In November of this year, I travelled into different parts of the district of Maine, and attended the free-will baptists's yearly meeting in Gorham, and formed an agreeable acquaintance with many brethren in that region. In January, I attended the free-will quarterly meeting in Gilmantown, N. H. From there I went to New-Durham, and visited Elder Benjamin Randall.

After travelling and preaching three weeks in that region, I returned home the last of January, 1806. In my absence, a letter from Woodstock, Vt. was sent, which informed me that an old man, his daughter, and her husband, were determined to be free from the sectarian names, doctrines and laws, and wished me to come and visit them, and preach the perfect law of liberty. This looked like a small beginning; but knowing that the kingdom of heaven in its beginning, was like a grain of mustard seed, I felt encouraged to go.

At this time, almost all the baptist ministers had left me, or were disaffected at the new doctrine, I had preached, as they called it. Elder Jones was some hurt respecting the end of the wicked; and the conference, I concluded to attend no more, as they /359/ seemed in general inclined to continue baptists, though they had agreed to leave all not found in the new-testament. With all these things in view, myself poor, hated, despised, and disowned by those who had highly esteemed me, my mind was not a little tried. However, believing I was engaged in the cause of truth, which was great and would prevail, the Wednesday after my return from New-Durham, I set out for Woodstock, to visit the three who sent for me.

I arrived there the next Saturday evening; and the next day found a considerable number of baptists and methodists who were determined to be free. I tarried and preached there about six weeks; and in that time about thirty-six united together as christians, owning Christ their only Lord, Master, and Lawgiver. There was some opposition, and much union. In this visit, I gave up close communion, which I had held till then. It was hard work to give it up, having believed it so long.

The first communion we had after the church was gathered according to the new-testament, a considerable number of congregationalists, and methodists, with some baptists, communed with us. Here close communion, an invention of men, left me; nor have I ever been troubled with it since. In the month of March, I left the brethren happy, and united in the truth, walking in love. From this small beginning in the year 1806, in the state of Vermont, the cause of Christ, /360/ and christian liberty has spread into almost every part of the state, in a greater or less degree. There are a great number of churches, and preachers, who now live in love and peace, and the God of love and peace is with them.

While at Woodstock, I became considerably acquainted with the nature of the methodist hierarchy, as contained in the different editions of their discipline. After my return, I wrote, and published, a review of the methodist discipline; in which it was proved that their doctrine was unscriptural, as it respected God and Christ; and that their government was contrary to gospel liberty. This made a great stir, till people were convinced of the truth of what was written. On account of many questions asked me concerning the new-testament, and what was required of christians, for the help of others, I wrote a book entitled, "The age of enquiry, christian's pocket companion, and daily assistant."

At the time I was in Woodstock, brother John Rand and Elder Ephraim Stinchfield preached in Chebacco, a parish in Ipswich, Mass. A great reformation took place, and a church was gathered there according to the new-testament. Elder John Rand preached there for several years after.

In the spring of 1806, there were six churches without articles, or an anti-christian name. One in Portsmouth; one in Bradford and Haverhill; one in Boston; one in /361/ Nantasket; one in Chebacco, and one in Woodstock, Vt. This I considered, and now believe was the Lord's doings, and was marvellous in our eyes. My enemies thought when Dr. Shepard and others left me, all would come to nothing; but at this time, they were afraid their joy would be but for a moment.

In June, I attended the free-will baptist yearly meeting in New-Durham, N. H. The meeting was held on the day of the total eclipse, and was the most solemn and awful time I ever before witnessed. At this meeting the news of my father's death was brought to me. On reading the account, I felt as if all was gone, for several hours. Every barrier between me and death was removed. He was sixty-nine years old when he died; and was very happy and reconciled to death, having hope of the resurrection of the just.

This year, I published a piece entitled, "A short sermon to the calvinistic baptists in Massachusetts;" from these words: 1 Samuel, xxvi. 19, 20. "Now, therefore, I pray thee, let my Lord the king hear the words of thy servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, go, serve other gods. Now, therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to /362/ seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains."

The occasion of writing and publishing the sermon was this: after publishing my reasons for withdrawing from the baptists, several of the leaders, used their influence to stir up the people against me, in different parts of the country. The following was contained in the sermon, which the baptist ministers and people never have denied to this day:

"Those who have in particular been stirred up against me, are the baptist churches in Boston, Charlestown, Woburn, Reading, Haverhill, Exeter and Brentwood. The men who have been the principal actors in stirring them up, are Samuel Stillman and Thomas Baldwin, baptist ministers in Boston. The two baptist ministers in Boston have conducted in the same manner towards me, that the Jews did towards the Apostles. After they had expelled me out of their vestry and meeting-house coast; I went to Charlestown, where many heard the word in the town-hall; but these two men, by their words or conduct, stirred up the people, with the minister, and the baser sort against me, so that the rabble without, made noises, beat drums, blew horns, and threw stones at the house where we were met for worship. When some of the brethren reproved them for their conduct, they justified themselves by saying, I had no business to preach there, for, said they, "Dr. Stillman and Mr. Baldwin do not approve of him." /363/

In Salem they stirred up the people, and when I went there, a certain woman, a member of the baptist church, treated me with neglect, for this reason, said she to me, "I do not think a man can be right that Dr. Stillman and Mr. Baldwin do not approve of." In Reading, I met with the same treatment; I asked a friend the meaning; he said, "that they were ruled by Mr. Baldwin," or words to that amount.

When I moved to Beverly, where the people before this were so desirous to hear, that they would come out of their houses, as I passed along, to urge me not to preach, all were cold and indifferent. When I asked the reason of it, the answer was, "Dr. Stillman and Mr. Baldwin are against you, and it will not do to ask you to preach." When I came to Haverhill, where hundreds used to hear, there was but one man in the town that I knew of, to receive me into his house. The reason given was, that "Mr. Baldwin had wrote on to them that it would not do."

A brother from Brentwood told me that Mr. Baldwin wrote on to Dr. Shepard, and stirred him up against me. He said he knew one sentence in the letter, and that was all he heard. These are the words; "that Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones had scattered a great deal of free-will stuff in Boston."

A brother in Haverhill, told me, that when Mr. Baldwin was in Ipswich, he stirred up the people there, and told them that if Smith /364/ and Jones came there, he should not, or to that amount."

When Mr. Baldwin preached in Freetown, where I had preached, some of the people told me that his sermon was so pointed, that they knew he meant me, as much as though he had called me by name. Many were much dissatisfied with his conduct in this matter;" and I believe he never preached there again.

In the midst of all the reproaches, poverty, and persecutions I then endured, with the loss of almost all my old friends and brethren; this place of scripture was a constant support and comfort to me: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you; that cast you out for my names sake, said, let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." Isa. lxvi. 5. I have lived to see the accomplishment of this word of the Lord. My heart has been filled with joy to see the spread of the gospel, the increase of converts, and free churches from Nova-Scotia to Georgia; and into Canada, west to the Holland purchase, and on to the Mississippi river, and beyond. Through this extent of country, the principles preached in Portsmouth, in 1802, have spread, and in this year, (1816,) is spreading beyond what was ever before known.

I have no doubt that those who treated me with such injustice, are now ashamed; and could I do justice, and feel clear, in omitting /365/ their names and deeds, I would cast a veil over the whole; but duty requires that these things should be brought to light, that the present and future generations may see the hand of God, in preserving and prospering an individual from harm, in the midst of such a torrent of opposition, which poured in from almost every direction.

In the year 1806, I published proposals for printing an illustration of the prophecies yet to be fulfilled; a subject which I had been studying for about ten years. In March, 1807, I began to write what had been proposed to be published. The subject was great, glorious, and extensive. I wrote three weeks; and in that time had about one half done of what was proposed.

