·f ,.
OF 'tHE
THIRT.EENTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THl!:
HELD AT
BETHEL MEETiNG HOUSE,
FRANKLIN COUNTY. KE~ •..
ON THE
.fIRST SATURDAY IN AUGUST 1S~1.
FRANKFORT:
-
13.21.o:r-
The {ruitIes~ aSS'aults 01 «"Iders "thomas Smith, :Barto.W-;
Stone aDd Alexander Campbell, upon the Circular oflast year.
create a demand tor it unprecedented and surprising. Three im- pr~ssion8 are exhausted, and still the demand increases. It car- ries within itself its own defence.
It
needs no other. Whereve;it appe'lrs, the garbled extracts and base misrepresentations of it~
ehemies al'e perfectly harmless.
-
The Circular takes a distinction between Creeds formed R.nd enforced by civil authority, and those formed by voluntary associa ..
tions of Christians, aDd enforced by no other sanction than exclu •.
sion from Church pri\'ileges. Mr. Campbell sayll, this is " a dis"
tinction where there is no difference i" that IS, to exclude from Church privileges, ~nd fo exclude, imprison, torture, gibbet. bumt
mean the same thing; and to make a distinction here, is "to dis~
tinguillb where there is no difference." Thlls he·~nsuIt8 the com- moo sen~e of his readers, and proves his cause desperate. Will our Unitaflan neighbors give the Circulara place. in their Arian Messenger? Will Mr. Campbell give it a place in bls Christian Baptist' Will they allow the Circular to speak lor itself? We think they "ill ilol. This would give tbose puissant pugillistll some
labar.. •
MINUTES, &.c.
-
_ _ _ e::;;:z;:::
C.HURCHES, and days of month-
ly meetings.
SOUTH BENSON, 3rd Saturday.
HoPEWELL, 4th Saturday.
MESSENGERS' NAMES.
WmaHickman, JUDo L. Brown,J;o.
Pa'ttif', ~ 3
Williaip Darr, William L. Grad. '.;
dy, 2 1 73
W. W. Penny, N. Burrus!, John
Downey, .
GosnEN,
1st Saturday. 52 8 l '7 2 I 118
S. M. Nael~ G. W. Graham, Robert Johnston, James Shannon, J.oel FRANKFORT,
2nd Saturday. Scott, H. Wingate, 4010 2 MOUTH CED:!R, 1'. Wilhoite, R. Smither, H. Haw·
2 'i! 118 2nd Si\turday.· kins, S. B. Calvert,
BUCK RUN, John Taylor, Theo. Boulware, haRc last Saturday. Wilson, Isaac Wingate, J. Price,. 11 7 DEE.cn CREEK, James Morton. P. Robflrtson, W.
lst Saturday. Ware, L Tilley, M. Scott, I:ymAN FORK, A. Cook, H. BohannolJ., \Vm. Chris.
2nil Saturday. tie, Israel Christie,
S!:Jt MIl-E,· G. T. Harney,S. C. Robertson, W.
4th Saturday. W. Ford, R. Miller,
BV.-FA.l-O LICK,. William T. Webber, T. Lee, G.
3rd Saturday. Mitchell,
FORY'S ELKRORN~ Wm. Hickman, Sen. Wm Graham.
~r~-i Satilrday.. C. Blanton, L. R. Major, . 3 ZOAR, W. E. Bartlett, B. Ii,wcock, T.
4th Saturday. Arnold,
MOUNT CARMEL, B. Harrod, W. Black, J. Black, J ht Saturday. Crlltcllt'r,
1,EnANON, J. Aynes, W. E. Bailey, J. Jobn- 3rd Saturday. son,
34 1 2 10
1412 3 5
:Ii
I 2U 6
I II 2 '7 1 3 6 4 119
1 199
: ·:1
14 4 I ~21 10
63'2 10
37
141 89
50 32 HEBRON, L. Lyncgo, G. Yount, John Yount,
1st Saturday. N. Bright, I I I 58,
1'.G EO !I. FORK, E. Yeates, S. Hedden, J. T. Dan· ,
2nd Saturday. iel, \0 5 3 1 I . 6~.
MOUl."IT PU,:HANT, J. Briscoe, Virgil Poe, Isaac Cal-
I
lst Saturday. VI~rt, I I I 48j
G. S. Gravit, !'l Bryantl G. Sullen·
I
BETDEL, Jd Satur d ay. gr<r, H. B. J. Innes, GtP-en., J.ames HammollJls, 4 14 :I I 1 37.
I
Grand T!)tfll,
.18~ 69,S 1;0; ;1i"6Z9
_ _ ;==o;:=== ..
