Immutable Kingdom – Part 63

(Hamlin Lake – near Ludington, Michigan)

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 63

By Scott A. Klaft

“Raccoon” John Smith – continued

Smith continued to be certain there was something wrong with his Calvinist teachings, but as he continued to read every issue of the Christian Baptist, he still retained a healthy skepticism of whether Alexander Campbell was right. By 1825, he was convinced that creeds were wrong, and he implored churches to reject them.

Soon he was certain that Calvinism was a plague on the Kentucky Baptists. He urged people to become Christians by believing that Jesus is the Messiah and obeying Him in baptism. In turning so directly against his earlier teachings, he had to face a dejected and aged mother’s influence, and to refuse the pressures of a great host of his friends. It was, however, a matter of conscience to Smith. He could not preach something he believed to be wrong, and he could not abstain from standing in the way of something that endangered the salvation of numerous souls. There was no doubt in his mind that the Calvinism of the Baptists was doing just that. By 1826, he had joined the preachers of Kentucky in the plea to return to the ancient order of Christianity.

The opposition of the Baptist Association was not unexpected. When the North District Association had their annual meeting in 1827, Smith went fully expecting them to take action against him. A letter was read, not calling him by name, but rather referred to “certain ones,” charging guilt of the following three “heresies”: 1) Reading from Campbell’s translation of the Bible rather than the King James Version; 2) Saying, “I immerse you” instead of “I baptize you” when administering baptism; 3) Allowing the participants to break their own bread when observing the Lord’s Supper rather than having the preacher do it for them in advance. When Smith heard these charges, he promptly leapt to his feet and bellowed, “I plead guilty to them all!” After considerable conflict, Smith’s answers to each charge gained him sympathy with the people, but disdain from the clergy. In spite of the threat to their power, a non-decision was made: any action would be postponed until the following year.

It should be noted that, though there was overwhelming opposition, Smith did not stand alone. He was blessed with such company as Jacob Creath Sr., Jacob Creath Jr., and John T. Johnson as they, in their turn, joined the host who pled for a return to the ancient order. They stood by one another as they each received their anathema from the Elkhorn, Franklin, and North District Associations. Together, they counted it a joy to suffer for the cause of truth. They planted the seed of the kingdom all over Kentucky and saw hundreds, perhaps thousands, scripturally immersed into Christ, and each lent their efforts to the establishment of many congregations throughout the state.

As a gospel preacher, Smith had a style all his own, often employing his rapier wit to illustrate his points. He was reputed to never be without an answer, no matter the unexpected occasion. Once when he had immersed several members of a family, he came face to face with the father, who was not at all pleased, though having once been a close personal friend. Smith simply greeted him: “Good morning, my brother.”

The older man trained upon him a look of scorn, and replied, “I would rather claim kin with the devil himself.”

“Go, then,” said Smith, “and honor thy father!”

In his preaching, he was very hard on the false doctrines, particularly Calvinism; even to the point that his wife occasionally let him know, gently, that she thought he might be a little too severe and should let up a little. On one such occasion, Smith held up his glass of water and said, “Nancy, can I fill this tumbler with wine till I have first emptied it of water? Neither can I get the truth in the minds and hearts of the people… till I have disabused them of their error.”

It is just that sort of illustration that showed the natural turn of Smith’s mind. He was fearless, positive, often humorous, and always uncompromising with the truth and its presentation.

(Next week: Raccoon’s Sermon Conclusion & Moses Lard)

Immutable Kingdom – Part 62

The Immutable Kingdom – Part 62

By Scott A. Klaft

“Raccoon” John Smith – continued

There was land selling for $1.25 an acre near Huntsville, Alabama. John Smith proposed to sell his Kentucky farm, buy a new one in Alabama, and come out financially ahead in a relatively short time. He settled in this new Alabamian farm in 1814. It was when he was off preaching that tragedy struck.

Their neighbor was sick and Smith’s wife was very concerned. She left the cabin one night to care for their ailing friend, leaving the children at home under the care of her brother, Hiram Townsend. With a horrible suddenness, the cabin caught fire and swiftly reduced to ashes. Two of the children were burned alive.

The absolute horror that occurred in the mind of Smith’s wife can scarcely be imagined. When the news reached Smith, he returned home as quickly as possible, only to find his wife nearly catatonic. Like the fulfillment of the prophesy by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:18), the weeping of Rachel for her children and lamentation filled the heart of Smiths wife, and she would not be comforted. She sank lower each passing day until she was finally placed in the soil beside the ashes of her departed children.

Smith, himself became very ill, contracting a fever and hovered near death for several days. When he finally improved, he was discomforted by the ugly memory; he sold the farm and retraced his steps back home to Kentucky.

When he arrived at his brother’s home to seek advice, he found a note urging him to attend the Baptist Association meeting at Crab Orchard, the place where he was given the nickname, “Raccoon.” That meeting, and the kindness of so many friends near him, seemed to lift his spirits and reinvigorate him to greater work.

He soon married a lovely woman named Nancy Hurt and settled down on a farm, trying to start anew despite the great indebtedness looming over him. As he began to preach more extensively, however, he was spending more time in earnest study of his Bible; questions in his mind began to arise. There was something wrong in his teachings. Something was not matching up to what the Bible taught, but he did not know where it lay. In March of 1822, while he was preaching and exhorting people to repent and believe the gospel, he got confused. What if the “elect” failed to believe? Would they be saved? What if the “non-elect” did believe? Would they not be saved? He ended his speech abruptly by saying:

“Brethren, something is wrong, – I am in the dark, – we are all in the dark; but how to lead you to the light, or to find the way myself, before God, I know not.”

As Smith began pondering Bible salvation contrasted with the Calvinistic teachings, Alexander Campbell began to publish the Christian Baptist. Smith subscribed and devoured every word. While many Baptists viewed Campbell with indignation and disfavor due to the reputation which followed his debates, Smith watched, studied, and waited. When news came that Campbell would be visiting a nearby town, as a courtesy, Smith proposed the local Baptists go with him to hear. They promptly turned him down and Smith went alone.

Smith arrived in the town prior to Campbell. He arranged to meet with the local Baptist preacher who had heard and known Campbell. He inquired whether Campbell was of various persuasions and labels, but was told Campbell had nothing to do with those things. When Smith asked whether he knew anything of the Christian experience, “Of this, he [knows] everything,” was the reply. During the service, Campbell spoke on the allegory of Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4:21-31. When the meeting ended, Smith spoke with his friend:

“Is it not hard, Brother Billy, to ride twenty miles, as I have done, just to hear a man preach thirty minutes?”

“You are mistaken, Brother John; look at your watch. It has surely been longer than that.”

Smith did check the time. Two hours and thirty minutes were gone and he knew not where.

(Continued next week)