USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 61
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This was not a large meeting, yet it was one of very great importance to the Kentucky Baptists. It was destined to in- augurate a line of policy so different from that which had been pursued from the planting of the first churches in the West as to almost amount to a revolution in the practice of the denomination in the State. The men who were about to set forth the principles to be advocated, and the ends to be attained by the Association, though few in number, were representatve men, from all the more intelligent regions of the State. The twenty-one preachers who were mem- bers of the new organization included the best ministe- rial talent in the State. The names of Wm. Vaughan, John L. Waller, J. M. Pendleton, George Waller, J. L. Burrows, W. C. Buck, S. L. Helm, Jas. P. Edwards, R. Giddings, and others of this noble band of Christ's ministers, will be household words, as long as the history of Kentucky Baptists is held in remem- brance. They fully appreciated the importance to the cause of their Redeemer, of the enterprise they were now engaged in, and were united and harmonious in council and subsequent ac- tion. With great unanimity, they set forth four objects, to the accomplishment of which they proposed to devote their energies.
Ist. To induce the churches to support their ministers, especially as a means of supplying the destitution in the home- field. They expressed it in the following language :
" Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Association, that
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nothing ever will be effected of a permanetly beneficial character towards supplying the churches in this State with a stated minis- try, until the churches can be influenced to practice upon the principle that they that 'preach the gospel, should live of the gospel.'
" Resolved, Therefore, That one of the primary objects of this Association should be to effect this important measure upon the part of the churches.
" Resolved, That whenever the churches can be influenced to discharge their duty in this respect, other missionary objects will be measurably, if not entirely superseded within the limits of this State."
In the circular letter they say : "To produce concert and harmony among the churches, to supply the destitute with the preaching of the gospel, and to call into action and arouse the dormant energies of our denomination . ' THE GEN- ERAL ASSOCIATION OF BAPTISTS IN KENTUCKY,' was organized."
2nd. To foster a more thorough education in the ministry . and to encourage education among the people.
".Resolved, That in the opinion of this Association, it is highly important to the interests of the churches, and the ad- vancement of the Redeemer's Kingdom in our State, that ad- equate facilities for obtaining an extensive and thorough edu- cation be offered to such pious and gifted young men among us, as in the mind of the churches are called of God to the sacred work of the ministry."
In the circular letter, they say: "There is nothing that more intimately pertains to the prosperity of the Baptists in Kentucky, than the establishment of a school or schools for the education of those of our young ministers who may desire it."
3d. The distribution of the Bible among the people.
" Resolved, That in view of the vast field before our denom- ination for the distribution of the word of God, every effort should be put forth to accomplish the work."
" Resolved, That in our opinion, the formation of State Bible Societies is best calculated to facilitate this desirable object ; and we therefore recommend to the churches the forma- tion of such a society in Kentucky."
4th. The support of Foreign missions. The circular let- ter contains the following : "In providing for our own destitu-
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tion, let us not forget to let our prayers and alms ascend before God in behalf of the idolatrous millions of earth. Foreign missionary operations in modern times owe most of their suc- cess, under God, to the Baptists."
After discussing the principles and the practical details of plans for applying them, the association adjourned, and these men of God returned to their respective fields of labor, to engage in the war they well knew their counsel would evoke. It was anticipated that the organization of the General Association would afford occasion for additional strife among the discordant ele- ments of the denomination ; but these earnest men of God felt that they were authorized to imitate their beloved Master, who "came not to send peace but a sword." The result was just what had been expected. The denomination was agitated and confused throughout the State. Of forty-three associations, only nine were represented in the meeting that formed the General Association, and three years later, when the number of associations had increased to fifty, only eleven had endorsed the objects set forth by that body. It afterwards became manifest that the great body of the denomination favored the principles of the General Association from the beginning. But the few who did oppose them were found in every association, and in almost every church, and were very bitter and determined in their opposition. The subject was introduced, usually, by means of queries or remonstrances, sent in letters from the churches, in almost every association in the State.
