Br,, [Brother] Ewing

[added: January 1837] Beleiving [Believing] that I owe you a letter and having stopped at a Brothers for the night and finding myself without company as without employment and seeing the old stump of an old pen thick with ink and dirt. I have concluded to save myself from the blues by whiling off the time in addressing you but as I am very much in the suds I think it probable you will but be much edified it is consolation forever to think that being afflected [afflicted] with the Hipo [Hippo] I may by the effort communicate some of that delectable desease [disease] even to you away off in Missouri.

To begin In travelling along I have this day been looking at the state of our church and whether it is owing to the sombre state of my mind or an absolute truth I cannot tell but it appears to me she is under the influence of an eclipse or about to experience an Earthquake There is the College for instance after all the blowing made about [added: it it is] likely to toter [totter] to the ground Barnet having so managed that the association cant get it out of his hands he and [unclear: Lssit at words prints ] and he and myself on no very agreeable terms. There in Alabama you may find churches almost dead nearly plucked up by the roots Preachers buried among Negro quarters of no [unclear: care ] to themselves nor any body old Elsewhere Methodism stalking at noon day among the preachers making converts to its heterodoxy

By the way, did you no my short sermon on imputation & the article "are all men corrupt?" There were writen [written] at the request of a certain by little brother by the name of Bell in Wilson County whose object I find is to get into notice, he is a [unclear: competition ] but full of vanity [unclear: so ] Uncle Finis put your foot upon him in the papers if this is not done speedily she will be over run with all manner of heresy and you may live to see sad headburnings on D [gap] nal matters in the Church. There is a brother who holds that Adam did not represent his race there is one who holds that infants are inocent [innocent] depraved beings fit for neither heaven nor hell do tell him where to put these anomolies [anomalies] in nature when they quit this world [unclear: Nynder ] is one sturddy [sturdy] contending that that the soul at conversion is as holy as it will be in heaven blaming his poor body for all its lusts and abberations [aberrations] And there is one who doubts the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ all Cumberlands good Cumberlands orthodox Cumberlands verily if these are the men who are to instruct my children in the great matters of their salvation when I am dead and gone I if I can will pack up and put out for old [unclear: Lutherand ] that reminds me of your inquiry about my [unclear: continuing ] there I cant enter upon it here only the Editor of the periodical devoted to the Church of Scotland get hold of a copy of the C. P. [Cumberland Presbyterian] and quoted from & remarked on it and on the church myself in particular

to put [unclear: voluntaryism ] in the shade, I wrote a tery [teary] epistle about the enormous lies he told on me for a pereodical [periodical] there, & threatened him with another dose concerning the lies he told on the Church, I have since seen the [unclear: beg be ] he told on me some of my friends there have made him take back & put in his pocket. The other matter is not yet settled but you will hear all about it by & bye the young freshman is back in America [gap] preaching in Michigan . He would [gap] for that country. I must go there [gap] and if it be Gods will I shall go The Magazine was ready for publication [added: when I left] only waiting for your letter. I wrote you three copies of the 1st [unclear: tho ] .

To come back to my old gloominess here am I packing about the country to the great injury of my business at home calling on one [unclear: subereber ] for $5. another for $3 another for $10. to meet demands at home Uncle Fine I cant stand this it is too lait [late] and there is little Haines with his Pittsburgher a Unitarian in sentiment a [unclear: believe in Infant Irishsscation ] , three years ago quit the Church rode as a Methodist [unclear: bercutuder ] & came back and was made Elder verely [verily] we Cumberlands are strange sett [set] But I say I cant stand it next Assembly will settle the hash with me. and I

having effected this I may close by praying that God of his great grace may have mercy upon our [unclear: feeble ] church & save it from becoming a [unclear: hessing & a byard ]

Yours [unclear: yet ] affectionately

Jas. [James] Smith

[added: P. S [Post Script] Lowry declined coming to Nashville until spring I fear it will then be too late [added:

Leighton ala [Alabama]31 Jany [January] Revd [Reverend] Finis Ewing Lexington Missouri

]I expect with Cumberland college too new I presume you are about as gloomy & melancholy as myself and ]