USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 53
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The Methodists had also been prosperous. Their statis- tics for 1820 showed twenty-cight circuits, 50 preachers, and 15,400 members.
The Presbyterians had five Presbyteries, thirty-nine minis- ters and 3,478 members. We have no statistics of the Cum- berland Presbyterians and Newlights. We estimate the mem- bership of the former, at 3, 500, and that of the latter, at 5,000. Other denominations were insignificant in numbers.
The whole number of the Baptists was 31,639, while the population of the State was 564, 317. This gave one Baptist
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in round numbers, to every seventeen of the population. The Baptists had, in the State, 491 churches, which gave one church to every 1, 149 of the population. For the year 1820, we have the official statistics of every association in the State, except Drakes Creek, a small fraternity which had been formed that year. In the table below its numbers are given from its min- utes of 1822.
THE TABLE
Gives Ist, the date of the constitution of each association; 2d the name of the association; 3d, the name of one of the coun- ties in which it lies; 4th, the number of churches, and 5th, the number of members.
DATE.
ASSOCIATION.
COUNTY.
CHRUCHES.
MEMBERS*
1785
Elkhorn :
Fayette
30
3,788
1785
Salem
Hardin
38
1,640
1793
Tates Creek
Madison
22
1,759
1799
Bracken
Mason
17
1,482
1800
Green River
Warren
24
1,648
1802
North District
Clark
23
1,996
1802
South District
Washington
2I
1,703
1803
S. Kentucky
Casey
25
1,034
1803
North Bend
Boone
22
1,412
1 803
Long Run
Jefferson
38
3,000
1805
Stocktons Val. Clinton
12
689
1804
Russells Creek Green
17
988
1807
Red River
Todd
15
946
1809
Cum. River
Pulaski
20
720
1810
Licking
Bourbon
2I
913
1812
Gasper River
Ohio
22
1,157
1812
Union
Harrison
I3
613
1813
Little River
Caldwell
33
1,369
1814
Bnrning Sp'g
Morgan
14
339
1814
Franklin
Franklin
19
1,709
1814
South Union
Whitley
II
274
1816
Goshen
Breckenridge
2I
773
1819
Nolynn
LaRue
14
800
1820
Highland
Hopkins
9
429
1820
Drakes Creek Warren
II
519
Total 25
491
31,689
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CHAPTER XXXII.
THE RISE OF CAMPBELLISM-GEORGETOWN COLLEGE.
The Baptist denomination in Kentucky was probably never more prosperous than in the year 1820. The churches and as- sociations were enjoying great peace, if we except a slight in- terruption of the correspondence between Licking and Elkhorn Associations, and the existence of the South Kentucky and Nolynn Associations of Separate Baptists, which did not cor- respond with the other associations in the State. The spirit of missions had been greatly revived and the churches were con- tributing more liberally to Foreign Missions than those of any other portion of the United States. They had at this period, a corps of ministers who, in all the elements of success, ranked favorably with any on the continent. Wm. C. Warfield, Wm. Warder, Isaac Hodgin, Jeremiah Vardeman, George Waller, Silas M. Noel, Walter Warder and Wm. Vaughan, all brought into the ministry on the soil of Kentucky, were men of emi- nent ability, piety and usefulness. Besides these, there were many preachers of less note, who were eminent for piety, zeal and usefulness. With these advantages, and with a member- ship, exceeding in numbers that of all other denominations combined, their prospects for the future were peculiarly hopeful.
The general revival that was just closing, had produced no schisms or discords. Yet the enemy had sown tares among the wheat that were destined to yield an abundant harvest. Some bad leaven had been introduced, which was destined to work disastrous consequences. The opposition to missions, theological schools, and, indeed, all benevolent societies, had already exhibited itself. Taylor, Parker and some others had taken the alarm, and sounded the tocsin of war. Suspicion was excited among the churches, and the spirit of missions began
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to subside, especially among the illiterate and uninformed. While avarice was not by any means, the primal cause of op- position to missions and other benevolent enterprises, it doubt- less added strength to it. Taylor was not persistent in his opposition, Parker, Nuckols and others were. But soon there arose another opponent to benevolent enterprises, whose bril- liancy eclipsed all other lights, and whose influence among the Baptists of Kentucky, was destined to exert greater evil among them, than that of any other man of his generation. This was Alexander Campbell, then and during the remainder of his life, a resident of Brook county, Virginia. For a time, after he com- menced his career as editor of a popular religious periodical, he gave his influence principally to opposing missions, Bible and Tract Societies, and theological schools, and to curtailing the influence and pecuniary support of Christian ministers, whom he styled "the kingdom of the clergy," and to bringing into dis- credit the doctrines and practices of the principal religious sects of the country, He finally arranged upon the eclectic plan, a confused system of doctrines, upon which he founded a sect. Baptist history is concerned only with that part of his career, and teaching, which affected the Baptist denomination, especially while he was connected with it. A brief outline of his early career may fitly introduce an account of his connection with, and influence upon the Baptists.
