to us a wonder. Such, however, is human wisdom. Such, too, is the love of system. Let individuals adopt certain systems of belief, and how will they bend and pervert the language of inspiration to make it square with that system. Instead of testing the system "by the law and the testimony," they boldly override the latter, and torture it, till to them it is made to speak the sentiments of the torturer. If there is anything in respect to which we should listen with implicit confidence to the teachings of inspiration, it is to what it reveals in reference to our destiny hereafter. Nothing is or can be so perilous to all the immortal interests of the soul, as a perversion of what God has revealed on this subject. It is for this reason that we have written what we have in this and the preceding articles on this subject. To the reader, what we have written is now commended, with the hope that he will "buy the truth and sell it not."

ART. VII-NORTH CAROLINA FREEWILL BAPTISTS.

In the two preceding articles on the history of the Southern General Baptists, most that could be found respecting their origin and their progress for several years, has been laid before the readers of the Quarterly. It has already been shown that this little community of Baptists was nearly destroyed by the defection of most of its churches to hyper-Calvinism; and it is proposed to show here how this work was accomplished.

About the year 1751, Robert Williams, a Calvinistic or Regular Baptist minister of Welch neck, S. Carolina, visited some of these churches and preached among them. This was some twenty-four years after the organization of the first General Baptist church in North Carolina. Though the labors of this minister were the commencement of the breaking up and remodelling of the churches, it is not known whether or not he

went among them by invitation from some of their members, nor can the extent, character, and results of his efforts be giv en, as no record of them has been found. William Wallace, a layman, commonly called the sley-maker, also took an active part in the matter, and his conversation and efforts were attended with considerable success. The time when his labors were performed is not named, but probably it was soon after the commencement of the mission of Rev. Mr. Willians. In the summer of 1754, Rev. John Gano was sent out by the Philadel phia Association, with general and indefinite instructions to travel in the Southern States, &c. Under these instructions he visited the General Baptist churches, and Morgan Edwards, says Benedict, thus describes the visit:

"Mr. Gano, on his arrival, sent to the ministers, requesting an interview with them, which they declined, and appointed a meeting among themselves to consult what to do. Mr. Gano, hearing of it, went to their meeting, and addressed them in words to this effect: I have desired a visit from you, which, as a brother and a stranger, I had a right to expect, but as ye have refused, I give up my claim and am come to pay you a visit.' With that he ascended into the pulpit and read for his text the following words: ' Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?' This text he managed in such a manner as to make some afraid of him, and others ashamed of their shyness. Many were convinced of errors touching faith and conversion, and submitted to examination. One minister, hearing of this, (who stood well with himself,) went to be examined, and intimated to his people, that he should return triumphant. Mr. Gano heard him out, and then turning to his companion, said, 1 profess, brother, this will not do: this man has the one thing needful to seek.' Upon which, the person examined hastened home, and upon being asked how he came off? replied, The Lord have mercy upon you, for this northern minister has put a mene tekel upon me!"

This visit was made about two years after Mr. Williams began his proselyting labors, and it seems evident from Mr. Gano's visit, and what followed, that the work was carried on in a very zealous manner, and, in some instances, in utter disregard of propriety and Christian courtesy. The refusal of the ministers to have an interview with Mr. Gano, when he requested them to meet him, was an act of disrespect towards him; but it is presumed that they intended nothing of that nature. Their course shows that they were utterly opposed to the object of his visit, and they probably refused to see him, not on

