William Kinkade. (1783—1832.)
This Elder was born in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, September 22. 1783. He moved with his parents to Kentucky in 1786. He was raised in the Presbyterian Church, and was converted in that church in 1802, when he immediately began to preach. He determined to hold to the Bible and right of private judgment, though he had no knowledge of any one holding similar views. These views he held unto the last. At the beginning of his ministry, the Elder was ignorant of even the rudiments of education; but he did not long remain so. For being possessed of an active and inquiring mind, he soon became proficient in the acquisition of knowledge. After he had preached the gospel for some time, he commenced a regular course of study under the tuition of Dr. Stubbs, then under different teachers till he became well versed in the Greek and Hebrew languages. As an evidence of his attainment in that direction, it is said that all the criticisms of those languages in his Bible Doctrine were made from memory, and without the assistance of either a Greek or Hebrew lexicon; and even without the aid of a Greek or Hebrew Bible. And all these criticisms were found, on critical examination, to be generally correct.
The principal field of this Elder’s labors was in the Western States, he having spent twenty years of his life in that part of the country. During that time, his labors were abundant and his exertions untiring; and, in some instances, he endured incredible hardships. He frequently addressed assemblies in the open air, and generally preached two hours. On some occasions, his sermons were three or four hours long, and on one occasion, he preached for five hours. Sometimes he would be compelled to ford rivers and travel for hours without change of garment, and that, too, at the cold season of the year, when the icicles would hang to his garments like fringes. Oftentimes he would be overtaken by night, in a dreary forest; and then, like Jacob, he would lay himself on the cold ground, with the heavens for a covering and a stone for a pillow. He possessed a strong and robust constitution, but the frequent occurrence of these hardships gradually undermined it till he at length sank under the weight of disease, and, at forty-five years of age, he presented the appearance of a man of sixty.
For several years, he resided in the State of Illinois, near Lawrenceville. While there, he was elected a member of the Convention. He was a fearless champion of freedom, and probably did as much as any other man in redeeming the state from slavery. He spoke of this political campaign as among the most happy and useful days of his life, and always appeared to reflect on it with a great deal of pleasure and delight, feeling that he had rendered to his fellow-citizens a lasting and great blessing. In the fall of 1828, he visited some of the Eastern States for his health, and went as far east as Boston, Mass.; but the disease had become so firmly seated that no change of climate could benefit him. But during this time he was able to preach, and his name will long be remembered by the brethren in that part of the country.
While in New York, he wrote and published his-book ‘The Bible Doctrine. This book contains his views of divine truth, as taught by the great founder of Christianity; but it was not written as the sentiment of any people or party of Christians. He was as tenacious of the language as of the sentiment, being desirous that the author should be recognized by old friends on reading the book. Hence the reason why some of its peculiar phraseology was retained. It is a work of highly original characteristics. The Elder had no books of reference except the Bible and concordance. He consulted no author, counseled no friend, but committed his own thoughts to writing, in his own language. All his references to authors were from memory, or from notes that he had taken at some former period of life. He might have received aid from others had he wished any; but he did not choose to retail the sentiments and opinions of others, wishing to give to his friends an original book—and it was done. Very few books have been presented to the world so highly original in character, and under such peculiar circumstances.
The Elder’s talents were of a high order, and he was original in every sense of the term. Although he took a comprehensive view of any subject, yet he often came to wrong conclusions, and there were but few as capable of vindicating their sentiments as he. He was a man of great honesty, frankness, and decision of character; and since he was honest in forming his convictions, he was very tenacious of them, and ever ready to defend them. As a public speaker, he was always interesting, and at times very eloquent, never failing to command the attention of his audience. He was generally grave and serious in the pulpit, but sometimes indulged in wit, to the great amusement of his hearers.
He returned to the Western States in 1829, as his health failed and his infirmities increased. His sufferings were long and severe, but he bore it all cheerfully. His only desire to recover was that he might be about the work of the Lord; but when he found that his work was well-nigh done, he told his friends that they should not object to God’s will. During his last illness, he gave this opinion, “That little doctrinal preaching is requisite in our day; but simple gospel preaching such as is calculated to lead to experimental and practical religion is more necessary.” The doctrines that are published in his book he held to the last, and seemed pleased to think that he should leave that book as a legacy to his friends and the world.
His wife having died some year’s before, leaving no family, he had no nearer relation than a sister to minister unto him in his last days. But his memory will ever be dear to those who were with him both in a ministerial and social capacity. He died at the residence of his sister, near Burlington, Ohio, in the forty-ninth year of his age, after a long and very painful illness.
Thus, died William Kinkade, at the early age of forty-nine years. As we may see from this short sketch, he was a man of great independence, which was increased in him, doubtless, by the perilous times in which he lived—among blood-thirsty Indians, daring pioneers, and ferocious wild beasts. From a religious mother, he early received solemn impressions, so that he resorted to secret prayer at the age of six. The Bible became very precious to him, in his youth. He read it at home and at the day school; and after he began to preach, he worked five days, grubbing briars, for the first copy he ever owned. For many years, he was very poorly clad, and his exposures, in constantly traveling through the newly-settled country, were very great. In the midst of all, his courage never failed, nor did his mind ever become sluggish; whether on foot or on horseback, in the deep forest or by the cabin fire, he was always studying his little pocket Bible.
In the territory of Illinois, he was elected a member of the Convention to form the State Constitution—and nobly did he work there to make his adopted slate free from slavery. When threatened with death by his rough pro-slavery colleagues, his answer was. ‘‘I would just as soon die in this cause as any other, and heaven is as near Illinois as any other place.” In connection with Elder Seth Gard and others, most of them raised in slave states, and well acquainted with the blighting influence of slavery, he succeeded in his noble effort, and free Illinois has reason to thank him and his colleagues for its present great prosperity. He always considered his labors in that convention as the most useful of his whole life.
There is an anecdote related by the early settlers of Butler County, Ohio, regarding the Elder’s views on baptism, and why he changed from a believer in infant to that of adult baptism, that is worth mentioning here. During one of his meetings in the above-named county, the Elder was called upon to christen two or three children of a pioneer. The smallest of the children could be managed tolerably well as they had not strength sufficient to resist. But the oldest boy, disliking the preacher’s treatment of his little brothers, got angry, climbed a sapling, and swore most wickedly that he would not be baptized by that ugly old preacher. The Elder told the father that he did not think it was right to force a swearing boy to be baptized. After a serious consideration of the subject, he concluded never again to baptize any but voluntary candidates.
The Herculean work of the Elder is his Bible Doctrine. As stated, the work is the product of his conviction alone, with no help from others—neither concordances nor commentaries. The work is doubtless a copy of what he had preached all over the west, in his pastorates, general meetings, and debates. We may imagine how the little pocket Bible, his constant companion, was marked through and through, so that, when he began to write, all arguments and illustrations were ready to his hand. The work was written in a great hurry. Much of the time, the author had to be on his knees, as the pain in his side would not allow him to sit down or stand up. Some of the doctrines in regard to the Sonship of Christ were not endorsed by our leading brethren; otherwise it was read and studied for years, as among the ablest productions of any of our writers. There is no gloss in the style. It is the Elder throughout, strong, clear, logical, and so natural and forcible in the argument that it drives conviction on the mind of the reader, whether he will or not.