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL was the son of Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian clergyman. He was a native of Ireland, but spent his youth in Scotland, where he was educated for the Presbyterian ministry, at the University of Glasgow. He sailed from Scotland for the United States, in October, 1808; but on account of being shipwrecked, he did not arrive in New York till September, 1809. A month afterward, he settled at Wash- ington, Pennsylvania. In giving a brief account of his subse- "I arrived in this country with creden- quent career, he says: tials in my pocket from that sect of Presbyterians known by the name of Seceders. These credentials certified that I had been, both in Ireland, in the Presbytery of Market Hill, and in Scotland, in the Presbytery of Glasgow, a member of the Se- cession church, in good standing. My faith in creeds and con- fessions of human device was considerably shaken while in Scotland, and I commenced my career in this country, under
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Alexander Campbell.
the conviction that nothing that was not as old as the New Testament should be made an article of faith, a rule of practice, or a term of communion amongst Christians .* How- ever this principle may have appeared to a Scotch Seceder, it was by no means a new one. All Protestant sects had held it, in theory at least, ever since the reformation of the sixteenth century, Baptists had held it, during their entire history, and so highly did they esteem it, that a large majority of the Baptist churches in Virginia and the Carolinas, in their early history, in those provinces, refused to write any form of creed what- ever. And even those which had written articles of faith, had expressed therein only their conviction of what the New Tes- tament taught.
At the very time Mr. Campbell "began his career" as an editor, in this country, there were two large associations in Kentucky, whose churches were "constituted on the Bible alone," and which churches were so jealous of human institu- tions in religion that they not only rejected every semblance of a creed, except " the Bible without note or comment," but refused to have even the simplest "rules of decorum " written, for their government in the transaction of church business. However, it is possible that Mr. Campbell may have been ignorant of all these facts, at that early period in his career, and may, therefore, have supposed himself to be the origin- ator of the important rule which he made "the pole-star of his course," ever afterwards. He continued to preach, under his Presbyterian credentials, till June, 1812, when he was bap- tized by Mathias Luse, in the presence of Elder Henry Spears, and became a member of Brush Run church, which, next year, presented a written creed to Red Stone Baptist Associa- tion, and was received into membership in that body. Mean- while, he had married, in March, 1811, and settled, the fol- lowing month, at Buffalo (since called Bethany) in Virginia. Here he farmed, taught school, and preached, without making much noise in the world, till 1820. During this year, he de. bated with a Mr. Walker, on the subject of baptism. The debate was published in book form, and gained for Mr. Camp- bell some reputation as a debater.
#Christian Baptist Vol. II, page 40.
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
In August, 1823, he began the publication of a small, cheap religious monthly, under the title of The Christian Bap- tust, having patriotically dated the preface to the first number, "July 4," 1823. In his prospectus, he sets forth the following items.
"THE ' CHRISTIAN BAPTIST' shall espouse the cause of no religious sect, excepting that ancient sect, called 'CHRISTIANS FIRST AT ANTIOCH.' Its sole object shall be the eviction of truth, and the exposure of error in doctrine and practice. The editor acknowledging no standard of religious faith or works, other than the Old and New Testaments, and the latter as the only standard of the religion of Jesus Christ, will, intentionally at least, oppose nothing which it contains, and recommend nothing which it does not enjoin.
"This work shall embrace the following items :-
I. Animadversions on the Morals of Professors of the Christian Religion.
II. Strictures on the Religious Systems of the present day, and the leading measures of the Religious Sects of our country."
