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LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 Purchased by the 
 Mrs. Robert Lenox Kennedy Church History Fund. 
 
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KENTUCKY 
 BAPTIST HISTORY 
 
 1770 — 1922 
 
 By y 
 
 THE REV. WILLIAM DUDLEY NOWLIN, D.D., LL.D. 
 
 Author of "What Baptists Stand For" 
 "Fundamentals oj the Faith^ 
 "God So Loved the World," etc. 
 
 V^ 
 
 BAPTIST BOOK CONCERN 
 
 1922 
 
This book is dedicated by the author to 
 Deacon J. W. Lam, of the First Baptist 
 Church, Greenville, Kentucky, who backed 
 his pastor financially in gathering and 
 preparing the material for this history. 
 
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD 
 
 THE story of the rise, progress, trials and triiimphs 
 of Baptists in Kentucky is more thrilling and 
 remarkable than the purest fiction of the wildest 
 imagination. One hundred and fifty-two years ago 
 there was one Baptist on Kentucky soil, Elder Squire 
 Boone ; today there are about three hundred thousand 
 Baptists in the State of Kentucky. This, too, in spite 
 of the fact that Kentucky's fruitful soil has been the 
 hotbed of almost every conceivable heresy. 
 
 Kentucky has been in theological, as well as in 
 profane history, a "dark and bloody ground." She 
 has been the storm center of religious controversy, 
 the battle-field of jarring opinions from her earliest 
 history. Her preachers have been trained in a stern 
 school, being men of war from their youth up. 
 "Infidelity," "Deism," "Unitarianism," "HeU- 
 Redemptionism, " "Arianism," " Two-Seedism, " 
 "Campbellism," " Hard-shellism, " "Old Landmark- 
 ism," " Whittsittism, " "Gospel Missionism," suc- 
 ceeding and overlapping one the other, for more than 
 125 years have divided the Baptist forces of this state 
 and shorn them of much of their power. But our 
 brethren farther south should not complacently refer 
 to Kentucky Baptists as "a scrappy bunch," forget- 
 ting the fact that Kentucky has fought the battles for 
 the other states as well as for herself, and that but 
 for the heroic struggles in Kentucky there would of 
 necessity have been greater struggles in these other 
 states. Kentucky has served as a break-water for 
 the South against the flood of heresies that has swept 
 down from the North. 
 
 Explanation 
 
 We take the following, which is self-explanatory, 
 from the minutes of General Association of Baptists 
 in Kentucky for the year 1917 (page 70) : 
 
 5 
 
6 Author's Foreword 
 
 "W. D. Nowlin offered the following resolu- 
 tion, which was unanimously adopted: 
 
 "Inasmuch as we as Baptists are making 
 history in Kentucky and inasmuch as it is very 
 important to preserve our history, therefore be it 
 
 "Resolved, That we, the General Association 
 of Baptists in Kentucky, in session assembled, 
 this, the 15th day of November, 1917, request 
 Prof. W. J. McGlothlin to prepare and publish 
 a readable history of Kentucky Baptists from 
 their beginning in this State to the present time. ' ' 
 
 Immediately following the meeting of the General 
 Association, in which the above resolution was passed, 
 the author turned over to Professor McGlothlin such 
 materials as he had gathered for a history of Ken- 
 tucky Baptists. Professor McGlothlin expected to 
 prepare the history, but was later called to the presi- 
 dency of Furman University, which position he 
 accepted, and which removed him from the state. On 
 leaving the state he turned back to the author the 
 materials for the history. 
 
 From the minutes of the Georgetown session of 
 the General Association, 1919 (page 35), we take the 
 following : * ' On motion W. D. Nowlin was requested 
 to write a History of Kentucky Baptists, and the 
 Kentucky Baptist Historical Society was requested to 
 finance the publication." 
 
 This gives us something of the history of this 
 History. The original resolution called for "a read- 
 able history of Kentucky Baptists from their begin- 
 ning in this state to the present time." It has been 
 the aim of the author to follow this instruction. How- 
 ever, it has been hard sometimes to cut down the 
 material to a readable volume, and yet give all that 
 should be given to make clear a connected history of 
 Baptists in Kentucky from the first appearance of 
 Elder Squire Boone in January, 1770, to 1922. 
 
 In this history the effort has been made to give 
 the various movements among Kentucky Baptists in 
 
Author's Foreword 7 
 
 their chronological order, though at times there is 
 considerable overlapping of these movements. 
 
 Appreciation 
 
 The appreciation of the author is here expressed 
 to his friends, the Rev. W. W. Landrum, D. D., the 
 Rev. C. M. Thompson, D. D., the Rev. W. J. McGloth- 
 lin, D. D., the Rev. John T. Christian, D. P., and the 
 Rev. J. G. Bow, D. D. for assistance and suggestions. 
 He also extends thanks to the following who fur- 
 nished old copies of papers, magazines, minutes, etc. : 
 Hon. H. S. Robinson, Campbellsville ; Mr. 0. C. Fogle, 
 Fairfield, 111.; Miss Mattie Wilson, Bardstown; Mrs. 
 H. A. Buchanan, Burdick, Ky. ; Mr. J. B. Whitaker, 
 Russellville ; the Rev. Benj. Connaway, Providence; 
 Don Singletary, M. D., Clinton ; J. N. Smith, Lewis- 
 ton, Mo. ; the Rev. C. 0. Simpson, Clay ; Mrs. F. T. 
 Heyser, DeLand, Fla., and the Rev. W. M. Lee, Th. 
 D., Cochran, Ga. To Deacon J. W. Lam of the First 
 Baptist Church, Greenville, Ky., a fine Christian gen- 
 tleman, who is interested in his denomination and its 
 history, and who gave his encouragement and finan- 
 cial support to his pastor, the author, in his arduous 
 task of gathering and preparing this material, is the 
 author greatly indebted. 
 
 Yours fraternally, 
 
 Wm. D. Nowlin. 
 
 First Baptist Church Study, 
 
 Greenville, Ky. 
 June 5, 1922. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 ACCORDING to the canons of enlightened criti- 
 cism the man behind the book needs interpreta- 
 tion as well as the book itself. In order to reach 
 this result one must take into consideration the fac- 
 tors that make up character. These are admitted by- 
 all Christians to be heredity, environment, choice and 
 the grace of God. 
 
 A brief sketch of the life and career of William 
 Dudley Nowlin is therefore appropriate if not abso- 
 lutely essential in this Introduction. The Nowlin 
 Genealogy, prepared by Professor James Edmund 
 Nowlin of the University of Utah, a large volume of 
 more than five hundred pages, traces the descent of 
 our author through the centuries back to Irish roy- 
 alty. His American forbears began life in Virginia. 
 From the Old Dominion they emigrated to Tennessee. 
 In Weakley county of that state William Dudley 
 Nowlin was born March 10, 1864. The home into 
 which he was introduced was surcharged with a Chris- 
 tian atmosphere. His parents, William David Now- 
 lin and his mother, nee Caroline Glass, were both 
 righteous before God and reared their son in the nur- 
 ture and admonition of the Lord. Like the over- 
 whelming numbers of the Baptist ministry he was 
 brought up on a farm and enjoyed unusual physical 
 development in God's great out of doors. He is the 
 second of nine children. 
 
 To become a Baptist, one has said in harmony 
 with the teachings of Jesus, one must be born again. 
 This new experience came to our author in his six- 
 teenth year and was followed by baptism and union 
 with the church. 
 
 At the time he received his call to the work of the 
 Gospel ministry Nowlin was conducting successfully 
 
 9 
 
10 Introduction 
 
 a large drug business. His response to that call 
 involved financial sacrifices. Realizing his need of 
 more thorough training for his most responsible voca- 
 tion he went to the Southern Baptist Theological Sem- 
 inary and there completed his course in three years. 
 Added to this training was special study in the Uni- 
 versity of Chicago. Because of his studious habits, 
 wide reading, varied experience and philosophic tem- 
 per united to pastoral efficiency and unsullied devo- 
 tion to duty Georgetown college conferred on him the 
 degree of Doctor of Divinity, and Union University 
 the degree of Doctor of Laws. 
 
 Few among his contemporaries have disclosed a 
 greater variety of gifts and accomplishments than are 
 exhibited in the ministry of Dr. Nowlin, His pas- 
 torates have been held in several states, Tennessee, 
 Florida and Kentucky, and far beyond their borders 
 his influence has extended through his contributions 
 to the press and his evangelistic preaching. Espe- 
 cially is his name a household word in Kentucky in 
 which state his leadership in denominational affairs 
 has given him an enviable preeminence. 
 
 Limited space forbids an enumeration of all the 
 details of Dr. Nowlin 's multitudinous services to the 
 kingdom of God as orator, executive officer, preacher, 
 pastor, editor, author, and sane, sound, safe coun- 
 sellor in the assemblies of his brethren. Quite recently 
 his pen has given to the denomination a book entitled 
 ''Fundamentals of the Faith," which, in the judg- 
 ment of the most competent critics among us, is des- 
 tined to be a text book in our Southern Baptist schools 
 and colleges. 
 
 Dr. Nowlin is at this time vice president of the 
 S. B. Convention. 
 
 The Kentucky Baptist General Association with a 
 due regard for character, culture and disinterested 
 devotion to truth, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and 
 fairness chose Dr. Nowlin as the one man capable of 
 writing a History of Kentucky Baptists. After care- 
 ful, painstaking, laborious and tireless effort in this 
 
Introditction 11 
 
 direction running through several years he presents 
 his work to the judgment of his brethren and to all 
 others interested in the annals of the largest group of 
 Christians in this commonwealth. These pages which 
 follow may not be free from imperfections, to which 
 all historians are liable, but it is believed that on the 
 whole the subject matter comes up to all the require- 
 ments of a clear, candid and impartial presentation 
 of the facts as known to the writer. If history be 
 philosophy teaching by example it befits all Baptists 
 to read this work for an intelligent understanding of 
 how God, through our people, has worked out his pur- 
 poses in the spiritual activities of Kentucky Baptists. 
 
 W. W. Landbum. 
 
 Bethel College, June, 1922. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTEE PAGE 
 
 I. Period op Preparation 17 
 
 Daniel Boone and his brother Sqiiire exploring 
 Kentucky. 
 
 Lord Dunmore's war waged by Americans and 
 for America. 
 
 George Eoger Clark's brilliant campaigns. 
 
 General Harrison's annihilation of the British 
 and Indian forces. 
 II. The First Preaching in Kentucky 22 
 
 Elder Squire Boone the first preacher in Ken- 
 tucky. 
 
 Preacher Boone marries the first couple in Ken- 
 tucky, 
 
 The first recorded preaching in Kentucky, by 
 Jno. Lythe, Episcopalian. 
 
 First Baptist Preaching on record, by Thos. 
 Tinsley and Wm. Hickman. 
 
 Filson says "Anabaptists were the first to pro- 
 mote public worship in Kentucky." First 
 preaching in Kentucky by Baptists. 
 
 III. The First Churches Constituted — 1781 29 
 
 Severn's Valley Constituted June 18, 1781 — First 
 church in Kentucky. 
 
 Cedar Creek, Nelson County, July 4, 1781 — 
 Second church in Kentucky. 
 
 Gilbert's Creek — Lewis Craig's church — Decem- 
 ber, 1781. 
 
 Long list of churches constituted between 1781 
 and 1791, with their locations and the names 
 of the preachers who constituted them. 
 
 Theodore Eoosevelt in error about Eeformed 
 Dutch Church in Kentucky, 1780. 
 
 Two old subscription lists — Whiskey. 
 
 IV. The First Associations Constituted — 1785.... 43 
 
 Elkhorn constituted October 1, 1785 — the first 
 in Kentucky. 
 
 Salem constituted October 29, 1785 — the second. 
 
 South Kentucky, May, 1788. Other associations 
 constituted. Summary of the seventy-six asso- 
 ciations in Kentucky. 
 13 
 
14 Contents 
 
 CHAPTaft PAOE 
 
 V. Thb Geeat Revival of 1800 C2 
 
 This revival began in 1797 under preaching of 
 Presbyterians, 
 
 Marked msntal and spiritual phenomena mani- 
 fested. 
 
 Baptists took little part in these excesses. Good 
 accomplished. 
 VI. The Eegulab and Sepajjate Baptists in Ken- 
 tucky United — 1801 66 
 
 History of Eegular and Separate Baptists. 
 
 History of the Union. Terms of the Union. 
 The Union effective. 
 VII. The Emancipation Rupture — 1807 71 
 
 Agitation of the slavery question began in Ken- 
 tucky as early as 1789. 
 
 The slavery agitation in Virginia. 
 
 The rupture occurred 1807. Emancipation asso- 
 ciation formed. 
 
 Association dwindled and died. No permanent 
 split. 
 VIII. The Campbellian Split— 1830 78 
 
 Alexander Campbell landed in the United States 
 1809. 
 
 Campbell began his preaching in Kentucky in 
 1823 as a Baptist. 
 
 A definite separation between Baptists and Dis- 
 ciples effected 1830. 
 
 The Disciples opposed, strenuously, the separa- 
 tion. Division forced. 
 
 The doctrinal statement drawing the line. Camp- 
 beUism on the decline. Has lost its proselyt- 
 ing propaganda. 
 IX. The Anti-Mission Split — 1832 to 1842 ' 100 
 
 Early Baptists in Kentucky all missionary in 
 spirit and practice. 
 
 John Taylor, anti-mission leader, was one time 
 a missionary. 
 
 Daniel Parker and "Two-Seed" doctrine. Camp- 
 bell anti-missionary. 
 
 The division in various associations. 
 X. The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 116 
 
 Kentucky Baptifit convention of few days and 
 full of troubles. 
 
 Constitution of the Baptist State Convention. 
 
 Baptists afraid of conventions. The convention 
 dies. 
 
 Has but few mourners. 
 
Contents 15 
 
 OHAPTEK PAGK 
 
 XI. The General Association Constituted — 1837.. 124 
 
 General Association of Baptists in Kentucky 
 strikes a more lesponsive chord. 
 
 Constitution of General Association. Historical 
 table of General Association for eighty-five 
 years. 
 XII. The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 130 
 
 The spirit of Gospel missions. 
 
 Gospel missions in their beginning in Kentucky. 
 
 What they have accomplished. 
 
 Inconsistent claims. 
 XIII. The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 142 
 
 When it began. The occasion. 
 
 Johnson's Encyclopedia article. Independent 
 editorials. Great disturbances. 
 
 Action of S. B. Convention. Action of Kentucky 
 Baptists. Doctor Whitsitt's resignation. 
 XIV. The Unification Program and Great Forward 
 
 Movement — 1919 155 
 
 The year 1919 a great year. 
 
 The two Baptist papers in Kentucky consolidated. 
 
 The great forward movement in all benevolent 
 objects. Financial reports. 
 XV. Kentucky Baptist Institutions 163 
 
 Western Becorder — Three editors not mentioned 
 by Spencer; paper not suspended from 1861 
 to 1863 as claimed. Georgetown College — 
 Chartered 1829; really dates back to 1788; 
 co-educational — standard. Bethel College — 
 1849; standard junior; list of presidents. 
 Bethel Woman's College — 1854; new presi- 
 dent; new buildings; new spirit. Louisville 
 Baptist Orphans Home — Cumberland College — 
 Baptist Ministers Aid Society — Riissell Creek 
 Baptist Academy — Kentucky Baptist Chil- 
 dren's Rome — S. B. Theological Seminary. 
 XVI. The Mystery of Lincoln's Eeligion Cleared Up 187 
 
 The Lincolns in Kentucky were Baptists. Lin- 
 colns were anti-slavery but not anti-mission. 
 The Little Pigeon Baptist Church, near Lin- 
 coln City, Indiana, where Lincoln joined after 
 leaving Kentucky, is now a Hardshell Baptist 
 Church. Abraham Lincoln's simple Baptist 
 faith never left him. 
 
 Lincoln and his Bible. 
 
 A man of faith and a man of prayer. 
 
Kentucky Baptist History 
 
 1770—1922 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 Period op Preparation 
 
 ' ' memory, thou choicest blessing, on thy speedy 
 wing bear us back to the time when our country was 
 young; and thou, Description, show us the scenes 
 which met the vision of our heroic ancestors." 
 
 In the year 1770 we find Squire Boone, a Baptist 
 preacher on Kentucky soil ; and so far as records 
 show the only Baptist in that, then vast wilderness, 
 now known as Kentucky. The first settlers of Ken- 
 tucky beheld at the base of the great forests and rich 
 herbage a soil as fertile as that of the Nile valley of 
 Egypt, and in marked contrast with the sterile coun- 
 try of the settlements in the East from which they 
 had come. Amid these scenes of natural beauty 
 roamed the fleet-footed deer, the stately elk, the surly 
 bear, the cunning wolf, the sly fox, the crafty pan- 
 ther, the majestic buffalo, the graceful swan, the shy 
 turkey, the timid goose, the clumsy duck, and other 
 game without number. The flowing springs, cool and 
 refreshing, sprang out of the ground, and coursed 
 their way amid banks of grass and flowers, or under 
 hanging vines, to the creeks and rivers. No wonder 
 that Daniel Boone said that he had "found a para- 
 dise in the great wilds beyond the mountains." 
 Roosevelt says ("The Winning of the West," Vol. II, 
 p. 37) "Lord Dunmore's war waged by Americans for 
 the good of America was the opening act in the 
 drama whereof the closing scene was played at York- 
 
 17 
 
 2 
 
18 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 town. It made possible the two-fold character of the 
 Revolutionary War, wherein on the one hand the 
 Americans won by conquest and colonization new 
 lands for their children, and on the other wrought 
 out their national independence of the British king. 
 Save for Lord Dunmore's war we could not have set- 
 tled beyond the mountains until after we had ended 
 our quarrel with our kinsfolk across the sea. It so 
 cowed the northern Indians that for two or three 
 years they made no further organized effort to check 
 the white advance. In consequence, the Kentucky 
 pioneers had only to contend with small parties of 
 enemies until time had been given them to become so 
 firmly rooted in the land that it proved impossible to 
 oust them." 
 
 The population, at the close of the third decade of 
 the nineteenth century, of all that portion of the 
 United States lying between the Alleghany Moun- 
 tains and Mississippi River was estimated at three 
 millions. 
 
 But sixty years before this we find Daniel Boone 
 and his brother Squire exploring the wilderness of 
 Kentucky. About the year 1778-9 a young Virginian, 
 George Rogers Clark, hearing of an attempt on the part 
 of Colonel Hamilton then in command of the British 
 forces at Detroit, to stir up all the western tribes of 
 Indians to a concerted attack upon the frontier, un- 
 dertook to prevent the frightful consequences which 
 such an attack, should it be successful, would produce. 
 Clark in two short and brilliant campaigns conquered 
 and captured Hamilton at Vincennes and concluded 
 his enterprise by capturing and holding all the terri- 
 tory north of the Ohio River and extending from the 
 AUeghanies to the Mississippi. The restless pioneers 
 yearning for the Great West inspired by the daring 
 of such champions as Boone and Robertson, and 
 encouraged by the victories of Clark to hope for rea- 
 sonable exemption from Indian attacks now began the 
 westward march. Long wagon trains and strings of 
 pack-horses could frequently be seen dragging their 
 
Period of Preparation 19 
 
 tedious lengths across the mountain passes, and ere 
 long the rude log cabins and the well-tilled farms gave 
 unmistakable evidence of the presence of the hardy 
 and prosperous pioneer. Soon, however, the second 
 war with England engaged the attention of all on 
 both sides of the mountains, and in consequence, the 
 Indian depredations in the Northwest and Southwest 
 were poor inducements with which to lure would-be 
 emigrants from the other side. The conflict between 
 America and the mother country happily proved of 
 short duration, the latter acquiescing in aU the 
 demands which the victorious nation imposed upon 
 her, thereby strengthening the American feeling of 
 nationality and showing her power. Moreover during 
 the War General Harrison completely annihilated the 
 combined British and Indian forces in the battle of 
 the Thames and so presently recovered the Northwest 
 territory, while Andrew Jackson at the head of a few 
 United States regulars in a bloody campaign of six or 
 seven months, which was brought to a successful ter- 
 mination by the battle of Tallapoosa in March, 1814, 
 delivered a crushing blow to the Indian forces in the 
 Southwest. Thus from the mountains to the Missis- 
 sippi the settlers were again relieved of the fear of 
 attack from the cruel red man. Shortly before the 
 breaking out of the war a steamboat was launched on 
 the Ohio at Pittsburgh and it was not long thereafter 
 until the Ohio, with its tributaries, was provided with 
 many such vessels bearing a constantly increasing 
 stream of emigrants to their western homes. The suc- 
 cessful termination of the war which begat a feeling 
 of safetj^ and the introduction of steamboat travel, 
 which greatly facilitated means of communication, 
 undoubtedly had much to do with the westward 
 expansion which now is only necessary to recall the 
 fact that each year for four consecutive years, a new 
 state in the Mississippi valley was added to the Union. 
 This was a marvelous growth. The integrity of our 
 possessions being now assured, and immunity from 
 the aggressions of Indians guaranteed, the tide of 
 
20 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 population temporarily held back, now set in again 
 from the East with increased volume and momentum, 
 and there was accordingly ushered in for "the next 
 fifty years a material growth without a parallel in 
 history." The people who came West were inclined 
 to be religious. Theodore Roosevelt ("Winning of the 
 West," Vol. I, p. 69) says in speaking of the character 
 of these pioneers, "At the bottom they were deeply 
 religious in their tendencies; and although ministers 
 and meeting houses were rare, yet the backwoods 
 cabins often contained Bibles and the mothers used 
 to instill into the minds of their children reverence 
 for Sunday." 
 
 It is a great error, however, to suppose that repre- 
 sentatives of the other Christian faiths were not found 
 among the great numbers that now poured into the 
 Middle West. There were many of all denominations, 
 especially Presbyterians, who were second to the Bap- 
 tists in establishing churches in Kentucky, and quite 
 valiantly did they bear themselves in the struggle to 
 improve not only their material, but the moral condi- 
 tions in their new homes. It is not our purpose nor 
 desire to derogate a tithe from the praise due to other 
 denominations for their contribution to the moral 
 enlightenment of the new territory, and yet to the 
 Baptists is due the credit of first proclaiming the 
 story of the cross in this great western wilderness. 
 
 It appears that Daniel Boone was not a Baptist, 
 but several members of his family were, and a brother. 
 Squire Boone, was a Baptist preacher before coming 
 to Kentucky. Many of the first settlers in Kentucky 
 were Baptists. 
 
 "As in Kentucky so in Ohio. The first church 
 organized in the Northwest territory was the Colum- 
 bia Baptist, whose date is January 20, 1790. The Co- 
 lumbia Township was then about five miles from what 
 is now the site of Cincinnati — the growth of the latter 
 city having brought Columbia within her corporate 
 limits. In 1889 a monument commemorative of this 
 event was erected on the site of the first house of wor- 
 
Period of Preparation 21 
 
 ship built by the church. Two inscriptions recite the 
 date of the coming of the Baptist pioneers, the date 
 of organization, the name of the constituent members 
 and the purchase of two acres of ground as a building 
 lot from Maj, Benjamin Stites, who was at the head 
 of the first band of pioneers that settled on Ohio soil 
 and who later became a prominent member of this 
 church. ' ' 
 
 The same is true of Illinois. In Illinois territory 
 in 1786, thirty-two years before its admission as a 
 state, the Lemen family had founded the first church, 
 organized the first association and were the leaders in 
 the anti-slavery movement before the days of Parker, 
 Phillips and Garrison who led the later ''abolition" 
 crusade. 
 
 In the region beyond the Mississippi the word of 
 the Lord sounded forth, and here again, according to 
 Newman, the Baptists were the first to proclaim it, 
 and so the above facts would seem to indicate that it 
 would not be difficult to prove that the Baptists were 
 the first to preach the Gospel in the valley of the Mis- 
 sissippi; and in reading the record of those days of 
 toil and privation it is interesting indeed to meet with 
 the names of those who became the noble progenitors 
 of sons and daughters who today in secular and relig- 
 ious pursuits are bearing themselves worthily and, by 
 their devotion to the cause for which their fathers 
 suffered, and for which many of them died, show that 
 they are not insensible to the high source from which 
 they sprang. The period of preparation for our Bap- 
 tist hosts of Kentucky was a period of heroic struggle 
 and grand achievements. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 The First Preaching in Kentucky 
 
 There has been much misunderstanding and dif- 
 ference of opinion as to who did the first preaching in 
 Kentucky. It was maintained for quite a while by 
 the Baptists and some others, that Thomas Tinsley 
 and William Hickman, Baptist ministers, did the first 
 preaching in Kentucky at Harrodsburg in 1776, but 
 this is an error, for Collins in his "History of Ken- 
 tucky" says (page 501, Vol. 2) "Sunday 28, May, 
 divine service for the first time in Kentucky was per- 
 formed by the Rev. John Lythe." And again (Vol. 
 I, page 441) Collins says: "The Rev. John Lythe of 
 the Episcopal Church, or the Church of England, 
 came early to Kentucky. When Col. Henderson estab- 
 lished his proprietary government in 1775 Mr. Lythe 
 was a delegate from the Harrodsburg station, or set- 
 tlement, to the legislative assembly. The delegates 
 met on the 23d of May, 1775, and the assembly having 
 organized, divine service was performed by the Rev. 
 Mr. Lythe, one of the delegates from Harrodsburg." 
 Again in this same volume (page 515) "The first 
 clergyman ever in Kentucky was the Rev. John Lythe 
 of the Church of England who came to Harrodsburg 
 April, 1775. This same preacher held the first preach- 
 ing, or divine service, at Boonesborough on Sunday, 
 May 28, 1775, under the shade of a magnificent elm 
 tree." This was the Sunday following Henderson's 
 convention. Yet on page 416 of this volume (I) in 
 speaking of William Hickman, Sr., Collins says, "He 
 was the first to proclaim the unsearchable riches of 
 Christ in the valley of the Kentucky." Collins thus 
 contradicts himself. Z. F. Smith in his History of 
 Kentucky (Youth's edition, p. 89) says "Rev. John 
 Lythe, of the Church of England, conducted the first 
 
The First Preaching in Kentucky 23 
 
 religious services known to have been held at Boones- 
 borough May 28, 1775." He adds, however, "There 
 may have been other religious services, and in other 
 places, even earlier than this of which history does not 
 give account." Now this last clause, I am sure, con- 
 tains the truth. According to history Squire Boone, 
 a Baptist preacher, was in Kentucky five years before 
 the Rev. John Lythe came. Cathcart in his "Bap- 
 tist Encyclopedia" says (Vol. I, p. 113) in speak- 
 ing of Squire Boone, "It is not known at what period 
 he united with the church or when he began to preach, 
 but it was previous to his removal to the West," the 
 date of which he gives as ' ' 1770. ' ' 
 
 According to Collins' History of Kentucky (Vol. 
 II, p. 56) on "the 22d December, 1769" Daniel Boone 
 and Stuart were captured by the Indians and held by 
 their captors "seven days, after which they escaped 
 and returned to their camp which they found dis- 
 mantled and deserted." This would put the date of 
 "their return to their camp" probably December 30th 
 or 31st. Collins then adds, "A few days after this, 
 they were joined by Squire Boone, a brother of the 
 great pioneer." This would make the date of the 
 meeting of the brothers some time in January, 
 1770, which is in perfect accord with other state- 
 ments concerning Squire Boone's arrival in Ken- 
 tucky. 
 
 Dr. Spencer is in error when he, in his "Preface" 
 to his "History of Kentucky Baptists" (page 9) 
 speaks of giving "the history of the Baptists in Ken- 
 tucky, from the time that Elder Squire Boone first set 
 his foot on the soil of the unexplored wilderness, in 
 the spring of 1769, down to the year 1885," for Col- 
 lins' "History of Kentucky" (Vol. II, p. 711) says 
 "Late in the fall of 1769, Squire Boone and another 
 adventurer (name unknown) left the Yadkin in 
 search of his brother Daniel, ' ' who * ' had gone to the 
 wilds of Kentucky on the 1st of May preceding." 
 Squire Boone was probably on Kentucky soil in the 
 winter of 1769, but history does not record the fact. 
 
24 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 In Daniel Boone's autobiography, dictated to John 
 Filson in 1784, as quoted by Collins (Vol. II, p. 711) 
 Daniel Boone says ' ' On May 1, 1770, Squire returned 
 home to the settlement by himself — for a new recruit 
 of horses and ammunition, leaving Daniel by himself, 
 without bread, salt or sugar, without company of his 
 fellow creatures, or even a horse or dog. On July 27, 
 1770, Squire met him, according to appointment, at 
 the old camp, ' ' with the supplies. So there is no ques- 
 tion about Squire Boone being in Kentucky in 1770. 
 John Lythe arrived in Kentucky ''April, 1775." On 
 page 87 Smith's History in giving an account of the 
 marriage of Sam Henderson and Elizabeth Calloway 
 (one of the girls captured by the Indians and later 
 rescued) says "Squire Boone, then an ordained min- 
 ister of the Baptist Church, performed the first cere- 
 mony in Kentucky." The marriage was one month 
 after the rescue. Collins gives the date of this mar- 
 riage as 1776 (Vol. I, p. 511) and says it was "per- 
 formed by Squire Boone a preacher of the Calvinistic 
 Baptist Church. ' ' This shows that Squire Boone was 
 an active minister of the gospel. 
 
 Now, if Squire Boone was a Baptist "Preacher 
 before his removal to the West, ' ' as Cathcart says, and 
 if he was active as a minister in Kentucky, marrying 
 people, as history shows, and if there were "309 Bap- 
 tists in Kentucky in 1774" as Asplund's Register 
 records (quoted by Dr. W. P. Harvey in "Life and 
 Times of William Hickman," p. 3) one year before 
 Henderson's Convention, it stands to reason that 
 there had been some Baptist preaching done in Ken- 
 tucky before Henderson's Convention of May, 1775. 
 The preaching of Mr. Lythe in May, 1775, is the first 
 of which we have any record, and we would have had 
 no record of this had it not taken place in connection 
 with this convention, of which a record was kept. 
 Dr. W, C. James in his "Western Baptist Theological 
 Institute" of Covington, Kentucky, says "Squire 
 Boone, a Baptist preacher, was the first man to preach 
 the gospel in Kentucky and perhaps in the whole 
 
The First Preaching in Kentucky 25 
 
 West. " It is quite clear that the Rev. Squire Boone 
 was the first preacher in Kentucky, and as he was 
 here several years prior to Henderson's Convention 
 active as a minister we think Dr. James is eminently 
 correct in saying he ^'was the first to preach the gos- 
 pel in Kentucky. ' ' This is peculiarly true since Bap- 
 tists have always been a preaching people. 
 
 John Filson in his history of Kentucky, the date 
 of which is 1784, says on page 301 in speaking of 
 the "manners and customs" of the people of Ken- 
 tucky, "they have a diversity of manners, customs, 
 and religions, which may in time perhaps be modified 
 to one uniform." He then adds "The Anabaptists 
 were the first that promoted public worship in Ken- 
 tucky. " It is worth noticing that the Baptists as late 
 as 1784 were called "Anabaptists" by this historian. 
 This shows that the people now called Baptists were 
 once called Anabaptists. 
 
 To "promote public worship" evidently meant 
 "held preaching services," as this is the way Bap- 
 tists promoted public worship. One can hardly reach 
 any other conclusion. Daniel Boone, Levi Todd and 
 James Harrod, according to a signed statement, read 
 and revised Filson 's history, and they declare it to be 
 "as accurate as can possiMy be made." (page 271 — 
 Date, May, 1784). Here is a statement by the ear- 
 liest historian in Kentucky, that the Baptists first pro- 
 moted public worship in Kentucky, and this statement 
 has the endorsement of three of the earliest settlers, 
 who were, as they say, "well acquainted with the 
 country from its first settlement." Davidson in his 
 history of the Presbyterian Church in Kentucky, page 
 86, referring to the pioneer Baptists of Kentucky 
 says : "To them belongs the credit of having been the 
 first to inaugurate the regular public worship of God 
 and the organization of churches. ' ' This should settle 
 the question beyond any doubt that the Baptists were 
 the first to conduct public worship in Kentucky, or 
 did the first preaching in the state, and established 
 the first churches. 
 
26 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 The first record we have of Baptists preaching in 
 Kentucky is the preaching of the Kevs. Thomas Tins- 
 ley and William Hickman, which was in April, 1776, 
 at Harrodsburg, In "The Life and Travels of Wil- 
 liam Hickman" he writes "We got to Harrodsburg 
 the first day of April, 1776. Myself, Brother Thomas 
 Tinsley, my old friend, Mr. Morton, took our lodging 
 at Mr. John Gordon's, four miles from town. 
 
 "Mr. Tinsley was a good old preacher, Mr. Mor- 
 ton a good pious Presbyterian and love and friend- 
 ship abounded among us. We went nearly every Sun- 
 day to town to hear Mr. Tinsley preach. I generally 
 concluded his meetings. One Sunday morning sitting 
 at the head of a spring at this place, he laid his Bible 
 on my thigh and said, 'You must preach today.' He 
 said if I did not he would not. It set me in a tremor. 
 I knew he would not draw back. I took the book and 
 turned to the 23d chapter of Numbers and tenth 
 verse: 'Let me die the death of the righteous and 
 let my last end be like his.' " The above is from 
 "The Life and Times of William Hickman" as 
 quoted in Publication No. 1 of the Kentucky Bap- 
 tist Historical Society (page 6) by W. J. McGlothlin, 
 D.D. 
 
 Elder John Taylor in his "History of Ten 
 Churches" (page 48) says of William Hickman: "In 
 '76 he paid a visit to Kentucky and here the same 
 year he first began to preach." From this date we 
 have no trouble finding records of Baptist preaching 
 in the State, though as yet there is no Baptist organi- 
 zation on Kentucky soil. 
 
 Benedict in his History of the Baptists, (page 
 811) says of Kentucky: "Many of the early settlers 
 of this state were Baptists. Some came as early as 
 1775, and several Baptist ministers, among whom 
 were the late John Taylor, and Lewis Lunsford, 
 (known in Virginia as THE WONDERFUL BOY), 
 made a visit to this land of promise. They returned 
 to Virginia for a period, without constituting any 
 churches. The few brethren they found in the coun- 
 
The First Preaching in Kentucky 27 
 
 try were in an unpleasant state, cold and neglectful 
 in religion, constantly exposed to Indian depreda- 
 tions, and destitute of provisions in a great measure, 
 except what the wild game furnished. The soil was 
 luxuriant, and the country enriched with all the beau- 
 ties of uncultivated nature. The people lived in 
 'stations' or forts. These ministers preached a few 
 times, and gave the people such advice as suited their 
 circumstances. 
 
 ''About 1781, several Baptist preachers and many 
 brethren migrated to this new country. At that 
 period, removal from Virginia to Kentucky was a 
 slow and hazardous business. Two modes were 
 adopted, one by land, the other by water. The first 
 was performed on horseback, with a few bare necessa- 
 ries of life on pack horses, over a vast tract of moun- 
 tainous wilderness. Exposure to attacks from the 
 Indians compelled them to perform their journeying^ 
 in caravans, with sentries stationed round their camps 
 at night. The other mode was to embark on the Ohio 
 river in a flat boat, and float dow^n with the current 
 to Limestone, or to Bear-grass Creek, (now Maysville 
 and Louisville) the two principal landings 
 
 "The Baptist emigration into this State was, in 
 a great degree, from Virginia. A few families came 
 from the Red Stone Country in Western Pennsylva 
 nia, and a few more from New Jersey. This denomi 
 nation was not only the earliest in preaching the gos- 
 pel and forming churches, but for numbers and 
 influence held the ascendency for many years. It is 
 still the most numerous, influential and wealthy 
 denomination in the state." 
 
 At the close of the American war a flood of Bap- 
 tists poured into Kentucky, mostly from Virginia by 
 whom a number of churches were constituted. 
 
 It seems to be a well established fact that the first 
 preaching in Kentucky was by the Baptists. 
 
 Mr. Roosevelt says: "By the time Kentucky was 
 settled the Baptists had begun to make headway on 
 the frontier, at the expense of the Presbyterians. The 
 
28 Keniucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 rough democracy of the border welcomed a sect which 
 was itself essentially democratic. " (" The Winning of 
 the West," Vol. II, p. 113). 
 
 We think the facts clearly warrant the statement 
 that the Baptists did the first preaching in Kentucky. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 The First Churches Constituted — 1781 
 
 ''It is a well established fact in history that the 
 Baptists were the pioneers, of religion in Kentucky. 
 They came with the earliest permanent settlers, ' ' says 
 Collins' history. 
 
 In the year 1780 many Baptists, chiefly from Vir- 
 ginia removed to this state but it was not until the 
 summer of the following year that a church was con- 
 stituted. 
 
 Severn's Valley — June 18, 1781 
 
 The first church of any denomination constituted 
 on Kentucky soil, so far as history shows, was the 
 Severn's Valley Baptist church which was constituted 
 June 18, 1781. We learn from Spencer's History of 
 Kentucky Baptists (Vol. I, p. 21) : "There are facts 
 and circumstances connected with the early history 
 of the Church with Avhich the present generation is 
 little acquainted. When this present widespread and 
 favored country was but a wilderness ; when not a 
 human habitation was to be found between Louisville 
 (then called the Falls of the Ohio) and Green river, 
 save a few families, who had ventured to Severn's 
 Valley — a dense forest, and unexplored — and com- 
 menced a rude settlement far from the haunts of civi- 
 lized man ; there the lamented John Gerrard, a minis- 
 ter of God, came like John the Baptist, 'The Voice of 
 One Crying in the Wilderness,' and finding a few of 
 the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ like sheep with- 
 out a shepherd, on the 18th day of June, 1781, they 
 were collected together under a green sugar tree ; and 
 in the fear of God, in church covenant gave them- 
 selves to the Lord and to one another, and were con- 
 stituted a Baptist Church, named after Severn 's Val- 
 
 29 
 
30 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 ley and the creek which flows through it. It has ever 
 borne the same name, none having dared, and it is 
 hoped never may, to lay impious hands upon it by 
 changing its venerable and venerated name — 'Sev- 
 ern's Valley Church.' " 
 
 From "Haycraft's History of Elizabethtown, 
 Kentucky, and Its Surroundings, ' ' which was written 
 by Samuel Haycraft and published in the Elizabeth- 
 town News in 1869, and published in book form in 
 1921, we gather the following facts concerning the 
 Severn 's Valley Baptist Church, which is now located 
 in Elizabethtown. 
 
 "On the 17th (this should be the 18th) day of 
 June, 1781, under the shadow of a green sugar tree, 
 near Haynes Station, a Baptist Church was consti- 
 tuted with eighteen members, by Elder William Tay- 
 lor and Joseph Barnett, preachers, with Elder John 
 Gerrard, who was ordained first pastor. The church 
 was called the Regular Baptist Church of Severn's 
 Valley. The same church still exists in Elizabeth- 
 town and is known by the name of the United Bap- 
 tist Church of Christ, called Severn's Valley, and is 
 now the oldest Baptist church that maintains an exis- 
 tence in Kentucky. All of the members and the 
 preacher emigrated from Virginia, and Elder Gerrard 
 might have been emphatically styled 'the voice of 
 one crying in the wilderness.' 
 
 "This man of God was only permitted to exercise 
 the functions of his office for nine months." (Page 
 14). It is supposed that he was killed by the In- 
 dians, as he went out hunting one day and never 
 returned, and as the wilderness was infested with hos- 
 tile Indians at that time. 
 
 We say the date should be June 18, not 17, because 
 the history of Salem Association written by its clerk, 
 Spencer Clack, in 1826 says: "On Saturday, the 
 29th of October, 1785, four Regular Baptist Churches 
 met at Cox's Creek, Nelson County, Kentucky, by 
 their delegates, in order to form an association, and, 
 after a suitable sermon on the occasion, preached by 
 
The First Churches Constituted^l781 31 
 
 our brother, Joseph Barnett, from the first chapter of 
 John and 17th verse, proeeded to business. Brother 
 Joseph Barnett was made moderatio, and Brother 
 Andrew Paul, clerk. 
 
 ' * I. Letters from four churches were read, viz. : 
 Sevems Valley, constituted June eighteen, seven hun- 
 dred and eighty-one, number of members, thirty-seven. 
 No pastor." The number of members, of course, 
 refers to the number when the church went into the 
 association — not when constituted. 
 
