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Download Jones, Abner - Memoirs of the Life and Experiences, Travels and Preaching of Abner Jones 1.0

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Author:
Abner Jones

e-Sword Version:
9.x - 10.x

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Biography/Autobiography

Memoirs of the Life and Experiences, Travels and Preaching of Abner Jones is an autobiography of a pioneer preacher. Though his name is not well-known today, he is an excellent example of someone who was not content to go by what his denomination taught, but instead wanted a "thus saith the Lord" for what he believed and practiced.

This autobiography was written and published in 1807. Almost 40 years later, his son, A.D. Jones, would publish a biography of Abner Jones, heavily quoting from the autobiography contained in this module.

Changes in the e-Sword version vs. the Original copy
Some obvious mis-spellings have been corrected (meat instead of meant, for example).
The book has been divided into chapters (originally, it was all one long continuous narrative). The titles are accurate descriptions of the contents, or perhaps a quote from the contents of each chapter.
A few very long paragraphs have been broken up into smaller sections.

NOTE: This book is now available in a fully re-formatted PDF file, searchable and clickable, here.

Contents
00 - Title Page and Copyright
01 - Birth and Early Life
02 - Meetings, Believing, and Refusal to be Baptized
03 - "I Am Going Right to Hell"
04 - Universalism and Seeking After Vanity
05 - God's Judgments Against Me
06 - A Reformation
07 - Beginning to Take up the Cross
08 - The Death of My Brother
09 - Questioning the Baptists
10 - Still Resisting the Call to Preach
11 - "What has Befallen Dr. Jones?"
12 - My First Experience Preaching
13 - "I did not, at that time, call my improvements 'preaching'."
14 - Be a Doctor or Be a Preacher?
15 - The Lord Provides
16 - Preaching Against Calvinism

Other Works about Abner Jones:

• Abner Jones: Christian Only
• Abner Jones: The Man who Believed and Taught
• The Christians of New England (coming soon)

A Short biography of Abner Jones

American political freedom promoted religious freedom. Nothing like the United States and its freedoms existed anywhere else in the world. Many early Americans were "free thinkers" who desired freedom of expression--religious and otherwise.

New England a second group formed to also express its desire for a "free church" unhindered by denominational creeds and structures. the men and the movement known as the New England Christians:

I. The Movement's Leaders
Two Baptists led the New England Christian movement. Both men repudiated Calvinistic extremes to form the movement. They are Abner Jones (1772-1841) and Elias Smith (1769-1846).

A. Abner Jones. Enos Dowling in his little book, The Restoration Movement, says Jones "was the more stable of these two leaders." Earl West seems to feel Elias Smith made the greater contributions, so historians are divided.

Abner Jones was born in Royalton, Massachusetts, April 28, 1772. His family moved from Royalton to Bridgewater, Vermont, when he was eight. He showed interest in religious issues early but he did not become a Christian until he turned 20. In fact, he led a rather immoral life during his teen years. In 1793, Elder Elisha Ransom baptized him and Abner joined Ransom's Baptist Church.

During his lifetime Jones taught school, practiced frontier medicine, and preached. He began his medical practice in Lyndon, Vermont, around 1797 or 1798. In Lyndon he met and married Damaris Prior. About the same time, revival hit Lyndon and the emotion of revival led Jones to again consider the ministry. He began a deeper Bible study and then launched a preaching ministry. His Bible study led him to break from the Baptists' Calvinistic system and he soon proclaimed himself a Christian only. Jones emphasized Christian character as the only and all-sufficient test for Christian fellowship.

In 1801, Jones organized a "free church" in Lyndon. Free Will Baptists ordained him a year later. These Baptists willingly accepted him since they agreed with Jones' beliefs. When they invited him to affiliate with them, Jones agreed to do so not as "Free Willers" but as Christians. Even during this association with the Free Will Baptists, he maintained his freedom in Christ and refused to submit to their rules and regulations.