WE condense the following "sketch" from a "short history of the life of Barton W. Stone, written by himself," and published by Elder John Rogers. Those who desire to read a more detailed history of Father Stone, can get the above work of Bro. Rogers, or some of his agents.

      It is but natural that the reader, in taking up the book, should desire to know something of the man whose writings make up the volume. When did he live, and where did he die? In what country did he labor? And why was he so much opposed and misrepresented by the men of his time?

      In the following sketch of his life, we propose to gratify to a limited extent the anxiety of such readers as are not familiar with his history. He says of himself:

      "I was born near Port Tobacco, in the State of Maryland, December 24, 1772. My father, John Stone, died when I was very young. I have no recollection of him in life. My mother, whose maiden name was Mary Warren, a few years after the death of my father, with a large family of children and servants, moved to the then called backwoods of Virginia, Pittsylvania county, near Dan River, about eight miles below the Blue Mountains. This occurred in 1779, during the revolutionary war. [9]

      "I was early sent to school to a very tyrant of a teacher, who seemed to take pleasure in whipping and abusing his pupils for every trifling offense. I could learn nothing through fear of him. I remained with him but a few days, and was sent to another teacher, of a different temper, with whom I acquired with facility the first rudiments of an English education,--reading writing and arithmetic. Grammar, geography, and the branches of science now taught in common schools, were then unknown and not sought after. My old teacher, Robert W. Somerhays, an Englishman, was considered in our neighborhood a prodigy of learning. After I had continued with him for four or five years, he pronounced me a finished scholar, and such, indeed, was I considered generally in the neighborhood. This, with my natural love of letters, fired my mind, and increased my exertions to rise to eminence. Being naturally ambitious to excel, the praises lavished unsparingly upon me swelled my vanity, and caused me to think myself a little above mediocrity.

      "From the time I, was able to read, I took great delight in books, and preferred them to any company, and often retired from my young companions to indulge in the pleasure of reading. But books of science were the rarest articles in our country, and in fact, were not to be found in our backwoods. Nothing but a few novels, as 'Peregrine Pickle,' 'Tom Jones,' 'Roderick Random, ' and such trash, could I obtain. These were poor helps, and yet from reading these my ardent thirst for knowledge increased. The Bible we had; but this being the only book in our schools, had become so familiar by constantly reading it there, that I wished variety. [10]

      "Here I wish to leave my testimony in favor of making the Bible a school book. By this means, the young mind receives information and impressions which are not erased through life. The Bible not read in school is seldom read afterward. To this, as one leading cause, may be attributed the present growth of infidelity and scepticism,--then scarcely known, and never openly avowed in all our country.

      "My father's will was, that when I, the youngest child, should arrive at the age of twenty-one years, his estate should be equally divided among his children, except the part bequeathed to my mother. When I was fifteen or sixteen years of age, my three elder brothers were grown, and about to start into the world penniless. It was proposed that a division of our property be made. To this I willingly acceded, and it was accordingly done to the satisfaction of all. When my part was assigned me, my mind was absorbed day and night in devising some plan to improve it. At length, I came to the determination to acquire, if possible, a liberal education, and thus qualify myself for a barrister. I communicated my mind to my mother and brothers, who all cordially approved of my purpose, and gave the promise of pecuniary aid, should I need it. Immediately I began to arrange my affairs to put my purpose into execution.

      "Having determined on my future course, I bade farewell to my mother, brothers, companions and neighbors, and directed my way to a noted academy in Guilford, North Carolina, under the direction of Dr. David Caldwell. Here I commenced the Latin grammar the first day of February, 1790. With the ardor of Æneas' son, I commenced with the full purpose to acquire an education, or die in the attempt. [11] With such a mind, every obstacle can be surmounted in the affairs of life. I stripped myself of every hindrance for the course,--denied myself of strong food,--lived chiefly on milk and vegetables, and allowed myself but six or seven hours in the twenty-four for sleep. By such indefatigable application to study, as might be expected, I passed several classes, until I came up with one of equal application, with which I continued through the whole of our academic course.

      "When I first entered the academy, there had been, and there was, a great religious excitement. About thirty or more of the students had lately embraced religion, under the ministration of James McGready, a Presbyterian preacher of exceeding popularity, piety and engagedness. I was not a little surprised to find those pious students assembled every morning before the hour of recitation, and engaged in singing and praying in a private room. Their daily walk evinced to me their sincere piety and happiness. This was a source of uneasiness to my mind, and frequently brought me to serious reflection.

      "I labored to banish these serious thoughts, believing that religion would impede my progress in learning,--would thwart the object I had in view, and expose me to the frowns of my relations and companions. I therefore associated with that part of the students who made light of divine things, and joined with them in their jests at the pious. For this my conscience severely upbraided me when alone, and made me so unhappy that I could neither enjoy the company of the pious nor of the impious.

