The daily gazette., 1881-06-09
EDITION
The Delaware Baptists.
STATE ROAD, DEL, June /, 1851

oTATE ROAD, DEL, June 1, 1901.
To the Editor OF the Gazette.
REsPEoTED SIR
As Mr.. Cook has seen tlt TO reply to
my criticisms on the "History,"I wish
to say few words, in addition to what
I said before, and also in answer to some
things contained In his reply by way Of
further defending myself. Personally
am, and always have been, on friendly
terms with Mr.tCook, as a historian,
himself and bis history becomes public
property. So much OF his history as re-
lates to us as denomination, claim a
right to criticise, and to call public at
tention to whatever errors it contains
did not suppose that this would be COLI
strued into personal abuse. While he
claims the right TO publish history OF
me, and of the denomination TO which l
belong, claim the right 10 defend my.
self, and in this correspondence am
acting strictly on the defensive. As Mr..
Cook assumes that his statement in the
said history are all correct, and that
have wronged bin in disputing any of
them, will have to again as l did before
appeal to the record. The reader who
has seen or will see said "history," will
find at page IA q sketch of "rhe Delf
ware Association" In 1925 the number
of churches and communicates are Civ
en-. The separation among the Bal
lists, which took place generally about
the year 1885, took off two large churcl
Hanb1ihah and ponloh pnmhartpn
over $50 members. How many drew off
from the other churches to join the mis-
sIonary Baptists am not now able to
state. But will allow that the church.
es generally underwent sitting, and
for some years it was such time of
tribulation and persecution for the
words sake that many fell away. Now
II 1t was the writer's object to show that
the old School Baptists had diminished
since the separation, and that the New
School had increased he should have
given the statistics at the time.
The whole number of churches, though
several Of them were in Pennsylvania,
and the whole membership in the year
1926 are given as the Delaware Associa.
ton. This is contrasted with 1879
What complained of was that this was
an unfair representation. Ii any of the
churches have decreased IL Is proper SO
to state. If some have increased it is
not proper to say that all have decreas-
ed. In the year 1840 hnd the assocla-
tionP reporting 326 members, instead of
500 as given for the starting point in the
"History." In 1858, (ths year came
here), the report Of membership ts 1SO.
| By far the greatest falling away in any
| Of these churches, was In Wilmington,
| where In 10 years the number is reduced
| from 115 TO n. OF course this loss was
not all, nor any considerable part of it.,
by death. In the sketch that Is given of
Ed. Daniel Dodge we are told that be
/ baptlsed 250 converts while with this
/ church. When we remember that Mr..
| Dodge went with the New School In the
| division, although it was before the
| days Of protractSd meetings and arti-
| ncial revfvals, we can judge Of the kind
Of material that these converts were
when we see a church so rapidly gather
| ed In, to SO sooE fall to pieces. If the
/ c,ase of this church is . good argument
| in Mr.. Cooks favor he is welcome to
Il make the most Of it. Under the head
i ing above cited we have list of names,
although it is stated that a part of them
belonged to the Salisbury Association.
They are spaken Of as though all belong
ed 20 the Delaware, and as though the
Delaware Association was responsible
for their deciension. As 1 said before
these names down in Sussex county
never had much more than q nominal
existence; they we're preaching stands
at which the pastors OF the churches
would occe sionally make appointments.
The Delaware Association had nothing
| to do with any OF them except Mispil-
lion, which did not have but one or two
male members, and these were not In
sentiment with the O. 8. Baptists.
If the others had been sound churches
I presume they would have proved 1t
Il bv rens aiming steadfast. After inform
ing MS that their light has gone out and
their candle stick has been removed,
etc, Mr.. Cook informs us that "the most
indication Of life is In the venerable
Welsh Tract Church." thus connecting
| these several names with the Delaware
Association that never did belong to 1t.
Every one of the churches, not only OF
| the Delaware ASSOCIATION, but all others
| that were really churches when l came
here, that are located in tins State are In
flourishinR condition. Most OF them
have increased largely In numbers and
have increased and increasing congre-
| cations. The two churches In Suesex
| we're never before In as prosperous con-
dition as now, and it isin contemplation
| 70 buiId an additional place or worship
soon. AZ one is needed. The Whining
ton church has about held Its own as to
| members and congregatlon. ME. OocA
was not otignorant of the facts In regard to
these chuches, for Informed him and put
him in possession OF the records myself,
in his wn.honse.I am charged with boast
inc. It is rather unkind to force this
defencs upon me and then publish a
charge of boasting. He says "No won
der ED. r. was not desirous to have
these facts made public and now
| Srows excited" am not excited. l
am perfectly calm. But will remind
Mr. Cook that 80 far from being averse
20 having facts made public, we publish
ANNUALLY at our own expense ana dis
tribute Rratuitously all our STATISTICS
MI. @. can hardly be ignorant of this
AS to the general charge against the o.
8. Baptiets Of abandoning the faith and
| practice Of the fathers, with which the
book abounds, this 10 not the time OF
place to discuss that subject. will say,
however, that every tnch of that ground
ia disputed. have lived long enough III
he has not, to know for myself about
| that. am aware that at the period OF
which he speaks, there were some un-
| sonnd men In theasso sooia atiO on, and that they
| did endeavor to introduce some unscrlp
tural things into the churches. among
| tbem were Greene and Strumfer, ooth
afterward excluded for immoral conduct.
Az 10 quotations from other writer's,
| aw.ara that Mr.. Cook adopted the