THE GENESIS OF 
 
 American ^ ^ ^ ^ 
 Anti-Missionism. 
 
7 . 2. 5 . V 
 
 '^^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^ 
 
 Purchased by the Hamill Missionary Fund. 
 
 BV 2520 .C3 1902 
 Carroll, B. H. 1843-1914. 
 The genesis of American anti 
 -missionism 
 
THE GENESIS OF 
 
 American Anti-Missionism 
 
 B. H. CARROLL, Jr., B. A., LL. B, Th. D. 
 
 PUBI.ISHEr) FOR 
 
 Thb Baptist Book Concern 
 
 LOUmVII-LK, KV. 
 
 1902. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A connected and somewhat exhaustive ac- 
 count of the anti-missionary movement that re- 
 sulted from the pressing of foreign mission, 
 home mission, Sunday school, educational, and 
 other forms of organized denominational work 
 under the auspices of the Triennial Convention, 
 with Luther Rice as its chief agent, and Jud- 
 son'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 Con- 
 vention during the third and fourth decades of 
 the nineteenth century may be illustrated by 
 the following facts: During the first four or five 
 years after the organization of the Triennial 
 Convention (1814), the Baptist churches of 
 Tennessee w^ere nearly all friendly to the for- 
 eign mission cause and contributed toward its 
 funds. Within a few years all the missionary 
 societies that had been formed for co-operation 
 wMth the Triennial Convention were dissolved 
 and the association rescinded the resolutions 
 that had been passed in favor of missions and 
 related departments of denominational work. 
 In Georgia and Alabama a life-and-death 
 struere-le between the friends of missions and 
 co-operative wx)rk and the malignant enemies or 
 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 
 
 (3) 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 twelve of the thirty-four Virginia associations, 
 including the old Ketokton, were aggressively 
 anti-missionary. Kqually 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 held for the anti-missionary propa- 
 ganda. 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 suc- 
 cess of the opponents of missions from 1820 to 
 1840 needs to be explained, and Dr. Carroll 
 has performed a service of great value in bring- 
 ing together from rare sources a large amount 
 of material illustrative of the spirit and the 
 methods of the opposition to organized mission- 
 ary work. He has made effective use of the 
 scarce writings of Daniel Parker and John 
 Ta3dor, and has demonstrated more fully than 
 any earlier writer the contribution of Alexan- 
 der Campbell to the anti-missionary movement. 
 
 It is a source of satisfaction to me that this 
 fine piece of research work on a topic that is 
 still of vital interest to the denomination is to 
 be published in book form, and I trust that it 
 will be widely circulated throughout the de- 
 nomination, and especially in those parts of the 
 South where war is still being waged against 
 the organized work of the denomination. 
 
 Albert Henry Newman. 
 
 Baylor University^ Waco^ Texas. 
 
L o vingly Dedica ted 
 
 to 
 
 B. H. CARROLL III. 
 
 With the eternal prayer that by the Grace of God 
 
 and the calling- of the Holy Spirit, 
 
 he may some day be, either 
 
 at home or abroad, a 
 
 Consecrated Missionary 
 
 of the Gospel of our 
 Lord, JESUS CHRIST. 
 
[This work was originally done as a Thesis, and presented to the 
 Faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in applying 
 for the Degree of Doctor of Theology, with the following.] 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Worcester g-ives as the primary definition of a 
 Thesis, that it is "a position or proposition af- 
 firmative or negative, advanced or laid down, to 
 be supported by argument." The proposition, 
 then, which I lay down as a thesis, and w^hich I 
 will endeavor to prove in the following pages, is 
 that under God the Foreign Mission movement 
 among American Baptists has been the great- 
 est factor in our denominational development. 
 My purpose is to show how great a work for- 
 eig-)i missions has done at Jiome. There is no 
 book covering just this ground, nor do I think 
 our people realize how great is our debt to for- 
 eign missions. We look upon our contributions 
 to that cause as bread cast upon the waters, 
 never to return to our own shores. Many re- 
 gard a gift to foreign missions as a dead loss. 
 Many more have regard only to the results 
 abroad. Matiy books have been written to show 
 its successes abroad. May there not be a place 
 for one to show what have been its trials and 
 what are its trophies in our own land? I be- 
 lieve the foreign mission movement has fur- 
 nished the centripetal force w^hich holds our 
 denomination together and which counteracts 
 the centrifugal force of church sovereignty 
 and independence; which if it operated without 
 the check of fraternal sympathy, comity and 
 co-operation, would cause us to fly off at a tan- 
 
 (7) 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 gfent into chaos. I believe its results to be so 
 great that they would cause us to support it 
 from considerations of self interest, if there were 
 no higher motive. Not that I want such a con- 
 sideration to become paramount, for as in 
 prayer, althoug-h the reflex benefit is great, 
 every one ceases to pray as soon as he believes 
 in only a reflex effect; so I believe the same re- 
 sults would follow in the case of foreign mis- 
 sions. One reason it has so greatly blessed us 
 is that we did not expect the blessing. As 
 Eben Holden says, "Folks that takes care of 
 other folks will get taken care of, unless they 
 do it on purpose." But it is only fair that we 
 should know the benefits w^e have derived in 
 order that we may answ^er the doubter and the 
 gainsaying. 
 
 In addition to the main thesis of the book, 
 other theses which I regard as of importance 
 will be defended. The most prominent of these 
 are: First, that American Baptist missionary 
 activity is not due, save indirectly or in a 
 very minor degree, to Carey or to the develop- 
 ment of missions in district associations, but is 
 directly traceable to Judson and Rice. Second, 
 that Alexander Campbell was the greatest and 
 most influential of the anti-missionaries. To 
 many this will be exhibiting Mr. Campbell in 
 a new role. Third, that foreign missions is 
 the mother of education, organization, home 
 missions and other denominational activities. 
 There is necessarily much of history given, al- 
 though the aim has not been to give an exhaust- 
 ive history of this period, but to give enough to 
 prove my positions. These positions were taken 
 
PREFACE. 9 
 
 from a study of that history and enough of the 
 evidence is cited to show that they are neither 
 fanciful, forced nor arbitrary. The facts pre- 
 sented have all been obtained from reliable 
 sources; I have neither invented nor deduced 
 them. The merit of this thesis is in show- 
 ing" what these facts prove. Wherever I have 
 been able to carry on the argument directly 
 by means of quotations, I have done so, even 
 at the cost of introducing- some irrelevant 
 matter and of making- the style a trifle jerky. 
 I have tried to cite my authorites fully, but 
 lest I should fail to do them justice, I hereb\' 
 make a g-eneral and grateful acknowledg-ment 
 to the man}" authors from whose works I have 
 drawn. I desire to extend special thanks to 
 Mrs. B. D. Spencer for her g-reat kindness in 
 putting- at my disposal certain rare pamphlets. 
 So far as I know, she has the only copies of 
 the Taylor and Parker pamphlets procurable 
 in the South. The first chapter of this work 
 is condensed as much as possible, and is chiefly 
 intended as a background to what follows. A 
 recent book on missions, issued by the Ameri- 
 can Baptist Publication Society, since this 
 chapter was typewritten, has the same chap- 
 ter heading to its second chapter. My hig-hest 
 hope for this eff^ort is that it may prove of some 
 value to the man who shall some day write the 
 g-lorious history of the Baptist denomination in 
 the United States of America. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 B. H. Carroll, Jr. 
 
 Done at the Library of the Southern Baptist Theological 
 Seminary this 14th day of February, A. D., 1901, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Chapter I. The American Baptists in 1812 13 
 
 II. Connection of Judson and Rice with 
 the American Baptist Missionary 
 Movement 37 
 
 III. The Rise of the " Hardshei^ls " 85 
 
 IV. Outline of John Tayi^or's Argument. 97 
 
 V. Outijne of Daniel Parker's Attack 
 
 on THE Missionary System 108 
 
 VI. Alexander Campbell's Attack on 
 
 Missions 124 
 
 VII. Progress and Spirit of Opposition to 
 
 Missions 156 
 
 VIII. Relation of the Foreign Mission 
 
 Movement to Education 191 
 
 IX. Relation of the Foreign Mission 
 
 Movement TO Organization 201 
 
 X. Relation of Foreign Missions to 
 Home Missions, Bible and Other 
 Societies and the Southern Bap- 
 tist Convention 212 
 
 XI. The Light Shed by the Lessons of 
 THE Past on the Duties or the 
 Present 220 
 
 (11) 
 
THE GENESIS OF 
 AMERICAN ANT!=MISSIONISM. 
 
 OHAPTEIR I 
 
 THE AMERICAN BAPTISTS IN 1812. 
 
 1. THE POLITICAL SITUATION. 
 
 The year 1812 is a pivotal one in American 
 history. Great men were guiding- the ship of 
 state. Madison, who had been Secretary of 
 State under Jefferson, was President ; Henry 
 Clay of Kentucky was Speaker of the House ; 
 John C. Calhoun of South Caolina had made 
 his first appearance in the House of Represent- 
 atives the preceding- year. The laurels of ^ Tip- 
 pecanoe w^ere yet fresh on General Harrison's 
 brow. The trial of Aaron Burr, the Lewis and 
 Clark exploration, and the defeat of the British 
 Sloop of war, "Little Belt," by the American 
 vessel, "President," were recent and vivid mem- 
 ories. But a few years since and the United 
 States had expanded to take in the vast Louis- 
 iana territory ceded by Napoleon the Great of 
 France. The charter of the Bank of the United 
 States had iust expired. The only steamboat 
 
 (13) 
 
14 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 in the world, Fulton's "Clermont," had been 
 pl3^ing the waters of the Hudson since 1807. 
 The American Ambassador had been recalled 
 from the Court of St. James and Mr. Madison 
 had given the British Minister his passports. 
 The popular slog^an of free trade and sailors' 
 rights was sweeping like wildfire through the 
 land. 
 
 So dawned the year 1812. Early in the year 
 Louisiana was admitted as the seventeenth State 
 of the Union and the Territory of Missouri was 
 organized with St. Louis as its capital. On the 
 eighteenth of June, after receiving the arrogant 
 answer of the British Minister that they would 
 abandon no measures however injurious or offen- 
 sive to the United States, which the war with 
 France made it to their interest to employ. 
 President Madison signed the bill that declared 
 this country to be for the second time at war 
 with Great Britain. Thus was the young Re- 
 public with its attempt at self-government still 
 a problem, with depleted exchequerand steeped 
 in debt, put where, with its miniature navy, 
 it had to oppose the "Mistress of the Seas," 
 and with its unpaid army, to defend the long 
 line of its frontier against the British and their 
 thoroughly organized allies, the Indians, led by 
 the greatest of chiefs, Tecumseh. Tecumseh's 
 followers, it is true, had been defeated by Gen- 
 eral Harrison, but when Tecumseh himself was 
 absent, and then only after having inflicted a 
 loss on the whites of nearly tvvo to one. The 
 story of that war is not to be retold here. Its 
 story is one of disaster after disaster on land, 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 15 
 
 and victory after victory on sea. The Fort 
 Dearborn massacre, the loss of Macenac, and 
 the disg'raceful surrender of Detroit by Gener- 
 al Bull followed in swift succession. Tecum- 
 seh, for tactical skill and personal bravery, was 
 g'irded by the British commander's own sash 
 and made a General in the British army. Soon 
 after Captain Isaac Hull washed away the 
 stain from that name, (put there by the Gen- 
 eral's cowardice) when he evaded ihe entire 
 British squadron by superior seamanship and 
 blew the frif^-ate "Guerriere" out of the water. 
 But time would fail to tell of Porter and Jones 
 and Bainbridg-e and our other naval heroes in 
 that war, or of the bravery displayed by the 
 Americans in the attack on Queenstown, in 
 which attack Scott, then a Lieutenant-colonel 
 of volunteers, figured heroicall}^ The year 
 closed with the war party still in the ascendant 
 and with the doctrine of sailor's rights being 
 gloriously maintained by the sailors them- 
 selves. 
 
 In Europe, the heroic figure of Napoleon Bo- 
 naparte loomed like a Titan against the hori- 
 zon, but the early winter of 1812 and the burn- 
 ing- of Moscow marked the beginning of his 
 end. His offenses against American ships and 
 commerce had really been greater than those of 
 England, and more real cause existed for war 
 with France than with the mother country, but 
 the sentiment engendered by the aid of Lafa- 
 yette and other French officers in the war of 
 1776 was too great in America to permit her to 
 side ag^ainst a country which, inspired by the 
 
16 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 American example and success, had so recently 
 gone throug-h the throes of the French Revolu- 
 tion. 
 
 2. RELIGIOUS STATUS OF THE BAPTISTS 
 
 IN 1812. 
 
 (/) As to Number and Characteristics . 
 
 The year 1800 found the Baptists with about 
 180,000 members, divided among- forty-eight as- 
 sociations. Under the influence, largely, of 
 Welsh Baptists, the Arminian Baptists, who up 
 to 1742 had decided advantages iu members and 
 enterprise, were routed, and by 1800 Calvinistic 
 Baptists had everywhere ascendency. * This 
 turn to Calvinism was largely accentuated by 
 the Whitfield revival and by the growing op- 
 position between the Baptists and the Armin- 
 ian followers of John Wesley. The close of 
 the Revolutionary War left the country flooded 
 with all the attendant evils that war brings in 
 its train. French infidelity, made popular by 
 the French officers who assisted the patriot 
 cause, the infidelity of Voltaire, Rousseau, and 
 D'Alembert — brilliant, shallow, witty, caus- 
 tic, sneering — had been sowed wide cast in 
 this country. Thomas Payne used the popu- 
 larity of his patriotism to spread his "Age 
 of Reason" and other attacks on the Bible. 
 Thomas Jefferson was thought by some to be 
 a free-thinker. This infidelity shaded off into 
 Socinianism, Universalism and a state of gen- 
 
 * Vedder: "History of the Baptists of the Middle 
 States," pp. 92, 93. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 17 
 
 eral religious apathy. It reached even into the 
 churches and pulpits. A theory of restoration- 
 ism, called by its opposers, "Hell-Redemption- 
 ism," became quite popular, especially in the 
 Middle States. Among- the unconverted, par- 
 ticularl}' on the frontier, the g^rossest ribaldry 
 and blasphemy were quite common. A reaction 
 set in and a g^reat relig'ious awakening- swept 
 the country like a tidal wave. Where sin was 
 so g'ross, conviction of sin became very deep ; 
 sometimes men labored for months under a load 
 of sin without g^etting- relief. John Taylor, in 
 his "History of Ten Churches," describes him- 
 self as being- accustomed to kneel and pray 
 every day for ilays while under such a convic- 
 tion, acknowlcdg-ing God's justice in damning- 
 him and sending- his soul to hell. He also tells 
 of having- seen the floor wet with the tears of 
 the penitents.* In the great revivals between 
 1800 and 1812, especially in Kentucky, most 
 marked mental and spiritual phenomena ap- 
 peared, such as "the falling exercise." The 
 first instance noted occurred under the ministry 
 of McGready and McGee in 1779. From thence 
 it spread rapidly all over Kentucky and Middle 
 Tennessee and soon became inseparable from 
 the religious camp meetings. 
 
 Some fell suddenly as if struck by lig^htning', while 
 others were seized with a universal tremor the moment be- 
 fore, 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 
 
 *History of Ten Churches, by John Taylor, p. 23. 
 2 
 
1^ THE GENESIS OF 
 
 of great weakness during and after the parox3'sras. 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 sub- 
 ject would lie fifteen minutes or two or three hours; and we 
 are even told of a woman's lying, without eating or speak- 
 ing, for nine days and nights. Some were more or less 
 convulsed, and wrought hard in frightful nervous ago- 
 nies, 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 and hartshorn were applied with no per- 
 ceptible effects. . . . During the great camp meeting at 
 Cane Ridge, August 6th, ISOl, three thousand were com- 
 puted to have fallen. * 
 
 A similar affection to this was " the jerking- 
 exercise," 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 im- 
 pulse, 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 re- 
 strain or hold him, and the paroxysm was permitted grad- 
 ually to exhaust itself, f 
 
 * History of the Presbyterian Church, p. 143 et seq., 
 as quoted in Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists, 
 p. 515. 
 
 f History of the Presbyterian Church, pp. 145, 146, as 
 quoted in Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 516 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 19 
 
 Wicked men were often taken with these strange exer- 
 cises, 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 place of dissipation, and would by a 
 violent and unaffected jerk, throw a hand full 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 concomitants of camp meetings in 
 Kentucky and Tennessee during the great re- 
 vival, t These exercises were simply such var- 
 iations of the foregoing- as their names would 
 naturally sugg-est. Frequent earthquakes oc- 
 curred during the year 1811 which, taken in 
 conjunction with the "shakes" and the fact 
 that the next year Congress declared war with 
 Great Britain, confirmed the superstitious in 
 their belief that the "shakes" betokened some 
 great calamity, t The Baptists declined to 
 join in general camp meetings, and were but 
 little affected by these strange phenomena. In 
 1800, in Kentucky, the statistics compared with 
 those of 1790 show a falling off of one hundred 
 per cent in Baptist membership in proportion 
 to increase in population. Their revival in 
 
 A more extended description is given by McNemar, pp. 
 51, 52, and is quoted by many authors. 
 
 * History of Baptists. Vol. 11, p. 255, as quoted by 
 Spencer, p. 517. 
 
 t Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, pp. 517-520, 
 
 t •' " " " p. 667. 
 
20 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Kentucky was more gradual and moderate. 
 They joined in only one union meeting. Pro- 
 tracted meeting's were as yet unknown. In 
 1803 there were in Kentucky ten associations, 
 219 churches and 15,295 members.* In 1810-12 
 there were in Kentucky 15 associations, 286 
 churches and 16,250 members, t showing- that 
 the increase in Kentucky had been but slig-ht 
 and gradual. In Kentucky in 1812 the first 
 number of the "Kentucky Missionary and 
 Theological Magazine" was published at 
 Frankfort, with Stark Dupuy as editor, t 
 About the same time the Boston Association 
 was formed from the old Warren Association. § 
 
 {2) As to Doctrine and Customs. 
 
 By 1812 the Baptists nearly everywhere 
 were strongly Calvinistic. The Philadelphia, 
 Charleston and Warren Associations were the 
 three most influential. Great care was taken 
 in ordaining ministers. Ministers asked no 
 pay for their services, but the Church felt obli- 
 gation to support. II Baptist ministers in 
 preaching discarded all written preparations, 
 but all of them were by no means ignorant. A 
 strict church discipline was maintained. Dr. 
 Spencer says that one of the best Churches in 
 Kentucky received only one person by baptism 
 
 * Spencer : History Kentucky Baptists, p. 541. 
 \ <■<■ " ♦♦ " p. 565. 
 
 I " " " " pp. 567-8. 
 