 Another reason why we say the date (June 17) in 
 Haycraf t 's history is incorrect : we find that this same 
 Samuel Haycraf t published a history of Severn 's Val- 
 ley Church in Ford's Christian Repository of April, 
 1857, in which he stated that "The church was con- 
 stituted of 18 members, June 18, 1781, under a 
 green sugar tree, about a half mile from the present 
 limit of Elizabethtown, the county seat of Hardin." 
 This was while Mr. Haycraft was living, and if the 
 date had been published incorrectly he evidently 
 would have said so. 
 
 Mr. Haycraft, on the next page (15) of his his- 
 tory, gives a very interesting account of the manners 
 and customs of the members of this old church, which 
 we here reproduce: 
 
 ' ' Church going folks of the present day who make 
 it a point to appear in their best attire at the public 
 religious services might feel some curiosity to know 
 how our ancestors appeared on such occasions, and I 
 hope they will not blush at the description. I 
 received my impression from Jacob Vanmeter, who 
 was the younger Jacob Vanmeter in the original con- 
 stitution of the church. He died a few years since at 
 the advanced age of about ninety-five, having been a 
 Baptist about eighty-four years. 
 
 "They then had no house of worship. In the sum- 
 mer time they worshipped in the open air, in the win- 
 ter time they met in the round-log cabins with dirt 
 floors, as there was no mills and plank to make a floor. 
 A few who had aspired to be a little aristocratic split 
 timber and made puncheon floors. 
 
32 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 ' ' The men dressed as Indians ; leather leggins and 
 moccasins adorned their feet and legs. Hats made of 
 splinters rolled in Buffalo wool and sewed together 
 with deer sinews or buckskin whang ; shirts of buck- 
 skin and hunting shirts of the same ; some went the 
 whole Indian costume and wore breech-clouts. The 
 females wore a coarse cloth made of Buffalo wool, 
 underwear of dressed doe skin, sun bonnets, something 
 after the fashion of men's hats and the never-failing 
 moccasin for the feet in winter, in summer time all 
 went barefooted. When they met for preaching or 
 prayer, the men sat with their trusty rifles at their 
 sides, and as they had to watch as well as pray, a 
 faithful sentinel keeping a lookout for the lurking 
 Indian. But it so happened that their services were 
 never seriously interrupted, except on one occasion. 
 One of the watches came to the door hole during a 
 sermon and endeavored by signs and winks to apprise 
 the people that something was wrong — not being 
 exactly understood, a person within winked at the 
 messenger, as much as to say, 'Don't interrupt us.' 
 But the case being urgent, the outside man exclaimed, 
 'None of your winking and blinking — I tell you the 
 Indians are about.' That was understood, the meet- 
 ing was closed, and military defense organized. Now, 
 gentle and fair reader, I beseech you not to blush or 
 be ashamed of your forerunners ; they were the chosen 
 of God and nature 's nobility. ' ' 
 
 Our present day worshipers who live in their 
 splendid homes and worship in their magnificent 
 churches will read this account of the customs of our 
 forefathers with absorbing interest. The following is 
 from "Haycraft's History of Elizabethtown and Its 
 Surroundings" (page 82) : ''The Baptists were the 
 first in order of time in this valley. Their member- 
 ship was scattered and covered a great deal of ground. 
 For the accommodation of the church the monthly 
 meetings were held alternately at the Valley and 
 Nolin. These meetings were held in open air or a 
 private house for many years. Old Nolin church 
 
The First Churches Constituted — 1781 33 
 
 was constituted in 1803 by a mutual agreement. ' ' This 
 explains why Nolin Church is some times referred to 
 as the oldest church in Kentucky. Benedict in hia 
 "History of the Baptists," published 1848, on page 
 811, Chapter XXII— Kentucky, says: "The church 
 called Nolin is supposed to have been the first Prot- 
 estant religious society organized in the great West. ' ' 
 The statement of Samuel Haycraft clears up this 
 point in our history, and shows that Benedict is in 
 error, and at the same time shows how the error 
 easily occurred. Several other historians followed 
 Benedict in this error. 
 
 In the minutes of the Green River Association, of 
 which Severn's Valley was now a member, for the 
 year 1802, meeting held at "Mill Creek Meeting 
 House, in Barren County, Kentucky, on Saturday 
 31st July 1802," has the following item: "Severns 
 Valley church, messengers, Jacob LaRue, Christo- 
 pher Miller, Geo. Helm. Baptized 125, reed by 
 letter 12, dismissed by letter 7, dead 2, total member- 
 ship 156." We call attention to this item because of 
 the large number of members received during the past 
 associational year. More than half the membership 
 reported had been received since the 1801 session of 
 the association. This, as will be remembered, was dur- 
 ing the "Great Revival of 1800," and following. 
 
 Another item in that same minute (1802) says: 
 "Letters from thirty churches were read. Twelve of 
 which had been constituted since last association, were 
 received. ' ' 
 
 These two items help us to estimate the results of 
 the revival of 1800 and the years immediately follow- 
 ing. 
 
 We have given a somewhat extended account of 
 this church because it was the first church on Ken- 
 tucky soil. 
 
 Cedar Creek Church — July 4, 1781 
 
 We come now to the second church in Kentucky, 
 and which, but for patriotic reasons, might have been 
 
34 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 the FIRST. This was only a few years after the 
 Declaration of Independence and while the Revolu- 
 tionary War was still continuing. This explains why 
 those who constituted this church waited for the 
 Fourth of July. 
 
 "Cedar Creek Church," says Spencer (Vol. I, 
 page 23), "was the second organized in Kentucky, It 
 was gathered by Joseph Barnett who was assisted in 
 its constitution by John Gerrard, July 4, 1781. It is 
 located in Nelson county about five miles southwest 
 from Bardstown. The first pastor was Joseph Bar- 
 nett." This church is still in existence and reports 
 200 members. 
 
 The next church on Kentucky soil was the Gil- 
 bert's Creek Church which was brought over in a 
 body from Virginia and located in Kentucky, Decem- 
 ber, 1781. Lewis Craig was the pastor of this church. 
 Attracted by the glowing accounts which were given 
 by returning explorers of the beautiful scenery, the 
 unexcelled productiveness, and the abundance of wild 
 game of the charming region beyond the mountains, 
 and revolting against the ecclesiastical persecution 
 and domination of the State Church authorities of 
 Virginia, the larger number of the members of this 
 church, having been, at their own request, constituted 
 into an independent church, and taking along with 
 them the pastor and the old church book, began their 
 long and tedious journey to the "foreign land." Car- 
 rying their women, children, and baggage on horse- 
 back, they travelled through the wilderness for 600 
 miles. Famine, cold, fatigue, and sickness impeded 
 their journey. The wild beast and treacherous Indian 
 made perilous their march. Winter, with its ice, 
 snow, and mud, tested their patience and tried their 
 strength. Many times during their journey, when a 
 halt was called, did they engage in religious services. 
 Many times did the primeval forest jof the Dark 
 and Bloody Ground resound with the hymns of Zion ; 
 the vales which formerly had reverberated with the 
 scream of the catamount or the war whoop of the 
 
The First Churches Constituted — 1781 35 
 
 infuriated savage, now for the first time echoed with 
 the hallelujahs of the saints. The "Great Spirit," 
 whom the savages ignorantly worshipped by means of 
 magic and incantations, was now worshipped "in 
 spirit and in truth." On the second Sunday in De- 
 cember, 1781, weary and exhausted, they arrived at 
 Gilbert's Creek, and there permanently located. The 
 church entered into the organization of Elkhorn Asso- 
 ciation in 1785. Dr. S. H. Ford, in the Christian 
 Eepository of March, 1856, (page 137), says of Craig 
 and his traveling charge : ' ' About the first of Decem- 
 ber, they passed the Cumberland Gap, .... and 
 on the second Lord's day in December, 1781, thej- 
 had arrived in Lincoln (now Garrard County) and 
 met as a Baptist Church of Christ at Gilbert 's Creek. ' ' 
 Then Dr. Ford adds, "Old William Marshall preached 
 to them, with their pastor, the first Sunday after their 
 arrival." John Taylor, in a biographical sketch of 
 Lewis Craig, savs: "I think he moved to Kentucky 
 in the fall of 1781." Dr. J. B. Taylor, another of his 
 biographers, says : "It has already been stated that 
 in 1781, he removed to the "West." Dr. R. B. Semple, 
 in his history of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists 
 in Virginia, Revised and extended edition (p. 200), 
 says, in speaking of Craig's Church, "formerly called 
 Upper Spottsylvania" .... "in 1781, to the great 
 mortification of the remaining members, Mr. Craig, 
 with most of the church, moved to Kentucky. ' ' Then 
 in a footnote on the same page, Dr. Semple, after 
 naming their location in Kentucky, "Gilbert's Creek, 
 Lincoln (now Garrard) County," says, "They were 
 the third Baptist Church constituted in Kentucky, 
 and held their first meeting on the second Sunday in 
 December. ' ' This fixes the date of this church in Ken- 
 tucky. This church has long since ceased to exist as 
 an organization, though out of it came other churches. 
 Dr. W. M. Pratt says in "Jubilee Volume" (page 
 40) : "In 1781 Lewis Craig, and probably his brother 
 Joseph, came to Kentucky, followed, in 1786, by 
 another brother, Elijah, and by his brother-in-law, 
 
36 Kentucky Baptist Eistory—1770-1922 
 
 Richard Cave, a pioneer preacher. These Craigs were 
 the sons of Toliver Craig, of Orange County, Virginia, 
 whose large family of seven sons and four daughters 
 were members of the church. The three sons who 
 came to Kentucky were effective preachers in Vir- 
 ginia, and were a number of times thrown in prison. 
 Lewis Craig, the elder of the three, was pastor of the 
 'migrating church' of two hundred, of Upper Spott- 
 sylvania, and after a long, fatiguing pilgrimage, main- 
 taining their organization and worship on the way, 
 settled on Gilbert Creek, Garrard County, October, 
 (this should be December — Editor) 1781. Elijah 
 Craig was first pastor of Big Crossing, laid out the 
 town of Georgetown, established the classical school 
 in that place, which is now the seat of Georgetown 
 College. These two brothers were men of strong 
 minds and of great influence in molding the character 
 of the infant churches." 
 
 The three churches above named (Severn's Valley, 
 Cedar Creek and Gilbert's Creek) were the only 
 churches in Kentucky in 1781 according to history. 
 Mr. Roosevelt is evidently in error when he says 
 ("Winning the West," Vol. II, p. 254), ''Thus this 
 spring (1780) "a third of the congregation of a Low 
 Dutch Reformed Church came to Kentucky bodily to 
 the number of fifty heads of families, with their 
 wives and their children." He then adds, "The fol- 
 lowing year a Baptist congregation came out from 
 Virginia, keeping up its organization while on the 
 road, the preacher holding services at every long 
 halt." There is plenty of evidence that the Baptist 
 church came to Kentucky that year (1781) but no evi- 
 dence that a "Low Dutch Reformed Church" was 
 established in Kentucky in 1780. In fact, Filson after 
 saying "The Anabaptists were the first that promoted 
 public worship in Kentucky, ' ' says the only other sect 
 at this time maintaining worship in Kentucky is the 
 Presbyterians with four congregations. He says "at 
 present there are no other religious societies formed, 
 although several other sects have numerous adher- 
 
The First Churches ConsUtutedr—1781 37 
 
 ents" (301). So Filson in 1784 knew nothing of a 
 "Low Dutch Reformed Church" in Kentucky, neither 
 do other Kentucky historians. True Mr. Roosevelt 
 does not say this church established itself in Ken- 
 tucky as a church, but that is the inference. Dr. J. 
 M. Cramp in his Baptist History in speaking of Ken- 
 tucky Baptists says: ''In 1781 the first church was 
 organized at Nolin, (This is the Severn's Valley 
 Church — Editor). That church is supposed to have 
 been the first Protestant religious society organized in 
 the Great West." The above is practically the state- 
 ment of all the historians. 
 
 In the year 1790 there were in Kentucky forty- 
 two churches, forty ordained ministers, twenty-one 
 licensed preachers and 3,105 members. The list of 
 early churches here given is by Dr. W. M. Pratt in 
 Jubilee Volume (page 38) : 
 
 "In 1782, Forks of Dix River was founded by 
 Lewis Craig. In 1783, South Elkhorn, Fayette 
 County, was founded by the removal of Lewis Craig, 
 and a large portion of his church at Gilbert's Creek 
 to this place, the first church north of Kentucky 
 River. 
 
 "In 1784, Bear Grass Church, Jefferson County, 
 six miles east of Louisville, was constituted by John 
 Whitaker, and Howard Creek (now Providence), 
 Clark County, by Elder Robert Elkin. (This church 
 really came over from Virginia in a body as a con- 
 stituted church, as the old records show, and has a 
 continuous history from its constitution in Virginia. 
 Thus, it is the oldest church constitution on Kentucky 
 soil, but not the first in Kentucky. — Nowlin.). 
 
 "In 1785, twelve churches were founded, viz.: 
 Limestone (now Washington), Mason County, by El- 
 der William Wood; Clear Creek, Woodford County, 
 by Elder John Taylor; Pottenger Creek, Nelson 
 County, by Benjamin Lynn; Cox Creek, Nelson 
 County, by William Taylor; Brachears (Clear 
 Creek), Shelby County, by Elder William Taylor and 
 John AVhitaker; Rush Branch, Lincoln County, by 
 
38 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1923 
 
 Elder John Bailey; Head of Boone Creek, by Elder 
 Joseph Craig; Big Crossing, Scott County, by Elder 
 Elisha Craig ; Tates Creek, Madison County, by Elder 
 John Tanner; Town Fork (Lexington), by Elder 
 John Gano ; Bryant Station, Fayette County, by 
 Elder Lewis Craig; Boone Creek (Athens), by Elder 
 David Thompson. 
 
 "In 1786, Tate's Creek, Madison County, by Elder 
 Andrew Tribble. 
 
 "In 1787, Marble Creek (East Hickman), Fayette 
 County, by Elders William Hickman and John Price; 
 Cooper's Run, Bourbon County, by Elder Augustine 
 Eastin; New Providence, Lincoln County, by Elder 
 William Marshall; South Fork, Nelson County, by 
 Elder James S. Skaggs. 
 
 "In 1788, Huston Creek, Bourbon County, by 
 Elder Moses Bledsoe; Forks of Elkhorn, Franklin 
 County, by Elder William Hickman; Rolling Fork, 
 Nelson County, by Elder John Carman; Buck Run, 
 Franklin County, by Elders John and James Dupuy; 
 Shawnee Run, Mercer County, by Elder John Rice. 
 
 "In 1789, Hardin Creek, Nelson County, by Elder 
 Baldwin Clifton; May's Lick, Mason County, by El- 
 ders Wood and Garrard. 
 
 "In 1790, Indian Creek, Harrison County, by El- 
 der A. Eastin ; Unity, Clark County ; Hickman Creek 
 and Hardin Creek, Mercer County; Mount Pleasant, 
 Franklin County, and West Fork, Cox Creek, Nelson 
 County, White Oak, Nelson County. 
 
 "1791, Stony Point, Mercer County, Strode 's 
 Fork, Fayette County, Taylor's Fork, Green Creek, 
 Bourbon, Bloomfield, Nelson County; Crab Orchard, 
 Lincoln County; Pitman's Creek and Brush Creek, 
 Green County." 
 
 A number of other churches constituted within 
 this period are not named, as they had been dis- 
 banded. 
 Some Early Customs in Kentucky Baptist Churches 
 
 Dr. Spencer says (Vol. I, p. 485) : "Ruling Elders 
 were nominal officers in many of our early churches. 
 
The First Churches Constituted — 1781 39 
 
 The name can only be appropriate when applied to 
 the officer it designates, in a church having a Presby- 
 terian form of government. In a Baptist church, the 
 term is a misnomer. ' ' This custom soon passed away. 
 
 The practice of the laying on of hands was com- 
 mon. John Taylor in his "History of Ten Churches," 
 says (page 10) : "The rite of laying on of hands, on 
 the newly baptized, was practised by the Baptists in 
 those days; this practice was performed as follows: 
 Those upwards of fifty, stood up in one solemn line, 
 on the bank of the river, taking up about as many 
 yards as there were individuals — the males first in 
 line, about four ministers went together, each one laid 
 his right hand on the head of the dedicated person, 
 and one prayed for him, and after praying for three 
 or four of them, another proceeded till they went 
 through. It would appear as if that solemn dedica- 
 tion might be some barrier to future apostasy ; for 
 the prayers were with great solemnity and fervor, 
 and for that particular person according to their age 
 and circumstances." 
 
 Dr. Spencer says (Vol. I, page 486) : "Laying on 
 of hands was a ceremony in common use among the 
 early Baptists of Virginia and Kentucky, as well as 
 some other regions." He adds, however, "The cere- 
 mony has long since been discontinued among the 
 churches in Kentucky." 
 
 The washing of feet seems to have been a very 
 common ceremony among some of the early churches 
 of Kentucky. "Among the Regular Baptists, it was 
 practiced partially a few years, and then went en- 
 tirely out of use," says Spencer. (Vol. I, p. 486). 
 
 None of these ''early customs" are now in use 
 among the Baptists of Kentucky, so far as the author 
 knows. 
 
 We give two old subscription lists here of some 
 interest. The first is for pastor's salary in South 
 Elkhom Church, and has on it thirty-six gallons of 
 whiskey. The other is a facsimile of a subscription 
 found in minutes of the Robinson & Pitman Church — 
 
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 L< <ie,£-C 
 
 
 k/at^rr7fi^ v^O-e^t ^'rt^J^a^<^ 
 
 
 
 
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42 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 now Campbellsville Church — and containing eight 
 gallons of whiskey. 
 
 In contrast with the above subscription lists we 
 give the following which was adopted by the South 
 Kentucky Association No. 3 at its organization in 
 1845. Says Spencer (Vol. II, 580): "No church 
 shall be considered in good standing in this union, 
 that will encourage, by laxity of discipline, or other- 
 wise, the making and vending of ardent spirits as a 
 beverage, etc." 
 
 This shows the change of sentiment on the whiskey 
 trafSc in forty-seven years among the Qoxly Kentucky 
 Baptists. And as compared with the present, it strik- 
 ingly illustrates the great progress made in temper- 
 ance reform in these 124 years. 
 
 What was true of the early Baptist churches in 
 this country was true of churches of other denomina- 
 tions touching the whiskey traffic. Baptists were no 
 worse and no better in this particular than those of 
 other religious bodies of that time. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 The First Associations Constituted — 1785 
 
 It is customary with Baptists when they have a 
 few churches close enough together for organization 
 to form them into associations, and the early Baptists 
 of Kentucky were no exception to this rule. Within 
 four years and four months from the time the first 
 church is constituted in Kentucky we find two asso- 
 ciations constituted. The first of these was the Elk- 
 horn which was constituted October 1, 1785, and the 
 second was the Salem, constituted October 29, 1785. 
 
 The Elkhorn Association 
 
 Spencer says: "At the close of the year 1785 
 there had been constituted in Kentucky eighteen 
 churches." He also says "The year 1785 was one of 
 great interest, and much activity among the Baptists 
 of Kentucky. Hitherto each little church had stood 
 isolated from its sisters. No organization existed 
 through which the churches could work together in 
 harmony," John Taylor in his "History of Ten 
 Churches" (page 55) gives an account of the organi- 
 zation of the Elkhorn Association, After speaking of 
 the churches needing the aid of one another, he says: 
 "We soon began to contemplate an association for 
 that purpose and partly to bring about a union with 
 the South Kentucky Baptists. We held a conference 
 at South Elkhorn, in June, 1785, but failed in the 
 union with the South Kentucky Baptists ; we agreed 
 to meet as an association at Clear Creek October 1, 
 1785. Six churches it seems met, one of them was 
 from Tates Creek, south side of Kentucky, there and 
 then, Elkhorn Association was formed." They met 
 and had preaching at 3 P, M., September 30th and 
 ' ' the day following their coming together the messen- 
 
 43 
 
44 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 gers adopted the following constitution," says Spen- 
 cer, so formed their organization on the first day of 
 October, as John Taylor says. 
 
 The Elkhorn Association was constituted of six 
 churches, viz.: "Gilbert's Creek, Tate's Creek, South 
 Elkhorn, Clear Creek, Big Crossing, and Limestone. 
 The ministers representing these churches were El- 
 ders George Stokes Smith, John Price, John Tanner, 
 Lewis Craig, William Hickman, John Taylor, James 
 Rucker, John Dupuy, and William Wood. This body 
 was enlarged nearly every year until it comprised 
 thirty-eight churches extending from Columbia 
 Church near the mouth of Little Miami, Ohio, to Cum- 
 berland, Tennessee. ' ' As this is the oldest association 
 in the State we give a somewhat extended account of 
 137 years of her glorious history. 
 
 Large use is made at this point of Dr. W. M. Lee 's 
 "History of Elkhorn Association," presented as his 
 thesis for the doctor's degree at the theological semi- 
 nary, Louisville. 
 
 The Elkhorn Association of Baptists, the first 
 association of Baptist churches west of the Alleghany 
 Mountains, is at present composed of twenty-nine 
 churches, and is located in east central Kentucky, cov- 
 ering what is known as the strictly Blue Grass sec- 
 tion of the state. It includes all the Missionary 
 Churches in Fayette, Woodford and Scott Counties, 
 and some of those located in Bourbon, Grant, Frank- 
 lin and Jessamine. It is bounded on the south and 
 west by the Kentucky River, which with its pictur- 
 esque canons furnishes perhaps the most beautiful 
 and magnificent scenery to be found in Kentucky, and 
 on the east by the south branch of Licking River, the 
 divisive line between it and Union Association, which 
 was organized out of Elkhorn in 1813. 
 
 The original territory of Elkhorn Association was 
 not so delimited and circumscribed. At one time dur- 
 ing its history (1792-1796) it included churches as 
 far north as "Columbia in the Western Territory," 
 now Ohio, and as far south as Tennessee County, 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 45 
 
 Cumberland Settlement." At this time it covered 
 perhaps 15,000 square miles. During the one hundred 
 and thirty-five years of its existence, the association 
 has included, at different times, one hundred and sev- 
 enteen churches. The larger number of these 
 churches have been dismissed from time to time to 
 form sister associations in correspondence with Elk- 
 horn ; some have been excluded on account of heresy ; 
 whereas some have withdrawn on account of dissatis- 
 faction with associational discipline. The ranks of 
 the following Baptist Associations have been strength- 
 ened by churches dismissed from Elkhorn, viz. : North 
 District, Licking, Bracken, Union, Franklin, Green 
 Kiver, Tate's Creek, and North Bend. In addition to 
 the above named sources of depletion, may be added 
 the fact that during the war the churches composed 
 of colored members withdrew to form associations of 
 their own. 
 
 In 1827, James Fishback, pastor of Lexington 
 Church, created a division in his church by trying to 
 change the name of it to the ' * Church of Christ. ' ' He 
 led off a minority of thirty-eight members and became 
 their pastor. Rev. R. T. Dillard subsequently suc- 
 ceeded in uniting the two factions. H. Davidge, of 
 the Big Spring (Versailles) Church, created some 
 stir by a pamphlet of the ''Reforming" type, which 
 he circulated. Campbell and his coadjutors won many 
 of the best Baptist preachers and laymen over to the 
 Reformation, prominent among them being Jacob 
 Creath, his son, Jacob, Jr., William Morton and Jere- 
 miah Vardeman. Many of the churches of the asso- 
 ciation contained members of strong Campbellite sen- 
 timent. Versailles, Providence, and South Elkliorn 
 Churches were excluded from the association in 1830 
 and 1831 because of their Reformed ideas. Minorities 
 were carried off from many of the churches. In one 
 year (1830-1831) the membership of the association 
 dropped from 4,321 to 3,201. The association entered 
 this period with 48 churches and 5,291 members; it 
 ends the period with 25 churches and 4,321 members. 
 
46 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 During the period it has lost 35 churches by dismiis- 
 sion and expulsion; and has had twelve added to its 
 membership. During the first year of the next period 
 the membership will drop from 4,321 to 3,201. Yet 
 the Kingdom of Heaven is growing all the while, we 
 hope. 
 
 Most of the doctrinal controversy of the period 
 was instigated by the Reformers. Worship was fre- 
 quently disturbed by questioners and mockers, who 
 would either arise and interrupt the speaker or else 
 laugh out in meeting in scorn and derision. Large 
 audiences gathered to hear debates on baptism, 
 creeds, or missionary societies. The prevalence of 
 doctrinal controversy fostered doubt and infidelity and 
 worldliness among the unconverted. The churches 
 allowed heresy and disregard to church fealty to go 
 undisciplined. 
 
 An age of doctrinal polemics call for well equipped 
 defenders of the faith. The great need of the Bap- 
 tists was an educated ministry. Many of their 
 most vigorous and aggressive ministers had gone over 
 to the Reformers. A number of the enterprising min- 
 isters and laymen of the Baptist persuasion petitioned 
 the state legislature, in January, 1829, for a charter 
 incorporating a board of trustees called ''The Ken- 
 tucky Baptist Educational Society." This charter 
 was granted. The society had in view the establish- 
 ment of a college under the control of Kentucky 
 Baptists. Both Versailles and Georgetown entered 
 into competition to secure the location of the col- 
 lege. Georgetown won the prize by the gift of $6,000 
 and a lot of land. This, together with a gift of $20,- 
 000, donated by Isachar Paulding, constituted the 
 property of the institution for the first ten years of 
 its existence. 
 
 This period extends from the year of the Campbel- 
 lite schism to the beginning of the Civil "War. Political 
 affairs affect the association scarcely any at all, until 
 near the end of the period, when much confusion pre- 
 vailed on account of the gloomy forebodings of war. 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 47 
 
 The first year of this period witnessed the with- 
 drawal of about 1,100 members from the churches; 
 they followed the leaders of the current Reformation. 
 In 1831 the association had only 3,201 members; in 
 1861, at the end of the period, her members num- 
 bered 7,760. This period is, therefore, a period of 
 revivals and growth. It witnessed a growth of over 
 125 per cent. The first period of revivals was during 
 the years 1837-1843, when 3,285 members were added 
 to the churches. It was at this time that religious 
 services were first protracted to the length of a week 
 or more, in Kentucky. During the first four years of 
 this revival period. Licking Association, which 
 opposed the lengthy protraction of services, added to 
 her membership only 106 members ; during the same 
 time Elkhorn witnessed the addition of 1,504 mem- 
 bers to her churches. Elkhorn 's nest revival period 
 came in 1855-1861, during which time 3,144 members 
 were added to the churches by baptism. 
 
 Perhaps the principal cause of the recurrent revi- 
 vals was the ardent missionary spirit which prevailed. 
 The missionary activity of the period eclipses that of 
 any former period. All varieties of missions received 
 cordial and hearty support — foreign, domestic, and 
 Indian. Especially was this true of the latter half 
 of the period. During the earlier half, there was con- 
 siderable opposition to all benevolent enterprises and 
 societies. Daniel Parker, John Taylor, and Alexan- 
 der Campbell had sown the seeds of opposition to 
 organized effort that bore corrupt fruit for many 
 years. And the end its not yet. The progressive 
 leaders and missionary organizers of the sect of the 
 Disciples, which is rapidly crystallizing into a denom- 
 ination, have considerable difficulty in eradicating the 
 tares of the anti-organization spirit from the minds 
 of the less cultured, and consequently more polemical, 
 element of their body. The tares sown by Campbell 
 have proven to be as hardy as the wheat he sowed. 
 
 Beginning with the revival of 1855-1861 a greater 
 interest was taken in missions. Contributions grew 
 
48 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 much larger. The larger contributions are due also, 
 to a considerable extent, to the improved method of 
 securing them. Before 1855 efforts at raising mission 
 money were delayed until the association met, and 
 collections were then taken. But beginning with the 
 year 1855, a plan of benevolent effort was adopted, 
 which yielded far better results. In 1840 and 1841, 
 respectively, $137 and $58.62 were raised by the old 
 plan for domestic missions. In 1859 and 1860, 
 respectively, $1,223 and $1,438 were raised for the 
 same object, by the new plan. The association had 
 urged the churches as early as 1848 to adopt this new 
 plan of systematic benevolence, but they had delayed 
 in the matter. 
 
 The General Association was organized in Louis- 
 ville, October 20, 1837. In 1844, Elkhorn Association 
 entered into full co-operation with it in all its plans. 
 This was a great step forward, and was not accom- 
 plished without opposition. The dormant energies of 
 Elkhorn Association were roused by her connection 
 with the General Association. In 1840, Elkhorn rec- 
 ommended that her churches support Sunday Schools 
 in their respective congregations. By 1845, only 
 three churches had Sunday Schools. These were 
 Mount Vernon, Lexington, and Georgetown churches. 
 By the end of the period, however, there were thir- 
 teen Sunday Schools and twenty weekly prayer- 
 meetings operative in the association. 
 
 Elkhorn Association is now passing through the 
 one hundred and thirty-seventh year of its existence. 
 It was born in the wild and romantic days of early 
 Kentucky pioneer life, its birth being preceded only 
 a few years by the birth of the American Republic. 
 It counts many associations among its children and 
 grandchildren. The association has today the largest 
 number of white members that it has had at any 
 time during its history. And it bids fair, in the good 
 providence and grace of God, to do, in the years to 
 come, a great and glorious work, for the advancement 
 in the earth of the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 49 
 
 Jesus Christ. Elkhorn at this time reports thirty- 
 three churches, 10,837 members. 
 
 The Salem Association 
 
 The churches which formed the Salem Association 
 were separated from those that went into the consti- 
 tution of tlie Elkhorn by a vast wilderness still 
 infested by wild Indians, and communication was 
 difficult and infrequent at the time of which we write. 
 Under such circumstances we are not surprised that 
 the churches of the more westerly settlement were 
 ignorant of what those on the Elkhorn were doing. 
 But they, as their brethren on the Elkhorn, felt the 
 need of an association in which they could meet at 
 least once a year and devise ways and means for 
 promoting the work of the kingdom. So according to 
 Spencer's History (Vol. I, page 109 f) *'0n Satur- 
 day, October 29, 1785, four Regular Baptist Churches 
 met, by their messengers, on Cox's Creek, Nelson 
 County, Kentucky, for the purpose of forming an 
 association. A sermon suitable for this occasion was 
 preached by Joseph Barnett, from John 2 :17. 
 
 "Joseph Barnett was chosen moderator, and An- 
 drew Paul, clerk. 
 
 ''Letters from four churches were read and the 
 following facts recorded: 
 
 "Severn's Valley, constituted June 18, 1781. Mem- 
 bers 37, No pastor. 
 
 ''Cedar Creek, constituted July 4, 1781. Members 
 41. Joseph Barnett, pastor. 
 
 "Bear Grass, constituted January, 1784. Members 
 19. John Whitaker, pastor. 
 
 "Cox's Creek, constituted April, 1785. Members 
 26. William Taylor, pastor. 
 
 "This was the second Regular Baptist Association 
 organized west of the Alleghany Mountains. It was 
 constituted only twenty-nine days later than Elkhorn 
 Association, and evidently had not heard of the exis- 
 tence of the latter organization. For, after adopting 
 the 'Philadelphia Confession of Faith, and the 
 
 4 
 
50 Kentucky Baptist Histonj~1770-1922 
 
 treatise of Discipline thereto annexed,' they proposed 
 correspondence with the Philadelphia, Ketocton and 
 Monongahela Associations, without mentioning Elk- 
 horn. 
 
 * ' The fraternity thus formed assumed the name of 
 Salem Association of Regular Baptists, and comprised 
 all the Regular Baptist Churches in Kentucky, west 
 of Frankfort, the church on Brashears Creek having 
 been dispersed by the Indians. It had but three 
 preachers within the bounds of its immense territory, 
 and it received but f ew^ accessions to its ministry, till 
 it raised them up in its own churches. This body was 
 very small at the beginning, and its growth was very 
 slow till the great revival of 1800-3, when it received 
 very large accessions, and has since maintained a 
 prominent position among the associations of the 
 state." 
 
 The South Kentucky 
 
 The South Kentucky Association is the third asso- 
 ciation formed, and Doctor Spencer fixes the date as 
 May, 1788. Aspland says this association was consti- 
 tuted "about 1785." Other historians have followed 
 Asplund and said it was ' ' constituted 1785, ' ' but the 
 old records fix the date as 1788. The churches com- 
 posing this association were Separate Baptist churches 
 (Vol. II, p. 81). "In the minutes of the proceedings 
 of South Kentucky Association, at its annual meet- 
 ing in 1791, the following item is recorded: 
 
 " 'The association agrees to abide by the plan 
 upon which the churches of our union were consti- 
 tuted (an association), in October, 1787, and May, 
 1788.' 
 
 "That is, after the example of Elkhorn, they held 
 a preliminary meeting in October, 1787, and met again 
 the following May to complete the organization. The 
 constitution of this ancient fraternity, therefore, 
 properly dates from May, 1788. 
 
 "The preliminary meeting convened at Tates Creek 
 meeting house, in Madison County, the first Friday 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 51 
 
 in October, 1787. Eleven churches were represented." 
 In speaking of the "Regular" and "Separate" Bap- 
 tists Doctor Spencer says, "it was a distinction with- 
 out a difference." This distinction, however, soon 
 passed away as the two branches formed a union and 
 called themselves the "United Baptists." This asso- 
 ciation held its last meeting in August, 1801. This 
 was the meeting at which the "terms of general 
 union" were ratified by this body. 
 
 Tates Creek Association 
 
 The fourth association formed was the Tates 
 Creek, and according to Spencer (Vol. I, p. 277) 
 was as follows : 
 
 "In 1793 a third effort was made to form a union 
 between the Regular and Separate Baptists. At the 
 meeting of Elkhorn Association, in May of that year, 
 it was agreed that Ambrose Dudley, James Garrard, 
 John Taylor, John Price and Augustine Eastin be 
 appointed to visit the South Kentucky Association to 
 confer with them on the subject of a union between 
 the two bodies. Arrangements were made to have 
 the churches of both associations to send messengers 
 to a meeting to be held at Marble Creek, in Fayette 
 County, in July. The meeting was accordingly held. 
 A large majority of the messengers agreed on terms 
 of union. But some of the Separates opposed the 
 measure in such a manner as to defeat it. This so 
 displeased some of the churches of South Kentucky 
 Association that they at once declared nonfellow for 
 that body. 
 
 "On the 23d of the following November four 
 churches met, by their messengers, and formed them- 
 selves into an association under the style of 'Tates 
 Creek Association of United Baptists.' This was the 
 fourth association formed in Kentucky, and the first 
 that styled itself United Baptists. This was done in 
 imitation of the Baptists of Virginia, who had happily 
 united and assumed this title six years before. 
 
 "Tates Creek Association did not, at first, adopt 
 
52 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 any confession of faith, but in general terms agreed 
 to that adopted by Elkhorn and Salem. This gave 
 some trouble, for, although Elkhorn entered into cor- 
 respondence with the new fraternity immediately, it 
 caused such uneasiness among some of the churches 
 that she was compelled to withdraw her correspon- 
 dence the next year. But in 1797 the correspondence 
 was resumed, and has continued to the present time." 
 Tates Creek is still a live and vigorous association. 
 
 Bracken Association 
 
 The first association constituted in Kentucky, 
 according to Spencer (Vol. II, p. 96), was the 
 Bracken, which was the eldest daughter of Elkhorn. 
 "According to an arrangement made by Elkhorn 
 Association, messengers from eight churches met at 
 Bracken meeting house, near the present site of 
 Minerva, in Mason County, on Saturday, May 28, 
 1799. A sermon was preached by the venerable David 
 Thomas. James Turner was chosen Moderator, and 
 Donald Homes Clerk. After proper consideration, 
 Bracken Association was constituted in due form. 
 Five of the churches, viz. : Washington, Mayslick, 
 Bracken (now Minerva), Stone Lick and Locust 
 Creek, had been dismissed from Elkhorn Association. 
 The ministers of the new fraternity were Lewis Craig, 
 David Thomas, Donald Holmes and Philip Drake. 
 William Wood, the first preacher who had settled 
 within the present bounds of Bracken Association, 
 had been excluded from Washington Church the year 
 before the association was constituted. The venerable 
 and illustrious Lewis Craig was regarded the father 
 of this association. 
 
 "This fraternity was small at first. At its meet- 
 ing in the fall of 1799 it reported 9 churches with 
 600 members. It did not share so largely in the fruits 
 of the "Great Revival," as did the other associations 
 in the state. For, while the churches of Elkhorn re- 
 ported, in 1801, 3,011 baptisms, and those of Tates 
 Creek, 1,148, those of Bracken reported only 139. 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 53 
 
 The body, however, enjoyed a steady, healthful growth 
 till 1805, when it numbered 19 church with 1,865 
 members." This association reports now 28 churches 
 and 2,442 members. 
 
 Green River Association 
 
 The sixth association formed in Kentucky was 
 known as the Green River (Spencer, Vol. II, p. 105). 
 ' ' In 1799 there were about eight churches in what was 
 known as the Green River country. In June of that 
 year a conference was held at Sinking Creek meeting 
 house, in Barren Comity, for the purpose of con- 
 sidering the propriety of forming an association. The 
 conclusion of the meeting was, that it was expedient 
 for the churches to associate. An appointment was 
 made for a meeting at the Sinks of Beaver Creek, 
 to convene on the third Saturday in the following 
 October, to carry into effect the sense of the present 
 conference. The time and place of meeting were 
 afterwards changed. Accordingly, messengers from 
 several churches met at Mount Tabor meeting-house in 
 Barren County, on the third Saturday in June, 1800, 
 and Green River Association of nine Regular Baptist 
 churches was constituted in due form. 
 
 "A list of these churches is not now accessible; 
 but those known to have been in existence at that 
 time, within the territory occupied by the new fra- 
 ternity, were Concord, Mud Camp (now Blue Spring), 
 Mount Tabor, and Sinking Creek, in Barren County ; 
 Brush Creek (and probably Pitman's Creek), in 
 Green County; Sinks of Beaver Creek (now Drip- 
 ping Springs, in Metcalf County) ; Mill Creek, in 
 what is now Monroe County, and Severn's Valley, 
 in Hardin County. The last named had broken off 
 from Salem Association, some years before, on ac- 
 count of that body tolerating slavery; hence its con- 
 nection with Green River Association. It returned 
 to Salem Association in 1803." 
 
 Spencer's account of Green River Association 
 shows that he did not have the minutes until the ses- 
 
54 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 sion of 1802, when lie gives facts and figures accord- 
 ing to the minutes, but the author, by the kindness 
 of Hon. H. S. Robinson, Campbellsville, Kentucky, 
 has before him the minutes for Green River Associa- 
 tion for the years 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803 and 1804. 
 These sessions are not numbered, but 1800 seems to 
 be the first session. Doctor Spencer may be right 
 when he says, "Accordingly, messengers from several 
 churches met at Mount Tabor meeting-house, in Bar- 
 ren County, on the third Saturday in June, 1800 ; and 
 Green River Association of nine Regular Baptist 
 churches was constituted in due form, ' ' but if so this 
 must have been only a preliminary meeting, for the 
 old minute of that year reads as follows : 
 "Minutes of the Green River Association of Baptists. 
 "Held at Trammel's Creek Meeting-house, in 
 Green County, on Saturday, November 1, 1800, and 
 continued by adjournment until Monday the 3rd. 
 Saturday, November 1, 1800. At 12 o 'clock Elder Car- 
 ter Tarrant delivered the introductory sermon from 
 Psalms 55-14. We took sweet counsel together, and 
 walked unto the house of God in company. After 
 the sermon business was opened with prayer, when 
 Elder Robert Stockston was chosen moderator, and 
 John Chandler clerk. Letters from nine churches 
 were read, their messengers' names enrolled, and a 
 list of their numbers taken, which are as follows : ' ' 
 Here is given the list of the churches, the names of 
 the messengers and the number of members in each 
 church. The churches named are : Beaver Creek, 
 Brush Creek, Pitman's and Robinson Creek, Sinking 
 Creek, Trammel's Creek, Russell's Creek, Sinks of 
 Beaver Creek, Barren, and Mill Creek. Of the nine 
 churches they are all named for creeks but one. It 
 will be observed that Severn's VaUey is not in this 
 list. Severn's Valley first appears in the minutes of 
 1801. The minutes of that year report nineteen 
 churches, nine of which came in at that session, and 
 Severn's Valley is named as one of the nine. Then 
 at the 1803 session the minutes mention the fact that 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 55 
 
 "Severn's Valley requests a letter of dismission from 
 the association to join one more convenient — 
 granted." According to the old minutes the nine 
 churches of which Green River Association was con- 
 stituted aggregated 361 members. The preachers in 
 the organization, as far as known, were Alexander 
 Davidson, Carter Tarrant, Robert Stockton, Robert 
 Smith, John Mulky, Elijah Summers, Benjamin Lynn, 
 and probably Alexander McDougal and Baldwin 
 Clifton. 
 