There are several other items not relevant to our present purpose. In his preface, he makes two significant suggestions. The first expresses apprehension that his enterprise "will be blasted by the poisonous breath of sectarian zeal, and of an as- piring Priesthood." The other is the assertion that : " every intelligent Christian must know that many of the means em- ployed [for the conversion of the heathen] have been manifest- ly evil. Besides, to convert the heathen to the popular Chris- tianity of these times, would be an object of no great conse- quence, as the popular Christians themselves, for the most part require to be converted to the Christianity of the New Testament." To destroy the influence of "an aspiring Priest- hood," as he was pleased to denominate the gospel ministry, and thereby prevent their blasting his enterprise, was an object that he pursued with unremitting zeal, to his old age, and not only " endeavored " to have this work carried on " after his de- cease," but succeeded too well. He began his attack on the means of "converting the heathen to the popular Christianity of these times," in the first number of his periodical.
Mr. Campbell commenced his opposition to missions in
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Alexander Campbell.
the most cowardly and dishonorable method of carrying on a warfare. The first missile he hurled was the publication of a burlesque, under the similitude of "a sermon on milking goats." This was the third article in the first number of the Christian Baptist. For a time, he continued his attacks by inuendoes, suggestions and queries. But having made an extensive tour through some of the western states, in the fall of 1823, and as- certaining that the Anti-mission leaven was already working in the churches, he gradually threw off the mask, and made his attacks more openly. He had insisted, from the first, that Christians had no right to make any efforts to spread the knowl- edge of the gospel in any other than a church capacity. " In their church capacity alone they moved," says he, in speaking of he primitive disciples : "Their churches were not fractured nto missionary societies, Bible societies, education societies; hor did they dream of organizing such in the world. The head of a believing house-hold was not, in those days, a president, r manager of a board of foreign missions; his wife, the presi- ent of some female education society ; his eldest son, the re- ording secretary of some domestic Bible society ; his eldest aughter, the corresponding secretary of a mite society ; his ervant maid the vice-president of a rag society ; and his little aughter, a tutoress of a Sunday-school."* Daniel Parker, owever widely differing from Mr. Campbell on other pionts, greed with him on this one, and established the Church Ad- cate, similar in size and form to the Christian Baptist, for the rpose of advocating church exclusiveness, in opposition to enevolent societies in the West.
To avoid the force of Apostolic example, and New Tes- ment precept in favor of foreign missions, Mr. Campbell sisted that the primitive missionaries were endowed with wer from on high to work miracles, and drew the conclu- on that : "The Bible, then, gives us no idea of a missionary thout the power of working miracles. Miracles and mission- es are inseparably connected in the New Testament,"+ A few onths later, he urges an additional objection to missions, Is : "Our objections to the missionary plan originated from
#Chr. Bap., v. i., p. 20. tlb. p. 55. 38
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
the conviction that it is unauthorized in the New Testament ; and that in many instances, it is a system of iniquitous peculation and speculation."* Here he intimates that the missionary plan is not only unscriptural, but that the managers of missionary affairs are appropriating the monies collected to their own private purposes. This, of course, would irritate "the goats" and make them refuse to "give down their milk." This was, doubtless, the purpose of the opposer. It was not easy to prove to the satisfaction of intelligent men, that mis- sions are unscriptural, but if the masses of the people can be convinced that their money, given to support ministers, while preaching the gospel to the heathen, is used for enriching boards, they will withhold their contributions, and the hated foreign missions, will be broken up. Mr. Campbell seems to regard the subject as one of vital importance. He waits only two months to repeat his conviction of the dishonesty of mis- sionary boards, in the following language : "I repeat it again, it is this monied speculation, this hireling scheme, that, in my opinion, renders all exertions to evangelize the world abortive, or as good as abortive. I am opposed, conscientiously op. posed, to such missionary schemes, but will go heart and hand into any measure that is authorized by the New Testament having for its object, the salvation of the world."t
This pledge on the part of Mr. Campbell to "go heart an hand into any measure, authorized by the New Testament having for its object the salvation of the world," appears su ficiently liberal. But, as he had already proven that, accordir to the New Testament, "missionaries and miracles are insep rable," he could neither go heart nor hand into any measu for converting the world by means of missionaries. He cou and did, however, prevent many others from going heart a: hand into the only practical measures that earnest, self-sacrifi ing Christians could devise for bringing the heathen world the Cross of Christ.