 § Vedder : History of the Baptist in New England, p. 
 97. 
 
 II Taylor: History of Ten Churches, p. 34. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 21 
 
 during- five long- j^ears and he was excluded 
 two months after baptism. Prayer for new 
 converts sometimes continued for an hour. The 
 practice of the lay'mg on of hands after bap- 
 tism was common.* 
 
 The rite of the laying on of hands on the newly bap- 
 tized was practiced b3' the Baptists of those days; this 
 practice was perrormed 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 the line; about four ministers went together, 
 each one laid his hand on the head of the dedicated person, 
 and one prayed for him, and after praying for three or 
 four of them another proceeded until they went through. 
 It would appear as if that solemn dedication might be some 
 barrier to future apostasy ; for the prayers were of great 
 solemnity and fervor, and for that particular person ac- 
 cording to their age and circumstances. f 
 
 The churches w^ere almost to a unit indiffer- 
 ent to missions. The frontier churches had 
 only monthly meeting's, but there as elsewhere 
 the preaching- w^as noted for its scripturalness, 
 fervor and deep feeling-. Ruling- elders were 
 nominal officers in many churches. They w^ere 
 introduced into Kentucky by zealous Separate 
 Baptists from Virg-inia, who obtained the usag-e 
 from the Puritans. It was a practice that 
 ceased soon after this time, t Foot-w^ashing- 
 as an ordinance was somewhat in vogue, but 
 mainly among- Separates. It has survived 
 only among- them and some of the anti-mission- 
 
 * spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 486. 
 
 f Taylor : History of Ten Churches, p. 10. 
 
 X spencer : History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 486. 
 
22 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 ary Baptists.* Quarterly or union meeting's 
 were customary. These two terms describe 
 the same meeting", which was not a business 
 meeting, but one for worship. A g"reat deal of 
 significance was attached to dreams and 
 visions t and some remarkable and well-authen- 
 ticated stories are told concerning* them, t 
 There are instances where men traveled two 
 hundred miles to be baptized, thus emulating 
 the example of the Saviour, who walked sixty 
 miles from Galilee to where John was baptiz- 
 ing on the Judean border in Jordan. 
 
 (j) Relig-ioiis Liberty. 
 
 By 1812 the struggle for religious liberty 
 was practically won, although persecution 
 still continued in Massachusetts, Connecticut, 
 Virginia, and possibly some other States, in the 
 form of unjust taxation and sometimes restric- 
 tions as to worship and personal penalties in- 
 flicted on the preacher, with the connivance, at 
 least, of the law. Opposition to negro slavery 
 was felt even at this early day, and was more 
 outspoken at the South than in the North. 
 
 - {4) Education. 
 
 In educational work the only Baptist institu- 
 tion was Brown University, whose story will 
 be told in a subsequent chapter, and even this 
 did not offer ministerial education. But the 
 
 * Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 486. 
 f " " " " 512. 
 
 X Taylor : History of Ten Churches, p. 35, 36. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 23 
 
 Baptists were far from being* an ig-norant and 
 unlettered folk. Their young* ministers sat at 
 the feet of older and wiser brethren, and re- 
 ceived with apostolic simplicity the faith once 
 for all delivered to the saints. 
 
 * At this time also there are not a few among- us in the 
 sacred office of distinguished worth, not so much for their 
 literary acquirements as for what is infinitely of more 
 value in promoting- pure undefiled religion before God, 
 namely: true piety, ardent zeal, ministerial gifts and inde- 
 fatigable diligence, and faithfulness in saving the souls of 
 men and promoting the kingdom of our Redeemer. Some are 
 Boanerges, sons of thunder, qualified to lay the axe at the 
 root of the trees; to awaken alarm, and strip sinners of 
 their carnal hopes and self-dependence ; while others are 
 sons of consolation, fitted to apply the healing balm of gos- 
 pel grace and mercy, to excite faith in the merits and medi- 
 tation of Christ, and lead the subject of grace to rejoice 
 in hope; fitted to build up, comfort, establish and edify the 
 faithful, leading them on as a peculiar people, zealous of 
 good works ; while all have a measure of all gifts, as God 
 has distributed to all by the same Spirit. Of these there 
 are not a few, especially Southward and Eastward of us, 
 the force of whose natural genius has raised them far 
 above the common level, whose names, for obvious rea- 
 sons, we for the present suppress, and 
 
 " Hail the suns of glory -when they set. " 
 
 A footnote to the above states the following" 
 facts : 
 
 The Baptists, as a society, have never considered the 
 higher branches of learning as essential to the gospel min- 
 istry, and there is no doubt but that the sentiment is per- 
 
 * Quoted from Centennial sermon of Philadelphia Bap- 
 tist, Association, preached in 1807. Minutes of Philadel- 
 phia Association, pp. 464-5. 
 
24 the: genesis of 
 
 fectly correct. Thej' have, nevertheless, held education iii 
 higfh esteem, as a handmaid to gfrace, and have always had 
 not a few among them that ranked pretty high for literary 
 improvement and extensive reading-. (Here follows an 
 account of the founding; of Brown University.) The 
 writer kept a boarding school between twenty-nine and 
 thirty years at Lower Dublin, in which many were edu- 
 cated that are now useful to the different learned profes- 
 sions. One of them, the Rev. Dr. Allison, kept a large 
 academy under his sole direction, at Bordentown in New 
 Jersey, from whence issued many useful characters. 
 
 The Philadelphia Baptist Association have a f u nd for 
 the edu -ation of young men promising for the gospel min- 
 istry, as have also the Charleston Association. The Bap- 
 tists in Georgia have in contemplation to erect a college in 
 that State on Mount Enon, at the distance of one hundred 
 and forty miles from the Atlantic, in latitude 33 north, on 
 an elevation of 200 feet perpendicular, accommodated with 
 salubrious air, and two fine springs that issue out of rocks 
 on the west and north sides. The business is in some for- 
 wardness, as unsolicited donations already amount to 
 about five thousand dollars. This account of Enon Col- 
 lege bears date of December, 1806.* 
 
 The arrogance and godlessness of the Epis- 
 copalians, the persecution by the Congreg^ation- 
 alists and the small success of the Presbyterian 
 ministers led some of the stalwart and rugged 
 brethren on the borders to despise an education 
 whose chief exponents belonged to these three 
 classes; especially, when they contrasted it with 
 the self-sacrificing, earnest, hardship-enduring 
 and patient efforts of the pioneer Baptist and 
 Methodist ministers. The Episcopalians and 
 
 * The footnote to the quotation, is presumably, by the 
 editor, A. D. Gillette, A. M. pp. 464-5. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 25 
 
 Methodists had lost much by their Tory sym- 
 pathies during- the Revolution, which they 
 were wisely reg-aining- by warmly espousing- 
 the cause of the States in the War of 1812. 
 The feeling- ag-ainst the Episcopalians was so 
 strong- as to cause the Baptist churches to neg-- 
 lect the New Testament title for ministers 
 having- cong-regations in charg-e, namely, 
 " bishop." It was thus neg-lected on account of 
 its prelatical associations. All the causes set 
 forth above combined to create the prejudices 
 ag-ainst paying- stated salaries to ministers and 
 reading- of sermons. It was the inevitable re- 
 action of the pendulum to the furthest extreme 
 from the abuses of the politico-relig-ious bodies 
 with whom they had come in contact. 
 
 (5) Missionary Activity among- Baptists 
 Prior to the Conversion of Judson and Rice. 
 
 It is unquestionable that missionary activity 
 in the United States, among- all denominations, 
 was, in a sense, a direct g-rowth of William 
 Carey's work. This great Baptist was the 
 founder of missionary activity in two continents 
 and was the father of American, as well as 
 English missions. 
 
 In particular, the Baptists of this country were eager 
 watchers. Dr. Staughton, later a pastor in Philadelphia, 
 had heard Carey's famous sermon, and like all the au- 
 ditors was stirred to the depths; he was present, too, at the 
 organization in Kettering and into the collection cast a 
 half guinea borrowed for the purpose, ever after declaring 
 that he "rejoiced more over it than any other sum he ever 
 gave in his life." Letters and missionary reports sent 
 by Enjflieti Baptist! were quite extensively circulated, 
 
26 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 And since Carey, with all his stalwart faith in God, was 
 also a stanch believer in the efficacy of vigorous and un- 
 interrupted good works, and hence among the rest was a 
 most indefatigable letter writer, information and exhorta- 
 tion were poured forth in all directions from his prolific 
 pen. Thus communications not a few reached New Eng- 
 land and the Middle States, were read with interest and 
 as a result, considerable sums of money were forwarded 
 toSerampore. In 1806-7 he acknowledged receipt of $6,000 
 and says: "The Lord has wonderfully stirred the whole 
 religious world of every denomination to favor our work 
 and contribute to a large amount; and our American 
 friends have special claims on our gratitude in this re- 
 spect." And further, in 1811, through the action of the 
 Boston Baptist Association, $4,650 were contributed by 
 persons of different denominations in eastern Massachu- 
 setts, to aid in carrying forward his numerous transla- 
 tions of the Scriptures into Asiatic languages. Hence the 
 assertion is abundantly justified that "we are indebted to 
 those pioneers for the example which gave a powerful im- 
 pulse to missions by arousing the interest and embodying 
 the efforts of all denominations."* 
 
 In 1796 a society had been org-anized in New 
 York in which Presbyterians, Baptists, and Re- 
 formed (Dutch) were united, and monthly meet- 
 ing's were held to pray that the "God of g-race 
 would pour out his spirit on his church and 
 send the gospel to all nations." During- the 
 first five years of the nineteenth century the 
 Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Mag-azine 
 was started, along with four other missionary 
 periodicals of various denominations, t 
 
 During this early period it is impossible al- 
 ways to discriminate and disting^uish closely 
 
 '"* Leonard; "A hundred Years of Missions, p, 102. 
 t •• " '• •' •• ♦• P, 103. 
 
AMERICAN ANTi-MISSIONISM. 27 
 
 between the various kinds of missions, especial- 
 ly in view of the difficulty of classifying- the 
 work done among- the American Indians, and 
 the fact that, part at least of the nomencla- 
 ture specifying- the various divisions of mission- 
 ary activity came into existence at a later date. 
 In 1807 Rev. S, Jones, D. D., preached the 
 Centur}^ Anniversary sermon of the Philadel- 
 phia Association from Isaiah 54: 2-3 ''Enlarg-e 
 the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth 
 the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, 
 lengthoi thy cords, and streng-then thy stakes; 
 for thon shall break forth on the rig-ht hand and 
 on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gen- 
 tiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabit- 
 ed."" In that sermon he pays this tribute to 
 the missionary spirit: 
 
 What shall we say of the missionary spirit that has 
 for some years and especially of late prevailed in man^- 
 places, and among' many different societies, with a view 
 to spread the knowledge of the g-ospel and the way of 
 salvation among- the heathen in various parts, as well 
 as among Christians in places destitute of the means. It 
 w^ould seem that knowledge, civil and religious liberty and 
 with them Religion itself are tending westward. "With 
 the sun they rose in the East, after a course of ages, 
 crossed the Atlantic, and it is likely will progress west- 
 ward uutil they reach the Pacific Ocean, civilizing and 
 making happy this Western Hemisphere in their course." 
 
 The missionary work done by the Philadel- 
 phia Association, especially in the South, has 
 been g-reat. 
 
 *Minutes of Philadelphia Association, p. 464, 
 
28 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 The Philadelphia Association, from the first, has en- 
 gaged earnestly in efforts for the proper education of its 
 ministers and the spread of the gospel in the world. 
 
 Rhode Island College, now Brown University, received 
 its patronage and coatributions from its origin, aa the 
 subsequent minutes show. It will be seen also that, from 
 the first, it has been an efl^ective missionary body. Hun- 
 dreds of churches have been gathered by the able and 
 self-denying men, sent out at its expense to regions where 
 no religious privileges had before been enjoyed. The 
 aborigines were not overlooked in this labor of love. 
 Among other efforts, the Rev. David Jones, before the 
 American Revolution, made a missionary excursion, at 
 his own expense, to the Indians of what was then "the 
 Far West."* 
 
 This was the first Baptist Association formed in the 
 United States. From its earliest history it has been for- 
 ward in the work of Domestic Missions. The pastors 
 were requested, and the churches urged, to be liberal in 
 aiding' them to visit destitute churches and settlements. 
 Morgan Edwards, in 1771, and John Gano, afterwards, 
 were appointed "Evangelists," and sent into remote re- 
 gions, especially South, to preach the gospel and coun- 
 sel the feeble churches, and instruct the scattered disci- 
 ples of Christ. The design of founding Rhode Island 
 College originated in this bodv.f 
 
 This Association was the mightiest power for 
 missionary activity up to the formation of what 
 was afterwards called the Triennial Conven- 
 tion. Its confession of faith was printed for 
 the Association by Benjamin Franklin, :t and 
 has left its stamp ineradicably on the Baptists 
 of the United States, especially in the South. 
 
 *Preface to Minutes of Philadelphia Association, p. 5. 
 f " " " " " " p. 6. 
 
 f (< (( (( (( (( (( f). 4 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 29 
 
 The Charleston Association was operated on 
 the same principles. The minutes of 1809 
 show that a proposal was received from the 
 Philadelphia and Warren Associations, recom- 
 mendingf their missionary plans and making" a 
 sug"g"estion as to their adoption and extension, 
 to which the Association makes the following" 
 reply: 
 
 The proposal for extending- the plan of operations 
 respecting- Missions, being- taken up, it was ag-reed that 
 the contributions hitherto made by the Churches, and 
 perhaps their real ability to contribute, together with 
 the mag-nitude of those objects on which we have already 
 fixed our attention, and which ought not to be lost sight 
 of, make it improper for this Association to attempt any- 
 thing- farther of that kind at present; unless individuals, 
 ■who have the subject at heart, and ability to contribute 
 with effect, would by generous donations put it in the 
 power of this body to undertake it with consistency. A 
 hope was however expressed that such assistance will be 
 afforded; and that in time a plan may be adopted to unite 
 all the Associations in this State in common efforts 
 to attain this, and other important objects.* 
 
 This quotation reveals a distinct tendency to 
 co-operation in mission work. The Charleston 
 Association also shows at this time a students' 
 and education fund,t and it had been since 
 1802 conducting" a mission to the Catawba In- 
 dians. In 1809, its mission fund amounted to 
 $140.00; in 1810, to $249,32; and in 1811 to 
 $298.64|. The minutes of 1811, show this As- 
 sociation to be in correspondence with the 
 
 * Minutes of Charleston Association of 1809, p. 2. 
 f Compare page 5 of same Minutes. 
 
30 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 Philadelphia, Warren, Georg-ia, Cook, Bethel, 
 Hephzibah, Edgefield, Neuse, Sandy Creek, 
 and Cape Fear Associations, 
 
 In Maine, althoug"h the other denominations 
 were Arminian and the Baptists were charg-ed 
 with being hyper-Calvinistic, yet, "the first 
 efforts made by Baptist ministers in the State 
 were characterized by a missionary spirit," and 
 they taught a practical as well as an experimen- 
 tal piety. In 1789 York Association adopted the 
 plan of " voluntary supplies to the destitute." 
 Lincoln and Cumberland Associations followed 
 her example; but the labor was too vast, and 
 both the labor and expense were borne by min- 
 isters alone without the aid of co-operative 
 churches, thus leaving the churches undevel- 
 oped.* In 1789 Bowdenheim Association, and 
 in 1800 York Association, started a '"'gospel mis- 
 sion'''' plan. 
 
 This plan consisted in the appointment of a Committee 
 "to employ a suitable ordained elder as a missionary to 
 travel into the eastern parts to preach and administer 
 the ordinances of the gospel" and the churches were re- 
 quested to sustain by their liberalities the missionary thus 
 appointed. This plan interfered not with the plan of vohin- 
 tary supplies. It contemplated a wider range of mission- 
 ary effort. It was designed to carry the gospel not only 
 to the destitute churches, but to the new and distant settle- 
 ments, where Christ was not preached to those who sat in 
 darkness. \ 
 
 * The information as to missionary affairs in Maine 
 is mainly taken from a History of the Baptists in Maine 
 by Rev. J. Millett. 
 
 t Above, p. 425. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 31 
 
 Both of these proving- insufficient to meet 
 growing- needs and new settlements, the Bow- 
 denheim Association in 1804 formed the Maine 
 Baptist Missionary Society, with the same ob- 
 jects and general plan, nearly the whole de- 
 nomination co-operating". This led to the or- 
 gfanization of the Baptist State Convention at 
 Winthrop, June 23, 1824. 
 
 In New England the Warren Association 
 early made arrang"ements for the supply of in- 
 fmit churches. In 1778 it sent missionaries to 
 visit "the northern parts of our country." 
 These were successful. The Massachusetts 
 churches contributed eig^htj^-one pounds and 
 ten shilling's for a similar work. In Con- 
 necticut the Stonington Association, 1784, and 
 Danbury Association, 1790, made arrangements 
 for the supply of destitute churches. In Ver- 
 mont the Woodstock Association in 1791 sent 
 four missionaries to "a gfreat number of infant 
 settlements of Connecticut River, in the Upper 
 Coos country, also to journey throug-h the north 
 part of the State of Vermont even .... within 
 the Canada lines."* 
 
 Churches were requested to defray charges 
 by contribution. As a result it was voted in 
 1804 that a committee of three be appointed to 
 form a plan for a missionary society, so that in 
 1806 the Woodstock Baptist Missionary Asso- 
 ciation was organized. In the Shaftesbury As- 
 sociation, 1801, a proposition was made for 
 raishig- afimd by co)itribiition, "for the purposes 
 of sending missionaries to preach the gospel in 
 
 ^ Surrage: History of New Englavd Baptists, p. 13lt 
 
32 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 distajit parts of oicr frontier settlemejits, and as 
 far as we may have opportunity, among the 
 nations of the wilderness." This plan was 
 carried out in 1802 and the Vermont Associa- 
 tion did the same thing-.* 
 
 On May 26, 1802, the Massachusetts Baptist 
 Missionary Society held its first meeting- at 
 the First Baptist Church in Boston. Article 
 IV. of their Constitution was as follows: 
 
 "The object of this society shall be to fur- 
 nish occasional preaching- and to promote the 
 knowledge of evangelical truth in the new set- 
 tlements of the United States; or farther, if 
 circumstances should render it proper." 
 
