USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 14
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The book of records has been preserved, and is now in the possession of Elder William Rupard of Clark county. But it was so awkwardly kept, that only fragmentary items of the proceedings of the Association can be ascertained from its pages. The record states that the Association "was constituted on the Bible." No written constitution, confession of faith, abstract of principles, or even rules of decorum were adopted, at this, or any subsequent period. The organization does not
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appear to have been considered complete till the following May or it is stated in the records of the annual meeting of the body, in 1791, that, "The Association agrees to abide by the plan upon which the churches of our union were constituted [an as- sociation, ] in October, 1787, and May, 1788."
The churches of this fraternity were intermingled with those of both Elkhorn and Salem Associations. Some of its preachers adopted very loose doctrinal views, and their vague teachings gave rise to frequent altercations between them and the ministers of the Regular Associations. As a consequence, a number of the churches were divided on the different subjects of controversy. Various attempts were made to unite the con- tending associations ; but, for a period of about thirteen years, these efforts all failed, and each successive failure made the breach wider, and the altercations more bitter. This unpleasant state of affairs continued till 1801, when the great revival of that period so softened the hearts of God's people, that they found it easy to bury all their differences, and form a union of all the Baptists in the State. A fuller account of this happy transaction will be given in its appropriate place.
CHAPTER XII.
FORKS OF ELKHORN, SHAWNEE RUN AND OTHER CHURCHES CON- STITUTED IN I788.
At the beginning of the year 1788, there were two Regular Associations and one Separate; sixteen Regular and eleven Separate churches ; twenty-five Regular and ten Separate ordained preachers, and several licensed preachers of both orders. During this year, three Regular and three Separate churches were formed. Like those which had been gathered before, some of these were permanent and valuable churches, and others of them soon perished.
FORKS OF ELKHORN church was gathered by that famous old pioneer, William Hickman. The following account of its origin, written by Hickman, shows the manner in which our fathers followed the settlers to the frontiers, and erected the standard of the cross among them. It must not be forgotten that they were still exposed to the fury of the blood-thirsty sav- ages, who constantly prowled around the settlements and em- braced every opportunity to destroy the new occupants of their favorite hunting ground. There were already eight little churches in Fayette, one in Bourbon, one in Clark, and one in Woodford, all under the protection of the forts, before there was any settle- ment at the Forks of Elkhorn, in what is now Franklin county.
During the year 1787, a precious revival was prevailing in most of the settlements in Fayette and the surrounding counties. Mr. Hickman gathered Marble Creek church, and, for a time, supplied it with stated preaching. The revival influence was fol- lowing the settlers, as they advanced into the wilderness to form new homes, and contend with new trials and dangers. Of this period, Elder William Hickman writes as follows :
" About that time, the Forks of Elkhorn began to be settled. Mr. Nathaniel Sanders, old brother John Major, brother Daniel James, old William Hayden, old Mr. Lindsay and a few others
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had moved down. As there was a prospect of a large settle- ment, Mr. Sanders named to his neighbor, Major, that it would be right to get some minister to come down and live among them. This pleased Major, he being an old Baptist. They con- sulted as to whom they should get. Mr. Sanders, who had a slight acquaintance with me, mentioned my name. This seemed strange, as he was a very thoughtless man about his soul. How- ever, they agreed between themselves to make me a present of a hundred acres of land. This was unknown to me at the time. On a very cold night, brother Major, came to my cabin about twenty miles from his residence. When he came in, upon being asked to sit down, he said : 'No, like Abraham's servant, I will not sit down till I have told my errand.' He then told me what had brought him to see me, and gave me till the next morning to return him an answer. We passed a night of prayer. It was a night of deep thought with me for I wished to do right. I was halting between two opinions, and when I reflected that the Forks of Elkhorn was exposed to the savages, there being no settle- ment between there and the Indian towns, I thought it would frighten my wife and children. However, I