Carthage courier. (Carthage, Tenn.) 1913-current, 1921-03-24
Fifty Years in the Ministry
No. TX.


The first religious discussion l ever
held was with Ed. j. NJ Kidwen of
Smithville in 1874, It was held at
Alexandria. Great crowds attended
and it was conducted in good spirit
and afterwards Ed. Kidwel and l
were the best of friends. Two amaz-
ing incidents / remember about, one
before and the other after the debate.
/ was pastor at Rome at that time and
my Sunday there was just before the
debate was to begin on Tuesday. On
nv way home riding old Wheeler,
little white pony / got from Jack
Jenkins, it was slowly raining. con-
Guided l would pull off one of my forth
coming speeches against kldwell. 1
was on the pike near Cundall's old mill
all in woods then. l had an umbrella |
over me and an old pair of saddle bags /
under me. l grew warm and enthu |
siastic and was taking the bark off |
when old Wheeler gave a sudden start
and jumped ten feet sideways throw
ing me out of the saddle. Saddle bags
umbrella and hat all on the ground. I
When l recovered | was surprised to
find Mr. Bowen and a Mr.. Justice
under a cedar tree in the fence cor
ner at whom the horse took fright.
When / sufficiently caught up with my
breath Iexplained that had been told
practice makes perfect and explained /
my debate beginning the next Tues
day. One of them looked at the other
and said, "Well, all 1 know about it
is that you were giving some fellow
thunder" l have been little careful
since to look around before practicing.
Not many preachers and lawyers but
pull off a sermon or speech now and
then knowing that only a smart man
is listening. The other incident was
Joke father pulled off on me relative
to the debate, My father and Ed.
Kidwell were members of the same
denomination. Some of the people
guyed father about how John 7. wal
loped his brother Kidwell. Somebody
always does that on both sides. Father
explained that he was to blame for
Kidwell's defeat because when John
was a boy he used to make him and
Jim (my oldest brother) debate at
home. jim was a little to hard for
John and l told John to carry his
points fairly and squarely if he could
but rather than be DEBATED lie a little.
So John formed the habit of lying and
= he has never gotten over it. 1t was
rather hard on me in one sense and
encoura ging in another as l explained,
ted / defeated Kidwell. Debating
sometimes results in good but most
generally they are not very edifying
and are only wrangles. Forty years
ago it was rather popular and some
of our greatest preachers INDUCED in
public discussion but the custom has
grown unpopular and relegated to
rear. The longer I live and know the
more kindly / feel toward those who
see the doctrines and practices of the
Anew. Testament different to what / do.
Never in all my fifty years ministry
were the doctrines and practices of
my church more strongly entrenched
in my mind and heart than now but
have a kind handshake and loving
word for any man who is trying to
serve God and reach a better world.
Let us do good unto all men unto the
household of faith.
j use to think | was an expert on
showing people how they ought to be
baptized A good Methodist lady de-
cided l had instructed her in the right
way and joined my church and at a
certain ferry on Cumberland river we
met for the purpose of baptizing her
in due and ancient form. / said,
"Here is the river Cumberland, here is
John, the Baptist, and I will show just
SAdCJlY HOW JONI the 1odplISL OdpIIZ0o
in the river Jordan. The sister and
went far out into the water and as
raised my hand and closed my eyes
for the ceremony she suddenly pulled
loose from me and when / opened my
eyes she was missing.l She had dived
face foremost and / found her by her
hair floating to the surface about /
feet from sme. succeeded in pulling
her off the bottom and held her until
she could stand and then she made a
break for the bank and got out with /
out being baptized, at least in due and
ancient style. Just as she reached the /
crowd on the bank she Shouted, Thank /
God, / have obeyed that command
didn't know how to get out and what /
to say when / did get out. The last
time / saw this godd Methodist lady
she was visiting Henry Morris at
Monoville. She is one of the strongest
Baptists l ever knew and Henry Nor
ris like to have gone crazy about her
she was so smart; Hlearn from that
incident that it won't do to brag to
soon. / was almost tdozed when
reached the bank and old Bro. Louis
Dias, my fatheI in the ministry, met