 In September, 1803, the Society commenced 
 the publication of the "Massachusetts Bap- 
 tist Missionary Magazine," except one, the 
 earliest Baptist periodical published in this 
 country. In Connecticut the Danbury Associa- 
 tion perfected a plan begun in 1806, by which 
 missionaries were in charge of a committee 
 and the churches contributed to their support. 
 Action was anticipated by the organization in 
 1811 of the Connecticut Baptist Missionary 
 Society, which did a thorough work in the 
 State and even beyond. The following is the 
 report of the Baptist Missionary Society in 
 Massachusetts in 1812: 
 
 Tiie northwesterly part of the State of Pennsylvania 
 and the westerly part of the State of New York, have been 
 visited by several of our missionaries and the solitary 
 places cheered by the g'lad sound of the g-ospel . Nova Sco- 
 
 * Burrag-e: History of the Baptists in New England, 
 p. 136, 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 33 
 
 tia and New Brunswick, with some parts of Lower Cana- 
 da, have been visited; and the precious seed of the king- 
 dom sown among them by the labors of our brethren . Nor 
 have the destitute in Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hamp- 
 shire and the District of Maine been overlooked.* 
 
 The genesis of more distinctly foreign mis- 
 sionary work in New England is thus described 
 by Burrage: 
 
 Interest in foreign missions on the part of Baptists in 
 New Eigland was first awakened by the work which Ca- 
 rey and his as-:ociates began in India. Carey corresponded 
 with some of his American brethren, and his letters 
 were published in the "Massachusetts Baptist Missionary 
 Magazine." There were those in this country who desired 
 to engage in the foreign work, but Care\\ writing July 30, 
 1807, said: "It has always been my opinion that all in 
 America, whose hearts the Lord stirs up to this work 
 should either go to the Indians, or to the back part of 
 their own country, or to the neighboring islands, Cuba, 
 St. Domingo, etc. I hope these fields will be soon occu- 
 pied with laborers in the harvest of the Lord." Contri- 
 butions were early secured for the translation of the 
 Scriptures by Dr. Carey and his associates; and in the 
 "Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Magazine," for March, 
 1812, there is a reference to the collections for this pur- 
 pose made in some of the churches. The collection at Dr. 
 Baldwin's church in Boston, amounted to one hundred and 
 forty-five dollars, and that of "Baptist Friends," in Mid- 
 dleboro, to seventy dollars f 
 
 The Salem Bible Translation and Foreign Missionary 
 Society, was organized in January, 1812, "to raise money 
 
 * Burrage. History of the Baptists in New England, 
 p. 145. [Most of the statistics as to missionary affairs in 
 New England prior to 1812 are taken from Burrage.] 
 
 t Burrage; History of Baptisti in New Eng^laud, p, ISO. 
 
34 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 to aid the translation of the Scriptures into the Eastern 
 languag-es, at present going- on at Serainpore, under the 
 superintendence of Dr. Wm. Carey, or if deemed advisa- 
 ble at any time to assist in sending- a missionary or mis- 
 sionaries from this country to India.* 
 
 Dr. Burrage also gives the followiug synop- 
 sis as to the beginning of Woman's Work in 
 foreign missions : 
 
 Boston Female Society for missionary pur- 
 poses, organized 1800. 
 
 Baptist Missionary Magazine, for May, 1804, 
 contains letter of a young lady sending $10.00 
 for missionary work. 
 
 Woman's Mite Society, at Charlestown, Mas- 
 sachusetts, organized 1809. 
 
 Woman's Mite Society, at Warren, Rhode Is- 
 land, organized 1808. 
 
 Female Mite Society, of Portland, Maine, or- 
 ganized 1810. 
 
 Female Donary Society, of North Yarmouth, 
 organized 1811. 
 
 In 1812, the first fruits of the Female Bene- 
 volent Society of Livermore, Me., where George 
 Dana Boardman, the sainted missionary, was 
 born in 1801, amounted to fourteen dollars and 
 eight cents. In 1811, the Boston Female So- 
 ciety for Missionary Purposes, appropriated all 
 its subscriptions for the year to the translation 
 of the Scriptures, carried on so successfully and 
 extensively by the missionaries at Serampore, 
 in Bengal. After Judson, there were many 
 spinning, weaving, knitting and other feminine 
 societies to promote the mission cause. 
 
 ''' Bwrrage; History of Baptints in New England, p. i5l, 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 35 
 
 So we see by the year 1812 the Baptists of 
 the United States, having- already thrown out 
 feelers and grown somewhat in touch with each 
 other, were ready to be fused into an organic 
 whole by the warm g-low of fraternal sympathy 
 and missionary zeal. Two hundred thousand 
 strong- they stood, but when the missionary 
 test came it was to divide them exactly in twain 
 one hundred thousand falling- in with the mis- 
 sionary spirit, and an equal number destined to 
 dash themselves vainly ag-ainst the thick bosses 
 of Jehovah's buckler. 
 
 In February of 1812, on two ships widely 
 separated, starting- the one from Salem, the 
 "City of Peace," and the other from Philadel- 
 phia, the "City of Brotherly Love," sailed two 
 of the first missionaries of the g-ospel that the 
 Occident sent back to the Orient, Adoniram 
 Judson and Luther Rice. These men without 
 collusion and each without knowledg^e that the 
 mind of the other was disturbed, became con- 
 vinced by a study of the New Testament that 
 only the immersion of the believer constituted 
 baptism, and on reaching- India they were so 
 baptized. 
 
 On February 12th, of the same year, in Penn- 
 sylvania, Alexander Campbell and other mem- 
 bers of his family, without collusion or either 
 knowing- that the mind of the other was dis- 
 turbed, all came to the conclusion from a care- 
 ful study of the New Testament, that only the 
 immersion in water of a believer constituted 
 Christian baptism, and they were so baptized 
 and received into the fellowship of the Brush 
 Run Baptist Church. 
 
36 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 The first group thus underg-oing* this re- 
 markable experience by preaching- all of the 
 Great Commission, made the Baptist nameg"lo- 
 rious at home and renowned abroad. The prin- 
 cipal one of the other g-roup — Mr Campbell — 
 became the g"reatest foe this missionary move- 
 ment ever had. Truly — 
 
 "God moves in a mysterious way 
 His wonders to perform." 
 
 The lesson we may learn is : It takes more 
 than baptism to make a Baptist. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 37 
 
 CHAPTEIR II 
 
 CONNECTION OF JUDSON AND RICE^ 
 
 WITH THE AMERICAN BAPTIST 
 
 MISSIONARY MOVEMENT. 
 
 The real awakening- of the Baptists of 
 America to missionary activity and the mighti- 
 est impulses to missionary success, will be de- 
 veloped in relating some events in the lives of 
 two men — Luther Rice and Adoniram Judson. 
 We will first take into consideration the biog- 
 raphy of 
 
 LUTHER RICE. 
 
 He was born in the town of Northborough, 
 Worcester County, Massachusetts, March 25th, 
 1783. His father was a captain in the patriot 
 army during the Revolution. His mother was 
 a woman of vigorous mind, which she improved 
 with all the educational means at her com- 
 mand. Both parents were members of the 
 Congregational Church, although it is doubt- 
 ful if either was at that time a Christian. As a 
 child, Luther was of a sweet and winning dispo- 
 sition, though ever thoughtfully and seriously 
 disposed. He was taught the Westminster 
 Catechism; while still a boy he labored under 
 
38 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 intense and awful conviction of sin. For many 
 months he alternately endeavored, by the ad- 
 vice of the minister, or the minister's wife, to 
 find peace in works, merit, and in formal con- 
 nection with the church, or to forget his de- 
 spair in worldly g-aiety. On surrendering- his 
 whole life to Christ he found wonderful peace, 
 and became a vigorous church worker, much to 
 the astonishment of some and the disgust of 
 others of his fellow church members. His 
 father persecuted and ridiculed him, and he 
 was refused a place to hold church prayer 
 meetings by the members of the church. His 
 brother, Asaph, and a Baptist who lived in the 
 community were the only two who would open 
 their houses for his prayer meetings. Yet with 
 all his enthusiasm he did not depart from 
 the path of discretion, and he met the rage of 
 his foes wnth the meekness and mildness of a 
 lamb ; though serious, he was not morose ; 
 though religious, he was not austere. His 
 righteous soul was constrained to dispute with 
 the prevalent Arminianism and Universalism, 
 although he did so in the sweetest Christian 
 spirit. 
 
 The continued persecution by his father, the 
 suggestion of an evangelic Calvinistic minister, 
 and the call of God pressing upon his soul led 
 him to determine to be a minister. Having 
 spent three years in preparatory work at the 
 Leicester Academy, he entered the sophomore 
 class of Williams College in the early part of 
 October, 1807. His life, while at college, was 
 marked by a high ideal of purity, Christian 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 39 
 
 deportment and religious zeal. Especially did 
 he cherish the hope of a revival in his home 
 town of New borough and among the uncon- 
 verted members of his own family. He was 
 able to see thoroughly the shallowness and the 
 desolating moral influence of the prevalent 
 French infidelity, and to turn from it in loath- 
 ing. 
 
 Mr. Rice was licensed to preach by the 
 Mountain Association, Berkshire County, Mass- 
 achusetts, and went to the Andover Theolog- 
 ical Seminary during the last year of his col- 
 lege course. He was a hard student, and made 
 a brilliant record both at college and seminary. 
 He helped to pay his way by teaching school 
 during the vacation periods. He received a 
 regular dismission from the Seminary in 1811. 
 The story of the band of youug men at Williams 
 College and Andover Seminary is known to all 
 the world. Enthusiastically missionary in 
 spirit from the time of his conversion, always 
 doing with all his might and all his heart the 
 duty nearest at hand, Luther Rice felt when 
 he entered Williams College in 1807, that he 
 must give himself \o the foreign mission work. 
 Samuel J. Mills, James Richards, and one or 
 two others were impressed with the same con- 
 viction in regard to themselves. In which of 
 these hearts the fire first flamed will, perhaps, 
 never be definitely known, although the honor 
 is usually ascribed to Samuel J. Mills. These 
 young men formed themselves into a secret so- 
 ciety for inquiry on the subject of missions. They 
 discussed missionary obligations, consecratioa, 
 
40 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 needs and fields. While at Williams College 
 they were accustomed to meet under a hay- 
 stack. At the same time, unknown to them, 
 the same deep impression had been made on the 
 heart of Adoniram Judson, at Andover Theo- 
 logical Seminary. Nott, who soon after en- 
 tered the Seminary, became Judson's first mis- 
 sionary associate, and when a few months later 
 the little group from Williams College came to 
 Andover, the circle was complete. Rice had 
 early felt impulses toward Asia and Judson's 
 mind had been turned that way by reading 
 Buchanan's " Star in the East." 
 
 At a meeting of the General Association of 
 Ministers at Bradford, in the summer of 1810, 
 this little band, being further encouraged by a 
 visit from Gordon Hall,who opportunely arrived 
 at that time, presented to the assembled minis- 
 ters a memorial written by Judson, expressing 
 the desire of these young men to go to the foreign 
 field. At first, the names of Adoniran Judson, 
 Jr., Samuel Nott, Jr., Samuel J. Mills, Sam- 
 uel Newell, James Richards and Luther Rice 
 were all subscribed to it. The last two names 
 were, however, erased from the fear that the 
 unexpected appearance of so mcmy desiring to 
 go, when no7ie were anticipated, might injure 
 the chances of all. On receipt of the memorial, 
 the Association appointed a committee, to 
 whom the petition was referred, and who fin- 
 ally reported favorably. In consequence, nine 
 commissioners were appointed by the body, 
 who in September of the same year, formed the 
 the America» Board of Conimissioners of For- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 41 
 
 e'lgn Missions. This Board, after vainly try- 
 ing to get the London Missionary Society to 
 assume or share the responsibility (sending* 
 Judson to Kng^land for that purpose), decided to 
 send out the four missionaries. As the tim 
 approached for them to start, Rice could no 
 longer restrain himself, and insisted on being- 
 allowed to go with them. The Board g-ave 
 him leave on condition that he would occasion 
 them no additional expense, but provide for his 
 own outfit and raise the money for his passag^e. 
 He cheerfully complied, and traveled on horse- 
 back day and night, in the depths of winter, to 
 raise the needful sum. He and his associates, 
 Nott and Hall, were ordained at the Taber- 
 nacle Church, Salem, Massachusetts, Febru- 
 ary 6, 1812. They left Philadelphia on Feb- 
 ruary 18, in the "Harmony," and arrived at 
 Calcutta, Aug-ust 10th, where they were re- 
 ceived by Judson and Newell, who had sailed 
 from Salem on the 19th of February, but had 
 made a quicker voyag-e. On that voyagfe beg-an 
 the study that led Mr. Rice into the Baptist 
 ranks. While Mr. Judson was practically 
 convinced before he reached Calcutta, it seems 
 that Mr. Rice had not by the time of his ar- 
 rival reached a definite conclusion. The fol- 
 lowing" account, I think, fairly shows his men- 
 tal processes and progresses in the matter. 
 
 Mr. Rice was early troubled with scruples 
 on the subject of Baptism. In a discussion 
 with a Baptist friend of inferior intellectual 
 qualifications, he felt himself to be bested, but 
 resolved to dismiss the matter as a non-essential. 
 
42 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 On the voyag-e over he discussed the subject 
 with two Eng-lish Baptist missionaries, Messrs. 
 Johns and Lawson. Judson and his wife were 
 baptized by Dr. Ward in September, 1812. On 
 the 17th of September, Mr. Rice heard Mr. 
 Judson preach on this theme, from Matthew^ 
 28 : 19. On the 11th of October, he discussed 
 the matter with Hall and Nott. On November 
 1st, 1812, he was baptized by Mr. Ward. The 
 following- seems to be a true summary of the 
 facts: He had early been concerned, but had 
 dismissed the idea. He had renewed the inves- 
 tigation on the voyag-e over, and had heard the 
 matter discussed by Baptist missionaries and by 
 Judson himself, but according to his own testi- 
 mony, his decision was based on his own ear- 
 nest searching- of the New Testament. Judson 
 was convinced on the ocean ; Rice, not until he 
 had been some weeks in Calcutta. This is his 
 own account of the matter : 
 
 To the American Board of Cotnmissioners for Foreign 
 Missions: 
 
 Venerabi,e and Beloved:— Since the important mo- 
 ment which placed me under the protection and control of 
 your venerated patronage, a change of sentiment, in rela- 
 tion to the sacred rit« of baptism, having put it out of my 
 power to render obedience to a particular article of your 
 very valuable instructions, (*) I deem it my duty, and bej 
 leave to make the following- communication relative to 
 this change : 
 
 During my passage to India, in the ship " Harmony," 
 some authorities were brought to my notice respecting the 
 signification of the word baptiso; particularly, some re- 
 
 * This was Article X. of his instructions, which com- 
 manded him to baptize believers and their households. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 43 
 
 marks from the pen of Dr. Campbell, which had not before 
 met my observation, were of a nature that induced me to 
 suspect spriiikline: not to be a proper mode of baptizing ; 
 at least, not so proper a mode as immersion. A wish also 
 existed in my mind to possess more clear and decisive proof 
 in favor of baptizing- infants than I found myself able, 
 readily, to produce ; and though I had previously consid- 
 ered the subject at large with attention, I felt something 
 like a necessity of refreshing my mind with its evidences, 
 and determined to give it a careful reconsideration, as cir- 
 cumstances should be favorable to the purpose. The at- 
 tention, however, which I actually bestowed upon it, pur- 
 suant to this determination, previously to landing in 
 India, neither destroyed my suspicions respecting the pro- 
 priety of sprinkling as a mode of baptism, nor gave that 
 entire satisfaction, or rather, that ready command of de- 
 cisive proof in favor of infants, as proper subjects of the 
 rite, which I so much wished to possess, and had deter- 
 mined, if possible, to obtain. 
 
 On ra. idling Calcutta I was surprised and sorry to 
 learn, that Brother Judson, as I immediately apprehended 
 from his conversation, and as proved true, in fact, was 
 uearh"^ prepared to declare himself a Baptist ; and though 
 th's of itself, could neither augment nor diminish the diffi- 
 culty which was forming in my own mind, yet it contrib- 
 uted, perhaps, to make that difficulty more distinctly and 
 painfully perceptible to myself, and to strengthen the 
 purpose of bestowing upon the subject, a serious reconsid- 
 eration, as soon as circumstances should allow. But as 
 my health had been considerably reduced during the latter 
 part of my voyage, and was kept low and precarious by re- 
 peated attacks of illness, in Bengal ; and as the concerns 
 of the mission demanded all the attention which a state of 
 threatening debility would permit me to exert, it was una- 
 voidable to postpone this purpose for a while, though the 
 subject began to create some degree of uneasiness in my 
 mind 
 
 At length, having been hindered from learing Benpal, 
 
44 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 thing-s assumed such an aspect as exhibited little proba- 
 bility of being- able to get away for a considerable time 
 longer; and about the same time my physician, in a meas- 
 ure, restricted me from venturing abroad, though under- 
 going, meanwhile, a process of salivation, I felt comfort- 
 ably well day after day, and week after week. In this sit- 
 uation, no longer greatly occupied with other concerns, it 
 appeared to be a duty equally clear and important, to take 
 up the consideration of baptism with very great serious- 
 ness and deliberation, and to endeavor to become fully per- 
 suaded in my own mind, both respecting the proper sub- 
 jects and the proper mode of the sacred ordinance ; and 
 the result was a conviction, that those persons only who ap- 
 pear to be pious, are proper subjects ; and that immersion 
 
 is the only proper mode of Christian baptism 
 
 [The rest of the letter is occupied with an Account of his 
 immediate endeavors to communicate his change of senti- 
 ments to the Board and his reasons for leaving India, and 
 is signed, "Venerable and beloved, your missionary, 
 Luther Rice."] 
 
 Mr. Rice, in writing* to his brother on the 
 same topic, g"ives a more complete statement 
 of the reason for his chang"e of views: 
 
 To me, the subject appears so perfectly clear, that I am 
 entirely at a loss to attempt making it, in any measure, 
 more so. 
 
 When in Calcutta, I felt it my duty to endeavor to 
 ascertain and pra.ctice simply what the Savior required; I 
 soon discovered that it was proper to baptize such as 
 made a creditable profession of repentance toward God, 
 and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that immer- 
 sion is baptism, according to the Scriptures. In the 
 days of the apostles, they that believed were baptized. 
 This fact is expressly stated, and comports with the ex 
 plicit command of the Saviour. 
 
 ♦Taylor's Memoir of Luther Rice, pp. 109-112. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 45 
 
 That immersion is baptism, appears evident to me, be- 
 cause the apostle says of the believers in his time, that 
 they were buried by baptism. All the efforts to do 
 away the obvious, common sense meaning- of this pas- 
 sage, appear to me, to be mere quibbles. Certainly, I 
 should think him unacquainted with language, who should 
 speak of being buried by sprinkling. These things, with 
 many others, coinciding in the same view, came into my 
 mind, and I could not, for my life, find anything in the 
 Bible of an opposite character. I dared not resist the light 
 any longer, for I feared the Lord would not bless my la- 
 bors, if I refused obedience to what was to my mind, so 
 perfectly clear in the Bible.* 
 
 The difficulties experienced by the mission- 
 aries on account of the attitude of the British 
 Government and the East India Company, and 
 the complications caused by America and Eng- 
 land being- in a state of war, belong rather to the 
 story of foreign missions abroad than of foreign 
 missions at home. Mr. Rice's resignation was 
 very discourteously accepted by the Board, al- 
 though he was not aware of it until his return. 
 He left India on March the 15th, 1813, and ar- 
 rived in New York September 7th. 
 
