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1847 ALFRED TAYLOR. 148pp Important Kentucky Baptist Manuscript on Slavery, Baptism, & More.

1847 ALFRED TAYLOR. 148pp Important Kentucky Baptist Manuscript on Slavery, Baptism, & More.

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An extraordinary 148pp manuscript full of sermons, accounts of Baptist history, an unpublished manuscript of Christianity and slavery, and more. One of the more fascinating American Baptist manuscripts we have ever handled.

Its author, Elder Alfred Taylor, was born in Warren, Kentucky in 1808. He was converted to Christ and baptised in Sandy Creek by Elder Benjamin Talbott, immediately joining himself to the Sandy Creek Baptist Church. He was licensed by the Baptists in 1831 and served as associate to Elder Benjamin Talbott at Sandy Creek. From there, Elder Talbott would send him out to preach revival services, give exhortations, and fill in at surrounding churches. He succeeded Talbott at Sandy Creek and pastored also at Pond Run, Beaver Dam, Walton's Creek, Green River, and Cool Spring. 

He was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the Baptist Associations into the revivals of the 1830's. They were opposed to protracted meetings and revival efforts. He found a middle path, avoiding some of the more emotional "New Measures," but embracing the prayer meetings, protracted services, anxious benches, etc. Interestingly, in the present manuscript we find him defending revivals, anxious benches, etc., though he is quite critical of the Cumberland Presbyterians, i.e. the non-baptistic fruit of the Cane Ridge Revival. 

A full biography is available here: http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/taylor.alfred.biography.html

Extracts:

"I shall not then be thought heterodox if I say the Church of Christ is a tangible body of baptized believers organized in a body for the purpose of carrying on the work of Christ in the earth." [Fantastic iteration of Baptist theology]

"On looking at the above record of my preaching I find from the 27 of October 1847 to the 19th of November 1847 I have preached twenty nine sermons besides three separate exhortations. I find I have done too much labour for my weak constitution and am compelled to desist for the present."

"When ever I meet with a defeat in a religious effort I regard that defeat to be made at the expense of those who caused it. Why did not mourners or sinners come to the anxious seat? Was it because the soul of men was not in danger? Or was it because this method of seeking God is unscriptural, or unsuccessful? Or is it because the soul's salvation is of so little worth that men do not stoop to such trifles? Or is it because the minister, or our relations & neighbors feel so indifferent on the subject? It has been we see for none of these causes, then. I risk nothing in saying the failure has been caused on your own part. Any sinner in the assembly could have prevented this defeat, the furthest on the outskirt of this assembly could have prevented this defeat; that man is here somewhere that promised God if he would let him live he would amend his ways. That man felt as soon as the brother began to exhort like now is a good opportunity to go, but you will not fulfill your vows to God & he will afflict after ahile & he will not raise up any more that daughter - sister - son - brother - neighbor."

"Thoughts on the deisgn of Baptism. 1. Negatively baptism does not change our relations to God or Christ. We stand in the same relation to them before as after baptism, be that what it may. Repentance toward God as a lawgiver and faith in Christ as a mediator changes us from aliens to heirs. The unbeliever is condemned, the believer is justified freely by his grace. 1. Baptism changes our relations to the world & the church. That is its peculiar provence, its appropriate work, according to the order of Heaven. Faith prepares us for the church and when we have changed a sinner's relation to God, then Baptism changes their relation to the church. It takes us from the world and gives us a place in the Church, etc. etc. "

"[Apparently in response to a sermon attacking the Baptists] Are the Baptists wrong in refusing communion with Cumberland Presbyterians at the Lord's table? Among the creatures that God has made, there is a certain class, or classes, properly denominated monsters. These are found in the air, earth, and sea, but if you want to get into the world of monsters, you may have all these by going to the imaginary world. There you will see the raw heads and bloody bones. Our friend has imported [from the imaginary world] one of these monsters before us this morning, and has made some of these tired friends feel the cold chills run through their veins - Let me say however, I feel no kind of embarassment when I appear before this congregation in defense of the Baptists from the grievous charges alleged against them. I grant that my cause is now and has been for the last 1800 years unpopular, no more than the founder of the system of doctrines which I advocate himself [who was] voluntarily despised and crucified. These who inculcated these [Baptist] truths were told they would be hated, despised, and persecuted. 

Well, the Baptists are said now to be wrong in refusing to unite with those who claim to be a continuation of this old Jewish Church [i.e. the Cumberland Presbyterians] and claim a right to introduce into Christ's church the ordinance of the Jewish church [infant baptism]. The Baptists do not intend to set up any claims against our Presbyterian friends or to the facts. One thing we do deny is that we are a continuation of the Jewish church. They may be, but we go back no further than our founder, Jesus Christ. He set up the Baptist Church and gave it all its ordinances, etc.," [This discourse on Baptist history, etc., probably 10pp long]

"The condition of the African race is better in slavery because they are in a Christian land - This is a great argument [of the advocates of slavery]. For instance, I have preached 15 years faithfully and I am told that many negroes have been converted under my ministry and this good instrumentality affected by me atones for the sin of slavery. Awful. Slaveholders indirectly say [that] Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; and we have told the negro of that Saviour. & all we ask of him for the information is what? That he shall be my slave forever? No, this is not [even] the beginning of the matter. He & his children & his children's children to ten thousand generations shall be enslaved for enjoying the privilege of being a Christian slave. 

This is a merchandise of the Gospel with a vengeance. The master reads the Bible and believes and he tells the slave the [same] facts [he has read] and claims to have done so much for him that his conscience is at ease when he sees him in rags, torn from wife & children. He says to a smiting conscience his condition would have been worse if he were in the land of idolatry. Well we say this may be true, but what then? I might be in a burning house and, without assistance, me and mine will all be burned up. You say give me all your possessions and I will let you go free from the flame. Every man will say I had better do that than to be burned up. But is that a Christian man who asks me my all for turning a key to save the life of a family? Is that the spirit of Christ who asks a nation's liberty for telling them of Jesus Christ?" 

Probably 140 of the 148 pages are sermons and material as above. A few pages have notes from others. One page includes "Texts preached from by J. M. Pendleton at Green River in January, 1850." 

There are perhaps 10 leaves where the text is written in pencil and faint. It is legible, but requires more work than the ink pages, which are the vast majority.

Accompanied, as a curiosity only, as an 1828 English Grammar that belonged to Alfred's brother, Stephen. Included as it accompanied the diary from the family; no value ascribed to it in the pricing of this item.  

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