      "I now began seriously to think it would be better for me to remove from this academy, and go to Hampden Sydney College, in Virginia, for no other reason [12] than that I might got away from the constant sight of religion. I had formed the resolution, and had determined to start the next morning, but was prevented by a very stormy day. I remained in my room during that day, and came to the firm resolution to pursue my studies there, attend to my own business, and let every one pursue his own way. From this I have learned that the most effectual way to conquer the depraved heart is the constant exhibition of piety, and a godly life in the professors of religion.

      "Having formed this resolution, I was settled for a short time, until my room-mate, Benjamin McReynolds, a pious young Virginian, politely asked me to walk with him a short distance in the neighborhood to hear a certain preacher. I consented, and walked with him. A crowd of people had assembled--the preacher came--it was James McGready, whom I had never seen before. He arose and looked around on the assembly. His person was not prepossessing, nor his appearance interesting, except his remarkable gravity, and small piercing eyes. His coarse tremulous voice excited in me the idea of something unearthly. His gestures were sui generis, the perfect reverse of elegance. Every thing appeared by him forgotten but the salvation of souls. Such earnestness--such zeal--such powerful persuasion,--enforced by the joys of heaven and miseries of hell, I had never witnessed before. My mind was chained by him, and followed him closely in his rounds of heaven, earth, and hell, with feelings indescribable. His concluding remarks were addressed to the sinner to flee the wrath to come without delay. Never before had I comparatively felt the force of truth. Such was my excitement, that had [13] I been standing, I should have probably sunk to the floor under the impression.

      "The meeting over, I returned to my room. Night coming on, I walked out into an old field, and seriously reasoned with myself on the all-important subject of religion. What shall I do? Shall I embrace religion now, or not? I impartially weighed the subject, and counted the cost. If I embrace religion, I must incur the displeasure of my dear relatives, lose the favor and company of my companions--become the object of their scorn and ridicule--relinquish all my plans and schemes for worldly honor, wealth and preferment, and bid a final adieu to all the pleasures in which I had lived, and hoped to live on earth. Are you willing to make this sacrifice to religion? No, no, was the answer of my heart. Then the certain alternative is, you must be damned. Are you willing to be damned--to be banished from God--from heaven--from all good--and suffer the pains of eternal fire? No, no, responded my heart--I can not endure the thought. After due deliberation, I resolved from that hour to seek religion at the sacrifice of every earthly good, and immediately prostrated myself before God in supplication for mercy.

      "According to the preaching, and the experience of the pious in those days, I anticipated a long and painful struggle before I should be prepared to come to Christ, or, in the language then used, before I should get religion. This anticipation was completely realized by me. For one year I was tossed on the waves of uncertainty--laboring, praying, and striving to obtain saving faith--sometimes desponding, and almost despairing of ever getting it. [14]

      "The doctrines then publicly taught were, that mankind were so totally depraved, that they could not believe, repent, nor obey the gospel--that regeneration was an immediate work of the Spirit, whereby faith and repentance were wrought in the heart. These things were portrayed in vivid colors, with all earnestness and solemnity. Now was not then the accepted time--now was not then the day of salvation; but it was God's own sovereign time, and for that time the sinner must wait."

      Elder Stone describes his labors, sorrows, and anxieties of mind, while he went from place to place, and heard different preachers, sometimes hoping, but generally fearing, until he went to a meeting at Alamance, in Guilford county, North Carolina, where, on the Lord's day evening, he heard a strange young man preach, by the name of Wm. Hodge, whose text was, "God is love." This discourse made a good impression on the mind of the young Stone, and when the sermon was ended he immediately retired to the woods alone with his Bible. Here he read his Bible and prayed, until the great truth that "God is love," to which he had just listened, triumphed over his Calvinism. Upon this point he says: "I yielded, and sank at His feet a willing subject. I loved Him--I adored Him--I praised Him aloud in the silent night, in the echoing grove around. I confessed to the Lord my sins and folly in disbelieving his word so long--and in following so long the devices of men. I now saw that a poor sinner was as much authorized to believe in Jesus at first as at last--that now was the accepted time, and day of salvation.

      "From this time till I finished my course of learning, I lived devoted to God. The study of the dead [15] languages and of the sciences was not irksome, but pleasant, from the consideration that I was engaged in them for the glory of God, to whom I had unreservedly devoted my all."

      In 1793 the youthful Stone became a candidate for the ministry in the Presbyterian Church, in Orange county, North Carolina, and had assigned him by the Presbytery, as a subject on which to prepare a sermon for the next session, as a trial sermon, "The Being and Attributes of God and the Trinity." The doctrine of the Trinity was a subject he had never studied, or thought much about. And now with Witsius as his guide, he sat down to prepare his sermon upon this mysterious subject. He became greatly confused and discouraged, and threw his text-book (Witsius) aside as unprofitable, and obtained Dr. Watts' treatise on the subject. "This," he says, "We read with pleasure and understanding, and received his views." He says:

      "The next session of our Presbytery came on. We, with many other candidates attended. Old Father Patillo was there, who himself embraced Watts' views on the Trinity. The examination of the candidates on theology was laid on him. When he came to the subject of Trinity he was very short, and his interrogatories involved no peculiarities of the system. Our answers were honest and satisfactory."

