WLniiittiitv of ^ortfjCarolma Collection of Jlortfj Caroliniana CB CS\2c 00032 FOR USE ONLY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION THIS TITLE HAS BEEN MICROFILMED MEMOIR Jacob Creath, Jr TO WHICH IS APPENDED THE BIOGRAPHY OF ELDER JACOB CREATH, SR, p. DON AN. CINCINNATI; CHASE & HALL, PUBLISHERS, i8o ELM STREET. 1877. Copyrighted by CHASE & HALL, Cincinnati, 1877. CONTENTS, PACK Introduction ii CHAPTER I. Elder WilUam Creath, the Father of Jacob Creath, Jr. — Sam- uel Creath, his Grandfather — Birth of Jacob Creath — His Mother — Her Name, History, and Character 41 CHAPTER II. The First School he attended — His Attainments — Second School, and Acquirements — Other Educational Advan- tages — A full account of his Conversion commenced 46 CHAPTER III. »* History of his Conversion continued and completed — A Nar- rative of Thrilling Interest •• 51 ^ (5) O o CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. Naturally of a Serious Turn — Preferred, when young, associ- ation with the aged — Never read a Novel — His first Ser- mon — An old Sister's opinion of it — Devotes himself to the Ministry — License to Preach 57 CHAPTER V. Places himself under the care of Elder Abner W. Clopton — Studies Latin, Greek, English, and Theology — Is or- dained — Becomes a Student at Columbia College, D. C. 61 CHAPTER VI. Letters addressed to him by P. S. Fall and the Lexington Church — Letters of Commendation from that and the Church at "The Great Crossings" 69 CHAPTER VII. Visits General Andrew Jackson — Is burned in Effigy in Mis- sissippi — Has an attack of Yellow Fever — Trial for Heresy : 75 CHAPTER VIII. Meets Raccoon Smith — The effort of the Elkhorn Association to expel them a Failure — Makes a Tour with A. Camp- bell — They are caught in a Tempest — They sing and pray — Brother Campbell has a Debate with the Presbyte- rian Parson of Nashville 82 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. Violent Proceedings of the Franklin Association — the Creaths and Raccoon Smith are condemned unheard — Elder Creath marries Mrs. Bedford — He makes a Living by Farming — Ravages of the Cholera in and around Lex- ington — Outrageous Conduct of Elder Vardeman 88 CHAPTER X. "The falling of the Stars"— Great Alarm— Debate with Lewis Green, Professor of Ancient Languages in Dan- ville College — He becomes wrathy — His own Aunt gives a Verdict against him 95 CHAPTER XL Great Meeting at Versailles — One hundred and forty Conver- sions — The Baptismal Scene — Visit to Missouri — Family Devotion 102 CHAPTER Xn. Fears entertain-ed lest " Campbellism " should "take the Coun- try" — Elder Creath's Lady thrown from her Horse, and permanently injured — Visit from a Sister-in-law, not much to her Credit — Important Episode — Bad Treatment from H. Foster 107 CHAPTER XIII. Elder Creath gives vent to his Indignation in a Pamphlet — This calls forth a vindictive one from the other side — The COyTE^^TS. PAGB Matter looms up into a serious difficulty — Brother Camp- beil's Decision with reference to it 1 14 CHAPTER XIV. The Testimony of George W. Williams, John T. Johnson, and Samuel A. Young 124 CHAPTER XV. A Year of great Trouble-^Death of Elder Creath's Wife — Her Character — Notice of his Son, William W. Creath — His first Meeting at Hannibal 129 CHAPTER XVI. First Acquaintance with his present Wife — A Compliment — McVicker and White steal his Step-son — His Uncle, B. F. Bedford, institutes Suit for his Property — Being sent away by them, he dies 135 CHAPTER XVII. Ten days' labor in severe weather rewarded with the splendid sum of three dollars — Five weeks' constant toil, in Iowa, and books bring in twenty-five dollars — Involved in a ter- rific storm at night 140 CHAPTER XVIII. He preaches in St. Louis — Removes thither — Accompanies Brother Campbell to Columbia — They preach — Brother co^TE^'TS. PAGB McChesney — First Convert in New Orleans — Hei: name — Who baptized her 144 CHAPTER XIX. Elder Jacob Creath, sen., visits Missouri — His preaching is acceptable — Elder Jacob Creath, jr., publishes a book against Episcopalianism 150 CHAPTER XX. He visits Iowa— People on the Desmoines River pre-eminently * drunken, profane, blackguard — Visits St. Paul — Is the first man who ever preached the Primitive Gospel there — Great Meeting at Monmouth, Illinois — Parting Scene with his Mother 155 CHAPTER XXI. Marriage of his daughter Mary — Ungentlemanly conduct of three young men at Clinton, Hinds County, Mississippi — A mere pittance for a large amount of labor and exposure, in severe weather, in Monroe County, Missouri — Visits Quincy with Brother Campbell 160 CHAPTER XXII. Becomes Agent for the Bible Revison Association — Liberality of the "Border Ruffians" — Yankee Supper at Bzrry — Ex citing Adventure at Louisville, Kentucky — Meets Broth- ers Campbell and Pendleton at Memphis — Phrenological Chart 164 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. A blessing pronounced on the Masonic Fraternity — Ten in- nocent men murdered at Palmyra, Marion County, Mis- souri — Affecting interview with them before their Exe- cution 176 CHAPTER XXIV. Swearing by the name of Creath — The gabble of an ever- lasting talker suddenly arrested — Heel religion — A new and effective method of preserving order in public worship 182 CHAPTER XXV. Important items connected with Public Worship — Interest- ing incident in the life of Lyman Beecher, D.D 188 CHAPTER XXVI. Elder Creath visits Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana andTllinois — Present course of life 193 CHAPTER XXVII. Parting advice 196 BioGRAFHY OF Elder Jacob Creath, Sr 199 INTRODUCTION. SECTION I. T the epoch of Messiah's advent, the Romans, governed despotically by one man, ruled a large portion of our world. Protected by their " eagle," the heralds of salvation safely visited nations which would otherwise have been inaccessible to Christian influence. The culti- vation, too, which, as in the case of a great modern nation, to some extent, ever followed in the wake of their arms, usually wielded in an unrighteous cause, was, upon the whole, favorable to the pro- gress of "Truth," which, the more thoroughly it is scrutinized and understood, the more highly will it ever be appreciated. The very unity impressed, by despotism, upon the various nations comprehended within the (") 12 INTRODUCTION. circle of Roman domination, facilitated the trans- mission of intelligence from one to the other. The diffusion of the Greek language throughout the eastern division of the empire, in consequence of Alexander's conquests, coincided most happily •with the production of the New Testament in that most accurate, expressive, and beautiful lan- guage. The prevalence of unusual peace among the civilized portion of human society, favored that calm investigation requisite to a full comprehen- sion of the sublime science of redemption. Even the dispersion of "The Chosen People," who car- ried with them, every-where among the nations, their sacred books and peculiar customs, prepared the way, like the early dawn, for the rising of "The Sun of Righteousness." The idea of one supreme arbiter of human des- tiny, communicated to Adam in Eden, and trans- mitted, through Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, and Noah, to the post-diluvians, was bedimmed, but not wholly obliterated. Yet hosts of other deities, such as the benefactors or destroyers of our race ; the sun, the moon, and the stars ; virtues, vices, plants ; quadrupeds, reptiles, and rivers, were be- INTRODUCTION. 1 3 lieved to exert an important influence over the affairs of men. Their character was usually the dcah- ideal of what their devotees most admired; and their worship consisted of mere outward manifestations of esteem, which were wholly con- fined to certain times and places. Their " Moral Philosophy " contributed but little to their purity. It was often skeptical or atheist- ical. That which was otherwise, was not sustained by sufficient authority to secure the self-denial which it enjoined. Hence the nations which were enlightened by it outstripped, in the career of vice, the very barbarians who hung, like storm-clouds, upon their frontiers. " The Chosen People," on the score of morality, were but little in advance of the Pagans. With- out being formal idolaters, they practiced all the vices which flow from idolatry. Herod, their king, successfully imitated the luxury, splendor, and licentiousness of his Roman patrons. Their high- priests secured their elevated positions by bribery or violence. The Pharisees, their most influential religious sect, preferred human tradition to God's word; paid "tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, while they neglected the weightier matters of the 14 INTRODUCTION. law, judgment,, mercy, and faith;" "sounded a trumpet before them when they gave their alms ; " loved " greetings in the market-places, and to be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi ! " and, under the mask of extraordinary devotion, embraced every opportunity to devour the fortunes of the widow and the fatherless. The Sadducees professed to receive the five books of Moses, but virtually rejected them, by denying their typical meaning. The religion of the Essenes was a compound of Paganism, Juda- ism, and fanaticism. The Samaritans, with the exception of the renegade Jews mingled with them, were mostly descended from the heathen, whom the king of Assyria brought from "The East" to occupy the possessions of the Israelites whom he had carried into captivity,, in the days of their king Hoshea. And their religious character might still, to some extent, be described by the remark of a sacred historian respecting them, some time after their migration to Palestine, viz. : " They wor- shiped Jehovah, and served their own gods." INTRODUCTION, 1$ SECTION II. While human society was in this deplorable condition, "The Desire of" all nations appeared. An angel announced his birth to some pious " shepherds," who watched " their flocks by night on the" " Plains of Bethlehem." An extraordinary meteor guided eastern sages to the stable or inn where he was cradled ; and, with joyful hearts, they poured forth their opportune donations of " gold, and frankincense, and myrrh," "at his feet." When Herod sought his life, God saved him by a dream imparted to Joseph, his guardian, and the husband of his pious mother. At the age of twelve years, he attracted atten- tion by his conversation with some doctors of the law, in the temple. From that time, until his public manifestation to Israel, his history is shrouded in darkness. We merely learn that he was subject to his mother and guardian. And a remark, subsequently made, with regard to him, renders it certain that he earned his subsistence by useful, and therefore honorable, labor. About the thirtieth year of his age, John the l6 INTRODUCTION. Baptist became conspicuous. Isaiah had spoken of him, seven hundred years before, as " the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough places plain ; and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together : for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." Three hundred and ninety-seven years pre- viously, Malachi had designated him as the "Mes- senger" who should go before the "face" of "Jeho- vah," to "prepare" his way; affording also a just idea of his character, by appropriating to him the name of Elijah the prophet, to whom, in all re- spects, he bore a strong resemblance. An angel had foretold his birth to Zacharias, his father, as he ministered in the temple. Among the multitudes who presented them- selves to receive baptism at his hands, upon the profession of their repentance, was one who needed no repentance. " I have need to be baptized of Thee," saici "the Immerser" to him, "and comest thou to me ^ " " Suffer it to be so now," the Mes- INTROI) UCTION. I / siah replies, " for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." His request having been complied with, the visible descent of the Holy Spirit upon him, and a voice from heaven, called the attention of niankind to him as "the Son" of God, the ** seed " of Abraham, in whom " all nations should be blessed;" the "lion" of the tribe of Judah, the "seed" of the woman who should "bruise" the serpent's "head." A faithful record of his subsequent life, so far as Infinite Wisdom has deemed it necessary that we should be acquainted with it, is found in the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is a perfect model of moral excellence. His dis- courses were such as had never flowed from human lips, unless under the influence of an in- spiration which proceeded from him. And to ascribe the works which he performed, in attesta- tion of his Messiahship, to any cause but that which evolved this splendid universe cut of dark nihility, would be to confound all distinction be- tween the developments of omnipotence and finite power. No facts of history, ancient or modern, are sustained by a larger amount of evidence than these. His enemies attributed them to diabolic iB INTRODUCTION. influence, or magic, but never denied their occur- rence. Even Judas, who sold him for the price of a slave, alleged nothing to the disparagement of his moral character, or of those sublime manifesta- tions of almighty energy, which constituted the unmistakable signature of Jehovah, to the truth of all he claimed to be. SECTION III. Having fully complied with the preceptive requi- sitions of God's law, as the second Adam, in whom our race enjoy the inestimable advantage of a second probation for immortal felicity, he fully satisfied its penal claims upon his followers by enduring, "in his own body on the tree," as their substitute, such an amount of shame and suffering as holiness, justice, and wisdom, illimitable and im- mutable, deemed a full equivalent for their eternal punishment : at the same time blotting out the handwriting of God, as regards original sin, in behalf of every human being who has now, ever has had, or ever will have, a place on this footstool of the Almighty. His righteousness, deriving in- INTE on UCTION. I9 finitude from his divinity, is sufficient for all. It is cordially offered to all ; and if any are lost from the lack of it, the fault is their own. In the morning of the third day, after this great antitypal sacrifice had been offered up, he burst asunder the fetters of death, and exhibited him- self again alive to his mourning friends. And, after continuing among them for forty days, eating, drinking, and conversing, he ascended, in their presence, from the Mount of Olives, to occupy creation's throne. Ten days afterward, when, with hearts harmo- nious, his disciples were assembled in one place, " there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind ; and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit ; and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." The sacred historian, to whom, under God, we are indebted for a knowledge of these wonderful events, inform.s us that there were then dwelling at Jerusalem devout Jews and proselytes, from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cap- 20 INTRODUCTION. padocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. When the phenomenon became known, and a multitude rushed to the place where it occurred, they were overwhelmed with amazement at being correctly addressed, in all their own respective languages, by illiterate Galileans. Peter assured them that what they saw and heard was not the result of intoxication with wine, as some of them supposed, but of the outpouring of God's Spirit, according to the prediction of their own prophet Joel, by that Jesus of Nazareth whom they had crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead, and exalted to supreme power and glory. Convinced by his words, and all the surround- ings, that this statement was true, and at once realizing the enormity of their folly and wicked- ness in murdering him, tliey simultaneously, with intens.e compunction and solicitude, exclaimed, " Men ! brethren ! what must we do .'' " Peter, to whom the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" had been committed by its Sovereign, promptly responded: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you, into the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins ; and you shall re- INTRODUCTION. 21 ceive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thou- sand of them gladly embraced the offer, and were saved. Out of his first disciples our Saviour selected twelve, whom he styled Apostles. Paul was after- ward added to their number. Matthias had, in the meantime, been chosen by lot to occupy the forfeited place of the traitor. They seem to have sustained a sort of twofold official relationship to the church. As the first of that series of pastors, by whom it would through all subsequent ages be fed and governed, they were elders. Peter and John so denominate themselves. As apostles, their position was extraordinary. Their call to it was immediate. They saw Christ after his resur- rection. Their words constitute a part of "the Bible." What they "bind on earth" is "bound in heaven ;" what they "loose on earth" is "loosed in heaven." They could, at once, speak the lan- guage of any nation which they desired to address on the theme of redemption, though they had never heard a word of it before. They could eject demons and heal disease by a word, or touch, or handkerchief borne from their persons. Even their shadow, sometimes, was attended with omnipotent 22 INTBOBUCTION. power to save. They raised the very dead to life, and were invested with the abiUty to confer such miraculous endowments upon others. When those who profess to be their successors afford equal evidence of their apostleship, we pledge our- selves cheerfully to recognize their claims. The "Elders" were the "Bishops," or "Pastors," of the church. By a bench of these, denominated the " Presbytery," were the spiritual affairs of every Christian congregation supervised. The " Prophets " foretold the future, and spoke for the edification of their brethren, and the con- version of unbelievers, in a style far beyond the range of their native ability. The " Teachers " were a class of public instruc- tors, on whom, it is probable, the Head of the church had conferred a more than ordinary insight into divine subjects, accompanied with the faculty of communicating a knowledge of them acceptably to others. The "Evangelists" preached the gospel, or- dained elders, and " set in order the things that " were "wanting" in the congregations. The "Deacons" were, at first, appointed to re- lieve the apostles from the drudgery connected INTRODUCTION. 23 with the Lord's Supper and the pubUc tables, sub- sequently called "Agapoe." Females, when neces- sary, filled this office, usefully to others, honorably to themselves. Though each congregation was governed by the Presbyterial Senate, of which we have spoken, yet that council was of their own selection ; and the fact that individuals were excommunicated and restored by the whole brotherhood, showed that, under God, they held the supreme power in their own hands. Faith in the Messiah, repentance, reformation, the confession of Jesus with the mouth, and im- mersion into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, constituted the terms on which, by divine authority, they offered salva- tion to a lost world. They celebrated the Lord's Supper " on the first day of" every "week." They saluted each other by the endearing appellation of brother, or sister. On the ninth year after the organization of God's kingdom, Paul and Barnabas, by inspiration, named them "Christians." And as all the beautiful colors of the bow of heaven are but the manifested elements of pure light, so the attractive virtues which adorned their char- acter constituted a complete development of love. 24 INTRODUCTION. SECTION IV. From this beautiful model the Christian Church soon began to diverge. The first important changes took place in its government. To these we propose to devote special attention. Other de- viations kept even pace with them. The presence of the apostles, whose authority in the church was paramount to that of all her other teachers and rulers, generated, during their life-time, a disposition to look up to some supe- rior, which continued after their death. With the view of filling the place which they had occupied, the congregations endeavored to procure the rela- tives of our Lord, according to the flesh, for their bishops ; failing to effect this, the presbyteries began to elect one of themselves to be their per- manent president. To him the title of bishop, or pastor, soon began to be exclusively appropriated. A powerful impulse in the same direction was given to the church by the introduction of Jewish ideas. The bishops proclaimed themselves the successors of the high priests, and conferred upon their co-presbyters and the deacons the honor of INTE OD UCTIOX 2 5 succeeding the ordinary priests and Levites. They professed to be called of Deity immediately to their work, and to be a peculiar medium of communication between Him and men. It began to be considered improper for persons so sacred to devote much attention to the duties connected with any secular vocation. The Mosaic tithe-law was gradually brought to bear upon the people, with reference to their support ; and acting upon the principle that their priesthood was literal, the Lord's table was styled the "Altar," while the offerings of the people for the supper, the "love- feast," and the poor, received the corresponding designation of "sacrifices." It could not be thought arrogant, of course, for such favorites of Heaven to consider themselves vastly superior to their brethren, even though they might be decorated with the royal or imperial purple. Nor could it be denied that great splen- dor of apparel became them, as the successors of those, who, on public occasions, were, by God's authority, magnificently attired. The rise of "Chorepiscopoi," or rural bishops, was attended with similar results. Christianity selected for the time and place of its advent the 26 JNTR on UCTION. most cultivated age cf the ancient world, and the very center of that cultivation. Hence, in its wonderful history, churches planted at such places as Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Sardis, Pergamos, Laodicea, Thessalonica, and Philippi, first attract our attention. The legiti- mate inference from this fact is, that it is not afraid of the light. Progress in science and liter- ature favors its advancement ; and not until human intelligence shall have still more nearly approxi- mated its earthly culmen, will voices be "heard in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ : and he shall reign forever and ever." In its primitive form, it was philanthropic. Its heart, like that of its great author, embraced the world. And yet, like the circling wave of the pool which continues to expand until it "lashes the resounding shore," it first enfolds the nearest objects. Hence their own suburban population received the early attention of the city churches. Their exertions having been crowned with success, congregations so collected often sought and ob- tained an elder from the mother-church to become their bishop, and the whole, or a part of his sup- INTRODUCTION. 2/ port. This placed him in a position of dependence upon his former bishop, which was deeply felt, though in different ways, by both parties. SECTION V. Among the causes which contributed to the downfall of primitive Christianity, no one was more influential than the institution of synods. The first was held between i6o and 170 A. D. They consisted of bishops, elders, and members, who represented the congregations of a Roman province. They met in its principal city, the bishop of which was considered best entitled to the position of moderator. As they always met at the same place, his moderatorship became per- manent. At his order they convened and ad- journed; through him they corresponded with other portions of the church ; and by him was their general business, in the intervals between their regular meetings, transacted. When it was deemed expedient that the churches of a praefecture should meet by representation, in council, its metropolis was also the stated place of 2 8 IXTE 01) UCTION. meeting; and its bishop, under the influence of the views with reference to precedence which even then began to prevail among "the Clergy," again became their perpetual president, and sustained the same relationship to the provincial metropoli- tan bishops which they bore to the other bishops of their respective provinces, or which these sus- tained to the other members of the presbyteries by which the different congregations were governed. Those best acquainted with such institutions and human nature, will most fully appreciate the influence which these permanent moderators could, would, and, I am sorry to add, did exert, for their own elevation, and the correspondent depression of their brethren. The accession of Constantine "the Great" to the imperial throne, and the favors most lavishly bestowed by him and his Christian successors upon " the Clergy," completed the ruin of apos- tolic Christianity. The pride and ambition of the latter knew no bounds. Instead of remaining "the servants," they became the "lords of God's heritage," the patriarchs and bishops possessing the power, and surrounding themselves with the splendor of princes. INTRODUCTION. 