The particulars written were so glorious, that my mind was at times overpowered by the things I wrote upon, and my conclusion was, to drop the business awhile, and journey to preach the everlasting gospel to the children of men. Just as this time, I received a letter from Elder Daniel Hix, of Dartmouth, Mass. informing me, that he and the church, excepting about four, which consisted of more than four hundred members, had agreed to leave the baptist order, and to stand as christians only, without any other name; owning Christ as their only Lawgiver. He /366/ requested me to come and help them, and preach the gospel in that region. This news gave me great joy, and encouraged me in the midst of the opposition I then endured from the calvinistic baptists. Elder Hix, and the church he belonged with, were considered free-will, open communion baptists, and belonged to what was called the Groton conference, in Connecticut; which differed but little from an association, excepting in the name. This conference held a correspondence with the Warren association, and were in fellowship with the ministers and members; though the same ministers had no correspondence, nor fellowship with the free-will baptists in New-Hampshire and the district of Maine.

The account of this separation from the baptists was published in my magazine, and caused great joy to the christian brethren; and struck a damp on my opposers. Elder Hix told me that one man told him, that in leaving the baptists, and joining with Smith, he had done more hurt than in all his life before. Elder Hix asked him how he had done it. Why, said he, if you had let Smith alone, he would have soon come to nothing; but now you have joined with him, he will never run out, for all your acquaintance think you are a good man.

In the last of March, soon after receiving Elder Hix's letter, I set out for Freetown and Dartmouth, and took with me a young brother, by the name of Frederick Plumer, /367/ from Haverhill, who had an acceptable gift in prayer and exhortation. We went first to Freetown, (Assonnet,) and from there to Dartmouth. The attention of the people there to hear the word was great, and an awful solemnity rested on the people while hearing the word. After preaching, I came down from the pulpit, and stood before it; a young person came to me in tears, and said pray for me, for I want salvation. A large number of young people gathered around, and when I kneeled down to pray, towards one hundred kneeled down around me, who felt their need of a Saviour. A glorious revival of religion took place there, and spread in various directions.

From Dartmouth, we went to New-Bedford, about eight miles from there. Brother Obed Kempton, of New-Bedford, with his wife, met us about three miles from there; where we attended a meeting on Saturday afternoon, and after meeting they accompanied us to their house. Sunday morning I met a few people at the house of Mr. Sherman, and spake to them in the forenoon. At noon, the people heard of my preaching there, and proposed to have the meeting held at William Roach's rope-walk in the afternoon. At the hour appointed the people came from all parts of the town to hear. It might be said with propriety, "Almost the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord." The word proved a blessing to many who heard. In the evening, we attended a /368/ meeting at Obed Kempton's house. The people filled the house, and those who could not get in stood around to hear. A glorious reformation took place there and in Fair-Haven, across the river.

In a short time after the reformation began on both sides of the river, opposition sprung up also. The sectarians began to whisper around the Salisbury and Woburn masters, and to intimate that my character was bad in other places, though no such thing was talked publicly. After some time, I told the people publicly, that the stories in circulation were false, and that they were told, that I might leave the town. I also related the following circumstance to them. "A certain old bachelor went one winter to visit his cousin, who appeared at first glad to see him. After he had stayed two weeks, he and his family grew tired of him; and agreed one night, that the next morning they would appear very quarrelsome among themselves, that the old cousin might leave the house.

This he perceived in the morning, and after breakfast, thus addressed his relative: "cousin, I have been with you a fortnight, and you have been very peaceable, and just as I was going away, you are all in a quarrel; and I have concluded to stay a fortnight longer, if you are not good humored before."

I also told them they had an opportunity to prove their reports, as I should tarry to give them an opportunity to prove me a bad man, or themselves liars; and that when bad things were said or done to /369/ the apostles, they tarried the longer; and it was my determination to follow their example, of whom it was said, Acts xiv. 2, 3, "But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. Long time therefore abode they, speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace." I also told the people if they wished us gone, they must behave well while we were among them. From that evening, evil reports had but little effect on the minds of the people, and the opposers of the work concluded their strength was to set still.

After preaching awhile in New-Bedford, I went to a place called Long-plain, eight miles from Bedford, at a meeting-house where Elder Hix preached half the time. A large number of people attended. I spake upon these words, "Acts xxvi. 16, "For I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister, and a witness," &c. I told the people there were five sorts of ministers in the world. 1. Those whom the Lord made. 2. Those whom the devil made. 3. Those whom men made. 4. Those who made themselves; and 5. Those who were never made at all. When the fifth class of ministers were mentioned, an old presbyterian deacon who came to hear, took his hat and left the house, fearing as I supposed, that a description of ministers not made at all, would be a description of the man of his choice. /370/

In this meeting, Elder Hix told the people he was convinced that the Lord had called me to preach, as he had found converts in the places where I had preached. This struck a death blow to my enemies, as his recommendation had considerable weight on the minds of the people who heard his testimony. From this place I returned to Portsmouth, preaching the gospel in the towns between Freetown and Newhampshire.

The "GROTON CONFERENCE," as was to be holden that year, at the Longplain meeting-house in June. This I calculated by all means to attend, as the ministers calculated to call Elder Hix to an account, for leaving them, and joining with Smith, as they termed it.

The conference was held on the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth of June, 1807. As there was a great revival of religion in that region, several brethren went with me to the meeting. The ministers who composed the conference, knew beforehand what Elder Hix and the church had done, and of course came in a very unhappy temper of mind. They considered me the cause of the great overturn in that region, though truth was the real cause. On Wednesday, at ten o'clock, the ministers and delegates, with a large number of people met in the meeting-house. Elder William Northrop tried to preach first. He was much embarrassed, and acknowledged afterwards, that he forgot a part of what he meant to have communicated. He was told that his /371/ hardness against Smith was the reason he could not preach.

These great ministers left the house about the middle of the day, and returned at two o'clock. All their wheels moved hard and slow each day. In the intermission of the second day, the conference were greatly disturbed with Smith, whom they considered the cause of all their difficultyu. Elder Hix told them that nine tenths of the people wished Elias Smith to preach in the afternoon, and that if they opposed it, they would be disasteemed by the people in general. This they cared but little about. Some of them objected, saying Smith held damnable doctrines. One of them said he did not suppose Smith ever believed the bible. Mr. Ebenezer Nelson, from Reading, said, I was then under admonition. This same man was at that time under admonition of the church in Middleborough, and had been for several years, for wrong conduct, which he had been too stubborn to confess. The ministers were so enraged at me, that they foamed out their shame in my hearing, while walking across the room where they were talking.

The day was uncommonly wet, as the rain fell very fast. After the ministers had done their conference business, and preaching, Elder Hix told the people that brother Smith would preach in fifteen minutes from that time. As soon as the great ministers heard that, they took their hats and great coats, and went immediately out of the house into the /372/ rain. They acted like mad men, more than messengers of peace; and they put me in mind of the sons of Sceva, who fled out of the house, naked and wounded. Their conduct, was the most ridiculous I ever saw among men professing to be ministers of Christ.

On the whole, I do not remember of ever seeing a company of ministers who set out to be masters, more chagrined. The brethren as a body had rejected the conference, assocation, and missionary plans, and were free, and the ministers knew it; and saw no prospect of their ever returning back to the old baptist order. The meeting closed in peace, and we parted in love; notwithstanding all the rage against one who has ever wished them well in well-doing.

From the spring of 1807, to November, I spent the greater part of the time New-Bedford, and the towns around; and was constantly employed in preaching, wri ting and baptising. In that time, over four hundred were baptised by different preachers in that region. In Assonnet, where I first visited, Elder Philip Hathaway, who had been a baptist, was remarkably blest among the people after he determined to live a free man. Many were converted there whom he baptised.

That summer, a man by the name of Ellis, in Rochester, the town joining New-Bedford, requested me to preach at his house. The people there were much opposed to me, and threatened to raise a mob to carry me out, if /373/ I attempted to preach there. However, a meeting was appointed, and I attended at the house, in company with Elder J. Plumer. As soon as we came in sight of the house, we observed a very large number of men standing around the house, which led us to think they had come with a design to make disturbance. When we came up to the house, the whole was explained. There were so many who wished to hear the word, that only the women could get into the house.