consulted them about what I should do. They being willing to go, in the morning I answered brother Major thus : 'I have an appointment at Marble Creek. I will name the matter to the brethren there. If they will give me up, I will write to you or come and see you, and we will decide upon it.' I went to Marble Creek, and stated to the brethren the circumstance. They were for awhile very unwilling to let me off. But at length they said, if it was my wish, and for my advantage, they would submit. I then felt free and went down instead of writing. I first went to brother Major's, and from there to Mr. Sanders. I was astonished to find that his wife was an old professor of religion. Mr. Sanders walked with me to the very spring I now live at, on his own land, and showed me where I was to settle. I said to him: 'Sir, you don't care about religion; I want to know why you wish me to come.' His reply was: ' If it never is any advantage to me, it may be to my family.' It started tears from my eyes, not knowing what Pro- vidence had in view. I, however, concluded to move as soon as possible, and my son, William, being married, came down and built a cabin, between Christmas and New Year, 1787. Between this and my moving I visited my old church (South Elkhorn),
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Marble Creek and other churches, and I do hope my labors were not in vain. On the night of the 17th of January, we arrived at my son William's cabin. I had sent down an appointment to preach on Sunday at brother Major's. Almost the whole of the inhabitants came out. I suppose there were about thirty whites, besides a few blacks. I hope I was looking to the Lord. I took this subject: 'Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his.' It was a blessed day. I think four or five experiences came from that day's labor, and among the rest, Mr. Sanders. The sword of the spirit pierced him to the heart. For weeks he could find no rest. But at length he found peace in the
Lord. I was by when he met with his deliverance.
We held
meetings day and night. About this time there was a great fall of snow, and the balance of February and all of March was very cold, but did not hinder our meetings. In the course of ten months, twenty or thirty obtained hope in the Lord. Among them were some of old sister Cook's family and brother Major's children, and several of their blacks. Scarcely any weather stopped us, and we thought but little about the Indians. When April came it brought a fine spring, and we began to talk of be- coming an organized church. Several brethren moved down that spring. Brother [John] Taylor hearing of the work came down from Clear Creek to preach to us, and help us on. As well as my recollection serves me, there was a number baptized before the constitution of the church, for brother Lewis Craig was with us, at times. We sent for helps from Clear Creek, South Elkhorn, and I think Marble Creek. We got together, and after due examination were constituted a church of Christ. This took place the second Saturday in June, 1788. They were pleased to call me, to go in and out before them. The dear man I so much dreaded (Mr. Sanders) I baptized, and the church chose him as one of her deacons. I think, in the course of a year, I must have baptized forty or fifty. I baptized nine of old sister Cook's children, and among them the well known Abraham, now the minister of Indian Fork in Shelby county. The same year I baptized Philemon Thomas and his brother, Richard, the latter a minister of the gospel, the former a statesman."
Forks of Elkhorn church had a regular prosperous course for many years. Eight years after its constitution it contained 123 members. During "the great revival" 216 souls were
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baptized for its membership in one year (1801). It united with Elkhorn Association, in 1788, and remained a member of that body till about 1821, when it united with Franklin Association, of which it has remained a prominent member to the present time.
WILLIAM HICKMAN, the founder and first pastor of Forks of Elkhorn church, was among the most active, courageous and use- ful of that noble band of pioneer preachers that brought the Gos- pel of Jesus Christ to the great Valley of the Mississippi. He was, in the true sense of the term, a servant of Jesus Christ. He made preaching the gospel the business of his life. He consci- entiously avoided that worldly speculation which involved a num- ber of our early preachers in much trouble, and greatly marred their usefulness. Refusing to entangle himself with the affairs of this world, he looked unto the Lord, and steadily pursued his holy calling, from the time God called him into the ministry, until he finished his course with joy, at a ripe old age. He served the Lord with diligence and zeal, in his youth, and realized the ful- fillment of the promise made to the righteous : ""They shall bring forth fruit in their old age."