29 All the advantages, by which power became centralized in the persons of other bishops, were enjoyed, to the highest degree, by the bishop of Rome. His church was the largest and wealthiest on earth. It was located in the metropolis of the civilized world ; it was a " Sedes Apostolica," or church founded by an apostle ; it was the strong- hold of orthodoxy. The large number of chorepis- copoi dependent upon him contributed to his grandeur. Kings and emperors, to secure his in- fluence in the accomplishment of their ambitious purposes, heaped wealth and honors upon him. The northern Barbarians, recognizing him as the chief pontiff of the Christians, transferred to him the veneration which they had formerly entertained toward their " Chief Druid." He construed the words of Christ, recorded in Matthew xvi. 18, 19, to mean that Peter should be head of the "Apos- tolic College," and claimed to be his successor. Forgeries were employed in bolstering his preten- sions to temporal dominion. And availing him- self, with consummate tact, of every circumstance that favored his advancement, without regard to truth or honor, he ultimately waved his scepter over a prostrate world, avowing, as God's sole 30 lyTE on uctiox minister plenipotentiary on earth, the right to dispose of its kingdoms and empires at his pleas- ure ; and to bind and loose, here and hereafter, as regards man's immortal interests. SECTION VI. The character of Popery, thus developed, may be learned from its history, with many important pages of which the world generally are unac- quainted. Enough is known, however, to sustain the sentiment, that when Daniel, and Paul, and Johfi, by the light of The Eternal Sun, took the daguerreotype of a peculiary wicked power to be revealed in future ages, and denominated, with reference to its various phases, the " Little Horn," "The Man of Sin," "The Son of Perdition," "The Mystery of Iniquity," " The Two-horned Beast," and " Babylon the Great," it sat for the picture. In the meantime, God, through the writings of such men as Athanasius, Augustine, Basil, Chry- sostom, Gregory Nazianzen, Ambrose, Hilary, Jerome, and Lactantius, as by an angel ascending from the east, as it were, seals "in their foreheads " INTRODUCTION. 3 1 a hundred and forty-four thousand of the antitypal Israel; thereby preventing the "Woman clothed with the sun " from being " carried away " by " the flood" of Barbarians which the dethroned "Ser- pent" "cast out of his mouth" after her; or drowned in the deluge of wordliness, will-worship, and error, which state patronage, human policy, and false philosophy let in upon heiii Soon afterward she "fled into the wilderness." There God "nourished" her. And though "clothed in sackcloth," she bore as complete and satisfac- tory a testimony as that of " two " competent and concurring " witnesses " would be, against the mal- doctrines and malpractices of the new race of Pagans, to whom "the court without" God's "temple" was "given" up, and who trod "the Holy City " " under foot." She still lives. Clad in her celestial armor, treading not only upon siib-hina-xy things, but the moon itself, regarding the twelve apostles as her jewels, the gates of ** Hades" have not prevailed ''against her." And the period is not remote, if it has not already arrived, when she will come up " out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved," looking "beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, 3 2 INTE OD IJCTION. fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." The good men of Armenia, Mesopotamia, Pon- tus, Cappadocia, Thrace, Italy, Switzerland, Bo- hemia, France, England, Scotland, and Germany have accomplished wonders toward the overthrow of earth's antichristian powers ; but they left their work incomplete. Within the precincts of what is usually regarded as evangelical Christendom, we still hear of names, creeds, councils, rites, officers, and laws, unwarranted by the word of God. Out of the midst of this chaos, and refulgent wdth the light of the "nineteenth century," looms up an organization styled the "Christian Church." .Its object is to carry out, to the utmost limit of practicability, the Reformation initiated by God's "witnesses" during the "dark ages." This it pro- poses to accomplish by a method which, though simple, must be regarded as effectual. It is to reduce or elevate the religion of mankind to the heaven-originated model revealed in the New Tes- tament. That this statement is true, will appear from the following facts : First, They have adopted the primitive name, " Christian." Secondly, In offer- IXTR on UCTION. 3 3 ing salvation to mankind, they merely repeat the terms on which it was proposed to our race by the men of God who organized his kingdom ; they are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, reformation, confession ''with the mouth" of the "Lord Jesus," and baptism, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as the steps by which we ascend into that kingdom, the birth by which we are introduced into God's family; and unreserved submission to all his laws through subsequent life, as the only condition on which we can found a rational hope of ultimately real- izing eternal salvation. Thirdly, Their creed is scriptural, being the "Scriptures" themselves. Fourthly, Their baptism corresponds with the "pattern," being performed in pools and rivers, and resembling a birth, or a burial and resurrec- tion. Fifthly, Their government is conformed to that of the "Apostolic Church," so far as t/iat was designed to be permanent. The apostolic and prophetic offices are no more. They retain those of evangelist, elder, pastor, or bishop, teacher, and deacon ; and while each of their congregations is supervised by the original presbytery, the su- preme authority is vested in the whole fraternity. 34 INTRODUCTION. Sixthly, Their worship agrees with the sacred writings: "On the first day of" every "week," they "come together to break bread." On such occasions they read and preach the word of God, exhort each other, offer prayers and praises and thanksgiving to Jehovah, and contribute to the necessities of the poor. SECTION VII. Why can not all who love our Lord on earth unite on such a basis? "Oh!" says one, "the various denominations which now exist do more good, under the influence of ambition, than they would from love to God and man." Is this senti- ment just } Do modern Christians use greater personal exertion, make greater sacrifices, or con- tribute more money, in proportion to ability, to promote the temporal and eternal welfare of our race than did the members of the primitive church.^ I need but to propose this question; your own good sense and intelligence will at once suggest the appropriate response. "If Christians all belonged to one party they INTRODUCTION. 35 would abuse their power," observes a second ob- jector. Ought we not to decline personal influ- ence from the same consideration? Prevent the centralization of power in the church by the or- ganization of councils above the original presby- tery, and the danger vanishes. "The espionage exercised by one denomination over another renders them more circumspect, as regards their deportment, than they would other- wise be," remarks a third. That is, "we are ben-> efited by the malicious scrutiny of our enemies. We shall, therefore, exercise special care that some of our fellow beings shall always sustain so useful a relationship to us." ''The present state of the religious world," re- joins a fourth, " is preferable to one organization, from the fact that persons of every variety of in- tellectual and religious character can find, among the different churches, homes congenial with their peculiar views and feelings." The substance of this objection is, that "man's plan for the ecclesi- astical accommodation of our race is preferable to God's." Such unity in God's family is desirable. First, because it w^ould banish from it a vast amount of 3 36 INTRODUCTION. envy, jealousy, malignity, and detraction, the re- sults of ungodly ambition. Secondly, because the love flowing from it would soon sweep away the in- fidel objection to Christianity ; viz., " See how these Christians hate each other ; " and operate favorably toward the removal of another, viz., *' There is such a diversity of opinion among you, that we know not what to believe." Thirdly, because the moral power, now worse than wasted by the friends of Christ in efforts to destroy each other, would be expended in endeavoring to render his kingdom universal. Fourthly, because the money now in- vested in superfluous houses of worship through- out Christendom, would go far toward the supply of every human family on this ''Emerald Isle" of immensity's blue ocean, with a copy of God's book in their own language ; while. Fifthly, its host of supernumerary preachers, now an incubus on the resources of the church, would be at once available for the cultivation of those "waste places of the earth, which are full of the habitations of cruelty." "The scheme is utterly impracticable," responds a fifth. That this objection is equally unfounded with the former, will appear from the following INTRODUCTION. 37 facts : First, such union did exist among primitive Christians. Secondly, the differences of opinion that then prevailed among those connected with the Oriental, Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, and Jewish schools of philosophy and religion, were almost as numerous and irreconcilable as those which now exist. Thirdly, the " Christian Church " of our day has, thus far, proved a " success," eight or nine hundred thousand persons, of varied rank, talent, and education, having, within a few years, become thus united in one holy, happy fellowship. Of this movement, which I regard as the bright- est gem in that crown of glory by which the brow of the nineteenth century is encircled, allow me the pleasure of introducing to your respectful con- sideration one of the most distinguished Pioneers. The Author. MEMOIR OF JACOB CREATH, Jr MEMOIR OF JACOB CREATH, Jr, CHAPTER I. Elder William Creath, the Father of Jacob Creath, Jr.— Samuel Creath, his Grandfather— Birth of Jacob Creath— His Mother Her Name, History, and Character. LDER WILLIAM CREATH, of Meck- lenburg County, Virginia, the father of Jacob Creath, was born on the twenty- third of December, 1768, during the passage of his father and mother from Dubhn, Ireland, to Nova Scotia. His father, Samuel Creath, and his mother, were also from Dublin. Her maiden name was Susan Moore. By education and profession they were Presby- terians. He lived and died a member of that organization. His son William was, of course, (41) 42 MEMOIR OF educated in the same faith, and continued in the same body until A. D. 1787, when, upon profes- sion of his faith in Christ, he was immersed by Elder Henry Lester, and joined a Baptist congre- gation in Granville County, North Carolina, under the pastoral care of Elder Thomas Bass. After his baptism he lived and studied theology with Elder John Williams, a Calvinistic Baptist preacher, of Charlotte County, Virginia. Even at so late a period of the world's history as this, young preachers were informed that "special prep- aration for the performance of their public duties was unnecessary, inasmuch as the Holy Spirit, on such occasions, would directly communicate to their minds all the thoughts and words which were requisite." The subject of this brief sketch acted upon such suggestions, but found, after a few experiments, that he could always speak most intelligently, eloquently, and profitably to others on subjects which he had thoroughly matured by previous reflection. In Brother Williams he found a talented, pious man, and a true friend. During the last twenty years of his life, Elder Creath traveled extensively, preaching in North Carolina, Maryland, and the middle and lower JACOB CEEATII, Jr. 43 parts of Virginia. He kept a record of his travels, embracing dates, places, persons, and occurrences. It is to be regretted that this is not accessible, so that full justice might be done to the character of one who stood high among his brethren, and was instrumental in turning " many to righteous- ness." He was the contemporary and friend of John Leland, Robert B. Semple, Andrew Broaddus, sen., Elder Courtney, Benjamin Watkins, Ely Clay, John Kerr, Richard Dabbs, Robert T. Daniel, James Shelburne, David Barrow, A. W. Clayton, and Lewis Lunsford. His arguments were power- ful, and his appeals to the heart irresistible. A deist of his acquaintance once remarked that "there were but two things that could make him cry — the one was shaving with a dull razor, the other was hearing William Creath preach." A member of Congress observed, that " he was the only man he ever heard who could deliver a three hours' speech without saying something that was not worth hearing." He was five feet ten inches in height. His com- plexion was florid. His eyes were dark, and full of fire. His hair was black as a raven. His form 44 MEMOIR OF was admirably proportioned. He was strong and active. His temperament was "the sanguine." His attachments, and resentments, too, were, by nature, ardent and lasting. Such men always have devoted friends and bitter enemies. He was not an exception to the rule. He was a thorough- going Baptist preacher, of the Calvinistic school. He asked no quarter from the Pedobaptists and Armenians, and he gave none. Elder Jacob Creath was his second son. He was born on the seventeenth of January, 1799, on Butcher's Creek, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, six miles from Boydtovvn, the county-seat. When he was quite young his father removed from the upper to the lower end of the county, and settled on Taylor's Creek, six miles from the Brunswick line ; one mile and a half east of the public road leading from Richmond and Petersburg, to North and South Carolina; twenty miles north of Saint Tammany Ferry, on the Big Roanoke River; and ten miles from Gee's Bridge, on the Meherrin River. The county was fifty miles long, and thirty broad. His maternal ancestors were Virginians, of En- glish descent. His mother's name was Lucretia JACOB CREATH, Jr. 45 Brame, the daughter of Thomas Brame, of Meck- lenburg County. She was a woman of sound physical constitution, strong common sense, great energy of character, decided, prudent, candid, and modest. She never permitted her children to utter a vulgar word in her presence. She gave birth to sixteen children. And with but little help from her husband, who spent the most of his time in preaching, with meager pecu- niary returns, she nursed, fed, clothed, and edu- cated all of them but three. She could read and write, and was well acquainted with the Bible. On Lord's days she required her children to read it to her, and to commit portions of it, and beau- tiful hymns, to memory. When her husband was from home she main- tained prayers in her family. She trained her children to obey her. Her house was a home for Baptist preachers, from Maine to Georgia. After her husband's death, she continued a widow to the end of life. During that period she supported and educated her six youngest children ; and enjoyed the unutterable delight of beholding five of her nine sons devote themselves to the glorious work of the gospel ministry. 46 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER II. The First School he attended — His Attainments — Second School, and Acquirements — Other Educational Advantages — A full account of his Conversion commenced. HE subject of these memoirs was long styled Jacob Creath, jr., to distinguish him from his uncle, Jacob Creath, who died "full of years and honors" at Lexington, Ky., during the month of March, 1854. When very young he learned the letters of the alpha- bet, and to spell and read, at a school taught by Joshua Stanley, three miles from his father's house. The second school of which he availed himself was one taught by Jones Gee, under whose pro- found instruction he not only made progress in reading and spelling, but also acquired the indis- pensable art of writing. At the age of eight or nine years he was required to make additional JACOB CREATH, Jr. 47 valuable attainments in the line of an education by taking his position at the plow-handle and on the wagon, and maintaining it for ten or twelve years. He read at night by the light of the blazing brush-pile. And if he enjoyed that luxury during the day, it was while his faithful brutes were rest- ing or feeding. In this manner he carefully read and studied the New Testament. In his twenty- second year he commenced the study of English, Latin, and Greek grammar. At a very early period in life his attention be- came aroused to his immortal welfare. In those days it was inculcated that people must pass by Mount Sinai, and hear a certain amount of its thunder, before they could possibly catch even a glimpse of Mount Calvary. They were instructed that " they could do nothing ; and yet that they would be certainly damned, unless something was done." He underwent what in those days was denominated " a great law-work." " I strove as hard," he remarks, " to observe the laws of Moses as though I had been a Jew." He desired most sincerely to be a Christian ; but knew not how to become one. And from none of 48 MEMOIR OF the teachers of that day, however distinguished, could he obtain the desired information. He ex- erted himself to secure the favor of God, by his good deeds ; and sometimes thought he had almost succeeded, when, all at once, some gust of wrong feeling would drive him from his course, and disperse all his hopes of divine friendship. He tried to drown his sorrows in infidelity, but his conscience would not allow him to become an infidel. The sword of Truth had pierced his soul too deeply for that. He believed the Bible to be the Word of God, and "Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God," as firmly as now ; but the preachers told him " that was historical faith," " and would by no means answer his purpose ; and that his only chance for salvation consisted in being born again." But how to attain that all- important boon, the deponents testified not. Thus was he left in the dark, without either pathway or guide. "Had I been told," says he, "to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent, and be baptized for the remission of my sins, I could have been a Christian at ten years of age, as easily as at sev- enteen. JACOB CREATII, Jr. 49 "I never saw the day when I did not desire to be good and please God, my Maker. I often with- drew to retired places, and prayed to him that I might see a great light shining around me, like Saul of Tarsus ; or hear a voice informing me that my sins were pardoned. Under these cir- cumstances nature sometimes gave way, and I went to sleep on my knees, overwhelmed with the dreadful consideration that I was forever lost. " In this state of mind I had alarm.ing dreams. One of them was peculiarly impressive. I imag- ined that 'the day of judgment' had come. The human race were assembled on a vast plain. The Saviour occupied a narrow pass between f/ie7n and heaven, through which only it could be entered. And no one could enjoy that unspeakable privilege but those on whom He conferred a white ball, as a token of his favor. An older sister and myself approached him together. On her he bestowed the pledge of his love ; and she passed away from me into the realms of unfading beauty, glory, and bliss. Me he repudiated. "I was devotedly attached to my sister; and when I found that we were permanently separated, and that hell was my immortal portion, I awoke so MEMOIR OF screaming, in a paroxysm of terror. Although it is more than fifty years since this incident occurred, the original impression still remains. When I found that the scene was merely a dream, I went earnestly to work to secure my salvation, lest the vision should ultimately prove awful reality." JACOB CREATH, Jr. S^ CHAPTER Iir. History of his Conversion continued and completed — A Narrative of Thrilling Interest. N April, A. D. 1817, the Meherrin Baptist Association met at Ready Creek meeting- house, in Brunswick County, Virginia, about thirty miles from his father's house. His father and other preachers were expected on the occasion. "I concluded," says he, "to attend the meeting, with the faint hope of obtaining some relief from my protracted mental agony. "At the close of the last discourse, on Lord's day, James Shelburne, the father of Silas Shelburne, invited persons present, 'in distress of mind, to come forward and be prayed for,' observing that *all who did so at the last Association, a year ago, had obtained a hope, and been baptized, and that some of them were now preaching the gospel,' 4 52 MEMOIR OF instancing his own son, Silas, and James Jeffries. While he was thus addressing us, the thought occurred to me that I could not live another year under the mental anguish which I had so long en- dured, and that the present moment might be the only opportunity which God would ever afford me of fleeing 'from the wrath to come.' "Influenced by this consideration, and over- whelmed with solicitude and sorrow, I pressed through the densely-packed audience that I might enjoy the benefit of their prayers. There was great rejoicing among the preachers, both on my own account and my father's. They prayed very fervently for my salvation ; and taking it for granted that their prayers would be answered, welcomed me to the enjoyment of God's favor. My pertur- bation of mind was somewhat assuaged, but per- manent relief was not afforded. " Soon after this my father asked me if he might publish that I would be baptized at the next church meeting, on Wilson's Creek, three miles from his home, on the third Lord's day in May. I re- marked that * I would prefer to wait a little longer as I did not wish to deceive either myself or .others.' He answered, 'Arise, and be baptized, JACOB CREATE, Jii. 53 and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.' I authorized him to do as he desired. "The appointed time having arrived, and candi- dates for church membership having been invited to present themselves, I, alone, went forward. Few at that time cared for their souls. My father then said to me, * My son, will you begin and tell what the Lord has done for your soul ? ' I replied that ' I had not much to tell ; but that any ques- tion which he would propose, I would endeavor to answer.' "His first interrogatory was, 'Have you seen yourself to be a sinner.?* I responded, 'I have long seen and known that I was a sinner.' ' Do you think;' he continued, * that you can save your- self.?* 'By the deeds of the law,' I replied, 'no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God.' 'On whom,* says he, 'do you depend for salvation.?' I answered, 'On Jesus Christ ; for there is no other name given under heaven, among men, whereby we must be saved.' 'Do you wish,' he added, 'to be baptized .? ' ' My coming here,' I observed, ' was the best evidence of that.' ' Do you,' he remarked, 'from this time forward intend to live the life of 54 MEMOIR OF a Christian ? ' My answer was, * With God's help, I intend to do so until death/ "My examination having proved satisfactory, they 'received' me. And the next day, being Lord's day, my father immersed me in the pres- ence of a vast multitude of people; including schoolmates, intimate friends, and neighbors. When I emerged from the water, I possessed what had never fallen to my lot before, 'the an- swer of a good conscience toward God.' I felt tranquil as a summer's eve. My 'peace' was 'as a river.' I 'rejoiced with joy indescribable and full of glory.' I knew of no words that more appropriately expressed my state of mind than those of an uninspired poet. They are as follows : *' * How happy are they, who their Saviour obey, And have laid up their treasures above ! Tongue can not express the sweet comfort and peace Of a soul in its earliest love ! * This comfort is mine, since the favor divine I have found in the blood of the Lamb ; Since the tmth I believed, what a joy I 've received! What a heaven in Jesus' blest name ! * 'T is a heaven below my Redeemer to know ; And the angels can do nothing more JACOB CREATH, Jr. 55 Than to fall at his feet, and the stoiy repeat, And the lover of sinners adore ! • Jesus, all the day long, is my joy and my song ; Oh that all, to this refuge may fly ! He has loved me, J cried. He has suffered and died To redeem such a rebel as I. * On the wings of his love, I am carried above All my sin, and temptation, and pain. Oh ! why should I grieve, while on him I believe ? Oh ! why should I sorrow again ? ' Oh the rapturous height of that holy delight, Which I find in the life-giving blood ! Of my Saviour possessed, I am perfectly bless'd. Being filled with the fullness of God ! * Now my remnant of days will I spend to his praise. Who has died me from sin to redeem. Whether many or few, all my years are his due ; They shall all be devoted to him. • What a mercy is this ! ^Vhat a heaven of bliss ! How unspeakably happy am I ! Gathered into the fold, with believers enrolled ! With believers to live and to die ! ' " I continued to praise God and rejoice. I was * diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.' Many a happy Lord's day did I spend, 56 MEMOIR OF while yet a youth, both before and after my bap- tism. The hard toil to which I was subjected during the week did not render less sweet the rest of the sacred day." JACOB CEEATII, Jr. 57 CHAPTER IV. Naturally of a Serious Turn — Preferred, when young, association with the aged — Never read a Novel — His first Semion — An old sister's opinion of it — Devotes himself to the Ministiy — License to Preach. ROM childhood I was of a serious, con- templative disposition, deriving more pleasure from association with the aged than with the young, and gay, and frivolous. I have never read a novel. I preached my first sermon on the third Lord's day in June, A. D. 1 817. My text was taken from Galatians, third chapter and tenth verse. The words are, 'For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written. Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are writ- ten in the book of the law to do them.' *' The circumstances under which it was deliv- ered were peculiar. Two young Baptist preachers, 58 MEMOIR OF named Thomas and James G. Jeffries, had an ap- pointment, on a certain occasion, to preach at my father's church. On account of high water in the Meherrin River, or sickness, they failed to meet their engagement. A large congregation having assembled, it was suggested to me by John Waller, who was not a member of any church, that I should invite James Nolly, a Methodist preacher present, who was very hostile to the Baptists, to occupy the pulpit. " Having done so, Nolly looked at me very seri- ously, and said : ' Jacob ! can't you preach for us to-day T * No, sir,' I replied ; * I can not. What led you to ask me that question V * Oh ! ' said he, * I think you zuill preach, and you had just as well begin to-day ! ' After I had refused once more, he remarked : ' Well, you open the meeting by sing- ing and prayer, and I '11 preach.' " He took his text from Mark, first chapter and fifteenth verse : ' Repent ye, and believe the gos- pel.' Having finished his discourse, he invited me to conclude the service ; which I did, by deliv- ering a sermon on the passage beforementioned. An old lady present remarked, that ' I made a good prayer ; but she did n't think I would ever JACOB CEEATIT, Jr. 59 make a preacher.' The old lady's views and mine corresponded precisely on that subject. And I thought if God would forgive my first offense of the kind, I never would repeat it. After laboring on the farm, however, for a year or two, for the benefit of my father and the family, and employ- ing my leisure hours in reading, meditation, and prayer, I determined, under the influence of devo- tion, benevolence, and conscience, to devote * my days to' God's 'praise' in that very calhng. " I had no difficulty in procuring a license for that purpose, which was couched in the following words, viz. : " * To all people to whom these presents may come, — the Baptist Church at Wilson's Creek meeting-house, Mecklenburg County, sends greet- ing : The bearer, our beloved brother, Jacob Creath, being a man of good moral character, real piety, and sound knowledge of divine things ; and having been called to the service of his ministerial gifts, whereof we have had considerable trial, both in private and pubhc, we have judged him worthy ; and do, therefore, hereby license and authorize him to preach the gospel, wherever he may have 60 MEMOIR OF a call ; not doubting but that in due time circum- stances will lead on to a more full investment of him in the ministerial office by ordination. In the meantime, we recommend him to favor and re- spect ; praying that the Lord may be with him, and abundantly bless him. "'Done at our meeting, 15th February, 18 18. "*Wm. Creath, Pastor; " * Wm. Pennington, a7t Ordained Preacher^ "This transaction took place more than fifty years ago. And having obtained help from God, I still continue, to the full extent of my physical, intellectual, and moral ability, to proclaim to a 'lost' world 'the unsearchable riches of Christ.' I have experienced many vicissitudes in life, but I have never lost my standing in the church of my father, where I was 'received,' and baptized, and licensed." JACOB CREATH, Je. 6 1 CHAPTER V. Places himself under the Care of Elder Abner W. Clopton— Studies Latin, Greek, English, and Theology— Is ordained— Becomes a Student at Columbia College, D. C. N January, A. D. 1819, I traveled from Virginia to Society Hill, to see Brother Wm. Dossy, who resided at that place. He had lived with my father when he was a young man, and labored with him for some years as a preacher in Virginia and North Carolina. The object of my visit was to obtain assistance through him from the Charleston Baptist Association in acquiring a suitable education for the work on which I had entered. He instructed me to repair to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and place myself under the care of Brother Abner W. Clopton, who was a learned, good man, a physician, and a professor in the university. "With him I studied the Latin, Greek, and 62 MEMOIR OF English languages, and theology. I found him an admirably qualified instructor, and a true friend. Through his commendation I was ordained by the *01d Baptist' preachers of that State. Their cer- tificate to that effect is expressed in the following language, viz. : " ' We, the presbytery called for by the church at Mill Creek meeting-house, Caswell County, North Carolina, attended at County-Line meeting- house, on the 23d and 24th of September, 1820; when and where the church attended voluntarily, and unanimously gave up brother Jacob Creath, jr., to ordination ; whom, when we had examined upon his qualifications and principles, find him sound in the faith, and qualified, and called of God, as we believe, to the ministry of the Word and ordi- nances, and have therefore set him apart thereto, by fasting and prayer and imposition of hands. " * Given under our hands the day and date above written. *'* George Roberts, Richard Martin, Barzillai Graves, > Presbyters,^ Stephen Chandler, David Lawson, JACOB GREAT H, Jr. 63 *' I continued at Chapel Hill during the year 1 8 19. In the fall of 1820, Brother Clopton re- moved to Milton, Caswell County, to preside over the female seminary at that place. I accompanied him, and continued there until November, 1821, when I became a student of Columbia College, Washington City, D. C. It was then under the supervision of William Staughton, D. D. I re- mained there until December, 1823, when I changed my location to Charlotte Court-house, where Brother Clopton then resided. " Previous to my departure from Caswell County, North Carolina,. I received from the Mill Creek church the following letter, viz. : " ' The bearer hereof, Brother Jacob Creath, is a member of our church, and an ordained minis- ter of the gospel. As a member, he is regular and orderly in his deportment ; and as a minister, highly acceptable. We, therefore, recommend him to our brethren among whom his lot may be cast. And when joined to them he will be dis- missed from us. *''Done in church conference, at our monthly meeting, in November, 1821. By order. " * John Lee, C/e?'k, A. W. Clopton, Pas for. 64 MEMOIR OF "It will be- gratifying to my friends who may peruse these memoirs, to learn that on leaving Columbia College I was considered worthy of the following testimonial from my fellow-students, viz : " ' To all whom it may concern : The Rev. Jacob Creath, late student of Columbia College, having taken his dismission, and being about to depart from the institution : this is to certify, that he has been for many months a member of the Enonosian Society of Columbia College ; and that during the whole period, his talents, assiduity, and regular at- tendance have been such as to insure him a most respectable standing in the society ; while his vir- tue, piety, and many excellent qualities have en- deared him to his fellow-members. He carries with him their deep regret for his loss, and ardent wishes for his future happiness and prosperity. " * Orlando Fairfax, President of E. S. W. D. Crowder, Secretary. "'Columbia College^ December, 1823.' "The following document was placed in my possession by the Second Baptist Church in Wash- ington, D. C, viz : JACOB CREATH, Jr. 65 "'Washington City, D. C. " ^ This is to certify to all whom it may concern, that the bearer, our beloved Brother Jacob Creath, having frequently preached for us, and visited our families, we believe him to be a faithful minister of the gospel, a pious and upright Christian in his walk and conversation, and justly entitled to the Christian esteem of the friends of Zion, in gen- eral, and of the Baptists in particular. He having formed a determination to leave the city for the purpose of devoting himself to the ministry of the Word, and desiring that we should express our feelings toward him, we most cheerfully give our assent to the above. " ' Done by order of the Second Baptist Church, in the city of Washington,. on the seventh of De- cember, 1823. " * Thomas Barton, Pastor. William Gordon, Clerk! "The Board of Missions, unsolicited, presented to me the following certificate, viz : '"Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 6, 1824. *' * This is to certify to all whom it may concern, that we have known the bearer hereof, our beloved 66 MEMOIR OF Brother Jacob Creath, from his youth and since he commenced his ministry ; and we know him to be a man of unimpeachable morals, orthodox in sen- timent, sound integrity, strict prudence, sterling talents, and a highly acceptable and useful minis- ter, among all classes of society. And above all, we believe him to be eminently pious. " ' We do, therefore, most cheerfully and freely recommend him to the Baptist churches in our country, particularly, and to the regard of Chris- tians and the community in general : not doubting but that he will be blessed in every place where he may labor. '^ ' Done by order of the Board of Missions, now in session, in Wake County. " ' Philemon Bennet, P. S. Robert T. Daniel, Agent. William Lightfoot, Clerk! " Before I left Washington, the First Baptist Church, of which I had been a member, conferred upon me the following letter of dismission and commendation, viz : "'The First Baptist Church, in the city of Washington, and District of Columbia, to any ♦ JACOB CBEATH, Jr. 6j Other church of the same faith and order with us, greeting : Beloved brethren, this may certify that our worthy Brother Jacob Creath is a member in good standing with us, and an acceptable minister of the gospel ; that his character is unimpeach- able ; and we believe him to be worthy of Chris- tian acceptation. " ' But in the providence of God, his residence being removed from our vicinity, he has asked a letter of dismission from us, which we hereby cheerfully grant ; and recommend him to the cor- dial fellowship and. communion of sister churches of the same faith, as he may wish to join. And when received by you, we shall consider him fully dismissed from us. " ' Done at our church meeting, on the sixth day of February, 1824. " ' O. B. Bbown, Pastor: " I received, at the same time, the following note, from a friend : " '■ The Rev. Jacob Creath has been in the habit of visiting my family for the last twelve or sixteen 5 68 MEMOIR OF months. His conduct has been such as to make me believe he is a worthy man and a pious Christian. "'W. Dunn, Sergeaiit-at-Arms, "'Washington City, Dec. 8, 1823.'" JACOB CEEATH. Jb. 69 CHAPTER VI. Letters addressed to him by P. S. Fall and the Lexington Church — Letters of Commendation from that and the Church at " The Great Crossings." |ROM the data in my possession I conclude that, for the next two or three years of Elder Creath's eventful life, Kentucky was the scene of his ministerial exertions. A few respectful notices are all the material which I pos- sess with reference to this period of his history. The first is a letter from P. S. Fall, couched in the following language : "Franklin, Ky,, Dec. 15th, 1825, Dear Brother Creath : — The church in Louis- ville,- Ky., addressed a letter to you some time since, to the care of B. S. Chambers, in Georgetown, re- questing you, in the name of her and a church near that place, and many of the citizens, to visit 70 MEMOIR OF them. I suppose you did not receive it, or you would have answered it. I hoped to have seen you last week; but have been ill since my arrival in Franklin. " Will you be good enough to pay a visit to Louisville } I know you will be pleased. And if you felt disposed to settle there, you could not be better settled. I may venture to say that five hundred dollars in specie may be realized. "The church entered into a resolution to 'give to any person who settled there, and whom they might call as their bishop, as much as would pay all his expenses, and leave a surplus, for the pur- chase of books, extra. "There is no place in which a greater field of usefulness offers. The finest meeting-house in the State belongs to the church, and the Masonic Institution would have no objection to yoic. " In haste, I am, your brother, "P. S. Fall." The next glimpse of his history we obtain from the following letter, viz: " Lexington, Ky., April i8, 1826. Brother Creath: Dear Sir — Owing to the contemplated absence JACOB CREATII, Jr. '7^ of our beloved pastor, Dr. Fishback, the church took into consideration, on Sabbath last, the pro- curing of supplies, and have unanimously chosen you and Brother Vardeman to serve us one Sabbath each in the month for one year. " We are instructed, as their committee, to wmt on you, and ascertain your disposition in comply- ing with their earnest request. If we are so fortunate as to procure your approbation, should be glad you would make such arrangements, as to time, as will be mutually convenient. Would you be so good as to preach for us on Sabbath after- noon or night .^ "Please favor us with an answer as early as practicable. We remain your affectionate brethren, ''Wm. T. Smi'TH, ''Peter Hedenburg, }■ Committee^ "William Poindexter, That up to the autumn of 1826 his course of life in Kentucky met with the approbation of his brethren, is evident, from the following communi- cations, viz : "The Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, at the Great Crossings, Scott County, Ky., at a meeting 72 MEMOin OF of business, on the first Saturday in September, 1826. To all whom it may concern are these lines most respectfully addressed : " Knowing that our highly and much beloved brother, Jacob Creath, jr., is about to leave us and travel into other sections of the world, and being actuated by motives of gratitude and love, of the most tender character, we think it due to Brother Jacob Crea;th that we should say, to the public generally, that we recommend him to their notice as a gentleman whose reputation, character, and standing in the world are untarnished and without a blemish. "And while we regret, most sincerely, to be deprived of his labor and company, we trust we shall be permitted to recommend him to the religious world as worthy of the highest degree of their confidence, love, and esteem. "As a professor of the Christian religion, his life and general deportment have been exemplary, and worthy of the vocation wherewith he has been called ; as a member of the Baptist Church of Christ, his walk and conversation have proved that he is worthy to sustain the Christian name and character. JACOB CREATH, Jr. 73 "As a minister of the gospel, although a young man, yet his respectable talents as an orator, his exposition of Scripture, together with his aptness to teach, evince, in an eminent degree, that in Brother Creath are to be found those admirable qualities which constitute a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, spoken of by the Apostle Paul : * having a good report also of them that are without.' " Brother Creath, for some time, has labored in this as well as in many other churches in this State, much to the edification and comfort of the members, and to the general satisfaction and approbation of * the world ; ' and his labors have been abundantly blessed and owned of God. " We esteem, and therefore recommend, our dear Brother Creath as an orthodox evangelical gospel-minister of Jesus Christ, who earnestly and zealously contends for ' the faith once delivered to the saints,' but whose zeal is tempered with knowl- edge, meekness, and love. " Therefore, with due deference, we humbly trust he will be received and respected in the world as a gentleman, in your houses as a disciple of Jesus Christ, in your hearts as a beloved brother, and in 74 MEMOIR OF your pulpits as a faithful minister of the New Testament. " Signed by order and in behalf of the church. "John T. Johnson, Clerk!' "The First Baptist Church of Lexington, Fay- ette County, Ky. To them that have received the like precious faith with us, and of our order, greeting : Whereas, our much beloved and worthy brother, Jacob Creath, jr., has signified to us that he is about to leave this State, and to travel to the Mississippi State or territory, we have thought proper to give this in token of his good and respectable standing with us as an orthodox min- ister of the gospel, of unfeigned piety, and an in- defatigable laborer in the vineyard of the Lord. A.% such, we would earnestly recommend him to the Christian fellowship and communion of our dear brethren in the Lord, wherever God, in his providence, may cast his lot ; and may the Lord bless and sustain him, and make him abundantly useful in his day and generation, is our prayer, for the Redeemer's sake! Done by order of the church, third Saturday in September, 1826. "Wm. Poindexter, Clerky JACOB CREATH, Js. 7$ CHAPTER VII. Visits General Andrew Jackson — Is burned in Effigy in Missis- sippi — Has an attack of Yellow Fever — Trial for Heresy. LEFT Kentucky," Elder Creath re- marks, "in October, 1826, in the com- pany of Albert Gallatin Creath, a young lawyer, the son of my uncle Jacob Creath, sen., then residing in Woodford County. On our journey we passed several days at ' The Hermitage,' celebrated as the residence of 'General Andrew Jackson, to whom we bore letters of introduction from Colonel Richard M. Johnson and other distinguished Ken- tuckians. "We also visited Colonel Robert Foster, Lieu- tenant-Governor of Tennessee, Moses Norvell, and Felix Grundy. While remaining in Nashville, I preached in the Baptist Church. Thence we pro- ceeded to Natchez, Mississippi, passing through 'je ME2I0IB OF Franklin, Columbia, Florence, Tuscumbia, and the * Indian Nation.' " During my stay in Mississippi, I made the house of Dr. David Cooper, near Natchez, and that of Major Joseph Johnson, six miles from Woodville, my principal homes. My preaching in that country excited such violent opposition that, to vindicate my character, I was compelled to publish, in pamplet form, the letters of recommen- dation to Avhich the attention of the reader has already been invited. "I was 'burned in effigy' at one of their camp- meetings. Meeting Dr. Line, a friend of mine, on one occasion, he asked me if ' I was not afraid to travel alone.' I told him 'I was not.' 'Well!' says he, ' you ought to be ; for, be assured, your life is in danger, and but for the protection afforded by the civil law, you would ere this have been hung.' The parties most enraged were Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians. The spirit of sec- tarianism is the same under all circumstances. It calls for ' blood.' I baptized a large number of persons in Mississippi, some of whom afterward removed to Louisiana. *' In the autumn of A. D. 1827, I had an attack JACOB C RE AT IT, Jr. 77 of bilious or yellow fever. During its continu- ance I came very near bidding adieu * to these low- grounds, where sorrows grow.' At one time I closed my eyes with the expectation of never open- ing them again until wakened by the sound of Michael's trumpet. Unexpectedly to myself and others, I recovered. But this convalescence was of short duration, being immediately succeeded by intermittent fever ; so that to secure the return of perfect health, I was compelled to abandon the country. " ]\Iy visit to it, though stormy, was attended with important consequences. It resulted in the organization of some congregations, and of an ec- clesiastico-literary institution called Newtonia. It also called out four men, whose names were An- drews, Richland, Randolson, and Ireton, to the work of the gospel ministry. "Early in A. D. 1828, I left New Orleans, in the steamer Lexington, for Louisville, Kentucky. Thence I proceeded to Bethany, Virginia. A. D. 1829 I spent in Kentucky, preaching at Versailles, Cane Run, South Elkhorn, and other places, de- voting all the time I had to spare for the purpose to the study of the Bible and ecclesiastical history. 7S MEMOIR OF " The most remarkable event of my life, during that period, was my trial for heresy by the congre- gation at the Great Crossings, Scott County, Ken- tucky, then under the pastoral care of Silas M. Noel, D. D. "I had preached acceptably to them in 1825 and 1826, as their letter to me in September, 1826, demonstrates. On the seventeenth of May, 1829, I received from one of their number the fol- lowing communication, viz : " * Dear Brother — I send you the request of the greatest portion of the Crossing Church. Their desire is, that you will give your views of man- as a sinner, and how the change takes place, so as to constitute him born again. Or, in our familiar way, as Baptists, we want your views of experimental religion; how a sinner is brought from a state of enmity against the Saviour to be a lover and worshiper of Him. " ' This request has grown partly from reports, and partly from a number of brethren, who have heard you preach since your return from the South, conceiving that you had abandoned your old mode and views of preaching, under which JACOB CREATir, Jr. 79 their hearts were many times gladdened, and have sat under your ministry with great dehght ; and we would ask our divine Master to grant you his Spirit, that you may rightly divide the word of truth, giving saint and sinner ' his portion in due season.' " ' The above request, I hope, brother, has arisen from the best feelings of my heart. I say this because it originated in my own breast, -seeing so many of the brethren that loved you as their preacher, when here before (before you went South), had determined that they did not care to hear you any more ; and, in fact, would not come to meeting if something like this had not been requested. O Lord ! keep us from prejudice, and lead us in the way of truth ! " ' William Suggett. "'Jacob Creath, Jr. '''JV. B. — Your uncle authorized me to change your meeting to Thursday, eleven o'clock ; and it is so appointed. "'W. S.' "As soon as my uncle heard of the letter, he paid me a visit at Colonel Quawles's, where I then 80 MEMOIR OF resided, to ascertain how I intended to answer the proposed question. We were both connected with the Baptist Association, and the annual meeting of that body was at hand. I told him the reply which I intended to make. He said 'it would ruin our cause.' I remarked, that 'what I had said was true ; and if truth ruined us, I was willing to be ruined,' **The main item in the indictment \yas, 'a de- nial of the direct operation of the Spirit of God upon the sinner's heart, previous to the exercise of faith upon his part, in order to produce faith.' I took the ground, then, that ' the word of God is the grand instrumentality by which the hearts of sinners are changed ; and that when the evidence of our Saviour's Messiahship or Divinity is fully set forth, the human mind finds no difficulty in beUeving it, as it beheves any other well-sustained proposition, either in morals or mathematics. And if something has to be added to this evi- dence, beyond our own resources, before we can believe and obey, we are nearly in the condition that we would have been in if God had not spoken to us at all' JACOB CREATE, Jr. ' 8l " My uncle admitted these and other kindred sentiments to be true, but ' thought it was not prudent to say much about them at present, as the pubhc mind was not sufficiently enlightened to appreciate them ; and our enemies would handle them with great effect against us." S2 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER VIII. Meets Raccoon Smith — The effort of the Elkhom Association to expel them a Failure — Makes a Tour with A. Campbell — They are caught in a Tempest — They sing and pray — Brother Campbell has a Debate with the Presbyterian Parson of Nashville. COMPLIED with the request of the congregation, and appeared before them at the place and time appointed. As the basis of my speech, I read Paul's defense before Agrippa and Festus. My