 The association was constituted just about the 
 commencement of "The Great Revival," and so the 
 growth of the young fraternity was exceedingly 
 rapid. Its third annual meeting was held at Mill 
 Creek, in what is now Monroe County, July 31, 1802. 
 Robert Stockton was chosen moderator and John 
 Chandler clerk. Messengers were present from thirty 
 churches, twelve of which had been constituted since 
 the last session, which aggregated 1,763 members. 
 The numerical strength of the body multiplied more 
 than five-fold within two years. Benjamin Lynn, the 
 Daniel Boone of the Kentucky Baptists, was present 
 at this meeting, and was invited to a seat in the body. 
 Elder Jonathan Mulky was present from Holston 
 Association, in East Tennessee, ; Lewis Moore, from 
 Mero District ; Owen Owens, from Salem ; and letters 
 from Elkhorn, Bracken and News (N. C.). It was 
 "agreed to open correspondence with all the Baptist 
 associations in Kentucky." These were Elkhorn, 
 Salem, Tates Creek, Bracken, North District, South 
 District, and Mero District, the latter being partly in 
 Kentucky and partly in Tennessee. This shows that 
 there was a time when all the Baptists in Kentucky 
 were united. 
 
 According to history there were six associations 
 of Baptists in Kentucky in the year 1800, all of which 
 have been constituted within a period of fifteen years. 
 According to the minutes of Green River Association, 
 1804, that body was divided into three associations — 
 Green River, Russell's Creek, and Stockton's Valley. 
 
56 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 Spencer says (Vol. II, p. 252), "When Green 
 River Association divided on the question of missions, 
 in 1840, it (the Salem church) entered with seven 
 other churches into the constitution of Liberty Asso- 
 ciation." This fixes the date when Green River 
 Association became anti-missionary. 
 
 The space allotted to this chapter is too limited to 
 give even the names and dates of constitution of all 
 the associations (there being at this date seventy-six 
 in the state). We shall give only items of special 
 historical interest from the others, and a summary 
 at the end of the chapter. 
 
 North District Association, according to history, 
 resulted from a division of the old South Kentucky 
 fraternity in August, 1801, and held its first annual 
 meeting at Unity meeting-house in Clark County on 
 the first Friday in October, 1802. 
 
 There are several very interesting items recorded 
 in the history of this association as given by Spencer 
 (Vol. 2, p. 119 ff ) . One is the question of slavery 
 which caused a division in the association as early as 
 1807, fifty-four years before the war between the 
 states. "The question of slavery continued to be 
 agitated in the bounds of the association for nearly 
 twenty years," says Spencer. These facts will be 
 brought out fully in the chapter on ''The Emancipa- 
 tion Rupture.' ' 
 
 The next item of interest is the question of Camp- 
 bellism, which took root early in the association and 
 caused another split. "Mr. Campbell visited Mount 
 Sterling as early as 1824, and preached three sermons 
 there. John Smith, commonly known as 'Raccoon' 
 John Smith, the most attractive preacher and the 
 shrewdest manager in the association, was speedily 
 converted to his views. Several other preachers of 
 less note soon followed him. The churches withered 
 under the constant disputations for two or three 
 years. But suddenly, about the close of the year 
 1827, a powerful religious excitement began to move 
 the people here, as well as all over the northern part 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 57 
 
 of the state. Multitudes professed conversion and 
 were baptized. The Campbellite preachers were by- 
 far the most active in this work. John Smith's 
 biographer avers that Smith immersed most of the 
 converts. Of course, they were 'baptized for the re- 
 mission of sins.' This meeting has been called, not 
 inappropriately, 'John Smith's Revival.' During the 
 two years, 1828 and 1829, the churches of North 
 District reported 1,059 baptisms, while five new 
 churches were constituted 'on the Bible.' The asso- 
 ciation now numbered 24 churches with 2,265 mem- 
 bers. But it was no longer a Baptist association. The 
 Campbellites had an overwhelming majority in the 
 association, as well as in most of the churches. The 
 association went through the ordinary routine of busi- 
 ness in 1829, and appointed to meet the next year 
 at Spencer Creek. 
 
 "Instead of attending the meeting at Spencer 
 Creek, where they knew they would be in a hopeless 
 minority, the Baptists called a convention, which met 
 at Lulbegrud, in April, 1830. Only seven churches 
 were represented. The principal business transacted 
 by the meeting was the examination of the records 
 of South Kentucky and North District associations, 
 to ascertain what had been the duties and customs 
 of those bodies. The investigation showed that the 
 established customs of North District Association had 
 been repeatedly and flagrantly violated during the 
 last three years." The full report of the committee 
 appointed to make the investigation and the action 
 of the body will appear in a chapter on "The Camp- 
 bellian Split." "After giving their reasons for their 
 conclusions, and transacting some other business, they 
 conclude as follows : ' In conclusion, we declare that 
 we withdraw from all churches that have departed, 
 as before alleged, considering them in disorder and 
 gone out of the union. But at the same time, our 
 fellowship is not broken with such minorities, or in- 
 dividual members, as are content with former usages 
 of the churches' " (Spencer, Vol. 2, p. 123). This 
 
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60 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 gives us an account of the beginning of Campbellism 
 in Kentucky, the end of which is not yet. 
 
 The next item of special interest is the account of 
 Anti-missions which practically killed the association. 
 "North District Association held its first meeting after 
 the Campbellite schism at Howard's Upper Creek, 
 in Clark County, on the fourth Saturday in July, 
 1831. It embraced 11 churches with 950 members. 
 Thomas Boone, David Chenault, and James Edmon- 
 son were the only preachers left in the association. 
 Small as the body was then, it has never been so large 
 since. It was acknowledged and encouraged by all 
 the surrounding associations; but it gradually de- 
 clined in numbers. The anti-missionary complexion 
 of the body was manifested by its dropping corre- 
 spondence with all the neighboring associations, 
 except Burning Spring, between the years 1837 and 
 1842. In 1859 it assumed the name of 'Old Baptists,' 
 which it still bears. At that time it numbered 9 
 churches, aggregating 337 members. It has had but 
 little variation in numbers from that time to the 
 present. In 1880 it numbered 9 churches with 417 
 members. From its organization in 1802 to the Camp- 
 bellite schism in 1829 there were baptized into its 
 churches 4,075 members. During the 39 years of 
 which we have reports, since the Campbellite schism, 
 there have been baptized into its churches 513 mem- 
 bers. Its name, 'Old Baptists,' indicates that it is 
 an anti-missionary body." (Spencer, Vol. 2, p. 124f.) 
 
 Thus the once strong North District Association 
 has practically died as the result of the anti-mission 
 spirit. What the slavery agitation and the Camp- 
 bellism split failed to do anti-missions accomplished. 
 
 At the close of the year 1800 there were in Ken- 
 tucky six associations — six churches belonging to the 
 Mero District Association of Tennessee and three un- 
 associated churches — with a total membership of about 
 5,119. The six associations were Elkhorn, Salem, 
 South Kentucky, Tate's Creek, Bracken and Green 
 River. 
 
The First Associations Constituted — 1785 61 
 
 The decade follewin^ 1800 added the following 
 associations: North District and South District were 
 formed by disbanding the old South Kentucky in 
 1802, South Kentucky (1803), North Bend (1803), 
 Long Run (1803), Russell's Creek (1804), Stockton's 
 Valley (1805), Red River (1807), Cumberland River 
 (1809), Licking (1810). As Long Run is the largest 
 association in the state, we give here a short history 
 of this body. The Long Run Association was con- 
 stituted September 16, 1803, at Long Run Church in 
 Jefferson County, Kentucky. It seems that prac- 
 tically all of the churches that went into this constitu- 
 tion were from the Salem Association, and according 
 to a resolution adopted by that body at its nineteenth 
 annual session. The Long Run body was constituted 
 of 24 churches with a membership of 1,619. Im- 
 mediately following the constitution of the association 
 two other churches were received into their fellowship. 
 
 Long Run includes all the Baptist churches in 
 Louisville, and those in Jefferson County outside of 
 Louisville and a few outside of Jefferson County. At 
 the present time they report 50 churches and 16,830 
 members. Their total contributions for last year is 
 given as $427,548.08, while the valuation of church 
 property is given at $1,091,529. This is a great 
 association. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 The Great Revival of 1800 
 
 In the great revivals betv^een 1797 and 1812, 
 especially in Kentucky, most marked mental and 
 spiritual phenomena appeared, such as "the Jerks," 
 "The falling exercise," etc. 
 
 The first instance noted was in 1797, under the 
 preaching of McGready and McGree, Presbyterian 
 ministers. From thence it spread rapidly over Ken- 
 tucky and parts of Tennessee, and soon became in- 
 separable from the "camp meetings," then so popular 
 throughout the country. The following account is 
 taken from Anti-Missionism (17-19) by Dr. B. H. 
 Carroll, Jr. : 
 
 "Some fell suddenly as if struck by lightning, 
 while others were seized with a universal tremor the 
 moment before, and fell shrieking. Piercing shrieks 
 were uttered by many during the whole period of 
 prostration, intermingled with groans, cries for mercy, 
 and exclamations of "Glory to God!" In general 
 there was no complaint of pain, but of general weak- 
 ness during and after the paroxysms. Women would 
 fall while walking to and from the meeting-house, 
 engaged in narrating past exercises, or drop from 
 their horses on the road. In this condition the subject 
 would lie fifteen minutes or two or three hours; and 
 we are even told of a woman's lying, without eating 
 or speaking, for nine days and nights. Some were 
 more or less convulsed, and wrought hard in frightful 
 nervous agonies, the eyes rolling widely. But the 
 greater number were quite motionless, as if dead or 
 about to expire in a few moments. Some were capable 
 of conversing, others were not. During the syncope, 
 and even when conscious and talking on religious 
 topics, the subject was insensible of pain. Vinegar 
 
 62 
 
The Great Revival of 1800 63 
 
 and hartshorn were applied with no perceptible 
 
 effects During the great camp meeting at Cane 
 
 Ridge, August 6, 1801, three thousand were computed 
 to have fallen. 
 
 "A similar affection to this was 'the jerking exer- 
 cise,' or as it was commonly called, 'the jerks.' In 
 this exercise the subject was instantaneously seized 
 with spasms or convulsions in every muscle, nerve and 
 tendon. His head was jerked from side to side with 
 such rapidity that it was impossible to distinguish 
 his visage, and the most lively fears were entertained 
 lest he should dislocate his neck, or dash out his 
 brains. His body partook of the same impulse, and 
 was hurried on by jerks over every obstacle, fallen 
 trunks of trees, or, in a church, over pews and 
 benches, apparently to the most imminent danger of 
 being bruised and mangled. It was useless to attempt 
 to restrain or hold him, and the paroxysm was per- 
 mitted gradually to exhaust itself. 
 
 "Wicked men were often taken with these strange 
 exercises, and many would curse the jerks while they 
 were under their singular operation. Some were 
 taken at the tavern with a glass of liquor in their 
 hands, which they would suddenly toss over their 
 heads or to a distant part of the room. Others were 
 taken with them at the card table, and at other places 
 of dissipation, and would by a violent and unaffected 
 jerk throw a handful of cards all over the room. 
 
 "The rolling exercise, the running exercise, the 
 dancing exercise, the barking exercise, the laughing 
 exercise, and visions and trances were frequent con- 
 comitants of camp meetings in Kentucky and Ten- 
 nessee during the great revival. These exercises were 
 simply such variations of the foregoing as their names 
 would naturally suggest." It is generally conceded 
 by historians that the Baptists declined to join in 
 general camp meetings, and were therefore but little 
 affected by these strange phenomena. "In 1800, in 
 Kentucky, the statistics compared with those of 1790 
 show a falling off of 100 per cent in Baptist mem- 
 
64 Kenincky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 bership in proportion to increase in population, ' ' says 
 Spencer. This was the ten years just prior to the 
 great revival. The ten years just following the re- 
 vival — 1800 to 1810 — show a great Baptist gain. 
 Doctor Spencer says, "The revival of 1800 was one 
 of the most wonderful events of modern times. It 
 appeared more like the sudden conversion of a nation 
 than the regeneration and reformation of indi- 
 viduals." After telling of the marvelous manifesta- 
 tions in the jerks, rolling, jumping, dancing, etc., 
 Doctor Spencer says, "Doubtless there were many 
 people truly converted," but he adds, "it is equally 
 certain that great evil resulted." This, of course, 
 would be expected. Periods of great religious excite- 
 ment are often prolific of much evil. 
 
 According to Spencer Baptists took but little part 
 in these camp meetings where there was wild excite- 
 ment. In fact, he says "they joined in only one of 
 these union meetings so far as is known." Again he 
 says, "It is certain that the Baptists in Kentucky 
 were generally exempt from the excesses of the great 
 revival of 1800 that so sorely afflicted the Presby- 
 terians. And instead of its resulting in discord, it 
 healed the only schism there was among them." 
 (Spencer, Vol. I, p. 536.) 
 
 There were other good results. "The revival had 
 an especially happy effect on the Baptists in dispos- 
 ing them to make more effort to heal some unhappy 
 divisions that existed among them, and in enlarging 
 the spirit of missions. Hitherto their missionary 
 operations had been confined to sending their min- 
 isters to look after their destitute brethren in Ken- 
 tucky and in the adjacent borders of Tennessee, 
 Indiana, and Ohio. But in 1801, at the meeting of 
 Elkhorn Association, which comprised one-third of 
 the Baptists in the state, and probably more than 
 two-thirds of their wealth and influence, a request 
 came up from South Elkhorn Church 'to send mis- 
 sionaries to the Indian nations' " (Spencer, Vol. I, 
 p. 543). As a result of this request a committee was 
 
The Great Revival of 1800 65 
 
 appointed to take charge of the matter, and at least 
 one missionary was sent out, for the records show 
 that "John Young was approved by the committee 
 and sent as a missionary to the Indians. ' ' 
 
 In the account of this revival, given by Mr. Roose- 
 velt ("The Winning of the West," Vol. VI, p. 175), 
 after saying many of the so-called converts went back 
 into utter unbelief and sinful practices worse than 
 the ones they had given up, he adds, "Nevertheless, 
 on the whole there was an immense gain for good. 
 The people received a new light, and were given a 
 sense of moral responsibility such as they had not 
 previously possessed. Much of the work was done 
 badly, or was afterwards undone, but very much was 
 really accomplished." 
 
 We are very much inclined to agree with Mr. 
 Roosevelt at this point. While there were wild 
 excesses and evil results, there was much good on the 
 whole accomplished by this great revival. The 
 spiritual interest and gain in membership in our 
 churches indicate this. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 The Regular and Separate Baptists in Kentucky 
 United— 1801 
 
 Many of our people of the present time do not 
 understand what is meant by ''United Baptists," as 
 the term long since has fallen into disuse. 
 
 In the early history of Baptists in Kentucky they 
 were divided into "Regular Baptists" and "Separate 
 Baptists," which, as Doctor Spencer says, "was a 
 distinction without a difference, ' ' very largely. These 
 distinctions continued for some years, but effort after 
 effort was made until a union was finally effected. 
 
 I use here a part of an address by Dr. W. M. 
 Pratt, and published in Jubilee Volume 1887 (p. 46). 
 
 "The early Baptist churches in Kentucky had 
 troubles within. 
 
 "First. To secure unity between the two classes 
 of Baptists — the Regulars and the Separates. 
 
 "The Separate Baptists had their origin in New 
 England about the middle of the last century as the 
 result of the great revival under the ministry of 
 Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield. Those who 
 withdrew from the 'Standing Order' (Congrega- 
 tionalist) were called Separates or New Lights. 
 Among their number was Shubal Stearns, who sub- 
 sequently, on investigating the Scriptures, united with 
 the Baptists and was baptized by Elder Wait Palmer 
 at Tolland, Connecticut, and was ordained to the Bap- 
 tist ministry by Elders Palmer and Moore. He felt 
 impressed that his work in the ministry was to be 
 outside of New England, as in 1754, together with 
 his wife, sons, and his two brothers and their wives, 
 his brother-in-law, David Marshall and wife, Joseph 
 Breed and wife, Enos Steinson and wife, and Joseph 
 Polk and wife, he left for the South, and located on 
 
Regular and Separate Baptists United — 1801 67 
 
 Sanday Creek, North Carolina, and immediately 
 formed a church of these members of his household- 
 David Marshall and Joseph R. Breed were appointed 
 by the infant church to assist the pastor in his 
 ministerial work. On his way to North Carolina he 
 stopped for a short time in northeast Virginia and 
 formed acquaintance with two churches in that region. 
 The spirituality of the Christian religion was then 
 untaught, and only in isolated instances was unknown 
 in that region. The most wonderful effects resulted 
 from the preaching of these men of God, and the 
 spirituality of this little church on Sandy Creek, 
 Guildford County, North Carolina, in the middle 
 of the state, and about forty miles east of the Yadkin 
 River, where Daniel Boone resided, at the time when 
 he explored Kentucky. Doctor Cathcart says, 'The 
 parent body in a few years had 606 members, and in 
 seventeen years from its origin it had branches south- 
 ward as far as Georgia, eastward to the sea and the 
 Chesapeake Bay, and northward to the waters of the 
 Potomac. It has become the mother, grandmother, 
 and great-grandmother of forty-two churches, from 
 which 125 ministers were sent out as licentiates or 
 ordained clergymen. And in after years the power 
 that God gave Shubal Stearns and his Sandy Creek 
 Church in North Carolina with resistless force 
 brought immense throngs to Christ and established 
 multitudes of Baptist churches.' (Baptist Encyclo- 
 pedia). Probably no one minister in America has 
 exerted so extensive and permanent influence. George 
 Whitfield was Calvinistic in his view, so was Shubal 
 Stearns. A peculiar feature of his church was a 
 refusal to formulate articles of faith. They merely 
 had a written Church Covenant, and took the Bible 
 alone as their rule of belief. He possessed the spirit 
 and activity of the early Methodists, and communi- 
 cated the same to his disciples. 
 
 "The large majority of the earlier ministers of 
 Kentucky were baptized by Separate Baptist minis- 
 ters, imbibed the spirit and pursued the course of 
 
68 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 Shubal Stearns, traveling to distant fields of evangeli- 
 cal labor, organizing churches and becoming them- 
 selves pioneers in church enterprise. The Philadel- 
 phia Association was constituted 1707, and at one 
 time comprehended nearly all the churches from New 
 England to South Carolina. She was the originator 
 of Eaton's Academy at Hopewell, N. J., and Brown's 
 University in Rhode Island, and her ministers were 
 of considerable culture. She adopted and published 
 her creed in 1742. (Printed by Benjamin Franklin, 
 Philadelphia, 1743). This was the 'Confession of 
 Faith' by Baptists in London and the country in 
 1689. This mother of Baptist Associations in Amer- 
 ica exerted a most conservative and wise influence 
 over these newly formed churches in the South. She 
 commissioned her wisest men to visit the settlements, 
 and to give wholesome instruction to the churches and 
 their ministers. The churches connected immediately 
 with her body were called 'Regulars,' and those which 
 arose from this new movement were termed 'Sepa- 
 rates. ' As a result of this judicious course most of the 
 early ministers who came to Kentucky and established 
 churches adopted the 'Philadelphia Confession' as an 
 exponent of their faith. The churches south of Ken- 
 tucky River mostly organized on the original plat- 
 form of Shubal Stearns, with simply a church cove- 
 nant. The associations of the Regular Baptists, both 
 in Virginia and Kentucky, made overtures to the Sep- 
 arates for a union, which, after some delay, was con- 
 summated in Virginia, August 10, 1787, and in Ken- 
 tucky, partially in 1797, and fully in 1801, under the 
 name of 'United Baptists,' adopting in both states 
 the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, with certain 
 'explanations.' Thus the Baptists of Virginia and 
 Kentucky possess the two-fold elements of- Calvinistic 
 faith of the oldest association in America and the 
 holy fervor and boundless zeal of the Separates — a 
 most excellent combination. The two classes are so 
 thoroughly wedded, that for years past not only party 
 names dropped, but the word 'United' also, and 'Bap- 
 
Regular and Separate Baptists United — 1801 69 
 
 tist ' alone remains to indicate our distinctive views. ' ' 
 This shows that the union was effective. Benedict 
 (page 812) in speaking of "The Regulars and Sepa- 
 rates in Kentucky," says : "These distinctions which 
 we have described under the head of Virginia, the 
 Carolinas, etc., began early to appear in this western 
 region ; the parties which maintained them, were 
 lineal descendants of the same people in the east, and 
 here again we find the successors of Stearns, Marshall, 
 and other New England New Lights. 
 
 "The Elkhorn and South Kentucky Associations 
 embraced the substance of the two parties in the early 
 movements of the Baptists in this new region, and by 
 these bodies a reconciliation and union was effected 
 similar to those which have been described in Vir- 
 ginia and North Carolina. 
 
 "The meeting for this purpose was held at 
 Howard's Creek, N. H., in Clark County, in 1801. A. 
 Dudley, J. Price, J. Redding, D. Barrow, and R. 
 Elkin represented the Regulars; D. Ramey, Thomas 
 J, Chilton, M. Bledsoe, S. Johnson the Separates." 
 
 The Terms of Union: The terms of the union as 
 given by Benedict (page 821) are: "We, the com- 
 mittees of the Elkhorn and South Kentucky Asso- 
 ciations, do agree to unite on the following plan : 
 
 "1. That the scriptures of the Old and New Tes- 
 tament are the infallible word of God, and the only 
 rule of faith and practice. 
 
 "2, That there is one only true God, and in the 
 God-head or divine essence, there are Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost. 
 
 "3. That by nature we are fallen and depraved 
 creatures. 
 
 "4. That salvation, regeneration, sanctification, 
 and justification, are by the life, death, resurrection, 
 and ascension of Jesus Christ. 
 
 ' ' 5. That the saints will finally persevere through 
 grace to glory. 
 
 "6. That believers' baptism, by immersion, is 
 necessary to receiving the Lord's Supper. 
 
70 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 * * 7. That the salvation of the righteous and pun- 
 ishment of the wicked will be eternal. 
 
 "8. That it is our duty to be tender and affec- 
 tionate to each other, and study the happiness of the 
 children of God in general; to be engaged singly to 
 promote the honor of God. 
 
 "9. And that the preaching Christ tasted death 
 for every man, shall be no bar to communion. 
 
 "10. And that each may keep up their associa- 
 tional and church government as to them may seem 
 best. 
 
 "11. That a free correspondence and communion 
 be kept up between the churches thus united. 
 
 " tJnanimously agreed to by the joint committee. 
 Ambrose Dudley, Joseph Redding, Robert Elkin, 
 John Price, David Barrow, Daniel Ramey, Thos. J. 
 Chilton, Samuel Johnson, Moses Bledsoe." 
 
 Benedict says ' ' This was the last body of the Sepa- 
 rate Baptists which relinquishes the appellation by 
 which they had been distinguished about fifty years. ' ' 
 For a short time the term "United Baptists" was 
 used, but it soon dropped out of use and our people 
 were known simply as ' ' Baptists, ' ' until the split over 
 the mission question, (about 1832), and then we were 
 called "Missionary Baptists" to distinguish us from 
 the Anti-missionary Baptists. However, as the Anti- 
 missionary Baptists have about disappeared the term 
 "Missionary" is not now necessary in connection with 
 the name "Baptists" as we are now called. Our 
 churches today are known simply as Baptist churches, 
 which is quite sufficient, since other bodies using the 
 name "Baptist" use some designating term as, "Free- 
 will," "General," "Old School," etc. Our denomi- 
 nation is put down in history and in statistics simply 
 "Baptists." 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 The Emancipation Rupture — 1807 
 
 Though the agitation of the emancipation of 
 slaves began in 1789 in the meetings of Kentucky 
 Baptists the rupture did not occur until 1807. ''The 
 first reference to the unlawfulness of slavery, found 
 on the public records of Kentucky Baptists, is con- 
 tained in the following queries, sent from Rolling 
 Fork Church, in Nelson County, to Salem Association, 
 convened at Cox's Creek Church in the same county, 
 on the third of October, 1789: 'Is it lawful in the 
 sight of God for a member of Christ 's Church to keep 
 his fellow creature in perpetual slavery?' The ques- 
 tion was answered thus: 'The association judge it 
 improper to enter into so important and critical mat- 
 ter at present,' This answer gave no relief to the 
 church." ("History of Kentucky Baptists," Vol. I, 
 p. 183.) 
 
 The question of slavery, however, was already 
 agitating our brethren in Virginia. Semple's History 
 of Virginia Baptists, Revised Edition, (p. 102), says: 
 ' ' The next General Committee met at William 's meet- 
 ing house, Goochland County, Friday, the seventh of 
 March, 1778." The date here evidently should be 
 1788, for the meeting just prior to this was 1787, and 
 the one just following was August, 1788, It seems 
 that the committee met oftener than once a year. 
 Doctor Semple then adds as the third item of busi- 
 ness, "Whether a petition should be offered to the 
 General Assembly, praying that the yoke of slavery 
 may be made more tolerable. Referred to the next 
 session. " It seems from the account of the next meet- 
 ing, which was held at Dupuy's meeting house, Au- 
 gust 11, 1788, the question of slavery was not taken 
 up, but at the next meeting held in Richmond, Au- 
 
 71 
 
72 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 gust 8, 1789, the matter came up as follows, says Sam- 
 ple (p. 105) : *'The propriety of hereditary slavery 
 was also taken up at this session, and after some time 
 employed in the consideration of the subject the fol- 
 lowing resolution was offered by Mr. Leland and 
 adopted. (The Rev. John Leland-Nowlin). Resolved 
 that slavery is a violent deprivation of the rights of 
 nature and inconsistent with a republican govern- 
 ment, and therefore recommend it to our brethren to 
 make use of every legal measure to extirpate this 
 horrid evil from the land; and pray Almighty God 
 that our honorable Legislature may have it in their 
 power to proclaim the great Jubilee, consistent with 
 the principles of good policy." Then on page 393 
 Semple says: ''In 1787, the lawfulness of hereditary 
 slavery was debated in the association. They deter- 
 mined that hereditary slavery was a breach of the 
 divine law. They then appointed a committee to 
 bring in a plan of gradual emancipation, which was 
 accordingly done." 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the early Baptists in Vir- 
 ginia expressed opposition, in unmistakable terms, to 
 slavery, as early as 1787. Our Kentucky associations 
 were in correspondence with the Virginia associations, 
 both by letter and messengers, and were therefore 
 advised as to their actions. So it is no surprise to see 
 the matter coming up two years later, than the above 
 Virginia action, in a Kentucky association — the Sa- 
 lem. Elkhorn Association, at its meeting in August, 
 1791, says Spencer, (Vol. I, p. 184), "Appointed a 
 committee of three to draw up a memorial to the con- 
 vention to be held on the third day of April next, 
 requesting them to take up the subject of Religious 
 Liberty, and Perpetual Slavery in the formation of 
 the constitution of this district, and report at the 
 Crossing, on the eighth of September. Eastin, Gar- 
 rard and Dudley were the committee. At the meeting 
 at Great Crossings, in September of the same year, 
 the 'memorial on Religious Liberty and Perpetual 
 Slavery was read and approved.' This action of the 
 
The Emancipation Rupture — 1807 73 
 
 association did not meet the approval of the churches. 
 Accordingly, the next association, which met at 
 Bryants, in December of the same year, and which 
 was probably convened, in extra session, for this 
 express purpose, 'Resolved that the association dis- 
 approve of the memorial which the last association 
 agreed to send to the convention, on the subject of 
 Religious Liberty and the Abolition of Slavery.' " 
 
 After this, it seems that the question of slavery 
 did not come up in the association for several years. 
 But the preachers were preaching on the subject and 
 it was being discussed in the churches. Emancipation 
 parties were formed in many churches, which was a 
 source of confusion and disturbance. The association 
 finally had to act on the question of the emancipation 
 of slaves. "Elkhorn Association, during its session at 
 Bryant's, in 1805, again took up the subject and 
 passed a resolution, that, 'This association judges it 
 improper for ministers, churches or associations to 
 meddle with emancipation from slavery, or any other 
 political subject, and as such, we advise ministers 
 and churches to have nothing to do therewith. ' 
 
 "This resolution gave great offense to the emanci- 
 pators. They became much more active and deter- 
 mined in their opposition to slavery. Even the earnest 
 and laborious William Hickman was carried beyond 
 the limits of prudence. On a fast day of that same 
 year, he preached at Elkhorn Church, of which he 
 was a member, and the pastor. His text was Isa. 
 58 :6 : ' Is not this the fast I have chosen ? to loose the 
 bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and 
 to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every 
 yoke?" This sermon, says Theodrick Boulware, 'was 
 disingenuous and offensive. The speaker declared 
 non-fellowship for all slave holders. A few days 
 afterwards he wrote a letter to the church, declaring 
 his withdrawal.' Whether he went into the constitu- 
 tion of an emancipation church, or not, does not 
 appear. John Shackelford was called to the care of 
 Forks of Elkhorn Church for one year. Before his 
 
74 Keniwky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 time was out Mr. Hickman returned and gave satis- 
 faction to the church, and, when the year was out, 
 resumed its pastorate. " (" History of Kentucky Bap- 
 tists," Vol. I, p. 185). 
 
 This gives us some conception of the disturbance 
 in the Elkhorn Association caused by the question of 
 emancipation. About this same time John Sutton led 
 off a party from the Clear Creek Church, which 
 united with a faction led out of Hillsboro Church by 
 Carter Tarrant, and formed an emancipation church, 
 called New Hope, located in Woodford County, "the 
 first emancipation church in this part of the world," 
 says John Taylor. ("History of Ten Churches," 
 p. 81). 
 
 The question of slavery caused a division in the 
 North District Association in 1807. Spencer says, 
 (Vol. II, 119 f) : "In 1804, Thomas J. Chilton, from 
 a party of South District Association, which after- 
 wards took the name of South Kentucky Association, 
 presented to North District, charges against Jere- 
 miah Vardeman and John Kice. As the party repre- 
 sented by Mr. Chilton was not recognized by the asso- 
 ciation, the charges were not entertained. But the 
 next year, the same body entertained five charges 
 against David Barrow, the ablest preacher in their 
 body. These charges were presented by the messen- 
 gers from Bracken Association, and pertained to Mr. 
 Barrow's sentiments on the subject of slavery. The 
 association, after hearing him, in his own defense, 
 decided that his explanations and apologies were suf- 
 ficient. Some of the churches, however, were deter- 
 mined to get rid of him; and new provisions were 
 made for his expulsion. 'Providence and Boone's 
 Creek Churches inquire how a church shall deal with 
 a minister who propagates doctrines that' are unsound 
 or pernicious to peace and good order? The asso- 
 ciation advises that a church, in such casses, withdraw 
 all the power they gave such preacher; and (that) 
 two preachers may suspend, or stop such preacher 
 from preaching, until he can be tried by a council of 
 
The EmaiicipaUon Rupture — 1807 75 
 
 five ministers, whose decision, in such case, ought to 
 be obeyed, until reversed by the association.' This 
 rule, however, unbaptistic, was applied to Mr. Bar- 
 row almost immeditely after the association ad- 
 journed. At the next meeting of the body, in 1806, 
 the following proceedings were entered on its min- 
 utes: 
 
 '* 'A committee or council of five ministers re- 
 ported: That, agreeable to provision made last asso- 
 ciation, for the trial of ministers, they had been deal- 
 ing with Brother David Barrow, for preaching the 
 doctrine of emancipation, to the hurt and injury of 
 the brotherhood. And the association, after consid- 
 ering the foregoing report, and hearing what Brother 
 Barrow had to say, in justification of his conduct, on 
 that subject, and Brother Barrow manifesting no dis- 
 position to alter his mode of preaching, as to the afore- 
 said doctrine, they proceeded to expel him from his 
 seat in this association, ' They also ' appointed a com- 
 mittee to deal with Brother Barrow, in the church 
 at Mount Sterling, at their next monthly meeting, 
 and report to next association.' 
 
 "Immediately after Mr. Barrow's expulsion from 
 North District Association, he commenced arranging 
 for the constitution of an Emancipation Association. 
 A meeting was called to convene at New Hope, in 
 Woodford County, on the twenty-ninth of August, 
 1807. Eleven preachers and nineteen other messen- 
 gers were enrolled as members of the meeting. Pre- 
 liminary steps were taken, for the organization of an 
 association, which was constituted of nine churches, 
 aggregiating 190 members, the following September, 
 This association, which took the name of Licking 
 Locust, will be noticed in its appropriate place. 
 
 "North District Association saw the injustice of 
 her rash act when it was too late to counteract its evil 
 effects. At her annual meeting, in 1807: 'The asso- 
 ciation proceeded to annul and revoke the act of last 
 association, in expelling Elder David Barrow from 
 his seat in the association. But she had already lost 
 
76 Kentucky Baptist Hktory— 1770-1922 
 
 at least three churches and two preachers by the 
 transaction; and they did not now choose to return. 
 The subject of slavery continued to be agitated, in the 
 bounds of the association, nearly twenty years." 
 
 The foregoing shows that the agitation was long 
 and bitter in this association. We are told by Spen- 
 cer (Vol. I, p. 186) that ''The excitement extended 
 all over the settled portion of the state. Several 
 churches in Bracken Association fell in with the 
 emancipation scheme. Among these were Licking 
 Locust, Lawrence Creek, Gilgal and Bracken. Among 
 the churches that united in the movement from North 
 District, were Mount Sterling and Bethel. These and 
 a number of other churches effected an organization, 
 in September, 1807, under the name of ' The Baptized 
 Licking-Locust Association, Friends of Humanity.' 
 At their next meeting they resolved 'that the present 
 mode of associations, or confederation of churches, 
 was unscriptural. ' They then proceeded to form 
 themselves into an 'Abolition Society,' * * * jn 
 1816 they met at Lawrence Creek meeting house, in 
 Mason County, under the name of ' The Association of 
 Baptists, Friends of Humanity.' The following 
 churches were represented: Bracken, Gilgal, Law- 
 rence Creek, Mount Sterling, Bullskin and Bethel. 
 No account was received from New Hope in Wood- 
 ford County. 
 
 "The preaching was by Jacob Mahan, Moses Ed- 
 wards and Alexander. The Lord's Supper 
 
 was administered by David Barrow and Thomp- 
 son. There is a manifest tendency to 'open com- 
 munion' and other signs of decay, exhibited in the 
 meager journal of their proceedings. The body kept 
 up a feeble, withering existence till about the year 
 1820, when it was dissolved." 
 
 It seems from this time on the emancipation ques- 
 tion gave the churches in Kentucky little or no trou- 
 ble. We are unable to understand why the agitation 
 died down, and the Emancipation Association dis- 
 banded, unless the leaders came to realize that they 
 
The Emancipation Rupture — 1807 77 
 
 were fighting a hopeless battle; and that their ener- 
 gies could be more profitably spent along other lines. 
 From the history we have of the emancipation 
 movement it accomplished little, or no good, and a 
 vast amount of harm. It disturbed Baptist churches 
 and associations in Kentucky for a period of more 
 than thirty years, and passed away, leaving no per- 
 manent breach. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 The Campbellian Split — 1830 
 
 We have now reached an important point in Ken- 
 tucky Baptist History — ''The Current Reformation." 
 It is not the author's purpose in this chapter to 
 deliver a blow at Campbellism, but to give a fair 
 statement of an important chapter in Kentucky Bap- 
 tist history. As will be seen from the following facts 
 a definite separation has taken place between the Bap- 
 tists and the Disciples by the close of 1830. 
 
 Thomas Campbell left Scotland for the United 
 States the eighth day of April, 1807, and Alexander 
 Campbell, his son, together with the family, sailed for 
 the United States September 28, 1808, "but the vessel 
 in which the family had embarked being shipwrecked 
 off the Irish coast, the family returned to Europe and 
 Alexander entered the University of Glasgow Novem- 
 ber 8, the same year, and remained until the close of 
 the university session the following May, 1809 ((pp. 
 130 and 190), The following August, the same year, 
 Alexander, together with the family, again started 
 for the United States, and landed in New York Sep- 
 tember 29, 1809, and shortly after reached Washing- 
 ton, Pa., in time to read and approve the ' Declaration 
 and Address,' as the constitution of the Christian 
 Association was called, which was then issuing from 
 the press. (Mem. A. C, Vol. I, pp. 195 and 205)." 
 Taken from "Origin of Campbellism," page 15. 
 
 Thus in 1809 we find Alexander Campbell in the 
 United States. It is not the author's purpose to fol- 
 low Mr. Campbell in founding and developing a new 
 sect, but to notice his life and labors as they touch and 
 affect the history of Kentucky Baptists. Mr. Camp- 
 bell began preaching in Kentucky as early as 1823, 
 and by 1830 there was a definite separation between 
 
 78 
 
The Campbellian Split— 1830 79 
 
 the Baptists and the Disciples, as they called them- 
 selves. The labors of Mr. Campbell were begun in 
 Kentucky as a Baptist, and in Baptist churches. In 
 this way Mr. Campbell ingratiated himself into the 
 favor of the Baptists before they learned that he ha^ 
 been called to re-establish "the ancient order of 
 things." Spencer in his "History of Kentucky Bap- 
 tists" (Vol. I, p. 581) on "The Rise of Campbellism" 
 says: 
 
 "The Baptist denomination in Kentucky was 
 probably never more prosperous than in the year 
 1820. The churches and associations were enjoying 
 great peace, if we except a slight interruption of the 
 correspondence between Licking and Elkhorn Asso- 
 ciations, and the existence of the South Kentucky and 
 Nolyun Associations of Separate Baptists, which did 
 not correspond with the other associations in the state. 
 The spirit of missions had been greatly revived and 
 the churches were contributing more liberally to for- 
 eign 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. War- 
 field, Wm. Warder, Isaac Hodgin, Jeremiah Varde- 
 man, George Waller, Silas M. Noel, Walter Warder 
 and Wm. Vaughan, all brought into the ministry on 
 the soil of Kentucky, were men of eminent 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 membership exceeding in numbers that of all other 
 denominations combined, their prospects for the fu- 
 ture 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 disas- 
 trous consequences. The opposition to missions, theo- 
 logical schools, and, indeed, all benevolent societies, 
 
80 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 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 to subside, 
 especially among the illiterate and uninformed. While 
 avarice was not by any means, the primal cause of 
 opposition to missions and other benevolent enter- 
 prises, it doubtless 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 brilliancy eclipsed 
 all other lights, and whose influence among the Bap- 
 tists of Kentucky was destined to exert greater evil 
 among them than that of any other man of his gen- 
 eration. This was Alexander Campbell, then and 
 during the remainder of his life, a resident of Brook 
 County, Virginia. For a time, after he commenced 
 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 discredit the doc- 
 trines and practices of the principal religious sects 
 of the country." 
 
 In August, 1823, Mr. Campbell began the publica- 
 tion of a monthly paper which he called The Chris- 
 tian Baptist, and in October of the same year he 
 debated with W. L. McCalla, Presbyterian, at Wash- 
 ington, Mason County, Kentucky, on baptism. But to 
 understand the "Current Reformation" in Kentucky 
 we must take up the life and labors of Barton W. 
 Stone, and to understand Stone 's movements we must 
 take some notice of the great revival. From the Me- 
 moirs of Wm. Vaughan (121 ff) we get the following 
 informing account of Barton Stone's movement. 
 
 "In the year 1796 a very eloquent Presbyterian 
 preacher by the name of McGready immigrated to 
 Logan County, Kentucky, and was settled as pastor 
 over two churches known as Red and Muddy River. 
 
