Letters of Correspondence. Chesterfield, Va. Feb. 12, 1835

Letters of Correspondence.

Chesterfield, Va. Feb. 12, 1835.

Brother Beebe: I have been taking the Signs of the Times for about one year, and am pleased with the doctrine they advance,—for I live near the City of Richmond, where all the benevolent institutions of the day are favored by all denominations and carried to great lengths, especially by the Baptists; and not very far from the Seminary, where it is said they are rearing preachers, to send out to preach the gospel, and advocate those institutions which the Herald says, was predestinated of God.

But I thank God there are some Baptists in this county who stand upon the old platform, who have not forsaken the golden rule, who take the Bible for their guide and do not follow the inventions of men, and who still believe that God is able to raise up laborers to go into the harvest, without the aid of man or men-made preachers; for he has commanded us to pray the Lord of the harvest to raise up more laborers. I am but a babe yet, not having long embarked in the cause of God, and am willing to acknowledge my insufficiency and weakness; but I find in the scriptures, that when our Saviour was here on the earth, he visited the poor, and chose the weak to confound the strong, and I rejoice to find that from reading the Signs of the Times, there are a goodly number of the old stamp yet, who earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints—who preach Jesus Christ and him crucified—whom I believe have the worth of souls at heart, and who do not preach for money. They are commanded to preach the word—not Temperance Societies, Sunday Schools, Missionary Societies—they are commanded to go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But, the Rabbies would have it, from their doctrine, that unless they were to join all the moneyed schemes, they would not be doing what the Scriptures command them to do; but they cannot shew a thus saith the Lord for it.

As you have no agent for the Signs of the Times in this part of the country, and none in less than twenty miles of me, and the paper is one which in my opinion coincides with the doctrines of the Bible and ought therefore to be encouraged, if you have no objection, I am willing to become an agent for the circulation of the same in this neighborhood and county. I have obtained ten subscribers; please send the papers immediately, agreeable to the memorandum below.

I remain your Brother,
In Christian Bonds,
JOHN B. GOODE.

Henry County, Ga
Jan. 15, 1835.