_~~ ----~-,.---yo~·,~ :;;-:"~~«~' .. " ~-''' .. '' .... ..,..
... uL;.er:5ILAS
M. '
NOEL~a8
uL1ammously chosen f .. loderatof, and HENRY WINGATE Clerk.Letter~ from corresponding Associlltions called for, rec~ivedj read, and their Messengers invited to a seat with us, as followst
to wit:
From Elkhorn, Jacob Creath, George Blackburn, R. D. Shipp, Charles L. Barnes; Long .flltn, B. Branham, D. Standiford, B.
Allen; Licking, Thomas P. Dudley, R. 1'. Dillard, P. C. Buck;
North District, .I. Clefllens, Benjamin Davis; Concord, J. Malin, William Blanton, S.
p.
Hanks; South District, J. G. Bryant jNurth l1end, D. Lillard, J. Hawkins,
n.
Kirtley, John Castleman;.Salem, W jlliam Wells; Union, letter received, hut no Messenger.
Brethren were appointed to write letters to correspondin~ As·
sociations as follows, to wit: To Elkhorn, Jflhn Taylor; Long Run, I. Christie; Licking, H. Bohannon; Nurth Di.~lrict, William Chiistie; COflclJrd, G. T. Harney; South District, Willi~m Hick·
man, sen.; North Bend,
W.
W. Ford; Salem, Theoderick B.oul.ware; Blue (liver,- Litlleberry Brown. •
The Church at Union, on Six Mile CI'eek, made application to join this Association, which V\'as unanimously agreed to, and her
Messengers invited to a seat.
Vot~d unaniInously, that the IE-tter from the Church at Zoar be referred tf) a select committee of Brothers WebOO .. , Ford, John- st')O, Penny and Boulware.
BrO.ther Moderator laid before the Association a copy of the Minutes of the W~tfield Baptist Association, held in Windsor, Massachasetbj which being read,
Resolved 'Unan.imoosiy, That the CloPrk be directed to acknowl- edge the receipt of the same,. and forward to' said Association a copy of our MlOutes, and solicit a correspondenr.e. •
Brother i\~odel'ator appointed to write the next Circular Letter ..
Brothers Hudley, ~organ and Allen appointed to preach on tar-
morrow.
The Moder~t()r, Clerk and Brother A. Cook, appointed a com, mittee of arrangenu!Ilt.
Adjourned by prayer, until Monday morning, 9 o'clock.
MONDAY MORXINI1, 9 o'cweR.
Met accordin.g to' adjournment i and ufter worsllip, procccdcQ to business a~ follows, to wit:
Brother Moderator, from the committee of arrangement, made the fo~lowing report, which was rcad and adopted:
. IJrrangement vf business.
1. 'file letter from Zoar; 2. appoint not less than {OUI' Union meetings for the ensuing yeaI'; 3. supply destitute Churches, (where Messengera request'it,) with preaching; 4. appoint i~
"t'Ulding cOIllmittee to a6~ertain the Qumber of AI!.~oci'ltions
fhllrchei. Preachers, (ordAined and licensed,) and the number ~f Baptists in the Slate, to r('port every year; 5. appoint an intro- ductorJ' Pl'( acher for the next Association; 6. appoint the time of meeting on some day of the second week in October; and 7.
tbe lVI i 11 utes.
Brother.Boulwa1'e, from the committee to whom was referred' the letter from the Church at Zoar, made a report "in writing.
which being read, the further consideration of the subject waB lJOslponel! until tbe next annual meeting of this Associati')\)'
• The first Union Meeting to be held al lfopewell, in Woodford
~ount" on the 4th Saturday in May 1828; the second, at Jt'lount Carmel, in Franklin county, on the third Saturday in ..J uly 1828; the third, at the mOllthof CeC:ar creek, in Owen county, on the second Saturday in May 1828; the fourth, at Gosh-, en, in Mercer county, on the fifth Saturday in May 1328.
Brolheri Moderator, Scott and Wingate appointed a eoinmittee' pursuant to the fourth article in the report of the committee of arrangement.
Brother'Boulware to preach the n€.xt introductory sermon; and in case of failure, Brother Noel.
The next Asso,ciation to be held at the Indian Fork Meeting
Hou~e, in Shelby county, on the second Friday in October 1828.
C0rre~ponding Letters called for, read and approved, except the letter to Elkhorn Associatiofl, wbich was rejected, and Brother Penny appointed to' write another" which he shortly afterwards reported; ."lnd the same being approved, the following brethren were appointed to bear them, to wit;
To Elkhorn, at David's Fork, fayette cQunty, on the 2d Saiur- 4ayin August lS27-John Taylor, SilasM. Noel 'lnd WilhamL.
