The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-04-05


aggregate number Of churches only one
in excess of the ministers.
This was not due TO the ability of the
churches to sustain each minister, but
on account of the inaccessib lty, and
danger of the Indians in traveing the
lonely roads from one community to an
other.
In these good old times no man thought
it amiss for the good parson'' to don
leggings and coarse homespun shirt, and
with his long trusty muzzle-loading
rifle, go out into the forest and supply
his depleted larder, or in times of war
with the redskins to repel the attack Of
the insiduous foes. In the year 1900 the
Georgia association met al Sardis. Wilkes
county, and adopted a resolution APP
pointing a meeting al Powelltown in
May, 1901, to consult inregard to mission
work.
The meeting was he d and the associa-
ton was advised to form missionary
society. This was approved by the ass0-
citation, and consultation meeting was
held in May, 1902, to devise the best
method OF procedure, Under recon-
mendation OF this body a general COM
mittee, consisting of three from each as
Soclation convened al FQWelton in 1903
and there selected general committee
of twelve as follows: Jesse Mercer, Hen
ry Halcombe, Thomas Polhill, Joseph
Clay, Benjamin Mosely, Stephen Gofford,
Lewis Davis, James Matthews, \. Mar
shall, Charles Screven, Thomas Rhodes,
Benjamin Brooks. Holcombe was made
president, Mercer vice president. with
Polhill secretary. This was the germ
of that eminently respectable and infu-
emit i body, the Georgia. Baptis conven-
ton.
About 1927 Adiel Sherwood, a most
distinguished minister and educator, a
man of remarkable piety, zeal, humility
and learning took charge Of the Baptist
church at EatOnton, and the academy
also, and in that year a most memorable
revival, commenced at Eatonton and
spread all over the state, and resulted in
the conversion OF many thousands while
it lasted.
The numbers may be estimated when
the records show the baptism of 10000
in three associations alone.
His labors and zeal were untiring, hav-
ing preached 1913 sermons in as many as
forty churches, during one year.
He had previously, through Chls. j.
Jenkins, clerk of the association, offered
a resolution which led up to the estab-
lishment of the Georgia Baptist cOnven-
ton and is truly 1.-THE father of the cons
vention."
This was in 1920. Three years later he
attended the riennial convention in
Washington, d. G., and W tn al his
force and energy advocated the forma-
nation OF conventions in aIletae sta es,
which was soon accomplished.
He also introduced a resolution at the
session of the convention held in 1881
that resulted in the establishment Of
Mercer University at Penfeld.
A. Antioch, in Morgan county. it is
said that four Thousand people came for
ward for prayer, after a sermon preached
in open ar by him.
The convention needed more than an
establishment, for ii encountered many
difficulties at its inception, and for years
the opposition to it was exceedingly bit
ter, but it gradually gained strength and
efficiency and increased the number of
its constituents so rapidly that it soon
became a power III the land. This con
vention has fostered education strongly
and made the instruction of piOus young
men, Gale 10 the ministry, one of its
prime objects.
Soon a new, and in general, a more cul-
tivated class of ministers, and perhaps
not one whit behind the former genera
ton in zeal and piety, appeared. AS
members of this convention, they tooK
high ground. 1t was difficult for the
legislators to divide the idea of church
and state about the tine of the .fevOlu-
tionary war, and before the constitution
had furnished the fOunG alton for more
perfect union there was law in Geof-
gia "giving two pence per pound to the
msnister chosen by any thirty families,
for his support, to be paid out OF the
state treasury"
At that time the Baptist denomination
was largely in the ascendency i'll point of
numbers in the state; its ministers were
the most numer ,us and consequently the
largest amount of the state grant would
have come to them.
These sturdy old Baptists were earning
their bread by the sweat of their face,
but nobly put aside all such motives and
unflinchingly proved themselves the
staunch friends of entire religious liberty
by asking its repeal, which Immediately
followed.
On the same line that grand old man,
Henry Holcombe Tucker, who at ali
times advocated in a logical and forcible
manner religious liberty, obtained a re
peal OF Il law prohibiting the ordina-
ton of Saves, holding that such statute
was in conflict with the liberty OF
thought.
AS early as 1894 the Georgia ass6cia-
ton memorialized the legislature to pre-
vent the importation. of slaves into the
state.
Among the men who sustained the
Baptist convention and the Baptist cause
with unfinching energy in its infancy
was Jesse Mercer.
He preached the gospel everywhere
with a power never surpassed IN this
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