 The most significant incident of his return 
 for our purposes was a funeral sermon over the 
 body of a sailor, which led to the conversion of 
 two of the sailor's comrades, one of whom, 
 Elder Thompson, became quite useful in the 
 United States as a Baptist preacher. The 
 first two objects of his return are set forth by 
 him as follows: 
 
 1st. To communicate information to the Board of Com- 
 missioners, and to have my interesting connection with 
 that body, adjusted in a regular and proper manner. 
 
 ♦ Taylor's Memoir of Luther Rice, pp. 115-116. 
 
46 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 2d. To contribute towards engaging the Baptist 
 churches of America, in the missionary cause, and to ob- 
 tain for ourselves, if practicable, their patronag^e, in case 
 the Board should, on account of our change of sentiment, 
 in relation to baptism release us from their service. 
 
 Rice earnestly cherished the hope of an im- 
 mediate return as missionary, either to India or 
 to South America, but Providence had other 
 desig-ns as to his future in the missionary field. 
 
 The o-reat problem immediately confronting- 
 Mr. Rice, was to awaken American Baptists to 
 their responsibilities and opportunities in Asia. 
 Judson and Rice, immediately after their con- 
 version, had written to prominent Baptists in 
 America on this subject, their letters reaching- 
 America in February, 1813. In fact, Judson, 
 before he had any idea of being- a Baptist, had 
 sug-g-ested to Dr. BoUes, of Salem, the forma- 
 tion of a Baptist Society.* But nothing then 
 came of the sug-gestion. As soon as Rice had 
 severed his connection with the American Board 
 of Commissioners, he set about his work. 
 
 Accordingly, several of the towns contiguous to Boston 
 were visited for the purpose of conferring with such be- 
 nevolent individuals as might be supposed to take an 
 interest in this subject. There were then in existence 
 four or five Baptist Foreign Mission Societies in New 
 England. The oldest was located in Salem, it having been 
 organized shortly after the sailing of the missionaries 
 from this country. Besides this, may be mentioned the 
 societies formed in Boston, Providence, and Haverhill. 
 
 * Leonard: A Hundred Years of Missions, p. 121. Com- 
 pare also Burrage: History of Baptists in New England, 
 in loco. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 47 
 
 In the month of September, a few days after the decision 
 of the Board of Commissioners, a conference of discreet 
 brethren in Boston, was held, to consult on the course 
 proper to be pursued in the exigencies of the case. 
 
 It was thought necessary to proceed at once to the 
 adoption of measures, which might excite the Baptists of 
 this country, to combine their energies in the mission 
 cause. They concluded to issue a circular, which should 
 be sent to prominent individuals in different parts of 
 the United States. This circular proposed a general co- 
 operation of the churches. At first, it was thought ad- 
 visable to make the Boston Society, which had been 
 formed in consequence of Mr. Judson's change of senti- 
 ment, and w^hich had already assumed the responsibility 
 for his support, the parent institution. But at the sug- 
 gestion of Mr. Rice, they concluded, as soon as practi- 
 cable, to call a meeting of delegates from different parts 
 of the country, at which time, some organization might 
 be formed to conduct these operations on a more enlarged 
 acale.* 
 
 His next step was a tour of the Southern 
 States. He left Boston September 9th, 1813, 
 and after a short visit to his home, proceeded to 
 New York, where he found the brethren ready 
 to co-operate. Leaving- New^ York, he arrived 
 in Philadelphia the same day the Philadelphia 
 Association commenced its annual meeting". His 
 visit here resulted in the subsequent formation 
 of the Philadelphia Baptist Missionary Society. 
 From Philadelphia he went to Baltimore, Wash- 
 ington and Richmond, meeting" encourag"ement 
 all along" the Atlantic seaboard, and especially 
 at Charleston Association, w^hich Association 
 Rice visited ag"ain in 1819 and 1820. His manner 
 
 * Taylor: Memoir of Luther Rice, pp. 136, 137. 
 
48 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 of work and the success met with may be illus- 
 trated by the following- extract from the min- 
 utes of that Association for the year 1813: 
 
 Dr. Furman introduced the Rev. Luther Rice, as a 
 m;mber of the church at Serarapore in India; and as a Mis- 
 sioaarj who had coin naa'cations to make to the Associa- 
 tion. He was accordingly invited to a seat, which he ac- 
 C'ipte 1, and delivered to the Moderator a written address, 
 oa the subject of Fjreig-a Missions; together with letters 
 of Recommendations and other Documents; and was re- 
 ceived with great affection. ****** 
 
 Finished reading the Documents which accompanied 
 Mr. Rice's address: when he, at the Association's request, 
 made verbal communications on the state of religion in 
 India; and concerning his views of the openings for mis- 
 sions at other places ; particularly at the Isle of France, 
 Madagascar and the Brasils. His account of the state of re- 
 ligion in India, corroborated those before given in the Bap- 
 tist Missionary Magazine; in the writings of Dr. Buch- 
 anan, etc., especially the former, with respect to the 
 interests of the Baptist Mission at Serampore. On these 
 he stated, that the excellent Dr. Carey and his pious, able 
 Associates, were proceeding with indefatigable zeal and 
 constancy in translating and printing the Scriptures in 18 
 languages of the eastern nations, comprehending hun- 
 dreds of millions of human beings, now held in a state of 
 idolatry of gross superstition. That many Hindoos, some 
 of whom were Brahmins, had embraced the gospel, appar- 
 ently with an unfeigned faith. That a considerable num- 
 ber of churches were formed in that extensive country ; 
 one, in a flourishing state, at Calcutta ; and that Mission- 
 ary establishments are effected at various places there, to 
 the extent of two thousand miles — that about 40 Min- 
 isters are aow employed, in connection with the Mission in 
 preaching the gospel ; many of them natives, who were 
 lately idolaters — and that the call for ministers is great and 
 urgent. — He also confirmed the account contained in the 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 49 
 
 Xlag-aziae before referred to and mentioned in his reconi- 
 luendation. — That, Mr. Jiidson and himself, who had been 
 sent as Missionaries to India, by our Congregational breth- 
 ren in New England, had, from the conviction of their own 
 minds, in consequence of searching the Scriptures, em- 
 braced Baptist principles, and had been, together with Mr. 
 Judaon's wife, baptized in India. To which he added, that 
 he had left Mr. Judson and his wife at the Isle of France ; 
 and had returned to the United States to see, whether the 
 Bxptist churches here will do anything toward sending 
 Missionaries among these Heathen Nations, to which the 
 providence of God seems so directly to point. — These com- 
 munications were received with much satisfaction. The 
 documents referred to containing the outline of a plan for 
 directing missionary efforts extensively on the plan of 
 concert; and being recommended by respectable ministers 
 in Boston, Philadelphia, etc. — Therefore, agreed, that the 
 following brethren. Dr. Furman, General Thomas, and the 
 Moderator, be a committee to consider the subject, and, if 
 in their judgtnent it be found expedient, to report a plan 
 for this Association to act upon, founded on that general 
 scheme. *** *** *** *** 
 
 The committee on the subject of Missions reported — 
 that they had considered the subject with seriousness, and 
 were of the opinion that a common united effort among the 
 Baptist churches in the United States to send the gospel 
 among the Heathen, and Nations destitute of pure gospel 
 light, is both laudable and expedient. They, therefore, 
 submitted a plan for this Association, by which their 
 ability might be called forth into operation, in concert 
 with that of their brethren in other parts of the National 
 Union. 
 
 The proposed plan was then read, and on putting 
 the question for its adoption it passed, unanimously, in 
 the affirmative. — In consequence of which, agreed, that the 
 plan be published, separately from the Minutes of the Asso- 
 ciation, and be sent with them to the respective churches. 
 — It coHtemplates th« formation of Societies by voluntary 
 
50 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 associations, iu the bounds of the churches, or in any part 
 of the State ; making' the incorporated General Committee 
 the center of their union, and medium of communication 
 with other bodies formed on a similar plan, and for simi- 
 lar purposes. It enlarges the special committee, and pro- 
 vides for their having a Corresponding Secretar}'. * « * * 
 
 Agreed that the next circular letter be an answer to this 
 question: — What obligations are Christians under to con- 
 tribute their aid in support of gospel missions? Also ap- 
 pointed our brother J. M. Roberts to write the letter.* 
 
 The circular letter on missions which was 
 printed the following- year was a model in its 
 way. Similar letters would do g-reat good at 
 the present day. t After visiting most of the 
 prominent towns and churches in the South, 
 Rice returned to Philadelphia. Eiverywhere 
 the expediency of g'eneral consultation and the 
 powder of organization and education were urged. 
 Judson had written to Dr. Bolles, reminding 
 him of the conversation he had had with him 
 concerning a Baptist Society ; this led to the 
 organization of "The Baptist Society for Prop- 
 agating the Gospel in India and other Foreign 
 Parts," at Dr. Baldwin's house in Boston, on 
 receipt of Judson's letter. This society had 
 made provision for co-operation. A similar 
 society was also formed in Rhode Island. 
 About this time the Philadelphia Society 
 formed by Rice sent out a circular to prominent 
 brethren and churches, inviting them to a gen- 
 
 ■• Minutes of Charleston Baptist Associatioa, Nov. 6th, 
 1813, sections 5, 12, 16 and 21. 
 
 f Compare circular letter of Charleston Association for 
 1814. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 51 
 
 eral conference to la}' plans for co-operation. 
 Consequently, on May 18th, 1814, ministers 
 and deleg'ates from all parts of the United 
 States met in Philadelphia, with Richard Fur- 
 man as chairman and Dr. Thomas Baldwin as 
 secretary. It was unanimously decided to form 
 the " General Convention of the Baptist De- 
 nomination in the United States for Forcig'n 
 Missions." The support of Judson was enthu- 
 siastically undertaken, and Rice was prevailed 
 on to continue his agency among- the American 
 churches. The following year was spent by 
 him among the northern and eastern churches. 
 
 In 1814, by invitation of the First Baptist Church of 
 Hartford, a convention was held for the purpose of consid- 
 ering the subject of " aiding- the missionary operations in 
 the East." Rev. Luther Rice was present, and at that 
 time, Au^. 31, 1814, the Connecticut Auxiliary to the Bap- 
 tist Board of Foreig^n Missions was organized. With its 
 work in behalf of foreign missions the Society soon began 
 to combine work in behalf of domestic missions, and the 
 constitution was accordingly modified. This organiza- 
 tion, afterwards known as the Connecticut Baptist Mission- 
 ary Society, continued to prosecute its work for both for- 
 eign and home missions until the organization of the Con- 
 necticut Baptist Convention in 1823.* 
 
 Rice visited Kentucky for the first time in 
 1815. t The same year he made his first re- 
 port, showing 70 auxiliary societies organized; 
 7,800 miles traveled; S3, 700 raised.,*: 
 
 *Burrage: History of Baptists of New England, p. 144. 
 f Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 569. 
 X Vedder: History of Baptists in the Middle States. 
 
52 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 When the Rev. Ivuther Rice first visited the churches 
 in Kentucky and Tennessee, and brought before them the 
 subject of foreign missions, the contributions were larger 
 than in any other States. We have attended camp meet- 
 ings and associations in this Valley, where members of the 
 church and other persons in the settlement would expend 
 five hundred dollars in providing for the accommodation 
 and entertainment of all who came from a distance. We 
 must look for some other cause than want of liberality in 
 western people for the origin of their prejudices.* 
 
 During this period Mr. Rice sometimes rode 
 more than four hundred miles in less than six 
 days. About 1817 Mr. Rice suggested the 
 issuing under the patronag-e of the Board of a 
 quarterly publication to diffuse information on 
 the subject of missions. So originated the 
 " Latter Day Luminary." The anti-mission 
 spirit which now began to rear its slim}'^ head 
 is treated fully in another chapter. Mr. Rice's 
 connection with the educational movement will 
 also be set forth in another chapter, especially 
 the nature of his relation to Columbian Col- 
 lege. Suffice it to say that he first of all rec- 
 ognized the great truth that organization and 
 education are a sine qua non of missionary en- 
 deavor. After a few years the twin interest of 
 education usurped to a great extent his efforts. 
 To it he gave his life, and dying, he left to it 
 all he had — a few papers and the horse and 
 sulky by means of which he had traversed so 
 
 •Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 570. Pos- 
 sibly the same people who exercised this liberality did not 
 show the anti-missionary spirit. Spencer quotes from 
 "Christian Review," V. XVII., pp. 490, 491. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 53 
 
 many thousand miles in the interest of his be- 
 loved "College." He died on Saturday, Sep- 
 tember 25th, 1836. During" all his life foreign 
 missions was the object nearest his heart, and 
 that in later years he became absorbed in edu- 
 cational work was only because he perceived 
 its vital relationship to the success of his first 
 love. 
 
 I am aware that in this synopsis of facts and 
 figures I have done but scant justice to the 
 goodness, greatness and power of Luther Rice. 
 I see him as a boy, when the missionary dream 
 first found a lodgement in his heart. For har- 
 boring it he was reviled and cursed, as was 
 Joseph the dreamer. He had a home, but be- 
 cause of that dream his foes became those of his 
 own household. He had a father, who drove 
 him forth as a visionary young fool. He had 
 church membership, but his pastor endeavored 
 to discourage him ; his pastor's wife tried to 
 put out the fires of his soul by inducing him to 
 plunge into the pomps and gaieties of a vain 
 world ; and his fellow-members closed the 
 doors of their homes against his prayer meet- 
 ings. I see him as he stood with the little 
 band of his fellow-students in the shadow of a 
 haystack and planned the evangelization of the 
 world. I see his frail figure as he rides in the 
 depth of winter to collect the means to carry 
 him with these j^oung wise men of the West who 
 have once again seen " His Star in the East," 
 and who go to worship Him. I see him as he 
 stands by the young girl to whom he has given 
 his heart, and listens to her pleadings to for- 
 
54 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 sake, for her sake, this idle dream. But with 
 breaking- heart, he snaps the chain that binds 
 him to her who was unworthy of his love, and 
 for Christ's sake, denies himself forever the 
 love of wife or child. I see him on shipboard, 
 racked with lon^ sickness or poring- over the 
 records of the baptism of Jesus. I see him as he 
 stands in the far East, with his foot pressed on 
 virg-in missionary soil. Before him are the Pa- 
 g-an and idolatrous abominations of the heathen 
 which he has come to destroy. From out the 
 g-loom, come their sighs of despair, their g-roans 
 of ang-uish, their wails for help. Behind him are 
 the hopes and aspirations of the denomination 
 to whom he had g-iven his alleg-iance, and who 
 had sent him forth. But in his hand there is 
 the plain record of the Word of God, and the 
 example and command of his Lord. And in his 
 ear there ring-s the warning-, "Whoso shall 
 break the least of these commandments and 
 shall teach men so, the same shall be least in 
 the king-dom of God." 
 
 I see the sad farewell between him and Jud- 
 son, as he starts once more for his native land 
 to preach at home the g-ospel of foreig-n mis- 
 sions. I see his rude reception by the Cong-re- 
 g-ational Board and his warm welcome by 
 American Baptists. I see him like a firebrand, 
 kindling- the Atlantic slope, and like a brilliant 
 meteor blazing- into the West. Everywhere 
 before him, uninteg-rated and apathetic atoms 
 — everywhere behind him blazing- and enthusi- 
 astic org-anizations. I see the icy-hearted mon- 
 ster of Hardshellism drag- its slimy leng-th 
 
AMBRICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 55 
 
 across his path, and strike at him with its 
 antinomian and Arminian fang's. I see his 
 strug-gle for Christian education; his trials, his 
 failures, his bvioyant hope painting the dark 
 future with faith's brilliant colors; while those 
 who walk by sight alone call the picture exagg- 
 eration and even falsehood. I see him emerge 
 from the cloud of suspicion and reproach once 
 more into the light. I count his long years of 
 unremunerated toil. I watch him as he comes 
 to die, leaving his sole assets, his horse and 
 sulky, to the college — all for the College. I 
 realize, standing beside his couch, that 
 
 "Jesus can make a dying bed 
 Feel soft as downy pillows are." 
 
 Quietly he passes to his long home, this hero 
 of the cross. I see the last scene of earth, 
 when before a crowded assembly Dr. J. B. 
 Jeter preaches a commemorative sermon from 
 Matthew 19 : 29, ''Ajid every one that hath for- 
 saken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, 
 or another, or zvife, or children, or lands, for my 
 name' s sake, shall receive a)i hundredfold, and 
 shall inherit everlasting- lifey Reverently I 
 bow my head and say, Amen, even so, Lord 
 Jesus 
 
 Over his lonely grave in the churchyard of 
 the Pine Pleasant Church, Edgefield District, 
 South Carolina, the Baptist Convention of 
 that State, in 1837, erected a monument with 
 the inscription : 
 
56 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 " BORN BENEATH THIS MARBLE DIED 
 
 Ifareh 25th, Are deposited the Remains of Elder Sept. asth, 
 
 A. D. 1783. LUTHER RICE, A. U. 1836. 
 
 A minister of Christ, of the Baptist Denomin.ition, 
 
 He was a native of Northboro, Massachusetts, 
 
 And departed this life in Edgelield District, S. C. 
 
 In the death of this distinguished servant of the Lord, " is a 
 
 great man fallen in Israel." 
 
 "THAN HE 
 
 Perhaps no American has done No Baptist has done more for the 
 
 more for the great Missionary En- cause of education. He founded 
 
 terprise. It is thought the first 'The Columbian College in the 
 
 American foreign mission, on which District of Columbia,' which he 
 
 he went to India, associated with benevolently intended, by its cen- 
 
 Judson and others, originated with tral position, to diftuse knowledge, 
 
 him. And if the Burman's have both literary and religions, through 
 
 cause of gratitude toward Judson, these United States. And if, for 
 
 for a faithful version of God's Word; want of deserved patronage, that 
 
 so they will thro' generations to unfortunate Institution, which was 
 
 come 'arise up and call Rice blessed,' the special subject of his prayers 
 
 for it was his eloquent appeals for and toils, for the last fifteen years 
 
 the heathen, on his return to Auier- of his life, fail to fulfill the high 
 
 ica, which raised our Baptist purpose of its founder; yet, the 
 
 churches to adopt the Burman Mis- spirit of education, awakened by 
 
 sion, and sustain Judson in his his labors, shall accomplish his 
 
 arduous toils. noble aim. 
 
