USA > Indiana > Indiana Baptist history, 1798-1908 > Part 7
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leader in his Association, in southeastern Indiana, and in the whole State; and was chosen a member of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions. He was a mem- ber of the Indiana Baptist Convention at its first ses- sion and was made Secretary. He was several times elected Moderator of the Convention, and was often placed on important committees ; and no reports were made to the Convention that commanded more atten- tion than those submitted by him.
Here follow some extracts from a Circular letter submitted at the session in 1839 in Delphi :
"Dear Brethren: As the chief design of our Asso- ciation is to promote the spread of the gospel in our own State, we again invite your attention to this im- portant subject. A great number of our churches are destitute of regular preaching, and there are extensive sections of the country, and not a few of them in popular parts of the State where we have neither churches nor ministers. Our object will not be fully accomplished until all these destitute regions are filled with churches, and all our churches supplied with ministers. How is this to be done, is an important inquiry. Under the blessing of heaven means of ob- taining an increase of ministerial labor present them- selves. The first is to liberate the ministers we now have from all secular employments, so that they may devote their whole time to the work of the Lord; the second is to adopt measures for obtaining more ministers. By supporting our ministers we shall en- able them not only to preach more frequently but also to preach more effectively. And to preach effectively
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requires a higher degree of spirituality, an intimate acquaintance with the word of truth, and a fervent desire for the prosperity of Zion. It requires sermons in which the minister feels, and the congregation too, that he, at least for the time being, has given himself wholly to the work. This at times is the case with those who labor through the week in support of their families, but it is much more frequently the case with those whose whole business it is to labor in the Lord's vineyard. Were all our ministers supported by the churches, so that they could give all their time and energies to the gospel, there would be a vast increase in the number of sermons they would preach, and no doubt a much greater increase in the life, the intelli- gence, and the spirituality of those sermons. Might not this de done .? ... Genuine piety is indispensable to the gospel minister, and no learning or talents will supply its place. But piety alone does not give all those qualifications which the scriptures require. A minister must possess knowledge and aptness to teach. Much of the knowledge which is all important to the minister may be acquired by intercourse with society, by observation, by reading and study without any special aid from teaching; and some extraordinary minds by these aids alone have become very useful. But in ordinary cases this form of acquiring knowl- edge is slow and uncertain, and a life may be spent in obtaining what a few years of regular instruction would impart. These considerations loudly call upon the churches to promote the education of pious young men as a principal means of supplying our State with
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the gospel. Education is becoming generally diffused through the community. The state of society requires a higher degree of mental cultivation than formerly in all who engage in any public business; and unless there is corresponding increase of intelligence in our ministry we shall fall still farther below the state of general society, and our gospel operations will be more and more confined to the less informed part of the community. .. , And unless we use the means which God has placed within our reach to procure a well informed as well as a spiritual minister, may we not expect to see many of our lonely churches and scat- tered members, as sheep without a shepherd, exposed to any artful leader that may be disposed to lead them? And may we not fear that the curse of God will rest upon us for not discerning the signs of the times, and using our efforts to procure such a min- istry as the state of our churches and the condition of the world require?" Then in a few words he urged his brethren to see to it that provision is made for the liberal education of the young men offering themselves for the ministry.
It is not difficult to forecast what Judge Holman's attitude was towards Baptist institutions of learning in general, and Franklin College in particular. And it is of interest to note that his son, grandson and great-grandson were all students at Franklin.
The following brief extract from his report to the Convention in 1840 on Bible distribution, will indicate his clearness of view and earnestness of conviction as
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to the value of the universal distribution and study of God's word:
"The same holy feeling which prompts the disciples of the Lord Jesus to preach the gospel to the destitute and perishing will surely lead them to accompany the spoken with the written word. Now as in preach- ing we are to go to those who need instruction, so if we would have the world made better by the Bible, we may freely circulate it through all lands and in all languages."
