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Hopkinsians of this place had called a dog after you?" I replied that I had understood so. Said the gentleman, "Well, what do you think of it?" O said I, if the dog is good pluck, and will hang to a hog when set on, &c. I have no objection to his being called after me, but if the dog is cowardly I shall not own him as a name-sake; for continued 1, when I take after a Hopkinsian shoat, I make him charge and squeal all over the village. This caused the by-standers to laugh, but at the expense of the owner of the dog.

Here, also, a violent attack was made on the institutions of our church, by a Hopkinsian minister, who wrote in defence of the national societies, in the "Hiwassean and Athens Gazette," a scurrilous little paper, under Hopkinsian influence. To some of the many false statements and insinuations of this writer, I replied in an article of some length. He continued to write, and I to answer him; but alas! the editor of the paper refused to publish for me, on the alledged ground, that he did not wish to admit into his columns any thing like religious controversy. Still the Hopkinsian minister wrote on!

Not long after this, however, this conscientious editor admitted some very severe anonymous articles into his columns against me, written by a Hopkinsian minister and physician, sometimes called Lord Hackberry! Poor fellow! he has had his troubles since that. Subsequent events authorise me to address this man in the following language:

"Your heart is gall-your tongue is fire-
Your soul too base for generous ire-
Your sword too keen for noble use-

Your shield and buckler are-abuse."

Within the last four years, there have been many such anonymous pieces published against me; generally too by Calvinistic writers. But nothing looks more cowardly, than for an individual, or set of individuals, to be firing at a man in this way. And indeed, none hide themselves under fictitious names, or appear without any name at all, but those who publish things of which they are ashamed. The only protection a nameless scribbler can claim or expect, is, either his worthlessness, or the dark mantle in which he shrouds himself. And it is well for many of these anonymous writers, that their names are thus concealed; for if they were really known, in many instances, they would have less credit for their statements. Such a course betrays a dastardly spirit: it is the resource of one who wants courage to avow his designs. All such, however, can peal away at me, without being in any

way interrupted; for it does not comport with my views of self-respect to wage even a defensive war with a misnomer. For what I publish, my name is given as a voucher-for the truth or falsehood of the same, myself am held responsible.

If a man's cause be a good one, why should he hide his face behind the curtain of secrecy? Does honesty need concealment? Do virtuous actions shun the pure and open light of day? Does honor-does religion seek to hide behind the mantle of night? No! No!! virtue, pure and unsullied virtue delights to bask in the sunshine of Heaven, and nothing is farther from real rectitude of conduct than concealment. Concealment is the companion of guilt; together they walk the gloomy path of crime and calumny; together they guide the assassin's dagger to the heart of the unconscious victim; and together laugh at the awful flames, that ascend in curling wreaths over the head of defenceless innocence. Nor is it at all unreasonable to suppose, that where things look thus dark and mysterious, there is something "rotten in the state of Denmark!" How ridiculous for men of honorable pretensions to act thus! But how much more so for men who are engaged in the sacred exercises of the pulpit, proclaiming the will of God concerning man, to act thus! What! a man clothed in the reverential habiliments of a minister, who occupies a stand as the representative of the Almighty, and professes to be the organ of truth and righteousness, to degrade his character and profession, by stooping to the low and dirty practice of secret slander! Yet, hypocritical and unprincipled as the practice is, a Hopkinsian minister acted quite a conspicuous part in it, on the occasion to which I have special reference. Shameful! Worse than ridiculous!! Cromwell, O thou monster! blush at this conduct. Nero, O thou bloody monster! rebuke such ministers. Thou Inquisition of Spain, turn pale at the bare mention of this prostitution of the sacred office! Of all the abominations that disgrace and dishonor the ministry in these portentous times, I Know nothing more deserving of reprobation, than the prostitution of the sacred functions, for purposes so base!

On this circuit, during this year, we had a considerable revival in our church. In short, the fallow ground of many a heart, there is reason to believe, was broken up and the seed sown in righteousness, which brought forth fruit to the honor and glory of God. This, to me, was truly refreshing, after having encountered those severe trials the year before. It was meeting with a verdant Oasis in the midst of an African

desert, or the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. It was like the dew of Hermon sweetly distilling upon the mountain of Zion; and many of the hospitable members, and worthy local preachers of that circuit, can bear witness that "there the Lord commanded a blessing, even life for evermore.”

I feel grateful to my friends and acquaintances on the Athens circuit, for the courtesies I received from them, but more so to that being who, in his infinite mercy, has protected me in every peril; and to whom I now say:

"For this, my life, in every state,

A life of praise shall be;

And death, when death shall be my fate,
Shall join my soul to THEE.'