 LUTHER RICE, 
 
 With a portly person and commanding presence, 
 
 Combined a strong and brilliant intellect. 
 
 As a theologian he was orthodox ; 
 
 A scholar, his education was liberal. 
 
 He was an eloquent and powerful preacher; 
 
 A self-denying and indefatigable philanthropist. 
 
 His frailties with his dust are entombed ; 
 
 And upon the walls of Zion, his virtues engraven. 
 
 By order of the Baptist Convention for the State of South 
 
 Carolina This monument is erected 
 
 To His Memorv." * 
 
 The following- lines sug-g-ested by the dying- 
 words of Luther Rice and written by Charles 
 
 Taylor's Memoir of Luther Rice, p. 265. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 57 
 
 W. Denison, form another monument to the 
 memory of him who, as a factor in our present 
 denominational development, was facile pritt- 
 ceps:* 
 
 "Aye, take them to the College ! let them be 
 
 My dying testament. I shall be dead 
 
 To-night. And now my heart untwines its ties 
 
 On earth, and gives its treasures back again 
 
 To heaven— the heart of all the universe. 
 
 Come near, my friends, ye need not fear to breathe 
 
 Beside me now. O would my mounting soul 
 
 Had ever soared in atmosphere like this I 
 
 'Tis heaven's own air that floats around me here. 
 
 And ye should joy to drink it freely in! 
 
 Come nearer. I have much to say— and I 
 
 Am passing like a shadow on the face 
 
 Of time. My destiny has been to point 
 
 To the meridian of the church— and now 
 
 My spirit points to that of endless day. 
 
 O how it soars ! and longs to bathe its wings 
 
 In the full sunshine of the face of God ! 
 
 But, ere I mount, grant me this one request! 
 
 Take all, and give the College. Let the wealth 
 
 Which some might bring to gild my coffin with 
 
 Be consecrated where was my poor life. 
 
 Nothing for me— but everything for God ! 
 
 And let me die, as I have lived, all armed 
 
 For battle on the tented field. Let the sounds 
 
 Of rushing host— of flashing banner free 
 
 Along the breeze— and clash of sword with sword 
 
 In spiritual fray— and cheers and shouts 
 
 Of ' Victory ! Victory ! ' greet me as I die— 
 
 O, 'tis glorious thus to fall asleep. 
 
 Hark ! Did you speak of India? or did I? 
 Or was I dreaming of it? Yet,methought, 
 I heard the voice of Newell— was it thine. 
 My Judson? Thou panoplied of God I 
 Ah Boardman! is it thou that speaks? I hear! 
 I hear! And Wheelock! art thou there? 
 These river damps have loaded me with chills 
 
 Taylor's Memoir of Ltither Rice, pp. 342, 344. 
 
58 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 So I but illy hear thee ! Bring ye news? 
 
 Hare dying pagans turned to Christ to-day? 
 
 Oh I I have walked the weary round 1 And yet 
 
 It was not wearying — for I had rod 
 
 And staff in all the promises— and there 
 
 Were some in whom the word did strike its roots. 
 
 Shout ! For the harvest reapers and our arms 
 
 Shall bring their loads of sheaves and cast them im 
 
 The granary of God. ButJndsonI See! 
 
 Thy wife is falling there ! She falls ! what she, 
 
 The good— the brave— the fair! and Boardman, to«! 
 
 Yonder, within the jungle where he toiled. 
 
 They dug his grave. How heavy is the air 
 
 I breathe from this low place of death ! I faint 
 
 I sink! 
 
 Ah ! no ! it was a dream ! Methought 
 
 I was in India— but I see, friends. 
 
 Are all beside me ! Heard ye my request ! 
 
 Aye, take them to the College ! Let me di« 
 
 With their departed spirits hovering 
 
 Around me, and their benison shall drop 
 
 Like dew upon my soul. Hail ! Staughton, hail 1 
 
 I see thee now — I hear thy welcome song! 
 
 I come ! I come ! and as I mount to fly 
 
 I catch a glimpse of those I seek, beyond ! 
 
 Karens ! My Burmans ! ye are with them there. 
 
 Your hands, good friends— 'Tis sweet to part as now 
 
 For that which wings me on, wings you. Aye, tak* 
 
 All to the College ! I am heaven's and God's." 
 
 Adoniram Judson, Jr, 
 
 The conversion of this man to Baptist views, 
 and his missionary labors and successes sever- 
 ally, contained the g-enesis and stimulus of 
 American Baptist Missions. But we propose 
 to study only the reflex effect of his vs^ork, /. e. 
 the influence of the story of his work on Amer- 
 ican Baptists. We cannot, therefore, take up 
 his life in detail. 
 
 Adoniram Judson, Jr., the son of a Congre- 
 gational minister, was born in Maiden, Massa- 
 ohusetts, August 9th, 1788. In 1809, he read 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 55 
 
 Claudius Buchanan's "Star in the East." 
 This sermon, preached by an ex-chaplain of the 
 British East India Company, from Matthew 
 2: 2, told the stor}' of the missionary labors of 
 the venerable German Schwartz. It set his soul 
 aflame and six months later, February, 1810, 
 he resolved to become a missionary to the hea- 
 then. Whether he, Rice or Samuel Mills, Jr., 
 was the first to feel the divine afflatus, we can- 
 not surely say. The story of the little band 
 at Andover, when he and Samuel Nott, Jr., 
 had been joined by the four young" men from 
 Williams College, has been already narrated. 
 Judson fully appreciated the grave dangers of 
 a missionary career, and had counted the cost 
 before he put his shoulder to the wheel. This 
 is forcibly seen in a letter to Ann Hasseltine, 
 his betrothed, in which he reminds her that 
 one of their trials must needs be, that one of 
 them must stand by the lonely grave of the 
 other and say with literal truth: 
 
 •'By foreign hands tliT dying e}es were closed: 
 By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed ; 
 By foreign hands thy humble grave adorned ; " * 
 
 But his sweetheart, too, had counted the 
 cost, and on February 5th, 1812, she was united 
 with him in marriage, at Bradford, on the eve 
 of his departure for Asia. She embarked with 
 him on February 19th, to sail for that foreig^n 
 land in which she was to find that lonely g'rave 
 of which he had written. On the voyage over 
 occurred their conversion to Baptist beliefs. 
 This is how it occurred: 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son Edward Judson 
 p. 21. 
 
60. THE GENESIS OF 
 
 (1) Article 10 of the instructions g-iven to 
 the five missionaries directed them to baptize 
 "credible believers and their households."* 
 But it forbade them to admit any but the first- 
 named class to church membership, t 
 
 (2) Judson knew that when he reached In- 
 dia he would have to meet Dr. Carey and the 
 Baptist missionaries there, and feared he 
 would be called upon to g-ive a reason for the 
 faith that was within him. In fact, he bore a 
 letter of introduction to these men from the cor- 
 responding- secretary of the American Board, t 
 As a matter of fact, however, the g-entlemen 
 at Serampore refrained on the principle of 
 courtesy from introducing- the subject of their 
 peculiar belief in the presence of brethren 
 of other denominations who might be their 
 g-uests.§ Indeed they were quite surprised to 
 learn of Judson's changed views. I 
 
 (3) The first point of difficulty was in ap- 
 plying- the analogy of the Abrahamic covenant 
 to the Christian church. According- to this 
 theory, and to his instructions, he must bap- 
 tize the still idolatrous servants and children, 
 young or old, of those who believed. He thus 
 describes his investigation and its result: 
 
 When I proceeded to consider certain passages, which 
 are thought to favor the Pedobaptist system, I found noth- 
 ing satisfactory. The sanctification which St. Paul 
 
 * Wayland's Memoir of Rev. Dr. Judson, vol. 1, p. 110. 
 fH. C. Conant: The Earnest Man. 
 X H. C. Conant: The Earnest Man, p. 90. 
 § Wayland's Memoir of Dr. Judson, vol. 1, p. 95. 
 IIJ. D. Knowles' Memoirs of Ann Hasseltine Judson, 
 p. 79. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 61 
 
 ascribes to the children of a believer, (1. Cor. 7: 14) I found 
 that he ascribed to the unbelieving tyrant also; and there- 
 fore, whatever be the meaninj^ of the passage, it could 
 have no respect to church membership, or a right to church 
 ordinances. 
 
 The declaration of St. Peter "the promise is unto you, 
 and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as 
 many as the Lord our God shall call," (Acts 2:39) appeared 
 not to bear at all on the point at hand, because the apo.s- 
 tle does not command his hearers to have their children 
 baptized or acknowledged members of the church, but to 
 repent and be baptized themselves. There is, indeed, a 
 promise made to their children, and to all others that God 
 shall call; but it does not follow that they were to pro- 
 cure the baptism of their children, or of those that were 
 afar off until they gave evidence that God had called them. 
 
 When Christ said, concerning little children, that, "of 
 such is the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 19:14) it ap- 
 peared to me that his comparison had respect, not to the 
 age or size of little children, but to the humility and do- 
 cility which distinguished them from adults. This seemed 
 to be put bej'ond a doubt by his own explanation, in a 
 similar passage, in which he says, "Except ye be convert- 
 ed and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18: 3.) 
 
 The baptism of households, which is mentioned in three 
 instances, I could not consider as affording any evidence 
 one way or the other, because in a household there may 
 be infants and unbelieving domestics, and there may not. 
 Besides, I discovered some circumstances in each of the 
 cases which led me to conclude, that the members of the 
 households were real believers. They are expressly said to 
 be so in the c:ise of the jailer, ( Acts 16: 34) and the same is 
 evidently implied in the case of Stephanas, when it is said 
 that they addicted themselves to the ministry of the 
 saints. (1 Cor. 1: 16.) 
 
 In a word, I could not find a single intimation in the 
 New Testament that the children and domestics of be- 
 
62 THE GENESIvS OF 
 
 lievers were members of the church, or entitled to any 
 church ordinance, in consequence of the protession of 
 the head of their family. Everything- discountenanced 
 this idea. When baptism was spoken of, it was always in 
 connection with believing-. None but believers were com- 
 manded to be baptized; and it did not appear to my mind 
 that an\ others were baptized. 
 
 Here, then, appeared a striking difference between the 
 Abrahamic and the Christian systems. The one recog- 
 nized the membership of children, domestics, and re- 
 mote descendants of professors, and tended directlj' to 
 the establishmenfof a national religitn. The other ap- 
 peared to be a selective system, acknowledg-ing none as 
 members of the chui ch but such as gave credible evidence 
 of believing in Christ. 
 
 This led me to suspect that these two systems, so evi- 
 dently different, could not be one and the same. And now 
 the light began to dawn. The more I read, and the more 
 I meditated on the subject, the more clearly it occurred 
 to me that all my errors and difficuliies had originated in 
 confounding these two systems. 
 
 I began to see that since the verj' nature and constitu- 
 tion of the church af Christ excluded infants and unre- 
 g-enerate domestics, repentance and faith being repre- 
 sented as always necessary to constitute a disciple, -we Lad 
 no right to expect any directions for, or any examples of, 
 the initiation -^f such unqualified persons into the church. 
 To search for such directions and examples in the New 
 Testament, would be as if the citizen of a republic 
 should go to search his national code for laws concerning 
 thcroyal family, which, by the verj' nature and constitu- 
 tion of a republic, is excluded. Suppose that such a cit- 
 izen disappointed in his starch, should have recourse to 
 the constitution and laws of a neighboring monarchy for 
 the desired information. This, it appealed to nie, would 
 aptly represent the proceeding of those who, unable to 
 find in the Ne«^ Testament satisfactory proof ol the right 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 63 
 
 of infants or unreyenerale domestics, should have recourse 
 to the Abrahamic and Jewish codes. . . " * 
 
 (4) But this left him tmbaptizcd, as not 
 being- at the time of his christenino- a proper 
 subject. What was he to do? I ag-ain let him 
 state his difficulty: 
 
 If, thoug-ht I, this system is the true one; if the Chris- 
 tian church is not a continuation of the Jewish; if the 
 covenant of circumcision is not precisely the covenant in 
 which Christians now stand, the whole foundation of 
 Pedo-baptism is g"one; there is no remaining g-ro'irid for 
 the administration of any church ordinance to the children 
 and domestics of professors; and it follows inevitably, 
 that I, who was christened in infancy, on the faith of my 
 parents, have never 3'et received Christian baptism. 
 Must I, then, forsake my parents, the church with which 
 I stand connected, the society under whose patronage I 
 have come out, the companions of my missionary under- 
 taking? Must I forfeit the g^ood opinion of all my friends 
 in my native land, occasioning grief to some, and pro- 
 voking others to anger, and be regarded henceforth, hy 
 all ray former dear acquaintances, as a weak, despicable 
 Baptist, who has not sense enough to comprehend the 
 connection between the Abrahamic and the Christian 
 sj'stem? All this was mortifying; it was hard to flesh 
 and blood. But I thought again, it is better to be guided 
 by the opinion of Christ, who is the truth, than by the 
 opinion of men however good, whom I know to be in 
 error. The praise of Christ is belter than the praise o^ 
 men. Let me cleave to Christ at all events and prefer his 
 favor above my chief joy. . .f 
 
 * Wayland's Memoirs of the Rev. Dr. Judson, p. 100. 
 
 + Wayland's Memoirs of the Rev. Dr. Judson, Vol. 1. 
 p. 102. Wayland quotes from a letter of Dr. Judson to 
 the Third Church in Plymouth, of which he had been i:n- 
 til lately a member. 
 
64- THE GENESIS OF 
 
 (5) The questions then arose as to the mode 
 of Baptism, and the meaning- of the Greek word 
 which the King James translators angflicized 
 into "baptize." 
 
 His conclusion on these points was equally 
 decisive. 
 
 But throughout the whole New Testament I could find 
 nothing that looked like sprinkling, in connection with the 
 ordinance of baptism. It appeared to me, that if a plain 
 person should, without any previous information on the 
 subject, read through the New Testament, be would 
 never get the idea, that baptism consisted in sprinkling. 
 He would find that baptism, in all the cases particularly 
 described, was administered in rivers, and that the par- 
 ties are represented as going down into the water, and 
 coming up out of the water, which they would not have 
 been so foolish as to do for the purpose of sprinkling. 
 
 In regard to the word itself which is translated bap- 
 tism a very little search convinced me that its plain, 
 ap])ropr ate meaning was immersion or dipping; and 
 though I read extensively on the subject, I could not find 
 that any learned Pedobaptist had ever been able to pro- 
 duce an instance, from any Greek writer, in which it 
 meant sprinkling, or anything but immersion, except in 
 some figurative applications, which could not be fairly 
 brought into the question. The Rev. Prof. Campbell, 
 D. D., of Scotland, the most learned Greek scholar and 
 biblical critic of modern times, has the candor to declare, 
 (though he was no Baptist, and, therefore, not to be sus- 
 pected of partiality to the Baptist system) that the word 
 was never, so far as he knew, employed in the sense of 
 sprinkling, in any use, sacred or classical. (See his note 
 on Matthew 3: 11). * 
 
 * Wayland : Memoir of Rev. Dr. Judson, pp. 102,103. 
 Wayland still quotes from Judson's letter to the Plymouth 
 Church, 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 65 
 
 (6) In these researches his devoted wife took 
 the Pedobaptist side and she was a champion 
 not to be despised."' At first she endeavored 
 to dissuade him from pursuing- the investifjfa- 
 tion.t In a letter to her parents, she sa3's, "I 
 tried to have him give it up, and rest satisfied 
 in his old sentiments, and frequently told him, 
 if he became a Baptist, I would not.":|: She 
 then depicted to him the consequence of a 
 chang"eof views on his part, but when he had 
 made a decision, she herself carefully exam- 
 ined the evidences and came to the same con- 
 clusion — a conclusion unmarred b}- the shadow 
 of a doubt. She so expresses her conviction 
 in a letter to a friend, dated September 7th, 
 1812: 
 
 Thus my dear Nancy, we are confirmed Baptists, not 
 because we wish to be, but because truth compelled us to 
 be. We have endeavored to count the cost, and be pre- 
 pared for the many severe trials resulting from this 
 change of sentiment . We anticipate loss of reputation, 
 and of the affection and esteem of many of our American 
 friends. But the most trying- circumstance attending this 
 change, and that which has caused most pain, is the sep- 
 aration which must take place between us and our dear 
 missionary associates § 
 
 (7) Mr. Judson remained true to his con- 
 science, his Bible and his God. He did not 
 
 *Wayland: Memoir of Kev. Dr. Judson, vol. 1, p. 
 106. 
 
 + Conant: The Earnest Man, p. 91. 
 
 I Wayland: Memoir of Rev. Dr. Judson. vol. 1, p. 107. 
 
 § Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Jadson, 
 p. 39, 
 
66 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 allow himself to be swerved b}^ his affection 
 for his wife, his own temporal interests or a 
 false sentimentality. 
 
 Reduced to this extremity, what, dear brethren, could 
 I do? I saw that, in a double sense, I was unbaptized, 
 and I felt the command of Christ press on my conscience. . . . 
 Now, if I quieted 013' conscience in regard to ray own 
 personal baptism, and concluded that, on account of my 
 ])eculiar circumstances, it was best to consult iny own 
 convenience, rather than the command of Christ, still the 
 question would return, with redoubled force. How am I 
 to treat the children and domestics of converted hea- 
 then?* 
 
 He and his wife were baptized on September 
 6, in Calcutta, by Rev. Mr. Ward of the Eng-- 
 lish Baptist Mission. 
 
 I have dwelt on this chang-e of views thus 
 at leng-th, because had Judson been successful 
 in his effort to sustain his Pedobaptist views, 
 it might have delayed the missionary movement 
 among" the Baptists in America for a quarter 
 or even a half of a century. The accounts of 
 this event in letters sent by Mr. and Mrs. 
 Judson and others started the leaven to working-. 
 The Boston Baptist Missionary Society was 
 among- its first fruits. In a letter to Dr. Bald- 
 win, Judson says, "Should there be formed a 
 Baptist Society for the support of a mission 
 in these parts, I shall be ready to consider 
 ni3'Self their missionary."! One of the most 
 
 * Wayland's Memoir of the Rev. Dr. Judson, p. 103, 
 (vol. 1.) 
 
 f t/ife of Adoniram Judson by hi.s son, Edward Judson, 
 p. 43. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSTONISM. 67 
 
 effective of these letters was written to the 
 Rev. Dr. Bolles, of Salem, Massachusetts: 
 
 Calcx^tI'a, September 1st, 1812. 
 
 Rev. Sir: I recollect that, during- a short interview 
 I had with you in Salem, I sug^g^ested the formation of 
 a society among- the Baptists in America for the support 
 of foreign missions, in imitation of the exertions of your 
 Eng-lish brethren. Little did I then expect to be person- 
 ally concerned in such an attempt. 
 