The man made seats before the house for the men; took out his windows, and I stood in the door to speak; so that all in the house and around it could hear. There were more people brought to a sense of their need of a Saviour in this meeting than I had ever before known. Many were pricked in their heart, and said in tears, "what shall we do to be saved." After meeting, it was difficult getting from them, as they surrounded the carriage; taking us by the hand, and saying, "pray for us." Within six weeks from that day, over seventy gave an evidence of being converted to God, and were baptised according to the command of Christ.

That summer, I went by request to Little-Compton, a town on the sea-coast, in the east part of the state of Rhode-Island. In this town they had an hopkintonian preacher, and a good free-will baptist preacher, by the name of Peckham. He and his brethren received me heartily, and invited me to preach in the meeting-house, and their dwelling- /374/ houses. While at Little-Compton, Isaac Willer, Esq. who was then a member of congress, proposed to me to conduct a religious newspaper, that should give a description of that religious liberty that is in harmony with civil liberty. He stated that people in this country had a better understanding of civil than religious liberty; and he thought that a work of this kind would be very useful to the people of the United States.

The next winter, he, while at congress, sent to me a proposal of the publication before-mentioned, and the plan contemplated by him and other members. The plan was liberal, and several of my particular friends through, as I was poor, this would afford me some help, while benefiting others. So it appeared to me at first; but after mature deliberation, I concluded the plan though liberal, would not do for me.

I had endured the loss of property and friends, with much persecution, to obtain my freedom. I thought that to undertake a work of this kind, under the direction of others would confine me. They might wish some things published, which I should not like; and I might wish to publish some things disagreeable to them; and therefore concluded to undertake it at my own risk. Their liberality I acknowledged in a letter sent to Washington, and soon after, issued proposals for printing the "The Herald of Gospel Liberty," and published the first number in September 1, 1808. /375/

This year, I visited Chebacco several times in the course of six months, and met with abuse from the enemies of truth. A great number were converted to God in that parish that year, which greatly disturbed the law-religion people; and they aimed their vengeance at me, as the supposed cause of what they called disturband. Once they took the nuts off that held up the thorough braces of my carriage. Once they cut one of them almost off, intending to let me down; and once they took my carriage wheel in the night, and hung it up on the mast head of a vessel, which lay about half a mile from where my carriage stood. My friends took it down the next day, and though it had been hung, it went very well the next day.

Sometime before this, I went to Hampton-falls to preach and baptise. On that occasion I was led to speak upon baptism in particular. Several of the infant-sprinkling people attended. I told the people there was but one place in the bible that had any reference to infant baptism to my knowledge, and I was not certain that infant baptism was meant there; though it was my mind it was. This drew the attention of the whole assembly, for no one there had ever read of it in the bible. I told them that when John was on the Isle of Patmos, he saw a beast rise out of the earth, having horns like a lamb, and he caused all, both small and great to receive a mark in their right head, or in their forehead; and that mark I supposed was infant sprinkling; /376/ and on that account, they put the water on the child's face instead of his feet. This made a great stir among many; but the house was so full of people, that they were obliged to stay and hear the conclusion of the whole matter.

In this year, 1807, the clergy in Massachusetts, and Newhampshire in particular, were greatly disturbed, on account of my writing and preaching. In Portsmouth and the towns around, a considerable number of them were dismissed, and came up like trees plucked up by the roots. In my magazine, I wrote an history of the clergy from the third century, down to the year 1807. This greatly disturbed the chemarims; (the black coated priests, Zeph. i. 4.) who were not at all pleased to see the history of their order for fifteen hundred years.

At a certain time, when in Boston, a clergyman, who had been reading the clergyman's looking-glass, thus addressed me: "Mr. Smith, you are too severe with the clergy in your writings." Sir I am not, for they are a set of useless men in Massachusetts, crowded upon the people without their consent; and the people support them out of necessity, and not from choice. He replied, "I deny the charge, and require you to prove it." This sir, I am ready to do. Supposing, sir, a number of merchants had a cargo of bad run, which cost them fifty cents per gallon, which is all their property, and will not sell. The consequence of this is, they must be reduced to poverty, and come upon their friends /377/ for a living. Supposing, sir, that their friends, to help them, and save their money; being influential in the court, should carry in a petition, praying that every town, parish, &c. should purchase so much of the bad run, as to include the whole cargo, when equally divided among the people of the commonwealth; or pay a fine not exceeding one hundred cents, nor less than thirty, to be given to the men who owned the rum; would not this be crowding the rum upon the people; and taking money from them by force and injustice? "Yes, said he, but this does not apply to the clergy." This, sir, is the case now in Massachusetts. In the year 1800, a law was passed in Massachusetts, requiring every town, parish, precinct, district, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to have constant preaching; and if any town, &c. should be without preaching any three months out of six, they should pay a fine for the first offence, of a sum not exceeding sixty dollars, nor less than thirty, and for every offence after, not more than one hundred dollars, nor less than sixty. The design of this law is, that the people shall buy the preachers, or have the money enough taken from them by the court, to support the men they do not want.

After hearing this, he observed that he did not know there was such a law in force. He never asked for any more proof, and so the matter ended at that time. /378/

In this place, I take occasion to speak of the christian conference, which about this time disappeared. Some of the preachers went to the Meredith association, and in behalf of the others, told them they did not mean to leave the association. One of them joined the Warren association contrary to what he had agreed, and not long after, was disowned by them; and now lives a private life. Another returned to calvinism. One of them told me he should be glad to be as free as Elder Jones and I were; but, said he, I have a large family, and do not know how they would be supported. (At that time he and another received their support from the town.) My reply to him was this: "It is much easier to trust the town that to trust the Lord; for he will not support one minister unless he is a laborer; and your town is willing to support two lazy ministers." So we ended the matter. All excepting my brother and one or two more, forsook me and fled.

Having this year, seen the glorious work of God in the south part of Massachusetts, and the increase of churches, and brethren in various parts of the country, in November, 1807, I returned home to write the remainder of the sermons on the prophecies, and publish the same to the world. I wrote twenty-two sermons, beginning with the Jews in Egypt, and at Mount Sinai; noticed the new covenant that will be made with them hereafter; the prophecies which speak of their /379/ return; described the land of Canaan; the coming of Christ to reign on the earth one thousand years; described his kingdom at that time; the city and house that should be built in the thousand years; noticed the gathering of all nations at Jerusalem, in the thousand years of Christ's reign on earth; described the meaning of satan's being loosed for a little season; the last judgment and destruction of the wicked; gave a description of the wicked; gave a description of the new heavens and earth, which should appear after the first is destroyed, with the glory of the new Jerusalem; closed the whole with a description of the kingdom Christ would in the end give up, and that in which he would reign forever.

If ever any mortal enjoyed an earnest of future glory on earth, I believe that enjoyment was mine while writing the twenty-two sermons on the prophecies. In March, 1808, they were printed, and scattered in various directions, among my brethren, friends and enemies.

In this year, 1808, my friends increased, and in many places my enemies were confounded, while they saw how many were converted to God in almost every place where my brethren travelled with me to preach the gospel. In 1807, and 1808, there was the greatest reformation in Portsmouth that had ever been. At one time I preached six /380/ evenings in each week, for twelve weeks, excepting two or three evenings I was out of the town.

One thing took place, which I think proper to mention here. Many good people were greatly straitened in their own minds while they considered me in great errors, and yet blest of God, in the conversion of sinners from the errors of their ways. Some would say, "It is true the man is blest in preaching; but God does not bless his errors." Some considered me deranged, or "cracked brained," as they termed it. At that time, it was a strange thing for a man to profess religion, and be neither a churchman, presbyterian, congregationalist, baptist, methodist, quaker, nor universalist. To be only a christian and minister of Christ, without any name of the beast, which is 666, was a new thing to people in general. The sound of this was heard afar off, and in Philadelphia, one of the printers published me under the character of the "EXCLUSIVE CHRISTIAN."