1830,-About the last of October, in this year, our conference met at Ebenezer in Greene county. Bishops M'Kendree and Soule were both present-the latter presided. At this conference I received elder's orders, and was appointed to travel in charge of the Tellico circuit, in the Hiwassee district. For the first three or four tours round this circuit, I labored with increasing success, but it was not long till I discovered there were some stumbling-blocks in some of the societies, or obstacles to the influence of religion, which it was necessary to remove. Hence, I set about the work of reform; and in a very short time, I had not only ascertained the real state of the societies, but as I believe, actually bettered their condition. In the little town of Madisonville, there were several malcontents belonging to our society, who gave us some trouble before we could get rid of them.

The exercise of proper discipline in the church requires much wisdom, and not a little fortitude; and in proportion to the disordered state in which a minister may find that part of the Lord's vineyard he is called to labor in, will be his difficulty: generally those who are accustomed to break our rules, do so from a secret repugnance to them-the lukewarm and the worldly-minded respect the rules of the church so far as they suit their convenience; and it is not always the case that men have influence in a church in consequence of their more exalted piety. The duty of the minister, however, lies plain before his eyes: let him scrupulously and vigilantly regard the honor of God, and the prosperity of his cause, rather than any man's person, though he may have on "gay cloth

ing."

In the town of Madisonville, the Methodists, Baptists and Hopkinsians, all had their separate houses for worship; and it was not an uncommon thing for them all to be hymning

the praises of their maker at once.

This was as it should have been: let each and every denomination have their own house of worship, and attend to their own business; and then, to use a vulgar saying, let the longest pole take the persim

mons.

Here, again, I was somewhat annoyed by those people called Baptists. It is true they were not very formidable; still, there were several preachers of this order, (if it be lawful to call them preachers,) who were continually harangu. ing the people on the subject of baptism, or rather of immersion. By day and by night, their cry was, water! water!! water!!! as if heaven were an island, situated somewhere in the British sea, and we all had to swim to get there!

or, as if the Savior of mankind were a pennywinkle, and could only be found hanging to a sand-stone, in the bottom of some water course! And, one could as easily track a cat-fish through the Suck, in the Tennessee river; or side-line a whale through the Muscle Shoals in Alabama; or illumine the universe with the tail of a lightning-bug; or, hold a soaped pig by the tail, as convert these people from the error of their

way.

It was on this circuit too, that I had the controversy with the agents of the American Sunday School Union, alluded to in the first section of this work. And it was here, that

I published the pamphlet entitled an "Address to the Hiwasseans, on the subject of Sabbath schools," &c.; and for the sin of this publication, it seems, I am not to get forgiveness, either in this life, or in the life to come, I did greatly expose their machinations in this pamphlet. And this I must ever continue to do; for I view with jealousy the general movements of the Presbyterian church. I unfortunately suspect that there is more of political management in all their affairs, than of concern for the souls of men. This may be my misfortune, but I am sincere in avowing it. Many of the common people, attached to this church, are unsuspecting and innocent, and ought to be pitied rather than blamed; for if their preachers were not to impose upon their gullibility, and thus designedly and knowingly lead them astray, they would not connive at their measures. As to the preachers themselves, most of them know they are in error, and they seem determined to continue in error. Clergymen are of all other men the most difficult to convert. One of the evangelists informs us, that it was not till multitudes of the common people believed, that a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith! I hope those moderate persons who

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aim to steer between all extremes, will pardon me, for having said so much in relation to the Presbyterians, and for having said it so plainly too. God knows I have no desire to increase the bickerings and uncharitable feelings which now prevail among the different denominations. I mourn this evil in the church, but I see clearly it cannot be remedied. Though I never did nor never will advocate union: on the contrary I will ever oppose it. An attempt to effect such a thing is vanity, and try it who will, it will be found to give rise to vexation of spirit.

During this year, there was no little excitement throughout the Hiwassee district, on the all-absorbing subject of Free Masonry; and this excitement has been kept up and increased, as the public prints will shew, till the present day; and in imitation of those zealous partizans at the north, they are even forming Anti-Masonic societies there. There is a lodge of no inconsiderable force in Athens, and another in Madisonville-with many of the members of both these lodges, I am personally and particularly acquainted. Many of them are honorable men and worthy citizens: others of them are scoundrels of the baser sort. This, however, ar gues nothing against the system of Masonry; for there are good and bad men belonging to all, and even the best of associations. I have never published or preached one sentence against the system of Masonry, for the very reason too, that I know nothing certainly about the system. I suppose, however, that Morgan's exposition of it is a correct one; and this opinion has been strengthened and confirmed, from the consideration that, from the days of Morgan down to the present, the system has been on the decline. Yet, I would give it as my opinion, that a minister had better say but little about Free Masonry in the pulpit, lest he should make false statements before he is aware of it. I am not a mason myself-I never was one-I never intend to be one. For I consider that the religion taught by Jesus Christ and his Apostles, and which is contained in the New Testament, will answer all the gracious ends proposed in the system of masonry.

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Thus I have thrown together, as they occurred, a few thoughts, which may suffice for the present, to show the state of my mind, and the state of things on the Tellico circuit, during this year.

May the good people of that section, live and die in the full enjoyment of that religion which is peaceable, permanent, and purifying; and whose reward is glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life.

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