(Copy from Elder Robert Webb)
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SUISUN CITY, Salano Co., California, }
BROTHER BEEBE:---Having attended to the business part of my letter, I propose now to give your and the readers of the Signs of the Times some account of our progress in California. I visited Ione Valley again the first of May, and found several Old School Baptists that I did not see last fall. We constituted a church of six members, and received one on experience. We also heard of some others, and the prospect is somewhat flattering in regard to the building up the Old School cause in that valley. Brother Kendall attends them once a month. Ione Valley is eighty miles from my residence. Brother Holman and myself, with council from Santa Rosa church, constituted a church at Liberty School house, in Sonoma county, forty miles from my house, on the first Saturday of this month, with eight members, and a good prospect for an increase. We now think of forming a Corresponding Meeting this next fall. There is a prospect that churches will be formed shortly in other settlements. We have a great time here with the popular denominations, who are seeking to make proselytes. The Presiding Elder of the Methodist, South, thinking, no doubt, that the people were too backward in having their children baptized, preached a long sermon on baptism, at their camp-meeting, in our valley, in which he affirmed that the Greek word Baptizo did not represent Baptism in the English language, -- that the Greek word which represents Baptism in the English signifies to sprinkle or pore. He professed to be a thorough Greek scholar, and his people seemed to think he knew it all, and they had a real squalling and scrambling among the babies and larger children, in having them baptized, and brought into covenant with God. I was requested by a gentleman at the same meeting to preach a sermon on Baptism, which I agreed to do after the excitement which had been raised should cease, and reason should have time to resume her throne. I fulfilled my promise on the fourth Sunday in last month, in the Methodist church, South, liberty to do so having been obtained by the friends. The day was rather unfavorable, but there was quite an attendance. I occupied two-and-a-half hours, and proved by many of their own witnesses, for I used no authors but pædo-Baptists to prove what was the mode and primitive practice, and that Baptizo in the Greek signifies in the English to dip immerse or plunge, and that the primitive practice was immersion. One of their ablest preachers from another county was present, and he let it be known, that he would preach a sermon on Campbellism, at the same house in the course of a few weeks. This he did in my absence, but I learned that he spent considerable time in patching up their shivered citadel which was demolished with their own artillery. The Campbellites and them, have gotten up a big fight which is to come off, as I learn, in August. While these children of the bond-woman are fighting each other, perhaps the children of the free-woman may have peace.
Brother Beebe, I wish you would republish Mr. Weston's letter which was written in relation to the Missionary cause in Jamaica, as I desire to use it in the close of my historical sketches of the Baptist church, which are now being published in the Southern Baptist Messenger, published by William L. Beebe, in Covington, Newton county, Georgia. I want to compare the digression of the church from the apostolic order, in the second century with that of the Missionary Baptists from the same rule and order in this nineteenth century, from which we may infer with considerable accuracy how long it will take the Missionary Baptists to produce the same results. Please let it come in the first issue of the Signs of the Times, after you receive this letter.
I remain yours in the faith of the gospel,
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