A religious woman in Vermont, among the man, was much troubled, especially after reading the five sermons on the end of the wicked. While her mind was much exercised upon these things, she dreamed one night that an angel came to her, and she asked him what time it was with the church. He said, go with me, and I will tell you. She immediately followed him, and they soon came to an high wall. He shewed her a small hole through the wall, and told her /381/ that was faith, and she must go through it. With difficulty she got through the wall, and found herself in a most beautiful garden, full of flowers and fruit. He ordered her to take a seat under the shadow of a tree, gave her a book to read, told her, when she understood that, he would answer her question, and then left her. When she had read it through he returned; but she told him she did not understand it; he left her again, and she read it through again, without understanding it. He returned again, and told her she must read till she understood what the book meant.

The third time she read it through, the meaning was plain to her understanding. He then told her to look up. She obeyed, and saw a star over her head. He said, "Do you see that star." Yes. "That star, said he, is one of the ministers of Christ, risen to shine in this gospel day." While she continued looking at the star, and wondering that it should be so easily seen in the day time, she soon after saw another star advanced towards the first. Soon after she saw several stars gathering from different directions, apparently at war with the first star she saw. These stars appeared to come against the star with violence, and then withdraw; while the first star she saw remained unmoved amidst all this opposition. After awhile the first star moved slowly towards the south west; soon one of the other stars moved with it,and after awhile she /382/ saw them all moving on together in one direction, as if in the greatest harmony, and shining as they moved.

The woman asked the angel in her dream what these stars meant. He replied, "the other stars are also ministers of Christ, and as they appeared to fight the first star you saw, so these ministers will fight that one; but he will remain unmoved amidst all their opposition, knowing he shall prosper. As you saw first one, and at last the whole go with him; so these ministers of Christ will not only cease their opposition, but will unite with him, and so the gospel will have a glorious spread in the world." This I tell as a dream, and as it was told me by a person who had it from the one who had the dream, as near as my memory serves. There are three kinds of dreams mentioned in the scriptures. 1. Vain ones. 2. Such as come through the multitude of business. 3. Such as are by the spirit of God. Whenever I see the truth of a dream, I am bound to believe it; and what a person says when awake, is not to be credited, unless we have proof of the truth of what he says.

The truth of this dream I have seen, and do see. Many who in the year 1808, were opposed to the doctrine advanced, have now not only cease to oppose, but are actually fellow-laborers, and since that time, the simple gospel of Christ, without the commandments and doctrines of men has spread into the south and west, much more than in any /383/ other direction; and to a much greater degree, than was ever before known.

One law religion man, about that time, said to me, "Smith, you are like the devil, walking to and fro upon the earth." My reply was this, "No sir, I am one of those mentioned in Daniel xii. 4, that should run to and fro, to increase knowledge. The devil and his children, walk, but the Lord's servants run, and by this means the devil and his servants are always behind."

In the spring of 1808, by the request of several republicans, I delivered a discourse in our meeting-house, upon LIBERTY and government, which was afterwards published in the Herald of Gospel Liberty, to the grief of the friends of monarchy religion.

On the first day of September, 1808, the first number of the Herald was published in Portsmouth, N. H. which, perhaps, was the first religious newspaper ever published. Only two hundred and seven-four subscriptions were obtains. In Sept. 1815, they had increased to fifteen hundred.

In the first number, notice was given that on the seventh day of the month, Peter Young, of York, eight miles from Portsmouth, was to be ordained. This meeting I attended, and spake from these words: Matth. x. 16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye, therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." When I came to contrast man-made ministers, with the ministers of Christ, as wolves in the /384/ midst of sheep, instead of sheep in the midst of wolves, and shew that they were as wise as doves and harmless as serpents, it made a cracking among the wooden fences. The parish priest people were so enraged at me, that they threw down the wall, made noises, and caused much disturbance among the people. After meeting, two men attempted to upset my carriage while passing by them; but driving very fast, caused them to break their hold, and so I escaped out of their hands, and arrived safe in Portsmouth, without receiving any injury from the.

That week, a general meeting of the christian Elders and brethren was appointed at Hampton, fifteen miles south of Portsmouth, on the common. Some of the parish religion people were determined to prevent the design of the meeting. Several of the people came with their guns, to drive the ministers and people from the common. Seeing the rioters determined to disturb them; the Elders, John Rand, and Frederick Plumer, told the people the meeting would be held in a field at some distance, which the owner had given them leave to meet in. All who came to hear, went immediately to the place appointed, and united in prayer and praise to God.

As soon as the rioters found the people had gone to the field, they followed them; and when they were opposite of the field, they begun with hooting, firing guns, &c. After proceeding a few rods, they marched back, and began they pow wow; firing their guns /385/ again. The man who had engaged the field, forbid any person coming in to make disturbance. Just after passing the assembly, they broke their ranks, and rushed into that and the adjoining field, firing their guns, throwing potatoes and dirt at the preachers, and upset the place where they stood to preach, while they were in it; one of them was struck with a gun; one of the preachers was pulled from his seat, after he had left his first seat. It was supposed that more than one hundred guns were fired; and that the rioters were fifty or sixty in number. Several of them in age, resembled the "silver greys" of -------. When they were asked the occasion of such violence, they answered, that they were peaceable people, and meant to defend their religion and their minister. Knowing that the main vengeance was aimed at me, I thought it duty to retire, soon after they entered the field.

The other Elders and people, left the field in about one hour after the rioters came in to disturb. Soon after this, they came up to the house where I was, and stood before it. My horse was harnessed at the back door, and I went down the back stairs, out at the back side of the house; got into my carriage with a brother, and rode away before they knew I was gone; glad to escape through the back door; and through the good hand of God upon me, arrived safe at Portsmouth. Notwithstanding all the tumult, no one was injured in the least; though some had their clothes /386/ scorched with the powder. The leaders were prosecuted and found rioters; our brethren settled it with them on merciful terms, and they ever after let our meetings be attended undisturbed. About fifteen months after, I went and preached within a few rods of the field, from these words: Deut. xxxiii. 29, "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord; the shield of they help, and who is the sword of they excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt treat upon their high places." This was a glorious and heavenly meeting; as several who attended were enemies to God, at the time we were so abused; and before this meeting they became friends through Christ, by whom they were made night unto God.

In November of 1808, I first heard of a people in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and other places at the South and West, who considered themselves christians, without the addition of any sectarian name. This greatly revived my mind, as before that I did not know that there were any such people on earth, excepting in the New-England states. The herald, by different means, was carried into different parts of the United States, and in consequence of this, in a few years, I became acquainted with christians in almost every state in the union. At this time, God raised up several young men to preach the gospel, and some from the free-will baptists, and other denominations, came and united with us, to spread the name of Christ only. /387/

In this year, I travelled as far east as Wiscasset, and the towns around, and found a great door open to preach a free gospel. Many believed, and rejoiced in the hope of immortality.

When i first began to publish my thoughts in books, the printers and booksellers, were willing to print and sell them; but at this time, many were afraid to print them, or keep them in their stores. Two men agreed to print and sell whatever I brought them; but when I proved their denomination and doctrine unscriptural, they fell from their agreement; and sent my books away from their store, which was a great damage to me, and disgrace to them. Being treated in this manner, I went to mr. Henry Ranlet, of Exeter, and told him how I was treated, by the printers, and booksellers; and wished to know if he was a man of courage. He observed that printing and bookselling was the business he followed for a living; that he would print any thing I brought him, and that he was not accountable, where the author's name was known. The greater part of my printing from that day, to this, has been done in that office.

