STRICTURES ON THE AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SOCIETY, PART IV.
(The first three Parts of these "Strictures" have not been transcribed, but are available if desired. This Part, IV, includes a defense of Elder William Gilmore, written in 1833, which is appropriate. Trott's later attack on Elder Gilmore was just as reprehensible as the attack by the Missionary leaders.)
FOR THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
STRICTURES.
On the first Report of the Committee of the American Baptist Home Mission Society. No. IV.
Having noticed the designs of the Society and its plan of operations as laid down by the Committee and as developed in the Reports of its Missionaries; I will now show that the same plan for bringing the churches into measures, and for dividing and scattering those that will not conform, and for putting down the Old School preachers, is in operation in Virginia.
The General Association of Virginia, I find mentioned by the committee as one of the corresponding Institutions formed for similar purposes; though not claimed as an auxiliary society. Not being in possession of any of the reports of this association; nor of a list of its Agents and Missionaries; I can only give a statement of the course pursued by persons known to be advocates of, and connected with this Institution. Concerning their being employed or paid by the General Association, I cannot say.
I have been credibly informed, and have reason to conclude that the information is correct, that several of the Preachers of missionary stamp, some two or three years since, in Richmond, at a meeting in conclave, pledged themselves to each other to adopt measures for putting down, or driving from the State, every ultra, or hyper calvinistic preacher (as they denominate those who preach the doctrine of salvation by free and sovereign grace) and to persevere until they shall have accomplished their object. If this be so, it would appear that the operations of these gentlemen are voluntary. But I will not venture to assert the correctness of the statement, knowing that there are those among them who would unhesitatingly deny the assertion, unless they knew that proof was at hand to sustain it. This is a severe censure, but it can be sustained. It appears to me, that the grand actors in the religious drama of the day, are far more solicitous to copy after the Jesuits, than after Jesus.
Brother Gilmore being the most prominent Old School preacher at least in this part of Virginia, he was singled out to commence operations against. Accordingly, Elder William F. Broaddus began with appointing meetings regularly in the meeting-house of the Baptist church at Upperville, one of the churches, and the largest, of which Brother Gilmore is pastor, and at length being tolerated in his ventures, without the permission of the church, to publish a protracted meeting there, pursuing the same course which he says he did with the churches of the Shiloh Association. The particulars of this operation at Upperville I shall not attempt to give, as that church, by the conduct of Broaddus, has been placed in circumstances which imperiously demand of her, a full and public statement of the affair, not only to vindicate her own character, but also to prevent the friends of truth, abroad, from being imposed upon by the false statements made and published. I will, however, mention, as an illustration of Elder B.'s design in this affair, that after having thus statedly preached there for some time, and finding at length that in consequence of his course and doctrine, the doors of the meeting house were closed against him (so different was his success here in obtaining a predominating interest in this church by means of a front-bench revival, from what he boasts of, in the Shiloh churches;) he attended one of the meetings of the church to request the privilege of still preaching in the house, and assigned as one reason why he wished this privilege, that he had thoughts of constituting another church in Upperville. It was his continuance of this course of opposition to the church in still keeping up his stated meetings in another house in the village which led the church to declare non-fellowship with him, and produced from them the following query to the Ketocton Association of last year, viz: "Can or cannot this Association be in fellowship with Elder William F. Broaddus and the churches of which he is pastor under existing circumstances?" This query through the management of a certain class of middle-ground Preachers which we have among us, was by the casting vote of the Moderator thrown out of the Association, as inexpedient to be answered. They represented that it would interfere with the discipline and independency of churches to hear the cirumstances and answer the query. That is, that the independency of the churches is such, as to destroy all their independent right, in their associate relation, to hear any circumstances of the departure of particular churches from correct doctrine and practice, or to withhold fellowship from such churches, however corrupt they may have become. This was the plain amount of the decision. And this decision being had, Elder Broaddus went on with his regular meetings at Upperville, held another protracted meeting there in May last, had preachers from Richmond and thereabouts to assist him; held protracted meetings at Winchester and Leesburg, without any regard to the Baptist churches in those towns; thus manifesting that he had no fellowship for those churches nor any regard for their fellowship, more than he had in reference to the churches of other denominations. In the midst and in the face of all this attempt to divide the churches and draw off their congregations, Broaddus and his friends had the confidence to assert, and the art to make many believe, that all the disturbance originated from Bro. Gilmore's personal opposition to him; and also that it was Gilmore who was trying to divide the churches. The circumstance of his recommending me to the churches of Frying-pan and Mt. Pleasant, was represented by Broaddus in the letter an extract of which was published in the "Signs," as an act for carrying forward this plan of operation; and his uniting with Bro. Polkinhorn in recommending me to the Ebenezer church, was represented in a letter addressed to me by a minority, as the exercise of priestly dominion over that church, and as occasioning the church to be divided, &c. This letter, or a copy of it, was read in private circles, and at length given to Broaddus to publish from place to place. It was this which drew from Brother Gilmore his letter in the late No. of the Signs addressed to me.