The CampheUian Split— 1830 81 
 
 These churches were in a cold back-sliddeu condition, 
 and of this he writes with sadness. We quote his 
 own words : 
 
 " 'Our infant congregations remained in a state 
 of deadness and darkness from the fall, through the 
 winter and until the month of July, 1799. On Mon- 
 day the power of God seemed to fill the congregation. 
 The boldest, daring sinners in the county covered 
 their faces and wept bitterly. After the congregation 
 was dismissed, a large number of people remained 
 about the doors, unwilling to go away. Some of the 
 ministers proposed to me to collect the people in the 
 meeting house again and perform prayer with them. 
 The mighty power of God came among us like a 
 shower from the everlasting hills. God's people were 
 quickened and comforted ; sinners were powerfully 
 alarmed, and some precious souls were brought to feel 
 the pardoning love of Jesus. Gasper River, the fol- 
 lowing August, was the scene of a deep religious 
 interest. After the sermon the pastor gave a solemn 
 exhortation. The people for some time kept their 
 seats, while a deep solemnity prevailed throughout 
 the congregation. Some cried out aloud and many 
 fell on the ground and laid there, groaning, praying 
 and crying for mercy. Not long after this a deep 
 religious interest was awakened along the banks of 
 the Ohio. ' ' Further Mr. Vaughan says : " 'In July, ' 
 says Mr. McGready, 'multitudes crowded from all 
 parts of the country, to see a strange work from the 
 distance of forty, fifty and even a hundred miles. 
 Whole families came in their wagons ; between twenty 
 and thirty wagons were brought to the place, loaded 
 with people and their provisions, in order to encamp 
 at the meeting house. Of many instances I shall men- 
 tion one of a little girl. I stood by her while she lay 
 across her mother's lap, almost in despair. I was con- 
 versing with her when the first gleam of light broke in 
 upon her mind. She started to her feet, and in an 
 ecstasy of joy she cried out: " 'Oh, what a sweet 
 Christ he is!" etc. Then turning around she ad- 
 
 9 
 
82 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 dressed sinners and told them of the glory and will- 
 ingness and preciousness of Christ, and pleaded with 
 them to repent.' 
 
 "This was the first camp-meeting. The excitement 
 continued and the Methodists, always more or less 
 enthusiastic, joined in and fanned the flame. It ran 
 from settlement to settlement until the whole coun- 
 try was in a blaze. The people were amazed; vice 
 hid her head and infidelity hushed its babbling mouth. 
 "This religious excitement was communicated to 
 Northern Kentucky in the following manner ; Barton 
 W. Stone, who was pastor of two Presbyterian con- 
 gregations, in Bourbon county, and which, like many 
 other churches in the state, were in a condition of 
 great coldness and deadness, hearing of the revival in 
 Southern Kentucky and in Tennessee, under the 
 labors of James McGready and other Presbyterian 
 ministers, was very anxious to be among them, and 
 early in the spring of 1801, he went there to attend 
 a camp-meeting. He will give, in his own language, 
 a description of the scene : 
 
 " 'The scene to me was passing strange. It baf- 
 fled description. Many, very many, fell down as men 
 slain in battle, and continued for hours together in 
 an apparently breathless and motionless state; some- 
 times, for a few moments, recovering and exhibiting 
 symptoms of life by a groan or a piercing shriek or 
 by a prayer for mercy, most fervently uttered. After 
 lying thus for hours, they obtained deliverance. I 
 observed with critical attention every thing that 
 passed. After attending to many such cases, my con- 
 viction was complete that it was a good work — the 
 work of God — nor has my mind wavered since on the 
 subject.' 
 
 "Stone returned to Cane Ridge, in Bourbon, carry- 
 ing with him the intelligence of the wonderful revival 
 in Logan County. The work commenced there imme- 
 diately. He preached in the morning and a deep 
 solemnity prevailed. At night two little girls were 
 affected in a way precisely similar to those in Logan 
 
The Campbellian Split— 1830 83 
 
 County, and the next morning, as Mr, Stone returned 
 to Cane Ridge, he was met by a prominent citizen, 
 shouting praise to God. He says: 'In less than 
 twenty minutes scores had fallen to the ground ; pale- 
 ness, trembling and anxiety appeared on all. They 
 continued on the spot till late in the night, and many 
 found peace in the Lord. ' The effects of this meeting 
 were electric. Men, women and children were in a 
 perfect fever with excitement, the like of which was 
 never known before. Following the example of the 
 people in Southern Kentucky, it was resolved to hold 
 a camp-meeting at Cane Ridge, and thus facilitate the 
 good work already begun. This meeting was noted 
 for the numbers that attended it, and the wild scenes 
 that were then enacted. Hear Mr. Stone again : 
 
 ' ' ' This memorable meeting came on Thursday and 
 Friday before the third Lord's day in August, 1801. 
 The roads were literally crowded with wagons, car- 
 riages, horsemen and footmen, moving to the solemn 
 camp. The sight was affecting. It was judged by 
 military men on the ground that there were between 
 twenty and thirty thousand collected. Four or five 
 preachers were frequently speaking at the same time 
 at different parts of the encampment, without confu- 
 sion.' " Continuing Mr. Vaughan says (p. 128) : 
 
 "From this there was a division among the Pres- 
 byterians. Those who were opposed to the extrava- 
 gancies of the revivalists formed one party, and those 
 in favor of them the other. The differences between 
 these two parties were sharp and well-defined. The 
 excitement ran high. Crimination and recrimination 
 were the order of the day. Those who headed the 
 revival movement were Barton W. Stone, Robert Mar- 
 shall, John Thompson, Richard McNemar and John 
 Dunlevy. They abandoned the old land-marks as set 
 forth in their confession of faith, and their funda- 
 mental doctrines were 'Rational belief and war to the 
 death on all creeds, systems, and confessions of faith. ' 
 McNemar, one of their leaders, has thus written: 
 'They adopted a very different faith, and taught as 
 
84 Kentucky Baptist Eistory— 1770-1922 
 
 an important truth that the will of God was made 
 manifest to each individual who humbly sought after 
 it, by an inward light shone into the heart.' They 
 were therefore called 'New Lights.' 
 
 "Barton W. Stone, the acknowledged leader of 
 this party, renounced the doctrines of Calvinism and 
 proclaimed on every side that Christ died for all 
 men, and that all can be saved on the same terms. 
 He and his party also urged that men had the same 
 ability to believe as to disbelieve in Christ. These 
 and other doctrines which they held and proclaimed 
 were in direct opposition to the Confession of Faith; 
 but they had become so popular that the church 
 courts for awhile were afraid to deal with them. But 
 at length Richard McNemar was summoned before 
 the Springfield Presbytery, so called because it met 
 in Springfield, Ohio, and the following specifications 
 of heresy were preferred against him : 
 
 " '1. He reprobated the idea of sinners attempt- 
 ing to pray, or being exhorted thereto, before they 
 were believers in Christ. 
 
 " *2. He has condemned those who urge that con- 
 victions are necessary, or that prayer is proper in 
 the sinner. 
 
 " '3. He has expressly declared at several times 
 that Christ has purchased salvation for all the human 
 race without distinction. 
 
 " *4. He has expressly declared that the sinner 
 has power to believe Christ at any time. 
 
 " *5. That the sinner has as much power to act 
 faith as to act unbelief; and reprobated every idea 
 in contradiction thereto, held by persons of a con- 
 trary opinion. 
 
 " '6. He has expressly said that faith consisted 
 in the creature's persuading himself assuredly that 
 Christ died for him in particular ; that doubting and 
 examining into evidences of faith were inconsistent 
 with and contrary to the nature of faith; and in 
 order to establish these sentiments, he explained 
 away these words: 'Faith is the gift of God,' by 
 
The Campbellian Split — 1830 85 
 
 saying that Jesus Christ is the object of faith there 
 meant, and not faith itself, and also these words: 
 'No man cometh to me except the Father who sent 
 me draw him,' by saying that the drawing there 
 meant was Christ offered in the gospel, and that the 
 Father knew no other drawing, or higher power than 
 holding up his Son in the gospel,' 
 
 ''Mr. McNemar acknowledged that he held these 
 doctrines, except the first part of the sixth article. 
 The above charges will give the reader an idea of 
 the peculiar views at that time held by the 'New 
 Lights'! 
 
 "From the Springfield Presbytery, the case was 
 brought before the Synod at Lexington, Kentucky, 
 in the fall of 1803, Stone and his party seeing that 
 the decision of the Presbytery in regard to McNemar 
 would be sustained, met in council, drew up a formal 
 protest, presented it to the Synod, and then withdrew 
 from the authority of that body. After a fruitless 
 effort to bring these men back into the fold, they 
 solemnly suspended Barton W. Stone, Richard McNe- 
 mar, Robert Marshall, John Thompson and John 
 Dunlevy, and declared their pulpits vacant. These 
 men formed themselves into what they called the 
 'Springfield Presbytery.' 'From this period,' says 
 Stone, 'I date the commencement of that reformation 
 which has progressed to this day.' He wrote this 
 in 1843. 
 
 "Shortly after their suspension they were joined 
 by two other ministers, Mathew Houston and David 
 Purviance. In June, 1804, they issued a document 
 styled, ' The last will and testament of the Springfield 
 Presbytery,' in which they set forth a synopsis of 
 their doctrines, and forever dissolved the Presbytery. 
 They threw away all creeds and adopted the simple 
 name Christian, by which they wished to be desig- 
 nated. They urged all Christians to follow their 
 example, to emancipate themselves from all confes- 
 sions of faith and unite with them on the Bible. They 
 were progressive. When first started they believed 
 
86 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 in infant baptism, and that sprinkling was the proper 
 act of baptism. After this they rejected the doctrine 
 of infant baptism and proclaimed immersion as the 
 only mode. And following quick upon this they pro- 
 mulgated the dogma of baptism for the remission of 
 sins. 
 
 "When they united with the reformation in 1830 
 their number is not known, but in 1812, according 
 to Doctor Benedict, they numbered 40 churches, 40 
 ministers and about 5000 members. 
 
 "Mr. Stone and his followers held many views in 
 common with Mr. Campbell; in fact they were sub- 
 stantially the same, and consequently he and his ad- 
 herents had no great difficulty in effecting with them 
 a fundamental union. Although they originated long 
 before Mr. Campbell developed his views, yet the sub- 
 stance of the Campbellite theory was in their doc- 
 trines, and the commencement of this sect may well 
 be called the rise of the Current Kef ormation. " 
 
 Thus it will be observed that Mr. Stone was con- 
 siderably in advance of Mr. Campbell in his "Refor- 
 mation" — Stone dating from 1803, while Campbell 
 joined the Baptists in 1812, and was excluded from 
 Baptist fellowship 1829. 
 
 The starting of the Christian Baptist gave Mr. 
 Campbell a great opportunity. Quoting again from 
 Memoirs of Wm. Vaughan (pp. 161, 162, 163) : 
 
 "Campbellism now began to assume a definite 
 form. All over Northern and Central Kentucky Mr. 
 Campbell had his adherents, and they read, as de- 
 voutly as Moslem ever read his Koran, the Christian 
 Baptist. Week after week it paid its welcome visits, 
 bringing light and comfort and joy. Mr. Campbell's 
 interpretations of scripture were regarded as infall- 
 ible, and they were relied upon with iinplicit confi- 
 dence. They had learned a new speech, no longer 
 speaking the language of Ashdod. They were right, 
 and that they knew full well, for they went by the 
 'book.' Half-grown boys and girls were thoroughly 
 imbued with the spirit of the Great Reformer, and 
 
The Campbelliun Split— 1830 87 
 
 were ready at all times to discuss with you the pecu- 
 liar doctrines of the ancient gospel. The veil was 
 lifted, and they could explain anything in the 
 Bible 
 
 "The friends of Mr. Campbell were very busy in 
 the dissemination of their principles. From the great 
 leader at Bethany to the boy of fifteen summers there 
 was unceasing activity. Every one of them was full 
 of light and knowledge, and their hearts burned 
 within them to communicate their doctrines to others. 
 Whenever an opportunity presented itself, either in 
 public or in private, they were discussing the topics 
 suggested and developed in the Christian Baptist. 
 They were as strong as Samson, who slew a thou- 
 sand Philistines with the jaw-bone of an ass; they 
 felt that one could chase a thousand and two could 
 put ten thousand to flight. 
 
 "Their numbers increased, and some were found 
 in almost every Baptist Church in the state, at least 
 in Northern and Central Kentucky. The turbulent 
 and disaffected were drawn into their ranks, also 
 many amiable and excellent people, who had not 
 given the subject a thorough investigation, or who, 
 from the ambiguity of Mr, Campbell's position, were 
 unable to distinguish between truth and error. Camp- 
 bellism raged like an epidemic in many parts of the 
 country. The people were wild. There was strife 
 and discord in the churches. Bitter feelings were 
 engendered and hostile parties were arrayed one 
 against the other. The humble, pious, peace-loving 
 members mourned over the desolations of Zion, and 
 by the rivers of Babylon they sat down and wept. 
 Such men as Walter Warder, William Warder, Silas 
 M. Noel, John Taylor and John S. Wilson saw the 
 evils that beset our churches, but they wept and lab- 
 ored on. They saw the storm that was gathering — 
 they felt that the danger was imminent — but they 
 hardly knew what to do. They did not see how they 
 could beat back the tide that seemed to be sweeping 
 all before it. They appeared to be paralyzed, and 
 
88 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 especially was this the case with Walter Warder and 
 Jeremiah Vardeman, They thought it would be more 
 prudent to modify and direct the course of the Refor- 
 mation than to give it a direct and decided opposi- 
 tion 
 
 ''They prayed for the peace of Jerusalem and for 
 a season of refreshing from on high. They had waited 
 long for a blessing, and at length God heard their 
 prayer and the revival began. In the fall of 1827 
 the good work commenced. Ministers preached with 
 unusual fervency and power and the people listened 
 with deep interest, and large congregations assembled 
 everywhere to hear the gospel. In the following win- 
 ter and spring there were large additions to the 
 churches. The brethren were so much absorbed in 
 the revival, so overjoyed on account of the success 
 of the gospel, that the Campbellite controversy was 
 forgotten for a season. All over the state there was 
 a glorious work of grace — such a revival as had not 
 been witnessed since the great awakening of 1803. 
 The Reformers who were still in the Baptist churches 
 labored hard to bring over the young converts to 
 their peculiar views. Shortly after their conversion, 
 and while their hearts were warm and tender and 
 easy impressed, they used every effort to instill their 
 notions into their young minds. The older ministers 
 were unsuspecting and off their guard, and before 
 they were aware of it many had embraced the doc- 
 trine of Mr. Campbell. While the Presbyterians were 
 the sufferers in the revival of 1803, the Baptists were 
 the especial sufferers in the revival of 1827-28." In 
 the life of T. J. Fisher, (p. 56) by Spencer is this 
 statement: "The germ of what is now known as 
 Campbellism was published in a series of letters, 
 addressed by Robert Sandeman, of Perth, Scotland, 
 to Mr. Hervey, about A. D. 1757. He claimed that 
 'justifying faith' is 'the bare belief of the bare truth'. 
 His system is known in England as ' Sandemanian- 
 ism'. In his writings he was exceedingly bitter 
 against all opposing doctrines, and particularly bit- 
 
The Campbellian Split — 1830 89 
 
 ter and sarcastic in writing against the ministers of 
 the Kirk of Scotland, He spent the last seven years 
 of his life in New England, where, after organizing 
 a few small societies, he died, at Danbury, Connecti- 
 cut, A. D. 1771. His doctrines seemed to die with 
 him. But near A. D. 1800, Barton W. Stone (and 
 others) began, in a confused manner, to hold forth 
 the doctrine of Sandemanianism ; but, being unsuited 
 for the work of a reformer, he made little progress, 
 until Mr. Campbell, in his rapid changes from Hyper- 
 calvinism to the extreme of modern Arminianism, 
 embraced Mr. Stone's doctrine, and added to it the 
 doctrine that 'baptism is essential to salvation.' " 
 
 The heart of Campbellism is given in the follow- 
 ing quotations. Dr. J. B. Jeter in his "Campbellism 
 Examined and Re-examined" (p. 193), quotes from 
 Campbell's "Christian System" (p. 233), the follow- 
 which is the very heart of Campbellism : 
 
 " 'There are three births, three kingdoms, and 
 three salvations. One from the womb of our first 
 mother, one from the water, and one from the grave. 
 We enter a new world on, and not before each birth. 
 The present animal life, at the first birth; the spir- 
 itual, or the life of God in our souls, at the second 
 birth ; and the life eternal in the presence of God, at 
 the third birth. And he who dreams of entering the 
 second kingdom, or coming under the dominion of 
 Jesus without the second birth, may, to complete his 
 error, dream of entering the kingdom of glory with- 
 out a resurrection from the dead.' " 
 
 Then again (page 196) Dr. Jeter quotes from 
 ' ' Christian System ' ' as follows : " ' Whatever the 
 act of faith may be, it necessarily becomes the line 
 of discrimination between the two states before de- 
 scribed. On this side, and on that mankind are in 
 quite different states. On the one side, they are 
 pardoned, justified, sanctified, reconciled, adopted, 
 and saved; on the other, they are in a state of con- 
 demnation. This act is sometimes called immersion, 
 regeneration, conversion, ' ' Christian System, ' ' p. 193. 
 
90 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 'These expressions,' (immersed, converted, regener- 
 ated), 'in the apostle's style, denote the same act,' 
 p, 203. 'For if immersion be equivalent to regenera- 
 tion, and regeneration be of the same import with 
 being born again, then being born again and being 
 immersed, are the same thing.' p. 200." Also page 
 194, "Campbellism Examined and Re-examined" 
 quoting "Christian System" p. 202. "The Holy 
 Spirit calls nothing personal regeneration except the 
 act of immersion." 
 
 It will be seen that Mr. Campbell in these state- 
 ments does not teach baptismal regeneration. That 
 is, he does not teach that regeneration takes place in 
 connection with the act of baptism, but that baptism 
 is itself regeneration. There can be no mistaking his 
 language here. So baptism is not the condition, nor 
 a condition of regeneration, but is itself regeneration, 
 and the Holy Spirit calls nothing else regeneration. 
 That's simon pure Campbellism — "Be dipped or be 
 damned. ' ' 
 
 The separation between the Baptists and the "Re- 
 formers" in Baptist Churches now began. The best 
 account we have found of this separation is given 
 in the Memoirs of Wm. Vaughn (page 170 ff) as 
 follows : 
 
 "Alexander Campbell, when he withdrew from 
 the Redstone Association, united with the Mahoning 
 Association, of Ohio. Through his influence that body 
 became thoroughly imbued with the doctrines of the 
 Reformation, and on that account the Beaver Asso- 
 ciation, of Pennsylvania, in August, 1829, withdrew 
 from her all fellowship on the ground that she had 
 departed from the fundamental principles of the gos- 
 pel. A copy of these resolutions was sent to Rev. Silas 
 M. Noel, D. D., of Frankfort, Kentucky, and the 
 church at that place immediately sent up a request to 
 the Franklin Association, which was about to assem- 
 ble at the Forks of Elkhorn meeting-house, in Wood- 
 ford county, that the charges of Beaver against the 
 Reformers should be indorsed and published by the 
 
The Campbellian Split— 1830 91 
 
 association. Franklin, after due consideration, not 
 only complied with the request, but advised all the 
 churches in her connection to follow the course pur- 
 sued by the Beaver Association and discountenance 
 the errors of Campbellism. These errors and corrup- 
 tions were set forth in the following terms : 
 
 " '1. They, the Reformers, maintain that there is 
 no promise of salvation without baptism. 
 
 " *2. That baptism should be administered to all 
 who say that they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, 
 without examination on any other point. 
 
 '' '3. That there is no direct operation of the 
 Holy Spirit on the mind prior to baptism. 
 
 '' '4. That baptism procures the remission of 
 sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 " '5. That the Scriptures are the only evidence 
 of interest in Christ. 
 
 " '6. That obedience places it in God's power to 
 elect to salvation. 
 
 '' '7. That no creed is necessary for the church 
 but the Scriptures as they stand ; and, 
 
 " '8. That all baptized persons have the right to 
 administer the ordinance of baptism.' " 
 
 ''These resolutions were sent to the South Benson 
 Church, Franklin County, Kentucky, where there 
 was a considerable party in favor of Mr. Campbell, 
 and after a lengthy discussion between George Wal- 
 ler on the one side and Jacob Creath, Sr., on the other, 
 they were spread upon the records of the church. The 
 minority was so much incensed by this action that 
 they met and, with the assistance of Jacob Creath, Sr., 
 and his nephew, Jacob Creath, Jr., constituted them- 
 selves into another church. The majority, regarding 
 this matter as schismatic, at their regular meeting in 
 February, 1830, unanimously excluded them from the 
 Baptist Church at South Benson. 
 
 "The work of separation had begun in earnest. A 
 called meeting of the North District Association was 
 held at Lulbegrud, Montgomery County, and Thomas 
 Boone was chosen moderator. A committee was ap- 
 
92 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 pointed to examine the records, correspondence, 
 decisions and reports of the North District Associa- 
 tion from the day of its constitution, in 1802, to its 
 last session at Unity in 1829, and to report such 
 results as they might deem to be of interest to the 
 council. In due time the committee made the re- 
 quired examination and reported in substance as 
 follows : 
 
 " '1. That the constitution of the North District 
 Association makes it the duty of the association to 
 have a watch care over the churches and gives it the 
 right to withdraw from such as act disorderly. 
 
 " '2. That the association exercised this watch 
 care over both churches and preachers until their 
 session at Cane Spring, in 1827. 
 
 " *3. They find that at that association, Lulbe- 
 grud complained of a new mode of breaking the bread 
 when administering and receiving the Lord 's Supper ; 
 but the association neglected to notice the conduct of 
 such churches. 
 
 " '4. They find also that in the year of 1829, 
 Goshen complains to the association of new forms of 
 words adopted and used in the administration of bap- 
 tism, etc. ; and yet, though the church requested it, 
 no attention was paid to the request. 
 
 " *5. They find also that Cane Spring com- 
 plained to the association, in the same year, and no 
 attention was paid to her complaint. 
 
 " '6. In 1829, Lulbegrud again complains that in 
 consequence of changes taking place among the 
 churches, respecting the administering and receiving 
 of the Lord's Supper and other matters, she should 
 not commune; and yet no attention was paid to her 
 complaint.' 
 
 "This meeting then adjourned to meet at Goshen 
 on the fourth Saturday in June following. Elder 
 David Chenault was elected moderator and James 
 French, clerk. The following questions were then 
 raised and promptly answered. 
 
 " '1. Has North District, by abandoning the 
 
The Camphellian Split — 1830 93 
 
 supervisorship of the churches and preachers, de- 
 parted from its constitution t Answered in the affirm- 
 ative. 
 
 " *2. Has a church, that takes upon itself the 
 right to introduce and practice usages, unknown 
 among the churches of Elkhorn and South Kentucky- 
 Associations at the time of their union, departed from 
 the constitution and gone out of the union ? Answered 
 in the affirmative. 
 
 ** 'Our reasons,' said they, 'for deciding that 
 North District Association has departed from its con- 
 stitution are contained in the proceedings of the meet- 
 ing at Lulbegrud in April last. In point of doctrine 
 these departures from what was believed in the 
 churches of either Elkhorn or South Kentucky Asso- 
 ciation, at the time of their union, are so entire that 
 to attempt an illustration throughout would be too 
 long and tedious a writing. They even deny the 
 special operation of the Spirit in quickening the dead 
 sinner. And by way of ridicule they ask: "Where 
 did the Spirit hit you? Was it on the shoulder or 
 under the fifth rib?" 
 
 " 'As to departures from church usage, they are 
 so general that if any one thing in church customs, as 
 practiced in the churches of Elkhorn and South Ken- 
 tucky Associations, at the time of their union, remains 
 unchanged, we know not what it is. Constituting 
 churches, ordaining preachers, eating the Lord's Sup- 
 per, words of baptism, the action of putting under 
 the water in baptism — all are varied. Can it be 
 thought strange that these innovations, all beating on 
 the churches at once, should produce distress, con- 
 fusion and schisms.' 
 
 "We have not the space to give all these proceed- 
 ings at length, but before they adjourned, by resolu- 
 tion they declared themselves withdrawn from all 
 churches that had departed, as before alleged; but 
 that their fellowship was not to be considered broken 
 with their ministers or individual members who were 
 content with the former usages of the churches. 
 
94 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 ''The course pursued by the North District Asso- 
 ciation was soon followed by other associations. 
 Franklin took decided ^ound against the innovations 
 of the Reformers. Mr. Noel presented a circular let- 
 ter, from which we make the following extract : 
 
 " 'As an association we shall deem it our duty to 
 drop correspondence with any and every association 
 or church where this heresy is tolerated. Those who 
 say they are not Campbellites, and yet countenance 
 and circulate his little pamphlets, are insincere — they 
 are to be avoided. When they say they are perse- 
 cuted because they "will not swallow the Philadel- 
 phia Confession of Faith," you are not to believe it, 
 for no church has called one of them in question on 
 that point, so far as we know. It is not so much their 
 objection to this book as our objection to their con- 
 fession of faith that makes the difference.' 
 
 "This letter was adopted by the association and 
 ordered to be printed and circulated among the 
 churches of that body. 
 
 "Elkhorn next showed herself true to 'the faith 
 once delivered unto the saints.' She met on the sec- 
 ond Saturday in August, 1830, with the church at 
 Silas, Bourbon County, and, after much violent oppo- 
 sition on the part of the Campbellites, adopted the 
 following resolutions : 
 
 " '1. That the church at Versailles be dropped 
 from further correspondence with this association, for 
 non-conformity to the rules, and for receiving into 
 her membership a preacher, Jacob Creath, Jr., who in 
 faith and practice departed from her constitution, 
 and who has taken part in constituting minorities who 
 also have thus departed.' 
 
 "North District Association had split in twain, 
 and each party was present with letters and messen- 
 gers, and each one claiming to be the legitimate body. 
 John Smith represented the Campbellites, and Reu- 
 ben McDonald and others the Orthodox party. 
 
 "The question now arose: 'Which body of Bap- 
 tists shall be recognized by Elkhorn as the North Dis- 
 
The Camphellian Split~1830 95 
 
 trict Association ? ' Smith fought hard for a seat, but 
 the association adopted the following resolutions : 
 
 " 'Whereas, it appears that two communications 
 from North District have been sent to this association, 
 showing that a split has taken place in that body ; 
 
 " ^Resolved, Therefore, that the ten churches, 
 which met in council at Goshen meeting house, on the 
 fourth Saturday in June, 1830, and in their minutes 
 declare that the rest of the churches have departed 
 from her constitution in faith and practice, be recog- 
 nized as the North District Association, and that our 
 correspondence be continued with them as heretofore. ' 
 
 "Then followed the meeting of the Tate's Creek 
 Association, which occurred on the fourth Saturday 
 in August, 1830. The messengers composing this 
 body unanimously resolved to withdraw all fellow- 
 ship from every church and association that favored 
 the Campbellite heresy. 
 
 *' Within the Bracken Association matters had 
 come to a crisis. May's Lick Church was in confu- 
 sion. The members of this body who adhered to the 
 grand old doctrines of the gospel determined that 
 they would withdraw from the adherents of Mr. 
 Campbell. They accordingly drew up and published 
 the following resolution and protest, and thus com- 
 pelled every one to show his colors : 
 
 " 'Our church being in a state of painful confu- 
 sion, resulting from attempts by Alexander Campbell 
 and others to produce a reformation in society, as 
 they have been in the habit of calling it — among other 
 things denying the direct influence of the Spirit until 
 after baptism, contending that persons professing 
 faith in Christ shall be baptized, for the purpose of 
 actually receiving forgiveness of sins — denying and 
 rather, ridiculing what we call Christian experience, 
 in part at least, namely, a burdened heart on account 
 of sin, and sensible manifestation of God's pardoning 
 mercy by faith in the blood of Christ : Slandering the 
 Baptist society by saying that they are in Babylon — 
 against which sentiments, and many others referred 
 
96 Kentuckij Baptist History— 1770-1932 
 
 to by them, we solemnly protest ; also against the con- 
 duet of the Campbells, Creaths, Smiths and others, 
 who, in May, undertook to administer the Supper in 
 our meeting house — a number of our brethren joining 
 in that thing without the authority of the church — 
 some, likely, without thinking of the wounds they 
 were bringing on their brethren. Our brethren, a 
 number of them, also, have been encouraging preachers 
 to occupy our meeting house that many of us believe 
 to be Arians, knowing they were trampling on our 
 feelings, which we conceive to be contrary to good 
 order. We have made every effort to place them and 
 us on ground that we can live in some degree of 
 peace, but in vain ; and we are now compelled to adopt 
 the following resolution : 
 
 " 'That all of us whose names are hereunto sub- 
 scribed, protesting as above named against the Refor- 
 mation (falsely so called), are willing and determined 
 to rally around the original constitution and covenant 
 of the church, which has never been disannulled — asso- 
 ciating them with the principles of the union between 
 the Regular and Separate Baptists — which were 
 adopted by the Elkhorn Association when this church 
 was a member of that body, and according to which 
 we have acted ever since, which is a fact as relates to 
 Baptists generally, thereby occupying precisely the 
 same ground we did before the confused and confus- 
 ing system of things that has destroyed our peace and 
 the peace of many other churches among us, and that 
 no person shall be considered a member of this church 
 who will refuse to acknowledge the above by subscrib- 
 ing their names, or causing them to be subscribed, or 
 who will encourage the above-named Reformers.' " 
 
 Thus the split occurred in the May 's Lick Church ; 
 and Bethel, within the same association, also divided. 
 The Bracken Association met in Washington, Mason 
 County, on the first Saturday in September, 1830. 
 This was one of great interest to both parties. The 
 Reformers had been so active and busy that to a 
 casual observer they seemed to be greatly in the ma- 
 
The Camphellian Split— 1830 97 
 
 jority. They were very anxious to remain in the 
 denomination and control it. The period had now 
 arrived when their comparative strength could be 
 tested in the Bracken Association. When the ballots 
 for moderator were counted Mr. Vaughan was 
 declared elected. This was a test vote. And showed 
 that the strength of the denomination still adhered to 
 the ancient landmarks. 
 
 "Each party in the May's Lick Church presented 
 a letter, each claiming to be the church ; and so did 
 the two parties of the Bethel Church. In regard to 
 them the association made the following decision : 
 
 " '1. The church at May's Lick having divided, 
 and each party presenting letters to the Association, 
 claiming to be the original church; 
 
 " ^Resolved, That the majority be recognized as 
 such; the minority having embraced a system of 
 things called Reformation, thereby departing from 
 the principles of the United Baptists in Kentucky 
 and of the Association. 
 
 " '2. Two letters also having been received from 
 the church at Bethel, both claiming to be the original 
 church, and it appearing to the satisfaction of the 
 association that the majority of the church have de- 
 parted from the original principles of the United 
 Baptists and of this association ; 
 
 " 'Resolved, Therefore, that the minority be rec- 
 ognized as the church.' " 
 
 The above is a very vivid account of the struggle 
 through which our brethren passed in freeing the 
 churches from Campbellism. 
 
 In one case it is the majority that is right and in 
 the other it is the minority. In his history of Frank- 
 lin Association, Spencer says, "In 1830, the Camp- 
 bellite schism was consummated in this and all the 
 surrounding fraternities" (Vol. II, p. 291). This 
 fixes the date of the Campbelliau split. 
 
 ' ' Raccoon ' ' John Smith, a conspicuous follower of 
 Mr. Campbell, and a man of unusual native ability, 
 made it his business to visit the association of North- 
 
 10 
 
98 Kentucky Baptist Histori/— 1770-1922 
 
 ern and Central Kentucky and oppose with all of his 
 powers the separation when it was suggested. 
 
 Perhaps the reason for the strenuous opposition of 
 the Campbellites to being separated from the Baptists 
 was a feeling that they could make proselytes faster 
 being on the inside than they could being on the out- 
 side. And, too, they may have felt that by holding off 
 the separation for a while they would have a majority 
 in practically all the churches and thus exclude the 
 minority and take possession of the property, as they 
 did in a few cases where they had the majority. The 
 Baptists had to force the separation, and it would 
 have been better for their cause had they forced it 
 several years earlier. 
 
 Campbellism is strong as a proselyting force, but 
 weak as an evangelizing force. Perhaps their great 
 decline in membership within the last few years is 
 due to the fact that they have largely abandoned the 
 proselyting method. For the first half cntury of its 
 existence Campbellism was almost wholly an ecclesias- 
 tical parasite. They built themselves up by tearing 
 down others. 
 
 The Rev. W. C. Taylor, in his Biography of Elder 
 Alfred Taylor (p. 51) says, in speaking of "a most 
 fearful church trial" in Green River Church, that 
 "Troubles never come single-handed. The wounds of 
 internal dissension are not healed until that system 
 come along which thrives best where there is the least 
 vital religion. I refer to Campbellism. History 
 abundantly testifies to this. Where a church is at peace 
 and in the enjoyment of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, 
 Campbellism is powerless to aifect it for evil. But 
 let a church become involved in petty strife and dis- 
 sensions and there you will find the devil's prelude 
 for the introduction of Campbellism. Thus it was at 
 Green River. Satanic power having opened the way 
 in the previous alienation, a son of A. Campbell 
 enters in and proposes to complete the work of disin- 
 tegration and destruction so effectually begun. Here 
 they concentrated the Campbellite forces of the Green 
 
The Camphellian Split— 1830 99 
 
 River country. Finding some material suited to their 
 building they proceeded with its erection. After their 
 utmost efforts to ruin the church of God at Green 
 River, they could only boast of having 'stolen eight 
 fat wethers from the Baptists.' As Paul contended 
 with beasts at Ephesus so did Alfred Taylor at Green 
 River. ' ' This is Campbellism in its beginning. 
 
 Another reason perhaps, for their declension is the 
 fact that the disciples of Mr. Campbell have aban- 
 doned practically everything that Mr. Campbell 
 brought in as a "Reformation." None of their edu- 
 cated ministers today will preach straight Campbell- 
 ism — "Be dipped or be damned," or "The acceptance 
 of one fact and the performance of one act procures 
 salvation," or "The act of immersion is itself regen- 
 eration"; nor will they ridicule the operation of the 
 Holy Spirit. They have also given up the name 
 "Christian Church" and accepted as their official 
 title, ' ' Disciples of Christ. ' ' They no longer have any 
 proselyting plea ; nor have they any excuse for their 
 separate existence, as they hold and teach nothing 
 that is not taught by others with priority in their cor- 
 porate existence. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 
 
 Kentucky has long been known as the "dark and 
 bloody ground." She has been the storm center of 
 controversy; the battlefield of many jarring opinions 
 and conflicting doctrines. The anti-mission spirit 
 flourished for a time in Kentucky's fruitful soil. In 
 this chapter it is the author's purpose to give a some- 
 what brief account of the rise, progress and decline of 
 anti-missionism in Kentucky. 
 
 Dr. Albert Henry NcAvman in his "Introduction" 
 to "The Genesis of American Anti-missionism" by 
 Dr. B. H. Carroll, Jr., says, (p. 3). 
 
 "A connected and somewhat exhaustive account of 
 the anti-missionary movement that resulted from the 
 pressing of foreign mission, home mission, Sunday 
 school, educational, and other forms of organized 
 denominational work under the auspices of the Trien- 
 nial Convention, with Luther Rice as its chief agent, 
 and Judson's work in Burma as its chief inspiration, 
 has long been a desideratum. The strength of the 
 opposition throughout the South and the Southwest 
 to the work of the Triennial Convention during the 
 third and fourth decades of the nineteenth century 
 may be illustrated by the following facts : During the 
 first four or five yeai'S after the organization of the 
 Triennial Connvention (1814), the Baptist churches of 
 Tennessee were nearly all friendly to the foreign mis- 
 sion cause and contributed toward its funds. Within 
 a few years all the missionary societies that had been 
 formed for co-operation with the Triennial Convention 
 were dissolved and the association rescinded the reso- 
 lutions that had been passed in favor of missions and 
 related departments of denominational work. In 
 Georgia and Alabama a life-and-death struggle 
 
 100 
 
The Anti-Mission Splii—1832 to 1842 101 
 
 between the friends of missions and co-operative work 
 and the malignant enemies of missions raged for 
 years, and the issue, apart from firm faith in the God 
 of missions, might well have seemed doubtful. As 
 late as 1845 twelve of the thirty-four Virginia asso- 
 ciations, including the old Ketokton, were aggress- 
 ively anti-missionary. Equally successful was the 
 anti-missionary propaganda in Kentucky. Ohio, 
 where Alexander Campbell's influence was great, and 
 the writings of Daniel Parker and John Taylor were 
 circulated, was an equally fruitful field for the anti- 
 missionary propaganda. In 1820 the Ohio Baptist 
 churches had contributed $547.09 for foreign missions. 
 From 1821 to 1828 contributions ceased entirely, 
 while the contributions in 1829 and 1830 were $10 
 and $5 respectively. The wonderful success of the 
 opponents of missions from 1820 to 1840 needs to be 
 explained, and Doctor Carroll has performed a ser- 
 vice of great value in bringing together from rare 
 sources a large amount of material illustrative of the 
 spirit and the methods of the opposition to organized 
 missionary work. He has made effective use of the 
 scarce writings of Daniel Parker and John Taylor, 
 and has demonstrated more fully than any earlier 
 writer the contribution of Alexander Campbell to the 
 anti-missionary movement." Doctor Newman's state- 
 ment is very comprehensive. 
 
 Early Baptists in Kentucky All Missionary in 
 Spirit and Practice 
 
 Those who think that the ''Old Baptists" or 
 "Primitive Baptists" because of their ancient sound- 
 ing names are the original Baptists would do well to 
 read history. Spencer (Vol. I, p. 570) says "Pre- 
 vious to 1816, there was not an Anti-mission Baptist 
 in Kentucky, so far as known. In every association, 
 where a missionary enterprise was proposed, it met 
 with universal favor." A long account is given by 
 Spencer showing that the early churches, and asso- 
 ciations of Kentucky sent missionaries to Tennessee, 
 
102 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 Ohio, Indiana and to the Indians, paying them for 
 their services, the amount paid, in one case, being 
 named. 
 
 It is an interesting fact, too, that history records 
 that one of the men who afterwards became a leader 
 of the anti-mission forces, went to Tennessee as mis- 
 sionary in 1791, Here are the facts as given by 
 Spencer (Vol. I, p. 570). "In the early period of the 
 first churches, planted on the soil of Kentucky, mis- 
 sionaries were sent to the surrounding country. The 
 oldest church in what was then called West (now 
 Middle) Tennessee, was constituted by Ambrose 
 Dudley and John Taylor. These ministers in 1791 
 traveled through a wilderness, on horseback, nearly 
 two hundred miles, where they were constantly ex- 
 posed to destruction by the Indians, to establish the 
 Redeemer's cause in this remote settlement. John 
 Sutton and James Sutton were afterwards sent, in 
 turn, by Elkhorn Association, to minister to this 
 church, and the Moderator was directed to pay them 
 £13, 12s, 8d, for this service'.' These missionaries 
 were ''sent" and ''paid" for their services. 
 
 As sad as it is to record the fact, from this time 
 on in this chapter, we find John Taylor one of the 
 most successful leaders of the anti-mission forces. 
 
 The formal separation between the Missionaries 
 and Anti-missionaries took place within the decade 
 between 1832 and 1842. The anti-mission spirit was 
 manifested in some of the associations prior to 1830 
 but not one had declared itself anti-mission. The 
 date usually accepted as the beginning of "the split" 
 is 1832. Dr. W. P. Throgmorton in his debate with 
 Elder Lemuel Potter, Hardshell, held in Fulton, Ken- 
 tucky, July 1887, takes this position. (Throgmorton- 
 Potter Debate). 
 
 Much of this chapter is taken from Chapter III, 
 "The Rise of the Hardshells" in "The Genesis of 
 American Anti-Missionism, " by Dr. B. H. Carroll, 
 Jr. Doctor Carroll says, "The leaders against mis- 
 sions have been many. The opposition against mis- 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 103 
 
 sions has been one, in origin, progress, argument, and 
 spirit, although hydra-headed in its various forms 
 of manifestation. It is the purpose of this chapter 
 to ascertain its genesis and trace and demonstrate its 
 unity through its varying forms. Every great move- 
 ment is to a large extent identified with its leaders. 
 The biographical method is the true one by which to 
 study history. We therefore present some accounts 
 of the three great leaders in the anti-mission crusade. 
 .... The three leaders were John Taylor, of Ken- 
 tucky; Daniel Parker, of Illinois; and Alexander 
 Campbell, of Virginia. Mr. Campbell has not usually 
 been given credit for his part in the rise and progress 
 of anti-missions. 
 