In the year 1809, I was forty years old, and on that day, delivered a discourse, from Deut. viii. 4, "And thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God led thee, these forty years in the wilderness." When young, I often heard of people forty years old; such, I then supposed were old people; but when that time came, old age was still at a distance, /388/ as all others have said before me. In the month of June, the principal people in the county of Bristol, Mass. requested me to deliver a discourse on Taunton Green, the fourth of July; the anniversary of the "American independence." This request I complied with, and delivered a sermon, from Psalm cvii. 43, "Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord."

Two particular were taken up:

I. The THINGS for the wise to observe.
II. the loving kindness of the Lord, which the wise shall understand, by observing these things.

Eight THINGS were noticed for the wise to observe:

1. The tyrannical power, we as a nation were once under. 2. The stand this nation made against it, by a declaration of independence from that power. 3. The victory which was obtained over that cruel and unjust power. 4. The government which was adopted by the Americans, after being delivered from a foreign despotic yoke. 5. The privileges enjoyed made the government of their own choice. 6. The attempts made to overthrow the government of this country. 7. Those attempts defeated. 8. The present state of our country, under a republican government, as it respects civil and religious liberty. /389/

This sermon was afterwards printed, and entitled; "The loving kindness of God displayed in the triumph of republicanism in the United States." It went through two large editions, and is not yet forgotten by its friends or enemies.

In November of this year, 1809, I attended the free-will baptist yearly meeting in Gorham, Maine, and on my way home, proposed to preach one evening in Portland, Maine. The meeting was appointed at the house of William Waterhouse. A considerable number attended, and the next day, several wished me to tarry and preach in the evening. More came than the evening before; and many pressed me hard to tarry and preach the next Sunday in the assembly-room. Seeing the attention of the people, I stayed; met a large assembly, preached three times, and was, I supposed, ready to depart on the morrow. The next day, they urged me to stay another week. This I did, and found the word took great hold of the minds of many. After staying two Sundays, I returned to Portsmouth, sixty miles; stayed one week, and returned and preached there seven weeks before I returned to Portsmouth again. In this time, five, who had been baptised in Portsmouth, came together, and agreed to consider themselves a church, according to /390/ the new-testament. One young man by the name of Enoch Hazeltine, was converted and baptised during my stay of seven weeks, and soon after several more. The attention was so great, and the call for preaching there, so urgent, that the people earnestly requested me to carry my family there, if it was only for a short time. Having lived in Portsmouth seven years, and two months, and thinking some other person might do more good there, I consented to go, and in February, 1810, carried my family, and the little all I had to Portland. I then had five children. We had three born in Portsmouth; one of which died, when two years old.

The day I carried my family from Portsmouth, I went from home, and laid a foundation for such trouble, as to that day we had unacquainted with. While in Portsmouth, I had paid nearly all my old debts, and had gained some property besides; and had for seven years been kindly dealt with by the Lord, and the people in Portsmouth, who had ever been ready to communicate to our needs. The people in Portland were agreeable, and kind, and my friends there and around, soon became numerous; but I had gone from home, and never felt at home until I returned to Portsmouth, in December, 1814.

In the spring, several of my friends in Portland, proposed to let me have money to purchase a printing-office, to do my own printing. I purchased one at Exeter, and /391/ hired a young man to do my work; but not to my advantage. They meant it for good, but it proved a source of vexation till I got rid of it. In the summer of 1810, I travelled to Sandy river, in Maine, and in various other parts, preaching the glorious gospel to thousands.

This summer, Elder Frederick Plumer, who had the summer and winter before, been in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New-York, came to see me, and wished me to visit Philadelphia. To that time, I had never been out of the New-England states. In November, I concluded to go on as far as Philadelphia, and on the second of December, sat out from Portland. I preached in different towns as far as Westerly, R. I. On the twenty-seventh of December, 1810, I arrived at Philadelphia, and was kindly received by John Hunter, Esq. While there, I wrote matter for my paper, and sent it by mail to Portland. I tarried in Philadelphia, till March 18, 1811.

While there, John Hunter, and others, wished me to make my stand there, as it was a central part of the United States, and a place where a correspondence might be opened to all parts of the country, and the free gospel spread in every direction. Had I been able to prosecute such a plan, it might have done well; but my capital was not sufficient for such an undertaking. This I knew when it was too late. From the /392/ encouragement received, and the prospect before me, I agreed to return in six weeks.

From Philadelphia to New-York, I went in the stage, with Timothy Pickering, a very singular man. From New-York, went down the sound to Newport, R. I. and from thence to Portland in the stage, and arrived there the seventh day at night, and was kindly received by my friends in that place.

As it is my intention, to publish another volume, in a future day, beginning from the time of leaving Portsmouth in February, 1810, if my life and health is spared, I shall now only give the outlines of my travels, preaching and sufferings from that time till January 1, 1816.

In the last of April, 1811, I sat out from Portland, in company with Elder John Gray, for Philadelphia, to be there by the time appointed when I left the city. We made but little stop, until we came to Westerly, R. I. Here we tarried certain days. It so happened that the Elders of the Groton conference that had been so enraged with me a few years before, had at that time appointed a meeting in Westerly to shew the extent of their opposition. Before this, they had tried to set Elder Hix against me, and wished only for him to hate me, and then they were ready to love him.

This council was held, May 15, 1811. About one year before, in the same town, the conference had cast out Elder Hix, and erased his name from their minutes, for holding /393 fellowship with Elias Smith, whom they termed an excommunicated member, though they never undertook to prove that it was so. The particulars of this affair will be given in the next volume.

From Westerly we proceeded on our journey to Philadelphia. In July my printing-office was brought on, and the eleventh day of August, 1811, my family came on by water. I hired an house in Christian-street, and gave two hundred dollars per year for it. In a short time after my family came on, I began to find the difference between the expence of a family in New-England and Philadelphia. The greatest part of my property was in the hands of others, and before three months, I saw times when my money was all gone, and I knew not where to get more. The people where I preached did but little for me, and all I could get with my work, was but little. My family was discontented and unhappy; but the only way left us, was to bear it, and earn what we could.

In October after, I appointed to attend a general meeting in Caroline county, Virginia, and sat out in a carriage with Elder Joseph Thomas, who agreed to carry me there. When within about twenty miles of Baltimore, his horse failed, and stopped at the foot of a sand hill. We waited about an hour under the shadow of a priscimmon tree for him to recruit, and proceeded on slowly. In about one mile we came to a /394/ river, which we were obliged to ride through. The water was about three feet deep. When in the middle of the river, the horse stopped, and would go no farther. Elder Thomas stepped into the river, and led his horse to the shore. I then took my trunk on my shoulder, sat out on foot, and walked about half a mile to a tavern; and a man with an empty back carried me to Baltimore than day for one dollar and fifty cents. The next day I went to Alexandria in the stage, and there hired an horse at one dollar per day, rode to Chilesburg, about eighty miles, and put up with George Phillips, Esq. father-in-law to William Guirey.

From there I rode with William Guirey to the place where the meeting was appointed; and met several christian preachers; preached eight times from Friday afternoon till Monday forenoon, to many who attended. The other preachers spake about as many times. This was an heavenly place in Christ Jesus. After the meeting I return to Alexandria, having been gone ten days; and from there returned to Philadelphia in the stage, preached there and in the towns around till the next spring.

In February, 1812, I began to write my new-testament dictionary, having obtained a considerable number of subscribers for the same. In March, I had only fifty pages written. About this time my printers began upon it, and I wrote for them constantly for about five months, and in August it was all /395/ printed. This was the most difficult piece I ever undertook to write. Eleven hundred and eight words were written upon; and generally the subject given with the word, besides the meaning of the word used to express the subject. I wrote and published the Herald at the same time. With all this labor, and preaching several times in each week, I was much reduced, and at last almost unfitted for business.