The result of the report was that the Indian Bible society was formed, auxiliary to the American Foreign Bible society. Quoting from the obituary notice in the Missionary Magazine for November, 1842:
"The crowning and ennobling principle of his char- acter, and that which shone brilliant and steady in all circles, on the bench of justice, the political forum, and the walks of private life, was the influence of chris- tianity. Its truth, spirit, devotion and practice were prominent in his whole character."
He died March 23d, 1842, knowing that he must go, and expressing full confidence in the presence, power, love and saving grace of his Lord.
Another of the leading men in the Laughery Asso- ciation was William S. Holman, son of Jesse L. Hol- man. He was born in Indiana in 1822; he had the educational advantages of the public schools, and a course, though not complete, in Franklin College. He engaged in the study and practice of law, and in 1843 was elected probate judge for his county. He was chosen prosecuting attorney of his county from
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1847 to 1849 ; and in 1851 was elected a member of the Indiana legislature. In 1858 he was elected to the United States Congress, and was elected fifteen terms in succession-an honor that has not fallen to any other congressman in the history of the country. He was a member of the Aurora Baptist church at the time of his death, and had been for many years. And while he gave a great deal of time to civil matters he was also actively connected with his denominational work in Indiana. He was a member of the board of trustees of Franklin College from 1851 to 1857, and was chairman of some of the most important com- mittees of the Indiana Baptist Convention. He was an active and earnest supporter of the government through the trying times of the civil war; and more than one Indiana soldier found him ready to sym- pathize with him and help him, as they met in Wash- ington.
Judge Turpie, his colleague and lifelong friend, had this to say of him in an address during the Obit- uary exercises in the House of Congress in 1897:
"He was for the Union at all risk, and at every cost. He supported the prosecution of the war for the Union with fervent zeal and unflagging constancy. He had, all his life, resided on the very border between the free and the slave States. He represented the people of a border district. His constituents had with their neighbors of Kentucky, and indeed with the people of the entire south, through the great commerce of the Ohio river, the most intimate and congenial re- lations ; but these cost him not a moment's hesitation.
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Although Judge Holman was a man of affairs, in close contact with the varied political activities of this world, yet he had not forgotten-had always borne in present remembrance-the concerns of the world to come, the distant scene beyond. He had been from early manhood, and continued to the close of his career, a steadfast believer in the Christian faith. He became and remained a member of the Baptist church, and always took an active interest in the prog- ress and growth of that influential body. ... It must have been certainly an interesting and edifying spec- tacle to have seen and heard the distinguished states- man, whom time had clothed with so many years and honors, discoursing upon some subject of discipline or doctrine among his brethren, as one who, in de- liberations upon the great secular questions of his age, had yet kept and preserved his interest in the affairs of that grander and more glorious common- wealth-the church."
Another of the leaders in the Laughery Association was the Rev. and Hon. John Watts. He was a mem- ber of Bear Creek church and was its pastor for fif- teen years. He was moderator of the Association for many years. He was honored by Kentucky while a resident there, by being chosen Judge of the circuit court of Boone county. He was also circuit judge in Indiana for several terms; was a representative from Dearborn county in the State legislature, and was for six years a member of the United States Senate. But with all his duties as a civil officer he did not cease preaching, as opportunity offered itself.
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Still another leader in the Laughery Association of whom special mention should be made was the Rev. Ezra Ferris, M. D. He was born in Connecticut in 1783, and came with his father to Ohio in 1789, and found a home in Columbia, the first town to be founded in the Miami Valley. He joined the Baptist church there in 1801. In 1807 he came to Lawrence- burg, Indiana, and was one of the first Baptist min- isters to preach in that part of the State. He was a leader in the organization of the Lawrenceburg church, and was its pastor for more than thirty years. He was also a practicing physician, having gone back to the east, in his early manhood, to complete a course in medicine. He was selected as a member of the Constitutional Convention of Indiana held at Corydon in 1816; and was several times sent to the state legis- lature. He was once nominated for congress but failed by five votes, of being elected. It is said that on one occasion when the followers of Alexander Campbell were arranging for a meeting in Lawrence- burg, with the purpose of proselyting as many mem- bers of other churches as possible, Elder Ferris fore- stalled the movement somewhat, by being on hand early, opening the meeting, and in the opening using the hymn, the first stanza of which is:
Jesus, great Shepherd of the sheep To thee for help we fly, The little flock in safety keep, For oh, the wolf is nigh.