uncle, who was present, indorsed my remarks as far as he conscientiously could. John T. Johnson, who, being a member of that congregation, was also there, felt very indig- nant at their conduct, and observed, as he left the house, ' Absolutely, if they do n't let that man alone, the stones of the street will cry out against them ! ' He afterward told me, at Harrodsburg, JACOB CREATE, Jr. 83 that 'but for me he would never have oeen con- nected with our reformation.' ** Not long after this my uncle and I met Brother Raccoon John Smith, at the house of Brother Samuel Nuckolds, near Versailles. On that occasion, the subject of such operations of the Holy Spirit as 'had been discussed at 'The Crossings' having been introduced, I found that Brother Smith's sentiments corresponded entirely with mine. My uncle, also, upon the whole, yielded assent, though he still had some lingering doubts. Some time afterward, however, he em- braced them with all his heart. " The Elkhorn Baptist Association convened at Lexington, in August, 1829. An effort was then and there made by the Creed and Calvinistic party to expel from their fellowship those who favored the adoption, for their infallible standard, of the ' Bible alone.' "Their purpose was frustrated through the assistance afforded us by Brother John T. John- son, Dr. Joseph Chinn, and others. This triumph afforded us another year to operate in enlighten- ing the public mind before our affairs were brought to a crisis. $4 MEMOIR OF "I was Brother Johnson's preacher at 'The Crossings/ and at Georgetown, in 1825 and 1826. While I pubHshed 'The Christian Examiner' at Lexington, in 1830, I visited his house as a home. We were devoted friends. I preached the funeral sermon of his brother James, in September, 1826. " My acquaintance with him and his brother, Richard M. Johnson, commenced when they were members of Congress. His father and all his family were ardent friends of my Uncle Jacob. "In the summer or fall of 1829 I changed my place of residence, from Brother Quawles's to Brother Beverly A. Hicks's, three miles from Lexington. His house continued my home until I married, in September, 183 1. "In the first part of 1829 I was chosen by our congregation at Lexington as their preacher, over Elder Jeremiah Vardeman. This laid the founda- tion of a deep and lasting hostility on his part to- ward me, which he exhibited on various subsequent occasions. "In December, 1829, I set out on a journey with Brother Alexander Campbell, from Lexington, Ky., to Nashville, Tenn. On our way we held a meeting at Danville, baptizing eight or ten persons. JACOB CREATE, Jr. 85 General Jennings was of the number. The morn- ing we left Franklin, in Simpson County, a terrific storm burst upon us. Trees broke and fell all around us. We halted and sang the following words, viz : *' ' How are thy servants bless'd, oh Lord ! How sure is their defense ! Eternal Wisdom is their guide; Their help Omnipotence.' *' We then united in prayer. " The first night that Brother Campbell preached in Nashville, ' The Apostasy ' was his theme. One of his hearers was Obediah Jennings, D. D., the Presbyterian clergyman of the place, with whom Brother Campbell held a debate, an account of which was published in 'The Harbinger' of 1830. We also had a number of confessions and baptisms. We preached also at Franklin and Columbia. " On our return route we traveled through the southern part of Kentucky, preaching at Bowling Green, Russellville, and Greensburg. We pursued our way, alternately journeying and preaching, until we reached Lexington. There I remained. Brother Campbell proceeded homeward. " In March, 1 830, I baptized Dr. Theodore Bell, S6 MEMOIR OF now of Louisville, Ky., and Joseph G. Norwood. The former is eminent as a physician ; the latter as a geologist. "In June or July, 1830, my uncle and I visited Elder Vardeman, in Fayette County, to ascertain what course he intended to pursue at the meeting of the Elkhorn Association, which was to take place in August. The protracted conversation that took place between my uncle and him, in which they recounted many of their most interest- ing adventures in public life, with their strictures upon them, was exceedingly amusing to me, who was their only hearer. " We found that, to use his own complimentary phraseology, -^ he intended to die between the Par- ticular Baptists and the Christians, as our Saviour died betweeen two thieves.' My uncle told him that ' If his old enemies, the Particular Baptists, caught him, they would serve him as the old Ca- naanitish king, Adonibezek, treated his prisoners — cut off his thumbs and great toes, and make him eat bread under their table, all the days of his life ; and if he fell into our hands, with whom he had formerly acted, he knew what we oi/^/ii to do with him.' JACOB CREATH, Jr. 8/ "Among other remarks made by him, on this occasion, I may mention the following, viz : * The preachers received but little money before the Reformation — they would have to get along on still less now.' 'He intended to pursue his old course of text-preaching. He was too old to begin this chapter-preaching. He had heard him (my uncle) try it, and he had tried it himself, but neither of them succeeded like Morton, Gates, and the other young preachers.' " 8S MEMOIR OF CHAPTER IX. Violent Proceedings of the Franklin Association — The Creaths and Raccoon Smith are condemned unheard — Elder Creath marries Mrs. Bedford — He makes a Living by Farming — Ravages of tke Cholera in and around Lexington — Outrageous Conduct of Elder Vardeman. HE Elkhorn Association is the ecclesias- tical judicatory by which, in A. D. 1830, my Uncle Jacob and myself were ostra- cized from the Baptist Church. Our heinous of- fense was, the preference of God's unadulterated word, as ' the infallible rule of faith and practice,' to human creeds and theological systems. "As a fair specimen of the course of procedure, which has in all ages characterized these venera- ble and lovely human institutions, I will quote a few sentences from a full account, written by me, and published in TJie Millennial Harbinger, of 1830: JACOB CREATE, Jr. 89 " ' Ab lino omnia disce! While the letters from the churches were being read, as usual at such meetings, Messrs. Vardeman and E. Waller acted in a very disorderly manner, calling first upon the clerk to desist from reading them, and then upon the moderator to order him to do so. The Rever- end Mr. Vardeman, failing to accomplish his pur- pose thus, rose with his cudgel in his hand, as if prepared to strike, and furiously remarked : * Mr. Moderator ! I must and I will be heard ! ' '' During the preceding month another conven- tion of the reverend clergy, styled ' The Franklin Association,' met at Frankfort. The object of their meeting was to prepare charges against the Elkhorn Association for retaining the Creaths in their fellowship. " My Uncle Jacob, Raccoon John Smith, and my- self were in attendance. When our names were called, and the charge of not preaching Baptist doctrine was preferred against us, I, being the youngest, and not the least forward of the three, rose first, and asked the privilege of making my defense ; stating, as the other brethren had also done, that I had all the documents and witnesses requisite to disprove what was alleged against me. 90 MEMOIR OF "The moderator commanded me to *sit down.* Different members of the body called me to order ; and I was ultimately stamped down. My uncle then arose, and standing in the middle of the aisle, with his right hand on the top of his hoary head, spoke as follows : " ' Brother Moderator ! — I am sixty years of age. I have served God and my country forty years, and this is the first time in my life I have ever heard of a man being arraigned for crime at the bar of any court, and condemned without enjoying the privilege of being heard in his own defense.' "As he uttered these words, many voices harshly called him to order. Others stamped with their feet, while the moderator, in a thundering tone, cried out, 'Sit down, sir!' Brother Raccoon Smith attempted to speak, but met with the same treatment. " What I state was seen and heard by hundreds of people. One wicked man, as he left the house, swore ' it was worse than the Spanish Inquisition.' When the meeting was over, an old man, who was a Baptist, remarked, that ' he was no Campbellite, JACOB CREATH, Jr. 9 1 but they had treated the Brothers Creath worse than barbarians.* "Most of the actors in these scenes are now numbered with the dead. I have outUved them. I forgive them all their cruelty and wrong. I hope God granted them mercy before their names were called for trial in the spirit-world. " * Let not this weak and erring hand Presume thy bolts to throw, And deal damnation round the land On each I judge thy foe. * Teach me to feel another's woe. To hide the fault I see ; That mercy I to others show. That mercy show to me ! ' "The anathema pronounced upon us under these circumstances, was recorded in their Min- utes, and published throughout the United States, and, I presume, the empire of Great Britain. "In September, 1831, I married Mrs. Susan Bedford, the widow of Sidney Bedford, of Bour- bon County. In 1832, I followed the useful and honorable, but laborious business of farmino- for a livelihood ; preaching on Saturdays and 92 MEMOIR OF Lord's days at David's Fork, Lexington, Clear Creek, South Elkhorn, Providence, Nicholasville, Cane Run, and other places in the adjoining counties. "In the autumn of 1833, I removed from the farm of Andrew Price, the great uncle of my wife, to that of Milton McCann, eight miles from Lexington, on the Winchester road. I baptized a great number of people in the years 1832 and 1833. "In A. D. 1833, the cholera killed from five to seven hundred people in Lexington and its vicin- ity. I and my family had it, but none of us died. I was 'my own physician ; doctors could not be procured. Forty persons died in sight of our farm. During this period I have gone to Lex- ington in the day-time, and found every door shut — not a soul to be seen in the street. The solitude and silence of death and the grave were there. " While these dismal scenes continued I derived great comfort from meditating upon the ninety- first Psalm : ' He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my JACOB CREATE, JR. 93 refuge and my fortress : my God ; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings Shalt thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night ; nor of the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness ; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand ; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation ; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone,' etc., etc. " The forty-sixth Psalm also afforded me great pleasure. It begins with the words, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be re- 94 MEMOIR OF moved, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea ; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.' " JACOB CEEATH, Jr. 95 CHAPTER X. "The falling of the Stars "—Great Alarm— Debate with Lewis Green, Professor of Ancient Languages in Danville College — He becomes wrathy — His own Aunt gives a Verdict against him, N November, 1833, 1 enjoyed the exquisite pleasure of beholding what was generally denominated ' the falling of the stars.' I happened to be on my way to the market, in Lexington, very early in the morning, and saw the whole of it. And a most splendid scene, truly, it was ! "My horse became so much alarmed at the un- usual spectacle., that I was compelled to dismount and lead him. When I reached the market-house, there were but few there, and they were in a state of the wildest excitement. One said to another, *This is what is referred to in the book of Revela- tion, where it is said, The stars of heaven fell unto 9^ MEMOIR OF the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind.' * The day of judgment is indeed come, and we are not prepared ! ' " The most remarkable event of my life, during the year 1834, was a debate with Lewis Green-, Professor of Ancient Languages in Danville Col- lege. It took place in July, at McCormick's meet- ing-house, in Lincoln County. " Our Reformation, then, had made but little progress in that part of Kentucky; being very much misrepresented, and having but few friends. Among their number was a preacher named Nathan Waters, who, in all sincerity, and to the best of his ability, plead the cause of the Bible versus human tradition and speculation. " This brought upon him the wrath of the afore- said Green, who treated him and his cause in the most contemptuous manner, frequently bantering him to procure some one, from the north side of the Kentucky River, to defend what he was pleased to style * Campbellism.' " Brother Waters wrote to my Uncle Jacob, but he declined, entertaining the opinion that *he had not sufficient learning to cope, on equal terms. JACOB CREATIT, Jr. 97 with so profound an adversary. Brothers William Morton and John T. Johnson declined for the same reason. " My uncle then called on me. But I did not feel like fighting. The proposed scene of conflict was fifty or sixty miles distant; I had not been long married ; the weather was very hot, and it was harvest time. I therefore declined, too. " But after Brother Waters had made a second application to my uncle, and he had ridden twenty miles, twice, to see me with reference to the matter, I concluded to accommodate the Professor, and was on hand when my name was called. " Having, from reading the military history of mankind, learned the important principle, that the most successful method of defending your territory against an enemy, is to give him full employment at home, I did not wait to be attacked, but pitched, head-foremost, with all my weight, and t/iai was over two hundred pounds, into the Con- fession of Faith. "The first weak point which I rendered it necessary for him to defend, was the doctrine of his sect on the subject of Regeneration. It is, that * none will ever be regenerated but the elect ; ' that 98 MEMOIR OF 'every one, so regenerated, will ultimately be saved ; ' that, * in regeneration, the Holy Spirit operates upon the spirit of man somewhat after the manner of electricity, without the intervention of truth ; ' that * he can have no faith until this operation takes place ; ' that * it, of course, depends upon another ; ' and yet that ' he is commanded to believe, and will be eternally damned if he does not.* *' He found it difficult, before a promiscuous, popular assembly, to maintain these positions. To divert attention, somewhat, from the subject in hand, he proposed to me ' to enter upon a wide field of Greek criticism with him.* I replied that *I w^as addressmg an English audience, and wished them to understand all that I said. I therefore chose the English language as the medium through which I would communicate my thoughts ; but that, if he was not satisfied with this arrange- ment, I was willing, after we had concluded the argument in our mother tongue, to have a learned Greek committee appointed, and wade into the Greek with him up to the knees, or even to the chin.* "The next topic that occupied our attention, was ' The Design of Baptism.' Here, again, acting on the offensive, I brought forward the doctrine JACOB CREATH, Jr. 99 of his party, as taught in their confession of faith, that 'baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of engrafting into Himself, of remission of sins by His blood, and regeneration by His Spirit, of adoption and resurrection into eternal life ; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord's.' " ' Now how,' I argued, ' is baptism a sign that our sins are pardoned, that we are engrafted into Christ, that we are born again, that we are adopted into God's family, that we have risen to a new life? unless it be that, in enumerating the condi- tions on which these advantages may be secured, the Divine Author of the New Testament has placed baptism last on the list, so that when // is complied with, it, to use unscriptural and absurd language, may be considered a sign that all the antecedent conditions have been fully met, and that the obedient believer is in the enjoyment of all the priceless benefits specified. 7 lOO MEMOIR OF "*Let us now attend to the word seal. Mr. Webster says it means to confirm, complete, give assurance. Now what is our doctrine with refer- ence to the design of baptism ? It is that, when we believe on Christ, love him, cordially accept of him as our Prophet, High-priest, and King, and confess him with the mouth, baptism perfects the union between him and us ; illustrated, in the New Testament, by that between the vine and its branches, the husband and wife, the head and the other members of the body. If they use the word seal in its ordinary acceptation, then, wherein does tkeir doctrine essentially differ from that which they so virulently oppose ? But if they use it in the New Testament sense, they make more of the water of baptism than we do ; actually sub- stituting it for the Holy Spirit, by whom only we are anointed and sealed/ " Under the influence of this kind of reasoning, which deeply enlisted the sympathy of the audi- ence, my opponent became perplexed and irri- tated. Entertaining an exalted opinion of his own attainments and ability, he had expected an easy victory, and was not at all prepared for defeat. Failing in argument, he endeavored to make up JACOB CBEATH, Jr. 10 1 the deficiency by abuse, bestowing upon our people all the hard names he could muster, and upon me, in particular, the somewhat compli- mentary title of Goliath. "Not wishing to appear deficient in civility, especially on so public an occasion, I recognized him by the rather fanciful and euphonious style of *the beautiful, little, ruddy David.' As he was very dark and ugly, this stirred up his rage until he trembled, which only rendered his discomfiture the more conspicuous. His own aunt told him 'he was beaten — the worst beaten man she ever saw.' Our own people enjoyed their triumph exceedingly." .102 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XI. Great Meeting at Versailles — One hundred and forty Conversions — The Baptismal Scene — Visit to Missouri — Family Devotion. N A. D. 1835, I continued to preach through Fayette and the contiguous counties, as I had done since my mar- riage in 1 83 1. To meet my expenses, I .was still under the necessity of cultivating a farm. The most notable event of my life, during that year, was a ten days' meeting, held by Brother John T. Johnson and myself, in the month of September, ,at Versailles, in Woodford County. During its continuance one hundred and forty persons con- 'fessed with ' their mouth the Lord Jesus,' and were 'baptized for the remission of their 'sins.' I bap- tized them in the Kentucky River, at Sublett's Ferry, six miles from Versailles. The day on vwhich the baptism took place was bright and com- JACOB CBEATII, Jr. 103 fortable. The roads were excellent. The river was clear as crystal. The water was warm, and the bottom was covered with sand and gravel. Its banks, up and down for some distance, were lined with deeply interested spectators. The roads leading to it were crowded with wagons, carts, carriages, horsemen, and footmen pressing forward to witness the sublime spectacle. '' Does not the intense interest with which such baptisms are ever regarded, indicate that they are the God-originated method of introducing human beings into the kingdom of the Messiah ? People do not thus rush from large scopes of country to see a little water poured or sprinkled upon their fellow-beings, even though it may be done by a regularly-ordained administrator, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ''Only one incident occurred to mar the pleas- ure of our meeting. James Long, a Calvinistic Baptist of that vicinity, claimed that a preacher of his order, by the name of Tabor, had an ap- pointment to speak in our house of worship dur- ing the time of our protracted services. *' No one but himself seemed to know any thing 104 MEMOIR OF about it. We endeavored to persuade Tabor to postpone his oration ; but he became so abusive and boisterous, that we concluded to yield to him, although we felt assured that his main object was to pour cold water on the fire which we had kindled. " The leading thought of his discourse was, that ' the Holy Spirit entered the sinner's heart before knowledge, faith, repentance, or obedience.' He was coarse and ignorant. While he was speaking, I asked Brother Johnson if I might 'follow him.' He answered, *Yes! and welcome!' After mak- ing some remarks to exhibit the absurd and un- scriptural character of his expose, I delivered a warm exhortation. At its close, sixteen persons walked up, and confessed the Saviour. "My uncle Jacob Creath was present, and min- gled his tears of joy with ours. This was the most delightful meeting I ever attended. I never expect to realize a higher degree of happiness on this side of heaven than I then enjoyed. "In August, 1836, in company with Brother Johnson, I visited Georgetown, Warsaw, and Ghent. At the last-mentioned place we made a number of converts. JACOB CREATH, Jr. 105 *'In May, 1837, I visited Missouri, to see the country, intending, if I was pleased, to emigrate to it in the fall. Previous to my departure from home, I planted my corn-crop ; from which, in the appropriate season, I realized four thousand bush- els. During the same year, I sold seventeen hun- dred dollars' worth of live stock. Robert Wickliff, sen., on one occasion, remarked that, * in propor- tion to means, I was the most successful farmer in Fayette County.' " I will here introduce another subject that is of pre-eminent importance in the history of my life ; that is, family devotion. We have been in the habit, as a family, ever since we have existed as such, of worshiping our Creator morning and evening, by reading his Word, and offering to him the incense of prayer and thanksgiving and praise. " When my children became old enough, each of us read a verse in rotation, until we had fin- ished the lesson of the hour. When I was from home, my wife acted as the priestess of the family in presenting their spiritual sacrifices to Jehovah. We read the Bible through in course, and had completed that delightful series of lessons ten times while my children were with me. I06 MEMOIR OF " I have long been in the habit, for my own im- provement, of reading the. first chapter of Genesis on the first day of every January, and of reaching the last verse in the book of Revelation by the time that old mother Terra had finished her an- nual round. Acting upon this plan, I have read the whole divine book through more than fifty times. *' In the dark hours of affliction and sorrow we worshiped God, as a family, three times a day. 