 Within a few months, I have experienced an entire 
 change of sentiments on the subject of baptism. My 
 doubts concerning the correctness of mj' former system 
 of belief commenced during my passage from America 
 to this country; and after many painful trials, which none 
 can know but those who are taught to relinquish a system 
 in which they have been educated, I settled down in the 
 full persuasion that the immersion of a professing believer 
 in Christ is the only Christian baptism. 
 
 Mrs. Judson is united with me in this persuasion. 
 We have signified our views and wishes to the Baptist 
 missionaries of Serampore, and expect to be baptized in 
 this city next Lord's day. 
 
 A separation from my missionary brethren, and a dis- 
 solution of my connection with the Board of Commission- 
 ers, seem to be necessary consequences. The missionaries 
 at Serampore are exerted to the utmost of their ability 
 in managing and supporting their extensive and complica- 
 ted mission. Under these circumstances I look to you. 
 Alone, in this foreign heathen land, I make my appeal 
 to those whom, with their permission I will call my Bap- 
 tist brethren in the United States. 
 
 With the advice of the brethren at i>erampore, I am con- 
 templating amission on one of the eastern islands. They 
 have lately sent their brother Chater to Ceylon, and their 
 brother Robinson to Java. At present, Amboyna seems 
 to present the most favorable opening. Fifty thousand 
 souls are there perishing without the means of life; and 
 
68 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 the situation of the island is such that a mission there 
 established might, with the blessing of God, be extended 
 to the neighboring islands in those seas. 
 
 But should 1 go thither, it is a most painful reflection 
 that I must go alone, and also uncertain of the meant 
 of support. But I will trust in God. He has frequently 
 enabled me to praise his divine goodness, and will never 
 forsake those who put their trust in him. I am, dear sitj 
 Yours, in the Lord Jesus, 
 
 Adoniram Judson, Jr.* 
 
 Such letters as these thrilled the hearts of 
 the Baptists. God's finger had put at their 
 disposal three enthusiastic and thoroughly 
 trained missionaries — the enthusiasm began to 
 kindle, and the wa}' was prepared for Luther 
 Rice. During all the years of the mission these 
 letters continued to come. They produced a 
 flow of zeal, hope and liberality as rich and 
 generous as the flow of an oil well in which 
 d3^namite cartridges are periodically exploded. 
 
 Mrs. H. C. Conant gives this account of the 
 ardor of those days: 
 
 I recall, from my own childhood, vivid recollections 
 of the enthusiasm which the topic of missions always 
 awakened in the family circle; of the "Mission Box" in 
 the parlor, through whose lid many an offering to the 
 cause was dropped by Christian visitors ; of the jubilee 
 in the house, when a letter arrived from Mrs. Judson, 
 or the Missionary Magazine arrived, with the joyful ti- 
 dings of some new triumph of the gospel in far off Bur- 
 mah. Nor was this a mere denominational feeling, em- 
 
 *L,ife of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Jud- 
 son, pp. 43, 44. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 69 
 
 bracing: only our own mission; it was a true Catholic 
 love for all in every land and of every name, who are 
 laboring for the evangelization of the world.* 
 
 Another source of influence was the ordain- 
 ing- and sending- out from America of other 
 missionaries. On October 15, 1816, Rev. Mr. 
 Houg-h and familj landed at Rang-oon in re- 
 sponse to the uro;ent plea for reinforcements. 
 Ag-ain and again the missionaries urg-ed Ca- 
 rey's famous plea, "We are," said they, "like 
 men g^oing- down into a well; you stand at the 
 top and hold the ropes. Do not let us fall." 
 On September 19, 1818, Messrs. Coleman and 
 Wheelock, with their wives, joined the mission 
 at Rang-oon. About 1826, Georg-e Dana Board- 
 man and his beautiful wife arrived at Calcut- 
 ta. Every missionary who came out meant 
 more friends at home, more letters to cross the 
 ocean to America, more laborers in the field, 
 and consequently better reports and greater 
 results to be told to the Baptists of America. 
 Among- those who joined the Judsons and the 
 Wades in 1831, were Mr. and Mrs. Mason, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kincaidt and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Jones. Still others arrived in 1832. and others 
 yet later. Mr. Judson urg-ed Americans not to 
 leave the British to evang-elize India alone, on 
 the g-rounds that India was as accessible to 
 America as it was to Great Britain; that 
 American missionaries w^ere received with far 
 less suspicion than the Eng-lish, who were sus- 
 pected and feared; and finally, that whereas 
 
 * H. C. Conant: The Earnest Man, pp. 169, 170. 
 
 f Mr. Kincaid felt the call under Mr. Rice's preaching. 
 
70 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 there were in Great Britain about five hundred 
 Baptist churches which averaged about a hun- 
 dred members each, in America there were 
 about two thousand which averag^ed that 
 number. Furthermore, all the North American 
 Indians and all the native population of South 
 America which was accessible would hardly 
 equal in number the singie empire of Burmah.* 
 On June 27th, 1819, about seven years and 
 four months after Mr. Judson left America, 
 and about six years from his arrival in Burmah, 
 he baptized his first Burman convert, Moung- 
 Nan. The next two native converts were 
 Moung Byaa and Moung Thallah. It required 
 great courage on the part of the first convert 
 to come out for Christ. By doing so, he an- 
 tagonized his ruler, an absolute monarch, who 
 styled himself the "Lord of Life and Death 
 and Owner of the Sword." But Moung 
 Nan declared his determination of adhering to 
 Christ, though no Burman should ever join 
 him. His courage and his beautiful saying — 
 "When I meditate on this religion, I know not 
 what it is to love my own life" — made him fa- 
 mous in America. In 1820 the Burman con- 
 verts sent this letter to their brethren in Amer- 
 ica. 
 
 Brethren all, who live in America! The brethren wh» 
 live in Burmah address you. 
 
 We inform you, brethren, that, trusting in the grace 
 of the eternal God, the divine Spirit and the excellent 
 Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we remain happy; and see- 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson, by his son, Edward Judson, 
 p. 104. 
 
AMBRICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 71 
 
 iog- our real state and circumstances, we have repentance 
 of sovtl, and an anticipation of the happiness of heaven. 
 God, the sum of all perfection, without beginning and 
 without end, subsists through successive ages; and this 
 world, the earth and sky, and all things therein, which 
 He has created, are according as He created them. 
 
 God, the Creator i* replete with goodness and purity, 
 and is exempt from old age, sickness, death, and anni- 
 hilation; and thus there is none that can compare 
 with Him. 
 
 It is contained in the Scriptures, that God, in his own 
 nature, unites three, the Father, the Son and the Holy 
 Spirit, and is (yet) mysteriously one God; that He is in 
 all places, but divells in heaven, by the clearer mani- 
 festation of His glory; that His power and wisdom are 
 unrivalled; and that he enjoys happiness incomprehensi- 
 ble to creatures. 
 
 But the Burmans know not the true God; they know 
 not tha true religion; they worship a false God; they 
 practice a false religion; .-^nd (thus) they transgress the 
 divine law, and sin against the most estimable Benefac- 
 tor, and therefore they neither expiate their sins nor 
 acquire merit. And by excessively loving themselves and 
 the filth of this world, they love not nor worship the eter- 
 nal God, nor believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but regard 
 the good things of this world merely. 
 
 That the Burmans, who know not the way to eternal 
 happiness, might become acquainted with it; that they 
 might be renewed; and that they might escape everlasting 
 punishment, the American teachers, Judson and wife, 
 have both come to Burmah and proclaimed the gospel 
 of the Divine Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; on which some 
 Burmans have become disciples. And on these accounts, 
 the disciple Mouug Shwa-Ba says that your favor is very 
 great (or he gives you very many thanks). 
 
 Those who love divine grace, who believe, who hear 
 and consider the gospel, who trust in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who repent of their sins, attain the state^of dig- 
 
72 THE GENESIS oP 
 
 ciple. And that this religion may spread everywhere, 
 Moung Shwa-Ba is making endeavors, and constantly pray- 
 ing, to proclaim the gospel. And he prays thus: O Eter- 
 nal God, graciously grant the favor which I desire. Gra- 
 ciously grant that I may have regard to thy divine will, 
 and be conformed thereto. Be pleased to take notice of 
 my supplication, O God. I desire not to seek my own 
 profit; 1 desire constantly to seek the profit of others. 
 Thou art the Creator of all things, and if thou art pleased 
 to be gracious, O, grant that I may be enabled to pro- 
 mote the good of others. Open thou the ej'es of my 
 mind and give me light. And when I shall preach in 
 various places, evermore send forth the divine Spirit that 
 multitudes may become disciples. That thou wilt grant 
 these things, I beseech thee, God. 
 
 The disciple, Moung Shwa-Ba has composed this writ- 
 ing, and committed it to the hand of the teacher; (even ) 
 in the Burman year 1182, on the 7th of the waxing of 
 the moon Wah-goung, he has written this, and delivered 
 it to the teacher and his wife. 
 
 P. S. Brethren, there are in the country of Burmah 
 nine persons who have become disciples.* 
 
 Mrs. Judson's visit to America also served to 
 rekindle the subsiding" fires of zeal. Althoutrh 
 her first object and most imperative need in 
 coming to this country was to build up her 
 shattered health, the purpose of creating- and 
 stimulating" interest in foreig"n missions was 
 not her least. Her courag'e, devotion and suffer- 
 ing's had already made her a host of friends, and 
 her fascinating- presence and firm faith in the 
 cause she represented made her many more. 
 She reached America September 25th, 1822, 
 and remained until the 22nd of June 1823. She 
 
 *Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 pp. 179, 180. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 73 
 
 was accompanied on her return trip to India 
 by the two newly appointed missionaries, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Wade. 
 
 In 1824-25, when the war between England 
 and Burmah was raging", the terrible persecu- 
 tion and horrible suffering's endured by Mr. 
 Judson drew to him once ag^ain the eyes of the 
 civiliiied world. For nine mouths he was confined 
 in three pairs of fetters; for two months in five 
 pairs; for six months in one pair; for two 
 months long-er he was a prisoner at large, and 
 was kept under restraint for yet two months 
 more; so that he was a prisoner for twenty- 
 one months. The five pairs of irons which for 
 two months of the time he wore, weighed four- 
 teen pounds, and in each pair of fetters the 
 two iron rings were connected by chains so 
 short that the heel of one foot could hardly be 
 advanced to the toe of the other. He wore the 
 scars of those irons to the day of his death. It 
 is not my purpose to describe his prison, its 
 tortures, or its loathsomeness. The point to 
 which I desire to call attention is, that from 
 henceforth when he pleaded with his brethren 
 in America, he spoke as "a prisoner in chains," 
 and as one "bearing in his body the marks of 
 the Lord Jesus." Those who can endure to 
 read about its horrors may find a terribly 
 graphic description in his Life, written by his 
 son, pages 217-261. Every one who reads the 
 record of those scenes will see that Mrs. Jud- 
 son endured no less than he, and will under- 
 stand how Oung-pen-la and Ava became names 
 to conjure with. Mrs. Judson wrote the story 
 of those terrible days. 
 
74 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 There was not a Baptist home in which her vivid re- 
 cital was not read, and uiany a heart was stirred with 
 a desire to engage in a service where even such sufferings 
 were possible.* 
 
 Not only suffering's, but death of mission- 
 aries sent their silent pleas across the seas. In 
 1823 the news came that Ward had died at 
 Serampore. On page 62, volume I, of the 
 "Christian Baptist," there is an article indulg- 
 ing" in unstinted ridicule of missionary expense; 
 on the opposite pag^e is the two line announce- 
 ment of the death of Mr. Ward at Serampore, 
 IMarch 27th, 1823, after an illness of one day. 
 The accidental juxtaposition of the brief an- 
 nouncement to the vitriolic article makes it an 
 eloquent rejoinder. The minutes of the 
 Charleston Association for 1823 record a pa- 
 thetic lament for the death of Ward. Then 
 the news came that Coleman had died in Ara- 
 can, and the cry went up, " Who will g-o to 
 take his place?" Georg^e Dana Boardman, 
 w^ho had g-raduated at Waterville Collegfe in 
 1822, promptly answered, "I will go." But 
 while he was on the way, Ann Hasseltine Jud- 
 son, exhausted by the long agony at Ava, died 
 from the effect of the suffering endured by her 
 husband and herself. She was speedily fol- 
 lowed by her little Maria. Dr. Boardman 
 arrived just in time to lay the child in a grave 
 beside the mother. The manner of Mrs. Jud- 
 son's death was most pathetic. Her husband 
 had returned to Ava to try and secure better 
 
 * Barrage : History of Baptists of New England, p. 
 156. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 75 
 
 terms from the British gfovcrnment for the 
 conquered rebels who had so tortured him. 
 While he was absent his wife was smitten 
 with a strong- fever, and died on October 24th, 
 1826, in the 37th year of her ag-e. Judson 
 wrote to her mother this description of her 
 death, which he had gathered from the native 
 Christians: 
 
 It seems that she was much affected during her last days, 
 and she said but little. She sometimes complained thus: 
 " The teacher* is long in coming; and the new missionaries 
 are long in coming; I must die alone, and leave my little 
 one; but it is the will of God, I acquiesce in His will. I am 
 not afraid of death, but I am afraid I shall not be able to 
 bear these pains. Tell the teacher that the disease was 
 most violent, and I could not write; tell him how I suffered 
 and died; tell him all that you see; and take care of the 
 house and things until he returns." When she was un- 
 able to notice anything else, she would still call the child 
 to her, and charge the nurse to be kind to it; and indulge 
 't in everything until its father shall return. The last day 
 or two she lay almost senseless and motionless, on one 
 side, her head reclining on her arm, her eyes closed; and 
 at eight in the evening, with one exclamation of distress 
 in the Burman language, she ceased to breathe. f 
 
 They buried her in a lonely spot beneath a 
 hopia tree, with a rude fence about the g"rave 
 to protect it from the wild beats of the jungle: 
 and thus was the prophecy in the love-letter 
 long- ag-o to the sweet faced Ann Hasseltine 
 broug"ht to a literal fulfillment: 
 
 " Uy foreifTD hands thy dying eyes were closed ; 
 By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed; 
 By foreign hands thy humble grave adorned." 
 
 *So she called Mr. Judson. 
 
 f Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson 
 pp- 295, 296, 
 
76 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 She died apart from him whom she had given her heart 
 and her girlhood, whose footsteps she had faithfully fol- 
 io ved for fourteen years, over land and sea, through track 
 less jungles and strange, crowded cities, sharing his studies 
 and his privations, illumining his hor. rs of gloom with her 
 beaming presence, and with a heroism and fidelity unparal- 
 lelled in the annals of missions, soothing the suflerings of 
 his imprisonment. He whom she had thus loved, and who, 
 from his experience of Indian fever, might have been able to 
 avert the fatal stroke, was far away in Ava. No mission- 
 ary w^as with her when she died, to speak words of Chris- 
 tian consolation. The Burnian converts, like children 
 gathered helplessly and broken-heartedly about their white 
 mama. The hands of strangers smoothed her dying pillow 
 and their ears received her last faint wandering utter- 
 ances. Under such auspices as these, her white-winged 
 spirit took its flight to the brighter scenes of the New Jeru- 
 salem.* 
 
 In 1829, we find an account of her memoirs 
 being- advertised in the Charleston Association. 
 Soon after her death Mr. Judson wrote to the 
 Rev. Mr. Grow, of Thompson, Connecticut, 
 who had sent him fifty dollars: 
 
 The fact is, that we are very weak, and have to com- 
 plain that hitherto we have not been well supported from 
 home. It is most distressing to find when we are almost 
 worn out, and are sinking, one after another, into the grave, 
 that many of our brethren in Christ at home are just as hard 
 and immovable as rocks»; just as cold and repulsive as the 
 mountains of ice in the polar seas. But whatever they do, 
 we cannot sit still and see the dear Burmans, flesh and 
 blood like ourselves, and like ourselves possessed of im- 
 mortal souls, that will shine forever in heaven, or burn 
 
 *Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 p. 290. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 77 
 
 forever in hell — we cannot see them go down to perdition 
 without doing our very utmost to save them. And thanks 
 be to (tod, our labors are not in vain. We have three 
 lovely churches, and about two hundred baptized converts, 
 and some are in glorj'. A spirit of religious inquiry is 
 extensively spreading throughout the country, and the 
 signs of the times indicate that the great renovation of 
 Burma is drawing near. O, if we had about twenty more 
 versed in the language and means to spread schools, and 
 tracts, and Bibles, to any extent, how happy I should be ! 
 But those rocks and those icy mountains have crushed us 
 
 down for many years May God forgive all those who 
 
 desert us in our extremity. May he save them all. But 
 surely, if any sin will lie with crushing weight on the trem- 
 bling shrinking soul, when grim death draws near; if any sin 
 Trill clothe the face of the final judge with an angry frown, 
 withering up the last hope of the condemned, in irremedi- 
 able, everlasting despair, it is the sin of turning a deaf ear 
 to the plaintive cry of ten millions of immortal beings, 
 who by theii darkness and misery, cry, day and night, 
 "COME to our rescue, ye bright sons and daughters of 
 America, COME AND SAVE US, FOR WE ARE SINK- 
 ING INTO HELL."* 
 
 In 1831, Judson is still pleading", still trying- 
 to awaken the people of America. The letter 
 that follows was written to a minister in Con- 
 necticut; it shows something of the difficulties, 
 progress and encouraging interest in his work. 
 
 Rangoon, March 4th, 1831. 
 The great annual festival has jugt passed, during which 
 multitudes come from the remotest parts of the country to 
 worship a*: the great Shway-Da-gong pagoda in this place, 
 where it is believed that several real hairs of Gaudama are 
 enshrined. During the festival I have given away nearly ten 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 pp. 309, 310. 
 
