The Washington times., 1918-08-05
TALE OF BAPTISTS
IS UNTRUE, SAYS
HARDSHELL ELDER

The recent description of the Hard
smell or Primitive Baptists, published
IN Huntington wv. Va.) dispatch to
Inc Times, is termed by Elder H. H.
enerts, of Leesburg, Va, to be in
accurate. In a letter to The Times
he writes:
Dear Sir-In your issue Of We'd
hesoay, July 81, you publish a COM
muhlcation from Huntington, w. Va,
dated July 80, headed: Preacher
Makes Good" Moonshine; Says It's
NO Sin. This article goes on to say
mat one Rev Henry Martin Farley
ts under bond to appear before a
United States commissioner on al
eharge OF Illicit distilling, that this
man is a Hardshell or Primitive Bap-
ust preacher, and that he had ad-
mltted to Huntington business man
that he had been making good moon |
shine whiskey. This article, after
dealing with Farley's offense, goes
on TO describe the Hardshell or
Primitive Baptists and to tell what
this sect believes. This description is |
fun of glaring Inaccuracies and
grossly misrepresents the Primitive
BSptists.
Not Fair to HardsheIIs-
Primitive Baptists to judge them as
body by one preacher in the noun
tains Of West Virginia who, as your
correspondent says, was caught max
ing Illicit whiskey. 1 myself have
the honor to be a Hardshell or Primi-
tive Baptist preacher, and am serv-
ing churches OF that faith and order
within forty miles of the Capital Of
the United States. I do, not know
about the oftense committed by him.
But, even IL the news from Hunting
ton, w. Va, is all true concerning /
him, IL would have been enough for
you to have simply published the
news of his crime instead of taking
this opportunity to run down the
Primitive Baptists and thus give your
readers the grossly wrong impress
sion that all Hardshell Baptists are
like this man Farley.
your communication from Hunt
engton is glaringly wrong when it un-
dertakes to tell what Primitive Bap-
fists believe and practice. For in
stance, IL says: 'Hardshel Baptists
believe that the earth is fiat, that the
sun .'do move" that IL is unscriptural
to educate preachers This is q
wholly false fabrication! with not a
word of truth in it Doctors, law
yers, college graduates, farmers, men
of business, Congressman, and legis-
aators are all to be found in the ranks
Of the Primitive Baptist ministry. 1t
d true that Primitive Baptist preach
sers do not preach for a living nor for
= stated salary, and that they do en-
gage in other callings or professions
Tor q livelihood. but that they are
inverse to education is a gross libel
"Again, your communication says:
Tnstead of administering baptism by1
Immersion, sprinkling, or pouring. as
followed by other churches, they in
Guct new members into the church by
washing their feet This is another
base fabrication. with not one word
Of truth in it.
Not Mode of Induction.
New members are taken into the
church by being baptized by INNER
sion, as is the case with all bodies OF
Baptists. Foot-washing is not a mode
of induction into the Primitive Bap-
tist Church. Baptism by immersion.
the Lords Supper. and foot-washing
are ordinances of the church, but the
last mentioned is never a substitute
for immersion Not all churches o;
the Primitive Baptist faith practice
foot-washing, but some do. and those
that do, do so because they believe
Christ in washing his disciples feet, L;
as recorded in John xiii:5-15, enjoined
this upon his church to be literally
observed by them the same as the !
ordinances of baptism and the Lords
Supper. But foot-washing. where IL ;
Is practiced by Primitive Baptists as ..
q church ordinance, is never used to
induct new members into the church
nor to take the place OF baptism by
immersion
Evidently. whoever sent you this
communicationf from Huntington never
saw the ordinance of fCot-washing .
observed, for IL is not true that their !
feet are washed by the preachers.'l
They wash one another's feet, as .
Christ commanded. Also, the article
above mentioned speaks OF their hold !
ing revivals. This is entirely false, !
for Primitive Baptists do not believe
in revivals OF the Billy Sunday or :
GYPSY Smith kind. and are opposed
to emotionalism and sensationalism in !
religion.
"As' to the number OF Primitive
Baptists in this country, your article :
says: Only a few remain According
TO the last United States census. there
are as many Primitive Baptists in
this country in percentage to the en-
tire population of the United States
Is there were 100 years ago.
H. H. LEFFERTS.
"Leesburg. Va"