'Evening and morning, and at noon,' said the sweet singer of Israel, ' will -I pray and cry aloud ; and He will hear my voice.' At the risk of his life, with his window open toward the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt in the thick darkness, between the cherubim, at Jerusalem, Daniel ' knelt upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime! All the persons who ever were members of my house- hold for more than one year, with one or two ex- ceptions, professed conversion. All the servants whom I ever controlled, but one, I baptized. I never permitted any one connected with my farm to 'take' God's 'name in vain.' JACOB CREATE, Jr. 10/ CHAPTER XII. Fears entertained lest " Campbellism " should take the Countiy— Elder Creath's Lady thrown from her Horse, and permanently injured — Visit from a Sister-in-law, not much to her Credit — Important Episode — Bad Treatment from H. Foster. N August, 1837, Brother Johnson and I held a meeting at Hind's Creek, in Mad- ison County, not far from Clay's Ferry, at which about seventy persons confessed faith in, and love for, the Saviour. Many of them were persons of high social position. Among others I might mention Colonel Jones, Samuel Stone, Dr. Jacob White, and Captain Richardson. Three of them I baptized in the Kentucky River. The sectarians were alarmed. They thought that ' Campbellism ' was about to ruin them ! "The year 1838 was, to me, one of great trouble. My wife was thrown from her horse, a short time before the birth of my only son, and I08 3IL\M0IR OF was permanently injured. She was confined to her bed, the most of the time afterward, mitil she died. Her child was delicate ; had to be fed from a bottle ; and, for a long time, was not expected to live. ^'In the summer of 1839, we made known our intention of removing to Missouri in the fall. I thought that, by so doing, I would improve my worldly condition, and enlarge the sphere of my usefulness. In addition to these considerations, my wife never expected to recover her health, and desired to die at her father's house, surrounded by her brothers and sisters. "Under these circumstances, a sister of my wife's former husband paid her a visit, professedly of condolence, but, in reality, with the deep design of luring from us my step-son, Sidney Bedford, so that if his mother died, his property, which was very considerable, might go to her and his other relatives by the father's side. " In making this apparently severe remark, I do the lady no injustice, inasmuch as she openly avowed her design before we separated, pleading with us, most earnestly, to let her have him. " My wife responded * No,' decidedly, remarking JACOB CEEATII, Jr. IO9 that, * in case of her death, she wished me to retain and educate him ;' and that 'if he too should die, before he became of age, it was her dying request that /icr property and /lis should descend to her children by me — they were his and her nearest and dearest relatives.' " My wife's father, Thomas Price, and family, removed to Missouri in the fall of 1835. In October, 1839, her brother, James Price, came to Kentucky, with the view of aiding us in the laborous operation of also migrating thither. " My sale of all disposable property was adver- tised to take place on the tv/enty-second of that month. And that my sick wife might not be annoyed by the excitement, and noise, and confu- sion invariably incidental to an occasion of the kind, I started her and the wagons, under the care of her brother, a day or two in advance, knowing that, on horseback, after the sale was over, I could easily overtake them. " The sale took place at the time appointed ; and after it was over three of my neighbors, viz : Charles Robinson, B. A. Hicks, and Henry Foster, accompanied me, part of the way, on my journey to Missouri. no MEMOIR OF " And now, dear .reader, be so kind as to indulge an old man, who desires to be respected by you and your children, with the privilege of intro- ducing a little episode. "Sidney Bedford, sen., at the time of his death, was the owner of some land, in Bourbon County, Ky., some slaves, and other personal property. This descended to his son, and my step-son, Sidney Bedford, subject to the dower of his mother, Thomas Price, his grandfather by the mothers side, was appointed his guardian, by the Probate Court of Bourbon County. "In November, 183 1, the same court conferred that position on me. I gave the usual bond required in such cases, with my father-in-law, Thomas Price, Henry Foster, and Thomas Matson, as my sureties. The penalty annexed to the bond was ten thousand dollars. " In 1833 I had my first settlement, as guardian, with the commissioners appointed by the court for that purpose: charging myself with all the bonds, notes, and money which thus fell into my hands. In consequence of Thomas Matson's death, I gave an additional bond, with Mason Talbot as counter-security. JACOB CEEATIT, Jr. Ill "As my ward and myself both lived in Fayette County, for the sake of greater convenience in making my settlements, I was appointed to the same position by the Probate Court of that county, giving bond, with Thomas Price and George W. Clark as my sureties. In 1832, Wm. Ellis, sen., \Vm. Ellis, jr., and Henry Foster were appointed commissioners, by the same authority, to allot my wife her dower, which they did. ''From A. D. 1831 to A. D. 1839, I resided in Fayette County, and, as guardian, made annual settlements, which are all recorded in Lexing- ton, Ky. "Previous to my sale I had promised H. Foster, in compliance with his urgent request, that I would furnish him, on that occasion, additional counter-security. I made this promise to him from the full assurance that B. A. Hicks and Wm. Ellis, sen., men in whose friendship I had unbounded confidence, would cheerfully place themselves in such a relationship to me, more especially as they had pledged their word that they would do so. " They failed to meet my reasonable expectations, and their own ensfasfcment. I had not time then 112 MEMOIR OF to make other arrangements, but felt compelled to follow my afflicted wife, with the full intention, cherished and expressed, of making the matter perfectly satisfactory to him as soon as I had committed her to the care of her friends in Missouri, and had a little time to look around and secure the requisite assistance of friends for that purpose. " Foster, however, disregarding what was fair and kind, immediately swore out an attachment against me, and bound up in the hands of gar- nishees the sum of $1,609.84, due me from different persons who had purchased property at my sale. "This he never released, until I offered him security to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, and then did so very ungraciously. " Had his malice proceeded no further than this, it would have been to me a matter of but little consequence. Indeed, upon the whole, it might have been favorable to my happiness, from ^the opportunity which it aftbrded to test the gener- osity of noble-hearted friends, who were willing to indorse for me to such an amount. " But it did nat stop here. Reports of the most JACOB ORE A TIT, Jr. II3 unfavorable character were circulated against me — such as that 'I intended to defraud my sureties/ that 'we stole away in the night/ etc., etc., etc., 'ad infinitum.'" 114 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XIII. Elder Creath gives vent to his Indignation in a Pamphlet — This call forth a vindictive one from the other side — The Matter looms up into a serious difficulty — Brother Campbell's Decis- ion with reference to it. HE best course for me to have pursued, with reference to them, would have been to imitate the example of our Saviour, * who, when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered he threatened not ; but com- mitted himself to the care of Him who judgeth righteously.' My previous character and subse- quent conduct would soon have put to silence all such false accusations. "Who now believes that the Son of God 'had a devil,' or 'was mad'.? Who believes that 'he cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils ' } or that 'he deceived the people,' or was 'a wine- bibber'? No one but the pitiful infidel, who is JACOB CEEATH, Jr. II5 either grossly ignorant or lacks the understanding requisite to appreciate an argument. '' But, alas ! I fell far short of this glorious model. Galled by Foster's unfeeling conduct, by family affliction, and by 'the pains and penalties' connected with a limited income, and having nothing to 'fall back upon' but my character, I gave vent to my indignation in a pamphlet, pub- lished at Palmyra, Missouri, entitled 'A History of Facts in relation to the Conduct of Henry Fos- ter, of Fayette County, Kentucky, from the year 1 83 1 to A. D. 1840; by Jacob Creath, jr., of Mon- ticello, Lewis County, Missouri.* " This, as might have been anticipated, called forth a vindictive publication on the other side, styled ' An Address to the Brethren, by the Church at David's Fork, per answer to ''A History of Facts in relation to the Conduct of Henry Foster, by Jacob Creath, jr.'" Of this church Foster was an elder, and it was at his instigation that the doc- ument in question was issued. "There have been so many things written and spoken with regard to these transactions, that your patience, polite reader, would be quite exhausted by even a brief rehearsal of them. I take no delight in 8 Il6 ME3I0IB OF repeating them, except for the purpose of endeavor- ing to preserve my own good name untarnished. " I cherish no desire to inflict injury upon the guilty parties connected with. them. In the ' un- pleasantness ' between us, they were defeated at the bar of every court to which they appealed ; and as all that I would say might be regarded as a mere ex parte statement of the case, I beg leave to invite your attention to the decisions of other minds respecting it. *^We will first introduce Brother Alexander Campbell, to whom the whole difficulty was re- ferred by both parties, with the express under- standing that his judgment should be final. That is contained in a letter addressed to my uncle Jacob Creath, the original of which is in my pos- session. "'Steamboat Alleghany, Dec, 8, 1845. " * Elder Jacob Creath : '^^ My Dear BrotJicr — I have just risen from read- ing, with mingled emotions of grief, mortification and reprobation, certain pamphlets, printed and published as follows : one entitled " A History of Facts in relation to the Conduct of Henry Foster, JACOB CREATE, Jr. 1 17 of Fayette County, Kentucky, from the year 1831 to 1840; by Jacob Creath, jr., of Monticello, Lewis County, Missouri," dated December i, 1840, and printed at the office of the " Missouri Courier, Pal- myra ;" also one entitled "An Address to the Brethren, by the Church at David's Fork, per an- swer to 'A History of Facts in relation to the Conduct of Henry Foster, by Jacob Creath, jr.,' " printed at Lexington, Kentucky, "Intelligencer" office, 1841 ; and one called "The Report of a Committee, called at the request of the Elders of the Christian Congregation in Monticello, from the congregations in Houston and Palmyra, to inves- tigate ^An Address' purporting to be wTitten by the David's Fork Church, in Fayette County, Ken- tucky, against Elder Jacob Creath, jr." " * Waiving all allusion to the literary, moral, and religious character of these productions, or to the purity or impurity of the motives of the authors of them, I regret these publications, be- cause they do honor to no one ; because they do dishonor to the cause of God ; because they mar the peace and fellowship of the brotherhood to some considerable extent ; and, especially, in the first incipiency of the matter, the difficulty ought to Il8 MEMOIR OF have been settled before the crsis which com- pelled Brother Creath to leave Kentucky. " * I think, also, that Brother H. Foster was righteous or rigorous overmuch, in demanding from Brother Creath such a release, especially from one who had stood so long in the relations which he had so acceptably sustained to himself, to the church, and to the world ; and still more, under all the circumstances in which Brother Creath was placed by afflictions and difficulties. " ' If oppression will make a wise man mad, it appears to me that a man of Brother Creath's temperament and feelings, endeavoring, as he un- doubtedly did, to satisfy what he regarded the unkind and exorbitant demands of a Christian brother and elder, in the midst of such straits and embarrassments, when affection for his wife and children, and sympathy for her condition and them, were dragging him on the one hand, and those from whom he expected sympathy and as- sistance were abandoning him on the other hand, could do neither less nor more than what he did. "'And if failure there was in any thing, which either the fears of pecuniary loss might demand, or alienated affection might extort from him, on JACOB CREATH, Jr. II9 the part of Elder Foster, it ought, on all the prin- ciples of Christianity and humanity, to have been sought at some other time, and in some other way. "^As little as I approve of either the spirit or the style of the publications which have appeared on the occasion, I think Brother Creath ought not to have printed and circulated his " History of Facts " in the case. And if any thing might have called for a printed expose, it ought to have been in a style more consonant to the genius and spirit of the Christian religion. "'Still less can I justify a pamphlet so infor- mally got up, and yet purporting to be a public "Address" from a church of Christ, whose grand object appears to be the dishonor of the character of a Christian minister whose talents and services in the cause were public property of great value ; and who strained every nerve to obtain the secu- rity to relieve Elder Foster from his personal re- sponsibility, even, too, when it appears to me he was made perfectly safe. " * But worse than all, the attempt to force upon him the character of stealthily running away from difficulties which he had, to the last moment, sought I20 MEMOIR OF and expected to have satisfactorily adjusted, is most of all to be reprobated. " * On a candid and impartial review of all that that has been said and done, and especially on gravely weighing the providential decision of the case, in finally removing an individual, in reference to whose pecuniary interests much of the suspi- cionings and evil forebodings productive of this unfortunate issue of affairs originated, I should think it would be, due to the brotherhood in gen- eral, to the cause of religion, and to the character of Brother Jacob Creath, jr., that there should be, on the part of Elder Foster and the brethren acting with him, a withdrawal of any imputation against the moral and Christian standing of Brother Jacob Creath in these affairs, which might diminish in any way his power of doing good, either in Ken- tucky or Missouri. " * I feel it my duty to say to you, Father Creath, on all the premises, especially since what I have observed in my late tour in Missouri, that you should make an effort to obtain from those breth- ren such a statement as both justice and truth de- mand in this case, and send it to our common friend and brother, whose feelings have been so JACOB CREATE, Jr. 121 much wounded, and whose reputation and that of the cause have suffered in this affair. "'The most of this communication I wrote on the steamboat, returning from Missouri ; but de^ siring to examine some documents, at home, in my possession, and being disappointed in not finding them all, have been causes why I have been pre- vented from finishing this communication until now. '''Please endeavor to have the matter settled soon, and let peace and harmony be universally restored. Brother Creath is willing to acknowl- edge, indeed, he has voluntarily acknowledged to me, that he has both said and written what he ought not, as a Christian minister, to have said and written ; but through the violence of the cir- cumstances was led into error. " ' With much sincere and constant affection and esteem, I remain, as ever, yours in the one hope. "'A. Campbell.' " Four months and twelve days after the above was penned, Brother Campbell addressed another letter to my uncle on the same subject. Its con- tents are as follows : 122 MEMOIR OF "'Bethany, Brooke Co., Va., April 20, 1846. " ' Dear Brother Creath : — After paying all the attention to this case, which it is possible for me to bestow on all the circumstances of any case on my immense file of documents, which, indeed, is now like the docket of the court of chancery, some ten years behind the age, I must state to you the summary view of the matters communi- cated in my last, to which I am compelled by all the evidence in the case, printed, and written, and oral, before me. " * The church at David's Fork should recall the libel published against Jacob Creath, jr., by giving him a writing to that effect. And the said church should also cause his land, as well as his character, to be released from all liability, alleged at the time in justification of such a measure. " ' This seems due to his character, from all that has been laid before me, in the printed documents of the case, and from the representations made to me by either party, and from the providential issue to which the case has been brought. It is possible for communities and individuals to err in judgment and in heart. And in either case, to JACOB CREATII, Jr. 1 23 the injured party, when the matter is fully devel- oped, a redress of the wrong should be made " ' I did not press the matter upon the attention of those brethren, immediately, after my inter- view with Brother Jacob Creath, jr. I read the pamphlets, made my notes on the river, and have suffered myself calmly to review all the alleged circumstances of the case, and therefore advise these brethren to reconsider this matter, and to prevent any necessity of any farther exposure of a case which has brought no honor to any one, but to the cause of the gospel and its friends a great injury, by a timely redress of all the wrongs done in the case to a brother, v/hose reputation and good fame are public property in which we are all deeply interested. " * With every sentiment of Christian regard and affection, I remain yours in the hope of rest, "*A. Campbell.'" 124 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XIV. The Testimony of George W. Williams, John T. Johnson, and 'A. Young. AM aware of the characteristic of human nature, that too much evidence has, some- times, the same effect as too little. The reader becomes cloyed with it, and turns away in disgust. Besides, it bears, too, to some extent, the aspect of compulsion, as though we were deter- mined to make people believe something, whether they were willing or not. In such cases, the sons of men (shall I not say the daughters, too .?) are disposed to pull the other way. " In addition to this consideration, we are in danger, in such a case, of leaving the impression that it is a bad one, otherwise we would not deem it necessary to bolster it up with so much testi- mony. I would be pleased, in the present instance, JACOB CREATH, Jr. 1 25 as in all others, to come as near as possible striking the happy medium. ' In media tutissimus ibis.' " Any addition to, or subtraction from, the deci- sion of Brother Campbell, with reference to the subject in hand, would seem to me a little like tam- pering with a judgment of the Supreme Court. But in the law of Moses it is written, * One witness shall not rise up against a* man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth ; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be estabhshed.' — Deut. xix. 15. '^ Viewing the matter from this standpoint, I will trespass on the reader's polite attention by introducing two or three more witnesses. "'The testimony of George W. Williams, Paris, Bourbon County, Ky., May 12, 1856: "'I have acted for Elder Jacob Creath, as attorney at law, in the management of the estate of Sidney Bedford, jr., who was his ward, so far as that estate was in Kentucky ; also, as adminis- trator of said Sidney Bedford, deceased, after his death, and as commissioner in the sale of the land that descended to the children of said Jacob 126 MEMOIR OF Creath, upon the death of said Sidney. And, I now state, that in all my dealings and transactions with Elder Creath, I have found him to be correct and honorable ; and, so far as the estate of Sidney Bedford is concerned, in all that I know of his acts, I have found him to be equally so. " '■ George W. Williams.' " Brother John T. Johnson thus writes to me, after his visit to Missouri, in 1843 : "'Georgetown, Ky., Oct, 20, 1843. "'Brother Creath : — \ have received your last letter — beihg the third with the pamphlets — and I have read them attentively. My mind is the same as when I wrote to Brother Tafife. My con- fidence in your Christian integrity is unshaken. This being the case with myself, I have no desire to investigate the case farther.' '* The statement of Samuel A. Young is as follows : " *■ From what I have heard, as a general remark, and read, concerning your difficulties with H> Foster and the David's Fork Church, I was in- clined to believe that you had acted in bad faith JACOB CREATII, Jr. 12/ toward your ward, and particularly with your securities ; and more particularly with Foster, who was one of your securities in your fiduciary bond. "'I, however, at the particular solicitation of Beverly A. Hicks, another of your securities, un- dertook your defense, and gave the case, in all its features, a thorough, full, and minute examination, " and I feel great pleasure, sir, in saying, that the result of my examination and investigation, was an entire revolution, in my feelings and opinions, relative to your conduct as guardian. " ' Indeed, I can safely say, I have, in the course of my professional life, had occasion to examine the settlements of very many estates, and I have not yet seen one where there was evidenced more capacity and integrity, on the part of the fiduciary, in the conducting of a trust, than you have shown in the case of your ward. " ' I beg to be considered your friend, sincerely, " ' Samuel A. Young.' "I do not know that any thing additional would add to the weight of what has been already said on this subject. If I thought so, it should be forthcoming. For I am fortified with certificates 128 MEMOIR OF from my brother-in-law, James Price, on whom tKe position of guardian was conferred soon after our arrival in Missouri, and who is as honorable a man as treads the soil of this footstool of God ; and from the Christian congregations of Monticello, Houston, and Palmyra, convened in council, by their representatives ; and, also, from other parties of the highest respectabiUty, who enjoyed the opportunity of becoming thoroughly acquainted with all the facts of the case, that, as regards the property which has been the innocent occasion of all this trouble, my hands are clean JACOB CREATE, Jr. 1 29 CHAPTER XV. A Year of great Trouble— Death of Elder Creath's Wife— Her Character— Notice of his Son, William W. Creath— His first Meeting at Hannibal. N A. D. 1840, I removed from the farm of my father-in-law, near Lagrange, Lewis County, Missouri, to that of my brother-in-law, James Price, five miles north-west of Monticello, on the Fabius River. While resid- ing there, I preached in Lewis, Shelby, Marion, and Monroe Counties. "In May, 1840, Brother Levi Hatchett and I held a meeting at Quincy, Illinois, at which we had a number of additions, among whom Sister Carlin, the Governor's wife, might be mentioned. "In the early part of June, 1849, ^ preached at St. Francisville, on the Desmoines River. On the third Lord's day of the same month, I held a meet- ing at Palmyra, Missouri, at which we had twenty 130 MEMOIR OF confessions. I preached in the Baptist meeting- house. After this, owing to the hostile interfer- ence of the Rev. (?) Mr. Vardeman, we were under the necessity of using the court-house as our place of worship. This we continued to do for seven years, when our number had increased to two hun- dred, and we were, consequently, able to purchase a lot, and build a house of our own. "In August, 1840, B. W. Stone, T. M. Allen, M. Wills, and I held a meeting six miles from Paris, in Monroe County, Missouri, at which we had many additions. In the month of October, this same year, I moved into the town of Monti- cello, for the purpose of educating my children, and that my afflicted wife might be nearer to her physician. " lu that place I gathered together a large con- gregation of Christians, who afterward built a substantial brick meeting-house. Three other congregations ultimately grew out of this. '* My first place of preaching there was the pri- vate dwelling-house of Brother H. Roberts. We afterward occupied the court-house, until our own building was erected. There were but few of our brethren in Lewis County, when I first made it JACOB CREATE, Jb. 13I my home. Now we have four or five congrega- tions, and Christian University. "A. D. 1840 was to me a year of great trouble. My children were small, and my wife a helpless, hopeless invalid. I read my Bible, and called upon God. Whenever I could leave home to en- gage in ministerial labor, it was crowned with the most abundant success. "In 1 84 1, I continued to preach in Shelby and Marion Counties. My exertions for the enlarge- ment of Messiah's kingdom were specially blessed in Shelbyville, Palmyra, and Monticello. When I first visited Shelby County, it contained but nine of our people. When it ceased to be a portion of my field of labor, it contained two hundred. From first to last, over two hundred were added to our congregation at Palmyra ; and meeting- houses were erected at Canton, Lagrange, Shelby- ville, and other places, as well as Palmyra and Monticello. "In 1841, I met with a sad bereavement in the death of my beloved wife. It occurred on the six- teenth of July, at twenty-five minutes past eleven o'clock, P. M. She died of consumption at the age of thirty-two years, eight months, and nine 9 132 MEMOIR OF days. She was barn in Fayette County, Ken- tucky, eight miles from Lexington. " Her father afterward removed to Lincoln County, near Walnut Flat. He subsequently re- turned to his old neighborhood, and settled on the farm of her maternal grandfather. There she lived when I married her. " During her last illness she made some of the most eloquent appeals to those around her, with reference to their immortal interests, to which I ever listened. I was leaning over her when she died ; as I raised her head a little, she exclaimed : *Lord Jesus ! why canst thou not bid me come to thee now?' In the course of a minute or two, with a smile upon her countenance, she breathed her last. 