This article was taken from Chapter one of "The Primitive Preacher" written by Elder Gregg M. Thompson. It will be presented in three parts. Elder Thompson's address to Primitive Baptists is an historical review of the battles he and others had to fight in the early 1800's because of the blind zeal of many Baptist in that time. Many of the things Elder Thompson writes are just as timely in this day and time because a new set of reformers (wolfs) are attempting to repeat what took place in the Modern Missionary movement of the 1800's. It serves as a good address to the present day Primitive Baptists as well. (Editor Elder Claude McKee)

Address to Primitive Baptists - Part 3
By Elder Gregg M. Thompson from his book "The Primitive Preacher"

|Part 1| Part 2|

The name of Wilson Thompson is so identified with the history of the Primitive Baptists of the last seventy years that one cannot well write about them without referring to him. He was reared in the cane-brakes of Kentucky, without even a common English education, but God called him from his plough-handle to stand in defense of the truth, and, as with Gideon of old, the enemy always suffered defeat, and had to retreat in disorder when they met him and his little army. And side-by-side stood Stephen Gard, Minor Thomas, Stephen Oldham, Samuel Carpenter, John Lee, and Hezekiah Stites, as brave and noble soldiers of the cross of Christ as have ever lived. Their names can never be lost in the history of our church, and they must ever be regarded as gifts of God bestowed upon us, to lead us through the severe ordeal through which we had to pass, Such men we should love and cherish in our memory for their works sake.

War is always a calamity to be dreaded, but a civil war is the worst of all; for it can never be settled until one party is conquered and makes a full surrender to the other, or a complete separation is effected. In the time of war parties become embittered against each other, and use all their powers for each other's destruction. The county is made a waste, and ruin and desolation may be seen wherever you go. It is even so in a religious, or church war. We have witnessed it, and have seen the destruction which marked its path wherever it went. O, How sad we have felt as we have passed the old church-houses, where in days past we had met large congregations and loving brethren and sisters, who filled the house with their voices in sweet songs of praise! But now there is no coming together of the saints there. There are no sweet songs heard within the old and crumbling walls, which stand as a sad monument of war. But, as before said, the war had come. We had been collecting dross for years, and the ancient simplicity, and beauty, and purity of the church, had become so buried under a mass of dross, of worldly institutions, societies, and systems of worldly speculation, and money-gathering, that she had almost lost the last marks of her primitive identity. But He who had said, "The Gates of hell shall not prevail against her," determined to consume this mass of dross, and to separate her from it, and restore her to her original purity, as a separate people who should dwell alone, and not be numbered with the nations. In effecting this, ism after ism arose among us and carried off their parties, until the little band whose garments were not stained with their unholy things, were separated from them, and could look over the sea that was between them, and sing praises to Him who had, by his power, delivered his church, and once more purged her from the dross that was concealing her beauty, and destroying her primitive identity. Thank God! The war is over, and we are separated from them, so that we cannot any longer be held responsible for any thing they may do or teach. It is now our duty, as the friends of God, of truth, and of Zion the city of our solemnities, to go to work earnestly and faithfully to repair the breaches that war has made. Let us spend but little time in shooting across the river at our enemies. They are in their own territory; Let them possess it in peace. But let us turn our attention to Zion, and with united effort go to work to repair the breaches, and strengthen the cords of love and fellowship, for love is the bond of union between us and our God, and love is the sweet cord that holds us together here, and makes our communication pleasant. O, it makes the house of the Lord a sweet place to visit! It is a place of feasting, while we feel that his banner of love is over us.

"Blessed be the tie that binds,
Our hearts in Christian Love,
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above."

Beloved ones, with whom I have suffered much, and with whom I have enjoyed sweet seasons of love, and pleasure, and comforts, that have more than paid for all, be entreated to let brotherly love continue. And may the God of grace and of love, who brought again our Lord from the dead, bless you, and keep you in love and sweet fellowship; and O, may we all feel that our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ; and may he, by his Grace, give us a home in heaven, where all but love shall be done away. Elder G. M. Thompson