Gideon Potter - Autobiography
There was a young lady by the name of Tabitha Hedges, daughter of Bartholemew Hedges, who lived in that community, who was baptized in our church a short time before my ordination. I became interested in her, and in the fall of 1825 we were married. We lived together until her death, which occurred August 28, 1860. The day of my ordination I was called to the care of Mitchell River church and one month later was requested to take the care of Cove Spring Church, and was soon requested to take the care of Roaring River Church, about thirty miles away, and still later; took the care of Franklin Church. We were poor, and the churches were poor, and we lived on rented land and had to work hard to make a living, yet we had plenty to eat and wear; our brethren helped us some, and we all got along well. Nothing unusual occurred among our churches for some three or four years, when the "Missionary" spirit began to be manifest in that country. The first Missionary Baptist I ever saw or heard was Robert T. Daniel. He came into our part of the country about 1828. He was a very smart man and a fine talker. Upon his first visit he made a favorable impression on our people. He urged me to unite with him in the enterprise; flattered me with the idea that I had an excellent gift; that it was unnecessary for me to live hard and poor, and work on the farm as I was doing; he said he was getting $1,000 per year for his preaching, and that if he could not get that for his preaching he would quit it, and go to something else that would make it. This kind of talk disgusted me; I felt that I must preach; there was a necessity in the case that forbid me quitting. The New Testament account of the apostles forbid the idea that they could so easily quit their ministry. I was convinced that this spirit was not of God; I felt, willing to depend on God entirely for my support, and thought it unwise and sinful to fix a price on our preaching. It seemed to savor of a want of confidence in God, who had promised to be with us "always, even unto the end of the world." My opinion of the missionary move has never changed. I determined to risk God’s plan of circulating the gospel, and have all through life pursued the course I then adopted. I have found my God faithful to his promises, and I have never passed the hat, nor had it done; I have never begged the people for money or aid of any kind, and yet I have had plenty all through life; my children all have plenty, and are doing well in this world’s goods. I am now living with my daughter Rachel, who married James Stone. I have a good home there, and many of my brethren would willingly, if I needed it, take me to their homes and care for me as long as I live. If I was young again, and just starting in the ministry, I would disdain the Missionary Plan. I now know that God will care for the man who honestly and faithfully does his duty as a minister, and there is no need of having the practice of men or churches to aid us; God’s promise is sufficient. While I had the care of Roaring River church, which was thirty miles away, I became impressed in mind that I ought to preach at a place some twelve miles from the church--I always passed it in going to Roaring River. I knew no one there, nor did I know anything of the sentiments of the people there, but still I felt, every time I passed there, that I ought to preach there, and on one occasion I stopped at a house in that neighborhood and had some talk with the people. They were not members of any church, but I found that they were Christian people, and were anxious to have preaching there. We had an appointment published there, which was well attended. They finally went to Roaring River and joined, and afterwards an arm was extended to that place from Roaring River. Franklin Church secured the labors of another minister, and I took the care of the arm, and we soon constituted a church there, which prospered greatly. That church, Mt. Pleasant, still exists. I suppose there were fifty members in it when I left that country, (N. C.) In the spring of 1831 my folks moved to this State, (Indiana) and I felt constrained to come with father, and settled in Lawrence county, in the woods, where I was compelled to do much hard work to clear up our land and build a house and out-buildings. I first joined Salt Creek Chuch, which soon dissolved, and from there I went to Indian Creek Church for membership. The first time I ever attended White River Association was in the fall of 1831. It was composed of twenty-two churches, and a membership of 682. There was a trouble in the Association in regard to the reception of alien baptism in Vernal Church. This difficulty resulted in dropping connection with that church. The churches here had been tried sorely with the doctrine of A. Campbell, and in some churches there had been division, and there was much prejudice in this country on that subject when I came here. It was very common then for some one to criticize my preaching as soon as it was done. Campbell’s followers were ever ready to raise objection to our preaching. One thing I then observed with regard to "Campbelism" was that it utterly ignored experimental religion, and in their books and papers, and also their conversation, they were accustomed to ridicule the old-fashioned experimental religion. I plainly saw that no intelligent person could consistently accept their views and believe in experimental religion. Their views of the design of baptism were such that no person could be saved without it, so Mr. Campbell taught. I knew that if this were true, that there was no salvation to heathens, nor to persons who had been sprinkled. They taught that men must not only be immersed, but that they must be immersed with an intelligent understanding that it was indispensable to salvation; hence their views virtually denied that immersed persons were