The reason for this unseemly tumult was because I had preached that baptism
was by immersion and other truths. The situation was that two grown young
people, the son and daughter of a minister in the community, were among
those who were to be baptized. But the fact that there was no water nearby
in which they could be immersed seemed to give the opposing element great
satisfaction. However, we continued to advertise that there would be
baptismal services on the coming Saturday afternoon. Friday night it rained
heavily and near the tent there was a low place covered with green grass
where the water settled and the water was deep enough in which to baptize
the new converts.
This goes to prove that the Lord's resources are limitless. The next Sunday
night, being the last night of the meeting, after all had left the tent
except Bro. Tubbs and myself, and as I was not making any move towards
leaving the tent Brother Tubbs asked me whether I was not going home. I
answered, "No, those people who threatened to cut me to pieces are coming
back to pull the tent down and I want to be here when they come, but you go
on home; I want to be here alone." But he said, "No, I will not leave you."
It was about a hundred rods or more to the house where we were staying and
there was no other house near by. We put out the lights and sat waiting. A
number of times Bro. Tubbs urged that we go home, declaring that no one
would come, but at almost midnight a plank was thrown on the tent and out
ran Brother Tubbs for home; and then just as I was coming out of the tent a
big plank was thrown on me, striking my right shoulder and also hit my
head. It might have been quite serious but that I was wearing a stiff derby
hat at the time. As it was, I was almost knocked out.
I said to them--there were between fifty and seventy of them, "Just a
minute men, I am alone here; please do not destroy the tent; it has no
feelings. Take me and cut me in pieces as you said you wanted to do. If I
have done anything wrong I am willing to suffer for it." This I said as I
walked slowly toward them, "But if it is because I have preached the Word
of God to you folks and you do not receive it, you will meet it at the
judgment bar of God," and I continued to walk toward them. They said, "Do
not come so near." "Are you afraid of me?" I asked as I continued preaching
to them. Then they commenced backing up. Finally, it seemed I had no more
to say. One man said, "Give us more of that." At this point Brother Tubbs
appeared with eight of the brethren, whereupon the crowd turned and ran for
their rigs and vanished into the darkness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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