In June, the christian brethren in Shanandoah county, Virginia, about one hundred miles west of Washington City, wrote, requesting me to visit them in August, to preach the gospel among them. In that month, as soon as my dictionary was done, I sat out, and having my meetings all appointed, rode in the stage to Washington, and from there on an horse. I was gone from Philadelphia, twenty-four days, in which time I rode six hundred miles; preached twenty eight times, and returned home. While in Shanandoah, I saw in the Herald, a general meeting notified in Woodstock the last of September, which was for a few weeks from that time. This meeting I had agreed to attend, and was then seven hundred miles from Woodstock. I tarried in Philadelphia ten days, and sat out with an horse and carriage for New-England. I was nine days on my passage from Philadelphia to Providence.

The tenth day, Saturday, rode to Bristol; preached there on Sunday; Monday rode to /396/ Providence; Tuesday on toward Woodstock; Friday arrived at Windsor, with the horse I rode from Virginia. Saturday morning rode to Woodstock court-house, and arrived there ten minutes before the time appointed for the meeting to begin. After spending some time in Vermont, New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode-Island; I left my horse and carriage at Westerly, R. I. took the stage at New-London, Conn. on Saturday morning. Sunday morning at my breakfast in New-York. Monday rode from there to Philadelphia, and arrived at nine o'clock, December 4, 1812. From August to December, I had rode about two thousand miles, and preached often through the whole tour. Through all this, the Lord preserved me, continued my health, and blest my feeble endeavors to spread the knowledge of his glory in the world.

From January, 1813, I had continued scenes of trouble to pass through. My eldest daughter, and wife were both sick, one or the other, through the winter. I found my property considerably gone, and that I owed about two thousand dollars, and saw but little prospect of paying soon. The man who at first appeared my friend, turned against me. Him I owed eight hundred and forty-four dollars. He called for his pay; another man gave hi note, and bought my printing-office, and then gave me a lease of it for two years; and for the use of it, paid him the /397/ interest of the money, till the least was out, and then he took it.

In April of that year, I concluded the only way left for me to do was, to go on to New-England, and collect what I could that was due me there. My wife concluded to go on with me; but I was so reduced, that the only way we got on to Westerly, to my horse and carriage, was this: Some friends in Bristol, R. I. hired fifty dollars, and sent it on, and this I paid afterwards. In four months, we travelled to almost all the places where we had ever been, from the time we were married till we went to Philadelphia. In August my wife returned home, with Elder Plumer, and I tarried, not having accomplished my business so as to be able to return.

My friends gave me between three and four hundred dollars, to help me out of my difficult. After I left Philadelphia, my enemies exerted themselves to the uttermost to ruin my character, and prevent my usefulness. What they published, was examined and proved false, and their violent dealings came down upon their own heads. In addition to all this, I had lost almost all my property, and what i had was in such a scattered situation, that it was impossible to collect it very fast, and my family expences in Philadelphia were constantly increasing. My situation looked to me distressing, and was continually growing worse. All this was but small compared to what I afterwards passed through. /398/

In November of that year, I was taken sick, with the typhus fever, about the time I calculated to return home. I was at brother Joseph's Mason's in Swanzey. He, his wife, and family did all in their power for my help; and had I been their own child they could not have shewn more kindness. The Lord reward them an hundred fold.

In this sickness I was brought to the sides of the grave; and for several days, Dr. Winslow, who attended me, said it was a matter of doubt with him, whether I should live or die. The doctor understood the nature of the disease, and the medicine used was blest to my recovery. In three weeks, I was able to go on with my journey. After being able to ride, my mind was unsettled as to what was duty. Not being strong enough to journey to Philadelphia, I concluded to go as far as Portsmouth; and as soon as my health would allow, visit my family.

My only intention in going to Portsmouth was, to see my friends, and tarry till ready to go on to the south. In a few days, I was like a man who had been lost; so that every thing seemed wrong to him, until he came to a certain place. My mind was settled that Portsmouth was the place to carry my family. I wrote on to my wife to be ready to come on in February. I engaged a four wheel carriage, purchased another horse, and calculated to set out, so as to be in Portsmouth with my family in March. Several things prevented my setting out so soon as I at first contemplated. On the twenty-seventh of February, I received a letter from Elder J. Plumer, that my second daughter, and my wife were both sick of a typhus fever. He stated that my wife was taken the Sunday night before, and he had but little hope of her life. My daughter, he stated was not considered dangerous. This news brought a grievous weight on my mind; as I expected from what he wrote, that she would die. I waited till the next Friday, before another letter came. That informed me that my daughter was better, and that my wife died on Sunday morning, twenty-seventh of February, eighteen hundred and fourteen. My mind, was in a small measure, prepared to meet the tidings, though but little prepared to bear the loss. For sometime I thought my mind would sink under the additional trouble which this brought me into; and form which I saw no way for deliverance. I was left with six children. One only was married, the others young, and strangers in a strange land.

On Saturday, March 4th, I sat out with my carriage, determined, if possible, to reach Philadelphia soon. After riding to Taunton, the frost came out of the ground, and by the time I reached Swanzey, the travelling was so bad, that I was obliged to leave my horse and carriage, and go a few miles in the stage. The travelling remained so bad, and hearing that my children were well taken care of, I delayed the journey till /399/ the last of April, and then went on, determining to bring my children to Portsmouth.

After my arrival in Philadelphia, my second daughter was married there, and as the New-England states were much distressed by the British, my friends advised me to leave my three little children there till September. This I did, sold my horse, and the three last days in June, went from Philadelphia to Providence, R. I. and though almost always in company; yet continually alone.

In the latter part of the year eighteen hundred and fourteen, I was married to RACHEL THURBER, daughter of SAMUEL THURBER, Esq. of Providence, Rhode-Island. In her I have obtained favor of the Lord, and my little children a mother whom they love and esteem.

This year, a baptist minister, by the name of David Benedict, of Pautucket, R. I. undertook to publish what he called, an history of the baptists, in America. As it stands in my mind, he, to do all in his power, to fix on me a lasting reproach, at least among the baptists, to the latest generation, wrote the following, and printed it, to send into the world as truth.

"Mr. Elias Smith, formerly a preacher of good repute in the Warren association, has, within a few years past, formed a party of considerable extent in different States, which are sometimes called Smithites, but more generally Christians, which last name their founder seems peculiarly solicitous of maintaining. Mr. Smith is a man of popular talents, but unusually changeable in his religious creed. He has propagated, at different times, calvinism, universalism, arminianism, arianism, socinianism, and other isms too numerous to mention. He has also advanced the doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked after death. He professes to explode all creeds and confessions, and denominates himself and followers, with a peculiar emphasis, Christians [long "I"]. He has published a multitude of books to defend his opinions, or rather to oppose those of all others. Many have became his disciples, of whom some believe more and some less of his changeable opinions. The large church in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, consisting of about six hundred members, has been dropped from the Groton conference, on account of their adhering to this singular man. A number of other churches of different associations have been shaken and diminished, by the two successful exertions of him and his associates. Many, doubtless, have fallen in to his train, who, with better leaders or less leading, would have acted a more becoming part. Among the freewill baptists, Mr. Smith was, in many places, very cordially received; for he is as strenuous as ever for believers' baptism, although he is constantly belaboring the baptists, both from the pulpit and press. But the free-will brethren, finding him expert at brow-beating calvinism, were ambitious of placing him among /400/ the champions of their cause. He was the means of introducing some innovations amongst them, both as it respects doctrine and discipline; but whether they still listen to his instructions, I have not learnt. Mr. Smith has been a few years in Philadelphia, where he founded a small church, which has lately published a pamphlet, containing a number of very severe strictures upon his conduct; and he is now about settling again in New-England." --(See Benedict's Bap. Hist. page 411.)

To speak the most favorable of this piece, is to call it the fruits of ignorance or partiality. Several statements here are false, and prove the writer a sectarian rather than an historian.

1. I am not the founder of a party called Smithites or Christians. Christians are mentioned in the new-testament, and Christ their founder. This I have always declared, and this all my brethren believe.