account of intended incivility, but through desire to avoid discussion on an unwelcome subject with one who possessed abilities far superior to theirs. Most ministers, on being regarded and treated as intruders, would probably have ceased from further efforts at proselyting, and departed from the place, but Mr. Gano took a different course. He went to a meeting of those who, as he well knew, had met for consultation, and did not desire his presence. Not content with this, he obtrusively entered the pulpit and preached a disparaging sermon to the dissatisfied and simple-hearted auditors. Being thrown into confusion by his great ability and ingenious handling of the words of an "evil spirit" as a text, they seem to have lost their independence, and were made to believe that their doctrines were unsound, and that their hearts were unrenewed. This led some of them to renounce their former faith, and to receive his opinion of their spiritual state as decisive on that subject. Mr. Gano's efforts seem to have unsettled the minds of a considerable number of the ministers, and finally led to the defection of most of the churches and ministers to hyper-Calvinism. On his return, he represented what was regarded as their deplorable condition to the Association, who appointed Messrs. Miller and Vanhorn to complete the work of proselyting them. These men engaged zealously in the work assigned to them, and a great change was effected among the people, which, it is assertcd, consisted not only in reforming their creed and purifying their churches, but also in reviving the power of godliness among them, and in the awakening and conversion of many who needed such a change. What was left unfinished by these two men, was zealously carried on by the newly converted ministers, who were anxious to lead others to adopt their views. The work was prosecuted so energetically, that in about four years after Robert Williams commenced his efforts among these people, all the ministers, except Elders Joseph and William Parker, and an Elder Winfield, and all the churches except two or three under their care, had embraced the views of those who had taken so much pains to convert them to the Calvinistic faith. Thus it is seen, that in some less than thirty years after the commencement of their denominational existence

in North Carolina, these people were so much scattered that it seemed nearly impossible for them to survive their calamities, and it was feared by the remnant, and hoped by their enemies, that such would be their hard lot.

It has already been stated, that about the year 1752, some thirteen years before the revolution above named was completed, this little branch of Baptists had increased to sixteen churches. Probably some others were organized during the thirteen years just named, but if so, no account of them is now to be found. Benedict states that the ministers were considerably numerous, but their number is not given.

This unfortunate body of Baptists commenced its existence in North Carolina fifty-three years, and was mostly absorbed by the Calvinistic Baptist denomination twenty-eight years, before the rise of the Freewill Baptists at the North.

The enemies of the Arminian Baptists in North Carolina were greatly elated at the revolution, and regarded it as a great and beneficial change. Indeed, Benedict seems to think that, on account of the lax views and discipline of the churches, the innovation, or reformation, as he calls it, was necessary and useful. But considering the manner in which the revolution was brought about, and the unhappy results of it, there is much room to doubt the propriety of the measure. Had the zealous and well-meaning New Lights, as the Calvinistic Baptists were then called, been invited to visit and remodel these churches, no objection could probably be made to their course; but going among them uninvited to proselyte them, was obtrusive and provoking. There was surely work enough to be done in North Carolina by the Baptist ministers without interfering with a few churches who felt that they had a right to their organizations, and to labor unmolested in the fields they entered peaceably and had occupied some twenty-five years without molestation. It is asserted that these churches were so lax in their discipline, and held such erroneous views of conversion, that they actually needed the renovation through which they passed. There is reason to fear that they were negligent in discipline, and that their views in regard to conversion were erroneous; but in these respects they seem to have been as well off as the

Episcopalians, who were their only religious neighbors when the churches were organized. The relation of a Christian experience was in no case required as a condition of admission to membership in the Episcopal church, and there was nearly or quite as much laxity of discipline in that large and popular sect as there was among the General Baptists. Swearing was so common among church members, as well as others, that an aged Freewill Baptist minister in North Carolina informed the wri ter of this article, that he did not know till he was seventeen years old that the practice was sinful, and he then learned it from a Baptist minister! His uncle, with whom he was brought up, though a member of the Episcopal church, and in the habit of reading prayers in his family every morning, was much addicted to this sin. On one occasion, while engaged in his usual morning devotions, having an eye to the world as well as to God, he saw through an open window two horses eating corn at one trough, though it was a slave's duty to see that they ate separately. This so enraged him that he swore at the slave for carelessness, and ordered him to separate the horses, after which he mechanically said, "God, forgive me," and then resumed the reading of his prayer! It is not supposed that all Episcopalians would, like the one just named, interlard their praying with profanity; but what has just been said above, indicates that the views of members of the church were then painfully lax and erroneous on the subject of morality and religion. The profligacy of the hypocritical, sensual, and voluptuous Charles II. and his depraved courtiers, corrupted the manners and religion of the people of England beyond all precedent in that country. The Episcopal church was national at the South, as well as in England; and the communication between the colonies and the mother country easily admitted the introduction of the corrupt state of morals and religion to the former. This was effected the more readily and generally in the Southern colonies on account of the absence there of the Puritan influence which was so potential in forming a much purer morality and religion at the North. As they were surrounded with such corrupt religious influences and examples, and were greatly inferior in learning, wealth, and respectability to the English