CHAPTER XXIX.
Bro. Clemmitt's Letter.-General Meeting.-The Convention between Sixteen of our People and Sixteen Prominent Baptists, in Richmond.
I wrote Bro. Wm. Clemmitt, of Richmond, to procure me the history of the Doctor's connection with the church there. In answer, I received the following:
"Dr. Hopson must have come to this city the latter part of 1862, or early in 1863. My first knowledge of him was his preaching for the church of Bowling Green, in Caroline county, and of his holding a very successful meeting here the fall of 1863, in which he had thirty-five additions. He was called to the Richmond church in May or the early part of June, 1865. We had a membership of between three and four hundred when he took charge of the church.
"The first general meeting of our brotherhood, or State meeting, after he came, was held at Louisa C. H., in the fall of 1867. At that meeting the Doctor offered a resolution looking to the division of that organization into two bodies-the Piedmont and Tidewater district cooperations,which was done. At the same meeting a movement was made to revive the State paper, and Dr. Hopson and Bro. John G. Parrish were authorized and requested to take charge as editors of this paper, The Christian Examiner. The first number was issued in January, 1868.
"The first authoritative statistical report of the church was published in 1867. The membership was then 450, many having been added during meetings held by the Doctor. The spring meeting, 1868, raised the number to 507; the fall meeting to 524. Here the Doctor's connection with us ceased, having been our pastor three years and three months. He continued as corresponding editor of the paper the remainder of the year. In my judgment (and not mine only) he was the greatest proclaimer of .
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the gospel I ever listened to. If the few surviving co-workers with the Doctor while here could be got together, I have no doubt many pleasing, interesting and profitable reminiscences could be called to mind, but it can not now be done.
"I can not let this opportunity pass without expressing my sympathy for and interest in Dr. Hopson and yourself. I remember with pleasure many things of a friendly and brotherly nature that passed between Bro. Hopson and myself in business and in Christian intercourse, as well as in family friendship and advice. I remember that he baptized and married both my daughters. You two were the first that came to comfort us in that very, very sad affliction, my daughter's death, away off from home in a far away land, where we could not even bury our dear one, but had to be content with the probabilities that it was properly and kindly done. I remember how I was comforted, encouraged, confirmed and strengthened by the teaching and preaching of Dr. Hopson, and therefore it gives me pleasure to express these things to you and thus let you both know you are not forgotten.
"Many of the older members of the church have passed away, and but few of us who managed the church affairs remain, and those few are scattered and divided into three churches. I find the church records, embracing the years of Bro. Hopson's stay with us, have been lost or laid away among the rubbish of some deceased member. These things ought not to be so, yet they are:
"Brethren Cary, Maury, Magruder, Fox, Bowles, Duval, Cutler, and many others, join in Christian love to you and' all yours. Yours, in Christian love,
" Wm. H. CLEMMITT."
I wrote Bro. Cutler to see if he could furnish me any facts in regard to the convention held by the Baptists and the ministers of the Christian Church while the Doctor was in Richmond. There were sixteen of the representative men of each church, who met to discuss the differences between their respective churches: Elders Burroughs, Broadus, Taylor, Jeter, Poindexter, were prominent among the Baptists, while Wm. K. Pendleton, of Bethany College, Bro. James Goss and Dr. Hopson
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are mentioned as representing the Christian Church; besides these were Brethren Shelburn, Henley, Ainslie, Duval, Crenshaw, Walthal, et al.
Bro. Cutler writes, April 5, 1887
"Your letter of March 31st reached me Saturday. In response to your inquiries, I send you a copy of my tract, 'Differences between Baptists and Disciples.' You will find on the eleventh page a notice of Dr. Hopson, where he is calling the attention of the convention to the object of the meeting, and where he says: 'Mr. President, you invited us here for a friendly talk with reference to union. We both belong to the great family of immersionists. We both baptize the same character. We differ, not in regard to what God does, nor to what the sinner must do. We both teach that men must believe, repent and be baptized. We differ as to the time when God passes an executive act in his own mind. Will you take the responsibility of saying, that while we have invited these people to meet us in friendly, social talk with reference to union, and though we agree in nearly all of the eighteen articles submitted, we will not have church fellowship with them?'
"Mr. John Hart (Baptist) arose and said: 'We do not agree with Dr. Hopson, that we both baptize the same character. You baptize the penitent believer; we baptize the penitent, pardoned, justified believer. It is time for Bro. Goss's question to be answered. As for myself and church, we are not willing to have church fellowship with them so long as these differences exist.'
"Bro. Goss then said: 'Mr. President, Bro. Hart has fairly and justly stated the difference between us on this question. We both baptize the penitent believer. Here we begin to differ. We baptize the penitent believer. You baptize the penitent, pardoned, justified believer. But there is a practical difference. I beg leave to illustrate: A young man comes to you, sir, and tells you that he believes in Jesus and repents of his sins, but that he has no assurance of pardon. He remembers that Jesus said, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved," and he wishes you to baptize him, that he may claim the promise. You, sir, can not baptize him. He comes to me, tells me that he believes in Jesus, and wishes to put himself under Christ's government and care. I say to him, "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away
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thy sins."' He took his seat. Silence reigned a moment. To this speech there was no reply; there could be none. All felt its power. The convention adjourned."
The tract of Bro. L. A. Cutler ought to be in the hands of every member of the Christian Church, as well as of the Baptist, so that they can see the real difference between the two churches, as clearly stated by representative men from both sides. It is five cents a copy, and can be had of Bro. L. A. Cutler, Richmond, Va.
Between Dr. Burroughs and Dr. Hopson there existed the most fraternal relations during the whole of our sojourn in the city.
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