Civil War Articles by Julian WilliamsRev. Conner Sees Some Believers Drinking From Wrong Cup
This article was compiled by Julian Williams.
The Reverend Wilson Conner examined again the coffee cup in front of him. It had come to remind him of that Holy Grail, the sacred vessel whose quest and symbolism for him meant going forth under the auspices of The Great Commission and bringing men to The Lord. But of late the cup had also pointed to the wiles of that Old Deluder, Satan, who would, at times, fill the cup exceedingly, again and again, with too much wine. Drunkenness, "the intemperate behavior," was becoming a big problem in the church. He winced a bit as he remembered that he, himself, had been dismissed for a period of time for that very sin of liquid excessiveness. That was in his younger days. He had matured a great deal since then.
Thinking the other day of the predicament of Wilson Conner, I happened at the time to be in one of Dr. Diskin Morgan's examination rooms. He was complimenting me on the way I had lost weight and exercised. The thought occurred to me that I didn't have a whole bunch of choices. "Sugar," is not so sweet and is the bad news when the doctor is trying to warn you of diabetes. The good news is that we might be able to keep the bear at the door if I act right - exercise and diet. My sin also had been excessiveness.
While Dr. Morgan was giving me the once-over to see if anything else might be on shaky ground, I was trying to tell him about what I had learned of the Rev. Wilson Conner and how the Baptists had split, back in the 1830's, into two divisions - the Missionary Baptists and the Primitive Baptists. He seemed interested in this development and somehow, it, or something else, must have spurred him to rather abruptly invite me to speak to the Brotherhood and the ladies at the First Baptist Church in Douglas on the coming Saturday. By the way, Dr. Morgan treats some Wilcoxes (Willcoxes) and they're kin to Rev. Wilson Conner.
I thought - this man is desperate but I will do what I can because The Lord blesses in strange ways. Maybe this would be one of those. After I told him about the drinking going on in the churches of old he even told me I could bring Wilson Conner into the devotional if I really wanted to but I sensed he said so rather guardedly. Anyway, I decided I would bring the Rev. Wilson Conner along for an illustration. I thought if anyone could stand on their own two legs it would be Wilson Conner.
Nowadays, we in the Baptist churches, and other denominations, have a tendency to look askance at some of the practices of our forebears - especially their actions in their churches. For instance, we are simply floored when we read what Wilson Conner had to say as he had hardly gotten away from home on another of his "missionary rides" on his strong and faithful horse (exactly as written, errors and all):
"June 1830
5th rode 12 mile and preachd to the Church at Fox bay. Preachd here also on the Sabboth. Here are some precious members, but alass, the enemy has been among them. Several members of the church have sent themselves of (off) from the body, and have Established a meeting within two mile of the meetinghouse and on the same days of the churches meeting. They have received and Baptised 1 member and once administered the Lords supper. Among the opposers of Missions in this section of the Country is great disorder at Fox bay some times since Bro. Brantly, the churches then supply, went into the pulpit on satirday and preachd quite intoxitid (intoxicated). On sonday the church refused him the liberty of the pulpit, and of course they that day had no preaching. Brother Stubs, the pastor of the church at Lake meeting house, not Long since went over on satirday evining to a Bro. Dicsons, one of the members of his church, who had then recently returned from savannah. Bro. Dicson, among other things, had brought up some whiski. Bro Stubs sipt to freely and set out for home in the evining, but was to full to git there the first night, tho the distance was not far. He lay out in the woods lost his horse, and went home sonday morning."
In another source, we see this bit of doggerel from a passer-by as he observes the conduct at one of the early Georgia churches:
A BODY OF BELIEVERS"
"A pine log church
And a pine bark steeple
A grog-selling pastor
And a drunken people."
A stranger passing along the old Darien Road in Liberty County, Georgia in the 1820's came upon the Jones Creek Meetinghouse, stopped, camped for the night, and the next morning before departing wrote this little bit of doggerel and attached it to the plain pine church door, or so goes the story. The stranger's characterization seems unfair, though the records show that the church was beset with all the common frailties and shortcomings suffered by mankind. If he could pass this way again today, there can be no doubt that his comments would read differently, for looking back 175 years it is evident that the consecration of this church and its performance have made it a shining light in the community, ever pointing the way onward and upward to God's Eternal Kingdom that awaits all who choose to follow Him."
In another instance, the pastor asked for a vote of confidence concerning his correct application of the Gospel message, received it, but had to be visited by the deacons to warn him of his excessive drinking.
One of my friends, a pastor here in Douglas, reminded me that one of the early Baptist pastors, some kin to him or his wife, had even demonstrated, or tried to, in the pulpit, that he could imbibe the juice of the vine in moderation and control.
Maybe some of this thinking led some Baptists to depart from the practice of using real wine in Communion. And it might have led some to keep it.
But the real point was not lost on Wilson Conner. He had seen men at their best and at their worst. He knew the forces of good and evil were competing for the souls of the world.
Yes, the Baptists might split on issues of missions, education, temperance tracts and movements, and innovative ideas (such as Sunday Schools and "preacher schools"). But, in his heart, Wilson Conner knew, like the Primitives he battled, that a man or woman had to pray, stay in the Word, and sing.
And he knew, if we pray, stay in the Word, and sing that The Lord will respond by making each of us the kind of vessel that will be useful to His Service. By acting right and following the advice of the Great Physician we might just be able to keep the bear at the door.
Wilson Conner reached down and picked up his Bible. It fell open to Psalm 147, and his eyes fell upon verses 10 and 11:
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
Wilson Conner smiled because The Lord knew and was telling him: man might, and will, fail along the way -- no matter how strong he and his horse are; but by the Grace of God we shall find salvation. Human nature, depraved in nature, could never of itself become redeemed. Man could only turn loose and let The Redeemer do His wonders.
Wilson Conner held the cup to his lips and let the hot coffee warm his stomach. And he let the Scripture warm his spirit. He was still on the trail of the Holy Grail. And he fed his horse - but not too much.
"Credits:
Albert Sidney Johnson for "Longpondium";
Peg Conner Corliss for notes on Wilson Conner;
Fussell Chalker for Pioneer Days Along The Ocmulgee;
Gene Barber for The Way It Was;
Elmer Oris Parker for A History of Jones Creek Baptist Church, 1810-1985.