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In many of the associations, even where large majorities favored the General Association, the messengers were anxious to avoid a vote on the subject, lest divisions should be intro- duced among the churches and associations. On the other hand, the opposers of missions and theological education were so confident of the justness of their cause, that they were determined to have the matter settled, as far as they were con- cerned. The missionary party was generally, if not univer- sally, willing and even desirous to compromise the matter by allowing every man to act according to his own convictions. A few of the churches and associations succeeded in obtaining temporary quiet by adopting the compromise measure so fam- iliar at that period, "That giving or not giving shall be no bar to fellowship." This included contributions to the support of
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pastors, as well as to missionary operations. But only a few churches and associations were so fortunate as to obtain peace, even on these terms. In most places the enemies of the General Association forced a vote on the subject. Where they were in the majority, they promptly excluded their opponents, where they were in the minority, they went off and set up for them- selves, adopting such distinguishing appellations as would indi- cate their opposition to " all benevolent institutions, (so called)." . Green River, Licking, Drake's Creek, Stockton's Valley, Burning Spring, New Salem, North District, South Concord, and perhaps some smaller associations, came out in a bold and direct opposition to the General Association. Small factions dissented, declared in favor of missions, and have grown into such fraternities as Liberty, Bays Fork, Freedom, South Cum- berland, and other influential associations, while the mother bodies have generally dwindled into insignificance. The par- ticulars of these divisions, and their results, will be detailed at greater length when we come to give the history of the several associations. It is sufficient for our present purpose to say that the agitation was kept up, and much excitement and no small degree of bitter feeling, prevailed during a number of years, when the denomination became purged of its anti-missionary element, at least in a large degree, and quiet and peace were restored to the churches, at last, after an almost incessant war with Campbellism, Anti-nomianism, Two-seedism and Anti-mis- sionism for a period of nearly twenty years.
But a much more pleasant result than that of the Anti-mis- sion war, in the churches, immediately followed the organization of the General Association. This was the most extensive religious awakening that had occurred in Kentucky since the great revival of 1800-3. It is remarkable that this awakening began in the first church in Louisville, where the General Asso- ciation was constituted, and during the meeting which convened for that purpose, October 20, 1837. The revival continued in this church six years, during which 637 were baptized into its fellowship. From Louisville, it spread over the country in all directions, till it reached every part of the State, and prevailed five or six years By far the largest ingatherings were in those churches which had espoused the cause of missions. During this remarkable revival, a zeal, hitherto unknown to the Baptists
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.of Kentucky, prevailed, wherever the revival prevailed. New terms of designation, new forms of worship, new methods of reaching the unconverted, and new modes of preaching were introduced. Every thing connected with divine service seemed to partake largely of the spirit of missions.
There was, at this period, a great scarcity of preachers, while there was a great demand for religious teaching. The field was white unto the harvest and the laborers were few. To make up the deficiency in ministerial labor, prayer meetings were held from house to house in destitute neighborhoods by private church members. In these meetings, there was much singing. Many new songs and choruses of an eminently devotional char- acter were introduced, and sung with great zeal, especially by the young converts. Many warm, spirited exhortations were delivered by persons who had been hitherto unaccustomed to speak in public. These missionary prayer meetings were greatly blessed, not only in strengthening and developing the people of God who engaged in them, but in leading the unconverted to the Savior also.
Protracted Meetings came in vogue about this time. Hith- erto, even during revival seasons, meetings were held only on Saturdays and Sundays, with an occasional night meeting, and that usually at a private house; and the most zealous and en- terprising minister could not stretch his conscience beyond "a three days meeting." But now the meetings began to be pro- tracted from day to day, during a period of two weeks. "The first regular protracted meeting, ever held in Chio county, was begun and carried on by Alfred Taylor, at Walton's Creek church, December, 1837. Many were openly against the meet- ing. Others wonld shake their hoary locks, doubting what all this might lead to."* Mr. Taylor went from church to church, holding meetings, during the winter and spring. His biogra- pher estimates that he baptized 600 people within six months. As it was, under the ministry of Alfred Taylor, so was it, in most parts of the State. Everywhere there were suspicions of, and opposition to protracted meetings. But as in Ohio county, so everywhere else, they triumphed over all opposition, and be- came a feature of the polity, not only of the Baptist church- es, but also of all other religious denominations.
#Biography of Alfred Taylor, pp. 32-33.
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Effort Meetings.
Effort meetings was a term by which these continued series of meetings, were often designated. This implied that those who conducted the meetings were making efforts to bring sin- ners to salvation. This was very offensive to the anti-missionaries, and especially to that branch of them, commonly called Anti- nomians. About this period, it was, to say the east, of very doubtul orthodoxy among the Baptists, to speak of making an effort to bring sinners unto salvation. This was supposed to be exclusively the Lord's work, and for men to assume to take any part in it, seemed little less than blasphemy. It was char- acteristic of the time, however, for men to take a more practi- cal view of divine teaching, and hence they did not hesitate to devise means for bringing the ungodly to Christ, that they might be saved.
By means of these protracted meetings, and the prayer meetings referred to above, the revival continued to prevail from the close of 1837, about six years. During this period vast num . bers professed conversion, and were added to the churches. It was estimated that not less than 30,000 were baptized, during the first three years of the revival. This estimate was made by John L. Waller, corresponding secretary of the General Asso- ciation, and embodied in his report in 1840. The statistics con- tained in the minutes of the associations, show the estimate to be about 12,000 too large. The real number baptized during that period was (approximately) 17,761. It is probable that 12,000 were baptized during the next three years : so that the denomination was greatly increased in numbers.