Graddy.
To Licking, at East Hickman, Jessamine county, on tbe 2d Saturday in September 1827-Silas 1\1. Noel, Th~o. Boulware, William W. Penny and T. Poindexter.
'l~o :(..,oug Run, at Fla,t Rock, Oldham C(l~~lty, on the first Friday
l\) September Hln....,.Sllasl\l. Noel, John laylor, John Crutcher and G. T. Harney.
To 9ollcurd, time and place unknown-John Taylor, S. B. Cal.
vert, G. S. Gmvit, J. Green, S. Bryant, 6. T. Harney and Jamcf.
Hammonds.
To Nurth Bend, at BelhEl l\1eetillg House, Boone county, on the 3d Friday in August IS27-Joh1l Ta>:lor.
To Nurth District, at Lulbcgrud l\lectlllg Hou~e., Montgomery eonuly, 011 tfle 41h Saturday in July 182S-J.
r.
Valliel, John Taylor and John Crutcher.To South Distrirt, at Sugnr Creek Meeting Home, Garrard county, on the 3d Saturday in Augn:t !S~17-WilliJm lV. Peoll]
and John Downey. .
11'0
Salem, at OUer Creek Meeting IJotlse, Meade county, on the 1st Friday in October 1827-W. W. Ford, John Taylor andJohn Crutcher.
To Union. Dry Ridge, Grant county, time unknown-R. Kirb-
ley. ..
, To Blueft,i'Der, time and place unknown-William W. Ford.
Upon the application of the Church at Goshen, leave is given them to withdraw from this ARsociahon.
The following resolution was unanimously adopted, to wit:
Resol'Ded, That this Association recommend to the Churches, ill' whose vicinity are dwelli'lg members of sister Churches, who de bot seek and enjoy church privileges, that they report such memo 1Jers to the Churches to which they helong. And that whenever members of Churches journey or remo\'c, they invariably take Jetters of fellowship for occasional communion, or not be entitled to the privilege; and that such letters be considered as credentials for one year only. And also. that whcn members who are loca- ted, have neglected one full year to commune with the Church, or to seek connexion with some sister Church in tbe vicinity of thei.:
-residen,ce, they be considel'ed as having violated' coven,ant obliga ..
tions, and become liable to cen8ure.
Brothers Scott, Shannon and Wingate appolDted to liuperintend the printing of the Minutes.
Tbe business having been completed, the Association waa ad<' journed by prayer, at 3 o'clock P. M. -
Attest, S. M. NOEL, Moderator.
H. WINGATE, Clerk.
N. B. It is understood that the Mes.sengers appointed to beat', letters to corre&ponding Associations will conhnn.e to act in that' capacity for two years, in consequence of the change which h~
taken place in the time of tbe meeting of this Association.
CIRCULAR LETTER.
To THE CUURcm:s COMPOSING THE FRANKLIN ASSOCIATION.
lJeloTJed Brethren and Sisters:
Custom has long since authorized you to expect a Circular Address to accompanfollr Minutes; and as your attention bas neretofore been frequently called to doctrinal points( it' may not be amiss, on the prc!lent occa~ion, to offer you a few rerna.rl<s on prac- tical godliness, which we conceive to be a grac-e or frllit of the Holy Spirit, and a consequt.'nt on the sinner'lil being made alive (rom the dead, having the Divine image impressed on our soutl by tbe renewing of the HoI), Ghost, which is gi\'en unto us, crea.
ting in our souls love unfeigned to God and his cause, and gives.
birth to that religious philan:hropy ~hich encircles in the arm9 of
-dur affections all mankind, but especially those who carry about them the image of the Lord Jesus Christ; who hath said, "if ye Jove me, keep my commandments." The Lord of glory saith, '" if ye keel> my commandments, ye shall abide in my love."
