thri' J,. M. Hrnr~- nppointed to o.upcrintcnd 1hf' rr:r;!in;.: d tl.e J\linule~·: nntl tn lin.Yf' 400 copie~ ~truc-k.

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:~:Jr. '1'1 c r"•r,cin!ion rlire~t tl1f' Trf't~~mrr to l r.~· n~r. C'.

l11·cJi fi-n• ,:,,lJ:-:r: J:.r ::;rnin'cw~in.!! tit<' printi·n,'!· rot" il1C J\lill-

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5

i4th. The committee of finance report the contributions for

1832 to lie

$

19, 55

Received from the former Treasurer, 3, 00 Remaining in tl1e hands of the Tr. from last year~ 13, 75

. Total, $36, 30

15th. Brother W. Hickerson & J. Fellows appointed a com-

~ittce to settle with our corresponding messenger5, agreeably to a resolution of last year, who make their report and the association allow to Br. E. W. Earl$ 3, 18;f.

lGth. Brother E. W. Earl appointed to write our next Cir- cular Letter.

17th. Resolved that our next Association convene at the the time and place ab')Ve named, at 10 o'clock.

18th •. Adjourned to the time and place above named.

Signed by order of the Association.

WM, C. BUCK, 1lfoderator, A. l\1. IIE~R.Y, Clerk.

CIRCULAR LETTER.

BRETHREN· BELOVED IN THE LORD:-

We your messengers and servants having p1et at Bethel in Henderson, according to adjournment, and having employed·

the usual time of our session, in devoutly deliberating upon- the concerns and interests of Zion; feel it our duty to advise you in reference to the various matters which have passed un., der our consideration, and believing that the accompanying minutes will sufficiently inform you of the state of the Church- es composing this Association, as well as some other interes- ting matters; we be.g lca\'e to refer you to them for such mfor- m'ltion, while we call your attention to a few things, which we tJ.tink greatly concern the. Churches.

\Ve are aware, brethren, that many persons, even among tltCJse who seem to approve of associations, entertain the opinion that a.ll nttemnts to enquire int8 the discipline of Churches, or to ad rise theni in matters o'f doctrine or practice, is an un- warantable infrin6ement upon their independence. Such, however is not our opinion; indeed, the very object for which Assoc:iations were originated, was to promote uniformity of f:Jith nnrl pra-:tice amcmg the Churches, as the foundation of

~heir fwlep.)ndence, Union and Fellowship. To a\'oid proli!- Jiy, ~·~n~~ it to sa)', that the di~cltargC'of no duty, imposed by lite Clturclies them•cll'e~. can be an infringement upon their independence, so Jon~ as they rP.s~rn· to them~elves, the s:>le

P~"·"i'"l;!:-tti 'i~~·(if (;o,~rrnm~"'n¹•

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over the Churches, ~·e fee,l sensibly that we are your

se;.

vant~, accountable-to you fur what we do, and that we are bound in duty, as your representatires, to en:juire diligently into and to no~ify you of whatever concerns the happiness, the harmony, or the pro~pei·ity of Zion. It is under these im·

pressions thut we ve.nture to callyourattenticn to a few strik·

ing features in the present signs of the limes, and which we conceive vitally to concern the Isreal of God.

'I'be exhibition of new and unseriptural theorre~ in reli- gion by proud, ambitious, covetous, and vainglorious, prc- fessors and hypocrites is not a peculiarityofthe times in which we live: the mystery of iniquity began to work early in the history of the Church, and has been in operation ever since, assuming every variety of shade and aspect, which the enemy was capable of devising on the corrupt and rebelious hearts of men :-Each of which has been persued as long as it pn rri.:u:J succes~, and followed by a succe8siJn of expedi ent~, down to the present day, all intended to rob the Saviour cf his crown and if possible to deceive the very elect.

Erery age has. been distinguished by some peculiar attitude of the enemy: (and so is the prescn:) intended to meet and counteract some rni<rbtv movement of Zions King for the ac- complishment of his"' great dcoignofmercy. At no age has their ileeq such a simult~neous move of all the lovers of god'r. word to disseminate the Bible as at the prc~ent time, and at no r.ge has there Lceu such a com1Je ., and

ui

rersified effor( of the enemy to deslrov it.

In the setting t;p of the Kingdom of J ems Christ, it pleased God to endow his servr.nts with the gill of tongues, that they 111ight be able to preach the Gospel in every nation nndet·

HeJren. To thwart this nrrangement, the enemy set both Jews :md Gentiles to effect their cxtemination, who were n'Jt slack in dcing the \I'Or!t 0f death. The Disciples

·thus per::eeuied. fled into c1·ery 'quarter ol' the then l:nown :world, and wi:li th:;:~J went tl{e Go:<pcl. 'l'lm~ w;;.~ the en.

cmy fbi led by hi~ own me::;ns, anJ the gifr of tongues ren llered unncceEsary. To remetl\' thi~ mi,furtnne, it was tile policy of the prinr:c of Jarknes-,' bi(JtrJducc a ;;y,ctem of Na- tional (and thc:·efD;·e ncmiE;il) Chiiscianity, that by mukins it pnpulnr, and Yesting it wi:h the royalty and the rplcmior f'f throne~ m:cl 8cc;>trer; the r-pirit of rcli7ion might Lc !o.::! in

i . '.. ~ . , . 1. ] ' ' '

1 1e n1J.g11;fi~cncc c1 1~~ n::1nc- ragantsm 1s f~act; 2..00 lfi~?Ct r.nd :c1i~tf")n isr:$'-ablif'hf'd i)~' l.;"'1:.·; c~"):rr~;pti~)n~ rre fOi\·n 111

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....