'Thou art gone to the grave; but we will not deplore thee, Though sorrows and darkness encompass the tomb. The Saviour has passed through its portals before thee, And the lamp of his love was thy guide through the gloom. *Thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee; Nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy side ; But the wide arms of Mercy were spread to enfold thee, And sinners may hope, since the Sinless has died.' JACOB CREATH, Jr. 133 " She was a pure-hearted, noble-minded woman ; neat, industrious, and economical ; a good wife, a loving mother, an jndulgent mistress. In Novem- ber, 1832, upon the profession of her faith in our Redeemer, I baptized her in Richard Child's pond, in Fayette County, Kentucky. "The day after her death, accompanied by Dr. Martin, Brother Roberts, and Miss Jane Roberts, I took her remains to Palmyra ; and, in accordance with her dying request, buried them under a cer- tain tree in the garden of her cousin, Mrs. Agnes Smith. I afterward removed them to my lot in the cemetery, placing a beautiful stone, witfi an appropriate inscription, at the head of her grave. There she sleeps, side by side with our beloved son, William W. Creath, suddenly cut down by the hand of lawless violence, in the bloom of life, handsome, talented, noble-hearted, and brave. " In the latter part of October, I changed my place of residence to Palmyra, and continued to preach in the surrounding counties. I planted our churches in Hannibal, New London, and St. Louis. " I commenced my labors in Hannibal in the month of January, 1842. The weather was in- 134 MEMOIR OF tensely cold ; our place of worship was an old log out-house, with no seats, no fire-place, and a loose puncheon floor. My hearers were all men ; and yet, while standing and hearing ' the word,' they trembled with cold, like aspen-leaves. "At that time we had but one member in the town. T/iat was Sister Bowen, the daughter of Barton W. Stone, who inherited a large portion of her father's loveliness. On one occasion, in Han- nibal, I preached in the lower story of an old house, while in the upper part of it they were dancing and fiddhng." JACOB CREATE, Jb. 1 35 CHAPTER XVI. First Acquaintance with his present Wife — A Compliment — McVicker and White steal his Step-son — His Uncle, B. F. Bedford, institutes Suit for his Property — Being sent away by them, he dies. N the latter part of January, 1842, I was sent for to preach in Jacksonville, Illinois. Wm. Brown, B. W. Stone, John T. Jones, and D. P. Henderson were my co-laborers. We continued our meeting for ten days or two weeks, and had a number of conversions. In returning home, while crossing ' the Father of Waters,' falsely so called, in a small skiff, when the ice was run- ning, I came near being drowned several times. " On reaching home, I found that one of my little children had been, for some days, lying at the point of death with fever. I cried unto Jeho- vah. He heard me, and she recovered. The same winter I preached at New London, Frankfort, 136 MEMOIR OF Clarksville, Paynesville, Bowling Green, Louisiana, and Ramsay's Creek. At one meeting we had thirty-five additions. "I first saw my present wife at Bowling Green. Her name was Mrs. Prudence Rogers. We were married in March, 1842. The ceremony was per- formed by James Campbell, a Cumberland Presby- terian clergyman, at the house of Ezra Hunt, Esq., Judge of the Circuit Court of that district. " Mrs. Hunt remarked to me, on the occasion, that I had secured the most precious jewel for my children that I could have obtained in the State of Missouri. Extravagant as this compliment seems, an acquaintance of twenty-five years has proved it true. "On the seventh day of August, 1842, a man named McVicker, from Bourbon County, Ky., handed my step-son a hundred dollars, to pay his expenses from Missouri to Kentucky. It was sent by his relatives in Bourbon County. Their object was to secure possession of him, so that, in case he should die before he became' of age, they might inherit his property. A man by the name of White, who lived near me, aided in decoying him. They seized an opportunity when I was from home. JACOB GREAT II, Jr. 137 " The boy, before he left, told two different par- ties that * I had been as good to him as his own father could have been, and that, if he had not learned it from other sources, he would never have known but that I was his father.' " When he reached Paris, Ky., he chose his uncle, B. F. Bedford, for his guardian, who immedi- ately commenced a suit against me for his nephew's property. To place him out of my reach, they sent him to Washington, Pennsylvania, where he died. " The following certificate ^hows how the suit resulted : " ' State of Kentucky, Bourbon Circuit Court : I, James M. Arnold, clerk of the court of the circuit aforesaid, do hereby certify that on the eighteenth day of May, 1843, a suit in chancery was instituted in the same court, by Sidney Bed- ford, an infant under twenty-one years of age, who sues, by Benjamin F. Bedford, his guardian, and writ found against Jac^b Creath, as former guardian of said Sidney Bedford, and Thomas Price, Henry Foster, Beverly A. Hicks, and Mason Talbot, as his securities in the guardian bond. 138 MEMOIR OF " * The suit was tried, so far as B. A. Hicks was concerned, at the November term, 1843, and the suit dismissed, as to him, with costs, the court de- creeing him released from his bond. "*At the April term^, 1845, it was referred to Geo. W. Williams, as commissioner, who made no report. On the fourteenth day of July, 1845, that being the first day of the July term of our said court, the following order was made in said suit, viz : This day Robert C. Clark, Esq., counsel for the complainant, suggested the death of said Sidney Bedford, and the suit is abated thereby. Which order finally disposed of the cause ; and no decree was rendered in the suit against said Creath, or his securities. " ' State of Kentucky, Bourbon Circuit Court : I, James M. Arnold, clerk of the court of the circuit aforesaid, do hereby certify that the fore- going page contains a true statement of the date of filing the bill in the suit in chancery, lately decided in our said court, relieving the parties therein named, with the final order made in said suit, etc. " ' In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my JACOB CHEATH, Jr. 139 hand, and affixed the seal of my office, this second day of March, 1846, in the fifty-fourth year of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. " ' J. M. Arnold/ " ' State of Kentucky, set. : I, James Simpson, sole and presiding Judge of the Bourbon Circuit Court, in the State aforesaid, do hereby certify- that J. M. Arnold, who has certified and attested the foregoing record, was, at the time of doing the same, and still is, the clerk of said court, and that his said certificate and attestation, as such, are in due form of law. " ' Given under my hand, as judge aforesaid, this s,econd day of March, 1846. "James Simpson.' " My guardianship, in this case, ultimately ruined me pecuniarily. For in February, 1843, a year of great stringency in monetary matters, I was com- pelled to sacrifice ;^5,ooo worth of good property to raise a balance of ;^ 1,500, due from me to the estate of my step-son at the final winding up of the business. This was all that I had made by farming in Kentucky, through years of toil and care." I40 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XVII. Ten days' labor in severe weather rewarded with the splendid sum of three dollars — Five weeks' constant toil, in Iowa, and books bring in twenty-five dollars — Involved in a terrific storm at night. II HE winter of 1843 was intensely cold. During- its continuance I preached in Marion and Lewis counties. At one place where I held a meeting, we cut the ice in order to baptize. I then, after administering the ordinance, had to walk three-quarters of a mile before I could change my clothing. By that time, the lower part of my raiment would, without much effort, have stood alone. After laboring thus for ten days or two weeks, the magnificent sum of three dollars was presented to me by a generous community ! "In the month of January, 1844, I visited the State of Iowa; and, in company with Brothers JACOB CEEATIT, Jr. I41 Matlock and Ross, preached at Fort Madison, Burlington, Muscatine, Augusta, Loo's Creek, Keo- kuk, Desmoines, and Fox Rivers. At the expira- tion of five weeks, laboriously occupied, during the severest portion of an Iowa winter, I had realized, from my labors and the sale of books, the enor- mous sum of twenty-five or thirty dollars ! "In April, 1844, I started on a three months' tour of preaching and baptizing on the Missouri River. On my return trip, I met with some ad- ventures which I would cheerfully have dispensed with. These were, the imminent risk of drownins: in ' the Father of Waters,' and a tempest in the night, as I neared my home. I sometimes thought that the fierce, howling wind would blow me, horse, and buggy all away. The continued flashes of vivid lightning which accompanied the roar of the thunder, and the drenching rain, were the only means by v/hich I was enabled to keep the road. " The following winter I visited Jefferson City, preached to the Legislature, and conducted a pro- tracted meeting, aided by Brothers Wills, Joel H. Hayden, and T. M. Allen. Our special object, in going thither, was the selection of some young brother whom we might educate for the ministry 142 MEMOIR OF at Bethany, Virginia. Through my influence and that of Brother Hayden, Brother Alexander Proc- ter was the favored candidate. " In the month of August, during the same year, I performed a journey to Tayes Valley, Virginia, to see my aged mother. She had dwelt * in these low grounds, where sorrows grow,' her * three-score years and ten,' was in bad health and feeble. I preached the gospel to her and other Baptists, who bore a cordial testimony to the evangelical charac- ter of my discourses. "I first preached there in 1828, and 'the new doctrine,' as it was erroneously styled, created al- most as much excitement as in the days of the apostles, by whom it was first clearly and fully proclaimed. "The Baptist Association, connected with this portion of Western Virginia, was in session during my visit, and at their request I preached to them. " My mother asked me what she should do. * My mind and heart,' she said, * are with you ; but you have no congregation in this part of the coun- try. If you had, I would gladly unite myself with them.' I told her to do as her judgment and con- science dictated — rather discouraging the idea of JACOB CREATH, Jr. I43 separating herself, so near the close of life, from those with whom she had so long been agreeably associated. " Upon a thorough review of her case, I think, now, that I grievously erred. The proper course for me to have advised, and her to have adopted, would have been, at once and forever, to abandon an unauthorized and God-condemned human or- ganization, different from, and inconsistent with the one Divine church-organization, the history of which we find in the New Testament ; and to have resolved herself into simple membership in that church. " Pure and elevated as her character was, such an example upon her part would, when her head lay low in the dust, have spoken volumes in favor of ' the good way' to future generations." 144 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XVIII. He preaches in St. Louis — Removes thither — Accompanies Brother Campbell to Columbia — They preach — Brother McChesney — First Convert in New Orleans — Her name — Who baptized her. N Januar}', 1845, I traveled to St. Louis-, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, in very cold weather, and preached to a few ' Christians' and other hearers, in the third story of a dark house, at the corner of Vine and Third streets. I then returned home and prepared to remove thither, which I accomplished in the month of March. " We continued to occupy the same place of worship until we leased a small house at the cor- ner of Sixth Street and Franklin Avenue, which the Northern Methodists had used for the same purpose. This year we had a number of additions. I baptized them in Choteau's Pond, then in the western part of the city. JACOB CBEATH, Jr. - I45 " During the summer I made two preacning tours up the Missouri. The one terminated at Lexington, Lafayette County, the other in Frank- lin County. Early in the fall I visited St. Francis County, in the south-eastern part of the State. In October I accompanied Brother A. Campbell from St. Louis to Columbia, Boone County, to hold a meeting. We both preached, on Lord's day, to very large and attentive congregations. The house could not contain the people. Brother Campbell visited Missouri for the purpose of rais- ing funds for Bethany College, and succeeded. " My step-son having died, I took a journey to Kentucky to look after his estate, which now, by the laws of both God and man, became the inheri- tance of his half-brother and sisters, the children of his mother by me. On my route I had the pleasure of traveling with Brother John Rogers, from St. Louis, who has lately ' died the death of the righteous.* " Subsequently to my return from Kentucky, in December, I lay at the point of death nearly all the remainder of the winter. After the restora- tion of my health, I still continued to reside in St. Louis, preaching for our brotherhood and edu- 146 MEMOIR OF eating my children, until the month of September following, when I returned with my family to Pal- myra, which has been our home ever since. " Later in the fall I took a tour through the southern portion of Kentucky and Tennessee, preaching in Hopkinsville, Clarksville, Nashville, Cadiz, Paris, Paducah, and other places, making many converts. At Paris, alone, thirty confessed our Saviour, and were baptized. " Three months of my life were thus laborously occupied. B. F. Hall, Jesse B. Ferguson, H. T. Anderson, and John R. McCall were, a portion of the time, associated with me. In the month of December I passed a very cold night on a wharf- boat, at Cairo, Illinois, where I contracted a cold from which I have never recovered. "About the first of April, 1847, I took my daughters, Mary E. and Margaret Creath, to the Female Seminary at Monticello, Illinois. Thence I proceeded to St. Louis, and then to New Orleans. There I enjoyed the pleasure of becoming ac- quainted with Brother McChesney, the Lutheran minister who was converted to the pure, primitive. Christian Faith by hearing the Campbell and Rice Debate, at Lexington, Ky., in 1843. ^^ was on JACOB CREATE, Jr. 147 his way from Cuba, to which he had, in vain, re- sorted for health. He died shortly afterward at Cincinnati, Ohio. As a preacher, and as a man, he was universally esteemed and beloved. *' The first time I preached in New Orleans, I made one convert. Her name was Sophia Sum- mers. She was baptized by Brother Prewitt, of Fayette, Howard County, Mo. Leaving New Orleans, I proceeded to Cheneyville, on Red River. There I met Brother Banks Marshall and his noble wife, whom I had baptized at "VVoodville, Miss., in 1827. Josiah Scott, the nephew of Gov. Scott of Mississippi, whose wife I baptized at the same time, was also there with Mr. Scott's mother, and a number of other ' Disciples ' who had removed from Mississipi to that portion of Louisiana. I preached, of course, the ancient gospel to them. About a dozen believed it, felt its power, and obeyed. " The next point, in my route, was Alexandria, where I renewed my acquaintance with James Brice, one of my fellow-students at College, in Washington City, during the years 1822 and 23. I then revisited Mayor Johnson's, my old home, near Woodville, Miss., and -preached to him and his servants. His wife, since our first acquaintance, 10 148 MEMOIR OF had taken up her permanent abode in one of the towns or ' cities of the dead.' *' Jle Hved and died in theory a Calvinistic Baptist, expecting God to do for him what he should have done for himself. Believing, repent- ing, obeying, are the works of the creature. Par- doning, adopting, sealing, upholding, and eternally saving, are the works of Another. " He was a noble-hearted man. It is the more to be lamented that he most probably lost his eternal all by waiting God's time to accept the offer of mercy, which, had he been properly in- structed, he would have learned was always the present moment. "After preaching at different points in Wilkin- son County, I proceeded to Jackson, the capital of the State, making my homes while there at the house of Gen. Clark and that of his son-in-law. Brother Boddie, two of the best men I have ever been acquainted with. Brother Clark had heen, like me, a Calvinistic Baptist preacher. *'l continued my labors in that section of the country until near the last of June. I then re- turned to my home in Palmyra. I arrived on the fourth of July. It was also Lord's day. And JACOB ORE A TIT, Jr. 1 49 while my wife and children were at the sanctuary of the Most High, commemorating a vastly more important deliverance than that connected with the former epoch, our smoke-house took fire, and all our provisions w^ere consumed. And but for the extraordinary exertions of Col. Parker Dudley and other kind neighbors, my dwelling-house and furniture and library would all have been reduced to ashes." ISO MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XIX. Elder Jacob Creath, sen., visits Missouri — His preaching is accept- able — Elder Jacob Creath, jr., publishes a book against Epis- copalianism. N the year 1847, my much venerated and beloved Uncle Jacob Creath visited Mis- souri. Although he was more than sev- enty years of age, his preaching was highly accept- able to our brotherhood in general, and to his numerous personal friends in particular. Many .of them had known and loved him from the earli- est period of their being " In the autumn of this year, I revisited the southern part of Kentucky, preaching at Hopkins- ville, Lafayette, Cadiz, and other places on the Cumberland River. "During the year 1848, I preached to our con- gregations in Palmyra and the surrounding coun- .try. I also visited Indiana and Kentucky, and JACOB CREATE, Jr. 151 preached at New Albany, Louisville, Shelby ville, and other places. " This year I wrote a book of twenty-four pages, entitled 'A Blow at the Root of Episcopalianism.' It was in reply to a small book published in Pal- myra, by the President of St. Paul's College. In his production he endeavored to prove that, with- out ordination from the Episcopal Church, no Protestant clergyman had a right to preach or ad- minister the sacraments. " In my reply, I endeavored to render the fact very conspicuous that no such institution as ' the Episcopal Church' was spoken of in the New Tes- tament ; that it was the offspring of corruptions, which had been accumulating for ages after the One Church of the Living God was organized. Even then, it was not known by that name. Our Episcopal Church originated in the reign of Henry the Eighth, and became fully developed in that of his successors. " He, becoming disgusted with his Roman Cath- olic wife, Catherine of Arragon, whose beauty had faded, and whose health was imperfect, applied to the Pope of Rome, to whom he and his kingdom were in subjection, for a dispensation to divorce 152 MEMOIR OF her. The ground on which he based his petition was, that she was his brother's widow. The real reason, however, was that he might elevate to his throne and bed a beautiful Protestant lady, named Anne Boleyn, by whose charms he had become perfectly captivated. " His un-Holiness trifled with him. He applied to the universities. They decided in his favor. He married the object of his affections, renounced his allegiance to the Pope, and had himself consti- tuted Head of the English Church. Both before and after this event, he was a Romanist, having gained the title of 'Defender of the Faith' — since worn by the kings and queens of Great Britain — by a work written against Martin Luther, in de- fense of the monstrous dogma of Transubstan- tiation. " Had his son and successor, Edward, lived, he would have pushed forward the Reformation ; but he soon died, and gave place to his sister — the Bloody Queen Mary — a most violent Roman Cath- olic. Fortunately for the world, her career was brief, and her position was immediately occupied by the * Good Queen Bess,* as she was familiarly styled — in honor of whom one of our States is JACOB CREATE, Jr. 1 53 named Virginia — the murderess of Scotland's queen, and one of the most jealous, proud, envi- ous, malicious, revengeful, vain, and deceitful hu- man beings that ever played a part on this world's wide stage. She deemed it her interest to place herself at the head of the Protestant party of Europe, yet was a bigoted Roman Catholic, and opposed the progress of religious reform. James, the Sixth of Scotland, and First of England, of- fended by the rudeness of the Scottish Presby- terian clergy, and delighted with the polish and adulation of the English bishops, soon adopted his celebrated maxim of ' No bishop, no king ;' and threw himself in the way of farther reformation. Charles the First was a savage high-church fanatic. Charles the Second, after living a very wicked life, died in the Roman Catholic faith. James the Sec- ond was a devotee of the same religion. There were, during all these reigns, good men in England, who would have delighted to reduce every thing connected with God's worship to the Bible stand- ard, but they were not permitted by their regal masters and mistresses to do so. Hence I re- garded ordination by the English Church of but little more value than though it was derived from 154 MEMOIR OF the * woman sitting upon' the 'scarlet-colored bea'st, full of names of blasphemy,' *the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.' Indeed, Episcopalians themselves profess to obtain their ordaining 'grace' through that very channel." JACOB CEEATII, Js, 155 CHAPTER XX. He visits Iowa — People on the Desmoines River drunken, profane, blackguard — Visits St. Paul — Is the first man who ever preached the Primitive Gospel there — Great Meeting at Mon- mouth, Illinois — Parting Scene with his Mother. N April and May, 1 849, I made a tour to Keokuk, and thence, up the Desmoines River, to Eddyville. I preached at the latter place, and organized a church. There were a number of locks and dams on that river. While passing the Lord's day at one of these locks, the captain of a boat proposed to me, and those with me, that we should go on board, and help him to pull through. I replied, that he had made a proposition to us, and that I now had one to make to him. 'Call in your crew,' I continued, 'and let me preach to you and them. Rest the remainder of the day, and on to-morrow all of us will help you.' He declined the arrangement, say- 156 MEMOIR OF ing 'he had no time to wait.' I then observed that I had lived fifty years without performing or- dinary labor on the Lord's day, and I never yet had heard of any thing being in the end made by it. He pursued his own course, however, as is usual in such cases, ran his boat on a ' snag,' and, in getting her repaired, lost both time and money. "After preaching at other towns on that river, I returned to Keokuk, and ascended the Missis- sippi River to St. Paul. I am the first man that ever preached the primitive gospel in that new region, as well as the first that ever proclaimed it in ' Old Virginia.' I will do the people on the Des- moines River, in 1849, ^^"^^ justice to say, that they were the most drunken, profane, blackguard, and otherwise morally degraded population that previ- ous to that time I had ever met with. " In the fall of this same year, I conducted a protracted meeting at Monmouth, Illinois. Our services continued for three weeks, and resulted in seventy-five additions. The services were noise- less and solemn. The conversions were efifected, not through boisterous appeals to the animal na- ture of man, but through the power of God's word, JACOB CREATH, Jr. 157 addressed to their understanding, conscience, and heart. " I never saw so great a change produced in any community in twenty-one days. In this instance Isaiah's prediction, with reference to the influence of gospel preachers, was remarkably verified : * The wilderness and the solitary place,' says he, * shall be glad for them ; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing ; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.