      From various causes, he tells us that, before the next Presbytery met, at which he was to be licensed, his mind became depressed and be determined to give up the idea of the Ministry, and engage in some other calling. With this determination he gathered up his scanty means, and made a visit to his brother, Matthew Stone, in the State of Georgia. While there, he [16] was chosen Professor of Languages in the Methodist Academy, near Washington. This was in 1795. He continued to teach until the spring of 1796. He then resigned his professorship, and returned to North Carolina, resolved to attend the next Orange Presbytery, and receive license to preach. After receiving his license, he visited his mother in Virginia; then returned to North Carolina, remained a short time, and in company with Robert Foster, another licentiate, left for the West in May, 1796,--Foster having determined never to preach again.

      Tarrying awhile in Virginia and Tennessee, the young Stone made his way through the wilderness to Kentucky, and commenced preaching at Cane Ridge and Concord, Bourbon county, Ky., where he continued to labor for some time; and finally he received a "call" from these churches to settle among them as their pastor. This call was made in the fall of 1798, and was accepted by B. W. Stone and a day set for his ordination. From this time he devoted himself to the reading and study of the "Westminster Confession of Faith," so that he might be prepared on the day of his ordination to adopt it. But in his investigations of this document, so many difficulties presented themselves to his mind, that he asked for a postponement of his ordination for a time. It was, however, thought best to proceed with the ordination. He says: "I went into Presbytery, and when the question was propounded, 'Do you receive and adopt the Confession of Faith, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Bible? ' I answered aloud, so that the whole congregation might hear, I I do, as far as I see it consistent with the word of God.' No objection being made. I was ordained." [17]

      The Calvinistic speculations of the Confession of Faith continued to trouble his mind. He re-examined the Scriptures, and gave up Calvinism as anti-Scriptural. He says of this system: "Let me here speak when I shall be lying under the clods of the grave. Calvinism is among the heaviest clogs on Christianity in the world. It is a dark mountain between heaven and earth, and is among the most discouraging hindrances to sinners from seeking the kingdom of God, and engenders bondage and gloominess to the saints. Its influence is felt throughout the Christian world, even where it is least suspected. Its first link is total depravity. Yet are there thousands of precious saints in this system."

      He continued to preach for the Presbyterian churches of Cane Ridge and Concord with considerable success for several years, during which time those strange religious exercises known as the "Jerks," began to manifest themselves in that part of Kentucky, and in his own congregation. In 1801, July 2d, he was married to Elizabeth Campbell,, of Mulenburg, Ky. Soon after, a great meeting came off at Cane Ridge. Of this meeting he says:

      "This memorable meeting came on Thursday or Friday before the third Lord's Day in August, 1801. The roads were literally crowded with wagons, carriages, horsemen, and footmen, moving to the solemn camp. The sight was affecting. It was judged by military men on the ground, that there were between twenty and thirty thousand collected. Four or five preachers were frequently speaking at the same time, in different parts of the encampment, without confusion. The Methodist and Baptist preachers aided in the work, and all appeared cordially united in it,-- [18] of one mind and one soul, and the salvation, of sinners seemed to be, the great object of all."

      For a full description of this meeting, and others that followed, and the strange religious exercises that characterized them all, we refer the reader to the "Biography of Elder Stone," by Elder John Rogers.

      This state of things 'was not allowed to continue long. The sticklers for Calvinism complained of Stone and others for preaching anti-Calvinistic doctrines, and finally the matter was brought before the Synod at Lexington, Ky., in 1803. Finding that the Synod would most likely decide against them, B. W. Stone and four others withdrew from their jurisdiction (not their communion), and sent in their protest to the proceedings. The Synod, however, proceeded to pass on them the sentence of "suspension," for the crime of departing from the doctrines of the Confession of Faith, notwithstanding B. W. Stone had only promised to "receive it so far as he found it consistent with the word of God"!

      Soon after he called his congregations together, and informed them he no longer sustained to them the relation of pastor, and though he should continue to preach among them, it would not be to build up Presbyterianism, but the Redeemer's kingdom. He and his companions formed immediately what they termed the "Springfield Presbytery," and went on for about one year preaching and constituting churches. But discovering that it savored of partyism, and was building up sectarianism, they immediately gave it up, and with all "man-made creeds, they threw it overboard, and took the name CHRISTIAN,--the name given by divine appointment first at Antioch." Elder Stone says: [19]

      Having divested ourselves, of all party creeds and party names, and trusting alone in God, and the word of his grace, we became a by-word and laughing-stock to the sects around us; all prophesying our speedy annihilation. Yet from this period I date the commencement of that reformation which has progressed to this day. Through much tribulation and opposition we advanced, and churches and preachers were multiplied." [20]

[WEBWS 9-20]