 John Taylor was an earnest, consecrated, self- 
 sacrificing and conscientious minister of the gospel, 
 and one time a thorough missionary, as we have 
 shown. No man can read the account of his conver- 
 sion, or the story of his efforts to evangelize Kentucky 
 and Tennessee for Christ, without feeling that he was 
 a converted and honest man. He was the victim of 
 the prejudices engendered by his lack of education 
 and his early environment. Yet all his good qualities 
 but served to give respectability and force to his oppo- 
 sition to the mission cause. It is pleasant to recall 
 that in his later life he was more in sympathy with 
 the mission movement and less timorous of the bug- 
 bear which he had been the first to raise. But, as 
 Doctor Spencer well says: "His pamphlet had gone 
 forth on its pernicious mission, and probably did 
 more to check the cause of missions, in Kentucky, 
 than any other publication of the period." For a 
 comprehension of the better side of John Taylor, one 
 should read his "History of Ten Churches." 
 
 Doctor Carroll says: "Daniel Parker was con- 
 temporary with John Taylor and claims to be the 
 first opponent of the Mission system. 'It makes me 
 shudder when I think I am the first one (that I have 
 any knowledge of) among the thousands of zealous 
 religionists of America, that have ventured to draw 
 
104 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 the sword against the error, or to shoot at it and spare 
 no arrows.' But it is doubtful if this statement be 
 true. Taylor wrote in 1819, Parker in 1820 and his 
 pamphlet was republished in 1824, at which time it 
 was printed at Lexington, Kentucky, along with an- 
 other on the same topic and rehashing the same argu- 
 ment, addressed to Maria Creek Church. Parker was 
 a son of John Parker. He was born in Culpepper 
 County, Virginia, reared in Georgia amid extreme 
 poverty and ignorance, baptized in 1802, and licensed 
 shortly after. In 1803 he removed to Trumbull 
 Church in Tennessee, was ordained there in 1806, and 
 moved to Southeastern Illinois in 1817. He claims 
 to have traveled through a great many of the States 
 of America. In 1810, an old brother in Tennessee 
 advocated in a crude form the Two-Seed Doctrine. 
 Parker rebuked him for it, but in 1826 set forth in 
 pamphlet an elaboration of the same views. 
 
 '"It is not easy to explain, at least what was meant 
 by Mr. Parker himself, in the phrase 'Two-Seed,' 
 which in time became so notorious. This at least 
 may be said : The teaching represented by it was 
 that form of antinomianism which carried the doctrine 
 of predestination to its utmost extreme. 
 
 "The essence of God is good; the essence of evil 
 is the Devil. Good angels are emanations from or 
 particles of God; evil angels are particles of the 
 Devil. When God created Adam and Eve, they were 
 endowed with an emanation from himself or particles 
 of God were included in their constitution. They were 
 wholly good. Satan, however, diffused into them 
 particles of his essence by which they were corrupted. 
 In the beginning God had appointed that Eve should 
 bring forth only a certain number of offsprings; the 
 same provision applied to each of her daughters. But 
 when the particles of evil essence had been infused 
 by Satan, the conception of Eve and her daughters 
 was increased. They were now required to bear the 
 original number, who were styled the seed of God, 
 and an additional number who were called the seed 
 of the serpent. ' ' 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 105 
 
 This Two-Seed doctrine is a curious revival, with 
 some modifications of the ancient speculative philos- 
 ophy of Manichffius. Doctor Newman calls it a 'very- 
 disgusting form of Gnostic heresy.' It is easy to see 
 how such a heresy would cause opposition to missions ; 
 for the progeny of one of the seed would constitute 
 the body of Christ, whose salvation is provided. The 
 following quotation is taken from page 11 of a copy 
 of the first minutes of the General Association of 
 Baptists in Kentucky, organized at Louisville, Friday, 
 October 20th, 1837. 
 
 ' ' The Anti-missionary spirit owes its origin to the 
 notorious Daniel Parker. He was the first person 
 called Baptist that lent a hand to the Infidel, and 
 Papist in opposing the proclamation of the gospel to 
 every creature, and the translation and circulation of 
 the Scriptures in all languages and among all people. 
 Possessing a strong native intellect, and a bold adven- 
 turous imagination — with a mind cast in nature's 
 most capacious mold, but for want of cultivation 
 admirably calculated to be the receptacle of notions, 
 the most crude, extravagant and chimerical, he 
 generated an Utopian scheme of theology, the tend- 
 ency of which was to subvert all practical religion. 
 The grounds of his opposition to missions were that 
 the devil was an eternal ' self-subsistent being' (to use 
 his own phrase) ; that though God created all, yet 
 the devil begat a part of mankind ; that those begotten 
 of the devil were his bona fide children, and to their 
 father they would and ought to go; and of course 
 sending them the gospel and giving them the Bible 
 were acts of such gross and supreme folly that no 
 Christian should be engaged in them. On the other 
 hand he taught that the remaining portion of the 
 human family were the actual sons of God from 
 eternity, and being allied to Jesus Christ ere 'the 
 morning stars sang together and all the sons of God 
 shouted for joy' by the nearest and dearest ties of 
 consanguinity, being no less than 'particles' of his 
 bodj' — bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, the 
 
106 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 Redeemer nolens volens, take them to mansions pre- 
 pared for them in bliss; and hence Mr. Parker very 
 wisely concluded, that if such were the case, the Lord 
 had very little use for the Bible or Missionary Socie- 
 ties But there were many who embraced only 
 
 half the doctrine of Mr. Parker and though they 
 manifested no great apprehension for the liege sub- 
 jects of the Prince of Darkness, yet they expressed 
 great alarm lest the missionaries should help the Lord 
 to perform his work, and convert the souls of some in 
 a way God never intended they should be. They were 
 such staunch friends of the Lord 's doing all his work, 
 that they set upon and terribly assailed their mis- 
 sionary brethren, for fear they should by some means 
 assist the Lord in the salvation of his elect. In their 
 zeal against these ambitious strides of the missionaries, 
 they have occasioned great disturbance and distress — 
 and destroying the Peace of Zion, the progress of 
 religion has been greatly retarded, and the influence 
 and usefulness of many ministers and churches utterly 
 paralyzed. ' ' 
 
 Doctor Carroll, of Texas, in a speech before the 
 Southern Baptist Convention at Hot Springs, Ark- 
 ansas, in 1900, compared Parker in his violence to a 
 wild boar rooting up the tender plants in a garden. 
 The following description of the person and person- 
 ality of Daniel Parker was written by Dr. John M. 
 Peck, of Home Missions fame, while Parker was still 
 alive and active : 
 
 "Mr. Parker is one of those singular and extra- 
 ordinary beings whom divine Providence permits to 
 arise as a scourge to his church, and a stumbling- 
 block in the way of religious effort. Raised on the 
 frontier of Georgia, (by others he is spoken of as a 
 native of Virginia), without education,' uncouth in 
 manner, slovenly in dress, dimunitive in person, un- 
 prepossessing in appearance, with shrivelled features 
 and a small piercing eye, few men for a series of years 
 have exercised a wider influence on the lower and less 
 educated class of frontier people. With a zeal and an 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 107 
 
 enthusiasm bordering on insanity, firmness that 
 amounted to obstinacy, and perseverance that would 
 have done honor to a good cause, Daniel Parker ex- 
 erted himself to the utmost to induce churches to 
 declare non-fellowship with all Baptists who united 
 themselves with any of the benevolent (or as he called 
 them "new-fangled") societies. 
 
 "His mind we are told was of a singular and 
 original sort. In doctrine he was antinomian. He 
 believed himself inspired, and so persuaded others. 
 Repeatedly we have heard him when his mind seemed 
 to soar above his own powers, and he would discourse 
 for a few moments on divine attributes or on some 
 devotional subject, with such brilliancy of thought 
 and correctness of language as would astonish men of 
 education and talents. Then again it would seem as if 
 he were perfectly bewildered in a maze of abstruse 
 subtleties. 
 
 "Besides his itineracy among the churches, Parker 
 was a writer, and among other things published for 
 a time a periodical called the "Church Advocate." 
 How much a person of influence he was is showTi by 
 the fact that during four years, from 1822 to 1826, 
 he was a member of the Illinois State Senate. His 
 disastrous career in Illinois and Indiana came to a 
 close in 1833, when he removed to Texas. 
 
 "It is said of Daniel Parker, that at one time 
 m his earlier career he applied for appointment as 
 missionary, and when it was refused him, turned 
 against mission societies and missionary effort of 
 every kind. This was true at least of his coadjutor, 
 Wilson Thompson. Just how far Parker was influ- 
 enced by Taylor cannot be known ; but Wilson Thomp- 
 son, his coadjutor, admits to being greatly influenced 
 by reading Taylor's pamphlet. Recent mission 
 troubles in Texas may possibly be due in part to 
 Parker's labors after reaching that State, although we 
 can discover nothing of his life after he moved to 
 Texas. The Parkerite heresy has not vet died out, 
 for the census bulletin for 1893 reports the mem- 
 
108 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 bership of this sect in the entire country at 9,932." 
 The third and greatest opposer to the mission 
 system was Alexander Campbell. In August, 1823, 
 he began to publish a small religious monthly, called 
 The Christian Baptist. After making an exten- 
 sive tour through some of the Western States and 
 finding the anti-mission leaven implanted by Parker 
 and Taylor already at work, he became much more 
 bold in his attacks so that Daniel Parker established 
 The Church Advocate, a periodical similar in 
 size, form and aim to the Christian Baptist, for 
 the purpose of advocating church sovereignty and 
 exclusiveness, in opposition to benevolent societies in 
 the West. There can be no doubt that in this Parker 
 and Campbell made common cause. 
 
 Doctor Carroll says, "While the chief root of 
 Parker's opposition lay in his heresy, Campbell's lay 
 in the fact that he considered himself a Reformer. 
 As he said in his preface, it would do no good to con- 
 vert heathens to a form of Christianity held by men 
 who themselves needed to be converted to New Testa- 
 ment Christianity. Reformers have never been mis- 
 sionaries, nor the reforming ages periods of mission- 
 ary activity in the church. This was true of the 
 Roman church. For three hundred years, while the 
 reformers were trying by means of councils to cleanse 
 the church in head and members, there was no mis- 
 sionary activity. Not until after the Reformation, 
 when the Council of Trent had finally put a quietus 
 on the reform movements, did Roman missionary 
 activity begin. The same was true of the Protestant 
 churches. As long as Europe was filled with the jan- 
 gling of their warring creeds, missionary effort, though 
 feebly attempted a few times, miserably failed. But 
 in the fullness of time when religious opinions had 
 all clarified and crystallized into settled creeds, Cary 
 arose to set the Christian world on fire with mission- 
 ary enthusiasm. Campbell, then, as a reformer could 
 not readily be a missionary. His mistake lay in sup- 
 posing the Baptists needed reformation. What they 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 109 
 
 needed was co-operation and missionary zeal. This, 
 Campbell was not responsible for giving them, except 
 as Judas was responsible for our redemption." 
 
 Some combinations are hard to understand. We 
 have here the curious spectacle of the highest anti- 
 nomianism, represented by Parker and Taylor, and 
 the most extreme Arminianism, represented by Camp- 
 bell, combined to attack the principles of missions. So 
 we find that other things than politics make strange 
 bedfellows. The one side claimed it to be an infringe- 
 ment of the divine, and the other of church sover- 
 eignty. The Gospel Missioners of today make the 
 latter claim. Doctor Spencer truly says of Campbell, 
 that he exercised more influence over the Baptists of 
 Kentucky than of any other state, and that while ' ' not 
 the originator of opposition to missions he was its 
 most successful advocate." It is not our purpose to 
 follow Mr. ampbell into all the doctrinal and creedal 
 vagaries into which his reform policy led him. But 
 by attacking and attempting to change the very plan 
 of salvation itself, the only doctrine more vital than 
 that of missions, he finally succeeded in adding an- 
 other to the already large number of sects in Christ- 
 endom. His activity in this line was so great and its 
 results are so well known as to obscure his responsi- 
 bility for the Hardshell split. Doctor Carroll makes 
 the charge that "Alexander Campbell was the father 
 of twins, Hardshellism and Campbellism. Hardshell- 
 ism first gave indication of its appearance, but as in 
 the case of Jacob and Esau, it was supplanted in the 
 womb by its brother, Campbellism. Hardshellism, 
 though longer in taking to itself a local habitation and 
 a name, was the first of the two to disturb the Baptist 
 denomination. But here, as in the case of Parker, 
 many followed him (Campbell) in his opposition to 
 missions, who did not join him in his doctrinal vaga- 
 ries and who were left behind to vex the saints when 
 the believers in his creed, as set forth in the Christian 
 Baptist and the Millennial Harbinger, went out from 
 the Baptists to form a new denomination. The de- 
 
110 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 nomination he founded has found it necessary in the 
 struggle for existence to discard all his anti-mission- 
 ary ideas, and to use all the methods he so unspar- 
 ingly burlesqued." The "Non-progressive" wing of 
 the Campbellites is still anti-mission in sentiment. 
 They are simon pure Campbellites. 
 
 As to Mr. Campbell's teaching and influence on 
 Missions in Kentucky, we can give no better authority 
 than Doctor Spencer in his "History of Kentucky 
 Baptists" Vol. I, pp. 593, 594). 
 
 "Mr. Campbell's opposition to theological schools 
 and educated ministry was equally persistent with 
 his endeavors to destroy Missionary and Bible socie- 
 ties. Of the truth of this, sufficient evidence has been 
 given in the extracts already quoted from his writings. 
 If the reader desires to investigate the subject further, 
 he is referred to the Christian Baptist in its original 
 form; not to the more recent publications under that 
 title. 
 
 * ' The effects of these teachings were felt as far as 
 the Christian Baptist was circulated, and nowhere 
 more than among the Baptists of Kentucky. The 
 preachers who had hitherto received but a small pit- 
 tance from their charges, were further reduced in their 
 resources of living. The friends of education were 
 discouraged in their endeavors to erect a college. The 
 Baptist missionary societies, that started under such 
 auspicious circumstances, were dwarfed, and ulti- 
 mately perished. The ministers were brought into dis- 
 repute among those who most needed the restraints 
 of their teachings, and practical benevolence was well 
 nigh destroyed in the churches, at least, so far as 
 any effort to spread a knowledge of the gospel was 
 concerned. It required the labors of thirty years to 
 bring the Baptist churches of Kentucky 'up to the 
 standard of Christian benevolence, to which they had 
 attained, in 1816, and a considerable fraction of them 
 continued their downward course, in this respect, 
 thirty years longer." 
 
 Doctor Spencer seems to be the first of our Baptist 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 111 
 
 historians to recognize and credit Mr. Campbell with 
 the large part he played in anti-missionism. 
 
 Quoting Doctor Carroll again (pp. 157-8) "Prior 
 to 1830, the Licking Association of Kentucky adopted 
 the policy of Mr. Campbell in regard to missions, be- 
 nevolent societies and theological education, (The 
 Licking Association, however, did not declare non- 
 fellowship for missions until 1834. See Spencer, Vol. 
 II, p. 243 — Nowlin), but rejected his theology. In 
 the meantime, of course, Mr. Campbell had been 
 developing his theology in its more well-known forms 
 and laying the foundation for a new denomination. 
 In Kentucky, by 1830, there was a definite separation 
 between the Baptists and the Disciples, as they called 
 themselves. The remnant of the one-time strong 
 Arminian element among the Baptists had gone with 
 the Disciples. But the fact that this Arminianism 
 was made prominent prevented many of those among 
 the Baptists who shared Mr. Campbell's views in re- 
 gard to missionary operations, Bible distribution and 
 theological education, from joining his 'Disciples.' 
 These were left among the Baptists to cause yet fur- 
 ther division. The anti-missionaries thus left behind 
 were not agi*eed among themselves. The larger ele- 
 ment, represented by Licking, Red River and other 
 Associations, was decidedly antinomian in its doctrine. 
 This antinomian faction was itself divided on the 
 Two-Seeds doctrine of Parker and afterward on the 
 resurrection. The other division of the anti-mission- 
 aries followed Doctor Andrew Fuller's interpretation 
 of the doctrines of grace, but 'opposed all human 
 societies' for carrying the gospel. The number of 
 these anti-missionaries left was about 7,000 ; their loss 
 in numbers would have been seriously felt, but the 
 power of the church to recuperate would have been 
 greatly strengthened had they gone out with the rest 
 of Mr. Campbell's 'Disciples."' " 
 
 In the Life of Thomas J. Fisher (p. 68) Doctor 
 Spencer, after giving account of the inroads made by 
 Campbellism and anti-missionism says : ' ' This was 
 
112 KcntucJnj Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 the condition of the Baptist denomination in Ken- 
 tucky in A. D. 1835. For a number of years weakened 
 and embarrassed by a heartless, inert fatalism (Hard- 
 shellism) on one side, and a turbulent, factious ration- 
 alism (Campbellism) on the other, she separated from 
 them both at a cost of nearly or quite one-half of her 
 entire membership." These losses, however, were 
 gains to the Baptists in the end. 
 
 The early Kentucky Baptists not only sent mis- 
 sionaries to the Indians, but established schools for 
 their children, as the following shows : ' ' The Ken- 
 tucky Missionary Society established a school for 
 Indian children near Georgetown, Kentucky, to which 
 they gave the name of Choctaw Academy. The school 
 opened with eight red children, in the spring of 1819. 
 The number of students increased from year to year, 
 till it became a large and flourishing school. In 1828, 
 seventeen of the Indians in this school were baptized 
 into Great Crossing Church, in Scott County, and of 
 the number, Sampson Birch and Robert Jones, became 
 preachers of the gospel among their people in the far 
 West" ("History of Kentucky Baptists," Vol. I, 
 p. 579). 
 
 This shows that the early Baptists in Kentucky 
 were favorable to both missions and education, and 
 not only in sentiment, but in their efforts. 
 
 ' ' The decade extending from 1810 to 1820 was one 
 of great prosperity to the Baptists of Kentucky. There 
 were ten associations formed during that period," 
 says Spencer (Vol. I, p. 579). This shows that the 
 anti-mission spirit had not yet become prevalent in 
 Kentucky. 
 
 In the history of the Salem Association Spencer 
 records the fact that "In 1818, the association ear- 
 nestly recommended the churches to contribute to mis- 
 sionary purposes, and expressed the opinion that edu- 
 cational societies greatly conduce to the promotion of 
 the Redeemer's Kingdom." (Vol. II, p. 54). 
 
 The anti-mission split in this association did not 
 occur until 1839, when a few churches split off and 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 113 
 
 constituted "Otto Creek Association of Regular Bap- 
 tists." In Tate's Creek Association according to 
 Spencer (Vol. II, p. 95) the division took place in 
 1842. 
 
 The Licking Association became a "Hardshell," 
 or anti-mission association, in 1834. Spencer in his 
 history of the Licking Association says (Vol. II, p. 
 243) : "The association still continued to increase 
 slowly in numbers till 1834, when it reached a mem- 
 bership of 32 churches, aggregating 1,483 members. 
 These are the largest numbers it has ever attained. It 
 had been made sufficiently manifest, by the transac- 
 tions of 1820 that the body was opposed to missions. 
 But now the more radical of the churches began to 
 clamor for a direct expression on the subject. Accord- 
 ingly the association in 1834 recorded its views in the 
 following language : ' In answer to the suggestions 
 made in several of the letters from our churches, we 
 declare non-fellowship for missionary, Bible, tract 
 (and) temperance societies, theological and Sabbath 
 schools and Baptist conventions as religious institu- 
 tions, believing (that) they are without divine war- 
 rant.' " The call from the churches for "a direct 
 expression" on the subject of missions shows that the 
 association had not jet taken a definite stand on this 
 question ; and the action of the association shows the 
 same. 
 
 At their meeting in 1820 "A circular letter from 
 the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions was laid on 
 the table, which was equivalent to withdrawing cor- 
 respondence from that organization" (Spencer, Vol. 
 II, p. 242). This action and the minutes of former 
 meetings show that the association had been in cor- 
 respondence with the Board of Foreign Missions. The 
 above shows that the Licking Association did not 
 declare itself anti-missionary until 1834, and the fol- 
 lowing shows that as a result of that declaration she 
 lost many of her churches. ' ' The church at Dry Run 
 withdrew from the association the same year that she 
 declared non-fellowship for missionary societies. In 
 11 
 
114 Kentiickif Baptist History— 1770-1923 
 
 1837 East Hickman and Richland Creek withdrew ; 
 and in 1839, Mill Creek, Poplar Grove, White Oak 
 Run, North Fork and Licking Locust were dropped 
 from the association, for failing, two successive years, 
 to represent themselves." (Spencer, Vol. II, p. 244). 
 The division in the Highland Association took place 
 in 1835. The churches withdrawing at this meeting 
 constituted the Little Bethel Association on Saturday- 
 preceding the second Lord's day in September, 1836. 
 The author has before him an old ledger givijig the 
 minutes of the association from its organization in 
 1836 to 1866, written in a fine, clear, legible style. 
 
 In the first minutes of the association is set forth 
 the reason for its organization in the following : 
 "First. On motion and second, it was unanimously 
 agreed that the following preamble be inserted in 
 front of our minutes. To all w^hom it may concern, 
 be it known, that we the constituent members of the 
 Little Bethel Association, this day formed at Flat 
 Creek meeting house, Hopkins County, Kentucky, 
 having been heretofore members of the Highland As- 
 sociation, and having seen with mortification and deep 
 regret the violent opposition of a majority of that 
 body to the benevolent institutions of the day, and 
 that they have repeatedly violated the spirit and let- 
 ter of the constitution thereof within the last four 
 years." Here they set forth a number of items of 
 complaint. It will be observed that the main reason 
 for this separation was "the violent opposition of a 
 majority of that body to the Benevolent Institutions 
 of the day." 
 
 The Little Bethel Association is now a strong asso- 
 ciation with a membership of 3,403, while the High- 
 land, which became anti-missionary, has dwindled 
 away. 
 
 Of the North District Association Spencer says, 
 (Vol. II, p. 124) : "The anti-missionary complexion 
 of the body was manifested by its dropping correspon- 
 dence with all the neighboring associations, except 
 Burning Springs, between the years 1837 and 1842. 
 
The Anti-Mission Split— 1832 to 1842 115 
 
 in 1859 it assumed the name of 'Old Baptist,' which 
 it still bears." The name "Old Baptist" indicates 
 that it is an anti-missionary body. This name, how- 
 ever, was not assumed until 1859. 
 
 The Baptists have rallied from these blows and 
 now probably outnumber all the Protestant denomi- 
 nations in the state combined. So far as the author 
 can ascertain there are but few anti-mission Baptist 
 churches in Kentucky today, and the few that do 
 exist, are weak and dying. Anti-missions is one of the 
 most blighting heresies that can strike a church. The 
 vital principle of the Christian religion seems to be, 
 give and live or deny and die. "There is that scat- 
 tereth and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth 
 more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." 
 
 This has been thoroughly demonstrated by the 
 Missionary and Anti-missionary Baptists, not only in 
 Kentucky, but throughout the entire country. 
 Baptist Growth 
 
 According to a survey of the Baptist development 
 in the United States in the century from 1821 to 
 1921, just completed by Dr. E. P. Alldredge, Secre- 
 tary of Survey, Statistics and Information of the 
 Baptist Sunday School Board, Nashville, Tenn., the 
 Baptist growth during that period was 7,716,563, or 
 2,967 per cent. The larger part of this growth was 
 experienced in the South, where there are now 6,162,- 
 500 Baptists. 
 
 Kentucky has a total Baptist strength of 381,865, 
 Doctor Alldredge finds. This number is accounted 
 for as follows : 
 
 White Baptists co-operating with Southern Bap- 
 tist Convention, 261,135 ; non-co-operating white 
 Baptists, 30,730 ; Negro Baptists, 90,000. Of the 30,- 
 730 "non-co-operating Baptists" Doctor Alldredge 
 gives "Primitive Baptists 2,250." This seems to be 
 the strength of the Anti-mission Baptists in Ken- 
 tucky at the present time, while the white Baptists 
 of the state number about 300,000. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 
 
 ' ' The Kentucky Baptist Convention " is an almost 
 forgotten chapter in Kentucky Baptist history. It 
 was like man born of woman "of few days and full 
 of troubles." 
 
 In March of the year 1832 a number of Baptists 
 met in Bardstown and organized a state convention 
 which had a short and checkered career. Spencer 
 (Vol. I, page 651) says: "The whole number of dele- 
 gates was thirty-four. Silas M. Noel was elected 
 moderator, and Henry Wingate clerk. The meeting 
 adopted the following : 
 
 Constitution of the Kentucky Baptist State 
 Convention 
 
 "Art. 1. This convention shall be known by the 
 name of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. 
 
 "2. It shall be composed of those, and those only, 
 who belong to or are in correspondence with the Gen- 
 eral Union of Baptists of Kentucky. 
 
 "3. Any church, auxiliary society or association 
 belonging to the Baptist connection shall be entitled 
 to three representatives qualified as in Article 2. 
 
 "4. The representatives of the churches, societies 
 and associations, when assembled in convention, shall 
 have no ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the churches 
 or associations, nor act even as an advisory council 
 in cases of difficulty between churches,, nor shaU they 
 interfere with the constitution of any church or asso- 
 ciation, nor with the articles of general union. 
 
 "5. The convention, when met, shall elect a 
 moderator, three corresponding secretaries, clerk, 
 treasurer, and as many other members as the con- 
 vention may, from time to time, think necessary; 
 
 116 
 
The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 117 
 
 who, together with said officers, shall be an executive 
 board; a majority may constitute a quorum for busi- 
 ness. During the recess of the convention, its business 
 shall be transacted by the executive committee, who 
 shall have power to fill vacancies in their own body, 
 and shall submit a report of their proceedings to each 
 annual meeting, 
 
 "6. The convention shall, annually, collect and 
 publish a statistical account of the churches and asso- 
 ciations in this state, devise and execute plans for 
 supplying destitute churches and neighborhoods with 
 the gospel of Christ, and have the power to disburse 
 monies, contributed by the churches and associations, 
 in the manner specified by the contributors, provided 
 special instructions are sent. 
 
 "7. All monies contributed by the churches, 
 associations and others to aid traveling preachers and 
 to advance the benevolent views and objects of the 
 convention generally shall be specifically appropriated 
 to those purposes. 
 
 * ' 8. The convention shall send forth men of tried 
 integrity and usefulness to preach the gospel. 
 
 ''The two only remaining articles relate to the 
 time and place of meeting, and the amending of the 
 constitution. A brief circular letter was appended to 
 the minutes of the convention, explaining the objects 
 of the institution, as set forth in the constitution. 
 The sum of $190.6834 was placed at the disposal of 
 the convention, and after passing some unimportant 
 resolutions it adjourned to meet at New Castle the 
 following October. 
 
 "The only important business transacted at the 
 'adjourned meeting' at New Castle was the adoption 
 of Rules of Decorum and the report of a special 
 committee that had been charged with the duty of 
 establishing a weekly newspaper as the organ of the 
 convention. This duty had been discharged by the 
 establishment of the Cross and the Baptist Banner, 
 the first Baptist weekly that was published in Ken- 
 tucky. The first number had been issued previous 
 
118 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 to this meeting of the convention. Uriel B. Cham- 
 bers was its editor, and assumed all the pecuniary 
 responsibility of its publication, taking the profits of 
 the paper as a compensation for his labors. 
 
 "The first annual meeting of the Kentucky Bap- 
 tist Convention was held at Lexington, beginning May 
 25, 1833. George Waller preacher the introductory 
 sermon. There were present twenty-six delegates, 
 representing ten auxiliary associations and three 
 churches. The report of the executive committee was 
 encouraging. Forty commissions had been issued, ten 
 of which had been accepted by the missionaries. 
 Ninety weeks of missionary labor had been performed, 
 and between 400 and 500 had been baptized. The 
 receipts of the committee during the year amounted 
 to $595,521/^, which was overdrawn by the mission- 
 aries, leaving a small indebtedness on the com- 
 mittee. 
 
 "The second annual meeting of the convention 
 began in Louisville October 18, 1834. Alfred Bennett 
 of New York preached the introductory sermon. Only 
 fifteen delegates were present. Only three churches 
 were represented, the other twelve delegates being 
 from auxiliary associations. The report of the execu- 
 tive committee was gloomy and discouraging. They 
 lament the death, from cholera, of David Thurman, 
 Herbert Waggener, James H. L. Moorman and David 
 Kelly, all friends of the convention, and the last two 
 in its employ as missionaries at the time of their death. 
 The treasurer's report showed the receipts for the 
 year to have been only $339.17^. It was sufficiently 
 manifest that the convention, which was unpopular 
 from the beginning, was constantly becoming more so. 
 The friends of the organization made strenuous efforts 
 to sustain it. But their efforts were in vain. It was 
 manifestly falling to pieces. Some of the district asso- 
 ciations passed resolutions against it, while others 
 were silent on the subject. A newspaper, called the 
 Baptist Banner, was started in Shelbyville, edited 
 by J. S. Wilson, M. D., and issued semi-monthly as a 
 
The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 119 
 
 rival of, if not in opposition to, The Cross and Baptist 
 Weekly Journal, the organ of the convention, 
 
 "An adjourned meeting of the convention was 
 held at Frankfort in January, 1835. John S. Wilson 
 preached the introductory sermon. Ten ministers and 
 seven delegates were present. It appears from the 
 wording of the minutes that the preachers present 
 were not delegates. The finances of the convention 
 were less satisfactory than at the previous meeting." 
 
 In addition to the account as given by Spencer, 
 we have a more extended account given by Dr. J, M. 
 Pendleton in his Jubilee address in Jubilee Volume, 
 page two, and following in which he says : 
 
 "Messrs. Noel and Wilson, with others, felt that 
 something should be done to supply the destitute parts 
 of the state with the preaching of the gospel. In 
 furtherance of this object, the Kentucky Baptist Con- 
 vention was organized at Bardstown in March, 1832. 
 Doctor Noel was chosen moderator, and the number 
 of messengers was only thirty-seven. Truly this was, 
 in one sense, 'the day of small things,' but in another 
 sense it was the day of great things. It was the plant- 
 ing of a grain of mustard seed which germinated 
 slowly and grew slowly in its early years, but which 
 has now become a tree of respectable size, and des- 
 tined, as we trust, at no distant day to send out its 
 branches so that all parts of the state may enjoy its 
 grateful shade. 
 
 "From the constitution adopted at Bardstown we 
 learn that the chief functions of the convention were 
 to 'devise and execute plans for supplying destitute 
 churches and neighborhoods with the gospel of Christ, ' 
 'to disburse monies contributed by the churches and 
 associations in the manner specified by the contribu- 
 tors, provided special instructions are sent, and to 
 send forth men of tried integrity and usefulness to 
 preach the gospel. ' 
 
 "The convention began its work with less than 
 two hundred dollars in its treasury, and if all the 
 Baptist ministers in the state had been its friends the 
 
120 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 number would not have been much in excess of two 
 hundred, while the churches were not far from five 
 hundred, and the members not much more than thirty- 
 five thousand. The difSculty of bringing these com- 
 paratively small numbers into harmonious co-opera- 
 tion was much greater than most persons can now 
 easily imagine. Many brethren were, of course, sus- 
 picious of interference with the independence of the 
 churches, and many others knew that, as the pur- 
 poses of the convention could not be carried into effect 
 without money, the best way to keep their money was 
 to stand aloof. There were doctrinal differences 
 among ministers. Some in the upper part of the state 
 were probably too Calvinistic, and some in the Green 
 River section had Arminian proclivities. Brethren 
 were afraid of one another, and very jealous for the 
 interests of orthodoxy as held by themselves. Each 
 minister believed himself orthodox, and always looked 
 away from himself to find heterodoxy, and very often 
 found what he looked for. In short, the state of things 
 was by no means promising. 
 
 The convention having been formed at Bards- 
 town, adjourned to meet at New Castle in October, 
 1832. The convention at New Castle was not numer- 
 ously attended, but some choice spirits were there. 
 I saw Doctor Noel, a fine looking man, somewhat in- 
 clined to corpulency, and as competent to say a good 
 deal in few words as almost any man I have seen. 
 Dr. George W. Eaton, then of the faculty of 
 Georgetown College, was there and said eloquent 
 things. Dr. Ryland T. Dillard was present, a fine 
 specimen of manly beauty, and the words he spoke 
 were words of wisdom. A few other ministers were 
 there, among whom was Blackburn, of Woodford 
 County ; but they have all passed away. I am, so far 
 as I know, the only man living who was at the con- 
 vention at New Castle in 1832. 
 
 "In May, 1833, the annual meeting of the conven- 
 tion -was held in Lexington, and the introductory ser- 
 mon was preached by Rev. George Waller. The 
 
The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 121 
 
 attendance was small, only twenty-six messengers 
 present. Ninety weeks of missionary labor were re- 
 ported by ten missionaries who had baptized over four 
 hundred persons. Receipts of money during the year 
 amounted to nearly six hundred dollars. There was 
 an adjourned meeting of the convention at Russell- 
 ville in October of the same year, though Doctor 
 Spencer in his history does not refer to it. I remem- 
 ber well Rev. William Warder was moderator, and 
 the ministers present were George Waller, John S. 
 Wilson, William C. Warfield, Robert T. Anderson, 
 Daniel S. Colgan, and others. Of the laymen present 
 there was no better specimen of a Christian gentleman 
 than Dr. A. Webber, of Hopkinsville. 
 
 "The convention transacted very little business, 
 but passed a number of resolutions. It has ever been 
 easy to resolve. 
 
 "The second annual meeting of the convention 
 was held in Louisville, October, 1834. Rev. Alfred 
 Bennett, of New York, agent of the old Triennial 
 Convention for Foreign Missions, preached, by re- 
 quest, the introductory sermon. The discreditable 
 fact can not be denied that fifteen messengers only 
 were present. The receipts of the year were a little 
 more than half as large as those of the preceding 
 year. This was discouraging; but it was more dis- 
 couraging that such men of God as David Thurman, 
 Herbert Waggener, J. H. L. Moorman, and David 
 Kelley had fallen victims to cholera. The last two 
 were missionaries, and their death cast sadness and 
 gloom over the convention. The prayer of the 
 Psalmist was appropriate, 'Help, Lord, for the godly 
 man ceaseth.' 
 
 "The convention met, by adjournment, at Frank- 
 fort, in January, 1835. It was a small meeting. 
 There were present ten ministers and seven laymen. 
 A sermon introductory to business was preached by 
 Rev. John S. Wilson, and a committee, appointed 
 at the annual meeting in October, 1834, 'to devise a 
 more efficient plan of itinerant preaching,' made a 
 
122 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 long report. This committee consisted of John S. 
 Wilson, George Waller, U. B. Chambers, John Scott, 
 Silas M. Noel, and Samuel Haycraft. The report is 
 rather a strange paper, and what it says about 'sub- 
 ordination and coincidence in the arrangements for 
 systematic labor' defies the comprehension of ordinary 
 mortals. It was referred to by John Stevens, editor 
 of the Baptist Advocate, of Cincinnati, as an 'able 
 report.' It was written by Wilson, and concurred in 
 by the other members of the committee ; and while 
 Wilson was exceedingly brilliant as an exhorter, he 
 was not very happy as a writer. 
 
 "The report recommended that the state be 
 divided into three parts, to be styled Eastern, Middle, 
 and Western, and that a 'Helping Evangelist' be 
 appointed for each division. There was to be in each 
 division what was called the 'Evangelical Band' 
 (probably evangelistic was meant), and this 'Band' 
 was to be aided by the 'Helping Evangelist,' and to 
 make report to him. 
 
 "The report, though it seems to have in it some 
 of the visionary element, was adopted by the conven- 
 tion, and three 'Helping Evangelists' were elected by 
 private ballot, namely, William C. Buck for the 
 eastern, George Waller for the middle, and William 
 C. Warfield for the western division. It is not prob- 
 able that these brethren accepted the places offered 
 them. If they did, so far as we know, they made no 
 report of their work. Indeed, it is almost certain 
 that they saw, on reflection, that they were clothed 
 with powers, the exercise of which would not be 
 agreeable to ministers or churches. 
 
 "The third annual meeting of the convention was 
 held in Louisville in October, 1835. It met with the 
 First Church, on Fifth and Green streets. It was a 
 time of sadness and sorrow. The pastor, the beloved 
 John S. Wilson, had died the preceding August, and 
 the church made great lamentation over him. He 
 was followed to his grave by a loving band of sincere 
 mourners. It was arranged for Doctor Noel to preach 
 
The Kentucky Baptist Convention — 1832 123 
 
 a funeral sermon on Sunday morning of the conven- 
 tion. His text was Luke 12 :37 : 'Blessed are those 
 servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find 
 watching. ' 
 
 "There was but little business done at this meet- 
 ing of the convention, and there was not much to 
 justify the hope that the organization would ever 
 accomplish a great deal. The convention, however, 
 held an adjourned meeting at Greensburg in May, 
 1836; and in the meantime the stroke of death had 
 fallen on William C. Warfield and Walter Warder, 
 whose brother William died in August following. 
 Thus the workers were ceasing while the work de- 
 manded earnest prosecution. Prospects were gloomy, 
 and the friends of Zion wept in secret places. 
 
 ' ' If there was an annual meeting of the convention 
 in October, 1836, it has escaped my memory, and 
 Doctor Spencer makes no reference to it in his history. 
 This, however, does not absolutely prove that the con- 
 vention did not meet; for Doctor Spencer does not 
 mention the meeting at Louisville in October, 1835, 
 and the one at Greensburg in May, 1836. This shows 
 how difficult it is not to overlook some historical facts ; 
 for who could do better than the historian of Ken- 
 tucky Baptists has done?" 
 
 Baptists at this time were afraid of conventions. 
 The very name did not sound good to their ears, and 
 then they were afraid of ecclesiastical authority, so 
 the convention died and its demise was mourned by 
 but few. 
 
 Dr. Silas M. Noel, however, did not give up his 
 efforts to organize the work of the denomination in 
 Kentucky. 
 
 The Baptists of Kentucky owe much to the untir- 
 ing efforts of the Rev. Silas M. Noel, D. D., for the 
 organized work of the state. He, more than any 
 other, seemed to realize the need of a general organi- 
 zation for the promotion of our state work. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 The General Association Constituted — 1837 
 
 Five years after the organization of the "State 
 Convention" another effort was made to effect a gen- 
 eral organization of Baptists in Kentucky. 
 
 Dr. Silas M. Noel, who was largely responsible 
 for the constitution of the Baptist State Convention, 
 with some others, was still saying ''something must 
 be done." "The need of a state organization was 
 felt by the brethren, so a call was sent out for a 
 meeting in Louisville in response to which a number 
 of delegates and brethren from various associations 
 and churches met in the Baptist meeting-house in 
 the city of Louisville, on Friday, October 20, 1837, 
 for the purpose of organizing a general Association 
 of Baptists in Kentucky." (Spencer here gives a list 
 of those present.) 
 
 Following is the constitution which this body 
 adopted : 
 
 1st. This body shall be called the General Asso- 
 ciation of Baptists in Kentucky. 
 
 2d. This association shall be composed of repre- 
 sentatives from such Baptist churches and associations 
 in this state as are in regular standing. 
 
 3d. Every such church and association, contribut- 
 ing annually to the funds of this association, shall be 
 entitled to a representation. 
 
 4th. This association shall, in a special manner, 
 aim to promote, by every legitimate means, the pros- 
 perity of the cause of God in this state. 
 
 5th. It is distinctly understood that this associa- 
 tion shall have no ecclesiastical authority. 
 
 6th. At each meeting of this association there 
 shall be elected by ballot a moderator, recording secre- 
 tary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, and eleven 
 
 124 
 
The General Association Constituted — 1837 125 
 
 managers, who shall constitute a board of directors 
 for the management of all the business of this associa- 
 tion during the recess of its annual meetings, and 
 annually report to the same their proceedings. 
 
 7th. The moderator, secretaries and treasurer 
 shall perform the duties usually performed by such 
 officers in similar associations. 
 
 8th. All associations contributing to this, and 
 co-operating in its designs, shall be considered aux- 
 iliary to it. 
 
 9th. A general agent may be appointed by the 
 association or board of managers, whose duty it shall 
 be to survey all the destitution, the means of supply, 
 etc., and report regularly to the board, so as to enable 
 them to meet the wants of the destitute. He shall 
 also raise funds, and in every practical way promote 
 the designs of the association, for which he shall re- 
 ceive a reasonable support. 
 
 10th. Any visiting brethren in good standing, as 
 such shall be entitled to sit in counsel in the annual 
 session of this association, but shall not have the right 
 to vote. 
 
 11th. The annual meetings of this association 
 shall be on Saturday before the third Lord's Day 
 in October. 
 
 12th. This constitution may be amended or 
 altered (the 5th article excepted) at any annual 
 meeting by a concurrence of two-thirds of the mem- 
 bers present. 
 