Mr. Campbell brings forward another argument agai all the benevolent societies of the time, a most potent ( among the Western people. It is a note of warning agai
*Chris. Bap, VI. I. p. 198.
+Ib. p. 243.
*Chr. Bap
a p ga en th onl to This assoc tions tists o versy debate ginia, among troversy Presbyt spirit of region of Mason co Campbell menced o Many of th
587
Alexander Campbell.
the danger of encroachment upon the religious liberties of the people. "We have long considered," says he, "the various societies called Missionary, Bible, Sunday-School, and Tract Societies, as great religious engines, fitted and designed for the predominance of the leading sectaries who set themselves a-go- ing, and ultimately tending to a national creed and a religious establishment."* This statement is followed by an ingenious and plausible argument, the effects of which could not fail to be potent with a people who held in constant remembrance the terrible sufferings they and their fathers had endured, under the dominion of a religious establishment, in Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas. Several of the Baptist ministers who had preached through the grates of Virginia jails were still living, and multitudes remembered vividly the toil and sweat it had cost them to raise tobacco for the support of insolent, profligate parsons. Mr. Campbell taught them that every dollar they gave to the support of missions was a contribution to the re- enslavement of themselves and their children. The conviction that this teaching might possibly be true, was sufficient, not only to prevent their contributing to the cause of missions, but to cause them to regard as enemies, all who did contribute. This ultimately transpired. Many churches, and even whole associations, declared non-fellowship for all benevolent institu- tions and all who fellowshipped them.
Mr. Campbell exercised a greater influence over the Bap- tists of Kentucky, than those of any other State. His contro- versy with Mr. Walker gave him considerable fame as an oral debater. About the time he debated with Mr. Walker, in Vir- ginia, William Vaughan, who afterwards became distinguished among the Baptists in the West, engaged in an informal con- troversy on the subject of baptism, with William L. McCalla, a Presbyterian minister, at Augusta, Kentucky. This excited a pirit of coutroversy between the two denominations, in that egion of the State, which ultimated in a debate, at Washington, Mason county, Kentucky, between Mr. McCalla and Alexander Campbell. The debate was on the subject of baptism. It com- nenced on the 15th, and closed on the 23d of October, 1823. Many of the most prominent Baptist ministers in Northern and
#Chr. Bap. V. 3. p. 59,
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
Southern Kentucky were present, and were much elated at the triumphant vindication of their principles. The name and fame of Mr. Campbell soon became familiar all over the State, and he was regarded an invincible champion of Baptist views on the subject of baptism. From Washington, he passed through the central part of the State, going as far south as Nashville, Ten. nessee, preaching to immense, admiring crowds at Lexington, Shelbyville, and other towns on the way. A high degree of popularity was at once secured, and the unthinking and undis- criminating were ready to receive any plausible statement of doctrine that the great champion might make. There was, how- ever, a division among the more prominent Baptist ministers, in regard to the soundness of his doctrine. Silas M. Noel, W. Vaughan, George and Edmund Waller and John Taylor ap- pear to have been fixed in their opposition to Mr. Campbell's views from the first ; Walter Warder, Jeremiah Vardeman, James Fishback and Isaac Hodgen hesitated, in uncertainty, and Jacob Creath unhesitatingly espoused the cause of " the reformer." No man in Kentucky could have served Mr. Camp- bell's purpose better than Mr. Creath. He was among the most eloquent and polished pulpit orators of the West. His indomit- able energy, his unfaltering courage, and his shrewd tact, fitted him for any adventure. He had been the means of dividing Elkhorn Association into two irreconcilable factions, had been in a series of difficulties with his brethren, from soon after his set- tling in Kentucky, and had lost the confidence of many of the leading ministers, around him. However, he still retained some warm and influential friends and admirers, and was capable of exerting no small degree of influence, especially in favor of a man as much admired by the masses of the people as was Mr. Campbell. Mr. Benedict assures us that Mr. Creath was not of the most amiable character, and that, in many cases, he evi- dently displayed too much of the air of triumph towards his ag- grieved brethren. * There can be little doubt that an addi- tional opportunity to display an air of triumph towards those whom he regarded enemies to his ambitious schemes, was suf ficiently gratifying to give additional impulse to his energy and zeal, and keener edge to his tact.