William Hickman was the son of Thomas Hickman. His mother's maiden name was Sarah Sanderson. He was born in King and Queen county, Va., February 4, 1747. His parents died young, leaving him and one sister, their only surviving children, to the care of their grandmother. He gives the follow- lowing account of his youth and early manhood :
" My sister and myself were taken by a loving old grand- mother, who did her best for us. She tried to impress our minds with a solemn sense of eternal happiness and the torment of hell. These things bore heavily on my mind, and more so on the death of our parents. Thinking of my father, and fearing he was mis- erable, deprived me of hours of sleep. I hoped my mother was in glory. With these thoughts, I determined not to be wicked, and especially to keep from evil words. My opportunity for learning was very poor, having little time to go to school. I could read but little, and barely write. My sister also had very little opportunity to learn, for we were two little orphans.
"At about fourteen years of age I was put to a trade. The family I had lived with since the death of my parents were or- derly, but without any real knowledge of true godliness. They
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all depended upon their works to save their souls. None of us knew any better in those days. I had not lived long at my new habitation before I fell in with the evil habits of the family, for master, mistress, children, apprentices and negroes were all alike in their wickedness. I left off saying prayers, and learned to curse and swear; for sinning will make us leave off prayer, and real prayer will make us leave off sinning. I lived at this place seven years. I went often to church to hear the parson preach, when he was sober enough to go through his discourse. To- wards the last of the seven years I heard of a people called Bap- tists, though at a great distance. I was told that they would take the people and dip them all over in the water. I was sure they were the false prophets. I hoped I never should see one of them, nor did I for several years after that.
" In the ninth year of my apprenticeship I married my mas- ter's daughter. Both of us were poor, careless mortals about our souls. My wife was fond of mirth and dancing. In the year 1770 the Lord sent these Newlights* near where we then lived, in Buckingham county, Virginia. Curiosity led me to go some distance to hear these babblers. The two precious men were John Waller and James Childs. When I got to the meeting the people were relating their experiences. There was such a multi- tude of people that I could not see the preachers till they were done. At last they broke up. The two preachers sat together. I thought they looked like angels. Both of them preached, and God's power attended the word. Numbers fell, some were con- vulsed and others were crying out for mercy. The day's worship ended. The next day they were to dip, as they called it in those days. I went home, heavy hearted, knowing myself to be in a wretched state. I informed my wife what I had seen and heard. She was much disgusted, fearing I would be dipped. She begged me not to go again ; but I told her I must see them dipped. I went, and an awful day it was to me. One of the ministers preached be- fore baptism. Then they moved on to the water, near a quarter of a mile. The people moved in solemn order, singing :
' Lord, what a wretched land is this That yields us no supply.'
Though it was a strange thing in that part of the world, I think the people behaved orderly. A great many tears dropped
#Baptists were so-called then.
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at the water, and not a few from my eyes. The first man brother Waller led in had been a dancing master, to whom brother Waller said he had given a gold piece to teach him to dance. I think eleven were baptized that day."
"In the fall of the next year I moved to Cumberland coun- ty. There I shook off the awful feeling I have named above, yoked in with a gang of ruffians and took to dissipation, but with a guilty conscience. The Lord sent his servants in that part, and . pretty soon a number of our dear neighbors were converted to God, and among the rest, my wife." *
On the conversion of his wife, Mr. Hickman's remorse of conscience greatly increased. His wife offered herself to the church, and was approved for baptism, when he was absent. This greatly irritated him. He kept her from being baptized several months. He persuaded her to attend the Episcopal church, and strove to convince her of the validity of infant bap- tism. For this purpose, he studied the New Testament closely. This investigation led him to the conclusion that infant baptism was not taught in the Bible. He finally consented to his wife's being baptized. Under the preaching of David Tinsley-that eminent and faithful witness for Jesus, and for times a prisoner of the Lord, in Virginia jails-Mr. Hickman became deeply over- whelmed with a sense of guilt and condemnation. He closes a relation of his experience as follows :
"I saw sin enough in my best performances to sink me to hell. When I heard the truth preached, it all condemned me. I often wished that I had never been born, or that I had been a brute that had no soul to stand before the holy God. For months I tried to pray, but thought I grew worse and worse, till all hopes of happiness were almost gone.
