Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-03-16
That Church Trouble.
The DeacOns of High ST.
Bapt. Church Reply.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE TROUBLE.
The Case In Court-ReV BarksdaIe
Defended.


DANvILLE, VA March 5, 1895.
We, the undersigned deacons of the
High Street Baptist Church, being in
vited TO answer through the columns
of the PLANET, make known the follow
ing facts in vindication OF the church,
pastor, and his family. However, he.
the Rev. J. l.. Barksdale, pastor of the
High Street Baptist Church. will an
swer at the proper time and in a legal
way the slanderous articles which ap-
peared in the newspapers.
The law is good, il you use il in the
proper way hence the coming redress.
We think it improper for any one 60
try TO impress the general public with
misleading articles through newspa-
pers.
Let us notice the "Danville Letter"
The High street people are still at it,
and Rev. Barksdale claims at this
writing to be on top. The opposition
is on the alert and God only knows
when these meek and quiet lambs shall
cease TO war against each other"
We ask the following questions:
If Rev. j, l.. Barksdale, the pastor of
High Street Baptist Church. is not on
top, where is he? On the 30th of No
vember, 1894, an attempt was made
to kill him by plan and plot of con-
y
the dispositions, being taken against the
unbaptistic course of the trustees in
the persons of J NJ. Clark and Moses
Green. Yes, an illegal meeting was
held by the same irreligious conduct
of the signers, etc, of the petition,
that raised a confusion, put out the
lights, and scattered about six hundred
people, testified TO by two policemen,
Others because a petition from 80 per-
sons claiming to be members of the
church, but, evidence will show, that
to be untrue had been'relected by over
three-fourths of the members present.
At the above named meeting held In
an illegal and unbaptistic way, they
closed the church, an attorney en-
ployed by J. M. Clark, Moses Green,
their aiders and abettOrs, appeared at
the Mayors Court, December 1st, '94,
and threatened imprisonment to the
pastor, deacons, or any one who would
attempt to so in the church. Then and
there the Mayor gave notice that the
matter would have to be settled in a
legal way.
We met in a call meeting at J. NJ
Clark's residence and tried to harmon
ize the matter before any suit for in
junction entered the court records
We could not agree on any terms.
We OuC OCdCOuS3 anu
not the pastor, signed our own names,
under oath and bond to pay all costs
of the suit, if the judge dissolved the
injunction. We mean what we say.
Thus far we and the pastor are on top
We are serving God under our own
vine and fig tree
if the Rev J L. Barksdale and 27 of
his followers were legally turned out
of the church, why is it that Rev. J. L..
Barksdale and the said excluded men,
bers continue as before, to preach and
worship God in the High street Bap-
tist Church? We understand that ex-
cluded members are silenced.
In answer to the following words "It
seems as if the Baptist Churches here
endorse dancing. Who leads. man
ages, and chaperons all the dances?
Answer me, ye deacOns."
Our answer to the above will be short
and to the point, If any Baptist
Church in Danville, endorse dancing
we don't know it. The records of the
High Street Baptist Church viii show
that whenever sufficient evidence can
be obtained, all such offenders are
called to account. We think it unfair
to mislead or attempt to mislead the
public in "A MATTER of such vital impor-
| tance to the cause of Christ.
We speak Tor God ana Ills cause.
The Churches take steps as far as pos
sible against the unchristian conduct
of dancing. Be it remembered that it
is hard to convict, when the right per-
sons are shielded behind the lovers of
the destructive sin known as dancing.
In answer to the article that ap-
peared under the heading of February
25, 1895-"The right side" Never be-
fore have we known that an individual
constituted a Baptist Church, as the
assumed writer alleges. That howev-
er, is about like all the other mis-
leading articles which appeared in the
papers-Through the same agency
The letter signed go can be vindica-
ted, If necessary.
There appeared for slanderous effect
that the Rev. ]. l.. Barksdale had beer
| excluded from the church-"C" feelint
the misrepresentation sent facts to tn,