The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-11
Observations

/ wonder what woulf have hap
poned If Intelligent Baptists had been
assortlNo ~ the days of Luther Ger
tainly the fruits OF the reformation
would Iayc been more easily and
completely gathered. Even the Ana
Baptists with their cruditics. allowed
TO live. might have saved Germany.
I wonder what would have hap
r. ned in the Cromwelliam Reforma-
ton in England. If Baptists had been
more asscrtiye. who shall say bat
tina, the result would have been dit
fcreut II instead Of tho predominant
ing influence Of Preshyterianism the
simple dcnuc9atic New Testament
principles had prevailed The state
church. however. still fingered and
"FreSbytcr was priest writ large
] wonder what would have hap
poned if the Puritan Of New England
had been Jess antaEonistic 10 Baptist
principles, shown by prosecuting
Roger Williamsi True Union Of
Church and State to them seemed SO
forbiddinE But even congregation
ism in Connecticut involved civil a1i-
thority and later drifted easily TO
Unitarianism, and today is ready to
acknowledge the Apostolic succession
of EpiScopaCy that once perseegtea
/ wonder what would have hap
pencd If the Cavalier Of Virginia. In
the light Of the evident Compromise
Element, that was written in large
, letters in the history of the Estab-
llShcd Church. had yielded in Colonial
Days TO the conscientious scruples OF
men who had such large share in
buiidin@ the foundations OF a western
Empire? l wonder if by a little tact
these men might not have been won
for the Established Church Chris
tianIty was gained because John Wes-
ley, George Whitfield, jeremiah
Moore and others could not be COM
Portable in the Episcopal church and
because Episcopacy did not willingly
grant religious liberty. Moore Is held
80 the Alexandria Jail by men. neigh
hors of George Washington. whose
cavalier ancestors had brought the
Baptist Bunyan to Bedford Jail.
Strange the propensity Of he Chris
tian world to give recognition to these
New Testament principles SO rcluc-
family, aud even with their acceptance
OF thes truths with menal rcscrya-
lions. 1t is even more strange that the
only consistent propagators Of thes
eternal truths should be disliked and
even prosecuted to this DAY.
Now jeremiah Moore was a great
| spirit, independent and fearless, who
arrived at certain conclusions, after
Il careful study Of the New Testament
which landed him squal ely among
| tho then despised sect of Bapusts al
Il time when Baptists were beginning
| their great history in America
Conversion.
! Jeremiah Moore became 4 member
! tn lI72 of the ChaPawamsick Baptist
| church in Stafford county. Va. His
| baptism made no small stir among
| his friends, most of whom were
| Episcopalians and some Of them enc
mics Of the Baptists Some pretended
| to pity his folly. while others treated
! him with contempt; and ali agreed to
/ give him up for lost as to any future
| usefulness ia himself or to his family
/ By becoming Baptist he gave up a
small office in the establishment at
Acquia Creek worth 2,400 lbs. Of to-
bacco yearly. and with it the friend
CHIP OF many influential characters
! Money was always secondary with him
| w m Writ Jackson'S attorney gen
| crai later says Of Moore: My frs
| faVorite preacher was a Baptist. Jere.
Iniah Moore and pow erful man he
was keen acute and as reasoner
! have seldom heard him surpassed
/ nave great parllatitN for BaptlStS.
| Here was a great leader in the Wash
ington government made to see by thi.
! preacher the vast Importance to this
world Of Baptist principles. OF course
| Moore became an intelligent Baptis
| and soon saw very clearly that unles:
/ The principle of religious liberty were
! Contended for here ia Virginia j
would never be recognized anywher,
in the world Roger williams hat
done his part in Rhode Island, bu
tho principle was little acknowledged
| whore, Now here in the days o
! Geo. Washington and land owne1
in the community of Geo. Washing
ton and Geo. Mason. jeremiah Moor.
deGcd the very authorities in hi
bold stat6fnent of his religious attl
tude." (Hon f. Walton Moore.l
Iihert, Geo uasom a"Sho,. - ~
'Illl of Rights in the old court hons,