" One cold and gloomy afternoon, the 21st of February, 1773, I went over a hill to try to pray. When I got to the place, I put myself in every position of prayer. I must have been an hour in that dismal condition. It was so cold that I returned to the house and sat awhile before the fire. I thought hell was my portion. About the setting of daylight I got up and walked out about fifty yards. All at once the heavy burden seemed to fall off. I felt the love of God flow into my poor soul. I had sweet
*Hickman's Life and Travels, pp. 1-3-Slightly Revised.
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supping at the throne of grace. My sins were pardoned through the atoning blood of the blessed Savior. I heard no voice, and no particular Scripture was applied. I continued there some- time, and then went back to the house. I made no ado for fear of losing the sweet exercise. That was one of the happiest nights I ever experienced. The next morning when I rose and looked out, I thought everything praised God, even the trees, grass and brutes. In the month of April, I was baptized by that worthy servant of God, Reuben Ford, who had baptized my wife the fall before. We both joined the church after I was baptized .*
The young converts composing this church, having no preacher near them, kept up meetings themselves, as was the custom of the early Baptists of Virginia. Among those who took an active part in the public exercises were William Hick- man, George Smith, George Stokes Smith, John Dupuy, James Dupuy, Edward Maxey and Jeremiah Hatcher. All of these be- came useful preachers, and the first five were among the early preachers of Kentucky.
In 1776 Mr. Hickman came with a small company to Ken- tucky. Some account of this visit has been given in the first chapter of this work.
Several incidents which occurred under Mr. Hickman's ministry during the eight years that he preached in Virginia, after his first visit to Kentucky, will serve not only to exhibit the zeal of the preacher, but will also show something of the spirit of the times in which he lived.
Near where Mr. Hickman lived was the boundary line of an Episcopal parish, the minister of which was a Mr. McRoberts. The Virginia Legislature passed an act in 1776, by which the parish ministers were deprived of their salaries, which they had hitherto drawn from the public treasury. Most of them aban- doned their parishes as soon as their salaries were cut off. Par- son McRoberts had left his parish. The Methodists had seized upon the opportunity to gather a large society in the vacant parish. Congress proclaimed a general fast to be held on the 23d of April, 1777. Mr. Hickman preached the fast day ser- mon in his neighborhood. An immense crowd of people at-
*Life and travels, pp. 5-6; slightly revised.
.
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tended. The Spirit of the Lord was present, and a number of people were deeply convicted of sin. Among these was a mid- dle-aged man named John Goode. He was so deeply wrought upon that he thought he was going to die, and applied to Col. Haskins to write his will. He continued some days in great agony. For three days and nights he did not eat, drink or sleep. When he obtained relief he went to see Mr. Hickman, and related to him his experience. He concluded by saying : " You need not mention baptism to me. Blessed be God, I am baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, and I need nothing more." Mr. Hickman told him to search the Scriptures and they would teach him his duty. "I had an appointment the next Sunday week," says Mr. Hickman, "at Muse's school- house. I asked Mr. Goode if he would go to meeting with me, if I would come by and take breakfast with him. He said he would with pleasure. When I went he was sitting on his porch with the Bible in his hand. He commenced conversation by saying : 'You need not say anything about baptism; my Holy Ghost and fire baptism will do for me.'" Mr. Hickman ad. vised him, as before, to search the Scriptures. "When the meeting was dismissed that day," says Mr. Hickman, “I missed Mr. Goode till the people were nearly all gone. At last he came out of the woods. I asked him where he had been all that time. He told me that Mr. Branch, one of his neigh- bors, a church warden, had taken him out to give him some good advice, and that the advice was to take care of the Bap- tists, for they preached damnable doctrines, and that they will not rest till they dip you. Mr. Goode replied that Mr. Hick- man had not persuaded him, he only advised him to read the Scriptures. 'Ah,' said Mr. Branch, 'that is their cunning.'"