saved, unless they were immersed with their views of its design. I saw that this view of the subject necessitated its advocates to deny that any person can be saved unless he be immersed with their views of immersion. It also made it necessary for them to deny salvation to heathens or persons outside of Bible teaching. To avoid this consequence, they were compelled to allow that there were two plans of salvation, one suited to the infants, heathens, etc., the other to the people under Bible teaching. This view was very repulsive to me, and very far from what I had understood the Bible to teach. I noticed, too, that it was suited to catch the masses. It made the new birth an easy thing. "Being born again" was an easy affair. Evangelical faith had no more significance than our opinions respecting other things. Preaching was performed at a price, and for filthy lucre’s sake." The true works of Christianity, it seemed to me, were discarded. There was a certain worldly cast about the conversation of its members, even when talking about religion, that was unpleasant to me. I became fully convinced that it was of the world; that God was not in it, and that it was unscriptural and unreasonable; that it tended to unite the church and world. This was the opinion I first formed of Campbelism; I am now of the same opinion. It has been greatly multiplied in numbers. I remained on the farm I first settled for twenty-seven years. We had eleven children born to us; two died in infancy; the others all lived to be grown and married but one. Gideon, our youngest, died before he was married; he died in 1865. Sarah died in Illinois, and left a family of five children. John was drowned in Martin county, in White River. William died February, 1873; so that my wife and six of my children are dead. I had the care of Indian Creek church first in 1835. The church was blessed with considerable prosperity. I also had the care of Salem church. I was the first man that ever preached a Baptist sermon in the neighborhood of Salem church, after which an arm was established there, which resulted in the organization of a church there. We were blessed with considerable revival there. Still later, I took the care of Guthrie’s Creek and Gilgal; also Spring Creek. These churches were the principal places of my ministerial labors for the twenty-seven years that I lived in Lawrence county. There was a spirit of exhortation among the churches in those days. The brethren often met together and talked to each other about religion; some would engage in prayer, and others would read a part of Scripture, and the brethren would mutually help and strengthen each other. I am sorry that these practices have been abandoned. It was not uncommon to give an opportunity for persons to be prayed for. Old Bro. Thomas Oliphant frequently, when he saw an interest among the people, would invite those who desired the prayers of the church to come forward and give their hands. Whether this was right, or not, I will not now decide; but we felt that it was right, and were greatly blessed in our churches. I am persuaded that there are two extremes, and we are liable to go to either. The church ought to manifest an interest in the religious welfare of the people. When we do. those who are seriously exercised will look to us for instruction; they will come to us for a home. Brethren should watch for persons who are interested, talk to them, and invite them to our meetings; make them feel that we are concerned for their welfare. In this we used to gain influence among the people, and were a blessing to the communities where we met. From Lawrence county I moved into Owen county, and first settled on the farm of Elder J. H. Oliphant, Sr., on the West river. I remained in that neighborhood as long as my wife lived, and some three years later, when we broke up housekeeping, and have been staying with Rachel Stone, my daughter, ever since. My wife’s death occurred in August, in the year 1860. She was fully reconciled to her death, and told me not to weep for her, that I would soon follow her. About this time I united with Friendship church, and am still a member of that church. A series of difficulties began in the White River Association about the year 1860, which grew worse and worse until the division, which occurred in 1866. I was chosen Moderator of the Association in 1863, and have served as Moderator ever since, except two years, being absent. I shall not attempt to give a detailed account of the unhappy division of our Association. Since then our numbers are few, but we retained all our correspondence, and have enjoyed the visits and preaching of scores of good preachers from every direction. We now have twelve churches, and about four hundred members. We are in peace and enjoying prosperity. We need more ministering brethren among us. I greatly desire that all our brethren and sisters would pray to God to supply our need in this particular. My labors are done. I will be 89 years old July 4th, 1887, if I live till then. I am not able to travel and preach as I used to do, but, I still love the cause as well as I ever did. The doctrine of grace is my solace now in my old age, and I can recommend it to the brethren as the only ground of a sinner’s hope. I shall soon be beyond the reach of sorrow, division and death, where I hope to join the company of the dear ones gone before, and enjoy an eternal rest from all my labors and cares. I realize that I am but a speck in God’s creation, yet I look up to the dear Redeemer with hope that in the great events of the last day I shall be rescued from destruction, and brought off a conqueror through Him that loved me and gave himself for me. And now, dear ones, among whom I labored, I bid you farewell till we meet in eternal glory. May God help you to bear up amid the trials of life. GIDEON POTTER.
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