2. I am not so very strenuous for long I, nor short i, in the word CHRISTIAN. It is the follower of Christ I contend for and not the particular manner of pronouncing i.

3. I have never been so "unusually changeable" in my religious creed. Through the influence of others, in the days of my ignorance, I embraced calvinism, and when I understood the extent of it, universalism was at the end. As to propagating arminianism, arianism, socinianism, and other isms, too numerous to mention, it was never done by me, and I shall yet put him to prove it, or abide the consequences. There is no man can prove that I ever embraced any sectarian doctrines,j since I left all their creeds and systems, in the year 1814.

4. He declares I have advanced the doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked after death. This is another falsehood; the word nor doctrine of annihilation is not in any book written by me. Mr. Benedict would by this, have people believe, that I advance, that when the wicked die, that is their end; but my bible does not read so, nor did I ever so preach or write. The wicked are reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished; and all in their graves will hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth; they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. There the wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction; this will be their end. "Whose end is destruction."

5. The church gathered in Philadelphia, in the time of my residence there, never wrote against me; but in my favor. Those who wrote against me, were a body politic, who were incorporated some time before.

Mr. Benedict knew I was in good repute among the baptists, before the time of leaving them, and he also knew that my leaving them was the only cause of having no reputation among them, when he wrote this piece of misrepresentation.

As to what he says of the shaking among the baptist churches, and their diminution, it is true; for many see the iniquity /401/ which attends this anti-christian combination, and leave it for the government of Christ. So much of Mr. Benedict's piece now, and the remainder, after conversing with him, in the next volume. I hope not to have occasion to apply this saying to Mr. B. "Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee."

The last of September, in this year, I attended a general meeting in Danville, Vt. From there rode to Woodstock. In October, when to Ballstown, Milton, Gallaway, Charleston, on the Mohawk River, Schenectady, Albany, New-Baltimore, and several other towns in New-York state; and preached there, almost every day, until December 8th, and then rode to Hartford, New-London and Groton, in Connecticut; preached and baptised there. The second Sunday in January, eighteen hundred and fifteen, was in Providence, confined ten days with the ague in my face. After being able to journey, my wife came on with me, and arrived at Portsmouth, N. H. January twenty-first, eighteen hundred and fifteen; went to my hired house, which had but little in it, excepting some wood, and a few chairs to set in. Though we were destitute of almost every kind of furniture, food and money, yet the Lord raised up friends around us, whose hearts and hands were open to supply us with such things as we stood in need of, as fast as our wants returned.

My furniture in Philadelphia I sold, and parted with every article, down to knives, forks and spoons. Though I married a rich man's daughter, she had when she left her father's house, only the fruit of her hands; so that her own works praised her and not another. From January to June, I was constantly employed, in writing my paper, settling my accounts, writing some of my "Life, Travels, &c." and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

In June, I attended the general meeting in Danville, Vt. rode to Woodstock, preached in Lebanon, and Andover and returned in three weeks. From the last week in July, to the first of November, I went three journeys into the State of Newhampshire; one to the district of Maine, one to the south side of Massachusetts, and one journey to Connecticut. In three months, and one week, I rode twenty-three hundred miles; spake almost every day, and generally, from an hour and an half to two hours; was at home twenty days only in the whole time; and had many times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and joined with the thousands in praising God and the Lamb. In December, I rode once to Boston and returned. The same month, went again to Boston, preached there, in Bristol, Warren, and Swanzey, and returned home the first of January, eighteen hundred and sixteen. /402/

Every person who reads this journal will be convinced, that the author has not lived an idle life. But few have journeyed and spake more in the course of twenty-five years. Many have considered me a bad man; because so many professors of religion have been against me, but it has been my desire to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world, looking for that blessed hope. Many have been told, that I held a diminutive idea of Christ, but they may rest assured, that I believe all the scriptures say of him, who is the brightness of his Father's glory; the express image of his person; worthy of more glory than Moses; greater than Solomon, higher than the kings of the earth. Much better than the angels; Lord of all: the one lawgiver, able to save and destroy; the bishop of souls, the leader and commander of the people, the light of the world; who in all things has the pre-eminence. For him and his perfect law of liberty, I have suffered trouble as an evil doer; through him I hope for glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life. That my friends and enemies may know how my mind stands, as it respects the commands and doctrines of men, and the scriptures of truth, I here present them with my solemn PROTEST, against all man-made systems of doctrine, and invented power, contrary to Christ and the scriptures of truth; that they may have my mind, when my race on earth is run and my course is finished.

I do in the first place publicly declare, that the Holy Scriptures which contain a revelation of the will of God, are the only sure, authentic, and infallible Rule of the faith and practice of every Christian, by which all opinions are to be fairly and impartially examined; and in consequence of this, I do protest against setting up and allowing the decrees of any man, or body of men, as of equal authority and obligation with the word of God; whether they be councils, synods, convocations, associations, missionary societies, or general assemblies; whether ancient or modern, Romish, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist, or Methodist, Popes, Fathers, or Doctors of Divinity.

I do farther assert and maintain, according to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles, and the practice of Christians, in the first century; that in all things essential to the faith and practice of a Christian, the Scriptures are plain, and easy to be understood, by all who will diligently and impartially read and study them; and that charging the Scriptures with obscurity and uncertainty, is contrary to the plain declaration of the Scriptures, and is an abuse of the rule given for Christians to walk by, an insult upon that Holy Spirit by which the authors of them were guided, and a wicked reproach thrown upon them by ignorant, corrupt, and wicked hirelings, to draw men /403/ into a slavish dependence on them; that by thus representing the Scriptures as a dark book, they have hoodwinked the followers of Christ, and others, that they might render them implicit believers in their arbitrary decrees, and make them, without controul, subservient to the views of their ambition, avarice, pride and luxury.

I do farther assert, that every Christian is under an indispensible obligation to search the Scriptures for himself, and make the best use of it he can for his information in the will of God, and the nature of "Pure Religion;" that he hath an inalienable right, impartially to judge of the sense and meaning of it, and to follow the Scriptures wherever it leads him, even an equal right with the Bishops and Pastors of the churches; and in consequence of this, I farther protest against that unrighteous and ungodly pretence of making the writings of the fathers, the decrees of councils and synods, or the sense of the church, the rule and standard of judging of the sense of the Scriptures, as Popish, Anti-Christian, and dangerous to the Church of God.

I do farther assert and maintain, that every Christian hath an equal right to the peaceable and constant possession of what he believes to be the truth contained in the Scriptures, and ought to be left by all men, and secured by civil government, in the full and undisturbed enjoyment of them; even though his principles may be, in many things, contrary to what the Reverend D. D's call Orthodoxy; of what the priest ridden call truth; barely because they never searched the Scriptures to know whether what they think true, is so or not.

As truth is no private man's property, and as all Christians are under obligations to propagate it; I do also declare, that every Christian has a right to publish and vindicate what he believes is contained in the Scriptures; to speak and write against all corruption of the word, either in doctrine or practice; and to expose the errors of good men, and the wickedness, oppression and oppression and hypocrisy of ungodly men, who bind heavy burdens on men; who devour widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; that every Christian has not only a right, but is commanded to separate from such professors, whose doctrine and worship is contrary to what he finds recorded in the Scriptures; and that he has a right to enjoy without disturbance, oppression or disgrace, or any kind of punishment, civil or ecclesiastical, the liberty of serving God, with any other company of Christians, as he shall judge most expedient and useful to him. And though, as a consistent Christian, I protest against all the ungodly claims of spiritual men, as they are called, and all authoritative and coercive church power, as it is wrongly termed, and though the Clergy of no sort or degree, are to be considered or submitted to, as heads of the church; spiritual vicegerants; divine (unreadable); infallible interpreters of scripture; /404/ successors of the apostles; sovereign directors of men's consciences; doctors of divinity, parsons, reverends, &c. and ought not to be regarded when they pretend to such unwarranted characters; yet I heartily acknowledge, that when any take the oversight of Christ's flock, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready mind; when ministers act, not as lords over God's heritage, but as ensamples of the flock; when they take heed to all the flock, the poor as well as the rich, to feed the Church of God with the sincere milk of the word; then, and only then, is respect due to their persons; regard and submission to their instructions; and a liberal and willing maintenance to their diligence and fidelity.