One of the most satisfactory accounts of the In. dian campaigns of Generals Harmar, St. Clair and
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Wayne, 1791-94, was written by Elder Ferris for a Lawrenceburg paper. He died at his home in Law- renceburg April 19th, 1857.
There were other men prominent in the Association, such as Elder George Hume, Elder Thomas Curtis, > related to the large family of Curtises who did so much to make Ebenezer church what it was and is; Elder John Givan, who gave so much of promise as a preacher, and who gave to Dr. L. Moss, the prince of pulpit orators, the first impulse to become somebody and do something worthy; Elder A. R. Hinkley, who was not only a preacher but also editor, and who was pastor of the Franklin church as well as professor in · Franklin College.
PERRY COUNTY ASSOCIATION was organized in 1821, and its name indicates its territory. A church was organized about three miles west of Rome as early as 1819, with the assistance of Elders Samuel Ander- son and Charles Polke. The church at Tobin's Bot- tom is one of the strongest in the Association, and has had as pastors Elders R. M. Snyder, J. Arm- strong and J. Van Winkle. The statistics for 1864, record nine churches and 370 members.
WHITE RIVER ASSOCIATION-( COUNTIES OF LAW- RENCE, OWEN, GREENE AND MONROE).
This association was organized in 1821 at Gilgal meeting house in Lawrence county and consisted of eight churches with a membership of 215. Most if not all these churches had belonged to the Blue River
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Association, it was therefore quite natural that the new Association should adopt the Articles of Faith and Rules of Decorum of the old-which was done. It is quite natural, too, that the name of the new should be White River, for it was bounded in the main by the two branches of White river; and rivers were far more formidable barriers to travel then than they are today-there were no bridges. In five years the body had grown to twenty churches with a total membership of 603 ; and had in its bounds Elders Am- brose Carlton, Wesley Short and Abram Mitchell. The fifth anniversary was held also at Gilgal meeting house, and two of the ministers appointed to preach on Sunday were Daniel Parker and John M. Peck- two men as widely separated as the poles in their con- ceptions and convictions; and yet in some measure they represent the two divergent tendencies in the Association. From item fifteen of the proceedings of this session we may easily infer that missions and anti- missions early became an issue in the Association ; the item is as follows:
"From the face of the letter from Wabash Asso- ciation we discover that that body had excluded from her fellowship Moriah (Maria) Creek church for re- fusing to deal with her members who are engaged in aiding the cause of missions; therefore after mature deliberation, withdrew our correspondence from her."
At the same session it was agreed to open corre- spondence with Union Association, which was known to be favorable to the mission cause. Whether the presence of Elder John M. Peck, the enthusiastic mis-
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sionary, had any influence on this action we cannot positively assert ; and yet it is most probable.
At the tenth session, held at Salt Creek meeting house seventeen churches are reported with a member- bership of 641; and the ordained ministers are Am- brose Tarlton, John M. Evans, Abram Mitchell, Elijah Chambers, Robert Hicks, T. Vavdeveer, Charles Pen- nington, William Dotson, Jeremiah Douty, Samuel Owens, and Tarlton Bell. The seventeenth item of the business was as follows :
"A request from Bloomington praying this Asso- ciation to reject the doctrines of Alexander Campbell, taken up and answered in the affirmative. We reject the doctrines of Campbell and advise the churches composing our body to do the same, believing them to be contrary to the doctrines of God, our Savior."