When the Ketocton Association came on in August last, it was found that six churches, in reference to Elder Broaddus's doctrine or rather contradiction of doctrine, his front-bench revivals, and attempts to divide the churches, &c., had in their Letters declared they had no fellowship for his course, and therefore requested that he might not be admitted to a seat in the Association. There was also found collected besides the usual assemblage, a large throng of Broaddus's tried friends consisting of Shiloh converts, Methodists, and non-professors. These were equally engaged with his friends in the Association to sustain him and sink Gilmore. When the question came on in the Association relative to Broaddus's having a seat, his friends, the middle-ground preachers, took their stand, insisting that the Association had no right to meddle with the affair, that if those churches had anything against Broaddus, they ought to deal with him according to the 18th of Matthew and bring the case before the church of which he is a member, &c., as though any person coming among us, under the name of Baptist, let his doctrine and course be what they may, entitles him to the privilege and to the regular exercise of the discipline of Christ's house. Paul did not give such direction to the churches of Galatia; he did not say to them, that before they could refuse to receive into fellowship those preachers who troubled them and who would pervert the gospel of Christ, that they must follow them to the churches from whence they came and deal with them. What is his direction? Here it is: "As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed." See Gal. 1:7-9. And again, "I would they were cut off that trouble you." (verse 12). But when those sticklers for what they called the independency of the churches were informed that the question before them had nothing to do with Broaddus's standing with his churches or the Shiloh Association, that it was simply whether the Association was disposed to sustain those six churches in their declaration of non-fellowship with the doctrine and practice of William F. Broaddus, or to sustain Broaddus in the course he was pursuing; that those churches preferred no charges against Broaddus under the the idea of discipline, that it was his open public course of preaching and practice which they separated from, they changed their ground and now insisted that Broaddus ought to be heard in his defence; and in speech after speech upon the injustice of condemning a man unheard, they endeavored to wear out the session of the Association, till the second day of the meeting being exhausted, even to a late hour for adjournment, and finding that the members had become impatient for the question and that they could not in that way keep it off much longer, as a last resort they tried the experiment of awing the Association into measures, and this by a combined effort of the in-door and out-door friends of Broaddus. One of the middle-ground preachers, a corresponding Messenger from the Columbia Association, rushed forward into the middle of the floor and said, that as an American and a Christian he protested against the proceedings of the Association and that he would stand there for a week and protest, before he would suffer that good man to be deprived of a seat without being heard! Immediately, a Shiloh Baptist, I presume a front-bench convert, who was standing in a prominent situation in the front of the gallery, commenced knocking on the railing of the banisters with his knuckles, and in obedience to this signal, the stamping of probably more than a hundred feet, if not double that number, resounded from the gallery as though the whole was coming down on the Association.
I will not say that this measure was preconcerted with all the actors, but I will say that I afterwards heard a gentleman of respectable standing as a citizen, assign as a reason for his participating in so ungentlemanly an act as that stamping affair, that they were determined to express their disapprobation of certain expressions dropped by Bro. Gilmore some time previous, thus attempting to cast even the odium of this thing on Gilmore, but at the same time acknowledging something like preconcert among the gallery actors at least.
Some will enquire after the offensive expression of Elder Gilmore. In addressing the Association he noticed the confusion, consequent upon the question then pending, probably with reference to the insinuations which had been thrown out that he was the author of the whole, and observed that there was one way in which the question could be disposed of peaceably without coming to a decision; that if Elder Broaddus would say, Brethren, as I perceive my coming among you is attended with so much confusion, and the wounding of the feelings of so many of the Brethren, I will withdraw my request for a seat among you and no more trouble you; the Association could then move on with its regular business. And in a mild and persuasive manner both of voice and expression he tried to induce Broaddus to take that course, as being a christian like course, and observing Broaddus to smile, and a number of persons also in the gallery to smile, he laid hold of the circumstance to enforce what he had said, mistaking the smile for a smile of approbation, he said, I think Elder Broaddus will consent, I think he smiles in approbation of the measure." This was it that so stung them; that Gilmore should insinuate that they would approve of Broaddus showing any disposition to conciliate the difficulty. But if they were really so hurt at this, as Broaddus replied to it, and assigned as a reason why he could not comply, that he did not stand there as an individual, but as a messenger from the Shiloh Association, why did they not then clap and stamp their approbation of the reply? Besides, several speeches were afterwards made by Broaddus's friends, but nothing suited for them to sanction, but that insolent threat of overruling the Association, and preventing her from the exercise of her right, and that by an individual not a member of the Association.
