They Called Him Brother Masters

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there are words and phrases which were used which seem strange now to the ecumenically-minded in our time. One word J.W. Masters used stands out and sets apart a particular concept. On the subject of baptism, Masters told of hearing an old Primitive Baptist preacher give a definition of baptism without the benefit of a dictionary. “When I baptize a man his back hits the water, bap, and I raise him up; the water streams from his clothes, tism; put the two (bap and tism) together and you have baptism. His only published works were a few “tracts” and [a small book about his ministry of 47 years.] He organized/started 19 congregations in those mountain communities where he preached and served. The majority of the churches had small memberships. Many of them were/are in places either hard to find or else non-existent today. Although he could joke about being a Campbellite… he did not like the name nor did he ever refer to himself as such. Family members often quoted Masters as saying, “Anyone who would call someone else a Campbellite is of low breed.” His son, Shelburne, said “One day my father slipped down there and I was preaching about John the Baptist. And I said he was dressed in ‘Campbellite hair.’ My father walked in behind me and said, ‘Now, son, that’s enough of that. I’ll make you think Campbellite hair!’ And he broke up my meeting that day.” The occasion [of the debate] was between Mr. Masters and his opponent regarding the topic of Predestination. The gentleman speaking in the affirmative position... had placed on a small stand a bright shiny red apple. His complete argument focused on the apple. He said it was conceived by the Almighty in the beginning of the foundation of the world... and there was absolutely nothing that either he or his “worthy opponent” could do to change or alter this object of creation. Unknown to the speaker... several minutes into the debate, Masters had reached over from his seated position, picked up the apple and began taking bites out of it. By the time the gentleman turned around to pick up the apple to prove to his audience the brilliance of his remarks, all that was left was the core. Masters never spoke. The proponent of Predestination left the platform, also without speaking again. The debate was over. The folks all went home. I was called to debate with what the Methodists called their “war-horse,” who had just a short while before had a debate with one of our younger preachers and thought he had gained a victory. I made the first speech, and the “war-horse” got up saying: “My brethren have had me half scared; they told me that Masters would eat me up, but since I have heard him I am not afraid of it.” I said: “No, you need not be uneasy about that, for nothing common or unclean ever enters my mouth.” So we had what the boys used to call a “hog-killing time.” The second day at noon the “war-horse” quit. One old Methodist said: “If we had known this, we would have had a bigger gun; we have bigger ones.” Then one of our old brethren said: “Your gun is all right, but your ammunition is not good.” I have never heard of the “war-horse” debating any more. All of the above are quotes from the body of the story. • In one meeting at the mouth of a creek I thought that it was a great revival, as I had captured twenty-three Baptists, one being a preacher. • I went back in a few weeks, preached ten days in the Methodist church-house, and captured thirty-five of the Methodist people.