 Under this constitution the General Association of 
 Baptists of Kentucky was now fully organized by the 
 election of George Waller, Moderator; James E, Tyler, 
 recording secretary; John L. Waller, corresponding 
 secretary ; and Charles Quiry, treasurer. A committee 
 to nominate a board of managers, at least ten of whom 
 should be located in or near Louisville, presented the 
 following names, which were confirmed by the asso- 
 ciation: B. F. Farnsworth, Wm. Colgan, C. Vanbus- 
 kirk, T. R. Parent, W. C. Buck, E. A. Bennett, John 
 B. Whitman, J. C. Davie, W. Vaughan, G. C. Sed- 
 wick, and James M. Pendleton. 
 
12G Kcniucl-u Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 "The association was composed of fifty-seven 
 members, twenty of whom were ordained preachers, 
 one a licensed preacher, and the remaining thirty-six 
 private church members. The visiting brethren 
 present were Elder Alfred Bennett, agent of the 
 Baptist Board of Foreign Missions; Elder Noah 
 Flood, of Missouri ; Silas Webb, M. D., of Alabama ; 
 Elder T, G. Keene, of Philadelphia (now Doctor 
 Keene, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky) ; and Elder R. B. 
 C. Howell, of Nashville, Tennessee. 
 
 "This was not a large meeting, yet it was one of 
 very great importance to the Kentucky Baptists. It 
 was destined to inaugurate 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." (Spencer, Vol. I, p. 666 f.) 
 
 The "General Association" struck a more recep- 
 tive chord than the "State Convention" had done, as 
 its history demonstrates. 
 
 The brethren were not so afraid of the name 
 Association as they were of the name Convention. 
 They already had district associations, and were used 
 to the word, so they accepted the term ' ' General Asso- 
 ciation." Thus Doctor Noel succeeded in getting the 
 state work organized. Of course there were others 
 who labored faithfully with Doctor Noel to effect this 
 organization. 
 
 When the General Association was constituted in 
 1837 there were 28,142 Baptists in Kentucky. Spencer 
 in his Jubilee Address " Jubilee Volume" (p. 22) says : 
 
 "From a membership of 45,442 comprised in 34 
 associations and 614 churches in 1829, the Baptists 
 of Kentucky had been reduced to 39,263 .members, 
 organized in 43 associations and 664 churches. Of 
 these about 11,127 were anti-missionaries, leaving only 
 28,142 nominal missionaries — a number less than that 
 of the Methodists, and hardly equaling that of the 
 Campbellites. While they were being swallowed up 
 by their prosperous and enthusiastic rival sects with- 
 
The General Assocuition Constituted — 1837 127 
 
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128 Kentucky Baptist Hidory— 1770-1922 
 
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The General Association Constituted — 1837 129 
 
 out, they were consuming themselves by perpetual 
 discord and strife within. The churches were in a 
 large measure destitute of the ministry of the word, 
 without which any considerable measure of prosperity 
 is hopeless. The whole number of preachers was esti- 
 mated at two hundred. *0f these,' says Mr, Buck, 
 * not more than one-third were employed. ' According 
 to this estimate there were about ten churches for 
 every preacher actually engaged in the work. Of 
 these faithful laborers, Mr. Buck says: 'There was 
 not one settled pastor in Kentucky, nor one minister 
 supported, and not one pastoral laborer except in the 
 Louisville church.' The preachers were compelled to 
 engage in some secular occupation for a support, and 
 as a rule could preach at most only on Saturdays and 
 Sundays, By this means less than half of the 
 churches could be supplied with Saturday and Sun- 
 day preaching once a month," 
 
 The outlook that faced our brethren in 1837 when 
 they organized the General Association was decidedly 
 gloomy, but they were men of faith and courage. The 
 General Association of Baptists in Kentucky now has 
 a membership of 269,000 and 1,886 churches. 
 
 We give below the historical table of the General 
 Association of Baptists in Kentucky for its eighty-five 
 years of glorious achievements. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894* 
 
 It will be observed that the author does not say 
 ' ' Gospel Mission Split, " but " Deflection. ' ' The split 
 has not yet taken place, but will come sooner or 
 later. Just as the "Hardshells" had to be removed 
 from our churches for the sake of peace and harmony, 
 and for the progress of the kingdom, so the "Gospel 
 Missioners, " which is only another name for "Hard- 
 shells, ' ' will have to be eliminated for the same reason. 
 It is not the numbers but the spirit of the "Gospel 
 Missioners" that will make this necessary. Their 
 numbers are insignificant, but the spirit of this move- 
 ment is bad. 
 
 They have already reached the point where they 
 call all of our Baptist people "liars," "thieves," 
 "murderers," etc. In the Baptist Flag, the organ 
 
 * Statement of Don Singletary, M. D., Clinton, Ky. 
 
 (The author sent a copy of this manuscript to Doctor 
 Singletary, and asked him to read carefully the chapter on 
 "The Gospel Mission Deflection." Following is his answer.) 
 
 Clinton, Ky., February 7, 1922. 
 Elder Wm. D. Nowlin: 
 
 My Dear Brother: — I have read and re-read your manu- 
 script, chapter XII of Kentucky Baptist History on Gospel 
 Missions with much interest. I have all the West Kentucky 
 Association minutes now before me, and have just read and 
 re-read them as to the beginning of the Gospel Mission Plan 
 in Kentucky. They show that your history states the facts, 
 and is in full accord with their own statements as written and 
 published by themselves. 
 
 I was also present at every meeting of the association and 
 took part in their plan several years. 
 
 Please send me a copy of your Kentucky Baptist History 
 as soon as it is published. 
 
 Your friend and brother, 
 
 (Signed) Don Sinqletaey, M. D. 
 130 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 131 
 
 of the Landmark Gospel Missioners, of April 29, 1920, 
 a correspondent named Calvin Gregory of Pleasant 
 Shade, Tennessee, in a page and a half of the vilest 
 abuse he could heap on the Baptists of the Southern 
 Baptist Convention, says: " Conventionism will stop 
 at nothing short of murder. It will misrepresent, 
 it will practice deception and fraud, it will rob the 
 people, it will lie, it will embezzle the funds of the 
 people, it is one of the greatest grafting machines 
 ever known among the people." And to show that 
 this is not simply an individual feeling of Mr. 
 Gregory's on reading the above slanderous charges 
 against the Baptists of the South, this author wrote 
 a note which appeared in the Baptist Flag, July 22, 
 1920, calling attention to these awful charges, think- 
 ing it would provoke an apology. Here is the note: 
 "One Calvin Gregory in the Flag says: 'Conven- 
 tionism will lie, steal, misrepresent, and will stop at 
 nothing short of murder.' Now, of course, what he 
 means by * Conventionism ' is those who are members 
 of the Southern Baptist Convention. For an 'ism' 
 cannot lie, steal, nor murder. He says they 'will not 
 stop short of murder.' Then if they will not stop 
 short of murder, they will go as far as to commit 
 murder. Not to stop short of murder means to com- 
 mit murder. Any intelligent person will admit that 
 this is the meaning of this language. Murder is re- 
 garded as the worst crime man can commit, and there- 
 fore receives the highest penalty — capital punishment. 
 No set of criminals can be worse than those who lie, 
 steal and murder. So, Brother Gregory says, in effect, 
 that those Baptists who belong to the Southern Baptist 
 Convention are the worst criminals on earth, and 
 deserve to be executed. This is the plain, legitimate 
 meaning of his language. 
 
 ' ' May our Father richly reward his faithful saints 
 who are laboring earnestly and faithfully — giving 
 their time and money to extend his kingdom to the 
 uttermost parts of the earth, who suffer such slander 
 and persecution ; and may he forgive our enemies who 
 
132 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 so slander us. God's richest blessings on those who 
 love truth and hate slander." Signed, Wm. D. 
 Nowlin. 
 
 But instead of an apology the editor, T. F. Moore, 
 answers the above in the same issue in the following 
 language: "Brother Gregory does not accuse you, 
 neither any other convention man directly, as guilty 
 of the things named, and yet you, with all who affiliate 
 with conventionism, are guilty of many, if not all, the 
 things charged." He not only includes this author 
 in person by saying ''you," but includes every mem- 
 ber in the Southern Baptist Convention, saying ''you, 
 with all who affiliate with conventionism." "You are 
 guilty of many, if not all." Again, in the Flag of 
 August 5, 1920, a writer signing himself "Elder W. 
 H. Moser, Clifton, Tenn., " says, referring to "the 
 article written by Brother Wm. D. Nowlin in the 
 Flag of July 22, 1920, in his comment on what Brother 
 Gregory said about conventionism. Now I am going 
 to take sides with Brother Gregory. I now make the 
 assertion that conventionism will do anything to carry 
 out its purpose." You will observe that this writer, 
 as well as Editor Moore, endorses all that Gregory 
 has said, that is, that * ' all affiliated with the Southern 
 Baptist Convention ' ' will ' ' lie, " " steal, " " embezzle, ' ' 
 "rob," "deceive," "murder." In the same issue 
 with the above is the following by W. C. Benson, 
 Mangum, Okla. : * ' We heartily endorse Brother 
 Clark's write up with regard to Oakley. If Brother 
 Clark is not right with regard to this seventy-five 
 million drive being hatched up by the devil, we do 
 not know what truth means." Daniel Parker, John 
 Taylor and Alexander Campbell never said worse 
 things about the Baptists, in their fight against mis- 
 sions, than those above. The above are but samples 
 of the abuse heaped upon the Baptists by the so-called 
 "Gospel Missioners." 
 
 This is the reason why I say the split will come 
 and should come. No self-respecting people can keep 
 in their membership those who call them "liars," 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 133 
 
 "thieves," "embezzlers," " murderers," etc. And if 
 they who say those things were sincere and had any 
 self-respect, they would not stay in the churches with 
 such people. However, when they are put out they 
 are going to die, as did the "Hardshells" of nearly 
 a century ago. The same anti-mission spirit which 
 causes them to hate Baptists because of their mission 
 zeal and success will keep them from building church 
 houses, paying pastors and sending out and support- 
 ing missionaries, which ultimately means death. These 
 gospel missioners deny that they are opposed to mis- 
 sions, as such, that they only oppose mission methods. 
 That is exactly the plea made by Alexander Camp- 
 bell, John Taylor and Daniel Parker when they began 
 their fight against Baptist missions one hundred years 
 ago; but time has demonstrated the fact that the 
 malady was deeper than "methods." They soon went 
 to the logical conclusion of their position and fought 
 missions outright. 
 
 Gospel Missions in Its Beginning in Kentucky 
 This author is well informed as to the beginning 
 of Gospel Missions in Kentucky. During the years of 
 
 1893, 1894 and 1895 he was pastor at Hickman, Ken- 
 tucky. Elder J. N. Hall was then editing the Baptist 
 Flag at Fulton, Kentucky. At this time Mrs. C. E. 
 Kerr, Decatur, Georgia, was publishing a small sheet 
 called "The Missionary Helper," which was advocat- 
 ing Gospel Missions. Hall frequently quoted with 
 approval this paper, and finally suggested that the 
 West Kentucky Association, of which both of our 
 churches were members, adopt and support an inde- 
 pendent missionary, in addition to what we were doing 
 through the regular channels. At Spring Hill at the 
 meeting of the West Kentucky Association in October, 
 
 1894, the first definite action was taken towards 
 Gospel Missions in Kentucky. 
 
 In October, 1918, the author wrote to Dr. Don 
 Singletary, of Clinton, Kentucky, the moderator of 
 the West Kentucky Association, to know if he could 
 furnish minutes of the association, or information as 
 
134 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 to the first committee appointed, consisting of Hall, 
 Bogard and Nowlin, to employ and look after the 
 support of an independent foreign missionary. On 
 October 26, 1918, the author received the following 
 letter from Doctor Singletary: "My Dear Doctor 
 Nowlin, your letter of inquiry came in due time, and 
 I am glad to be able to produce you some information. 
 I have attended every association of west Kentucky, 
 and have the minutes of every meeting. The time 
 was October 9 and 10, 1895, at Liberty Church. J. F. 
 Cargill, of Macon, Georgia, was present and preached. 
 J, N. Hall had invited him and tried hard to get us 
 to employ him. Hall read a report of Gospel Missions 
 and it was discussed freely, amended, and the next 
 morning the 10th, the whole thing was tabled as shown 
 in the minutes, but that report is not in the minutes 
 because it was tabled. Nor is the committee of Hall, 
 Bogard and Nowlin mentioned ; neither is Hall 's offer 
 to be one of one hundred to pay $5.00 each year for 
 an independent missionary. Yet I am sure the latter 
 was made and discussed. (I am sure of it, too, for 
 I agreed to be one of the one hundred — Nowlin.) In 
 these discussions my memory is, that the Gospel Mis- 
 sion plan was not in any way to interfere with, or to 
 lessen, our board work ; and that Gospel Missions and 
 money designated to it were to have a place in our 
 minutes hereafter. 
 
 "The next year at Arlington W. H. Williams read 
 the Gospel Mission report, and it is printed. I will 
 quote some of the points. 'One of the oldest mis- 
 sionaries in China, T. P. Crawford, is laboring under 
 this plan.' 'There need be no friction between the 
 two plans. ' ' Churches have a right to designate their 
 funds.' 'On this plan we now have twenty mission- 
 aries in the foreign field.' On this arrangement I 
 contributed to both plans, and increased my giving 
 and my increase went to Gospel Missions. 
 
 ' ' In 1904 at Columbus, T. A. Cross in Gospel Mis- 
 sion report says: 'We have about twenty-seven mis- 
 sionaries in the foreign fields,' naming 'China, Peru, 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 135 
 
 Mexico, Cuba, and Syria. ' In 1917 this same brother, 
 T. A. Cross, in Gospel Mission report, says: 'T. L. 
 Blalock, Tai An Fu Shantung, China, is our only 
 real active worker on the foreign field.' They have 
 lost ground rapidly and done much harm to our cause 
 in West Kentucky Association. About three-fourths 
 of our churches claim Gospel Mission plan and do 
 almost nothing." Signed, Don Singletary. 
 
 The author then wrote Doctor Singletary to look 
 in the minutes of 1894 and he would find the appoint- 
 ment of the committee. On November 1, 1918, Doctor 
 Singletary replies as follows : ' ' Dear Doctor Nowlin : 
 As to Gospel Missions, you are right. The previous 
 year at Spring Hill Church, October 10, 11, 12, 1894, 
 Ben M. Bogard read the report on foreign missions 
 in which he said, 'There are two plans — convention 
 plan — the other Gospel Missions which is led by T. P. 
 Crawford, G. P. Bostic, D. W. Herring and others.' 
 Further he asks that ' Our association takes a decided 
 advance step' and recommended that 'This associa- 
 tion employ a missionary as soon as arrangements can 
 be made; and this, too, in addition to the work we 
 already have on hand.' A committee was appointed 
 for this new plan, consisting of 'Ben M. Bogard, 
 W. D. Nowlin, J. N. Hall,' 'to look after the employ- 
 ment and support of a foreign missionary' on Gospel 
 Mission plan mentioned in report. This covers every 
 point you ask for, I think. I quote the points in 
 Bogard 's report as printed that cover the beginning, 
 but I skip many sentences not to the point. ' ' Signed, 
 Don Singletary. 
 
 It will be seen from the foregoing facts that 
 "Gospel Missions" was considered the first time in 
 a Baptist association in Kentucky in October, 1894, 
 and that the author of this history was a member of 
 the first committee ever appointed by a Baptist body 
 in Kentucky to select and look after the support of a 
 gospel missionary; and yet the author has, all the 
 while, been lined up with our organized work. The 
 other members of the committee, Bogard and Hall, 
 
136 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 were also lined up with the organized work at this 
 time. Bogard was pastor of the Fulton Baptist 
 Church, a church in line with our organized work. 
 J. N, Hall was a member of, and a liberal contributor 
 to, this church and its work, including missions. 
 These facts show that "Gospel Missions" did not 
 mean then what the term means now. 
 
 What Has It Accomplished? 
 
 The Baptist Flag of Fulton, Kentucky, is the 
 exponent of this cult, so I shall let it speak. 
 
 Here is their Missionary Directory as published 
 July 29, 1920, in the Flag: 
 
 Mission Directory 
 
 FOREIGN missions 
 
 Eld. T. L. Blalock, Helton, N. C. 
 At present no one on China field, but will sail 
 with helpers the coming summer.* 
 
 HOME MISSIONS 
 
 H. A. Roshto, Pineville, La. 
 H. D. Clift, Maury City, Tenn. 
 S. W. Joyner, Hollow Rock, Tenn, 
 C. B. Massey, Pleasant Shade, Tenn. 
 Calvin Gregory, Pleasant Shade, Tenn. 
 A. G. Stinson, Pleasant Shade, Tenn. 
 
 GENERAL MISSIONARIES 
 
 T. F. Moore, Fulton, Ky. 
 
 J. N. Joyner, Westport, Tenn. 
 
 ORPHANAGE 
 
 Mrs. Jennie Lamas, Mariel, Cuba. 
 
 Treasurer 
 T. A. Cross, Bardwell, Ky. 
 
 "Those wanting to send direct to the missionary 
 can do so, as it is your privilege, but our treasurer, 
 
 * Note— Later the Flag reported that T. L. Blalock had 
 returned with helpers. 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 137 
 
 T. A. Cross, sends every cent as directed, and is not 
 a toll station to toll your funds. We donate to him 
 during the year, and all should help." It will be 
 observed that all are urged to help pay the treasurer, 
 T. A. Cross. 
 
 The above shows that they have hut one foreign 
 missionary and he is not on the foreign field at this 
 writing. "Home Missionaries" are men who have 
 simply the "recommendation" of the Gospel Mission 
 Association without salary. 
 
 The following from J. A. Scarboro, one of their 
 leaders, taken from the Flag of November 25, 1915, 
 shows in what sense they are missionaries. Elder 
 Scarboro says: 
 
 "I am on a little farm in the piney woods of 
 
 Georgia Stripped of everything I possessed 
 
 and compelled to sell books and furniture to get here, 
 
 we came last spring and have farmed this year 
 
 All of us have labored in the field, including my 
 
 devoted wife and little children I never spent 
 
 a year in my life with a heavier burden on my 
 heart I was compelled to do so. At the Gen- 
 eral Association I was 'recommended as a missionary 
 to cut his own hay as he went.' Anybody can be a 
 
 missionary on that basis I could have done 
 
 state mission work, or editorial work, or any sort of 
 work, but nobody seemed to want me, or if they did, 
 they did not say so. And so I left because I had to. 
 And so I have spent the year, much of it in the cotton 
 
 field We have a few Landmark Baptists with 
 
 much means, and the few we have are scared half to 
 death if they think they will lose a hundred dollars. 
 It is pitiful and sickening to a man who sees oppor- 
 tunities and wants to do something Letters 
 
 continue to pour in, asking me to go here and there 
 all over the South, and seven out of ten of them say 
 little or nothing about expenses. God pity our people 
 and our cause. Why ask men to perform impossi- 
 bilities? If I were called upon to prescribe for the 
 Landmarkers, I would say, Get religion enough to 
 
138 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 support the workers. I have read appeals and begging 
 for funds to support a few missionaries among them 
 until my very soul is sick of it. I will never beg 
 another Landmarker to do anything for me or any- 
 body else. To urge a man to go out as a missionary 
 and then advertise him as ready to starve for want 
 of a pittance out of our abundance to support him is 
 scandalous. Self-respecting men have no respect for 
 a people who will do that sort of a thing. We have 
 a faithful few among us, but there is an army of 
 people who call themselves Landmarkers who are not 
 worth two beans in any cause. They sadden and 
 sicken the heart to contemplate them. Brethren, let's 
 do mission work, or take that label off our name and 
 just say we do not believe in missions. Let's be 
 truthful." 
 
 This wail of the strongest man among the kickers 
 against God's mission work, as the Baptist churches 
 are doing it through their organized channels, 
 reiterates what has often been said, that the objections 
 to conventions and boards — with few exceptions — are 
 hypocritical excuses for doing nothing. Scarboro cer- 
 tainly tells the truth — turns ' ' state 's evidence. ' ' 
 
 This movement is led by a bunch of disgruntled 
 would-be leaders, who kick the leaders and lead the 
 kickers. 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the ' ' General Association 
 of Landmark Gospel Mission Baptists of the United 
 States of America" has one paid missionary. The 
 others only have the endorsement or ''recommenda- 
 tion of the General Association to cut his own hay as 
 he goes." And Scarboro adds, "Anybody can be a 
 missionary on that basis." So he can. 
 
 The following from a Flag editorial February 5, 
 1920, is in harmony with the above. "Perhaps not 
 one church in all our fields is able or willing to try 
 it alone in sending a missionary either into the home 
 or the foreign field. Why not unite our forces and 
 funds and keep alive one or two in both fields ? ' ' The 
 editorial only suggests trying to "keep alive one or 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — ISOi 139 
 
 two (missionaries) on both fields." It doesn't sug- 
 gest anything more than "keeping alive one or two" 
 missionaries and this clearly implies that they are 
 not now doing that. 
 
 T. A. Cross, in his report to the West Kentucky 
 Association, 1904, says, "We have about twenty-seven 
 missionaries in the foreign fields. ' ' In 1917 this same 
 brother, Cross, in his report on Gospel Missions to 
 the West Kentucky Association, says, "T. L. Blalock, 
 China, is our only real active worker on the foreign 
 field." In a little more than a dozen years they have 
 gone from twenty-seven foreign missionaries to one, 
 according to their own report. 
 
 This is due to the fact that in the beginning the 
 Gospel Missioners did not fight the organized work of 
 the Southern Baptist Convention, but claimed that 
 their work was "in addition to the organized work," 
 and in this way they had the help of many loyal 
 Baptists such as Doctor Singletary and this writer, 
 who contributed to this cause to encourage many who 
 were doing practically nothing for missions ; but when 
 they began to draw the lines and fight the organized 
 work and vilify the Southern Baptist Convention 
 these withdrew their support and you see how they 
 dropped from twenty-seven foreign missionaries to 
 one. That is the progress they have made. 
 
 They have also made progress in their position on 
 missions. In the first report on this work, October, 
 1894, made by Ben M. Bogard, he says "there are two 
 plans — convention plan and gospel mission plan." 
 In 1896 W. H. Williams says, "There need be no fric- 
 tion between the two plans." 
 
 At the time J. N. Hall urged the appointment of 
 an independent missionary by the West Kentucky 
 Association he was contributing to the regular or- 
 ganized work through the Fulton Baptist Church, and 
 for many years after was a member of the Southern 
 Baptist Convention. Minutes of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention for 1902 (p. 4) show " J. N. Hall, Fulton, 
 Kentucky," a registered messenger on the financial 
 
140 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 basis. He was a member of the General Association 
 of Baptists in Kentucky when he died. They have 
 now reached the point where, instead of saying "there 
 are two plans ' ' and * ' there need be no friction between 
 the two plans ' ' they say ' ' conventionism is one of the 
 greatest grafting machines ever known among the 
 masses," and "an unbaptistic robbing machine." 
 They also say "all who are affiliated with convention- 
 ism" are guilty of "lying," "stealing," "robbing," 
 "embezzlement," "deceiving," "murdering," etc. 
 The attacks made by the Gospel Missioners on the 
 Baptists are far more vicious and bitter than those 
 made by the Hardshells nearly a century ago, and of 
 which history gives account. 
 
 The Gospel Missioners, so far as the author knows, 
 have no organization in Kentucky. They have an 
 association called "Kentucky-Tennessee Association," 
 which is composed of a small following in a few west 
 Kentucky churches and a few in Tennessee. The 
 minutes of this association for September 15 and 16, 
 1920 (pp. 1 and 2), show twenty-seven churches rep- 
 resented by messengers, but a note by the clerk just 
 following the list says, "Not all the above named 
 messengers were present," so we do not know how 
 many churches were really represented by messengers 
 in this meeting. 
 
 Their general organization is "The General Asso- 
 ciation of Gospel Mission Landmark Baptists of the 
 United States of America," with headquarters at 
 Texarkana, Ark.-Tex. They have made several 
 changes in their title within the last few years. 
 Minutes of the meeting of December 7 to 10, 1920, 
 held with Nebo church. Bay Springs, Miss., says: 
 "The messengers of the churches composing the Bap- 
 tist General Association of the United States." At 
 this same meeting, as recorded on page 5, the word 
 "Missionary" was added to their title. We notice 
 that the words "Gospel Missioners" and "Land- 
 markers," made so prominent in their beginning, are 
 entirely eliminated from their minutes of 1920. They 
 
The Gospel Mission Deflection — 1894 141 
 
 object to conventions, and so have an association 
 claiming more territory than any Baptist convention 
 in America. They object to a mission board, and so 
 have a "Mission Committee" performing all the 
 functions of a board. They decline to have a corre- 
 sponding secretary, but have a "Mission Treasurer" 
 to perform the duties of a corresponding secretary. 
 They criticize the salary paid by the convention to 
 their foreign mission corresponding secretary, and 
 yet they pay their mission treasurer far more in pro- 
 portion to the business done — the money handled and 
 missionaries supported — than the convention pays. 
 They claim that there is no scriptural authority for 
 a "Southern Baptist Convention," but that there is 
 scriptural authority for a "General Association of 
 Missionary Baptist Churches of America." It is not 
 the author's business to try to explain the inconsis- 
 tencies of these claims, but to state them. The spirit 
 that dominates Gospel Missions is not the spirit that 
 sends out missionaries and supports them. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896* 
 
 What is known as *'The Whitsitt Controversy" 
 began in the spring of 1896. Doctor Whitsitt wrote 
 an article on the Baptists for Johnson 's Encyclopedia, 
 in which he set forth his theory that the English Bap- 
 tists did not begin to baptize by immersion until 1641, 
 when a part of the Anabaptists, as they were then 
 called, began immersion. Doctor Whitsitt in this 
 article used language which many Baptists interpreted 
 to mean that immersion as a Christian ordinance was 
 started at that time. It is but fair to Doctor Whitsitt, 
 however, to say that he in the introduction to his book 
 "A Question in Baptist History," a book called out 
 by the controversy, says : * ' Immersion as a religious 
 rite was practiced by John the Baptist about the year 
 30 of our era, and was solemnly enjoined by our 
 Saviour upon all his ministers to the end of time. No 
 other observance was in use for baptism in New Testa- 
 ment times. The practice, though some times greatly 
 perverted, has yet been continued from the apostolic 
 age down to our own. As I understand the scriptures, 
 immersion is essential to Christian baptism." 
 
 * The author furnished copies of this chapter, exactly as 
 it stands, to three of our leading preachers and scholars who 
 saw the "Whitsitt controversy" from different viewpoints, ask- 
 ing that they read it carefully, make any suggestions, correc- 
 tions or additions that they thought should be made. Following 
 is the result: 
 
 Eeply of the Eev. W. J. McGlothlin, .D. D., Ph.D. 
 
 Hattiesburg, Miss., July 28, 1921. 
 Dear Dr. Nowlin: 
 
 Without access to the sources it is of course impossible for 
 me to pass on the accuracy of your statements. As far as I 
 know you have stated the facts as they occurred. While a 
 
 142 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 143 
 
 Here is an extract from the eueyclopedia article: 
 ' ' The earliest organized Baptist Church belongs to the 
 
 year 1610 or 1611 Ezekiel Holliman baptized 
 
 Williams and the rest of his company. The ceremony 
 was most likely performed by sprinkling ; the Baptists 
 of England had not adopted immersion, and there is 
 no reason which renders it probable that Williams 
 was in advance of them." Doctor Henry M. King 
 of Rhode Island pointed out this as an attack on 
 the Baptists, and criticized rather sharply Doctor 
 Whitsitt 's position. Next Dr. J. H. Spencer, the 
 Kentucky Baptist historian, wrote an article which 
 appeared in the Western Recorder in which he 
 strongly dissented from Doctor Whitsitt 's position. 
 Dr. T. T. Eaton, editor of the Western Recorder, was 
 at this time in Europe, but Mrs. Joe Eaton Peck, 
 who had charge of the paper in the absence of her 
 brother, took up the matter in the Recorder and most 
 vigorously assailed Doctor Whitsitt 's position, main- 
 taining that the Baptists, under different names, had 
 had a continuous history, and a uniform practice on 
 baptism, from the beginning of the Christian era. 
 
 After the return of Doctor Eaton he took up the 
 controversy and became the leader of the opposition 
 to Doctor Whitsitt 's position. The friends of Doctor 
 Whitsitt (known in the controversy as "Whit- 
 sittites") started and used the Baptist Argus as 
 an organ of propaganda and defense, while the * ' Anti- 
 Whitsittites, " as they were called, used the Western 
 Recorder for the same purpose. This, of course, made 
 the controversy all the more bitter and personal in 
 
 reader could probably determine where your sympathies lie, 
 
 still it seems to me that you are fair and show a good spirit. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 W. J. McGlothlin. 
 Eeply of the Eev. J. T. Christian, D. D., LL.D. 
 
 Collins, Miss., July 30, 1921. 
 Dear Brother Nowlin: 
 
 Your favor was forwarded to me here. I have read the 
 chapter. I do not know the setting of this chapter — what you 
 
144 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 Kentucky. The disputation waxed hot and was 
 carried into churches, district associations, state con- 
 ventions and finally into the Southern Baptist Con- 
 vention. 
 
 Dr. H. M. Dexter maintained that the idea was not 
 new and pointed out that he had held substantially 
 this position earlier than Doctor Whitsitt. In order 
 to establish priority in this matter Doctor Whitsitt 
 claimed some anonymous editorials which appeared in 
 the New York Independent in 1880 as his work. 
 
 Dr. John T. Christian, who had already gotten 
 into the controversy, began to study the files of the 
 Independent and found other editorials in which this 
 position was set forth and in which the Baptists were 
 attacked very vigorously. 
 
 From internal evidence Doctor Christian decided 
 that Doctor Whitsitt had written all of these editorials 
 and so charged publicly. Doctor Whitsitt acknowl- 
 edged the authorship of some of the editorials, but 
 denied the others. There was sufficient material, how- 
 ever, in those which he acknowledged to create in the 
 minds of Baptists the most unfavorable impression. 
 At this point Dr. B. H. Carroll of Texas wrote an 
 article in which he set forth the fact that when Doctor 
 Whitsitt acknowledged that he wrote a part of a 
 series of editorials attacking the Baptists he admitted 
 his guilt of the whole, pointing out the fact that in 
 law a man who helps to plan or execute a murder — 
 has any part in it — is guilty of the whole — particeps 
 criminis. 
 
 may have written in regard to the parties concerned in other 
 parts of your work. I might not have said it just as you 
 have, but I do not care to add anything. 
 Yours fraternally, 
 
 John T. Christian. 
 
 Eeply of the Eev, W. W. Landrum, D. D., LL.D. 
 I have been impressed with the clearness and directness of 
 your statements. So far as I recall the facts you have stated 
 them fairly and impartially as they occurred. 
 
 W. W. Landeum. 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 145 
 
 We give here some extracts from the Independent 
 editorials without expressing any opinion, as it is the 
 business of the historian to give facts and not opinions. 
 From the Independent, New York, September 2, 1880 : 
 **The Congregationalist speaks of the well-known 
 immersion of Roger Williams by the unimmersed 
 Ezekiel Holliman. To be sure all the Baptists of 
 America so assume, but the editor of the Congrega- 
 tionalist is more accurately acquainted with the 
 origins of Baptist history than any of the Baptists 
 themselves, and we expected that its statements would 
 be more accurate. As we understand it, Roger Wil- 
 liams never was a Baptist in the modern sense — that 
 is, never was immersed, and the ceremony referred to 
 was anabaptism, rebaptism by sprinkling, and not 
 ' Catbaptism, ' or baptism by immersion. The baptism 
 of Roger Williams is affirmed by Governor Winthrop 
 to have taken place in March, 1639. This, however, 
 was at least two years prior to the introduction of the 
 practice of immersion among the Baptists. Up to the 
 year 1641 all Baptists employed sprinkling and pour- 
 ing as the mode of baptism We are inclined to 
 
 believe that no case of immersion took place among 
 the American Baptists before the year 1644. It seems 
 likely that Roger Williams, on his return from Eng- 
 land in that year, brought the first reliable news con- 
 cerning the change which had taken place in the prac- 
 tice of the English Baptists, three years before, and 
 that it was then that the American Baptists first 
 resolved to accept the innovation." 
 
 This editorial was followed by another September 
 9, 1880, from which we quote the following : **It was 
 not until the year 1644, three years after the inven- 
 tion of immersion, that any Baptist confession pre- 
 scribes 'dipping or plunging the body in water as the 
 way and manner of dispensing the ordinance' (Lon- 
 don Confession of 1644, Article 40). . . . . Happily 
 for us, however, the above assertion is confirmed by 
 the authority of Edward Barber, the founder of the 
 rite of immersion among the Baptists." 
 
 10 
 
146 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 Doctor Whitsitt wrote three or more articles in 
 which he defended his claim that "1641" was the 
 date of ''the invention of immersion." One in the 
 Examiner, April 23, 1896, one in the Religious 
 Herald, May 7, 1896, and in his book "A Question in 
 Baptist History," published September, 1896. In the 
 Examiner article, April 23, 1896, he says: "Dur- 
 ing the autumn of 1877, shortly after I had been put 
 in charge of the school of Church History at the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in preparing 
 my lectures on Baptist History, I made the discovery 
 that, prior to the year 1641 our Baptist people in 
 England were in the practice of sprinkling and pour- 
 ing for baptism. I kept it to myself until the year 
 
 1880, when I had the happiness to spend my summer 
 vacation at the British Museum. There I assured 
 myself, largely by researches among the King George 's 
 pamphlets, that my discovery was genuine, and estab- 
 lished it by many irrefragable proofs from contem- 
 porary documents. ' ' Then in this same article Doctor 
 Whitsitt refers to Doctor Dexter 's claim to priority 
 on this question in the following language: "Ap- 
 parently Doctor Dexter was interested by my explana- 
 tions and proofs, for he shortly found his way to the 
 British Museum where he also convinced himself that 
 my view was correct and my citations authentic. As 
 a fruit of these researches he issued, near the close of 
 
 1881, more than twelve months after my discovery 
 had iaeen declared in the Independent, the well-known 
 volume entitled 'John Smyth the Se-Baptist' wherein 
 he adopted my thesis, defended it by many citations, 
 and entirely ignored my discovery as set forth in the 
 Independent This discovery is my own con- 
 tribution to Baptist History, and when my brethren 
 heap reproaches upon me it is nothing but right that 
 I should defend my property." 
 
 A few months later Doctor Whitsitt 's book, "A 
 Question in Baptist History," came off the press, 
 from which I take the following (p. 133) : "In view 
 of the foregoing body of materials, I candidly con- 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 147 
 
 sider that my proofs are sufficient. This question has 
 been confirmed and strengthened by the renewed in- 
 vestigation which I have lately undertaken in order 
 to set forth these proofs. Whatever else may be true 
 in history, I believe it is beyond question that the 
 practice of adult immersion was introduced anew into 
 England in the year 1641." 
 
 The Baptists of the South very naturally asked the 
 question, * ' Why should a Baptist holding the position 
 which Doctor Whitsitt holds anonymously attack the 
 Baptist denomination?" Doctor Whitsitt 's explana- 
 tion was that he "wrote from a Pedobaptist stand- 
 point in order to provoke discussion and compel the 
 Baptists to study their own history." This explana- 
 tion might have stopped the controversy had not 
 Doctor Whitsitt written a number of articles and a 
 book, all written from a Baptist standpoint, to prove 
 his Independent editorials which "were written from 
 a Pedobaptist standpoint." It was this that stirred 
 the Baptists to the depths, and not Doctor Whitsitt 's 
 "writing from a Pedobaptist standpoint." 
 
 The controversy spread through the entire South, 
 and even into the North, until it was finally taken up 
 by the Southern Baptist Convention. The board of 
 trustees of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 
 took the following action at Wilmington, N. C, during 
 the sitting of the Southern Baptist Convention, and 
 which action was reported to the convention and 
 recorded in its minutes. 
 
 The Wilmington Action 
 
 The following is an exact copy from the minutes : 
 A communication from the Board of Trustees of the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was presented 
 as information by W. E. Hatcher, Virginia. Where- 
 upon it was ordered that the communication be 
 printed in the minutes of the convention. The trustees 
 of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 
 assembled in their annual meeting at Wilmington, 
 N. C, May 6, 1897, desire to submit to the Baptists 
 
148 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 of the South the following statement in regard to the 
 institution whose interests have been committed to 
 their care and management. 
 
 1. That we account this a fitting occasion to re- 
 affirm our cordial and thorough adherence to the 
 fundamental articles adopted at the time when the 
 seminary was established, and to assure those on 
 whose behalf we hold in trust and administer the 
 affairs of this institution of our steadfast purpose 
 to require hereafter, as we have in the past, that the 
 fundamental laws and scriptural doctrines embodied 
 in those articles shall be faithfully upheld by those 
 occupying chairs as teachers. 
 
 2. That we cannot undertake to sit in judgment 
 on questions in Baptist history which do not imperil 
 any of these principles, concerning which all Baptists 
 are agreed, but concerning which serious, conscien- 
 tious and scholarly students are not agreed. We can, 
 however, confidently leave to continued research 
 and discussion the satisfactory solution of these 
 questions. 
 
 3. That believing the seminary to hold an impor- 
 tant relation to the prosperity and usefulness of 
 southern Baptists, we consider it our duty, while 
 demanding of those in charge of the departments of 
 instruction the utmost patience in research and the 
 greatest discretion in utterance, to foster rather than 
 repress the spirit of earnest, reverent investigation. 
 
 4. That being fully assured that the tender affec- 
 tion which we cherish for this institution, founded by 
 our fathers and bequeathed by them to us, is shared 
 by the Baptists of the South, we can safely trust them 
 as we ask them to trust us, to guard its honor, pro- 
 mote its usefulness and pray for its prosperity. 
 
 Upon the adoption of the foregoing statement, the 
 trustees appointed a committee to notify Doctor 
 Whitsitt of this action, and to invite him to meet them 
 and to make any voluntary statement he might desire. 
 Whereupon Doctor Whitsitt appeared before the 
 board and read the following paper : 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 149 
 
 Wilmington, N. C, May 7, 1897. 
 To the Board of Trustees of the Southern Baptist 
 Theological Seminary : 
 
 Dear Brethren : — I beg leave to return sincerest 
 and heartiest thanks for the noble and generous treat- 
 ment that you have bestowed upon me. I have only 
 words of affection for every member of the board. 
 After consulting with the committee I have the fol- 
 lowing to say: 
 
 1. That in regard to the articles written as edi- 
 torials for the Independent, I have long felt that it 
 was a mistake, and the generous action of the Board 
 of Trustees renders it easy for me to make this state- 
 ment. What I wrote was from a Pedobaptist stand- 
 point with a view to stimulating historical research, 
 with no thought that it would injure the Baptists, 
 and with no intention to disparage Baptist doctrines 
 or practices. 
 
 2. That the article in Johnson's Encyclopedia 
 has probably passed beyond my control; but it will 
 be very pleasing to me if I can honorably procure the 
 elimination from it of whatsoever is offensive to any 
 of my brethren. 
 
 3. Regarding the charge that I expressed a con- 
 viction that a kinswoman of mine ought to follow her 
 husband into a Pedobaptist church, that it was never 
 my intention to indicate a belief that the family out- 
 ranked the Church of God. I believe that obedience 
 to God's commands is above every other human duty, 
 and that people in every relation of life ought to 
 obey God rather than man. 
 
 4. That on the historical questions involved in the 
 discussion, I find myself out of agreement with some 
 honored historians; but what I have written is the 
 outcome of patient and honest research, and I can do 
 no otherwise than to reaffirm my convictions and 
 maintain my position. But if in the future it shall 
 ever be made to appear that I have erred in my 
 conclusions, I would promptly and cheerfully say so. 
 
150 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 I am a searcher after truth, and will gladly hail every 
 helper in my work. 
 
 5. That I cannot more strongly assure the 
 brethren that I am a Baptist than by what I have 
 recently declared with regard to the abstract of prin- 
 ciples set forth in the Fundamental Laws of the 
 seminary. I am heartily in accord with my Baptist 
 brethren in every distinctive principle that they hold. 
 My heart and life are bound up with the Baptists, 
 and I have no higher thought on earth than to spend 
 my days in their fellowship and service, in the name 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Wm. H. Whitsitt. 
 