#His. Bap., vol. 2, p. 234.
B th th th jus gre res bro The 1 pose isters. Bibles
*Ch
tucky,
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Alexander Campbell.
Mr. Campbell had issued the third number of the Christian Baptist, before his visit to Kentucky. His numerous warm ad- mirers subscribed for his paper, and it was extensively read by the Kentucky Baptists. We have already observed his posi- tion on the subject of missions, and his mode of treating it. The result was as might readily have been anticipated. A friend of Mr. Campbell, apparently a minister from Kentucky, writes to him, under date of April 22, 1824, deprecating his editorial course. The letter is published in the June number of the Chris- tian Baptist, of the same year, without the writer's name. The following is an extract from the letter :
" I regret exceedingly the opposition you have made to the Missionary and Bible Society cause. It has greatly injured your usefulness, and put into the hands of your Pedobaptist op- posers a weapon to break the heads of Baptists. They associate all that are peculiar to Baptists with your peculiar, strange no- tions on the subject of the Bible and a preached gospel, that they may the more effectually destroy the effect of your debate with Mr. McCalla. My dear sir, yon have begun wrong, if your object is reformation. Never attack the principle which muliplies the number of Bibles, or which promotes the preach- ing of the gospel, or the support of it, if you desire Christianity to prevail. As I informed you when here, I repeat it again, your opposition to a preached gospel, to the preachers and Bible Societies, secure to you the concurrence of the covetous, the ignorant, the prayerless and Christless Christians. Should they have had any religion, they cease to enjoy it as soon as they embrace your views."* Time has abundantly proved the
ustness of this writer's assertion. Mr. Campbell not only greatly retarded missionary operation at home and abroad, and restricted the distribution of Bibles, among the people, but brought much reproach upon the Baptists, with whom he was identified at that time, by making them appear to be op- posed to theological education and the support of their min- sters, as well as the support of missions and the circulating of Bibles.
Another correspondent writes approvingly, from Ken- ucky, to Mr. Campbell, February 16, 1825: "Your paper
$Chr. Bap., vol. i, pp. 268-69. +Chr. Bap., p. 144-Burnet's Ed. 1870.
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hoss Su an
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
has well nigh stopped missionary operations in this State. I hope it will stop associations, State conventions, presbyteries, synods and general assemblies : all of which are as assumed and anti-scriptural as the infallibility and Pontificate of the Pope of Rome."* These quotations show the immediate effects of the "reformer's " teaching. Other effects follow, which will be noticed in their proper place.
Simultaneously with his attack on missionary and other be- nevolent societies, Mr. Campbell assaulted the clergy with even greater violence. He was shrewd enough to foresee that the most intelligent and consecrated ministers of the gospel would be the greatest obstacles in the way of his ambitious schemes. Besides his hint in the preface, after a furious onslaught upon the Romish clergy, he pays the following compliment to the clergy of the Protestant churches, in the first article of the first number of the Christian Baptist: "But, leaving the dungeon and that quarter of the globe, visit the group of reform Christians, and another order of 'teachers of the Christian faith,' ' ministers of religion,' having prepared themselves by the study of Grecian and Roman languages, laws, history, fables, gods, goddesses, debauchers, wars, and suicides ; having studied triangles, squares, circles and ellipses ; algebra and fluxions; the mechanical powers, chemistry, natural philosophy, etc., etc., for the purpose of becoming teachers of the Christian religion, and then going forth with their saddle bags full of scholastic divinity, in quest of a call to some eligible living, and then ask, again, where is the Bible."
If nothing followed to further enlighten the reader, he would be likely to suppose this extravagant caricature was writ- ten merely to exhibit the learning of its author. But he does not leave us long in suspense as to his real design. In the same number of his periodical, he puts down the cost of sup- porting Christian teachers, in Christendom, at $78, 814, 440 per annum, and then adds: "If to these, we should add the hun- dreds of thousands of dollars taken from the people, under the pretext of giving them to God for the purpose of building splen- did edifices for public worship, educating young men for priests, founding theological seminaries, endowing Bible societies, mis- sionary societies, etc., etc., etc., in the various ways devisec by the itinerant beggars of this age, what an immense sun
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