The out-door friends of Broaddus were not satisfied with the stamping manoeuvre, some of them were heard to swear that they wished the Association would continue in session till dark, that then if they could not find brick-bats they would fill their pockets with hard apples, and go in and pelt Gilmore's head for him; and these persons of respectability. The same night also they made every preparation for burning Brother Gilmore in effigy, but some of the more prudent of Broaddus' friends, knowing that this thing would result rather to his injury, persuaded him to go and and stop it. Thus every plan was pursued to raise an excitement against Elder Gilmore, and to impress on the public mind that he was the cause of all the disturbance. Even Broaddus went and took possession of the stand which had been erected for the accommodation of the Association for preaching, and attempted by assertions and the reading of several letters to persuade the congregation that his being deprived of a seat originated in Gilmore's individual opposition to him, and that he was an Old Fashioned Regular Baptist; and he succeeded so far in his attempts, that several Blacks were seen swaggering away from the stand and saying, We will fight for Massa Broaddus, that we will. The question was, however, decided the next morning after the stamping affray, and Broaddus was refused a seat in the Association by a vote of 21 to 11.
The supporters of Broaddus in their more private intercourse with the Brethren, dwell much upon what they call Gilmore's uncharitable severity in writing and speaking as a reason why they go on the other side, and as an inducement to others to go with them. But this at best is making the subject a mere question of who shall be the greatest - Broaddus or Gilmore. This was not the question at all with the churches, nor with the Association, in declaring non-fellowship with Broaddus; it was Broaddus introducing doctrines, contrary to those believed by the churches to be consistent with the word of God, and upon which they were constituted, and schemes for which they found no warrant in the Scriptures of truth; and in addition to this, his attempts to divide certain churches, and to draw off the congregations by means of protracted meeting excitements, that led them thus publickly to withhold fellowship from him, and his course. And the reasons assigned by Broaddus for his opposition to Elder Gilmore in the extract from his letter published in the "Signs of the Times" was Gilmore's preaching what he calls ultra Calvinism, and advocating the stand taken by the Black Rock Meeting.
It is true that the Letters from one or two of the churches of which Brother Gilmore is pastor, to the Association this year, contained some severe strictures on the course pursued by certain preachers in the Association last year. And it is equally true that several of the members of the Association, who voted against Broaddus having a seat, voted a disapprobation of those letters, with a special reference to the remarks contained in them relative to a certain worthy and sound brother, who went against the question last year, of non-fellowship, not because he approved of Broaddus's course, but because he thought in the form it then appeared it was improper to decide on it in the Association; as I think, viewing the question incorrectly. But this vote of disapprobation had nothing to do with the question whether Broaddus should be admitted to a seat.
My brethren, it is the truth and order established in the word of God, that is struck at, depend upon it, and it is this truth and order, and not men, whoever may profess adherence to them, that we are called to contend earnestly for, at this day, and it is doctrines and practices not authorized by the only correct Standard of Gospel doctrine and practice, and which are designed to supplant the simplicity of Gospel truth and practice, which we are called upon to separate ourselves from, whoever may be their advocates.
Were Brother Gilmore as bad or even worse than the advocates of the new schemes represent him to be, his preaching and advocating the truth of the Gospel, ought not, and I think cannot make that truth any less precious to those who have the love of God in their hearts.
Let us guard against being governed by any man or any combination of men in our religious belief and practice. We have a more sure word of prophecy to which we do well to take heed.