II This is my cOlnml'lndment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." And agaIn, "ye are my (riends If ye do whatsoever I command you;" and we are as~ured ftolD the Divine Word, that bis commands are not grievous, but joyous. An Apostle saith,
"G odliness is profitable unto all thillgs, having promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come." We would under- stand the Apostle
as
enforcing the nece~sity, as well as the happy cor-sequences of obedience tf) the commands of God, as our rea-, sonable service; in which service the pious soul hath great re- compence of reward, and the answer of a goud conscience to.wards God. But, brethren, our consciences cannot be good to.
watds God, when we give evidence to ourseh'ea, to our brcthren, and to the world, that the love of G"d has so ~mall a share in our"
affections; and may we not fear, that we too often give this sort ()f evidcnce to ourselves and all those with whom we associate.
by the disrespect we too often show \0 the Scriptures of Divine Truth, neglecting to know what is the will of God in Christ Jesn, concern;ng us; by the disrespect we too often manifest to the ordinances of God's house; bJ' indulging ourllelves in unholy, un •.
sanctIfied tempers, even when we proje~s to be setting in ortler the things pertaining to the Church of Je~us Christ? And may we not fear, dear brethren, that we too often exhibit to ourselvel and otbers, this conscience-wounding evidence, in the most private circles of life; a5 well as in the more common intercourse with mankind; all tending to establish the awful fact, that our eye ia not single to the glory of God, and therefore the whole bod.), 18
not full of light 1 Dear brethl"en, these Ihings ought not so to be.
May we not urge the injunction of our blessed Lord, when he said, "search tbe Scriptures; for in them ye think ye bave eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." An Apostle eaith.
" be ye followers of God, as df'ar children."
Brethren, do you abstain from every appearance of evIl 7 Are your minds truly devotional to'God, filling the character of his elect, who cry unto him day and night? Are your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace 1 Are you patient in trib.
ulation 1 Does brotherly love continue, in bonor preferring one another? Arc you prepared in mind to pluck ,out the oifensh'e eye, and cut off the offending hand? Finall.r, brethr~n, have you on the whole armour of God 1 If these thmgs be 10 you and abound, they make you that you are neIther barren nor unfruit.
ful, ahvays aboundlOg in the work of the L?rd, and you are pre.
pared to eay, godliness witg cQl.1tent~~nt IS greJlt gajn~ Breth-
r.tnl
farewell.~. ~/,':D_ ...
.. .
~.•. -
45
The
(ollowing let'ter, which does ':bonor to its author and to the'A Associatlon which adopted it, is copied from the Minutes of the
• '¥4estfleld' Ass~cjatjon, . at W.indsor, Massachusetts, and is well' ,l' ~ottby the seriOUS consIderatIon of all who read.
Dna
BRETHREN: CIRCULAR' LETTER.In tbi~ day of benevolent enterprise, the f':Iyes of the commti~
nity are turtling towards the. monster intemperarn:e. It is seen.
nqtonly to oppose a po~erful,obs.tac1.e to christian enterprise, but to threaten even our pohtIcallOStltntlons. The feeling heart asks, wbat can be done 1 Can the evil be destroyed? Perhaps not.
Bat something may he done to imp-ede its progress. Not with the
.~iI'st class of drunkards, whose bodies reel under the intoxicating drau~ht. Little with the second. whose animal spirits only reel.
), But with the third and fourth dasses, he that holds the cup to his } 'neighbor's mouth, and he that silently looka on, much, very much"
inay be done.
, We complain of the Indian for da!lhing out the brains of the iOnli:eRl helpless infant; but he would probably tell you, it is not tbe inflint, but a fulure enemy Ilnd warrior, that I destroy. In- te'mperance Diust be destroyed in infancy, if not in embryo •. Those who would be succesl!ful IrJ tbis labol' of love, must not use ardent spirits aea refreshment, a.n artic1
r
of etiquette, or a token of chris- Wm friendship; but purely' as n medicine. Give strong drilik to him that is ready to perish. Give it, where a sudden, momentary etcitement of tile system will preserve life or health. Thi$ ill.the stand which. we confidently believe must be taken. And if the cause only caUed tor counsel, we wouldlook to old men; but as it caUs for war, we look to the young. .
Dear young brethreD, by taking and maintaining, in the spirit of
.meekne~s, this ground, you may confidently believe that your influ- ence, direct and i!ldirect, will at least keep some one of tbe ril!ing
g~neration from tbe whirlpllol of intemperance. Contrast the pleasure, (if you esteem it so,) that you might derive from n free u~e of s·pil'its, with the suffering produced by one drunkard. Must not his bodily suffering more than counterbalance your pleasure 1 Add to this his mental anguish, guilt and ~hame j and the mortifi- cation and grief of his relatives. a mother, a sisler, a daughter, or (I mi~ht say) a wife's heart, bleeding with anguish. And caD you -supp~se for a moment, that you love your neighbor as YOlll'self, that you a,re doing to others as you wO,uld tI~ey should do to yoa, while you dOQot take this ground 7 fake It then, brother; and countenance \ ~nd cncou rage others in doing the same. Stop call.
ing for strong drink, or soon your incessant cry will be for water ~ fbr nodfUDkard shall inhedt the kingdom of
