Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-05-08

A Baptist Brother Gives his Opinion
about the sPresbyterians.

gives sketch of sermon she heard in
Georgia nearly half q century ago. from
which we give an extract:
The preacher was apparently about fifty
years of age, large, muscular and well pro-
portioned On entering the pulpit, he took
off his coat and hung it on a nail behind
him, then opened his collar and wristbands,
and wiped the PRECIPITATION from his face,
neck and hands. He was clad in striped
cotton homespun, and his shirt was of the
same material He had Travelled several
miles that morning, and seemed almost
overcome by the heat. But the brethren
sung couple of hymns while he was fam
ming and cooling off, and when he rose he
looked comfortable and good natured
He had preached there once or twice be-
fore, but to most of the audience he was a
stranger. Hence he thought it necessary to
announce himself which he did, as ''Old
Club-Ax Davis, from Sereven county, a half
hard and half soft shell Baptist"
81 have given myself that name" said he,
because I believe the Lord elected me
from all eternity, to 60 ahead in the back
woods and grab out path and blaze the way
for other men to follow. After the thickest
of it is cut away, a good Methodist brother
will come along and take my trail and make
| things little smoother and a good deal
| wiser And after all the underbrush Is
cleared out and the owls and wolves are
skeered back, and rattlesnakes is killed OF, a
PRESBYTERIAN brother, in black broadcloth
and white cravat, will come along and cry
for decency and order. And they'll both
do good in their sphere. I don't despise a
larnt man, even if he don't dress and think
as do. You couldn't pay me enough to
wear broadcloth, summer nor winter, and
you couldn't pay a Presbyterian brother
| enough to go without it in dog-days.
God dent make us all alike, my brethren;
! but every man has his own spere. When
God has place to fill, He makes man and
puts him in It. When He wanted General
jackson, He made him and set him to fight
in Injuns and the English; when He
wanted George Whitfield, He made him for
| to blow the Gospel trumpet as no other man
ever bowed it, and when He wanted old
Club-Ax-Davis, He made him and set him
| to grubbin' in the backwoods.
| But my shell isn't SO hard but [ can see
good pints in everybody; and as for the
Presbyterians, they are long way ahead OF
us Baptists and Methodists in some things.
They raise their children better than any
people on the face of the earth. Only
few days ago Methodist class-leader said
to me: brother Club-Ax, 1 was born a
Methodist, was raised Methodist, and by
the grace of God I hope to die Methodist;
but, thank God, got Presbyterian wife
to raise my children"
And 1 believe, my brethren, if the
| Lord should open the way for me to marry
agin, I'd try my best to find Presbyterian
woman, and run my chances of breakin'
her into the savin' doctrines of feet-washin'
and immersion afterwards"
IL l, tod NV
two spotted hounds that had been contin-
ually running up and down the pulpit stairs.
One of them jumped upon the seat and be-
gan to gnaw his coat tail, in which was
something he had brought along for his
lunch.
He turned slowly around and took him by
the ears and tail and threw him out the
window behind him, as easily as if it had
been a young kitten The otherto warn
| ing and got out as rapidly as possible,
though not without bowling and yelping as
| if it had been half killed
| He then turned to the audience and said,
snilingly: "St. Paul exhorted the brethren
to beware of dogs I wonder what he
would do if he were in my place this morn
ing? It appears like l am comprised about
with dogs, as David says he was"
He had scarcely commenced preaching
again before there was a squealing and kick
ing among the mules and horses that were
tied to trees close by. He put his head out
of the window and said 'No harm done,
my brethren. Just a creetur with a side
saddle on has broken loose, Will some
brother head the animal for no sister can
| walk home this hot day"
Quiet being restored, he continued:
| We'll, my brethren, 1 will now try to say
| hot T oil 70 In 4a.-
ans. AS said before, they raise their chill
dren heap better than we do. They be-
have better in church and keep Sunday bet
! ter, and read the Bible, and learn the cate
chism better than ours do. / declare, my
brethren, their children are larnt that West
minister catechism by the time they begin to
talk plain.
! 1t amt three weeks since l was out cat
tle-huntin, for two of my yearEns had
strayed off-and l stopped in at old brother
Hardey's, on Rund Creek, and took dinner
He is deacon in the Presbyterian church
! over thar. Well as sure as 1 stand here,
/ my brethren, sister Harley had her little gal
a stannin' right before her, with her toes
| just even with the crack of the floor, and
her hands were hangin' down by her side,
and her mouth turned up like chicken
when it drinks, and she was putting this
question 70 QSf out o tnaC catechlSm
What are the benefits which in this life
do either accompany or flow from justifca-
ton, adoption and sanctifcation ?''
NOW the question in itself was enough
to break the child down. But when she be-
gan to say the question all over (for that's
the way it was in the book, and then hitch
the answer to it, and which, all put together,
made this: The benefits which in this life
do either accompany or flow from justifica-
ton, are peace of conscience, Joy in the
Holy Ghost, increase of grace and persever-
ance therein to the end!' l thought the
child was the greatest wonder I had ever
! seen in all my life. She tuck it right
through, too, without 'balkin' or missin the
first word. And she spoke so sweet, and
she looked SO like little angel. that, before
l knowed it, the tears was a runnin down
my cheek as big as buckshot. I've seen the
day when l could have mauled and split a
thousan' rails quicker than 1 could larnt- that
thing and said it off like she did.
NOW, my brethren, that child didn't un-
derstand or know the meanin' of one word
O. that. 1t put me up to all L knew to take
it in myself. But just let that Presbyterian
young 'un grow up, and every word of that
catechism will come back to her, and her
character will stiffen up under it. and she'll
have the backbone of the matter in her for
life
Now, can't put things into my children
that way. Nothing don't stay, somehow.
It's like drivin nail into rotten log"
| This last remark I never forgot For
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