What that reveals, and what that institutes, will stand, when all the systems and contrivances of men have gone down with the man of sin, never to rise again. Whoever may fall, whoever for a season may rise and triumph, the word of our God shall stand forever; and those who are governed by that as the rule of their faith and practice, having the love of the truth in their hearts shall never be confounded, however sorely they may be tried. In reference to the Columbia Association: Elder Broaddus had been into the neighborhood of the Elk-run church, belonging to this Association, and under the pastoral care of Brother Bennett, and had baptized a number of persons, for whom this church had no fellowship, and had ultimately constituted them into a church, thus setting up an opposing Baptist interest in the neighborhood of the Elk-run. This, of course, led this church to declare non-fellowship with him, and to request that he might not be admitted to a seat in the Association. Here the middle ground preachers displayed their wonted ingenuity to get rid of this request. One of them very modestly motioned, that the request from Elk-run church should be committed to himself and two of his brethren, as a committee to report on it to the Association; thinking thereby to throw it totally out of the Association. The motion carried, but behold, when their report came in, the Association rejected it, and assumed to herself the right of considering the request. Finding the question concerning Elder Broaddus having a seat would be decided on by the Association, the friends of Broadddus labored hard to have charges laid in against him, and for him to be heard in answer to them, and thereby aiming, to lead the Association into an unconstitutional course, and to assume a prerogative which did not belong to her, or failing in this, to impress the public with the idea that Broadus was a persecuted man. The Association, however, was enabled to pursue a straight forward course, notwithstanding the confusion thrown in the way, and to exercise her unalienated right, of saying who she would invite to a seat, and who not. The question was decided against inviting Broaddus, by a vote of 21 to 11, precisely the same majority that was in the Ketocton Association. Thus, instead of my coming into this Association, being the means of involving it in the mighty struggle, as Mr. Broaddus intimated in his communication which has been noticed in the "Signs," it was his own course of opposition to the Elk-run church which brought on his rejection from the Association.
The out-door friends of Elder Broaddus, at this Association, manifested much of the same spirit as did those who attended the Ketocton; but they were not so numerous, and did not go so great lengths. His indoor friends artfully contrived, by introducing one subject of debate after another, on the last day of the Association, to worry the messengers out, and by this means procured an adjournment without the minutes being read. As the gentleman who has been denominated Mr. Broaddus's right hand man was Clerk, the minutes I presume will not give a very favorable view of the proceedings.
Elder Broaddus published at the Columbia Association, that he should visit all the churches belonging thereunto, and where he was not admitted into their meeting-houses, he would preach somewhere in the neighborhood. This design probably is to reconnoitre the several congregations and to find where he can get up protracted meetings with any prospects of success. He has, since the Associations, commenced a stated meeting in the neighborhood of the meeting-house of Ebenezer church which belongs to the Ketocton Association, and of which I am pastor; thus trying for an opposite interest there. He has at length constituted a church at Upperville with nine or ten members. When we consider that he has been preaching statedly at that place for two or three years, has held two protracted meetings there, that the Upperville church numbers a hundred and ninety-eight members, and that Mr. Broaddus' ten members consist, partly of members from other churches, partly of persons whom he has baptized there, and one who withdrew from the Upperville church because he could not obtain a letter, we may conclude that if his success is not greater within the bounds of our other churches, we have not so much to dread on that score. But how much more artful and industrious he and his coadjutors may become, and how much more emboldened and expert they may be in their effigy-burning, pelting, horsewhipping, and like exploits, is beyond what I can tell. But from what I do know of human nature, and of the history of past ages, I think there is reason to apprehend, that when persons are so far given up, as to be permitted to form a combination for putting down the truth or those who earnestly contend for it, they will ultimately be left to go much farther in baseness to accomplish their purposes, than they would themselves, first have contemplated.
From the sketch I have thus given of the proceedings here, it will be seen, that Virginia is not behind Kentucky, or Illinois, or the Home Mission Committee at New York, in zeal for putting down the Old Fashioned Baptist doctrine and order. How far the same zeal is showing itself in other States I am not informed. If, however, the members of the Baptist ministerial conference of the State of New York act up to the obligations they have imposed upon themselves by the Constitution they have adopted, a copy of which was published in a recent number of the "Signs," I think, Brother Beebe, that you and the other Old School Brethren in your quarter, will be made to know by experience something of the nature of this pious zeal that is abroad.
As I have used the expression, middle ground, to designate a certain class of preachers, I would remark, that I do not design thereby to class them with certain preachers found in several of the cities to the north of this, who assume a kind of middle stand between the missionary and anti-missionary classes. The persons intended above, are decided missionary, tract men, and denounce the Old School brethren as Antinomians, but say they cannot approve of the full length to which Broaddus goes, yet occasionally attend protracted meetings with him, and have exerted the full force of their ingenuity and influence to sustain him in the Association. Whether their pretence to a middle ground is not a mere decoy to lead their churches off with them, I leave others to judge from the circumstances I have narrated.
S. TROTT.
Fairfax C. H., Va., Oct. 9, 1833.