I

~ho Church, and tho wdte) les~ and most ambitioas

ot

men, are mrdc Tcn•;he:T, E:r'ez;c, n:~:~';po, n:re'in'll~ and Popes:

so :hat n.;~b:p~· is ~cl~ t f c:ui".~i ~-lit in·¹r.~ ~ t 'J i".~ n'3.n:e, ex ..

ccpt am nr; tl.Lou wl.om G'u.i L~. ulin, t:' '.c. were pcr-

£ued by c,:;'l"' va ·iJ':• , f ; cr"t' u ! .. n ^,L ^•.c: .. b "hich :he malace of hel. co ^i.l!i:1·;put ut· 1hc pu;':<'!' 'f man r.r·complish;

until thev ,,-ei'. dJ'i. e•1 f.-, n :he l'c"-· .cLuL0•1 •)i'mcn to dwell in lhc 1\ioun'i ns:; ntl t.'c~erL: v.-i L

·,,·i:a

Lea..;~, Ie~s cr·rci thRn th<'oe who prole~ cc.l the t:t;rnc cf C .ri,·t, In thi~ ~·n•e of·he Church God v·r:s p'e<J~cd'to (li~covcr the an of prin ;n,:·, that his 'word Lltcc inwu:v might l·e kept, uncoavptcd in the \Yil·

c!crne;,~, by ltis C!lLlrth, l<x their corJJ{i);·t am; :he f:ttme ~pread

of the Uel'pel: ;md from thew rcre~ocs (,f p:n:crty and wretch- edness whilhcr (be Chnch h<!d !led fmm the cr:tclty of Pa·

pal despotim1, has tho li;rht oftrulh s!1 .nc 011 the afler ages of the World, increasing in brightness and ~trength as it de- cenrled through a thousand yean;; cons.uming the Papa\.throno bv its influence und fill in~ the earth with the peace awl glory of the Lord. Thus tLe enemy finding all his plans turned to his own overthrow: strong still in ma!ace and nndislllayed by miscarriage: still frui>ful in devi( c, snught to turn this ip·

stance of God's mercy to his O\ln arh·ant.o;;r(J, and in the ex- erciEe of free enquiry tu split the Church into a thousand fragments, awl thereby cau~c it to wGrk its own downfall.

This experiment haviug teen tried for three hundred years, it is found that although, it h:ts been the fruitful source of a.

great deal of hereey, and corruption in doctrine and practice, it has ultimately provell unsuccessful. It seemed recently theref<)re the dc~ign of the enemy to umalgate the whole, if possible to lea Yen the church with error, and to c<•ver the gold with fil:h, but finding that while the word of God re- mained uncorrupted, that the true followers of Jesus Christ, lookin(}' to it as their heavenly charter, and derivino- their faith a~d practice from it, would stand an impregnable "barrier in his way; he has turned all his forces against the llible it- self: hence it is decried hy m'ldern infidels, proscribed by Papist~, rendered a nulity by Shakerism, superseded by Me- monism, mutilated by Ariuns and Socincans, and last but not least, corrupted anrl perverted by CampbLeism: thus adopt~

ing the means for tho accornpli~hing of his nefarious de~igns to the various prejudices of indi,'iduals & the states of soci- eties; he intends more effectually to work their ruin.

All of these measures have been ffi'Jre or le"s pf'rni!'io<JJ

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l.;ut it has been by mean~ of the last muucd tle~·ie(~ that fh() enemy has produced so much sorrow and afHictirm throu~hout

the B~ptist church i~ Kentucky for the last four years. 'Fhcr, Joab hke, have porfesscd unusuaL regard for the New Testa: · ment, and thereby have deceived thousands: But as Joab em- braced Abner, so do they theN. Testament with their left arm to employiheir right hand against it. They arc opposed to all translations except A. Campble's, this they circulate . with avidity; but are the professed enemies ofall institutions, for the circulation of any other. Their efforts are, not to pwo;;c- lytc from the world those arc already in the kingdom of dark- ness; but to corrupt and divide the church of Christ, they la- bor to effect without tiring. Against these heretics we seri- ously caution the churches, and advise, that whenever church cs arc pestered with this l•ind of nuisance, that they should cxclud them forthwith from thci{ fellow~hip and also iron\

their hOuses of worship.

While we would caution our brethren, against the devices of the enemy, we would not leave you unapprised of the dan- ger to which you are exposed by your conduct. 0! brethren, guard your own hearts, trust not to your own st~eugth, lest like Peter you prove how weak you arc; "put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist the evils of the Devil.." Read your Bibles much, pray often in private-in your Families, and in social meetings. Draw the cords of church discipline closc--euffer no drunkard, no brawler, no evil worker, no profane person to defile the house of God.- Neglect not the assembling of yourselves together-indulge in no vain and }die speculations in divi~ity .-The Ministers which areamon~ you, we exhort to beware of pride, vainglory and the popularapplau!e of the world; the shoal on which thousands founder.-And then may we not confidently asl\ who shall harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good.

Finally brethren, fiuewell-"wc commit you to God and the word of hie grace, who is able to build you up, and to giv¢

you an inheritance amongst all them who are sanctified."

A, M. HENRY Clk. W. C. BUCK, 1\fod.

~Texts preached from during the assoeiation.-Friday-- W. Tison-Nahum 1st chap, 7th verse.-C. Bethel, Rom, 5th chapt. 21st verse-Saturday; J. Bobbett-- 1st Cor 2d chapt.

2 V-W. Downs-Jobn10 Capt. !Jth V. l\Ioorc--Isai 5:J, 1st V-Lordsday; J Bobbett-l\1at. 5,20th V .-W. C. Buck;

Gens. 12th C. 1, 2, 3d V. '1' Downs--John, :Jd clmp,5th verse