 At the conclusion of the reading of the foregoing 
 paper the trustees joined in singing: 
 
 "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
 Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word," 
 
 during which, amid flowing tears and many expres- 
 sions of satisfaction and joy, the members of the board 
 pressed forward and gave Doctor Whitsitt the hand 
 of fellowship and confidence. The trustees then in- 
 structed B. H. Carroll of Texas and W. E. Hatcher 
 of Virginia to communicate to the Southern Baptist 
 Convention this action, and also to give it to the pub- 
 lic press. Please bear in mind that this statement is 
 made to the convention for information and not for 
 action. 
 
 (Taken from Proceedings of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention, 1897, pages 14-16.) 
 
 Dr. B. H. Carroll, Texas, not only refused to 
 accept the Wilmington action, but started the con- 
 troversy afresh. The result of the renewed contro- 
 versy was that the opposition to Doctor Whitsitt was 
 greatly augmented and that state conventions began 
 taking action calling for the removal of Doctor Whit- 
 sitt from the Theological Seminary. However, we 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 151 
 
 are only concerned here in so far as the matter touches 
 Kentucky Baptist history. 
 
 In June following the Wilmington meeting, which 
 was in May, the General Association of Baptists in 
 Kentucky met in Georgetown, during the session of 
 which the following action was taken: 
 
 The Georgetown Action 
 
 The resolution of J. A. Booth, special order for 
 this hour, is as follows : 
 
 Whereas, Dr. W. H. Whitsitt, President of the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reaffirms his 
 belief in his discovery and will continue to teach it; 
 and, 
 
 Whereas, His course has been such as to place him 
 out of touch and harmony with the denomination ; 
 
 Resolved, That the trustees of the seminary from 
 Kentucky be requested, and they are hereby requested, 
 to urge, insist upon and vote for the retirement of 
 Doctor Whitsitt from the presidency of the institu- 
 tion and from the chair of Church History. 
 
 The above resolution was voted on by yeas and 
 nays. The yeas were 105, the nays 78, both of which 
 are recorded below: 
 
 (Taken from minutes of General Association of 
 Baptists of Kentucky, 1897, page 29.) 
 
 When the Booth resolution was called up for 
 action in the Georgetown meeting the ''Previous 
 Question" was called for and sustained, so the resolu- 
 tion was voted on without discussion. Just following 
 the Georgetown meeting. Dr. Carter Helm Jones pub- 
 lished a statement in the Courier Journal referring to 
 the above action as the "Gag-law" practice, and set- 
 ting forth the claim that if the friends of Doctor 
 Whitsitt had only had an opportunity to discuss the 
 matter, the action of the General Association would 
 have been very different. So the next year at Hop- 
 kinsville it was decided that the matter should be 
 thoroughly discussed before the vote was taken. 
 
152 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 The Hopkinsville Action 
 
 J. S. Coleman read the following preamble and 
 resolutions : 
 
 Whereas, The trustees of the Southern Baptist 
 Theological Seminary at their recent session in Nor- 
 folk, Va., adopted a resolution by which they decided 
 to retain Dr. William H. Whitsitt as President of the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and professor 
 of Church History; and, 
 
 Whereas, By their said resolutions the trustees 
 waived aside the known and officially expressed con- 
 victions and wishes of a great number of Baptist 
 bodies, among these bodies being the General Associa- 
 tion of Kentucky; and, by reaffirming that former 
 action which produced the expression of these con- 
 victions and wishes, declined to give them due con- 
 sideration; and. 
 
 Whereas, Our conviction that Doctor Whitsitt is 
 unfit for his present position has been strengthened 
 by the events of the last year. Now, therefore, 
 
 Resolved, (1) That the Southern Baptist Theo- 
 logical Seminary shall not be allowed to make any 
 report nor present any appeals of any sort whatever 
 to this body so long as Doctor Whitsitt shall be in 
 any manner connected with the institution. 
 
 (2) That if Doctor Whitsitt 's connection with the 
 seminary has not ceased at the time of the next ses- 
 sion of the Southern Baptist Convention, we urge that 
 body to adopt, as the only means of preserving its 
 unity, the resolutions proposed by Dr. B. H. Carroll, 
 of Texas, whereby the convention shall dissolve the 
 bond of connection between that body and the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. (Notice was 
 given by Doctor Carroll at the Norfolk convention 
 that he would offer a resolution at the next convention 
 to "dissolve the relationship between this body and 
 the seminary," which resolution is published in full 
 on pages 22 and 23 of the Southern Baptist Conven- 
 tion minutes for 1898.) 
 
The Whitsitt Controversy — 1896 153 
 
 (3) That the clerk of this association be instructed 
 to forward a copy of these resolutions, duly signed 
 and certified by himself and the moderator, to the 
 Hon. Joshua Levering, chairman of the Board of 
 Trustees of the Southern Baptist Theological Semi- 
 nary, with the request that they be laid before the 
 trustees at their next meeting. 
 
 (4) That a committee of five be appointed by the 
 moderator to present these resolutions to the Southern 
 Baptist Convention at its next session. 
 
 After remarks by J. S. Coleman and others the 
 following motion prevailed: 
 
 "That the above resolutions be made the special 
 order for 2 o'clock; that the vote be taken not later 
 than 5 o'clock, and that the time be divided as fol- 
 lows: those favoring the resolution to open with one 
 hour, those opposing the resolution then to have an 
 hour and a half, and those favoring to close with a 
 half hour." 
 
 The above resolution was voted on by yeas and 
 nays. The yeas were 198, the nays 26, both of which 
 are recorded below: 
 
 (Taken from minutes of General Association of 
 Baptists of Kentucky, 1898, pages 9, 10, 11.) 
 
 (These votes with the names are recorded in the 
 minutes of the General Association of Baptists in 
 Kentucky.) 
 
 The two votes recorded above show how the senti- 
 ment in Kentucky was changing toward Doctor Whit- 
 sitt and his position. 
 
 The action of Kentucky Baptists was such as to 
 cause both Doctor Whitsitt and his friends to feel 
 that his resignation was absolutely essential to the 
 welfare of the seminary. Accordingly the resigna- 
 tion was wired by Doctor Whitsitt (as we understand 
 from Hopkinsville where the General Association was 
 in session) to Joshua Levering, Baltimore, chairman 
 of the Board of Trustees of the seminary. The resig- 
 nation was duly accepted and Doctor Whitsitt retired 
 from all connection with the seminary. 
 
154 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 Thus ended the unfortunate incident, so far as 
 Doctor Whitsitt personally was concerned, but the 
 feeling engendered by the controversy did not so soon 
 pass away. Friends who were alienated by the con- 
 flict did not soon forget the animosities that were 
 aroused in the heat of discussion ; but the grace of 
 God and time heal the worst of troubles. 
 
 The principal actors in this great controversy, 
 which stirred the Baptists of the South to their 
 depths, Dr. W. H. Whitsitt and Dr. T. T. Eaton, have 
 both passed to their rewards more than a decade ago. 
 Green be the graves where sleep the heroes of faith; 
 forgotten be the animosities and heart burnings of 
 strife ; sacred be the trust committed to our memories 
 and bright the vision of coming ages. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 The Unification Program and Great Forward 
 Movement — 1 919 
 
 From the beginning of the "Whitsitt Contro- 
 versy" (or shortly thereafter) to the year 1919, Ken- 
 tucky had two Baptist papers — The Western Recorder 
 and the Baptist Argus (later The Baptist World). 
 The very fact that these two papers had been con- 
 sidered the organs of the "Anti-Whitsittites" and 
 " Whitsittites " respectively served to perpetuate, at 
 least in the minds of the people, the division. The 
 Baptists of Kentucky, however, trying to get away 
 from the old controversy and unite their forces in the 
 state for a great forward movement, decided that the 
 first step necessary to this much desired end was 
 the consolidation of the two papers. 
 
 The Two Papers Consolidated 
 
 The following is the history of the transaction, as 
 recorded in the minutes of the State Board of Mis- 
 sions : 
 
 Called meeting of the State Board of Missions at 
 Broadway Church, Louisville, Ky., July 23, 1919. 
 
 Secretary O. E. Bryan presented the following 
 resolutions : 
 
 Whereas, The Executive Committee of the South- 
 ern Baptist Convention has requested a special cam- 
 paign in the territory of the Southern Baptist 
 Convention to place the denominational state papers 
 in all of our Baptist homes as a method of publicity 
 during the Seventy-five Million Campaign; and 
 
 Whereus, Kentucky Baptists have two outstanding 
 denominational papers, the Western Recorder and the 
 Baptist World ; and 
 
 Whereas, The relation between these papers seems 
 155 
 
156 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 to forbid the most effective statewide simultaneous 
 campaign in keeping with the request of the repre- 
 sentatives of the Southern Baptist Convention; and 
 
 Whereas, Kentucky Baptists keenly desire to co- 
 operate with the Southern Baptist Convention in the 
 simultaneous drive for the papers, therefore, be it 
 
 Resolved, (1) That the Baptist State Board of 
 Missions in Kentucky endeavor to purchase the Bap- 
 tist papers of the state affiliated with our organized 
 work, and operate them under the direct control of 
 State Board Missions. 
 
 Resolved, (2) That it is the purpose of the State 
 Board to have one great denominational paper. 
 
 Resolved, (3) That a committee of five be ap- 
 pointed by the chairman with authority to consum- 
 mate the financial transactions incident to the 
 establishment of a single state paper subject to the 
 ratification of the executive board. 
 
 Resolved, (4) That we instruct this committee to 
 make no concession in this transaction that would em- 
 barrass the state board in naming the combined paper 
 or in electing an editor for the same. 
 
 Resolved, (5) That we instruct this committee in 
 co-operating with the corresponding Secretary to close 
 up the deals as early as possible, provided the man- 
 agers of these papers are willing to sell. 
 
 Resolved, (6) That this committee be instructed 
 that if there be any disagreement as to the value of 
 the properties under their consideration, that disin- 
 terested business men be requested to appraise the 
 same and that said appraisement shall be the basis for 
 the consummation of the transaction. 
 
 Resolved, (7) That we express our good will 
 toward all of these papers and hereby earnestly re- 
 quest their management to give due consideration to 
 this proposition which we believe will be for the best 
 interests of Kentucky Baptists and for the glory of 
 God. 
 
 Wm. D. Nowlin, one of the editors of the Western 
 Kecorder, moved the adoption of these resolutions, 
 and the vote was unanimous. 
 
Program and Great Forward Movement — 1919 157 
 
 The committee for establishment of paper was com- 
 posed of the following brethren : 0. E. Bryan, W. M. 
 Stallings, W. W. Landrum, H. S. Summers and B. H. 
 Lovelace. 
 
 Meeting of Board, August 10, 1919 
 
 Report of the Committee 
 
 Your committee, according to instruction, opened 
 negotiations with the Western Recorder and the Bap- 
 tist World with a view to their purchase by the State 
 Board of Missions. After several conferences with 
 representatives of both papers, they called meetings 
 of their directors and submitted the following proposi- 
 tion: 
 
 FIRST, We the directors of the Baptist Book 
 Concern and publishers of the Western Recorder of 
 Louisville, Kentucky, hereby offer to the Baptist State 
 Board of Missions of Kentucky the Western Recorder 
 and its entire subscription list consisting of 10,000 
 subscribers, more or less; the advertising contracts 
 for said paper, for the sum of $20,000. It is hereby 
 understood and agreed to by both parties to this con- 
 tract that the name of the paper shall be unchanged 
 and shall continue to be known as ''Western 
 Recorder. ' ' 
 
 (Signed) J. W. Porteb, Chairman of Board, 
 F. H. GooDRiDGE, E. C. Farmer. 
 SECOND : The Baptist World Publishing Com- 
 pany desires to make this substitute offer to your com- 
 mittee in lieu of the offer made your committee on 
 July 29, 1919. 
 
 "We will sell the paper and printing department, 
 which would include the subscription list and amounts 
 due on unpaid subscriptions to the Baptist World, 
 together with the linotype, printing presses and all 
 other machinery and appliances used in the printing 
 department, together with the stock of paper on hand 
 for the sum of $15,000. 
 
 (Signed) Baptist World Pub. Co., 
 
 By Boyce Watkins, President. ' ' 
 
158 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 The committee communicated with News and 
 Truths, of Murray, Kentucky, which paper was not 
 for sale. 
 
 The committee also communicated with the Russell 
 Creek Baptist, which paper they did not consider a 
 state paper. 
 
 No liabilities of either paper assumed by us. The 
 subscription lists of each paper with all amounts due 
 and unpaid on same are included in said offer as well 
 as amounts due on advertising contracts. 
 
 It is also understood that neither the Baptist 
 World Publishing Company nor the Baptist Book 
 Concern shall own or publish a paper so long as the 
 State Board of Missions owns and publishes the 
 Western Recorder as a state organ and that the good 
 will of both papers is included in purchase of said 
 papers. While our committee was instructed to make 
 no concession which would embarrass us in operating 
 a paper for the state, certain conditions have been 
 practically agreed to by representatives of both papers 
 which we recommend as follows : 
 
 That the name Western Recorder shall be the ex- 
 clusive name of our state paper. 
 
 We recommend that the salary of Dr. E. B. 
 Hatcher for one year, or such part thereof as is un- 
 paid, be assumed by the state board and he shall be 
 retained on the new paper in such relation and for 
 such service as shall be agreed upon by the Board 
 of Managers. The items above named are mutually 
 conceded. 
 
 We further recommend that a Board of Managers 
 consisting of seven members shall be appointed by 
 the chairman of this board, of which Board Secretary 
 O. E. Bryan shall be one and C. W. Elsey, chairman 
 of state board, another. 
 
 We further recommend that the finances of said 
 paper shall be handled through the state board office 
 and that our corresponding secretary, 0. E. Bryan, 
 shall be its business manager. 
 
 As the paper is to be owned and controlled by the 
 
Program and Great Forward Movement — 1919 159 
 
 State Board of Missions, and is to be an asset of the 
 same, we recommend that money for the purchase of 
 the paper shall be taken from the $900,000 designated 
 for state missions in such amounts and at such times 
 as it can be done without injury to other state mis- 
 sion items. 
 
 (Signed) 0. E. Bryan, 
 
 W. M. Stallings, 
 W. W. Landrum, 
 H. S. Summers, 
 B. H. Lovelace. 
 
 The foregoing resolutions were adopted and the 
 following Board of Managers was elected in the fol- 
 lowing way : 
 
 On motion the recording secretary was instructed 
 to cast a ballot electing each of the following seven 
 brethren as a member of the Board of Managers of the 
 Western Recorder as the state paper. Following the 
 instructions the secretary announced that the vote 
 had been so cast: 0. E. Bryan, chairman, C. W. 
 Elsey, C. M. Thompson, W. M. Stallings, W. W. 
 Landrum, W. M. Seay, and H. B. Lovelace. 
 
 The following motion was adopted : That the 
 Board of Managers of the state board paper be author- 
 ized to elect an editor for the official state paper. 
 
 Meeting of the Board of Managers of the Western 
 Recorder 
 
 At the Watterson Hotel, September 9, 1919 
 
 Motion was made by Doctor Landrum, seconded 
 
 by Doctor Thompson and carried unanimously, that 
 
 at the top of the editorial page of each issue of the 
 
 Western Recorder there shall appear this statement : 
 
 EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT 
 
 J. W. Porter Managing Editor 
 
 E. B. Hatcher News Editor 
 
 0. E. Bryan Business Manager 
 
160 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 Meeting of Board of Managers of Western Recorder 
 State Mission Kooms. . . .205 E. Chestnut St. 
 Louisville, Kentucky, May 24, 1920. 
 Moved and carried: 
 
 ''That it is the sense of this body that the dual 
 editorship of the Western Recorder cease with 
 September 1, 1920, and that the present editors of 
 the paper be notified of that fact. From that date 
 one man is to give his entire time to the paper, is to 
 be held responsible for the editorial policy and general 
 make-up of the paper, and that he be charged with 
 looking after increasing its subscription list. It is 
 further understood that this action is taken without 
 prejudice to, or committing ourselves to either of the 
 present incumbents. 
 
 "Motion carried that secretary be instructed to 
 send a copy of this action to each of the editors of 
 the Western Recorder." 
 
 The Rev. 0. E. Bryan, D. D., corresponding secre- 
 tary of State Board of Missions in Kentucky, is en- 
 titled to much credit for the consolidation of the two 
 papers and the unifying of the forces in Kentucky. 
 The Great Forward Movement 
 
 In May, 1919, the Southern Baptist Convention 
 in session in Atlanta, Georgia, put on foot the great 
 ''Seventy-five Million Campaign." This, of course, 
 helps to account for the great advance shown in 1920, 
 for the actual campaign was not put on until after 
 our state meeting in Georgetown in November, 1919. 
 The minutes (p. 17) of the meeting in Georgetown 
 November, 1919, show a total of receipts by the State 
 Board of Missions of $455,104.61. The minutes for 
 the Owensboro meeting November, 1920 (p. 19) show 
 total receipts $1,412,165.92. This is a marvelous 
 advance. 
 
 The Rev. 0. E. Bryan, D. D., corresponding secre- 
 tary of Missions in Kentucky at this time, is entitled 
 to much credit for this success. He is a man of splen- 
 did spirit and fine executive ability. It should be 
 borne in mind, however, that Kentucky had already 
 
Program and Great Forward Movement — 1919 161 
 
 developed the "Budget System," and that it was 
 functioning well before we put on the Seventy-five 
 Million Campaign. 
 
 Back of this glorious achievement there is a long 
 struggle that should not be overlooked. Such men as 
 J. W. Warder, D.D., J. G. Bow, D. D., and W. D. 
 Powell, D. D., rendered efficient service as correspond- 
 ing secretaries of our mission board. 
 
 It was the day of small things when Doctor Warder 
 traveled over Kentucky collecting a dollar here and 
 there for missions, and urging the churches to adopt 
 an envelope system of collecting mission money. He 
 did a good work in getting many of the churches to 
 adopt this system, which came to be known as ''The 
 Warder System." 
 
 Dr. J. G. Bow, than whom there is not a straighter, 
 cleaner man and truer Baptist, followed Doctor War- 
 der and put into the mission work of Kentucky a 
 business system which has told immensely for good. 
 It was through the efforts and influence of Doctor 
 Bow that Mr. Theodore Harris left in his will the 
 large sum that was left to the Baptists of Kentucky. 
 The Baptists of Kentucky owe Doctor Bow a much 
 larger debt than they will ever pay him. Few men 
 have been worth more to the Baptist cause in Ken- 
 tucky than J. G. Bow. 
 
 Following the administration of Doctor Bow came 
 the enthusiastic, energetic W. D. Powell. Doctor 
 Powell was not the systematic executive that Doctor 
 Bow was, nor that Doctor Bryan, his successor, was, 
 but he was the superior of either of them in raising 
 money under high pressure appeals. Here Doctor 
 Powell was a brilliant success. Mission contributions 
 grew very much under the eloquent and fiery appeals 
 of this mission champion. 
 
 Thus it will be seen that when Doctor Bryan came 
 into office he found the foundation work well done. 
 The systematic Bow had thoroughly systematized the 
 work, and the zealous Powell had fanned the mis- 
 sionary spirit all over the state into a flame, so that 
 11 
 
162 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 Doctor Bryan 's work was largely a work of combining 
 and directing the forces of the state. In this he 
 exhibited rare ability. Doctor Bryan is one of the 
 greatest mission secretaries in the South. He has re- 
 signed his work with the State Board of Missions in 
 Kentucky and gone to the Home Mission Board, 
 Atlanta. 
 
 On September 1, 1921, Dr. C. M. Thompson, a 
 man of splendid ability and equipment, came from 
 the pastorate of the First Baptist Church, Winchester, 
 Kentucky, to the secretaryship of the State Board of 
 Missions. Doctor Thompson is making a great secre- 
 tary, though he is just now getting fairly started in 
 his new position. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 Kentucky Baptist Institutions 
 
 In this chapter we give a short history of the Ken- 
 tucky Baptist Institutions now existing. Space does 
 not allow an account of the many Baptist institutions 
 which rendered efficient service in Kentucky for a 
 time, but now extinct. The list would be long. We 
 will name simply The Western Baptist Theological 
 Institute, Covington ; Clinton College, Clinton ; The 
 Baptist Female Academy, Danville ; Bardstown Bap- 
 tist Female College ; Lynland College ; Ohio Valley 
 Baptist College, Sturgis; Choctaw Academy, near 
 Georgetown, a school for Indians ; a number of Baptist 
 papers, missionary and educational societies that 
 operated for a time and passed away. 
 
 One writer says, "There were fifteen Baptist 
 female schools in Kentucky at one time." The insti- 
 tutions herein named are given in the order of their 
 beginnings. 
 
 The Western Recorder 
 
 The author has had much trouble trying to get a 
 connected and complete account of the establishing 
 and developing of a Baptist paper in Kentucky. 
 There are conflicting accounts given by writers on the 
 early history of Kentucky Baptists at several points. 
 The author has taken the dates which seem to be most 
 consistent with all the facts. 
 
 It seems that the first effort to establish a Baptist 
 paper in Kentucky was in 1812. Elder Stark Dupuy, 
 according to Spencer (Vol. I, p. 347) : "In 1812 
 commenced the publication of the Kentucky Mis- 
 sionary and Theologian, he being sole editor. It was 
 a quarterly magazine, four numbers of which made 
 a volume of 244 pages." This paper was discon- 
 
 163 
 
164 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 tinued the following February on account of the war 
 of 1812, according to the statement of the editor, 
 "Mr. Dupuy," says Spencer, "was doubtless the first 
 Baptist editor of a religious periodical west of the 
 Alleghany Mountains." 
 
 The next effort, according to history, was in 1813. 
 "Silas M. Noel commenced, in 1813, the publication 
 of. The Gospel Herald." (Spencer, Vol. I, p. 347.) 
 This paper, which was a monthly, was soon discon- 
 tinued for lack of patronage. The next Baptist news- 
 paper venture in Kentucky seems to date from 1826. 
 Our great Kentucky Baptist historian, Spencer (Vol. 
 I, p. 217), says: "About the beginning of the year 
 1826, George Waller and Spencer Clack began the 
 publication of a paper (at Bloomfield, Kentucky,) 
 called The Baptist Register. It was a semi-monthly 
 and proposed to 'endeavor to strip religion of every- 
 thing like the traditions of men, and to present the 
 truth in a plain and simple manner.' The name of 
 the paper was exchanged for that of The Baptist 
 Recorder, and in 1830 it was changed to a monthly. 
 Meanwhile the Baptist Chronicle, having been estab- 
 lished by Uriel B. Chambers at Frankfort, the Baptist 
 Recorder was soon discontinued." 
 
 Again Spencer tells us (Vol. I, p. 597), concerning 
 the Baptist Recorder : "Its issue was continued about 
 four years, when it was succeeded by the Baptist 
 Herald, afterwards called the Baptist Chronicle, 
 edited by Uriel B. Chambers, Esq., at Frankfort, 
 Kentucky. ' ' 
 
 Just how long the Chronicle continued we have 
 not learned, but in 1832 we find Mr. Chambers start- 
 ing another paper, which indicates that the Chronicle 
 had been discontinued. The next effort, the fifth, to 
 establish a Baptist paper in Kentucky was in 1832, 
 according to Spencer (Vol. I, p. 652). The Baptist 
 State Convention started "The Cross and Baptist 
 Banner, the first Baptist weekly that was published 
 in Kentucky. The first number had been issued 
 previous to this meeting of the convention. Uriel B. 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 165 
 
 Chambers was its editor, and assumed all the pecu- 
 niary responsibility." This is all we know of this 
 paper. No further reference to it has been found. 
 The next paper seems to have been started by James 
 Wilson, M. D., at Shelbyville, in 1834. Doctor Spen- 
 cer, in speaking of Dr. John L. Waller (Vol. I, 
 p. 702), says: ''In 1835 he became editor of the 
 Baptist Banner, a bi-weekly religious newspaper, 
 which had been established at Shelbyville, Kentucky, 
 in the preceding year by James Wilson, M. D. Soon 
 after Mr. Waller became editor of the Baptist Banner, 
 The Baptist, published at Nashville, Tennessee, and 
 the Western Pioneer, published at Alton, Illinois, 
 were merged into it. The new paper took the title 
 of Baptist Banner and Western Pioneer. It was 
 moved to Louisville, where Mr. Waller continued its 
 chief editor until 1841, when he resigned in favor of 
 William C. Buck." 
 
 After the consolidation of the three papers the new 
 paper became the denominational organ of Kentucky, 
 Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri 
 Baptists, Under the editorship of the great Waller, 
 the paper had the largest circulation in its history, 
 except possibly during the editorship of T. T. Eaton, 
 D. D., LL.D., who had associated with him as business 
 manager Dr. W. P. Harvey, a man of unusual business 
 ability. The statement is made by Doctor Harvey 
 that "My recollection is that at one time we had a 
 circulation of 27,500, with an advertising income of 
 $15,000 per year." This record has never been dupli- 
 cated. 
 
 From the foregoing facts it seems that the Western 
 Recorder is the lineal descendant of the Baptist Ban- 
 ner started in Shelbyville in 1834. However, from 
 the date on the Western Recorder they evidently 
 number their volumes from the beginning of the Bap- 
 tist Register, Bloomfield, 1826, later the Baptist 
 Recorder. We find no connecting link between these 
 two papers, however. Doctor Eaton, at the time 
 editor, told the author that the Western Recorder 
 
166 Kentuckij Baptist Historu— 1770-1922 
 
 continued the volumes of the Baptist Recorder, Bloom- 
 field. 
 
 An old copy of the Baptist Banner, in our posses- 
 sion, dated Fe'bruary 28, 1849, published at 47 Wall 
 Street, Louisville, Ky., is numbered Vol. XVI, No. 9, 
 Also an old copv of Western Recorder, which we have, 
 dated October ^22, 1851, is numbered Vol. XVIII, 
 No. 43. These numbers show that the connection 
 with the Bloomfield paper was made later. Of these 
 two old papers W. C. Buck is editor of the former, 
 and of the latter John L. Waller, R. L. Thurman and 
 A. W. LaRue are editors. 
 
 "William C. Buck continued as editor of the 
 Baptist Banner and Western Pioneer about nine 
 years," says Spencer. John L. Waller again became 
 editor in 1850 and remained in this position until 
 his death, October 10, 1854. Spencer adds, "Mean- 
 while the name of the paper was exchanged in 1851 
 for that of the Western Recorder." (Vol. I, p. 703.) 
 An old copy of the Recorder, dated September 27, 
 1854, gives John L. Waller and S. H. Ford as editors. 
 Then another old copy, dated December 6, 1854, gives 
 S. H. Ford as editor. This shows that Ford suc- 
 ceeded to the sole editorship on the death of Waller, 
 However, Ford did not continue as editor of the paper 
 until the fall of 1861, as generally believed. 
 
 An old copy of the Recorder, now in the hands 
 of the editor, dated March 3, 1858, gives Dr. J. Otis, 
 editor. Dr. Otis was editor until 1860. In June, 
 1861, S. H. Ford is named as editor again. It has 
 been claimed that the paper was suspended during 
 the Civil War. 
 
 Doctor Armitage in his history of the Baptists 
 (p. 884), in giving a history of the Western Recorder, 
 says: "During a part of the Civil War its issue was 
 suspended, but it was resumed in 1863." 
 
 Here again an old copy of the paper comes to our 
 rescue. An old Recorder, now in the hands of the 
 author, dated Saturday, June 28, 1862, edited by Chas. 
 Y. Duncan, says: "It is now four months since we 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 167 
 
 resumed the publication of the Recorder, after its tem- 
 porary suspension." This shows that the publication 
 was resumed about the last of February, 1862. 
 
 Armitage is correct when he says the paper ''was 
 suspended a part of the time during the Civil War, ' ' 
 but is in error when he says its publication "was re- 
 sumed in 1863, ' ' as this old copy of 1862 proves. We 
 learn also from this old paper that Duncan (not men- 
 tioned by Spencer) preceded A. C. Graves as editor. 
 
 In this issue of June 28, 1862, Editor Duncan says : 
 "We have arrived at the time when we wish to make 
 some radical improvements of the Recorder. As here- 
 tofore announced, we wish this week 's issue to enlarge 
 and in every way improve it. Conscious of our own 
 individual inability to conduct it, we have procured 
 the services of Rev. S. F. Thompson, of Shelbyville, 
 a young man of piety, education, talent and position. ' ' 
 This suggests that S. F. Thompson was editorial 
 writer for the paper for a time. 
 
 The Recorder of October, 1863, states that the 
 paper had been suspended for fifteen months and on 
 June 25, 1864, the Recorder united with the Baptist 
 Book Store owned by G. W. Robertson ; then in July, 
 1864, A. C. Graves and J. C. Waller are named as 
 editors. It seems that Graves continued only a short 
 while and Waller's name is continued as editor up to 
 October, 1866. R. M. Dudley is named as editor 
 January 12, 1867, and August 1, 1868, J. W. Rust is 
 associated with Dudley. June 15, 1870, W. W. Gar- 
 dener and L. B. Woolfolk are named as associate 
 editors; then in June, 1871, Dr. G. W. Varden seems 
 to have taken Woolfolk 's place. July 8, 1871, A. S. 
 Worrell and A. C. Caperton are names as co-editors. 
 It seems that Worrell bought the paper and sold one- 
 half interest to Caperton, then nothing appears in 
 the paper about Doctor Worrell but Caperton is named 
 as editor and proprietor. In October, 1887, Caperton 
 sold out to Harvey, McFerran Co. and Dr. Eaton be- 
 came editor. 
 
 Then follows the long and brilliant editorial 
 
168 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 career of the immortal T. T. Eaton, D. D., LL.D., 
 until his death, June 29, 1907, a period of nearly 
 twenty years. After the death of Doctor Eaton, Dr. J. 
 M. Weaver supplied as editor until the election of 
 Dr. C. M. Thompson, 1907. Doctor Thompson served 
 about two years. His editorial work was of a high 
 order. He was not a voluminous writer, but a careful 
 and accurate one. Dr. J. G. Bow, a man who has filled 
 a large place in the denominational life of the Baptists 
 of Kentucky, was associate editor with Doctor Thomp- 
 son and business manager of the Baptist Book Con- 
 cern, which published the Recorder. 
 
 The editorial career of J. W. Porter, D. D., LL.D., 
 the brilliant and versatile, began in 1909 and con- 
 tinued until February, 1921. Doctor Porter exhibited 
 great ability as an editorial writer. This author was 
 associate editor with Doctor Porter several years, 
 which position he resigned when the paper was sold 
 to the State Board of Missions, August, 1919. In 
 February, 1921, Dr. V, I. Masters, the present in- 
 cumbent, became editor of the Western Recorder, 
 which position he is filling with conspicuous ability. 
 His writings are of a wide range and voluminous. 
 
 Dr. A. S. Worrell established and edited The 
 Baptist Sentinel, Lexington, Kentucky. Before us 
 at this time are several copies of this monthly 
 magazine. The January, 1870, number is ''Vol. I, 
 No. 3." This indicates that the Sentinel was 
 launched November, 1869. In this January issue 
 the editor says, "Brother D. B. Ray is now joint 
 proprietor and assistant of the Sentinel. ' ' We do not 
 know how long Doctor Worrell edited this journal, 
 but a copy dated November, 1870, the latest we have, 
 gives him as editor and D. B. Ray as assistant. 
 
 Georgetown College — 1829- 
 
 Georgetown has been an educational center almost 
 from the beginning of the settlement of the Missis- 
 sippi valley. Early in 1788, Elijah Craig, a noted 
 pioneer Baptist preacher of Kentucky, opened at 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 169 
 
 Georgetown, then called Lebanon, a classical school 
 in accordance with the following quaint advertise- 
 ment: 
 
 "Lebanon, December 27, 1787. 
 
 "Notice is hereby given that on Monday, 28th of 
 January next, a school will be opened by Messrs. 
 Jones and Worley, at the Royal Spring in Lebanon, 
 Fayette County, where a commodious house, sufficient 
 to contain fifty or sixty scholars, will be prepared. 
 They will teach the Latin and Greek languages, to- 
 gether with such branches of the sciences as are 
 usually taught in public seminaries, at twenty-five 
 shillings a quarter for each scholar. One-half to be 
 paid in cash, the other half in produce at cash prices. 
 There will be a vacation for a month in the Spring 
 and another in the Fall, at the close of each of which 
 it is expected that such payments as are due in cash 
 shall be made. For diet, washing and house room for 
 a year, each scholar pays three pounds in cash, or 500 
 weight of pork on entrance, and three pounds in cash 
 at the beginning of the third quarter. It is desired 
 that as many as can would furnish themselves with 
 beds; such as cannot may be provided here, to the 
 number of eight or ten boys, at 35s a year for each 
 bed. "Elijah Craig." 
 
 Little is known of the history of this school, but 
 in 1789 the Legislature of Kentucky, by an act found- 
 ing academies in the state, located one of them at 
 Georgetown, and gave its trustees 6,000 acres of land 
 for its support. As a result of this, Rittenhouse 
 Academy began its career. In 1829 Georgetown Col- 
 lege was chartered and immediately acquired the 
 property and became the successor of Rittenhouse 
 Academy. Georgetown College is the first chartered 
 collegiate institution of Baptists south and west of 
 the Alleghanies, and under its present name is fifth 
 among Baptist institutions in the United States. In 
 a real sense Georgetown College is the direct descen- 
 
170 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 dant of the classical school above mentioned estab- 
 lished in Georgetown by Elijah Craig in 1787. 
 
 This school was absorbed by Rittenhouse Academy, 
 which was chartered, largely through the influence 
 of Mr. Craig, December 22, 1798, and which was 
 operated as a county academy until 1829. 
 
 Its quaint little two-story brick with the command- 
 ing cupola became the first building of Georgetown 
 College. This building was the only one owned by 
 the college until 1840 and was used regularly until 
 1860. If this descent is accepted, Georgetown College 
 in age is second to Brown University among Baptist 
 colleges in the United States. 
 
 The original charter in 1829, incorporated "The 
 Trustees of the Kentucky Baptist Education Society" 
 and empowered them to fill all vacancies in their 
 own number caused by death, resignation, neglect, or 
 otherwise; but by an amendment secured in 1851, the 
 power to fill vacancies in the Board of Trustees was 
 given to another corporation created for this purpose 
 and composed of all persons who had contributed or 
 who should thereafter contribute as much as one hun- 
 dred dollars to the funds of the college. 
 
 In 1906 the charter was again amended in such a 
 manner as to vest in the Baptist Education Society 
 of Kentucky the power of electing the trustees from 
 suitable nominations made by the original society. 
 
 Under this charter the college has had a continuous 
 history from the year of its foundation to the present. 
 Little by little it has grown in buildings, in means, 
 in teachers, and in students. The Central building, 
 now known as Giddings Hall, in which are most of 
 the lecture rooms, was erected in 1840. Pawling Hall, 
 erected in 1844 in recognition of the generosity of 
 Issachar Pawling, was remodeled and much enlarged 
 in 1877. The commodious building coiitaining the 
 chapel, library, society halls, and gymnasium, was 
 erected in 1894 ; and Rucker Hall, the beautiful home 
 for the young women of the college, was erected in 
 1895, and named in honor of Prof. James Jefferson 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 171 
 
 Rucker. The other buildings have been added at 
 various dates as the means of the college have per- 
 mitted. 
 
 Since its foundation many thousands of students 
 have been enrolled in its classes and there have been 
 nearly a thousand graduates. They are in every walk 
 of life and in many of the states of the Union. About 
 one hundred of them are now serving as pastors in 
 the State of Kentucky and some are missionaries in 
 foreign lands. 
 
 From the first the teachers in the college have been 
 men and women of earnest Christian character, fit 
 guides and exemplars for the students, with whose 
 lives they have always been in intimate contact. 
 Among these teachers are many whose lives are inter- 
 woven with the history of education in Kentucky. 
 
 The names of Rockwood Giddings, Howard Mal- 
 colm, Duncan R. Campbell, and Richard M. Dudley, 
 former presidents of the college, are known by all 
 who have studied Kentucky educational history, while 
 the memory of Prof. Jonathan E. Farnam, Prof. Dan- 
 forth Thomas, and Prof. James J. Rucker is cherished 
 with peculiar veneration on account of their many 
 years of consecrated service to the college by all those 
 who have passed under their influence. 
 
 The younger men, who have in recent years been 
 added to the teaching force, are most of them repre- 
 sentatives of old and famous universities, and all of 
 them specialists in their departments, but the quali- 
 fications especially sought after in their selection have 
 been Christian character and sympathetic understand- 
 ing of the needs and ambitions of the young. 
 
 Co-education 
 
 For the first sixty years of its history, the college 
 was conducted as a school for young men ; but in 1892 
 young women were admitted on the same terms as 
 men. 
 
 This step was taken in the belief that young women 
 would not remain satisfied with an older type of edu- 
 
172 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 cation which had been provided for them on the 
 theory of their incapacity for the higher standards 
 required of men. The leaders of this movement in 
 Kentucky, among whom Prof. J. J. Kucker stands 
 easily first, had become convinced that young women 
 are as capable of first class education as young men. 
 The results at Georgetown College in co-education 
 have amply justified the experiment. The fact that 
 this college took the bold stand that young women 
 would come to demand the best in education, and that 
 Georgetown attempts to offer only this, has made it 
 noted as a home for college women who have caught 
 a vision of the opportunities for large service which 
 this country offers to the young woman who will pay 
 the price of thorough educational training. 
 
 Year by year the college views with increasing 
 satisfaction the eager submission of mature young 
 women to the labor required for the acquisition of a 
 college education. The class of young women of in- 
 telligence and trustworthy character who heed the 
 call of higher education insures the absence of those 
 so-called difficulties of co-education which are said 
 to exist in the popular mind. 
 
 Georgetown College sees its definite mission as a 
 standard Christian college, working under the control 
 of the Baptist denomination in Kentucky, and repre- 
 sentative of its aims and ideals. It is a college in 
 the true meaning of that term. It believes that the 
 highest reality of true and useful culture lies, not 
 outside of, but within the Kingdom of God; and so 
 its educational work is deeply religious in the con- 
 viction that a life of efficient and faithful human 
 service in obedience to Jesus Christ is the noblest 
 career open to man. 
 
 The college endowment is now about $480,000, but 
 at the end of the Seventy-five Million Campaign, if 
 the proceeds come in as planned and expected, the 
 endowment will be slightly over a million dollars. 
 
 The enrollment of students at this date is 358. 
 
 The presidents since the term of R. M. Dudley 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 173 
 
 have been in the following order: A. C. Davidson, 
 B. D. Gray, J. J. Taylor, Arthur Yeager, and M. B. 
 Adams, the present incumbent. 
 
 Bethel College— 1849 
 
 Bethel College was organized by the Bethel Asso- 
 ciation of Baptists of southwestern Kentucky in 1849, 
 under the name of "Bethel High School." The main 
 building was erected in 1852, and the school was 
 formally opened in January, 1854, under the manage- 
 ment of Mr. B. T. Blewitt. The school prospered and, 
 upon the public demand for work beyond the high 
 school, a new charter was obtained, and the institu- 
 tion entered upon its career as a college in September, 
 1856. Mr. Blewitt was made the president of the 
 new college and continued with the institution until 
 the summer of 1861, when the distractions of war 
 made it necessary to close the school. 
 
 In the winter of 1861 and 1862 the building was 
 used as a hospital by the Confederate forces until 
 the fall of Fort Donelson, in February. In Septem- 
 ber, 1863, the college was reopened under Kev. George 
 Hunt as president. The reorganization of the institu- 
 tion was accompanied by many discouragements. In 
 1864 Mr. Hunt resigned, and J. W. Rust became the 
 president. Under his direction the institution con- 
 tinued to grow in numbers and influence until 1868, 
 when President Rust was compelled to resign by rea- 
 son of poor health. He was succeeded by Noah K. 
 Davis. Under his direction the courses of study were 
 divided up into schools, each school embracing all of 
 the subjects contained in one line of study. Gradua- 
 tion was dependent upon the completion of the work 
 in a certain number of schools. In 1869 there was 
 established a Chair of English, so that Bethel was the 
 first American college thus to recognize the impor- 
 tance of this department. 
 
 During the period after the war many additions 
 were made to the college property and to the endow- 
 ment fund. In 1872 the president's house was built, 
 
174 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 and in 1876 N. Long Hall, the college dormitory, was 
 erected. The endowment had steadily increased from 
 $40,000 in 1860 to $85,000 in 1875. 
 
