South Hill, Bradford County, PA January 5, 1838.
Bro. Bennett: Expecting the Primitive Baptist to be discontinued at the close of the second Vol., I made no provisions for sending until I saw the 23rd No. As soon, therefore, as was any way convenient, I hastened and prepared to send the within order.
I was sorry when I learned that you contemplated stopping the paper, though I did not know that it was, reasonable to wish you to continue it without more patronage, and it was so far from this region, and the Old School Baptists so few, and low in their circumstances, that it appeared in vain for me to attempt to increase the subscribers in this part; but I want it myself, for I want to hear from bros. at a distance, and I think I feel an interest in the war. I am sure that Zion will prosper, the victory is hers, though the enemy may appear to triumph for a short space, as they did when our King was laid in the grave; yet as sure as Jesus arose from the dead, so sure will He, in his members, triumph over all their foes. The sufferings, of the members of the body may be great, but the sufferings of Christ the head of the body were far greater. He was made perfect as the Captain of their salvation through suffering; and all that his people suffer for his name's sake and the gospel will eventually work for their good.
Now since I have my pen in hand, and am writing to the Editor of a religious periodical, I think it may be, if I should write something worth reading it might contribute to his columns. So I will just tell you some news that I heard on a late tour in the Slate of New York. I had a part of it from the man himself and apart from a respectable (if an Old School Baptist minister is a respectable character) bro. in the ministry; who informed me that he and others had looked into the affair, and examined the subject, and found that the man had done nothing worthy of death or bonds. And since there are so many Baptists that think the Old School bros. are in one extreme; while they say that they cannot fellowship all the new measures, so they are neither Old, nor New School, but occupy a middle path, think it best to profess to believe sound doctrine so they bear a relation to the Old Regular Baptists and wish to be esteemed, and fellowshipped by them. Some things also among the New Measure folks they think are very good, such as sending the gospel to the destitute, and giving the Bible to the poor, &c. &c. Now let the things that have befallen the man I mentioned above, be for a caution Jo them that are honest among these middle ground folks; (for I think there may be some among them. )
For — Briggs had recently moved from a distance among the New Schoolites, and being something like the above described middle ground character, for a while maintained his stand as neither Old or New School, but preached to good acceptance to the church which he had joined. At length, however, jealousies and surmisings, and some frivolous things were reported; which when they were presented before an assemblage of New School dignitaries and a committee of the church of which he was a member, formed (in their minds) a sufficient cause to try, condemn and exclude him unheard. He was tried and condemned in his absence, and when called for the first time to hear the charges preferred against him, which was between 10 and 11 o'clock at night the second day of the Council's session; he was then informed, that if then and there he could defend himself there was an opportunity. And when he objected to doing it that night and requested the Council to assemble again the next day to hear his defence; he was gravely told that the Council had spent time enough already with the matter and would not tarry another day to hear him. Whereupon it was resolved by the Council and the committee of the church to depose him from office and exclude him from the church.
Has it come to this! Is there an Inquisition already set up among the people called Baptists in America!!! So it seems true!! But this is only a mild sample of what our New School folks would do if they only had the reins of government in their hands, as I have firmly believed for several years. Then let the middle ground folks beware, for if they are honest and do indeed believe and preach the truth, it cannot otherwise be than that the New Schoolites will discover that their influence will eventually operate against them, though now the weight of it is on their side of the question; for all that puts into their (not the Lord's) treasury helps them and all that stands halting, helps swell their numbers for they are counted on their side. But whether — Briggs is guilty or not, as soon as they have the opportunity after they begin to be jealous, they do all they can to destroy his influence. Let no honest man who dares to differ from them while in their ranks, think that he shall fare any better in their hands; for their tender mercies are cruel. They will, and do try to make the public believe that the Old School Baptists are opposed to the spread of the gospel, because they oppose their moneyed Speculations for spreading Fullerism and all their other isms, instead of the gospel of Christ; and that we are opposed to the circulation of the Bible, because we are opposed to an amalgamation of the church and the world in forming religious societies upon a moneyed base, where religious privileges are bought and sold for money; worse if anything than Simon's wishing to buy the privilege of conferring the Holy Ghost on whomsoever he laid his hands.
They represent us as opposed to all that is good; because we are opposed to their religious juggling, and deceptive mock revivals, wherein they pretend so much depends on the use of such means as they have invented, or borrowed of the inventors or their successors, for making Christians; where so much depends on money, that if the money stops the work must stop! Yea, so much depends on money! that some, yea many precious souls are now in the quenchless flames of hell, where they must lie and suffer to all eternity, that might have been saved if more money had been given (See Judson's Letter to the American Females).
Whereas the truth is, they (the Old School Baptists) love and believe the gospel of Christ, and rest in it, and in him; and rejoice that he works all things after the counsel of his own will; that he will work and none can stay his hand. And of course, they do not believe in Fullerism, nor any other ism nor schism, and will do nothing willingly for its support.
They also believe and love the Bible, and are willing to give it to any who are so poor that they cannot buy it for themselves, who would make good use of it; without sounding the trumpet of a fashionable report of a religious society made up of an amalgamation of professors and profane, is founded upon a moneyed base where Pc-i ter and John could not be members if they were now here and had no more money than they had once; where Christian fellowship
Also, the Old School Baptists are so far from rejecting or opposing the use of means, that they believe that all the means that infinite wisdom saw would contribute to the accomplishment of the end which he designed, was, and are by him directed, and so connected with the end, that it does not lie at the caprice of his enemies, nor depend upon the goodwill, or zeal, or liberality of his friends, whether the end shall be accomplished or not. And they have so much confidence in the wisdom of God to devise means, and are so sure that the means will accomplish the end for which they were designed; they see so much beauty in what it has pleased God to reveal in his word by his Spirit to their minds of the plan of divine operations; that they are sick of, and have no confidence in, and have no fellowship for the wisdom of men which is manifest in the plans they have invented to help the Lord. But consider the wisdom of men as being foolishness with God, believing that he will take the wise in their own craftiness, and bring to naught the counsel of the prudent; therefore they cannot fellowship them, nor the inventors of them.
It is neither God-like nor Christ-like nor Christian-like, to accuse and blame others for our own faults; but it is like depraved Adam, it is like the ministers of satan, it is like the serpent himself, he is called the accuser of the brethren, and he accused the Lord of lying, saying to Eve, "Ye shall not surely die." From such accusers, and their power, may the good Lord deliver his chosen.
I have spun out my remarks further than I at first contemplated, if there is anything that you can extract from them that you think will be suitable to publish, they are at your command.
Yours, in gospel bonds,
HEZEKIAH WEST.
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