At another time Mr. Hickman preached at the funeral of an old lady. After the service a friend of the deceased made him a present of the value of five dollars. It was soon reported that he charged five pounds for preaching a funeral sermon. This was used to prejudice the people against the Baptists. Mr. Hickman soon afterwards preached another funeral discourse at the parish grave-yard, but was compelled to go off the church lot, or, as it was called, "the church acre." Mr. Hickman re- marks: "The Baptists in those days were much despised." This was especially the case in Chesterfield county. "A little
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before this date, about eight or nine ministers were imprisoned at different times. But to stop the work of the Lord was not in the power of the devil. The word was preached through iron grates, and God blessed it to the conversion of hundreds." It will be remembered that, "in Chesterfield jail seven preachers were confined for preaching, viz: William Webber, Joseph An- thony, Augustine Eastin, John Weatherford, John Tanner, Jeremiah Walker and David Tinsley. Some were whipped by individuals, and several were fined." * "They kept up their persecutions," says Semple, "after other counties had laid it aside." Mr. Hickman, though not imprisoned, came in for his share of rude persecution.
The following affecting circumstances show something of the bitter feeling that was entertained against the Baptists, only a hundred years ago. A revival was in progress in Skinquarter church. Many people were interested about their souls. Among these were the wife, son and daughter of an old man who was a fierce opposer of the Baptists. The young lady was the first to find peace in the Savior. Despite the father's op- position. "Nothing would do but she must follow the foot- steps of her dear Master. After she was baptized," continues Mr. Hickman, "She never dared to put her foot in her father's house. He cursed and swore and wished her in hell. But she had friends and homes enough. One day her poor old mother came to my house and asked me what I would do if she told me an experience that satisfied me, and demanded baptism. I told her I should have to baptize her. She said : 'I expect to put you to the test, in a short time. But my hus- band must not know it. If he does, I know he will kill me.' I told her I did not think so. She replied : 'I know him bet- ter than you do.' A short time after this, the old man went, from home, and the old lady came to my house with her bun- dle under her arm. The expelled daughter was at my house at that time. The old lady related her experience. It was satis- factory. My wife, the old lady and myself went alone to the water. Her daughter would not go, for fear she would be in- terrogated on the subject. The old lady came up out of the water praising and glorifying God. I informed the church what
*His. Va. Baptists, p. 207.
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I had done, and they were pleased with it. I directed the dea cons to convey the elements to her when administering the sup- per,·she being in some bye-corner covered with a large hand- kerchief. The old man did not find it out for four years. The worst of his rage was then over. The son, a young man grown, had been converted. But he lived with his father, and was afraid to be baptized. One night at a meeting the members became very lively under religious exercises. Abram-for that was his name-came forward and related his experience. Like Paul, I took him the same hour of the night and baptized him. I saw his mother next morning. She said to me: 'Brother Hickman, did you baptize Abram last night?' 'Why do you ask that?' said I, for I was sure none could have told her. ' Why, I dreamed so: I thought I stood by and saw it.' I told her I had, and she appeared much rejoiced. Some one told Abram's father of his baptism on Monday morning. The old man drew his cane on him and ordered him off, but did not strike him."*
John Goode, who was at first so well satisfied with his Holy Ghost and fire baptism, after studying the Scriptures sometime, demanded water baptism, and ultimately succeeded Mr. Hick- man as pastor of Skinquarter church.
Mr. Hickman relates the following incident, which occurred under his ministry, while he was pastor of Tomahawk church. There was a man living near the meeting place, "who was thought to be a christian," says Mr. Hickman, "but had not joined society. I said to him one evening going from meeting: 'Mr. Flournoy, when I come again, I intend to have meeting at your house, on Saturday night, hear your experience and baptize you the next day.' He asked me if I was in earnest. I told him I was. The same week there was preaching at the meeting- house by a strange minister. The preacher and myself went to Mr. Flournoy's to dinner. After dinner he said to me that he could not wait till next meeting to be baptized. I told him he had waited seven years, and asked him if he could not wait an- other month. I told him I should do as I had promised. The next morning he came to my meeting, ten miles off, bringing his family and friends, and also his clothes to be baptized in. I told
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