78 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 thousand tracts, giving to none but those who ask. I pre- 
 sume there have been six thousand applications at the 
 house; some come two or three months' journey from the 
 borders of Siam and China — "Sir, we hear that there is an 
 eternal hell. We are afraid of it. Do give us a writing that 
 will tell us how to escape it." Others come from the 
 frontiers of Kathay, a hundred miles north of Ava — 'Sir, 
 we have seen a writing that tells about an eternal God. 
 Are you the man that gives away such writings? If so, 
 pray give us one, for we want to know the truth before we 
 die." Others come from the interior of the country, where 
 the name of Jesus Christ is a little known — "Are you Jesus 
 Christ's man? Give us a writing that tells about Jesus 
 Christ." Brother Bennett works day and night at the 
 press, but he is unable to supply us, for the call is great 
 at Maulmain and Tavoy, as well as here, and his types are 
 very poor, and he has no efficient help.* 
 
 Ill 1830, Judsoii was invited to visit America. 
 How mig^htily would he have stirred the people 
 had he come! But who will say that the heroic 
 refusal of the man "who never saw a ship sail 
 from Maulmain bound for E)no-land or America 
 without an almost irrepressible inclination to 
 get on board and visit aofain the home of his 
 boyhood," was without effect? Or who will 
 affirm that his denial of himself was of no avail 
 over here? He thus describes his heimweh: 
 
 I must confess that in meditating on the subject, I have 
 felt almost unconquerable desire to become acquainted 
 with my beloved patrons and correspondents, the menibtrs 
 of the Board, as well as to rove once more over the hills 
 and valleys of my own native land, to recognize the still 
 surviving companions of my youth, and to witness the 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 p. 362. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. /V 
 
 widespread and daily increasing glories of Immanuel's 
 kingdom in that land of liberty, blessed of heaven with 
 temporal and spiritual blessings above all others.* 
 
 In June, 1831, Boardman, after being- carried 
 in a chair to the waterside to see thirty-four 
 converts baptized, slowly faded away from 
 earth. His faithful wife took up his work and 
 carried it on to success. Eight years after the 
 death of Mrs. Judson and three years after that 
 of Mr. Boardman, Judson married Mrs. Board- 
 man. This match was also made in heaven. 
 She w^as a faithful helpmate and helpmeet to 
 him, and a blessed co-laborer in the g-ospel 
 until, on September 1st, 1845, she was buried 
 on the louel_y rock of St. Helena. On that 
 Island the remains of the great Napoleon 
 rested in an uninscribed sepulchre; but on her 
 tomb loving hands, after g-Iving- her name and 
 services, wrote the epitaph: 
 
 "She sleeps sweetly here on this rock of the ocean, 
 
 A way from the home of her youth, 
 And far from the land where, with heartfelt emotion, 
 
 She scattered the bright beams of truth." 
 
 On October 15th, 1845, Mr. Judson and his 
 three orphaned children arrived in Boston. He 
 was in delicate health and barely able to speak 
 above a whisper, but his reception w-as an 
 ovation, and his progress a triumphal march. 
 His approach was heralded and his saying's 
 and doing-s chronicled by both the secular and 
 religious press. In his speeches he did not 
 describe his own adventures nor pander to the 
 
 * Life of Adouirani Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 p. 365. 
 
80 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 idle curiosity of mere sensation hunters. His 
 heart was in Burmah. His plea was for her, 
 his theme was pleasing- Jesus by carrying* the 
 gospel to every creature. In Boston he met 
 Samuel Nott, Jr., for the first time in thirty- 
 three years. In November he was present at 
 the meetinjDf of the Triennial Convention. He 
 visited many institutions of learning", among" 
 them Brown University, his own Alma Mater. 
 He was the honored g"uest at many missionary 
 societies. In a meeting- at Richmond, Virg"inia, 
 in response to a speech of welcome b}' Dr. Jeter, 
 he made this address to Southern Baptists, 
 who had org"anized their Convention the year 
 before : 
 
 I congratulate the Southern and Southwestern churches 
 on the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention for 
 Foreign Missions. I congratulate the citizens of Richmond 
 that the Board of that Convention is located here. Sach an 
 organization should have been formed several years ago. 
 Besides other circumstances, the extent of the country 
 called for a separate organization. I have read with much 
 pleasure the proceedings of the Convention at Augusta, 
 Georgia, and commend the dignified and covirteous tone of 
 the address sent forth by that body. I am only an humble 
 missionary of the heathen, and do not aspire to be a 
 teacher of Christians in this enlighted country; but if I 
 may be indulged a remark, I would say, that if hereafter 
 the more violent spirits of the North should persist in the 
 use of irritating language, I hope they will be met, on the 
 part of the South, with dignified silence.* 
 
 While in America he married Miss Emily 
 Chubbuck, whose sympathies had been enlisted 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 pp. 475, 475. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 81 
 
 in missionary work as a child, by reading- a 
 memoir of the first Mrs. Judson. She had at- 
 tained some reputation in light literature and 
 newspaper articles under the novi de f)lume of 
 "Fanny Forrester." There was opposition to 
 the marriage on the part of both his admirers 
 and hers, but future events showed they had 
 both chosen well. She proved herself a not 
 unworthy successor to Ann Hasseltine and 
 Sarah B. Judson. 
 
 On this trip to America, Judson found this 
 country a land of organized societies. The 
 organization of all the missionary societies in 
 America was due, to some extent, to the group 
 of five boys who at Andover Seminary had 
 pledged themselves to the work of carrying the 
 Gospel abroad. Judson's influence was felt in 
 other places than America. He had been deeply 
 desirous of establishing a mission among the 
 Jews in Palestine, but the enterprise had 
 failed. 
 
 It, however, pleased an All-wise Providence to render 
 his servant useful to the children of Abraham in a manner 
 which he little expected. Two or three days before he 
 embarked on his last voyage, not a fortnig'ht before his 
 death, Mrs. Judson read to him the following- paragraph 
 from the " Watchman and Reflector " : 
 
 "There (at the house of Mr. Goodell, in Constantinople) 
 we first learned the interesting fact, which was mentioned 
 by Mr. Schauffler, that a tract had been published in Ger- 
 many, giving som"? account of Dr. Judson's labors at Ava; 
 that it had fallen into the hands of some Jews, and had 
 been the means of their conversion; that it had reached 
 Trebizond, where a Jew had translated it for the .Tews of 
 that place; that it had awakened a deep interest among 
 them; that a candid spirit of inquiry had been manifested; 
 
82 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 and that a request had been made for a missionary to be 
 sent to Constantinople. Such a fact is full of meaning, a 
 comment on the word of inspiration: 'In the morning- sow 
 thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; thou 
 knowest not which shall prosper, this or that.' "* 
 
 Dr. Jessup, the eminent Presbyterian mis- 
 sionary to Syria, said at a session of the Bap- 
 tist Convention convened in Saratoga, that the 
 first person whose hand he desired to g'rasp 
 when he reached heaven, next to the Apostle 
 Paul, would be Adoniram Judson. Many 
 others have been incited and nerved to com- 
 plete consecration and strenuous missionary 
 effort, at home and abroad, by the example of 
 Adoniram Judson. The published lives, and 
 memoirs of Mr. Judson and the sainted women 
 who labored with him in the Gospel have had 
 a vast influence in silencino" opposers and cavil- 
 lers, and in inspiring- the fainthearted, and in 
 increasing" the zeal of the lukewarm, and in en- 
 couraging his missionary successors to make a 
 success of the work which had been so nobly 
 begun. t 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, 
 pp. 557, 558. 
 
 f I have had access to the following in preparing this 
 sketch of Judson: "The life of Adoniram Judson by his 
 son, Edward Judson." This I have used most freely and 
 my only regret is that scarcit3' of time and space have pre- 
 vented me from making even more copi-uis quotations. 
 Dr. Wayland's "Memors of Rev. Dr. Judson," in two vol- 
 umes, have also been of great value. The other books 
 consulted were: "The Earnest Man, or Life and Labors 
 of Dr.Jud.son," by Mrs. H. C.Conant ; "The Jud.son Offer- 
 ing," by John Dowling, D. D. ; "The Apostle of Burmah : 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 83 
 
 Judson's death at sea on April 13th, 1850, 
 after a long- illness, and his burial in the sea 
 the same day, rounded out his life's influence, 
 and left it as an ever livino-, ever working- force 
 in that world from which his spirit had flown. 
 The saddest events of his life, his imprisonment, 
 his sufferinofs, his bereavements, his death ; the 
 events that seemed to clog- the wheels of rai*^- 
 sionary efl^ort in India, became, in the hand of 
 God, the most potent factors for advancing- 
 missionary effort in America. We cannot 
 reg"ret the life of Judson. It is still true ^hat 
 it is expedient for one man to die and not for a 
 whole nation to perish. Let a son's tribute to 
 his father close our stor}" of Adoniram Judson. 
 
 It is God's law that progfress should be along the line-of 
 sufiFering-. The world's benefactors have been its suffer- 
 ers. They "have been from time immemorial crucified and 
 burned." It seems to be a divine law that those who 
 bestow roses must feel thorns. 
 
 The sufferings of Mr. Judson's life v/ere as fruitful of 
 blessings as the toils. 
 
 a Missionary Epic," by Wm. C. Richards; "Memoir of Ann 
 Hasseltine Judson," by D. K. Knowles; "Missionary Me- 
 morials," of Ann H. Judson, Sarah B. Judson and Emily 
 C. Judson, by Walter N. Wyeth, D. D., in three separate 
 
 volumes. The only life of Rice I have been able to obtain 
 is the oneby James B. Taylor, published in 1840. I have 
 been depc'ident for my information on this, and on several 
 sketches in Baptist state histories and on encjclopedic arti- 
 cles. There is at pie.sent time in this country no life of 
 
 Rice on sale by any publisher, Taylor's Memoir having 
 long since gone out of print 
 
84 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 The graves of the sainted dead forbid retreat from the 
 ramparts of heathenism. It is said that the heart of the 
 Scottish hero Bruce was embalmed after his death and pre- 
 served in a silver casket. When his descendants were 
 making- the last desperate charge upon the serried columns 
 of the Saracens, their leader threw this sacred heart far out 
 into the ranks of the enemy. The Scots charged with ir- 
 resistible fury in order to regain the relic. Christianity 
 will neyer retreat from the graves of its dead on heathen 
 shores. England is pressing into Africa with redoubled 
 energy since she saw placed on the pavement of her own 
 Westminster Abbey the marble tablet in memory of him 
 who was brought by faithful bands, over land and sea, 
 Divid Livingstone, missionary, traveler, philanthropist. 
 Until that day shall come when every knee shall bow and 
 every tongue shall confess the name of Jesus, Christian 
 hearts will not cease to draw inspiration from the memory 
 of those who found their last resting place under the hopia- 
 tree at Amherst, on the rocky shore of St. Helena, and be- 
 neath the waves of the Indian Ocean.* 
 
 Judson's monument shall be : 
 
 'Burmah redeemed! the Budh by Christ replaced ; 
 His proud pagodas ruined and overthrown. 
 His sun-clad priests to history only known, 
 And the rude sciipts on palm-leaves all effaced." 
 
 His influence shall be to make us : 
 
 "Mark how he lived and labored, loved and lost ; 
 His life, loves, labors, losses, all were spent. 
 From youth to age, with one supreme intent, — 
 To share with Christ the World's redemption cost."f 
 
 * Life of Adoniram Judson by his son, Edward Judson, p. 
 560. 
 f Richard's "The Apostle of Burmah," pp. 102, 101. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 85 
 
 CHAPXEIR Mi 
 
 THE RISE OF THE "HARDSHELLS." 
 
 In studying" the history of any great move- 
 ment it is necessary to talie a view point. I 
 choose to take my stand in Kentucky in studying- 
 the Hardshell split in the Baptist denomination. 
 This State has ever been, in theolog^ical as well 
 as profane history, a "dark and bloody g^round," 
 the storm center of controversy, the battlefield 
 of jarring- relig-ious opinions. Her preachers have 
 ever been men of war from their youth upward. 
 They have been trained in a stern school. "In- 
 fidelity," "Deism," "Hell-Rcdemptionism," 
 "Parkerism," or "Tvvo-Seedism," "Campbell- 
 ism," "Hardshellism," "Old Landmarkism," 
 "Gospil Missionism," and "Whitsittism," suc- 
 ceeding- and overlapping- each other, have for a 
 hundred years divided her forces and shorn her of 
 her power. There is scarcely an Association in 
 her borders that has not been riven on one 
 or more of these stones of stumbling- and rocks 
 of oifence. Not that all of these issues have 
 been born here, or that any of them were con- 
 fined to this State, but here they were cradled 
 and nurtured. Controversy has always flour- 
 
86 ■ THE GENESIS OF 
 
 ished in Kentucky's fruitful soil. It is a place 
 where two seas meet and where the Baptist 
 ship has been like, time and again, to have per- 
 ished. Here Greek has met Greek with the in- 
 evitable tug-of-war. One cannot but mourn 
 when contemplating- all the fierce virility 
 wasted in combat when heresy-hunter and 
 heresy-mong-er have joined in the rigid g^rip of 
 internecine strife. How terrible the loss of 
 energy when an irresistible force meets an im- 
 movable body ! When Kentucky's two extremes 
 shall have tempered each other and the fierce 
 fires of battle have been moderated to the warm 
 glow of fraternal love, and all her exhaustless 
 fund of energy shall be directed no longer to 
 the uprooting of "every plant which our heaven- 
 ly Father hath not planted," but to watering 
 with tears and tending" and cultivating with 
 devotion the one he has flanted, how speedy and 
 magnificent will be its growth. May God 
 hasten that time! But at present our object is to 
 look at the mistakes, the follies and the sins of 
 the past that constitute history. 
 
 The leaders against missions have been man}'. 
 The opposition against missions has been one, 
 in origin, progress, argument, and spirit, 
 although hydra-headed in its various forms of 
 manifestation. It is the purpose of this chap- 
 ter to ascertain its genesis and trace and demon- 
 strate its unity through its varying forms. 
 Kvery great movement is to a large extent iden- 
 tified with its leaders. The biographical 
 methodis the true one by which to study his- 
 tory. We therefore present some accounts of 
 the three erreat leaders in the anti mission cru- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 87 
 
 sade, together with an outline of their argu- 
 ment, from which by an inductive process we 
 hope to show the spiritual genealogy of all anti- 
 missionaries, whose number is even at the pres- 
 ent day great. The three leaders were John 
 Taylor, of Kentucky; Daniel Parker, of Illinois; 
 and Alexander Campbell, of Virginia. 
 
 John Taylor was an earnest, consecrated, 
 self-sacrificing and conscientious minister of 
 the gospel. He was the only real Baptist of 
 the three. No man can read the account of his 
 conversion, or the story of his efforts to evan- 
 gelize Kentucky 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 opposition 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 Dr. Spencer w^ell says: "His pamphlet 
 had gone forth on its pernicious mission, and 
 probably did more to check the cause of mis- 
 sions, 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." 
 
 Daniel Parker was contemporary with John 
 Taylor and claims to be the first opponent of 
 the mission svstem. " It makes me shudder 
 when I think I am the first one (that I have any 
 
 * Spencer : History of Kentucky Baptists, vol. 1, p. 575. 
 
88 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 knowledgfe of) among' the thousands of zeal- 
 ous religionists of America, that have ventured 
 to draw 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 Lexing-ton, Kentucky, along- with 
 another on the same topic and rehashing the 
 same argument, 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 short- 
 ly 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. f 
 
 STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE. 
 
 The essence of God is g-ood ; the essence of evil is the 
 Devil. Good angels are emanations from or particles of 
 
 * Daniel Parker's Address, etc. p. 3. 
 
 t H. K. Carroll : Religious Forces, p. 48. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM, 89 
 
 God ; evil angels are particles of the Devil. When God 
 created Adam and Eve, they were endowed with an emana- 
 tion 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 w^hich they 
 were corrupted. In the beginning God had appointed that 
 Eve should bring forth only a certain number of offspring ; 
 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 in- 
 creased. 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.* 
 
 This Two-Seed doctrine is a curious revival, 
 with some modifications of the ancient specula- 
 tive philosoph}^ of Mauichaius. Dr. Newman 
 calls it a "very disg'usting' form of Gnostic 
 heresy." It is easy to see how such a heresy 
 would cause opposition to missions ; for the pro- 
 geny of one of the seed would constitute the 
 body of Christ, whose salvation is certain ; for 
 the other, no salvation is provided. The fol- 
 lowing quotation is taken from page 11 of a 
 copy of the first minutes of the General Associa- 
 tion of Baptists in Kentuckv, organized at 
 Louisville, Friday, October 2dth, 1837. 
 
 The Anti-naissionary spirit owes its origin to the notori- 
 ous 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 trans 
 
 * H. K. Carroll's "Religious Forces," p. 49. Compare 
 also for fuller statement of this doctrine Spencer's History 
 of Kentucky Baptists, vol. 1, pp. 576 to 578. The statement 
 as given here is quoted from History of Baptist States east 
 of the Mississippi, by J. A. Smith, D. D. 
 
90 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 lation and circulation of the Scriptures in all languages 
 and among- all people. Possessing a strong native intellect, 
 and a bold adventurous imagination — with a mind cast 
 in nature's most capacious mold, but for want of cultiva- 
 tion admirably calculated to be the receptacle of notions, 
 the most crude, extravagant and chimerical, he generated 
 an Utopian scheme of theology, the tendency 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 man- 
 kind ; 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 atid 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 eter- 
 nity, 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 body — bone of his bone and 
 flesh of his flesh, the Redeemer would nolens volens, take 
 them to mansions prepared 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 Societies But there were 
 
 many who embraced only half the doctrine of Mr. Parker 
 and though they manifested no great apprehension for the 
 liege subjects 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 inteadedthey should be. They were such 
 staunch friends of the Ivord's doing all his work, that they 
 set upon and terribly assailed their missionary brethren, 
 for fear they should by some means assist the Lord in the 
 salvation of his elect! In their zeal against these ambi- 
 tious strides of the missionaries, they have occasioned 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 91 
 
 great disttiroaiice and distress.-and destroying the Peace 
 of Ziori, the progress of religion has been greatly retarded, 
 and the influence and usefulness of many ministers and 
 churches utterly paralyzed. 
 
 Dr. Carroll, of Texas, in a speech before the 
 Southern Baptist Convention at Hot Spnng-s, 
 Arkansas, in 1900, compared Parker in his vio- 
 lence to a wild boar rooting- up the tender plants 
 in a o-arden. The followino- description of the 
 person and personality of Daniel Parker was 
 written bv Dr. John M. Peck, of Home Mission 
 fame, while Parker was still alive and active : 
 
 Mr. Parker is one of those singular and extraordinary 
 being-s 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,) with- 
 out education, uncouth in manner, slovenly in dress, 
 diminutive in person, unprepossessing in appearance, 
 with shrivelled features and a small, piercing eye, few 
 men for a series of vears have exercised a wider influence 
 on the lower and leas educated class of frontier people. 
 With a zeal and an 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 tne 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 him- 
 self 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 
 
92 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 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 per- 
 son of influence he was is shown by the fact that during 
 four years, from 1822 to 1826, he was a member of the 
 Illinois State Senate. His disastrous career in Illi- 
 nois and Indiana came to a close in 1833, when he removed' 
 to Texas. }; 
 
 It is said of Daniel Parker, that at one time 
 in his earlier career he applied for appoint- 
 ment as missionary, and when it was refused 
 him, turned against mission societies and mis- 
 sionary effort of every kind.§ This was true 
 at least of his coadjutor, Wilson Thompson. 
 Just how far Parker was influenced by Taylor 
 cannot be known ; but Wilson Thompson, 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 yet died out, for the census bul- 
 letin for 1893 reports the membership of this 
 sect in the entire country at 9,932. 
 