* "The people flocked to the meeting from the whole surrounding country ; and there seemed to be no limit to the number of buggies, wagons, carriages, carts, and horses. This is one of three meetings, the recollection of which I shall fondly cherish through life. The other two were those in Versailles and Madison, conducted with the assistance of Brother John T. Johnson, one of the loveliest of men. " My labors, during the year 1850, were bestowed upon Palmyra, New London, Frankfort, Houston, Lagrange, Canton, and Monticello. Of the year 158 MEMOIR OF 185 1, T spent January and February preaching at Palmyra. On the twenty-eighth of the latter month, I started on a tour to Kentucky, accom- panied by my oldest daughter, Mary. During my absence from home, I preached in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Western Virginia. I also visited my mother. She was in her seventy-seventh year, and infirm. It seemed to be understood between us, that we would never meet again, until we had crossed the stormy gulf, on this side of ' the shin- ing shore.' We were both sustained, however, by the priceless hope that — *' ' Then on a green and flowery mount, Our weaiy souls would sit, And, with transporting joy, recount The labors of our feet.' That then, " ' No vain discourse would fill our tongue. No trifles vex our ear;' but that— *' ' Infinite grace would be our song. And God rejoice to hear.' "I shall never forget our parting scene. As, with her withered arms, she folded me to her J A COB CREA Til, Jn. I S Q heart, while the tears flowed down her furrowed cheeks, she kissed me, and exclaimed : ' The Lord bless you, my son Jacob ! You have been a good son to me ! If I never meet you on this earth again, I hope to meet you in the resurrection of the just!'" ibO MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XXI. Marriage of his daughter Mary — Ungentlemanly conduct of three young men at Clinton, Hinds County, Mississippi — A mere pittance for a large amount of labor and exposure, in severe weather, in Monroe County, Missouri — Visits Quincy with Brother Campbell. SPENT the following summer, laboring as an evangelist, in Lewis and Scotland counties, Mo. While there, I had a severe attack of congestive chills. Dr. Craven, who was afterward murdered at Fairmount, was my physician. " On the fifteenth of September I started on an- other tour, to Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama. In Alabama I spoke at Marion Town, Old Town, Oak Grove, Greensborough, Easton, Clinton, Sel- ma, and Montgomery. "April 7, 1852, my daughter Mary was united in marriage to William A. Corbin. The wedding JACOB CEEATIT, Jr. i6i took place at the house of Sister Graham, the widow of Alexander Graham, Esq. The ceremony was performed by Pinkney O. Lawson, the grand- son of David Lawson, of North Carolina. I do earnestly invoke the special benediction of God upon Sister Graham, for her peculiar kindness to me and my beloved child, amid these affecting scenes. "About the last of September, I spoke one night at a little place, in Hinds County, Miss., called Clinton. Three young men, whose names were George Thomas, Duke Ricks, and Foster Jones, behaved improperly. I rebuked them, as is my custom under such circumstances. After the meeting they attacked me, and would have killed me but for the interposition of others. When will young men learn that becoming deportment in the house of God is indispensable to the charac- ter of a gentleman ? "The remainder of this year I labored at Colum- bus and Holly Springs, Miss., Little Rock, Ark., and Paducah, Ky. At Paducah I held a debate with a Baptist preacher named Ford, on the threadbare theme of 'Justification by faith alone.' I also visited Nashville, Tenn., and preached amid 1 62 MEMOIR OF the difficulties connected with the defection of Jesse B. F'erguson. "In the spring of 1853 I returned home, and passed the summer preaching at Palmyra, Hanni- bal, Shelbyville, Houston, and other accessible places. In the month of September I attended a meeting at Canton, Mo., with Brother James Shannon, President of our State University at Columbia. Then and there we laid the corner- stone of Christian University, each of us deliver- ing an oration on the occasion. " In October I conducted a meeting at Linneus, Mo., at which I baptized about ten persons. Thence I journeyed to Brunswick, Chariton County ; Fayette, Howard County ; and Columbia, Boone County ; laboring protractedly at each of these places. I also included Paris, Monroe County, in my homeward route. "In November I visited Mill Creek Church, in Adams County, III, where I met Brother A. Campbell, whom I accompanied to Quincy. On Saturday morning he preached there on the first chapter of Hebrews, and on Lord's day morning, on Matthew xvi. 16: * Thou art the Christ.' At night I spoke on the Commission, from Matthew JACOB CREATII, Jn, 1 63 xxviii. 19 and 20. The remainder of the year I employed in holding meetings at Lima, Perry, Pittsfield, and Barry, III. At Barry I took fifty- five confessions. "In Januar}^, 1854, I held several protracted, meetings in Monroe County, Mo., in extremely cold weather. I realized but a pittance in return for my toil and exposure. Even that little was important, however, in preserving my family from absolute starvation. " In the early portion of the spring, my labors were devoted to Palmyra, with the adjacent neigh- borhoods ; and, during the month of May, to Quincy, Bloomington, Walnut Grove, and Chicago, 111. In June and July I conducted meetings at Canton, Monticello, Newark, Columbia, Rockport, Ashland, and Fayette, Mo. At Ashland we had over thirty converts. " In August, D. P. Henderson, James Shannon, and I held a meeting at Middle Grove, Monroe County, Mo., at which we had fifty-five additions. In October we visited the Paris and Union churches, and labored with some success." II 1 64 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XXII. Becomes Agent for the Bible Revison Association — Liberality of the "Border Ruffians" — Yankee Supper at Barry — Exciting Adventure at Louisville, Kentucky — Meets Brothers Campbell and Pendleton at Memphis — Phrenological Chart. N April, 1855,1 attended a meeting of the Bible Revision Association in St. Louis. 3^Ty agency, in connection with it, com- menced then and continued for six years. This position, which was truly a God-send to me, was procured for me by Judge Crump, of Louisville, Kentucky, who subsequently removed to Hanni- bal, Missouri, and died there. He was a genuine Christian gentleman. His death was a misfortune to the church and to the world. "During the remainder of April and May I vis- ited Lagrange, Canton, Alexandria, Memphis, Fair- mount, and Monticello, Missouri ; also Keokuk, Fort Madison, Burlington, Columbus, Richland, JACOB CREATH, Jr. 1 65 Bloomington, and Drakesville, Iowa, making speeches on the subject of Bible Revision. Dur- ing the summer I prosecuted the same work at Palmyra, Shelbyville, Bloomington, Linneus, Tren- ton, Chillicothe, Gallatin, Bethany, Savannah, Gen- tryville, St. Joseph, De Kalb, Weston, Platte City, Cambden Point, Liberty, Richmond, Carrollton, and Brunswick, Missouri. "At the house of Dr. Edwin Price, a brother of General Sterling Price, and a relative of my first wife, I was attacked with rheumatism, fever, and diarrhea. Through the skill of the doctor, and the unremitting attentions of his kind family, I re- covered. I then started home, accompanied by Brother T. P. Haley, but the fatigue of traveling, under a burning July sun, in my debilitated condi- tion, brought on a relapse, which came near proving fatal to me. At the expiration of about two weeks the brethren at Paris sent for me. As soon as I became convalescent my kind wife came up, and took me home. "As soon as I regained my strength, I visited Huntsville, Glasgow, Fayette, Lexington, Dover, Wellington, Independence, Harrisonville, George- town, Warsaw, and Springfield, Missouri, and Fay- l66 MEMOIR OF etteville, Arkansas. I returned home by the way of Jefferson City, Fulton, New Bloomfield, Mexico, and Boonville. " While at Jefferson City, I enjoyed the privilege of presenting the grand theme of Revison to our Legislature. I reached home on the sixth of De- cember. " This year I was very successful, having raised, mostly among the ' Border Ruffians,' as we Mis- sourians were respectfidly designated, the sum of between twelve and thirteen thousand dollars in gold or its equivalent. I need not add that my labors were highly appreciated and complimented, both by the leaders of the Revision movement and other distinguished parties. " On the twenty-second day of January, 1856, at the request of Brother Edmunds, corresponding secretary of the Revision organization, I started on a journey to Louisville, Kentucky. In com- pany with six or eight other passengers, I crossed the Mississippi at Hannibal, on the ice, in a stage- coach. The atmosphere was intensely cold. It was ten o'clock at night before we reached Barry. There I enjoyed the unspeakable pleasure of eat- ing a regular Yankee supper, which means, no JACOB CREATH, Jr. 167 hot coffee, no warm savory meat, cold light bread, tea made upon the homeopathic principle of a small teaspoonful to a gallon of water, and that not boiling, for fear of exhausting the virtue of the plant at one meal ; a very little butter, and a great abundance of cold apple sauce. "I crossed the Illinois and Ohio rivers also upon the ice. I arrived at Louisville late in the afternoon, wearied, and cold, and hungry. I had my baggage put down at the door of a house recommended to me as a home by Brother Crump. The female portion of the household refused to receive me; the 'omnibus' that conveyed me thither was gone ; my trunk was so large and heavy that, without assistance, I could not remove it, and I could not well leave it unprotected on the public street until I could go and procure a con- veyance. I continued in this pleasurable dilemma, I suppose, for half an hour, when a Dutch dirt- cart, coming along, enjoyed the honor of relieving me from my embarrassment, by carrying my valu- ables to the office of Brother Edmunds, by whom I was received and entertained with the utmost cordiality. " Next day being Lord's day, and the pleasure 1 68 MEMOIR OF of conducting public worship devolving on me, I allowed the incident of the preceding evening to suggest my theme ; which was : * The Day of Judgment/ as described by Him who will preside on that pre-eminently grand occasion, in the twen- ty-fifth chapter of the gospel according to Mat- thew. Among other expressions found in this impressive delineation are these : ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- pared for you from the foundation of the world : for I was hungry, and you gave me meat : I was thirsty, and you gave me drink : I was a stranger, and you took me in ; naked, and you clothed me : I was sick, and you visited me : I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee.'* or thirsty, and gave thee drink } When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in .'' or naked, and clothed thee .'* or when saw we thee sick or in prison, and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer and say unto them. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.' "These facts will constitute a moral demon- JACOB CREATE, Jr, 1 69 stration, satisfactory to the intelligent universe, that they were his sincere friends, and worthy of his approbation. ' If we love one another, God dv/elleth in us ; and his love is perfected in us.' 'By this we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.' My intended landlady was present, but I never after- ward learned how she enjoyed her intellectual repast. •' I passed the following winter in Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Next summer and fall I visited Kentucky and In- diana, and traveled extensively in Missouri, deliver- ing lectures in Ralls, Pike, Lincoln, Montgomery, Audrain, Monroe, Lewis, Scotland, and Schuyler counties ; also at St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, St. Francisville, Farmington, and St. Louis. The succeeding winter I prosecuted the same good work, in the southern portion of Ken- tucky, in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Missis- sippi, and Louisiana. " In 1858, I made three tours through Kentucky and Tennessee ; directing special attention to Rus- selville, Bowling Green, Nashville, Murfreesborough, Shelbyville, Lewisburg, Lynnville, Franklin, and I/O MEMOIR OF Columbus. June, July* ^^^ August I spent in the counties bordering on the Missouri River, and south of the Osage River, not overlooking Fay- etteville and the country lying on White River, Arkansas. "January and February, 1859, I lectured on Revision in Ralls, Marion, Pike, Lincoln, Mont- gomery, and Macon counties, Missouri. March, April, and a part of May, I devoted to the same work in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. " On my return-route I met Brother A. Camp- bell and his lady, and Brother Pendleton, at the Gayosa Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee. As Brother Pendleton conducted me into the room where Brother Campbell was, he remarked to him : ' Do you know this man.'*' Raising his still expressive blue eyes, and looking fixedly at me, he replied : 'That is my old fellow-servant. Brother Creath!' We both preached that day in Memphis. Bishop Oty, of Episcopal renown, was present, and, after 'service,' invited us to dine with him. Having a previous engagement, however, we were under the necessity of declining the proffered honor and pleasure. "During my stay at Memphis, I obtained from JACOB CREATH, Jr. I /I Professor O. S. Fowler, of New York city, the fol- lowing" chart : " ' Phrenological chart of Mr. Jacob Creath, given at Memphis, Tennessee, by O. S. Fowler, Professor of Phrenology, May 20, 1859. " ' W. Giles, Reporter. " * Strength, power, efficiency, go-ahead, and the utmost indomitability, is your predominant trait, and is remarkable. You inherit it from your father, whom you resemble ; and are adapted to carry on some great undertaking requiring the utmost per- severance ; and have made your mark on the in- tellect of the community vv^here you reside, partly because of your strong, active sense ; more be- cause of your tremendous energy of character. " ' You have extraordinary lungs, great muscles, a splendidly-balanced constitution, and have a world of vitality; can go through Herculean la- bors, and have not a lazy bone in your body. You are excitable a little, though not much ; rarely ever let your feelings get the better of your judgment. " * You have not any thing like as much culture, in proportion, as you have natural talents. You have excellent digestion, but have over-eaten 172 MEMOIR OF all your life. You have extraordinary breathing power, and hardly know what fatigue is, and must be out of doors most of the time. You have an organism more favorable to judgment than brill- iancy. ** ' You are a ladies -man, almost worship the sex, and appreciate female beauty. You should marry a wife Vv^ho was dependent, not obstinate, for you could never tolerate an obstinate woman. " * You have one of the best wives that ever was, because you know how to select a woman, and because you would live well with any woman ; and would so live with a poor woman as to make her a good wife, even if poor ; and your wife would lay down her life for you. You are thoroughly sexed, are pre-eminently manly, and have a high, noble bearing. " ' You have very strong love for children, espe- cially daughters, literally doting on them as if they were angels. You are devotedly attached to home, are one of the most indulgent of husbands and parents, are a true, warm, generous friend, and have a warmer heart than often comes under my hands. You are a true patriot ; are want- ing in continuity; are able to attend to a great JACOB CREATII, Jr. 1/3 diversity of business in short order and without mistake. " ' You have great fortitude to bear up under disease, and will not allow yourself to be sick, and will not give up. "'You never quarrel with others, but stand your ground like a man. You are determined to conquer, but never punish a fallen foe. You have an excellent appetite ; go in for the plain and substantial ; can make money, but it must be in a large way. " * You can never dabble. You are perfectly candid, never act in a cunning way to attain your end ; but always straightforward and correct. You are barely cautious enough to prevent improper action. " ' You are not particular as to what people say about you ; pursue an independent course ; do as you please, and let people say what they like. You are most uncompromising when your mind is once made up, yet are judicious in making it up. You are rather conservative. You are a true worshiper of the Deity, but always under your own vine and fig-tree ; skeptical, and never admit any thing unless proved to a demonstration. You 174 MEMOm OF ought to be a judge. You are a true philanthro- pist ; are generous ; too kind for your own good Do n't let your friends put their hands too deep into your pockets ; and do n't indorse, unless you are willing to lose. Do n't confide too much in friends. Learn to say no. I would not wonder if you have lost half you have made. So turn a corner. " ' You are better informed than one in a thou- sand with your means of knowledge. You have a poor memory as regards names and dates, but good at recollecting countenances, facts, and ideas. You ought to be a speaker, not because you have so great a flow of words, but because you say im- pressively what you say at all. " ' You have a wonderfully accurate eye to judge of bulk and proportion, and can not tolerate archi- tectural disproportion. You never lose your way in city or country. " ' Your forte lies in the adoption of ways and means to ends, in originality, forethought, contri- vance, and penetration. You lack the agreeable ; you pass no compliments, not enough ; but read a man right through the first time, and are happy in what you say; it just hits the nail on the head. JACOB CREATH, Jr. 1 75 Your criticisms are remarkable. You illustrate well. ^' * The fact is, sir, you are, by nature, a great man ; and need only circumstances to make you a great man. And you, certainly, are one of the best men I ever examined, and are universally beloved.' " 1/6 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XXIII. A Blessing pronounced on the Masonic Fraternity — Ten Innocent Men murdered at Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri — Affect ting Interview with them before their Execution. SPENT June, July, and August lectur- ing in Shelby, Macon, Chariton, Ray, Clay, Clinton, De Kalb, Andrew, Ore- gon, Platte, Jackson, Lafayette, Saline, and How- ard counties, Missouri. The months of September and October I devoted to the south-western portion of the State. "On the tenth of November, I left home for Alabama ; and passed the winter and a part of the following spring in the northern portion of the State, and in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas ; especially the country lying on White, Black, and St. Peter's rivers. "The most of i860 I employed in visiting Knox, Marion, Adair, Gentry, Mercer, Lynn, JACOB CRIJATII, Jr. 1 77 Atchison, and Oregon counties, Missouri ; also Savannah, St. Joseph, Weston, Platte City, and Liberty. In the fall I revisited the counties lying on the Missouri River. Thence I journeyed to Fayetteville, Arkansas. ** It was with great difficulty that I made my way back from Arkansas in December. I could not have done so, but for the assistance afforded me by my Masonic brethren. They furnished me with a carriage and driver, and money enough to pay my expenses to St. Louis. God bless the Masons ! Masonry, during our late war, saved thousands of lives and millions of property ! Dur- ing that whole dreadful period, its obligations were universally respected. " During my sojourn in Fayetteville the brethren told me ' they understood the subject of Revision, and wished me to preach to them.' I complied with their request, and selected Paul's conversion as my theme. As I finished what I had to say on the subject, I called upon Brother Baxter to 'conclude.' " He was the successor of Brother Graham, as president of their literary institution. When he arose, he observed : ' I never heard such a dis- 1/8 MEMOIR OF course before, nor did you ! I have heard all the great Lights of this Reformation : Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, and others : but such an oration on the subject of Christianity, I have never before listened to!' The congregation also seemed overwhelmed. "I paid at least six visits to this place between 1855 and i860. In looking over an old newspa- per, I find one of them thus spoken of: 'Elder Jacob Creath lately held a meeting in this place, in " The Disciples' " church, which has resulted in sixty additions to that body.' " I have kept no record of the number of per- sons that I have baptized, at different times and places. I have done all the good I could in the world, leaving my reputation, as regards success, to the care of Him 'who careth for us.' " With the view of recruiting my wasted strength, I passed the winter of 1861 at home. During the month of May, I preached and lectured in Marion, Lewis, Scotland, Shelby, and Knox counties. "About the last of July, I visited, for the same purpose, Chillicothe, Trenton, Mercer, Plattsburg, Irvin's, Colley, Union, and New Market. " At the close of these six years of toil, privation, JACOB CEEATII, Jr. 179 and conflict, which I would not undergo again for the whole State of Missouri, the Bible Union at New York, and the Revision Association of Louis- ville, Kentucky, extended to me their unqualified approbation. " On the eighteenth of September, Andrew Allsman, an unworthy member of the Christian congregation at Palmyra, was taken from his home by Porter, a Confederate general, and put to death. General McNiel, who commanded the Federal troops in that part of Missouri, decided that ten innocent men should die for him. Their names were Thomas A. Sidener,. John T. McPhee- ters, Thomas Houston, Willis J. Baker, Herbert Hudson, F. M. Lear, Morgan Dixler, Eleazar Lake, John M. Wade, and Hiram Smith. *' In the hour of their trouble they sent for me. As soon as I commenced speaking to them, they began to weep. I quoted all the passages- of Scripture that I could think of, that were pecu- liarly applicable to their condition ; and exhorted them not to lose a moment of their precious time, but to throw their whole mind and heart at once into the all-important work of preparing to meet their God. 12 l80 MEMOIR OF *' I directed their attention especially to the ac- knowledgment of their offenses, and the forgive- ness of their enemies. All of them agreed to do so but the old man named Willis J. Baker. He said ' they were about to be put to death un- justly. In his heart he could not forgive his murderers, and he would not profess it with his mouth.' " Two of the men appeared to be about fifty years of age, and seemed indifferent to their fate. One of them was a Baptist. He said *he was in- nocent of any connection whatever with Allsman's death ; but that he forgave his murderers and all who had ever wronged him ; .that he had made his peace with God, and died in peace with all man- kind ; that he was prepared for death, and there- fore not afraid to die.' •* Lieutenant Sidener attracted my attention by his profuse weeping. I addressed him, but he could not speak. He was in the bloom of life, tall .and handsome. He occupied the position of lieu- ;tenant in the Confederate service, and, though young, was a high-toned gentleman. He was en- gaged to be married to a lovely young lady in iRalls County, Missouri. JACOB CREATH, Jr. i8i " When he found that he had to die, he dressed himself in his splendid wedding suit of black broadcloth, with white satin vest, determined that if he could not be married in it, he would be mur- dered and buried in it. When he was shot to death, he fell toward those who killed him ; a small hole, fringed with red, in his white vest, opposite his heart, showing where death had entered. *' When at the jail before they were executed, one of the men threw his arms around my neck, screamed aloud, and trembled like an aspen leaf, when he spoke of not being allowed to bid his father and mother, or even his wife and children farewell ! " The young men were all overwhelmed with sorrow in view of their untimely doom. For my- self, when I fully realized their dreadful position, my whole frame was convulsed with grief, tears flowed down my cheeks, and with the most intense interest I cried to God to have mercy upon them. In a few hours they were ushered into eternity." l82 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XXIV. Swearing by the name Creath — The gabble of an everlasting talker suddenly arrested — Heel religion — A new and effec- tual method of preserving order in public worship. URING the continuance of our terrible civil war, I could not move about so freely in the discharge of my ministerial duties as formerly. , Consequently, this portion of my history is more barren of interesting incident than that which preceded it. I will endeavor to make amends for this deficiency by introducing some occurrences, without much regard to chro- nology, which, amid the stirring scenes of my life, afforded some little amusement, at the time, both to myself and others. In March, A. D. 1839, ^ ^'^^^ crossing Ken- tucky river in a ferry-boat, drawn backwards and forwards by a rope fastened on both sides of the stream. The current was rapid, and the rope JACOB CREATII, Jr. 1 83 was covered with ice, so that the ferry-man found it difficult to control the boat as he desired. Perplexed and irritated, he swore "by Creath ! " Advancing toward him, I remarked, '*By what authority, sir, do you take my name in vain?" In some confusion he replied, "I beg your par- don, sir; I did not know that your name was Creath ! It is a common saying in our part of the country." Of course I forgave him, and we parted friends. On another occasion, while ''spending the day" with some friends in Mexico, Audrain Co., Mis- souri, I was very much annoyed by the everlasting ''gabble" of an old brother, who enjoyed the somewhat unenviable reputation of not knowing when to cease talking, after he had fully com- menced. As I desire to