An extract from the Circular letter of 1833 indicates clearly that the Association is quite adverse to the teachings of Daniel Parker :
"Another would-be reformer has arisen in these last days to disturb the peace and harmony of the churches. We allude to Elder Daniel Parker, and his celebrated doctrine of "two-seeds.' This is an old doctrine and long since exploded, but now resuscitated, and brought to life from the grave, where it has lain long ages, and would to God it had continued to moulder there forever. This doctrine is nothing more than rank Antinomiaum (antinomianism) with a new dress; it leads to licentiousness, and is another bait of the devil to entice his victims to that region 'where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'
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But strange as it may seem the Association having declared against the doctrines of both Campbell and · Parker, also make this declaration, found in the nine- teenth item of this same session ; it is as follows: "We as an Association do not believe in the principles and practice of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions."
The Circular letters from this time on are above the average for clear strong statement of fundamental doctrines of the denomination, such as the divinity of Christ, mutual christian love, the conditions of com- munion, congregational church government, infalli- bility of the scriptures, the meaning and duty of sanc- tification, natural and spiritual terms in the scriptures, the doctrine of the atonement and church discipline. At the session in 1844, held at Prairie Creek meeting house, Daviess county, it appears that there were twelve churches, with a total membership of 426; the ordained ministers were Gideon Potter, J. Cole, Thomas Oliphant, E. Allen, and J. B. Van Mater ; among these Thomas Oliphant, Sr., is evidently a leader, if we may infer so from his frequent election to the moderatorship, and frequent appointment to write the Circular letter. He was appointed to present the letter at this session, and it is so striking a de- liverance that we may well make liberal extracts from it, for the insight they give of the convictions of the times as to the matter of missions :
"The Roman Catholics have their missionaries now in almost all the world; in North and South America, in Canada, in nearly all Indian tribes south and west; many millions of dollars have been and still are ex-
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pended for the propagation of their faith. Now con- sidering the difference between Catholics and Protest- ants in doctrine and practice, is it not strange that Protestants, some of them, should be aping after Catholic fashions; but we are imitable beings, hence Protestants have borrowed this system from their neighbors, and if there is any glory in it the Catholics are certainly entitled to it."
The sophistry here is apparent; it is simply this: We differ from Catholics; they believe in and prose- cute missions ; therefore we should not !
In the account of American missions the Baptist Advocate had said: "On these youthful students (Judson, Rice and Mills) the missionary spirit had evidently rested, and that while at school studying theology they were accustomed to pour out their pray- ers behind a haystack that was near the college, and there behind this stack they called down a missionary spirit from heaven which has proven the glory of our · country."
To which he replies by this question: "If these young students called down the missionary spirit from heaven, was it ever in the church of Christ be- fore?"
The implication is simply a travesty on reasoning. The missionary spirit was in the early church, and has been called down since as often as Christ's dis- ciples have been awakened to an appreciation of their duty. Elder Oliphant next tried caricature-a dan- gerous and unworthy experiment both in the min- istry and out. He recites an account of the setting
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apart of the Rev. J. Wade and his wife as missionaries to Burma, including the sermon by Dr. Nathaniel Kendrick, the charge by Dr. Hascall, the hand of fellowship by the Rev. J. W. Clark, etc., etc. Now to make all this seem non-apostolic, and opposed to the teachings of the New Testament, he suggests that we change the passage in the book of Acts to read as follows: "On the 11th of June, 1844, the Rev. S. Paul and J. Barnabas were set apart as missionaries to Selencia and Cyprus by a board of managers of the Baptist General Convention, met in the city of An- tioch; sermon on the occasion by the Rev. S. Niger from Isaiah-'The isles shall wait for his law.' The Rev. Lucius, of Cyrene, offered the consecrating prayer, the day was fine and a collection of $86.23 was taken on the spot, etc."
Now, he argues, Baptists have always stood for the scriptures as the infallible rule of our faith and prac- tice; and where is the authority for such a mode of setting missionaries apart ? He confounds the es- sential with the incidental; he might just as well have reasoned that as the White River Association is not mentioned in the scriptures therefore it ought never to have been organized. Again as Paul received no salary, therefore ministers of today have no right to receive salaries ; and then he tells with apparent sat- isfaction that as Paul and Peter say nothing about money in their account of their missionary labors, there is no place for money in missions. Ten pages 7x41/2 inches are taken up with just such false rea- soning. It is plain to be seen that if these utterances
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are indicative of the anti-mission spirit of the Asso- ciation, it is no wonder that there was a steady decline in interest and power. In 1856 there was a total mem- bership of but 503. And today the Association is extinct.
