Morning Star

For the Morning Star.

"A Free-will Baptist," in Star No. 46. enters a hearty protest against the omission of the "W" in our denominational appellative. A name is of some importance, but when men or churches permit their zeal for principles, to pass over to zeal for names, they are losers. To our fathers, principles, love of brethren, liberality of feeling, was the paramount thing. Even the term of reproach, "Free-willers," was taken joyfully, because truth, piety, brotherly love, free salvation, was the great idea of their hearts; & they cared not so much what they were called, as what they believed and practiced. But there is danger of being so devoted to the name, as to do injury to the principles with which it was originally associated, to reject as heretics those who embrace the same principles, because they sail not under the same name; and likewise to fail in making the world feel the force of our principles, because our zeal for the sect, is forced into the foreground, and overshadows all the rest.
Now in regard to this question of the omitted "W." several things may be said.
1. It is assumed by the "Free-will Baptist," that all who are associated with our benevolent societies and printing establishment, and General Conference, are in duty bound to carefully insert the "W." and speaks of its omission as assuming a false attitude before the world. But it never has yet been made a condition of admission into the General Conference or into association with the benevolent societies, that a Y. M., Q. M., church, or person should don the whole name F. W. B. One of our first missionaries was called a Free Baptist. Several Y. M's. that are regularly represented in the General Conference, have ever been known as Free or Free Communion Baptists. Many churches organized as Free Baptist hold standing among those known in law as Free-will Baptists, in the same Q. M's.—Some of the Corresponding Editors of the Star are always called Free Baptists where they reside, and prefer that appellation. The union of the F. W. B. and F. B. and F. C. B. was on the express condition that each party should retain their own name if they chose. Now, it does not seem quite generous for either party to this compact to assume the dictator to the other, and denounce as heterodox those who are disposed to enjoy the liberty they have ever refused to surrender. If the denomination is known as Free-will Baptists, surely that is no reason why those who have consented to this predominance of a name differing from the one of their choice, should be reproached, or blamed for using their own chosen name when speaking of themselves, whether through the press or in other public ways. We have fallen upon sad days surely, if after all the toleration that has been shown us, we are to be flung upon the procrustian bedstead and stretched to the demands of Free-will.
It may be said that the article referred to. alluded particularly to a New England church and not to the Free Baptist churches in N. Y. and Canada. But the principle is the same, and the same pressure has been felt by us Westerners, that is set forth by "A F. W. B." Moreover is it true that no church or individual has a right to adopt our name, if they shall deem it preferable? If F. B. ministers organize churches must they be called F. W. B. churches? Is it the purpose of those brethren who prefer the longest name, to exterminate the use of the shorter one? If some of us should emigrate to New England, and raise up a church there and retain our name, should we be refused admission into a F. W. B. Q. M.? Do our New England brethren regard their name of so much importance as to make a deviation from it an occasion of difficulty? We hold that we have a perfect right to omit the "W." from our name,—that we may of right organize new churches with the same omission —that if we can, in a kind and Christian manner, show a brother or a church that the shorten name is preferable, we may do so, and they may adopt it without exposure to persecution. We are not sticklers for a name, but we are for liberty. "Will" or no "will" is comparatively unimportant in a name, but the spirit that would circumscribe liberty, encroach upon the principles of our compact, assume a censorship over us, we do regard as important.
Our name we prefer, because it is shorter—more general in meaning, including the idea of Free-will, Free salvation, Free communion, Free men; while the other name makes the "will" the basis of our denominationality—it is easily understood, there is no danger of confounding it with Free Thinker, or freedom from responsibility; or the go-to-heaven-on-merit system. But we love the principles of the denomination, and shall stick to it as long as it is true to its principles, name or no name.

A FREE BAPTIST