Raccoon John Smith: Frontier Kentucky's Most Famous Preacher

Copyright

Publication of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright © 2005 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com Frontispiece: Portrait of Raccoon John Smith engraved by John Sartain, taken from John Augustus Williams’s The Life of Elder John Smith (1870). Maps by Dick Gilbreath 09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sparks, John, 1961Raccoon John Smith : frontier Kentucky’s most famous preacher / John Sparks. p. cm. — (Religion in the South) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8131-2370-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8131-2370-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Smith, John, 1784-1868. 2. Disciples of Christ—Clergy—Biography. I. Title. II. Series. BX7343.S78S63 2006 286.6’092—dc22 2005022924 This book is printed on acid-free recycled paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America. Member of the Association of American University Presses To J. D. and Rosie Rice, for Kristi Claude and Eveline Johnson, for Joshua Roger and Kathy Blair, for Matthew Lon and Dusti Meek, for Austin Roger and Dareatha Murphy, for Rhonda Chuck and Kim Castle, for Danielle Tony and Jackie Fitch, for Lauryn Butch and Ann Conn, for Kelly Willard and Lynn Collins, for Amber Sheila, for the small one we never even had the chance to name And to all who have ever known a similar loss— Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. —Matthew 18:10, King James Version Training myself in stoical fortitude, I might accept the prospect of my own death with a measure of equanimity. It is the death of my neighbor’s child which I refuse to accept. —Peter Berger, Questions of Faith: A Skeptical Affirmation of Christianity (2004) As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow, Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow; And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, A pretty babe all burning bright did in the air appear; Who, scorchèd with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed. Alas, quoth he, but newly born in fiery heats I fry, Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I! My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns, Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns; The fuel justice layeth on, and mercy blows the coals, The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defilèd souls, For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good, So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood. With this he vanished out of sight and swiftly shrunk away, And straight I callèd into mind that it was Christmas day. —Fr. Robert Southwell, S.J., written in the Tower of London, 1595, while awaiting execution ...