06 Vist to another Association
06. Vist to another Association Autobigraphy - James H. Oliphant
CHAPTER VI. In 1873 I first visited the Salem association, and made the acquaintance of Elders Joel Hume and James Strickland. I first met Elder Ira Turner at this meeting. The association was large and prosperous, no division had ever crippled its influence. Elder Hume was a great man, eloquent in his address, and was regarded as a leader among our people. Elder Strickland, too, was a fine speaker. I frequently visited this association for many years, and saw many additions made to the churches. At this first visit Brother Moses Endicott took interest in me and bought a coat for me, which I ever remembered. I was also delighted with the singing. I remember John Mangrum and Richard Broomfield and others singing. The entire association was united in sentiment. There was not a Missionary Baptist church in Posey county at that time. In the division with Burnam and others this association did not lose one member. Elder Lemuel Potter moved into this association soon after my first visit to it and worked in harmony with the other elders. I visited these elders and their churches frequently for twenty years, and in turn they visited me, and the exchange benefited our churches very much. The elders above referred to were Primitive Baptists indeed, free from the errors that have from time to time crept into our churches. I remember my visits with these people with pleasure, and the instruction I received from these elders went far towards molding my religious sentiment. I traveled and preached by the week with Elder Potter, who was companionable to be with. In 1878, he came to Union church in Green county, Indiana, my home church, and debated six days with a Methodist preacher. One of the questions was, "Falling from grace." I wrote my first book, "Final Perseverance of the Saints," soon after this debate. Our people patronized it well---over six thousand were disposed of. The debate resulted in good to our people. Congregations were built up, and many additions were made to the church after that debate. I feel sure this was one debate that resulted in good.
Elder Potter and I were close friends to the close of his life, which was in the fall of 1896, and at his request I tried to preach at his funeral, which was held in the Methodist church at Poseyville, Indiana. The text was, "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my course; henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me." An immense audience came to pay a tribute of respect to the dear man of God. It was a trial to me to preach on the occasion. Six Primitive Baptist elders were the pall-bearers. I visited Elder Potter while he lived at Grayville, Illinois, and the churches there were at peace and prospering. Several joined while I was there. I visited these churches several times afterwards and found them to be a sound body of Baptists.
I will speak of the Skillet Fork and Muddy River associations; also the Little Wabash. Elder Lewis Ron was a leading minister and a worthy one among these people, also Elder Lewis Stewart was a noble man of God. All the elders then living in these associations are now dead, but others have been raised up to take their places and perpetuate the doctrine of the Primitive Baptists.
During my visits to the Salem association some of the churches drew out of it and were formed into the Patoka association, and I visited that association and its churches frequently. All the old elders in the association are dead. The Little Zion association is further east. I visited those churches in 1876, and afterward. Elder T. N. Robertson was one of their elders and he was a noble man of God. During my visits to this association, I visited Little Pigeon church near Gentryville, Indiana. It was near this church that Lincoln’s father and mother lived from the time he was seven years old till he was twenty-one years old. The father and mother were members of this church and the mother was buried near the church. I asked old Brother Gentry about Abe’s rail splitting record. He said that while Abe was a great reader he was not much inclined to rail making.