FLAT ROCK ASSOCIATION-(COUNTIES OF BARTHOLO- MEW, DECATUR AND JOHNSON).
The Association was organized in 1822, and held its first regular meeting in September, 1823, in Flat Rock meeting house, northeast of Columbus. Elder Daniel Stogsdill, who was for many years an effective min- ister in the Association, preached the introductory ser- mon and was elected moderator. Eight churches joined in the organization; the Articles of Faith of the Silver Creek Association were adopted, and the machinery of what has proved to be one of the most efficient Associations in the State was set in motion. At the session in 1824 ten churches are reported, and in 1825, fifteen; in 1829 the number is twenty-three, and one church, Geneva, has been dismissed to join Coffee Creek Association, nearer by; and the air was loaded with the intimation that several of the churches were dissatisfied on some account, and wanted to with- draw. At the session in 1830 the matter took tangible form when the disaffected churches make complaint that the association is yielding to the heterodox teach- ings of Campbellism and Arminianism. Two of the strongest men in the body were appointed a committee to see if some reconciliation might not be possible ; accordingly they met the brethren in their own Asso-
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ciation, the Conn's Creek, and did all that reason and christian charity could do, but to no avail.
The Conn's Creek Association was found to be an out and out Predestinarian organization. The total membership of the Flat Rock Association before the secession was 980; the number immediately afterwards was 734. The names of the seceding churches as gathered from the minutes of 1832 were Bethel, Beth- lehem, Conn's Creek, Edinburg, Little Salt River, Mount Zion, Nineveh and Pleasant Run. That the committee appointed to visit and confer with the breth- ren who withdrew to go to Conn's Creek did its duty, is apparent in the report made by Elder Lewis Morgan :
"I attended the meeting of Conn's Creek Associa- tion, presented them with the minutes of the Flat Rock Association, and requested them to come to a settlement of the existing difficulties, telling them that we were willing to leave it to a committee of brethren from the different Associations with which we cor- respond, allowing each Association to choose an equal number; and they by vote of the Association refused to settle with us in any way."
In 1853 the Flat Rock Association had grown to twenty-one churches with a total membership of 739. Sand Creek was the largest church, having 113 mem- bers. Ten years later there were thirty-two churches with a total membership of 1866, and the largest church was Salem-191 members. In the minutes for 1835 we get a glimpse into the general attitude of the churches towards missions, education and other pro-
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gressive movements of the times. We may wonder that the Baptists were ever so far back in their con- ceptions ; but remember that this was seventy years ago. It seems that for some reason the circular letter was not forth-coming, and in lieu of it the following was presented and adopted :
"Having been called upon by some of the churches for advice respecting the benevolent institutions of the day, including the temperance society, and so forth, we as an Association have never had anything to do with them; and as there is a difference of opinion ex- isting among us on that subject we would advise the churches composing the Association to lay no burdens on their members respecting these things, but let every one be persuaded in his own opinion ; and let no broth- er that gives, reproach the brother that doth not give, neither let him that giveth not, reproach him that giv- eth; let him that sendeth to a Sunday school, not re- proach him that sendeth not, neither let him that send- eth not reproach him that sendeth; and let him that thinks he can do good by abstaining from the use of ardent spirits, and that that influence will be increased by joining a temperance society, not reproach the brother who does not see it his duty to abstain from the use of ardent spirits, so he does not drink to drunk- enness; or he who thinks it his duty to abstain, and does not see the propriety of joining a temperance so- ciety ; neither let the latter reproach the former, seeing that the temperance society does not belong to the church exclusively, but is a voluntary society composed of well wishers to morality as well as religion, who
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