be held up to the admira- tion of posterity as a model of politeness, will you excuse me, kind reader, if I inform you how I brought his conversation to an abrupt termination? "Breaking in" through the storm of his words, I observed, "Brother , do you think I have any sense?" "Oh, yes, brother Creath," he replied, "I have always considered you a very sensible man!" "Well, brother ," I con- 1 84 MEMOIR OF tinued, "how do you think I got what little sense I have?" "Indeed, brother Creath," says he, "I do not know." "Would )^ou like to be informed?" I added. "Certainly, certainly, I would." "Well, sir, it was by keeping my mouth shut, and Hstening, when other people were talk- ing, who had more sense than I had." There was an Irishman present, who, the moment he heard my reply, rushed out into the yard, threw himself down on his back in the grass, and, amid peals of laughter, exclaimed : ' * Old fellow, you have got it now! You have got it now! You have long needed it, but it has come at last! " Traveling once in Tennessee, to a place named "Beech Grove," for the purpose of lecturing on "Bible revision," I had just passed "a camp ground," near the residence of James K. Polk's father, when I met an old negro, driving an ox- wagon. Accosting him respectfully, I inquired the way to Beech Grove, which he told me very accurately. Pointing to the camp ground and feigning ignorance, I asked him what it was. " Dat, massa, is dc old camp-ground, Lockridge's camp-ground." "What do the people do there, uncle?" "De white folks, massa, gets 'eligion JACOB CREATIT, Jr. 1 85 dar in August, and dances it away in de winter. Again, dey gets 'eligion same time next year, and dances it away Christmas and New Years," "What kind of reHgion do you call that, uncle, that comes and goes with the seasons?" "De 'eligion, massa, is in de heels! " "What kind of religion have they at Beech Grove?" " Dat is de know-nophing Campbellite 'eligion." "Where did they get it?" " De white folks, massa, brings it from Nashville." I laughed heartily, after we parted, at old Sambo's contribution to ecclesiastical history. I had heard of * ' head-re- ligion," and "heart-religion," but this was the first time I had ever heard of " heel-relig-ion." In the spring of 1862, while our late war was raging, I visited Louisiana, Missouri, for the pur- pose of preaching. But I was told, both when on the way, and after my arrival, that the soldiers would not permit me to do so, that others had tried and utterly failed. ' ' How, " I inquired, ' ' will they prevent it ? " "They will collect around the doors, and inside the house, in such numbers, and make so much noise, that any thing like devotion will be out of the question." The first night I made the experiment, but was unsuccessful. I then 1 86 MEMOIR OF sent to their commander, Major Jacoby, to ascer- tain if "it was his pleasure that I, an American citizen and a preacher, should be treated in such a manner? If it was, I would say nothing, but go quietly home ; but that, if it was not, I hoped he would protect me." Next night, as I was going up the aisle, toward the pulpit, I met a tall, handsome young officer, who thus accosted me: ''Are you the gentleman who is to preach here to-night?" I replied that I was. He added, ' ' I was sent here by my com- mander to know what you wish done." ''All I desire," I responded, "is that the soldiers w^ill not be permitted to disturb me when preaching." "Well, sir," says he, "they shall not. How many," he continued, "do you wish to come into the house?" "As many as it will hold," I an- swered. I saw him no more, but when the wor- ship began I observed a sentinel with gun and bayonet, standing before each door, inside. Pres- ently a soldier walked up to one of them, and whispered. The sentinel then pointed with his bayonet to a vacant spot on the floor. T/iat the man at once occupied, and sat there, without moving, until the "service" was ended. No JACOB CREATIJ, Jr. 1 8/ other attempt was made by any one to come in or eo out until the benediction was pronounced. The Major's order, I understand, was, that if any one did so, he should be thrust through. 1 88 MEMOIR GF CHAPTER XXV. Important items connected with public worship — Interesting in- cident in the life of Lyman Beccher, D.D. IN connection with these trifles, indulgent reader, exercise forbearance toward a man whose head is covered with the frosts of many winters, and w^ho has been a pubHc pro- claimer of the gospel for more than fifty years, while he makes some suggestions by which he thinks all should be influenced who participate in the public worship of Jehovah. First. — They should endeavor to be present when the ''service" begins. If the whole congre- gation at any time should be tardy, the preacher, if punctual, might find himself more destitute, as regards an audience, than even the celebrated Lyman Beecher, D.D., on a noted occasion, for he had o;ie hearer. But as this case was some- JACOB CREATII, Jr. ^89 what novel, I will narrate it. When a young man, he engaged to meet a Lord's-day appoint- ment for another preacher among the mountains of Vermont. A violent snow-storm occurred on the day appointed, and but one person besides himself was there. Esteeming it a hardship that the poor man should fail to realize the benefit of God's ordinances after all he had encountered to obtain it, and influenced by views of duty, which it is now fashionable to decry as Puritanical, he concluded to go through the whole usual routine of public worship on his account. Reader, would it interest you to learn the result of this whole transaction? Subsequent years rolled by. Mr. Beecher became one of the great men of the earth, and the father of a renowned family. When far advanced in life the tide of his fortune began to ebb. He emigrated from "The East" to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, for the purpose of presiding over a theological institute, styled ''Lane Seminary." On his way thither he tarried for a night at the hotel of an obscure village in Ohio. While there a stranger approached him, and asked if his name was Lyman Beecher, D.D.? He told him it was. *'Do you remember," says he, ''having, when a I^o MEMOIR OF young man, conducted public worship during a snow-storm, among the mountains of Vermont, for the benefit of one person?" *'I do indeed," re- phed the Doctor, ''very well, and I have always felt a great desire to know what became of him." '' Well, sir," says he, "I am the man. Your sermon was the means of converting me. -I became a preacher. My labors have been greatly blessed and my spir- itual children are scattered over all this country." It is not improbable that, notwithstanding all the splendid discourses delivered by Doctor Beecher through subsequent life, to large admiring congre- gations, he never uttered one that effected so much good as that which he preached to a single hearer. "Sapientibus verbum sat." But however devout, conscientious and benevo- lent such conduct may be, there are comparatively few Vv'ho possess the characteristics requisite to a successful imitation of it. Preachers are "men of like passions " with others, and the most of them are easily discouraged by the apparent want of interest in their ministrations, and delighted with the opportunities of doing good afforded by large congregations, prompt in their attendance, and eager to catch every word that falls from their JACOB CREATIl Jn. Ic^i lips. Besides, what are usually reg-arded as mere preliminary exercises in public worship, are, in re- ality, a most important part of it. In prayer and praise we address the Deity. When we read or hear his word, he speaks to us. Whereas preach- ing is but one man talking to another. What he says may be true or false, useful or pernicious. A large amount of the preaching, even in our day, ''darkens" Divine "counsel" '*by words without knowledge," changing, for party purposes, the very terms of Heaven's amnest3-proclamation to a lost world ! In the second place, leave your dogs at home. Though I have seen many of them at places of worship, I never yet knew one to be converted! If it is right for you to take yojtr dog to church, it is right for every one else to do so. Just think what a time we would have at meeting if eve7y 07ie had his dog with him ! In the third place, if convenient, leave your veiy small children at home. But if you have no peifectly reliable person, to whose care you can commit them, either stay at home and watch over them yourself,, or take tJiein wiih yon. They are helpless^ innocent, confiding, loving. Intrust not IQ2 MEMOIR 01 such jezvels to the worthless. Such conduct is cruel. It is not doing to others what, circum- stances being reversed, you would wish those oth- ers to do to you. JACOB GREAT II, Jr. 193 CHAPTER XXVI. Elder Crealh visits Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indi- ana and Illinois — Present course of life. fROM A. D. 1863 to 1872 my ministerial labors have been somewhat irregular. What we in Missouri style "the Iron- clad Oath," which our civil rulers at one time re- quired preachers to take, before they could per- form the duties connected with their holy vocation, v/as one cause of this. Then my health has not been as perfect as it used to be in the days of my youth and the prime of my manhood. And yet, though often ivcary in my work, I have never been zvccjy of it. It has been my '' vicai and drink S' It seems to me that I would have been drcivncd by the huge billows of trouble that, in rapid succes- sion, have rolled over me, but for the delight which I have experienced, from time to time, in Ip4 2IEM0IR OF honoring God and doing good by preaching ''the everlasting gospel." Hence, through all those years of public and private calamity, I have been at work. Prevented from laboring in Missouri, I visited other States. And in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana and Illinois many, through my humble exertions, ''turned to the Lord." During the year 1868 alone, my "pieet- ings " resulted in a hundred conversions. My manner of "passing the time" at present is as follows : In summer I rise at 4 o'clock A. M., in winter at 5. I next bathe my face, head and feet in cold water. My wife then rises and dresses. I now read a chapter in "the Bible." I\Iy wife reads in the evening. After reading we unite in prayer. We breakfast between 6 and 7 o'clock. After breakfast I walk about a mile to a grove of timber I have consecrated as an " oratory. " I then spend fifteen or twenty minutes imploring Divine mercy. And I hereby testify to the pres- ent and future generations that there, the world shut out, surrounded by the beautiful trees, and flowers, and birds, and other innocent and useful creatures, that comprehend not the object of my mission among them, I have enjoyed sweeter JACOB CREATE, Jr. 195 pleasure in fellowship with Jehovah than this world has ever afforded me. **The world can never give the bliss for which we sigh." There is a place in the human heart which only God can fill. 196 MEMOIR OF CHAPTER XXVII. Parting advice. Y Christian brethren and sisters will scarcely expect me to wrap my cloak around me and retire forever behind the curtain with- out manifesting my love for them, by submitting for their consideration a few parting words of ad- vice. And first, I would earnestly recommend to every Christian householder the erection of a '' family altar." It exerts a powerful influence in sustaining among them the realization of God's existence, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipo- tence and boundless goodness. This is ''half the battle " in rendering children truthful, upright and devout. Secondly, we should love each other more. This is the grand test of discipleship on earth. It will be so before "The Great White Throne." JACOB CREATH, Jr. igj Thirdly. — We should contribute more liberally of our substance to Jehovah. In this way we can place it far beyond the ''reach" of burglar, flood or fire. Beware, lest the property which you withhold from the poor, and the support of Divine institutions, become, in the righteous judgment of God, a withering curse to you and yours ! You pay a thousand dollars a year, do you, to support Caesar's government? How much do you annually invest in that of Jesus Christ? "Ten dollars," That is just one hundredth part of what you givj to Caesar ! ! Is not the inference legitimate, then, that you love the world a hundred fold more than you love the Savior? But though you have been, and still continue, the slave of Mammon, he has thus far failed to fulfill his promises to you. For all along through life he has deluded you with, the expectation of happiness in his service, which you have never realized. Your children, expecting fortune when fou are "out of the way,'' have not been as careful, with reference to their moral de- portment, as they would have been if you had been poor, and they had had to depend on their personal worth to "rise in the world." You have ^^ starved the preachers'^ and "stinted the poor/' ip8 MEMOIR OF JACOB CEEATH, Jn. that your sons and sons-in-law might have the means of becoming drunkards, debauchees and vagabonds ! ! ! This is no fancy sketch. Were it proper, names could be given. But, in your dis- appointment, you console yourselves' with the re- flection that, though ''grievous," it is "working out for" you "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." In this you are most woefully deceived. For the meaning of this sublime oracle is, that "afflictions work out the destiny in ques- tion, only for those the grand aim of w^hose life has not been the attainment of things 'seen and temporal,' but those which are 'unseen and eter- nal.' " THE BIOGRAPHY OF ELDER JACOB CREATH, Sr, BY P. DONAN (•99) PREFACE. ELIEVING that a succinct biography of Elder Jacob Creath, Sr., would be ac- ceptable to many of our old brethren and sisters in Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, who knew him in his palmiest days, we have appended one to the present edition of our book. As most of the *' material" of it was derived from Elder Jacob Creath, Jr., we cheerfully accord to him the honor of being our narrator. Editor. (200) JACOB CREATII, Sr. 201 CHAPTER I. WJ/»y|Y uncle, Jacob Creath, Sr., who exerted 3w^ \ more influence over my destiny than all other living men, and without a further reference to whose history my own would be in- complete, was born on the 2 2d of February, A. D. 1777, in the British province of Nova Scotia, six miles from the town of Cumberland. He was the youngest son of Samuel and Susan Creath. They emigrated from the city of Dublin to Nova Sco- tia, and were residing there at the commencement of our ''Revolutionary war." My grandfather at once proclaimed himself a sympathizer with the Americans. In consequence of this he was de- nounced as a rebel, wounded with the bayonet, dragged as a felon to Halifax, and there im- prisoned and fed on mouldy bread and water for seven years. They also confiscated his prop- 202 BIOGRAPHY OF erty, consisting of household furniture, sheep and cattle, and five hundred acres of rich bottom land on the St. Lawrence River. A few^days after his father's imprisonment my uncle Jacob was born. British soldiers came to their house, now unpro- tected, for the purpose of driving away their cattle and sheep. My grandmother endeavored to pre- vent them from doing so. This enraged them. They threw her violently down on the snow, where she lay insensible till sunset, when some kind- hearted French women discovering her, took her to their home and provided for her until her rea- son, which terror had temporarily overthrown, was restored, and her baby was born. While in the agony of child-birth, "red-coated braves" stood round the bed of this helpless woman, called her a "damned rebel's wife," and, drawing their swords, threatened to "cut off her head ! " Her husband was their prisoner at two hundred miles distance ; yet, stripping her of all her property, they left her to provide "as best she could" for herself and four little children, one of whom was a new-born babe ! ! All this I had from her own lips. JACOB CBEATIIr Sr. 20' CHAPTER II. ^T the expiration of seven sorrowful years her husband was Hberated. But at the same time they outlawed him, and allowed him only twenty days to leave British America, or be hung. Taking advantage of this boundless clemency, he fled forever from their tyranny, and pitched his tent in our ''Great Commercial Me- tropolis," the city of New York. Thence he re- moved to Cherry Valley, in Pennsylvania, and two years afterward to Granville County, North Caro- lina. There he and his family continued to reside until about the commencement of the present cen- tury, when death put an end to his journeyings, toils, conflicts, solicitudes and sorrows. My grand- mother then made my father's house her home, until she also disrobed to rest and sleep. This occurred in A. D. 18 15. She was eminently 204 BIOGRAPHY OF pious. My father baptized her in the seventy-fifth year of her age. At this period of her Hfe it was customary with her, on every Lord's-day, to retire to an adjacent plum-grove, and there to kneel and pray and give thanks to God, until her felicity overflowed in audible expressions of rapture. We, her grandchildren, were "little," but we were acquainted with her movements, and, to some ex- tent, appreciated them. Influenced thereby, partly by curiosity, and partly by religious emo- tion, we were in the habit, on such occasions, of following her stealthily at a distance, and throwing ourselves flat on the ground, Avhere, without being observed, we could see and hear all that she said and did. On Lord's-day nights she conversed with us about the manner in w4iich we had spent the day, and, if my father was absent, conducted our family worship. Would to God that I could, to a higher degree, imitate her humihty, meek- ness, devotion and love! ^^ In pace 7-eqiciescat!" JACOB CREATII, Sjt. 205 CHAPTER III. Y uncle became a Baptist through the in- flence of my father, but was baptized by- Elder Thomas Bass, at ' ' Grassy-Creek Meeting-house," in Granville County, North Caro- lina, in February, 1795. The following June he began to preach, and was ordained to **the work of the ministry" by John Poindexter and William Basket, at "The Roundabout Meeting-house," in Louisa County, Virginia, in April, 1798. He married Miss Mildred Carter, of Lancaster County, Virginia, in January, 1799. He then became the pastor of Kingston congregation, in Matthew County, consisting of six hundred members, and at the same time "had charge" of three other congregations. He belonged to the Dover Asso- ciation, of which Andrew Broaddus and Robert B. Semple were members. In 1803, he emigrated 2o6 BIOGRAPHY OF to Fayette County, Kentucky, and "settling near Town-Fork Meeting-house," assumed, at their request, the pastoral care of the congrega- tion connected with it. He was a member of the Elkhorn Association, when the congregations, who preferred God's word to "human tradition" and "speculation," were expelled from it for so doing. " Campbellism " was the name by which they designated so monstrous a "heresy" !! Sec- tarians still insist in imposing that name upon us. It "casts dust" in the eyes of the uninformed with reference to the nature of our "Reforma- tion." They can not answer our arguments, but they ca7i impart ugly names and pour out limit- less abuse. The very unity and intense bitterness of their opposition indicate their appreciation of the resistless power with which the principles that we advocate are operating to the overthrow of their unauthorized and unscriptural organizations ! JACOB CREATE, Sr, 207 CHAPTER IV. HE first time I saw my uncle, after I be- came a resident of Kentucky, was at ''a protracted meeting," conducted by him and Elder Silas M. Noel, in Franklin County. During its progress, the latter held up the New Testament and exclaim.ed, **If there was a church constituted on that book alone, I would go twenty miles to become a member of it." He, subse- quently, became a fierce opponent of the move- ment based on that sublime principle! I often accompanied my uncle on his preaching tours to Mayslick, Lexington and Louisville. We also la- bored together at Natchez and Woodville, in the State of Mississippi. From A. D. 1830^ when he separated from the Baptists, until his death, he always rejoiced that he had found '* the King's highway" to heaven, and delighted in speaking of the simplicity, purity and beauty of "Primi- tive Christianity." He was preeminently a "lover 2o8 BIOGRAPHY OF of the brethren." His love to brother A. Camp- bell resembled that of "Jonathan" to ''David." It ''surpassed the love of women," He regarded him as one of the purest and noblest of men, and entertained the sentiment that to no man, since the days of "Paul," was the world under greater obligations than to him. On one occasion, he and I were traveling through Clark County, Kentucky, on our way to "a meeting" in Montgomery County. It being midsummer, the fields and woods, as usual in that delightful season of the year, were dressed in their most beautiful robes. As we passed a splen- did farm on one side of the road, I jocularly asked him if he would not like to ozun it. He rode some distance without speaking, and then replied : "Cousin, I find it laborious to journey along the road to heaven now. If I had that farm ^strap- ped ' on my back, I'm afraid I would find it still more fatiguing. Besides, I would then be so large that I might not be able to squeeze through 'the strait gate.' And, after all, I would ob- tain nothing for the trouble of managing and tak- ing care of it but my 'board and clothing,' and //ifm I am pretty sure to get anyhow; so that, JACOB CREATII, Sr. 209 on the whole, I believe I would rather not own that farm." I have heard him say ''he was glad the Lord would not bring him back to live in this world after He had once taken him from it. He knew what it was, and had no desire to go over life in it a second time. He did not believe he could change it for the better, and he might make it worse. He desired to rest and sleep in the grave until his Master awoke him, to sleep no more." He added, that "he did not fear dcathy but contemplated, with some apprehension, the sufferings he might have to undergo, before h£ reached the ba?tk of the dark, cold river." 210 BIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER V HE last time I saw him was In May, 1853, at his own house in Jessamine County, Kentucky. He was then bhnd. He said that * ' God had 'bestowed the use of his eyes on him for a long time, for which he was sincerely thankful," *'and" that ''having long inculcated patience upon others, he v/ould now endeavor to practice it himself." He possessed an extraor- dinary memory, accurately remembering every thing that he saw and heard. His ''ideality" was of a high order. He was witty, affable, gen- erous, humble, affectionate and confiding. He loved his friends devotedly. His mind was a store-house of interesting narratives and anec- dotes, which added greatly to his attractiveness as a companion. His style, as a public speaker, was argumentative, flowery, and pathetic "by turns." His voice was unusually musical. Though loud, JACOB CREATE, Sn. 211 it was full and clear and sweet, like the notes of a deep-toned organ. He was profoundly acquainted with human nature, and understood the art of ad- mirably adapting himself to the varied humors and tastes of mankind. He was "a natural ora- tor," and ''had great powder over a congregation." Thomas Campbell, the father of Alexander Camp- bell, said of his defense before the Association from which we were all expelled, that ' ' he had heard the most distinguished speakers of England, Scotland and Ireland, but that Brother Creath's speech was the most masterly and overwhelming piece of eloquence to which he had ever listened." Henry Clay pronounced him "the finest orator that Kentucky had ever produced." He was about five feet ten inches high, had a dark skin, a large mouth, and a keen, expressive, black eye. His countenance was "lively," intelligent, and be- nevolent. He was an honorable man, and in ad- dition to all the traits of character which have been specified, it may be truly affirmed of him that he was devout, zealous and courageous. Few preachers have ever been so successful in ''win- ning souls" as he. In "the Great Revival" in Kentucky, in 1827, he baptized, and aided in bap- 212 BIOGRAPHY OF JACOB CREATE, Sr. tizing, fourteen hundred persons. He was instru- mental in the conversion of large numbers, before he left Virginia, and in Kentucky, from 1803 to 1827, and from 1827 to 1854. He named me for himself when I was an infant. But I have always felt, and now feel, that I am utterly unworthy to bear the name of so great and wise and good a man. I hope I shall never fail to realize the many and great obligations that I am under to him, for his uniform and devoted friendship, his lovely example, and his judicious and pious counsels. His death was such as might reasonably have been anticipated from such a life. His last words on earth were, "I am happy! " ,j