One of the strongest convictions on the minds of the Ken- tucky Baptists, at the period of which we write, was the need of more efficient organizations, through which they might act with greater unity. Up to this period, they had had no per- manent organization, through which they could promote any system of benevolence. Many small Bible and Missionary so. cieties had been formed, in various localities, but the Anti-mis- sionary spirit which had been kindled in the churches by Daniel Parker, Alexander Campbell and other foes of systematic be- nevolence, soon crushed them out of existence. Several of the district associations were strong enough to have done much in supporting home and foreign missions, or Bible distribution. But such was the violent and intolerant opposition of the Anti-
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missionary element, that they did not dare to attempt any sys- tematic support of benevolent institutions. In organizing the Kentucky Baptist Convention, much pains was taken, by its founders, to propitiate the anti-missionists, who formed anelemen- in most of the churches. But the founders of the General Asso- ciation, five years later, came out boldly and defied the anti- missionary element in the denomination. That organization was by no means popular, in the beginning ; only about one- tenth of the preachers, and a smaller proportion of the churches, gave it an open endorsement. But the character of the min- isters and churches which did endorse it, and the wisdom and spirit with which they set forth its objects and plans of operation guaranteed its permanency. It rapidly grew in popular favor, and was soon approved by all the brethren who were truly missionary in spirit.
No other medium was needed for carrying out home missions. But there were some other im- portant religious enterprises demanding the attention of the Baptists, just at this period. There came a new and unexpected demand for Bibles in the Foreign Mission fields, especially in India and China. Hitherto the American Bible Society, which claimed to be non-sectarian, and to which the Baptists in America had contributed more than $100,000, had supplied the Baptist missionaries, as well as others, with means to print their Bibles. This policy continued till 1836, when the Board of Managers refused to aid the Baptist missionaries in India, in circulating their Indian versions of the Bible, because the word Baptizo and its cognates had been translated in those versions by a word signifying to dip or immerse. Thrown upon their own resources, the Baptists met in convention, in Philadelphia, April 26, 1837, and organized the AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, the object of which was to circulate faithful ver- sions of the Bible, in all languages. This was only about six months before the General Association of Baptists in Ken- tucky was constituted.
The KENTUCKY AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY was formed, in 1838. This organization was auxilary to the American and Foreign Bible Society. Auxilary to the State Society, a number of local Bible societies were formed, in different parts of the Commonwealth.
THE ROBERTS FUND AND CHINA MISSION SOCIETY for the
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Baptist Growth.
Mississippi Valley, with its Board of Managers located at Louis- ville, Ky., was organized near the same period. The object of this society was to hold in trust, and properly dispose of cer- tain lands in the State of Mississipi, donated by Elder I. J. Rob. erts, for the benefit of China Missions, and to collect and appro- priate monies for that Mission.
The General Association has continued to grow in favor with the denomination , till it has now been endorsed by every association and church in the State, not avowedly anti-mission- ary in the ordinary sense of that term. The subordinate socie- ties, formed during the same decade, enjoyed a good degree of prosperity till the excitement on the slavery question caused their separation from the parent societies, during the next de- cade, after which they speedily dissolved.
The improvement in the condition of the Baptists denomi- nation in Kentucky, from 1835 to 1840, was so marked as to be- come a matter of public thanksgiving. The antimissionary ele- ment that had embarrassed the church and associational coun- cils, and bitterly opposed every benevolent enterprise, for a period of about twenty-three years, had been in a large measure purged away. Many of the Churches were giving a reasonable support to their pastors. Most of the more populous and wealthy associations were maintaining missionaries in their bounds. Liberal contributions were being made to Foreign Missions and Bible distribution. Georgetown College was in a flourishing condition. And, during a continual revival of three years, large numbers had been added to the churches.
The minutes of the associations, for 1840, show that there were in Kentucky, at that period [approximating very nearly] 50 associations, 711 churches, and 49, 308 members. The popu- lation of the State, in 1840, was 779,828. This gives (in round numbers) one church to every 1,096 of the population, and one Baptist to every 15 of the population. The Methodists reported, the same year, 8 districts, 83 circuits and stations, 109 preach- ers, and 37,000 members.
The Presbyterians reported about 8,000 members.
The Campbellites may be estimated at 28,000.
The Cumberland Presbyterians at 12, 000.
We have, at hand, no data for a reliable estimate of the number of Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans, at that period.
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CHAPTER XXXVI.
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES THROUGH WHICH THE BAPTISTS OPERATED -TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN 1840 AND 1850.
