CHAPTER IX.
39 lines✦
he churches had scarcely recovered from the shock of Shakerism, when‘Marshall and Thompson.became disaffected—They endeavor to intro-duce a human Creed—But failing, they return to the PresbyterianChurch—Their character—B. W. Stone’s only son dies, 1809—His‘wife, in May, 1810—Her pious character — Breaks up house-keeping —In October, 1811, was married- to Celia. W. Bowen,and removes to Tennessee—Returns to Kentucky—Teaches a highschool in Lexington—Studies the Hebrew language—Appointed prin-cipal of the Rittenhouse Academy in Georgetown—Preaches in George-town, where he founded a church with a numerous congregation—Ispersuaded to resign his. station in the Academy, and devote his wholetime to preaching—Teackes a private school in Georgetown—Goes toMeigs county, Ohio, where a Baptist Association agrees to assume thename Christian—Remarkable dream—Travels in Ohio, preaching tomultitudes and baptizing many. Soon after this shock had passed off, and the church-es were in a prosperous, growing condition (for manyexcrescences had been lopped off from our body) -ano-ther dark cloud was gathering, and threatened our entireoverthrow. But three of the elders now remained ofthose that left the Presbyterians, and who had bandedtogether to support the truth—Robert Marshall, JohnThompson and myself. I plainly saw that the two for-mer, Marshall and Thompson, were about to forsake us,and to return to the house from whence they had come,and to draw as many after them as they could. Theybegan to speak privately that the Bible was too latitudi-narian for acreed—that there was a necessity, at thistime, to embody a few fundamental truths, and to makea permanent and final stand upon them. One of thosebrethren had written considerably on the points or doc-trines to be received, and on those to be rejected by us.He brought the written piece with him to a conferencepreviously appointed, in order to read it to them. Itwas thought better not to read it at that time, as toopremature, but to postpone it to another appointment,which was made at Mount Tabor, near Lexington, atmh a general attendance was required. _ F
✦