The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-04-03
HENDERSON, n. c., THURSDAY,

brethren, who could not get away, he
followed Bsnnet to Maryland. 1t
would savo them trouble, they
thought, and they paid the forfeit.
These things may be found in the
records OF Norfolk county-that is.
the arrest .and. OF Durant, 1t
is interesting to note that the officer
n aking the arrest was Thomas Ivey,
whose descendants afterwards came
to North Carolina. Among them was
Curtis Ivey, the gallant soldier of the
Revolution and secretary of the first
Society of the Cincinnati organized in
the State.
Some of these Independents came
into North Carolina. The references
10 them in the letters OF the mission
aries of the Church of England and
some Of the Governors have puzzled
students Of that period of our history,
but the facts which have been stated
solve the mystery and show what was
denied by Col. Saunders aud others
North Carolina came hither for con-
sciences sake They also explain
the disappearance of the Independents
from the records of the time; they
had become converts TO the faith Of
Palmer. 1t is not strange that he
made converts wherever he went and
left the i'll. press Of his spirit. Nor is
it strange that. after his death, a
missionary Of the Church of England
should have said Of Perquimans,
Pslmer's home. That parish abounds
with such,' (dissenters) respectfully
Of the Quaker and Anabaptist kind"
Palmer was Jealous propagandist.
He Travelled into every part of North
Carolina that he could reach and
took long journeys into the border
counties Of Virginia, preaching the
truths which he believed and win
ming men by the gentleness of his
spirit and the graciousness of his
manner. And he kindIed in the min
isters who were raised up under his
influence the same fire that burned in
his own heart. Winfield, one of these
men. crossed to the South side Of the
sound and settled in the neighbor-
hood of Bath. Josiah Quincy, of
Boston. returned from a visit to Will
mington, 1913. notes in his diary that
he spent day in Wintield's parish.
Palmer visited his friends several
times, and extended his Journeys to
New Bern. New River, Onslow coun-
ty, which it was then thought would
become a large town. There he or
ganized Il church which soon became
a great body, drawing into its fold
most of the inhabitants. Rev. Alex
ander Stewart, missionary rector Of
the Church of England at Bath. tells
in one of his letters Of a visit which
he had made to New River, which
place he declared to be the ''chief
seat of enthusiasm" in the province.
He preached twice during his visit
and wrote that ''the few remaining
| Episcopals were very thankful" This
was in 1761. A year earlier, 1860,
Mr. Stewart told the results of Pal
mer's labors. ''Of late years." he
says, this province is overrun with
people that at first called themselves
Anabaptists, but now, having refined
upon that scheme, have run into SO
many errors and have SO bewildered,
and | NAV also say bewitched, the
minds of the people that scarcely will
they listen to anything that can be
said in defence of the church we be-
long to-" A little later Rev. Robert
Nixon, man of many of Palmer's
characteristics, was pastor at New
River and travelled far beyond Will
mington in the spirit and manner Of
his predecessor. During the War of
the Revolution the Committee or Coun-
Gil of Safety made an appropriation OF
ten pounds, or fifty dollars, for his
voluntary services in ministering to
the soldiers who were defending the
! coast.
1t would be TO repeat an old story
if | were to tell of the Parkers and
Soiourners and others who went forth
into every part of the State. filled
with the spirit and following the
methods of their leader. When
Palmer passed into the house not
made with hands he had organized
the Baptist denomination in North
Carolina. 1t remains today substan-
| tldllt DIS uC lCiI II, tilC ShhS III ~,
in method, and in doctrine. High
Calvinists from Philadelphia and
Separates under Stearns sought to in
troduce radical changes, and they
seemed to succeed for while, but
eventually the denomination return
ed to the simple platform on which it
started. The churches gathered in
annual meetings, now called conven-
tions, changed only in name.
Palmer lived in the time of Gov.
Pullock. Edward Moseley, John Bap-
tista Ashe and the Porters. In point
of natural ability he was the peer Of
the greatest of them: as fearless as
! Moseley or Ashe, as clear as any Of
them in his understanding of the
times and the methods by which
their needs were to be supplied, su-
perior 10 them all in the rare combi-
nation OF qualities which make up
the highest style of man, the Chris
tian gentleman. When a North Caro-
linian thinks Of great religious lead
ers three names occur to him: Dr..
David Caldwell. Shubael Stearns and
Bishop Ravenscroft. OF these only
the last named can be compared with
Palmer. The task set before each oil
them was the same; to organize
churches which should be clothed
with authority and instinct with life
and power, and which, taken together,
should constitute a religious denomi'
nation. Both were successful. But
Judged by results. | think it will be
agreed that the bishop was not equal
to the man from Maryland.
j. ID. HUFHAM.
Henderson. n. c., March II.
, NONE BETTER MADE.
The "Fay-Sho" Typewriter has man,
noints of excellence not pOsseSspd by any