 Mr. James Enlow, of Christian County, in 1869 
 bequeathed to Bethel College about $6,000, the income 
 from which, when it became available in 1872, was 
 used as a loan fund from which to aid young men 
 who were studying for the ministry in Bethel College. 
 The ''Ewing Professorship of Philosophy" was so 
 entitled in consideration of the valuable bequests of 
 Judge E. M. Ewing and his son, H. Q. Ewing. The 
 ' ' N. Long Professorship of English and History ' ' was 
 named in honor of the constant and devoted services 
 as well as liberality of Mr. Nimrod Long, of Russell- 
 ville. The Norton brothers — George W., William F., 
 and Eckstein, all of whom were natives of Russell- 
 ville — were liberal contributors to the funds of the 
 college, and in grateful recognition of this fact the 
 "Norton Chair of Natural Sciences" was so named. 
 
 During the administration of President Ryland 
 the heirs of N. Long and G. W. Norton offered to the 
 board of trustees the property formerly known as 
 the Southern Bank of Kentucky to be used as a library 
 and for kindred purposes. 
 
 In 1908 Bethel College became affiliated with the 
 Baptist Educational Society of Kentucky, which is 
 striving to promote the welfare of the Baptist schools 
 of Kentucky. The college has received considerable 
 financial help from this society. 
 
 As a result of the great Seventy-five Million Cam- 
 paign in the fall of 1919, the value of the work will 
 be increased by the $200,000 assigned to Bethel Col- 
 lege for needed buildings and endowment. The board 
 has recommended the construction of a new dormitory 
 for the exclusive use of college students and has 
 authorized a campaign among the former students 
 and friends of the school for the construction of a 
 memorial chapel to be dedicated to Professor James 
 H. Fuqua, who died in February, 1920, after intimate 
 association with the college since its opening in 1852. 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 175 
 
 Presidents of Bethel College 
 
 B. T. Blewitt 1854-61 
 
 College closed 1861-63 
 
 Kev. George Hunt 1863-64 
 
 J. W. Rust 1864-68 
 
 Noah K. Davis 1868-73 
 
 Leslie Waggener 1873-83 
 
 James H. Fuqua, Chairman of 
 
 Faculty 1883-87 
 
 Rev. W. S. Ryland 1889-98 
 
 Rev. E. S. Alderman 1898-02 
 
 W. H. Harrison 1903-07 
 
 James D. Garner 1907-09 
 
 F. D. Perkins 1909-13 
 
 H. G. Brownell 1913-17 
 
 Rev. R. H. Tandy 1917-18 
 
 Geo. F. Dasher 1918- 
 
 Bethel Woman's College — 1854 
 
 Bethel Female College was the culmination of a 
 desire of the Baptists of Hopkinsville and Bethel 
 association to provide an institution in which young 
 women could receive an education beyond that which 
 they could acquire in the ordinary public or private 
 schools. The movement for this school began to take 
 definite shape in 1853, when public-spirited citizens 
 of Christian and adjacent counties, by private con- 
 tributions, raised funds to buy six acres of ground in 
 which is now the heart of the best residence section 
 of the city of Hopkinsville. In 1854 a charter was 
 secured under the name of Bethel High School. In 
 1855 the cornerstone was laid and in 1857 was com- 
 pleted the splendid four-story building which, with 
 its massive columns, still remains one of the most 
 beautiful examples of Greek architecture to be found 
 in the state. 
 
 In 1858 the school was given a new charter under 
 the name of Bethel Female College. This charter was 
 afterwards repealed, but the new name was retained. 
 
 In 1890 a charter was secured legalizing the name 
 
176 Kentucky Baptist Histonj— 1770-1922 
 
 Bethel Female College and granting to the institu- 
 tion the power to confer the usual college degrees. 
 
 The first principal of the institution was W. F. 
 Hill, elected in 1856. He was followed in 1857 by 
 J. W. Rust, who resigned in August, 1863, when the 
 school was closed for several months. T. G. Keen 
 re-opened the school in March, 1864, and continued 
 as principal until 1866. The school was then quite 
 prosperous. M. G. Alexander succeeded Mr. Keen 
 and resigned in 1868, to be succeeded by J. F. Dagg. 
 In 1874 Mr. Dagg was succeeded by J. W. Rust, who 
 remained with the college until his death in 1890. 
 For about a year the office of president was vacant, 
 but in January, 1891, T. S. McCall, of Liberty College, 
 was elected to the position and remained with the 
 school until 1896, when he was succeeded by Edmund 
 Harrison. After a very successful administration of 
 thirteen years. Doctor Harrison resigned in 1909 and 
 H. G. Brownell was elected to fill the vacancy. In 
 1914 W. S. Peterson was chosen to succeed President 
 Brownell, who was elected to the presidency of Bethel 
 College, for men, at Russellville, Kentucky. In 1908 
 the college became a part of the system of the Baptist 
 Education Society, and in 1916, under the administra- 
 tion of Mr. Peterson, it was decided to cease giving 
 the A. B. degree, to make Bethel a standard junior 
 college and to omit the word ''Female" from the 
 name, substituting ''Woman's." 
 
 During all these years the policy of the trustees 
 had been to lease the building and grounds to the 
 president, who conducted the institution as a private 
 enterprise. For many reasons this was unsatisfac- 
 tory; so in 1917, upon the resignation of President 
 Peterson, a new policy was adopted. Under this 
 policy the trustees elect all officers and teachers. They 
 likewise become responsible for and control all ex- 
 penditures. 
 
 Miss Clara Belle Thompson was chosen president 
 and Mrs. Eager vice-president. Under their adminis- 
 tration the results have been so satisfactory that the 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 177 
 
 trustees have decided to continue the present policy. 
 
 Upon Miss Thompson's resignation in the spring 
 of 1919, J. W. Gaines was chosen president and dur- 
 ing his first year the attendance increased three-fold. 
 
 The stately old building is a beautiful sight as 
 it stands in the center of the large campus covered 
 with blue grass and shaded by magnificent trees. 
 
 Year before last it was found necessary to increase 
 the accommodations and a new residence hall was 
 erected, forming a west wing to the old building. 
 This building contains twenty-four bedrooms equipped 
 with stationary washstands, with hot and cold water. 
 The ground floor contains a well-equipped science 
 laboratory and seven commodious class rooms. 
 
 Last year an east wung was added which contains 
 thirty bedrooms, a well-equipped infirmary, four large 
 music studios, twelve practice rooms and a thoroughly 
 modern gymnasium. A swimming pool has also been 
 added and the interior of the old building remodeled 
 and renovated, making it the most attractive portion 
 of the college plant. 
 
 Bethel Woman's College is a member of the co- 
 ordinate school system in Kentucky. 
 
 The Louisville Baptist Orphans' Homes — 1869 
 
 In the years following the Civil War, the children 
 orphaned thereby became a pressing problem to 
 Dr. George C. Lorimer and his people, the Walnut 
 Street Church. They did what they could, but despite 
 their efforts Baptist mothers were compelled to allow 
 their children to go into Catholic orphanage asylums. 
 The Catholics then solicited aid of the Baptists for 
 the support of their orphanages on the ground that 
 they were caring for Baptist orphans. This was more 
 than Doctor Lorimer could stand, and he cried out as 
 he talked with his Ladies' Aid, "There must be an 
 end to this. Who will kneel and pray with me, God 
 helping us we will build a home for these orphan 
 children ? ' ' All bowed and his petition as he led them 
 in prayer was one that had power with God and men. 
 
178 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 The die was cast. The thing was done. The work 
 was at once initiated. Some three years later, on 
 June 30, 1869, the "Home for Helpless Children" 
 was opened in rented quarters at 828 West Walnut 
 Street. W. L. Weller of sainted memory guaranteed 
 the first year 's rent. God 's favor was upon the enter- 
 prise. His first great gift to the work was Miss Mary 
 HollinsAvorth, who answered the call on July 6, 1869, 
 and continued as the superintendent until March, 
 1905, when forced to retire by the infirmities of age. 
 The home was chartered January 29, 1870. Ground 
 was broken for the first wing of the present building 
 at First and St. Catherine Streets, March 21, 1870, 
 and the same was formally opened on December 19, 
 1870. This was made possible by the gift of the site 
 by Dr. J. Lawrence Smith and wife, and the first 
 $10,000 by three sisters — Mrs. J. Lawrence Smith, 
 Mrs. W. B, Caldwell, and Mrs. John Caperton. The 
 additional $10,000 needed was in the main raised by 
 Mrs. Arthur Peter and other women of the committee. 
 Through the efforts of Dr. W. M. Pratt, the home in 
 1872 was provided with the nucleus of a splendid 
 library for that day. A thorough canvass by Prof. J. 
 W. Rust in 1873 laid the interests of the home upon 
 the hearts of the Baptists throughout the state. As 
 early as 1874 the need for enlargement began to be 
 felt; but it was the challenging gift of Capt. W. F. 
 Norton and his mother of $5,000 to the building fund 
 on February 28, 1891, that aroused the Baptists to 
 quickly subscribe the $22,000 balance needed for the 
 erection of the central wing of the building. The 
 cornerstone was laid October 13, 1891, and the dedica- 
 tion occurred October 2, 1892. Doctors A. T. Spald- 
 ing, E. C. Dargan and John A. Broaddus had part 
 in the dedication exercises. The celebration of the 
 silver anniversary of the home, due June 20, 1894, 
 for good and sufficient reasons did not take place until 
 October 2d. The occasion was made much of. Dr. T. 
 T. Eaton gave the historical sketch. Dr. George C. 
 Lorimer, then pastor in Boston, was the guest of honor 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 179 
 
 and made a masterly address upon "Memories of the 
 past and deeds of the future." A collection for the 
 home netted some $4,500. 
 
 Board Presidents 
 
 From the organization of the home to the day of 
 his death in 1883, Dr. J. Lawrence Smith was the 
 president of the Board of Trustees. His brother-in- 
 law. Dr. W. B. Caldwell, succeeded him and served 
 until he "fell on sleep" in 1892. Dr. J. B. Marvin, 
 already the physician of the home, was the next presi- 
 dent. His years of service were suddenly terminated 
 by death on September 2, 1913. Mr. Frank Miller, 
 honored by the Board of Trustees as his successor, 
 continues the faithful and efficient presiding officer. 
 
 Superintendents 
 
 Miss Mary HoUinsworth, from July 6, 1869, to 
 March 31, 1905; Miss Mary E. Abercrombie, who 
 had been secretary and assistant to Miss HoUinsworth, 
 succeeded her. She resigned the work September, 
 1912 ; Miss Mattie Priest was the next superintendent, 
 and so continued until she was called up higher on 
 August 22, 1919, save for one year spent with her 
 sister on the mission field of China. Rev. 0. M. Huey 
 and wife took charge on November 15, 1919, as super- 
 intendent and assistant. 
 
 Endowment 
 
 The home has a productive endowment of $287,- 
 823.69, largely the bequest of Capt. W. F. Norton, 
 whom it was found upon his death had made the 
 home his principal heir. Under the will of Captain 
 Norton the income only from this endowment can be 
 used for the maintenance of the home. It is in every 
 way desirable that the endowment shall grow by gifts 
 and a place in the wills of Baptists who want what 
 God has entrusted to them to go on doing good after 
 they are gone. 
 
 12 
 
180 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 The Orphan's Friend 
 
 The official organ of the home was established in 
 1872 and has proven an invaluable aid in manj^ ways. 
 Its monthly visit is eagerly anticipated in Baptist 
 homes all over the state. 
 
 Support 
 
 The income from the endowment is the first source 
 of support. The home is put into the budget of Ken- 
 tucky Baptists each year for a definite sum. The two 
 funds are not adequate to all of its needs. 
 
 Present Situation 
 
 The property is in good shape, the endowment 
 funds wisely invested, and there are in the home at 
 this time 130 children. Since the coming of the Rev. 
 0. M. Huey, the home has increased its capacity from 
 120 to 135. During the long and useful life of the 
 home, Louisville has furnished only some 16 per cent 
 of the inmates, but above 75 per cent of the income, 
 while from out in the state has come 84 per cent of 
 the children and 25 per cent of the revenue. The 
 home feels it has a strong claim upon the Baptists 
 all over the state. The home in all of its long history 
 has had but four physicians — Drs. G. W. Burton, 
 G. H. Cox, J. B. Marvin and R. Lindsey Irland, all 
 of whom have served without compensation. As a 
 specialist. Dr. Gaylord Hall is now rendering invalu- 
 able services. 
 
 Curnberland College — 1888 
 
 The first suggestion of a Baptist College at Wil- 
 liamsburg, Kentucky, came in 1887 from Mount Zion 
 Association, which met at Bethlehem that year. Late 
 in the same year a special session of the association 
 convened at Williamsburg. Rev. Green Clay Smith 
 was present and gave such encouragement to the move- 
 ment that $4,000 was subscribed. Articles of incor- 
 poration were also drafted ; these were approved by 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 181 
 
 the legislature April 6, 1888, and Williamsburg Insti- 
 tute opened its doors for students January 7, 1889. 
 
 W. J, Johnson was chosen principal of the school 
 and pastor of the church in 1889, apparently. Both 
 of these positions he held for the ensuing year, but 
 becoming absorbed in the task of raising money, he 
 yielded the presidency of the school to Prof. E. E. 
 Wood in the fall of 1890. Professor Wood was vir- 
 tually president until the spring of 1919, although 
 Rev. J. N. Prestridge was actually president for a 
 brief period. 
 
 In 1892 the trustees obtained a conditional pledge 
 of $10,000 from the American Baptist Education 
 Society, provided an additional sum of $25,000 was 
 raised for endowment. To secure this gift Dr. A. 
 Gatliff gave $10,000 of the additional amount — his 
 first large gift to the school. Through the unceasing 
 efforts of the trustees and friends from the beginning 
 of the enterprise unto the present the general endow- 
 ment has been gradually increased until it now totals 
 $275,000. 
 
 New buildings have been erected and additional 
 grounds acquired as the need arose. The principal 
 buildings are: Administration, Grade, Manual Train- 
 ing, Domestic Science, Johnson Hall for girls, Felix 
 Hall for boys. The entire plant is valued at $200,000. 
 The name of the institution was changed to Cumber- 
 land College in 1913. 
 
 Cumberland College is a first class "Junior Col- 
 lege," that is, a college that completes freshman and 
 sophomore work, and thus enables its graduates to 
 enter the junior year of standard colleges. Fifteen 
 units of high school work are required for entrance 
 to the college proper. The only degree given is that 
 of "Associate of Arts." 
 
 Williamsburg, the location of Cumberland College, 
 is in the southern part of the mountains of eastern 
 Kentucky, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 
 about two hundred miles south of Cincinnati, about 
 an equal distance from Louisville, and also about 
 
182 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 ninety miles north of Knoxville. It is also on the 
 Dixie Highway. It is a place of natural beauty and 
 healthful surroundings. 
 
 In name and in practice the school is religious. 
 Not only is the Bible taught as a text-book, but in 
 all the work of the institution it is honored. In chapel 
 especially, but also in all the departments, religion is 
 inculcated and a spiritual atmosphere is maintained. 
 All pupils are required to attend chapel services 
 every morning, and church at least once every Sun- 
 day. The school is under Baptist auspices, and all 
 students are welcome at the Baptist Church; yet in 
 selecting a place of worship they are allowed to exer- 
 cise conscientious preferences. 
 
 The Rev. Charles William Elsey, D. D., was elected 
 president of the institution in May, 1921, succeeding 
 Prof, A. R. Evans, acting president during the term 
 1920-21. 
 
 The Baptist Ministers' Aid Society of Ken^ 
 tuchy—1888 
 
 The Baptist Ministers' Aid Society of Kentucky 
 was organized at Eminence, Kentucky, June 21, 1888, 
 and incorporated April 19, 1890. 
 
 The Rev. J. S. Felix, D. D., pastor First Baptist 
 Church, Owensboro, was largely responsible for bring- 
 ing into existence this organization, and is the first 
 named on the board of incorporators. 
 
 The purpose of the institution as set forth in the 
 articles of incorporation is "to provide for disabled 
 Baptist ministers and missionaries, and the dependent 
 infant orphans of Baptist ministers and missionaries 
 in the State of Kentucky during the time of their 
 disability with a comfortable home and the necessities 
 of life, together with medical attendance and, in case 
 of death, with respectable burial." Noble purpose! 
 
 The maximum of the endowment was fixed at 
 $50,000. At Hopkinsville, November, 1921, the Gen- 
 eral Association voted to change this to $100,000, so 
 bequests for this purpose could be accepted. This 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 183 
 
 society has done a great work in helping to better care 
 for our old and dependent preachers. While the 
 board is still intact and carrying on the business at 
 Owensboro, Kentucky, our beneficiaries are being 
 served by the "Relief and Anuity Board" of the 
 Southern Baptist Convention, located at Dallas, 
 Texas. The Baptist Ministers' Aid Society of Ken- 
 tucky has proven to be a very valuable institution. 
 
 Russell Creek Baptist Academy — 1906 
 
 Situated at Campbellsville, Taylor County, Ken- 
 tucky. The origin of this school was at the session 
 of the Russell Creek Association, at Salem Church, 
 in September, 1900, when a committee, with H. C. 
 Wood as chairman, was appointed "to raise funds to 
 build, equip and put in operation a Baptist school, 
 to be known as the Baptist Academy of the Russell 
 Creek Association." 
 
 Under the leadership of those great Baptist lay- 
 men, Judge James Garnett, Sr., B. W, Penick, the 
 Rev. J. S. Gatton and the Rev. W. T. Underwood and 
 their associates, the school was incorporated under the 
 corporate name of the "Educational Committee of 
 the Russell Creek Association." In 1906 a suitable 
 site of ten acres of land in Campbellsville, Kentucky, 
 was purchased and the erection of the Administration 
 Building and a three-story dormitory for girls — both 
 brick buildings — were erected. The dormitory was 
 named after J. S. Stapp, who gave largely to its 
 erection. 
 
 In 1914 a farm of fifty-two acres near the campus 
 was purchased for demonstration and experimental 
 purposes, J. H. Kinnard of Red Lick, Kentucky, con- 
 tributing the purchase price. A lot adjoining the 
 farm has recently been bought and a six-room resi- 
 dence erected thereon for use of the school farmer. 
 
 In 1918 a house and lot adjoining the campus was 
 purchased and a large addition built thereto, making 
 a dormitory for the boys with thirty rooms. In 1919 
 another lot containing an acre of land and a two-story 
 
184 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 dwelling with verandas and also outbuildings was con- 
 veyed to the school by Mr. C. L. Brady of Springfield, 
 Kentucky, and in the same year an addition of eight 
 acres of land adjoining the campus was purchased 
 and added to the campus, making a campus of eigh- 
 teen acres besides the two adjoining lots and the farm. 
 
 The girls' dormitory contains more than thirty 
 rooms, besides dining-rooms, kitchen and halls. The 
 buildings are all situated on a beautiful elevation and 
 are both attractive and substantial. 
 
 This school is a member of the Baptist Education 
 Society of Kentucky, and A-1 accredit academy, and 
 is so recognized by the State Department of Educa- 
 tion, as well as by the denomination. 
 
 The course of study extends from the primary 
 through four years of high school. Special courses 
 are given in music, art, expression, domestic science 
 and normal training. 
 
 The Bible is taught in every grade every day. 
 
 The aim of the academy is to be thorough in all 
 of its work, and not only to give an education, but 
 to instill into the minds and hearts of the pupils the 
 teachings and principles of Jesus; and to do it from 
 the Baptist viewpoint. The enrollment each year has 
 exceeded 300. 
 
 Kentucky Baptist Children's Home — 1915 
 
 For a number of years the conviction had been 
 growing that the Baptists of Kentucky ought to own 
 and control a home in which to care for orphan and 
 indigent children. In many sections of the state the 
 demand was insistent, and the matter was discussed 
 with earnestness in many Baptist gatherings. This 
 conviction finally found expression in a memorial 
 from the Ohio County Association to the General 
 Association of Baptists in Kentucky in its session at 
 Somerset, in November, 1914, calling for the estab- 
 lishment of such an institution. The memorial was 
 received with enthusiasm, and after much serious con- 
 sideration the body voted to appoint the following 
 committee: S. E. Tull, Paducah, Ky.; T. H. Athey, 
 
Kentucky Baptist Institutions 185 
 
 Shelbyville, Ky. ; W. L. Brock, Lexington, Ky. ; W. M. 
 Stallings, Smith's Grove. Ky. ; W, W. Horner, Louis- 
 ville, Ky. ; Thomas D. Osborne, Louisville, Ky. ; Edw. 
 C. Farmer, Louisville, Ky. ; J. E, Martin, Jellieo, 
 Tenn. ; and S. M. McCarter, Lawrenceburg, Ky., with 
 full power to act in the establishment of a Kentucky 
 Baptist Children's Home, said committee to become 
 the trustees of the institution. Acting upon the in- 
 structions of the General Association of Baptists in 
 Kentucky, the beautiful and commodious property 
 near Glendale, Hardin County, Kentucky, formerly 
 Lynnland College, consisting of sixteen acres of 
 land and the buildings thereon, was purchased and 
 equipped. Elder A. B. Gardner, Beaver Dam, Ken- 
 tucky, was elected as the superintendent, and on June 
 23, 1915, the home was opened for the reception of 
 homeless, destitute children. Brother Gardner con- 
 tinued as superintendent until December 31, 1916, 
 when on account of failing health he was forced to 
 give up the work that held such a large place in his 
 loving heart. On October 12, 1918, he was called to 
 his eternal home. During his superintendency there 
 were 113 children received into the home, and he laid 
 the foundation of what is confidently expected to be 
 one of the greatest institutions of its kind in the 
 United States. In 1916 the trustees purchased 120 
 acres of land, known as the Walker farm, situated a 
 short distance from the home. On January 1, 1917, 
 Rev. J. W. Vallandingham, at that time pastor of 
 Gilead Baptist Church, Glendale, Kentucky, and a 
 member of the Board of Trustees was elected superin- 
 tendent and Mrs. Vallandingham was elected matron. 
 Brother and Sister Vallandingham continued the 
 work so ably begun by Brother Gardner. Many im- 
 provements were made, including a large front porch 
 and two large dormitories, waterworks and electric 
 lights were installed and plans were made for more 
 extensive improvements in the future. In June, 1919, 
 realizing that his physical condition was such that he 
 could no longer carry the burden, Brother Valland- 
 
186 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 ingham tendered his resignation to the Board of 
 Trustees, which was reluctantly accepted, and M. Geo. 
 Moore, a layman, member of the First Baptist Church 
 of Lexington, Kentucky, who was at that time and 
 for seven and a half years previously superintendent 
 of the Pythian Home of Kentucky, located at Lex- 
 ington, was elected superintendent and Mrs. Moore 
 elected matron. Mr. and Mrs. Moore took charge on 
 August 14, 1919. In 1920, 173 acres of land, known 
 as the Monin farm, adjacent to the home on the south 
 side and extending to Nolin River, was purchased, 
 making a total of 309 acres owned by the home which, 
 together with improvements and personal property, 
 is worth approximately $140,000. From June 23, 
 1915, to November 1, 1921, 321 children have been 
 cared for, 146 of whom were in the home on the last 
 named date. 
 
 It will be observed that the Southern Baptist Theo- 
 logical Seminary is not included in this list of ''Ken- 
 tucky Baptist Institutions." While the seminary is 
 located in Louisville, Kentucky, it is not a "Ken- 
 tucky Institution, ' ' but a southwide institution. This 
 is the reason why it is not included in this chapter. 
 The seminary is a great and worthy institution, de- 
 serving the sympathy and support of our people. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 The Mystery of Lincoln ^s Religion Cleared Up 
 
 One of the most interesting characters in all 
 American history is Abraham Lincoln. Born in a 
 one-room log cabin in the wilderness of Kentucky, 
 reared in the grinding poverty and hardships of the 
 backwoods of Indiana and Illinois, he, by dint of in- 
 dustry and application, became a great lawyer and 
 statesman, a great president and preserver of a 
 nation. 
 
 Every student of history is familiar with the real 
 humanity and depths of character of this great Amer- 
 ican citizen. In the study of such a character ques- 
 tions will arise : * * What of his ancestry ? Were they 
 pious, religious people ? What of his training ? What 
 inspired him to a great life ? ' ' The student naturally 
 looks for something in the dreary pioneer life of 
 "Honest Abe" that inspired him to nobler and 
 greater things beyond the horizon of his wilderness 
 home. In our search for this inspiration we find that 
 Lincoln's parents were pious, religious Baptist stock. 
 The Lincolns were Baptists in Kentucky and united 
 with a Baptist church in Indiana, where they first 
 settled after leaving Kentucky, as shown by the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 ''Lincoln City, Ind., Nov. 5, 1921.— Rolling back 
 the mists of a century and offering the deerskin-bound 
 records of Little Pigeon Baptist Church near here as 
 the missing link of Abraham Lincoln's religion, 
 Thomas B. McGregor, Assistant Attorney-General of 
 the State of Kentucky, has given to an appreciative 
 American substantial evidence that Abraham Lincoln 
 was reared in the simple faith of the 'hard-shelled' 
 Baptist Church." 
 
 "Much of the mystery of Lincoln's religion, and 
 187 
 
188 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 that of his parents, for over half a century a mooted 
 question, has been evaporated by the finding of Mr, 
 McGregor in the little old deerskin book of Little 
 Pigeon Church. 
 
 "There is no record of Abraham Lincoln's affilia- 
 tion with any church denomination, but Mr. Mc- 
 Gregor's story of Thomas Lincoln, moderator and 
 pillar of the little Baptist church, proves conclusively, 
 Mr. McGregor says, that the Lincoln family were 
 Baptists. 
 
 Were Well To Do 
 
 * ' The parents of Abraham Lincoln deserve a fairer 
 estimate than has been allotted them by most of the 
 biographers of Lincoln," says Mr. McGregor, ''and 
 the story, as told by the records that are still to be 
 found in the archives of Little Pigeon Church, near 
 Lincoln City, Spencer County, Indiana, of the devo- 
 tion paid by the parents of Lincoln to him who guided 
 the lad of Pigeon Creek in the hour of the nation's 
 travail, goes far to give to them their true estimate. 
 In fact, they were well-to-do pioneers of their day; 
 of sturdy ancestral stock, owned a farm, domestic ani- 
 mals, tools and a family Bible ; neighborly, sacrificing 
 and active church-going members. 
 
 ''Pigeon Creek Church was founded on June 8, 
 1816, the year that Thomas Lincoln and his family 
 moved from Kentucky and settled on Little Pigeon 
 Creek in what was then Warwick County, Indiana 
 Territory. It was then, as now, the chief church in 
 that vicinity. When the meeting-house was built, its 
 site was selected about a mile west of Thomas Lin- 
 coln's home, the church building today occupying 
 practically the same place. When Lincoln's mother 
 died she was buried between their home and the 
 church, the graveyard not having been at that time 
 started at the church, but when Lincoln 's sister, Sarah 
 Grigsby, died in 1828, she was buried at the church 
 burying ground, where her grave is yet to be seen, 
 marked by a rough stone. 
 
Mystery of Lincoln's Religion Cleared Up 189 
 
 "This church, with its continuous existence since 
 1816, has only two books containing its records and 
 minutes, the first covering the period from 1816 to 
 1840. It is in this book that we find Abraham Lin- 
 coln's father, stepmother and sister were active mem- 
 bers of the hard-shell Baptist Church of Pigeon Creek, 
 and this book, with its deerskin cover, the hair still 
 remaining, not only reveals in its crude, historic way 
 the true religion of Lincoln's parents, but gives us 
 the best insight yet found to his own religious 
 views. 
 
 Records of Church 
 
 ' ' Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married 
 by a Methodist minister by the name of Jesse Head, 
 but shortly afterward they were united with one of 
 the churches of Baptist Licking-Locust Association 
 of regular Baptist churches of Kentucky, and when 
 Nancy Lincoln died in Indiana, Abraham, by his own 
 efforts, had their Kentucky pastor, Elder David 
 Elkins, come to their wilderness home and preach his 
 mother's funeral. 
 
 "After Thomas Lincoln had married Sally Bush 
 Johnson he sent back to his Kentucky church and 
 obtained his letter of fellowship, and as the minutes on 
 June 1, 1823, show, he united with the Pigeon Creek 
 Church by this letter and his wife by experience. 
 From that date until they moved to Illinois in 1830, 
 their names appear frequently in the minutes of the 
 church proceedings, Thomas being one of the pillars of 
 the church acting as moderator, on committees to 
 investigate the conduct of brethren and sisters, and 
 messenger to associations, bearing the letter of Pigeon 
 Creek to her sister churches. 
 
 Text of Records 
 
 "The historic minute which records the affiliation 
 of Thomas Lincoln and his wife with this little pioneer 
 church follows: 
 
 "June the 7" 1823. 
 
190 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 "The church met and after prayer proceeded to 
 business. 
 
 "1st Inquired for fellowship. 
 
 "2nd Invited members of sister churches to seat 
 with us. 
 
 "3rd Opened a dore for the Reception of Mem- 
 bers. 
 
 "4th Received Brother Thomas Linkon by letter 
 and * * * * 
 
 "7th Received Brother John "Wire by Relation 
 and Sister Linkhon and Thomas Carter by Ex- 
 perance. ' ' 
 
 "Thomas Lincoln was not in such poor circum- 
 stances but that he always donated to the needs of 
 his church, ' ' said Mr. McGregor in offering the follow- 
 ing copy of an agreement to build a new chimney on 
 the meeting-house : 
 
 "We the undersigned Do agree one with another 
 to pay the several Somes next our names in produce 
 this fall to be Delivered Betwixt the first and 20 
 December, the produce, as follows, corn, wheat, 
 whiskey, soft Linnen wool or any other article a 
 material to do the work with, the produce will be 
 delivered at Wm. Barker's in good mercantile prod- 
 uce." 
 
 Signed with other names is : 
 
 "Thomas Lincoln, white corn, manufactured — 
 pounds — 24. ' ' 
 
 "Thus," continued Mr. McGregor, "we have re- 
 vealed to us the religion of Abraham Lincoln's 
 parents, his sister Sarah, and of himself. He was 
 raised in the simple Baptist faith, which in after 
 years never left him. 
 
 "We have no record of Thomas LincoLn or his 
 wife ever uniting with any church after they moved 
 to Illinois in 1830." 
 
 The above was published by the daily papers, and 
 is taken from Judge McGregor's lecture on Lincoln. 
 It will be observed that Judge McGregor refers to 
 the "Licking Locust Association of Regular Baptists 
 
Mystery of Lincoln's Religion Cleared Up 191 
 
 in Kentucky" as "Hardshell." The Licking Locust 
 Association, according to Spencer, was constituted 
 1807 as a result of a split on the slavery question. 
 This association was an "emancipation association," 
 but it disappeared about 1820, according to his- 
 tory. 
 
 Judge McGregor, however, makes a mistake when 
 he concludes that the association, because anti-slavery, 
 was anti-mission. The churches constituting the Lick- 
 ing Locust Association were missionary, and all of 
 them that now exist are still missionary. Many of 
 the preachers who were known as "Emancipation 
 preachers" were among the most evangelistic of the 
 state. The Licking Locust association could not have 
 been a "Hardshell Association," for it passed out of 
 existence at least a decade before the mission split — 
 or before there were any Hardshell associations. 
 Prior to 1816, the date when the Lincolns left Ken- 
 tucky, there were no "Hardshells" in Kentucky. To 
 whatever Baptist church the Lincolns may have be- 
 longed in Kentucky, it was not a * ' Hardshell ' ' or Anti- 
 mission church, for Spencer says, "Previous to 1816 
 there was not an Anti-mission Baptist in Kentucky 
 so far as known." (Vol. I, p. 570.) Neither could 
 the Pigeon Creek Church, founded in 1816 in Indiana, 
 be a "Hardshell" church, for the split between the 
 Missionaries and Anti-missionaries had not taken 
 place, and did not occur until about 1832 and follow- 
 ing. John Taylor and Daniel Parker, the leaders, 
 later in the Hardshell movement, were yet lined up 
 with the Regular Baptist body, which was doing mis- 
 sion work in 1816. 
 
 William E. Barton, D. D., LL.D., in his "The Soul 
 of Abraham Lincoln," published 1920, page 36, says: 
 ' ' Thomas Lincoln is alleged by Herndon to have been 
 a Free-will Baptist in Kentucky, a Presbyterian in 
 the latter part of his life in Indiana, and finally a 
 Disciple (I, 11). He does not state where he obtained 
 his information, but it is almost certain that he got 
 it from Sally Bush Lincoln on the occasion of his 
 
192 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 visit to her in 1865, as she is the accredited source of 
 most of the information of this character. 
 
 "I am more than tempted to believe that either 
 she or Herndon was incorrect in speaking of Thomas 
 Lincoln's earliest affiliation as a Free-will Baptist. 
 There were more kinds of Baptists in heaven and on 
 earth than were understood in her philosophy ; and I 
 question whether the Free-will Baptists, who origi- 
 nated in New England, had by this time penetrated 
 to so remote a section of Kentucky. What she prob- 
 ably told Herndon was that he was not of the most 
 reactionary kind — the so-called 'Hardshell' or Anti- 
 mission Baptists The Scripps biography, read 
 
 and approved by Lincoln, said simply that his parents 
 were consistent members of the Baptist Church." 
 This should settle the question as to the church affilia- 
 tion of the Lincolns. Mr. Barton also gives evidence 
 to show that the Lincolns were never Presbyterians 
 nor Disciples. They were simply Baptists. 
 
 Another point worth noticing is the subscription 
 list for the building of the chimney to the church. 
 Next to ''corn, " "wheat" came "whiskey" on the 
 last. This shows that whiskey at that time was a 
 staple commodity in commerce. We have two other 
 such subscriptions. South Elkhorn and Pitman's 
 Creek churches both have old subscription lists for 
 pastor's salary and church building respectively with 
 whiskey as a part of the payment. 
 
 Mr. McGregor says Abraham Lincoln "had their 
 Kentucky pastor. Elder David Elkins, come to their 
 wilderness home (in Indiana) and preach his mother's 
 funeral." We learn from Spencer that David Elkins 
 was "one of the early pastors of Goodhope Church," 
 and that "he labored with a good degree of success 
 among the churches of Russell's Creek Association, 
 and preached the introductory sermon before that 
 body in 1814." (Vol. I, p. 336.) This puts pastor 
 Elkins in that section of Kentucky where the Lin- 
 colns lived, but Elkins was never a "Hardshell." 
 All of these facts go to show that while the Lincolns 
 
Mystery of Lincoln's Religion Cleared Up 193 
 
 were Baptists they were not ' ' Hardshell ' ' Baptists in 
 Kentucky. 
 
 In response to a letter addressed to the postmaster 
 at Lincoln City, Indiana, asking what kind of a Bap- 
 tist Church "Little Pigeon Creek" was, and if the 
 old records show from what Baptist Church in Ken- 
 tucky Thomas Lincoln's letter came, the author re- 
 ceived a reply from the clerk of the church, saying : 
 "Old Pigeon Church is a Regular Baptist Church. 
 Some call them Hardshells, but the right name is 
 Primitive Baptist. The record don't show what 
 church he (Thomas Lincoln) was lettered out of." 
 This was signed "Lewis Varner, church clerk of 
 Pigeon Church. Boonville, Ind., 1-4-22.". This 
 shows that the church is now a Hardshell church, and 
 this fact, perhaps, misled Mr. McGregor. 
 
 In response to a letter to Hon. Thomas B. Mc- 
 Gregor, the author received the following: 
 
 Commonwealth of Kentucky 
 Attorney General's Office 
 
 FRANKFORT, KY. 
 
 State House, Jan. 2, 1922. 
 
 Dr. William D. Nowlin, Pastor, 
 
 First Baptist Church, 
 Greenville, Ky. 
 My Dear Doctor: — 
 
 I am in receipt of your letter of the 31st ult., rela- 
 tive to my recent article upon the religious views of 
 the parents of Abraham Lincoln, and I have noted 
 with interest what you have to say touching upon the 
 history of the Hardshell Baptist Church in Kentucky. 
 
 The article you saw was doubtless taken from a 
 Chautauqua address that I have delivered in several 
 States and which was recently used in a magazine 
 and by the Associated Press in tabloid form. 
 
 I found the old church book of the Little Pigeon 
 Church more than twelve years ago, and at that time 
 I looked closely into the history of the Lincoln family 
 
194 Kentucky Baptist History— 1770-1922 
 
 in Kentucky. Thomas Lincoln joined the Little 
 Pigeon Creek Church in Spencer County, Indiana, by 
 letter, and knowing the customs of the Primitive Bap- 
 tist Church so well, I immediately begun to look for 
 his church connection in Kentucky. In my search 
 somewhere, I ran across the fact that his anti-slavery 
 views were that of his church and that he was a 
 member of such church in either Hardin or Washing- 
 ton counties, Ky. In 1807 there was a dissension in 
 the General Union of Baptists, and those churches 
 refusing to give fellowship to slaveholders formed 
 a separate Association and it was known as "The 
 Baptized Licking Locust Association, Friends of 
 Humanity." It was of short life, however, and by 
 1814 it had disappeared. The home of the Lincolns 
 in Kentucky was in Baptist territory. 
 
 With high regards and best wishes, and thanking 
 you for your interest in my article, I am 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Thos. B. McGregor. 
 
 It should be remembered, however, that it was not 
 the anti-slavery sentiment that marked a church as 
 "Hardshell," but the anti-mission sentiment. Many 
 of the early Baptists who were anti-slavery were 
 thoroughly missionary. The zealous, evangelistic 
 missionary, Wm. Hickman, was one of the "emanci- 
 pators," but never anti-missionary. 
 
 Mr. McGregor says Abraham Lincoln "was raised 
 in the simple Baptist faith, which in after years never 
 left him." 
 
 While there is no record of Abraham Lincoln 
 having ever joined a church, it is believed that he 
 lived and died in the simple Baptist faith of his 
 fathers. 
 
 Lincoln and His Bible 
 
 The following account of Lincoln and his Bible is 
 taken from one of our Baptist papers: 
 
 * * The Bible which fed the soul of Abraham Lincoln 
 in the Kentucky log cabin of his boyhood was one of 
 
Mystery of Lincoln's Religion Cleared Up 195 
 
 the cheap little Bibles imported from England by 
 vote of the American Congress in 1777, 
 
 "Lincoln loved the Bible above all books, and once 
 paid the following tribute to it: 'I am profitably- 
 engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this book 
 upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, 
 and you will live and die a better man. In regard 
 to the great Book, I have only to say that it is the 
 best book which God has given to men.' " 
 
 Lincoln's addresses, speeches, and messages are 
 shot through and through with quotations from the 
 Bible. For example, take this paragraph from his 
 second Inaugural Address delivered March 4, 1865 : 
 "The Almighty has his own purposes. 'Woe unto 
 the world because of offenses ! for it must needs be 
 that offenses come ; but woe to that man by whom 
 the offense cometh. ' If we shall suppose that Amer- 
 ican Slavery is one of those offenses which in the 
 providence of God must needs come, but which hav- 
 ing continued through his appointed time, he now 
 wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and 
 South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by 
 whom the oft'ense come, shall we discern therein any 
 departure from those divine attributes which the be- 
 lievers in a living God always ascribe to him ? Fondly 
 do we hope — fervently do we pray — that this mighty 
 scourge of war may pass away. Yet, if God wills 
 that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bond- 
 man 's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil 
 shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn 
 with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with 
 the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so 
 still it must be said, 'The judgments of the Lord are 
 true and righteous altogether.' " 
 
 In Mr. Barton's recent book, "The Soul of Abra- 
 ham Lincoln" he gives on page 86 a statement taken 
 from Scribner's Monthly, 1873, page 343, as follows: 
 "Here I relate an incident which occurred on the 
 4th of March, 1861, as told me by Mrs. Lincoln. 
 She said: 
 
196 Kentucky Baptist History — 1770-1922 
 
 " 'Mr. Lincoln wrote the conclusion of his in- 
 augural address the morning it was delivered. The 
 family being present, he read it to them. He then 
 said he wished to be left alone for a short time. The 
 family retired to an adjoining room, but not so far 
 distant but that the voice of prayer could be dis- 
 tinctly heard. There, closeted with God alone, sur- 
 rounded by the enemies who were ready to take his 
 life, he commended his country's cause and all dear 
 to him to God's care and with a mind calm by com- 
 munion with his Father in heaven, and courage equal 
 to the danger, he came forth from that retirement 
 ready for duty.' " 
 
 Lincoln was a man of God, a man of prayer, a 
 man of faith. He believed unquestionably in the 
 eternal purposes of God, and in the infallibility of his 
 revealed will — the Bible. 
 
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