Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-08

.sa,esi in that work what consclentlou5ly believed
"a be true, bnt abs how afler the publication
5fit did discover that That representation was
srropeous, and that discovery r-rdered ii nov iu-
iispensabie duty, as an honest man to set my face
against these and other errors nor was a!one,
As could be proved. Rev Fuis Ewing wasswith |
me and encouraged me in that warfare which |
brought upon me so much odum and if you desire
to know the high estimaton in which l was held |
by that worthy man, you can eafrIsby examining
a letter addressed by him to the General Assembly
of the Cumberland Presbyterian church of lS40, 1
and in the hands of one of its committees. At the
very time was denounced by them as a disturber
of Israel, as an exposer of the nxkedness of Zion
and a destroyer of the church. ,,a -. .i.,i-
am awsreth that You and others attribute to me.
the mostunwcrthy motives, in leaving the Cum-
berland Presbyterian, and becoming connected
with Presbyterian church. ]" but with me it is a
very small thing that should be judged of you,
or of mans Judgment 1t is sufficient for me to
know that during the conflicts | had among
You, close investigation of the principles OF those
Of you who held to the doctrines of repentance,
faith, and regeneration, as held by the Methodist
brethren, convinced me that to be consistent they
must carry them out to their legitimate end, en-.
bracipg the doctrine OF the possibility of falling
from grace, and repudating that of the final per-
Of the saints; while those who held to
the doctrines Of faith aud repentance, as they are
clearly laid down in your standards, TO be consist
ent, must embrace the whole Celynsiic scheme;
that, therefore, while attempting to stand on middle
ground, really had no ground on which to stand.
In such state of mind, it is sufficient for ME to
know thatit was my duty to follow the advice given
by Mr.. Ewing, in the letter referred to, that WAS
quietly to withdraw; and l thank God this day
that his heavy chastisements We're sarc.iied TO the
opening OF my eyes to the business of the above
conclusions; thereby saving Inc from life of strife,
and from going down into premature grave a
broken hearted man. I would further thank Him
that He granted me that grace by which was en-
abled by applying for admission into the Presby-
terrain church, publicly to acknowledge my error in
denying and opposing the doctrine of predestina-
ton, which is so clearly taught in the scriptures,
and which had rejected, simply, because could
not comprehend mystery the human mind can
not grasp, and from which the unrenewed heart
recoils And would further, thank Him that in
stead of laying me aside as useless or cutting me
down as cumberer of the ground, He opened
before me a wide and important field of usefulness,
in which have labored in peace and not in vain in
the Lord. -.s7 .s,..ss ... -...ss
cannot condescend to follow you in all your
misrepresentation; two more only shall be needed
by me, and they require but a word. You repre- :
sent me being very Inconsistent because Istated
in my speech that sometimes suspected an inn
perfect gospel was preached by those earnest men,
who were my co-laborers during my early minis
terial life Do you never suspect when you hear
one of your brethren, that the gospel preached by
him is imperfect in its character? L.,
/ must answer for you, that there are times
| when you have such suspicion for without this
it necessarily follows that you are, either exceed
ingy stupid, or that in your weakness you suppose
some men, who possess very small capacities, and
who have enjoyed very limited opportunities, are,
in theological sense, the essence of pertection-
| Do you never suspect that you yourself preach an
imperfect gospel although yon may not be able to
say, exactly, in what the imperfection consists or
| to perceive the more excellent way? If this be
| not the case with you, then it follows that you
| view yourself the very pink of orthodoxy and as
possessing mind, which can traverse the whole
field of theology and successfully grapple with all
| its grand and wonderful mysteries but low as is
| the estimate / put upon you, l cannot but hope
| better things concerning you, and believing that
while you are reading these words, you are con-
strained to admit that if you have never before had
| such a suspicion you entertain it now; and that
however Notifying to you the conclusion you are
! compelled in your own conscience to acknowledge
| that your Misrepresentation is fully met and an
swered.
| Your last and crowning paragraph, and upon
which you base your hope of victory and the utter
prostration Of my character a man of truth, is
| but a statement of untruths. / did not, as you
say, profess conversion sbout 1922, but at a later
/ period. Before that event, that worthy and high
| " esteemed minister of the gospel Rev. David
| Lowry and others had traversed the Western part
of the then inhabited portion OF the State of Indiana
| and there they had planted many churches / did
not say as you represent, that at the time / pro-
fessed conversion, the whole States of Indiana and
| Illinois were dotted over with Cumberland Pres
byetrian churches; but did say the inhabited por-
ton of the State of Indiana west of Louisville as
the result of thsr lahors, BECOME dotted over with
| Cumberland Presbyterian Churches, and the same
| also. of Illinois. 7i-'-'3'.l -
| Having shown that your facts are fuse facts.
and having exposed the want of candOr, sense OF
Justice and truthfulness contained in your state
| ments and their malignant designs, permit me to
enquire what have you gained by your onslaught,
| what glory have you acheFed for yourself; have
you as you designed at length, ruined the ciiarac-
ter of the object Of your malignant hate, at whom
| you and your compeers have so often thrown eL-
yenorned darts2 No sir, the dead is not really dead;
the breath of moral life still breathes strong and full
| in the supposed departed one. Your mighty thun-
derbot has but rebounded upon your own unfor-
tunaie pate and your expected victim stands erect
| and unscathed. But you have achieved for your
| self glory most unenvsble in its Characteristic
| glory of a public violation of Gods Command
ment in relation to his Holy Sabbath-the glory OF
manfesting q most malignant spirit, in the prose-
| cutiOn OF wicked enQ-the glory OF grossly MIS-
representing the statements Of a minister Of the
Presbyterian Church, in good and regular standing,
that thereby you might stab his reputation to the
| core, and destroy his usefulness. And the glory
which now encircles your brow, will most assured
ly attract towards you the finger of scorn, and ex
cite in the minds Of honorable men the feeling CT
| contempt 1908 E..a L-L
In your onslaught, you style me Scotch Smith,
and although l never read your sheet, am told
you are in the habit of designating me by the terms
the Scotchman, and the Old Scotclman. am not
ashamed of my country, bnt deem it an honor to be
one of her unworthy sons and descendant of
those nen who submitted to the cruel torures of
the thumb-screw and the boot, and to be hunted
and shot down like wild beasts by Claverhouse and
his diabolical crew, rather than deny the truth
But in the of these epithets it is evident your
design is to cast contempt upon me. Permit me
in all kindness to say to YOU In applying such ep-
ithets to me or Others you act very unwisely, for
thereby you do not render those TO whom they are
applied contemplate in the estimation of rejecting
men; but unhapply for yourself il all refined minds
you leave the impression that you have been bad
" raised; that you are of vulgar mind that you
are lacking in the finer feelings of humanity; and
| doubt not such is the estimate put upon you by
the better portion of those who are familiar with
your writings 1t must be So for every cause must
produce its natural and necessary effect beseech
you then, for your own sake cease thus to treat
those you may select the object Of your attacks
Never no neuer do this again, for know you not
,bot time uou do n Won hrinU a raDropch