Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-10-01
GcoMMUNIcATEp.1
'Tlley AIready Begin to Make Exeuse.'

MIR. EDITOR I'm your issue ofthe
18th Instant, q mninnication appears
bearing the above caption, which, is an
attack upon a discourse, recently de-
livered by me, on, "the modeof Chris
tian Baptism" And, inasmuch as said
article, not only contains false and
slsnde:es::s assertions, ,ss.s 5l,ss.s is doubtless
intended 10 leave the public mind
under a wrong impression, / feel con
strained to reply.
The writer, in his first and third
paragraphs, lays considerable stress
upon the fact that the services at An.
ltioch and Santee churches awere de-
ferred," in order 10 give place for my
sermon, and wishes us to believe that
IL was altogether an act of commenda
BILE christian charity-W We'll let us see:
We are very creditably informed that
the Rev. Mr. Hartly went to Antioch,
on the morning of that day, to engage
IN religious exercises. not Intending to
be at my church, but was sent for by
his Baptist friends. He, being pressed
to attend, by those ofshis own faith
and order, and fearing that non.com.
.Pliance would seem to imply an eva
sion of the matter, concluded to come
up and hear my discourse. He came
then not so much from choice as from
necessity. So far as the S antee services
were concerned they consisted only in
q prayer-meeting.
In his second paragraph we find
these words THE sermon was we'll
delivered and reminds one mest awful
ly, of many expressions and phrases
OF different writers tina. many of us
.perused, over and over again; and it
is the knowledge Of that fact, that des-
troyed the belief that lie was deliver
ing what he had earned by hard mid
night lamp trimming" He here seeks
to destroy the influence of my sermon,
inthis section, by laboring to make it
appear that am indebted altogether
to some other writer for "many ex pres
sions and phrases" Ratherpoor logic
against invincible arguments. Now,
in reply to this, must say. that none
but an ignoranius would be guilty of
using such language. While nm free
to admit that Fam indebted to other
writer's for many valuable thoughts, 1
ana hold to say, that my sermon is my
own Ill the strictest sense of that term,
and contains ideas no where found
from the pen of any. divine; and, if we
are not to usc the ideas ofother men,
why go to colleges and sen,inaries of
learning2 and why does .A. b." take
up his dictionary SO often to learn the
use ofwords? and why reud the pro.
ductions of others? My friends insist
OIL the publication of that discourse,
affirming, unhesitatingly, that it was
the most satisfactory thing oithe kind
they ever heard or read, and If il he
published the Baptist are Urged upon
TO procure copies, read, study, criticise,
compare with other productions and
handle to their souls content. II
ga. b." has mental acumen, sufficient
to lead him ont of shower of rain, he
remembers that / quoted from goodly
number ofauthors, giving their names
and generally, the pages where their
words could lie found. Now certainly
intended these things to sound filmii-
iarly to some, and if they had-not to
him lie ought, most certainly, to be
ashamed to own the fact.
A very excellent Methodist minister
who once labored in this county, told
me that certain Baptist divine did
TO his certain knowledge, preach one
of DIR Bascom's printed sermons, before
three Methodist preachers. My in
tormant further "sayeth," that he, and
a Rev. Mr.. NJ, did read DR.. Bascom's
discourse, after its delivery by Bap-
tist, and found it to have been copied
verbatim ct literatim. Now friend
"a. b." wish to remind you, and
those oflike persuasion, that Baptist
measures will not hold good when ap-
piled to Lutheran sliyines. We are
required to be able to write our own
sermons, and thanks to God, we do
write them.
] make no clnims to great original.
ity of thought. but have culled the
most precious jewels to be found on this
subject, and, connecting them with my
own thoughts, have given them my
own moulding; and now it remains to
be seen whether They aro worth any
thing ornot.
"a. b." in his third paragraph says
"The whole affair was one of darkness
and confusion to ten elevenths of the
congregation, as the ground was dread
fully rooty." He certainly deserves
orad;t Eor ho;nn tLo an.l.a,. u G q y. e.,.