At the beginning of the period now to be considered, ex- tending from 1840, to 1850, the Baptists of Kentucky were in a better condition, in almost every respect, than they had been since the beginning of the Cambellite schism. Their schools and benevolent societies were in a better condition than ever be- fore; they were in the midst of a great religious revival, which had been in progress for more than three years, and had per- vaded almost every corner and nook of the State, while im- mense numbers of happy converts had been added to the churches, and many new churches had been formed; the de- nomination had been freed, in a great measure, from the Anti- nomian leaven, and the process of excising the more temperate, yet very annoying anti-missionary faction, was well advanced.
The Anti-missionaries, however, both those who still clung to the skirts of the churches, and those who had gone "out from us because they were not of us," continued to be a source of embarrassment to all the benevolent operations of the denomination. They still bore the name of Baptists, to which they had prefixed such prenonyms as "Old," "Old School," "Primitive," "Predestination," "Original." "Particular," "Reg- ular," and, in one small association, at least, "Anti-mission- ary." They continued to mingle with their former brethren, in the social circle, and, in every way, to exert the full measure of their influence againt every form of systematic benevolence. Most of their sermons were, in part, at least, bitter or ludicrous satires against missions, Sunday-schools, Bible societies, Col- leges, Prortacted Meetings and "larned" preachers. Elder M. F. Ham, of Scottsville, Ky., repeated to the author, some years ago, the substance or a sermon he heard an Antinomian preacher
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deliver from the following misquoted text : "That there should be no schemes in the body." I Cor. 12-25. With great vehe- mence he proceeded to denounce, one after another, the Mis- sionary scheme, the Bible Society scheme, the Sunday- school scheme, and all other benevolent schemes, the names of which he could call to mind, "clinching" each paragraph with a thundering repetition of the text: "That there should be no schemes in the body."
The preaching of such men, however absurd it may appear to the thoughtful, harmonizing as it did with covetousness, one of the strongest passions of corrupt human nature, could not fail to exert a strong influence against missions, among the masses of the illiterate. Dr. James A. Kirtley thus speaks of the manner in which they influenced the thoughtless, against truth and benevolence: "The annual gatherings of this little body [Salem Association of Antinomian Baptists, ] and some of the occasional meetings of their churches, were the stated sea- sons for the coming together of their preachers from North, South, East and West, who seemed to think that the highest aim of their calling was, by vulgar wit and ludicrous anecdotes, to hold up to derision and contempt those to whom they ap- plied the epithets 'Arminian,' 'Soft-shell,' and the like; while educated ministers, missionaries, Bible societies, etc., came in for a full share of their denunciation.">
At the period of which we write, the separation between the missionaries and anti-missionaries was not completed, and the preaching described above, contrasted strongly with that heard in protracted meetings. It could not be expected that people with such different religious views, feelings and modes of worship, would long remain together in the same churches and associations. It was but natural that the division should go on, until the two peoples should be separated in eeclesiastical relationship, as they were already divided in doctrine and prac- tice. Goshen, South Concord and Stockstons Valley associa- tions split in 1842 ; the first throwing off a small fragment of an- ti-missionaries, and the last two setting off each a feeble band of missionaries. This about completed the division. When the statistics of Kentucky Baptists, for 1843, were collected, there
*His. Bullittsburg, ch. pp 60-61.
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was a general surprise. All the anti-missionaries, of which there were at least three different sects, embraced 17 associations, 204 churches, 82 ordained ministers. and 7,877 members, of which 476 had been baptized the last year, while the mission- ary Baptists numbered 39 associations, 625 churches, 59, 302 members, of which 7,27I had been baptized during the last year .* The anti missionary schismatics had set up the claim, that they were the original Baptist denomination in Kentucky, and had asserted it so loud, and have continued to assert it so long, that they have not only deceived many others, on that.sub- ject, but have actually deceived themselves. Happily the rec- ords of the doings of these stormy days have been well pre- served, and the impartial historian of to-day need have but little difficulty in setting forth the facts in the case.
During the long continued revival, the hearts of God's people were continually enlarged, and their zeal for every good work was greatly increased. As they feasted on the bread that cometh down from God, they yearned continually, more and more, for the same inestimable blessings to be bestowed upon all their suffering race, but especially did they long to see every dark corner of Kentucky penetrated by the glorious light of the gospel of God. To this end, they now directed their most carnest labors. The ever to be remembered William C. Buck canvassed a large district of the State, for the especial purpose of instructing and exhorting the churches to support their pas- tors. D. S. Colgan was engaged in the same work, in other portions of the State ; many of the associations had missionaries in their own bounds, holding protracted meetings, and visiting destitute neighborhoods. John L. Waller, first, and William C. Buck, afterwards, were urging upon the ministers and churches, through the columns of the Baptist Banner, the great importance of missionary labor in the home field, and private church mem- bers were going from house to house, holding prayer meetings, and exhorting the people to repent and turn to the Lord. So deep and wide spread a religious zeal, and so glorious a display of divine power and grace have visited Kentucky since its settle- ment on but one other occasion.
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