These are the principles of a real and consistent Christian. Upon these principles, the first Christians acted, and these I am more and more determined through God's help, to propagate and defend with my tongue, pen, and example, against all persons whatever, who shall attempt to oppose such just principles; calculated to relieve men from the hard hand of tyrannical oppressors, under the name of ministers of Christ, from grievous loads of clerical taxation year by year for life; to relive (sic) them from bodies and systems of doctrines and commandments of men; to lead them to Christ as head, the Scriptures as laws, and to encourage the ministers of Christ, "to go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, that they may come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them;" a cause which opens to each believer, with the present, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. AMEN.

Given under my hand and seal, March 1, 1816

ELIAS SMITH

Having protested against all these unscriptural things, I leave the following to the world, as my full and hearty belief of the scriptures of truth, which contain a record of the revelation from God to man:

"A nation must be truly blessed, if it were governed by no other laws, than those of this blessed book; it is so complete a system, that nothing can be added to it, or taken from it; it contains every thing needful to be known or done; it gives instruction and counsel to a senate; authority and direction for a magistrate; it cautions a witness; requires an impartial verdict of a jury, and furnishes the judge with his sentence; it sets the husband as lord of the household, and the wife as mistress of the family, tells HIM how to rule, and HER how to manage; It entails honor to parents, and enjoins obedience to children. It prescribes and limits the sway of the sovereign, the rule of the ruler, and authority of the master; commands the subject to honor, and the servants to obey; and promises the blessings and protection of its AUTHOR, to all that walk /405/ by its rules: it promises food and raiment, and limits the use of both. It points out a faithful and an Eternal Guardian to the departing husband and father; tells him with whom to leave his fatherless children, and in whom his widow is to trust, Jeremiah xlix. 11. It teaches a man how to make his will: It defends the rights of all; and reveals vengeance to every defrauder, over-reacher, and oppressor. it is the first book; the best book; and the oldest book in the world; it contains the choicest matter; gives the best instruction; and affords to the greatest pleasure and satisfaction that ever was revealed: It contains the best of laws and profoundest mysteries that ever was penned: It brings the best tidings, and affords the best of comfort, to the inquiring and disconsolate: It exhibits life and immortality from everlasting, and shews the way to glory: It is a brief recital of all that is past and a certain prediction of all that is to come: It settles all matters in debate, resolves all doubts, and eases the mind and conscience of all their scruples: It reveals the only living and true GOD, and shews the way to him; and sets aside all other gods, and describes the vanity of them. In short, it is a book of laws, to shew right and wrong; a book of wisdom, that condemns all folly, and makes the foolish wise; a book of truth, that detects all lies, and confutes all errors; and a book of life, that shews the way from everlasting death. It is the most compendious book in all the world, the most authentic, and the most entertaining history that ever was published. It contains the most ancient antiquities, strange events, wonderful occurrences, heroic deeds, unparalled wars: It describes the celestial, terrestial, and eternal worlds; and the origin of the angelic myriads, human tribes, and devilish legions: It will instruct the most accomplished mechanic, and the profoundest artist: It will teach the best rhetorician, and exercise every power of the most skilful arithmetician, Revelations (sic) xiii. 13; puzzle the wisest anatomist, and exercise the nicest critic: It corrects the vain philosopher, and confutes the wisest astronomer: It exposes the subtle sophist, and makes diviners mad: It is a complete code of laws, a perfect body of divinity, an unequalled narrative; a book of lives, a book of travels, and a book of voyages. It is the best covenant that ever was agreed on, the best deed that ever was produced; the best will that ever was made, and the best testament that ever was signed. To understand it, is to be wise indeed; to be ignorant of it, is to be destitute of wisdom. It is the magistrate's best guide; the servant's best directory, and the young man's best companion: it is the school boy's spelling-book, and the learned man's master-piece: It contains a choice grammar for a novice, and profound mystery for a sage: It is the ignorant man's dictionary, and the wise man's directory: It encourages the wise, and promises an eternal reward to the excellent. /406/ And that which crowns all is, that the Author is without partiality, and without hypocrisy, "IN WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS OR SHADOW OF TURNING."

At the present time wars have ceased to the ends of the earth, and there is now a great calm. Many who have for years been my enemies, are either dead, converted to God, convinced, or ashamed; and this is the most peaceable time with me, that I have seen in twelve years. My children are well provided for, at the houses of their husbands, among my friends, or in their father's house. Though I remain poor, yet the Lord has provided, and still provides for us. The greater part of the debts which so much troubled me two years ago, are now paid, and there is a prospect of being clear from them all before many months.

Thirteen years ago, I did not think to see so many preachers and brethren, with the name and law of Christ only, in thirty years, as I now see. There are about fifty preachers in the New-England states, and the state of New-York. These are now travelling and preaching, in various parts with great success. Our brethren in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia and the Western country, are striving for the faith of the gospel. The commandments and doctrines of men are perishing in the using.

Through the whole, I have been nothing, and Christ all. I am yet a debtor to Grace, and thank Christ Jesus, who counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. There is but little for me to hope for in this life, and that but for a short time. In the life to come, is all that mortals can want.

Many who read this, I shall never see on earth; but if you are Christians indeed, we shall, if faithful unto death, meet no more to part. The Lord forgive my enemies, instruct the ignorant, comfort the feeble, encourage the strong, and hasten the day, when the seventh angel's trump shall proclaim the mystery of God finished: the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and all nations call him blessed, and,

"Every creature rise and sing;
Peculiar honors to their King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the long--AMEN"

1. To be printed on good paper; Pica type, duodecimo; to contain about 400 pages; neatly bound and lettered; at one dollar. Money to be paid when the books are delivered.

2. Those who subscribe, or are accountable for eight copies, to receive one free; those who are accountable for fourteen, to receive two.

3. The work to be put to press, in one year from March 1, 1816, if a sufficient number of subscribers are obtained.

This Volume, in addition to a particular and interesting account of travels, and preaching in the middle and southern States, from 1810, with an account of their manners, customs, state of the slaves, &c.; is to contain a particular description of the different parts of the doctrine of Christ, as contained in the new-testament; distinguished from the doctrines of men, propagated, received and defended by the different sectarians of the present day; with a great variety of useful and entertaining things interspersed through the volume.

Such are the circumstances of the author, that the publication of the work must depend on the generosity of the liberal to bring the work before the world for examination and information. /408/ Endnotes (continued)

Published and Sold by ELIAS SMITH, No. 2, Ladd-street, and JAMES F. SHORES, Bookseller, No. 1, Market-street, Portsmouth, N. H.; sold also by the Booksellers, and Country Merchants, and the Christian Preachers, in the United States:

Twenty-two Sermons on the Prophecies yet to be fulfilled; 1 vol. 1 dollar.

New-Testament Dictionary, containing the New-Testament meaning of eleven hundred and eight words; pocket volume. 1 dollar.

Smith and Jones' Hymn Book, seventh edition; a small neat pocket volume. 62 1-2 cents.

The Christian Pocket Companion and Daily Assistant.

Three Sermons on Election, decribing (sic) the Election of Christ; Angels; patriarchs; Nation of the Jews; Prophets; Apostles; Saints.

History of Anti-Christ.

Christian's Magazine; 1 vol.

Volumes of Sermons; Sermons in pamphlets, on various subjects, &c. &c.

A small volume of Hymns, just published, entitled the "Songs of the Redeemed, for the followers of the Lamb."