1829 BAPTIST REVIVALIST & WOMANIZER. Rare Memoir of Ray Potter - Six Principle & Freewill Baptist.

A very rare and unusual radical Baptist memoir from the Great Awakening era; recorded at auction just twice in the last 100 years. 

The author and subject of the present memoir was controversial right from the beginning of his ministry. One author goes further and describes him as habitually cantankerous. 

Ray Potter was initially ordained in Rhode Island with the Six-Principle Baptists. BSix-Principle Baptists held to the ideas communicated in Hebrews 6.1, 2 as the sort of center of Christian community, i.e. repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying-on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. They held that laying on of hands was to be used both at baptism and at the reception of new members as a sign of the reception of the Spirit. They did not worship with those who did not utilize the practice and were thus termed, "exclusive."

Some Six Principle congregations were Calvinistic and others Arminian. Potters seems to have been of the Calvinistic version. Then, during a season of revival in Pawtucket [1820], he moved away from Calvinism and united with the Freewill Baptists, with whom he founded and led a new church in Pawtucket, together with Elder Daniel Greene. Always strong-headed, the arrangement lasted only a couple of years before Potter left, though not before describing Greene as the Antichrist involved in an apocalyptic and evil Cabal designed to destroy the Gospel. He then formed a third church in Pawtucket, this time independent and unaffiliated with the Freewill Baptists or otherwise, though holding to the impossibility of losing one's salvation, so perhaps some sort of antinomian free offer Calvinism light. 

People followed him with every move. To other leaders, cantankerous to be sure. But he was publicly a fiery, colorful, and winsome character whose call was born in revival, but whose character seemed unable to go the distance. By the mid-1830's, he was well-known in the region . . . and that would work against him in the days that followed. 

In 1837 was accused of impregnating a young woman in his congregation. Two weeks after the accusation, Potter confessed to what he called an "indiscretion" and noted that unfortunately the young woman had in fact become pregnant. Many, however, felt they had reason to believe it was not an "indiscretion," but that, with the benefit of hindsight, the affair had been ongoing for nearly 10 years. They also looked back at the number of other young female followers he kept close and grew concerned.

Their concerns were merited. It turned out she was not the only young woman seduced by the charismatic preacher. It was later revealed that he had made secret, quasi-spiritual "love covenants" with multiple young women in the church and was running something of a harem-like, Christian free love colony. When this became public, a mob formed and Potter barely escaped town before the townsfolk arrived at the parsonage to take their revenge. When they discovered him absent, they burned him in effigy. 

Alas, the present work was from the good old days of his popularity as a revivalist and pastor of an independent and colorful, but faithful strain. The work covers his early life, conversion, his first encounter with Arminianism, his imprisonment for refusing to bear arms [War of 1812]; Preaching in Providence, Dissent from the Six Principle Baptists on Account of Laying on of Hands, Apprehensions of having Committed Apostasy and the Unpardonable Sin, Convinced that the Doctrine of Falling Away from Grace was not a Bible Doctrine, Separation from Free-Will Baptists, etc., 

Plus an interesting letter at the end to Lorenzo Dow on the issue of Freemasonry. Not published elsewhere, and fascinating. 

Potter, Ray. Memoirs of the Life and Religious Experience of Ray Potter, Minister of the Gospel, Pawtucket. Published with a Design to Magnify the Grace of God in Shewing Mercy to the Chief of Sinners, and to Illustrate the Glorious Doctrines of the Gospel, by Giving a Circumstantial Account of the Travel of the Author's Mind, into that View of the Doctrine of Christ, which he Considers to be the Truth. The Subjecting Being Generally Treated Argumentatively with Frequent Doctrinal Inferences Drawn from Experience. Providence. H. H. Brown. Printer. 1829. First Edition. xii + 286 + 14pp.

Good condition, quarter leather, heavily rubbed, front hinge repaired. Textually a bit toned, but overall solid and clean.