 *J. A. Smith: History of Baptist States East of the Mis- 
 sissippi, p. 123 ; quoted in Benedict's History of the Bap- 
 tists. 
 
 f Cf . also Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, p. 
 528. 
 
 X Smith : History of Baptist States East of the Missis- 
 sippi, p. 125 . 
 
 § J. A. Smith : History of Baptists States East of the 
 Mississippi, p. 125. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 93 
 
 The third and greatest opposer of the mis- 
 sion system was Alexander Campbell. He was 
 the son of Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian 
 clergyman. Alexander was born in Ireland 
 but educated at the University of Glasg-ow, in 
 Scotland, for the Presbyterian ministry. The 
 date of his arrival in this country is variously 
 given between 1807 and 1809. September, 1809, 
 is probably the correct date. In 1809 the 
 Christian Association at Washing-ton, Penn- 
 sylvania, was org"anized. Alexander Campbell 
 preached his first sermon before it in 1810. On 
 the 12th day of June, 1812, Alexander Camp- 
 bell and wife were baptized by Rev. Matthias 
 Luce, as were also his father, mother and 
 sister. 
 
 All these arrived at their convictions on the 
 subject of baptism separately and to the mu- 
 tual surprise of each other. Campbell was re- 
 ceived by this baptism into Brush Run Church, 
 which next year, 1813, presented a written creed 
 to Red Stone Baptist Association, and was re- 
 ceived into membership with that body. In 
 March, 1811, Campbell married, and in April 
 moved to Buffalo (now Bethany), Virginia. In 
 1820, he debated with Walker on the subject of 
 baptism. In August, 1823, he began to publish 
 a small religious monthly, called "The Chris- 
 tian Baptist." After making an extensive 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 period- 
 
94 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 ical similar in size, form and aim to the "Chris- 
 tian Baptist," for the purpose of advocating" 
 church sovereig'nty and exclusiveness, in oppo- 
 sition to benevolent societies in the West. 
 There can be no doubt that in this Parker and 
 Campbell made common cause. 
 
 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 o-ood to con- 
 vert heathens to a form-of Christianit}^ held by 
 men who themselves needed to be converted to 
 New Testament Christianity. Reformers have 
 never been missionaries, nor the reforming' ag^es 
 periods of missionary 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 missionary 
 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 jangling of their warring 
 creeds, missionary effort, though feebly at- 
 tempted a few times, miserably failed. But 
 in the fullness of time when religious opin- 
 ions had all clarified and crystallized into 
 settled creeds, Cary arose to set the Chris- 
 tian world on fire wnth missionary enthus- 
 iasm. Campbell, -then, as a reformer could 
 not readily be a missionary. His mistake lay 
 in supposing the Baptists needed reformation. 
 What they needed was co-operation and mis- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 95 
 
 sionary zeal. This, Campbell was not re- 
 sponsible forg^iving- them, except as Judas was 
 responsible for our redemption. 
 
 We have then the curious spectacle of the 
 highest antinomianism, represented by Parker 
 and Taylor, and the most extreme Arminianism, 
 represented by Campbell, combined to attack 
 the principles of missions. The one side claimed 
 it to be an infringement of the divine, and the 
 other of church sovereignty. This coalition was 
 gfreatl}' successful. Dr. 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 success- 
 ful advocate." It is not our purpose to follow 
 Mr. Campbell into all the doctrinal and credal 
 tergiversations into w^hicli his reform policy 
 led him. But by attacking- and attempting to 
 change the very planof salvation itself, the only 
 doctrine more vital than that of missions, he 
 finally succeeded in adding another to the 
 already large number of sects in Christendom. 
 His activity in this line was so great and its 
 results are so well known as to obscure his re- 
 sponsibilit}^ for the Hardshell split. The truth 
 is, Alexander Campbell was the father of twins, 
 Hardshellism andCampbellism. Hardshellism 
 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, w-as the first of 
 the two to disturb the Baptist denomination. 
 But here, as in the case of Parker, many fol- 
 
96 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 lowed him in his opposition to missions, who 
 did not join him in his doctrinal vag^aries and 
 who were left behind to vex the saints when the 
 believers in his creed, as set forth in the 
 "Christian Baptist" and "Millennial Har- 
 bing"er," went out from the Baptists to form a 
 new denomination. The denomination he 
 founded has found it necessary in the struggle 
 for existence to discard all his anti-missionary 
 ideas, and to use all the methods he so unspar- 
 ingly burlesqued. The quotations made from 
 his writings are all from the period while he 
 was still a Baptist, as his influence was 
 largely diminished among them after his 
 secession. But not until the last Hardshell, 
 Gospel Missioner and Retrenching Church 
 and Association has sloughed off from the 
 Missionary Baptists, will the cure be complete. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 97 
 
 OHAPTEIR IV. 
 
 OUTLINE OF JOHN TAYLOR'S ARGU- 
 MENT AS TAKEN FROM HIS PAM- 
 PHLET ("THOUi^HTS, ETC."), WRIT- 
 TEN OCTOBER 27, 1819, WHEN 
 MR. TAYLOR WAS SIXTY- 
 SEVEN YEARS OLD. 
 
 "The deadly evil I have in view is under 
 the epithets 'or appellations of Missionary 
 Boards, Conventions, Societies, and Theolog-ical 
 Schools, all bearing- the appearance of great 
 thoug-h affected sanctity, as the mystery of 
 antiquity did in the days of Paul, when the 
 man of sin was in embryo." Such is the way 
 in which Mr. Taylor prefaces his argument. 
 
 The first grave charge that Mr. Taylor 
 makes against the missionaries is that they are 
 impelled by the love of money. 
 
 (a) About eight or ten years previous, 
 Samuel Mills and a ministerial companion, 
 Schermerhorn, both emanating from the same 
 school with Judson and Rice, while on a mis- 
 sionary tour through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennes- 
 7 
 
98 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 see, and the Natchez settlement to New 
 Orleans, were induced to ofo sixty miles out of 
 their way to visit Mr. Taylor, who speaks of 
 them as "respectable looking- youno- men, well- 
 informed, and zealous in the cause in which 
 they are employed.* * * I have no doubt these 
 young men meant friendship to me and to 
 preachers in general." 
 
 The two young missionaries were, however, 
 unfortunate enoug-h to arouse Mr. Taylor's 
 prejudices by trying- to show him that for a 
 pastor to secure missionary contributions meant 
 an increased liberality all along- the line, and 
 especially in reg-ard to pastoral support. ' 'They 
 became quite impatient with my indolence, as- 
 suring- me if I would only stir up the people to 
 missions and Bible society matters, I should 
 find a great change in money affairs in favor of 
 the preachers ; urging by questions like this: 
 'Do you not know that when sponges are once 
 opened they will always run? Only, 'said they, 
 'g-et the people in the habit of giving- their money 
 for any religious use, and they will continue to 
 appropriate for all sacred purposes.'" (p. 6.) 
 
 Mr. Taylor comments: "Surely it will not be 
 thought uncharitable to say, that I did begin 
 strongly to smell the Ne-jj England Rat.''' Here 
 the prejudice ag-ainst Yankees begins to show 
 as a factor in the mission problem. This visit 
 of Mills and Schermerhorn seems to have oc- 
 curred after Judson's ordination and departure, 
 but before the news came that he had been con- 
 verted to Baptist views. 
 
 (b) The next item in the charge is based on 
 the account in Mrs. Judson's letter to the 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 99 
 
 Board, published in its first report, p. 34, of a 
 poor soldier at the Isle of Prance, who, al- 
 thougii he had a family to support, paid S8.00 
 a month from his meag'er income for a room 
 for Mrs. Judson to preach in, and who also on 
 their departure gave the missionaries $20.00. 
 Taylor says of this, "It would look as if her 
 husband had the same taste for mone}^ that a 
 horse leech has for blood." Again, on p. 7, he 
 speaks of "Mr. Judson's deep concerted scheme 
 of self-aggrandizement and getting money." 
 Also of Lutiier Rice he sa3^s, "But it was not 
 hard to see, that he was a man of g-reat sub- 
 tlety, the Savior directed his disciples to similar 
 measures to gain souls to himself ; but Luther's 
 object was to get mone}-." (p. 8.) On p. 9 
 Taylor gives a description of Rice's first ap- 
 pearance and sermon before the l^lkhorn Asso- 
 ciation. "When Luther rose up the assembly 
 of thousands seemed stricken with his appear- 
 ance. A tall, pale-looking, well-dressed young 
 man, with all the solemn appearance of one who 
 was engaged in the work of the Lord, and per- 
 haps he thought he was. He also being a stran- 
 ger ever}'" e^^e and ear was open ; his text was 
 'Thy Kingdom Come' He spoke some handsome 
 things about the kingdom of Christ ; but every 
 stroke he gave seemed to mean vioney. For my 
 own part I was more amused with his ingenu- 
 ity than edified by his discourse, and more 
 astonished at his art in the close, than at any 
 other time. He had the more pathos the 
 nearer he came getting the money, and raising 
 his arms, as if he had some awfully pleasing 
 vision, expressed without a hesitating doubt 
 
100 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 that the angels were hovering- over the assem- 
 bly, and participating in our heavenly exer- 
 cise, and just ready to take their leave and, 
 bear the good tidings to heaven of what we 
 were then about, in giving our money for the 
 instruction and the conversion of the poor 
 heathens ; and, as if he had power to stop Ga- 
 briel's flight, in the most pathetic strain cried, 
 'Stop, angels, till you have witnessed the gener- 
 osity of this assembly.' About this time, per- 
 haps twenty men, previously appointed, moved 
 through the assembly with their hats, and near 
 two hundred dollars were collected. — Though 
 I admired the art of this well taught Yankee, 
 yet I considered him a modern Tetzel, and that 
 the Pope's old orator of that name was equally 
 innocent with Luther Rice and his motive about 
 the same. He was to get the money by the 
 sale of indulgences for the use of the Pope and 
 Church. Luther's motive was through sophis- 
 try and Yankee art, to get money for the mis- 
 sion, of which he himself was to have a part. 
 Tetzel's great eloquence, and success in getting 
 money, alarmed first Martin Luther, and after- 
 wards the chief of the States in Germany. Our 
 Luther by his measures of cunning in the same 
 art of Tetzfel may alarm all the American Bap- 
 tists." 
 
 Taylor claims that Rice refused to preach 
 at Dover Association, Virginia, for Mr. Sem- 
 ple several years later unless a missionary col- 
 lection were taken up. Semple yielded and the 
 collection was taken. 
 
 The Board was accused of being "either 
 weak in judgment or unfaithful in choice, for it 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 101 
 
 seems not so much the question what is your 
 character or preaching* talents as who will g-o 
 for us — answer our purpose to hoodwink the 
 people and g"et plenty of money?" 
 
 Some of the means for obtaining- money are 
 attacked as follows :* "The very many modes, 
 and artful measures of those great men to g-et 
 money, are disg-ustful to common modesty. 
 They begin with missionary societies ; then they 
 create a g-reat Board of diflferent officers, and 
 then select the most vig'orous and artful ag"ent 
 they can find, to create more societies of differ- 
 ferent g^rades as Female Societies, Cent Socie- 
 ties, Mite Societies, Children's Societies and 
 even Neg-ro Societies, both free and bond ; be- 
 sides the sale of books of various kinds, and in 
 some instances the sale of imag-es. Every mis- 
 sionary to a foreig-n country is authorized to 
 follow all these arts, as well as common beg"- 
 g^ing- to get money ; so that no set of men ever 
 yet seen on the earth, manifest a g^reater thirst 
 by these various modes of peddling* to gfet 
 money. — Their shameful cravingfs are insati- 
 able." Onpag-e20 he says of Luther Rice, "so 
 that scarce a man who attends Baptist worship 
 at all in Kentucky has not seen Luther 
 Rice or heard of his mig-hty fame in making" 
 merchandise of the people through feig^ned 
 words, and from the strougest symptoms of 
 covetousness.* A false teacher always loves 
 money." 
 
 However, the most serious stricture ag-ainst 
 Rice is this: "At a meeting- of the Board 
 
 ♦Compare Alexander Campbell on this point. 
 
102 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 for Kentucky at Silas M. Noel's, soon after 
 the arrival of the young" Indians in Ken- 
 tuck}^ Ivuther Rice was present. For the pur- 
 pose of immediate relief to the ag^ent, who then 
 had the Indians on his bands, a proposition was 
 made for each member to pay in ten dollars. 
 This was designed as an individual thing-. L/u- 
 ther was among the first to pay dov,^n his ten 
 dollars. Who could have thought when the 
 board at Philadelphia had sent on $500 for 
 the same kind of relief, to find Luther's $10 
 deducted from it! In how many instances cun- 
 ning Luther has played this kind of a game, is 
 best known to himself. He seems very far 
 from being one of those wrong headed conscien- 
 tious kind of fellows who according- to Judson's 
 estimation, would soon ruin the missionar}'" 
 cause. It is probable when Luther so g-ener- 
 ously paid down his ten dollars, that he de- 
 signed it as a bait by which he might catch 
 several tens, or use it as a trump card, by 
 which he might catch a Jack, which would 
 count one in his g^ame, but expected to receive 
 his ten dollars ag^ain, as he did. When the 
 Savior found the disciples fishing he said to 
 them. 'Hereafter you shall catch men.' That 
 Luther Rice would not be willing to catch men 
 in the sense the Savior designated, I will not 
 say ; but that he would much rather catch fish 
 (as Peter did) with a piece of money in its 
 mouth, I have no doubt." (pp. 20, 21.) 
 
 Briefly commenting on the above, it seems 
 that Brother Taylor has added at least a pound 
 of evil surmise to every ounce of fact! Kven 
 according to Taylor's own statement, which he 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 103 
 
 gives only as hearsay evidence, there is nothing- 
 to show that Rice ever got his ten dollars back. 
 Brother Taylor's reference to the "trump 
 card" and the "Jack" will be readily under- 
 stood by all lovers of the game of "Seven up" 
 or "Old Sledge." 
 
 Such references as follow are too numerous 
 to mention all. "I have taken some little 
 notice of the horse-leech. It is said of that 
 creature that it has a forked tongue, with two 
 branches which are called its daughters, with 
 both of which it sucks blood with great vigor. 
 Thus missionaries with many strings to their 
 bow, cr3' mightily for money. The wicked sons 
 of E)li the priest had a fleshhook with three 
 teeth, by which they made a mighty rake in 
 the caldron while the flesh was boiling. The 
 missionaries have many hooks by which they 
 rake the world for money." He compares them 
 to Judas, "who was also a lover of money;" to 
 the Pharisees, having " a great hard-hearted- 
 ness respecting a man's old helpless parents or 
 his heirs; but great assiduity to obtain a Corban 
 or gift to missionaries ; half the estate is not 
 too much." * * * " Giving much money being 
 the best evidence that a man is a Christian — 
 Heaven is almost secured to them ; as also an 
 honorary seat in any of their councils on paying 
 one hundred dollars." In this fashion the 
 changes are rung in every conceivable man- 
 ner and the missionaries are pictured as greedy 
 money grabbers, grinding the face of the poor 
 while they themselves are living- in luxury and 
 ease. It is not necessary now to point out how 
 false and distorted such representations are, 
 
104 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 but at that time, coming- from a man whom the 
 people knew to be pure in life and character, 
 utterly self-sacrificing- and having- undergone 
 trials and hardships for Christ's sake that riv- 
 aled Paul's list of suffering-s, such accusations 
 fell with tremendous and blig-hting- force. One 
 cannot read the story of John Taylor's life 
 and almost apostolic labors without marveling- 
 tha,t the old man failed to discover that his 
 whole life had been spent in missionary labor. 
 
 The second g-reat point of contention was that 
 the missionary system was contrary to Bap- 
 tist church g-overnraent and was hierarchical in 
 its tendencies and design. 
 
 (a) It is freely compared with the "mystery 
 of antiquity" and the "man of sin" in embryo. 
 
 (b) Mr. Taylor had read an extensive account 
 of Papal Missions, especially the noted Jesuit 
 Mission in Parag-uay, and he feared a similar 
 development of the Baptist mission. Judson, 
 in a letter to Rice, published in the third re- 
 port, p. 164, had urg-ed g-reat caution in send- 
 ing- missionaries to assist him. He desired 
 " men of an amiable, yielding- temper, willing- 
 to take the lowest place, to be the least of all, 
 for one zurono--headed, conscientiotisly obstinate 
 man zuould ruin 213.""* Taylor seizes on this 
 phrase as showing- that Judson had some deep 
 laid plan of domination. He characterizes it as 
 a "deep concerted scheme of self-ag-g-randize- 
 ment," a "mercenary plan of Priestcraft." 
 He condemns Judson and Rice for not working- 
 with the E^nglish Board, "but equality in 
 
 * Italics ours. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 105 
 
 labour, 1 apprehend, did not suit those aspir- 
 ing' gentlemen. Nothing short of a large I^m- 
 pire would answer their ambitious views. 
 Therefore Rice receives his furlough, as Jud- 
 son terms it, to return and seek his fortune 
 among American Baptists, and succeeds, to be 
 sure, far above his most sanguine expectations. 
 .... They were the great machine which by 
 him as their agent, was soon brought into 
 action all over the United States. Poor half- 
 witted Baptists, may Luther well sa3^" The 
 associations were supposed to be the instru- 
 mentalities by which they were to carry out 
 their scheme. After comparing Luther Rice 
 to Tetzel, as quoted under the first point 
 above, he goes on to say, "Tetzel's operations 
 were when the Pope of Rome and the Mother 
 of Harlots were at their zenith. Luther's 
 (Rice) movements bespeak the Man of Sin or 
 men of sin in embryo; and Baptist associations 
 too soon become the adopted daughters of the 
 old Mother of Harlots. Money and power 
 were the signs of the times when the mystery 
 of iniquity began to work in the days of Paul. 
 The same principle is plainly seen in the great 
 Board of Missions in America, and Rice, their 
 chief cook, as also in their mighty convention. 
 . . Money ?ind power are the two principal 
 members of the old beast. That both these 
 limbs are found in this young beast is obvious, 
 and exemplified in the great solicitude of corre- 
 spondence with all the Baptist associations. 
 Power is acquired by connection with a hun- 
 dred associations, a fine nest e^g of gold to 
 answer their future ambition." 
 
106 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 "I consider these great men are vero-Ingf 
 close on an aristocracy, with an object to sap 
 the foundation of Baptist republican g-overn- 
 ment. The liig-hest court Christ has fixed on 
 earth, is a worshij^ping- congreg-ation called a 
 church."* 
 
 On pag-e 15, commenting* on the efforts of the 
 home missionaries to establish churches, he 
 says : " Why this mig-hty solicitude in these 
 men to constitute churches? The motive is 
 obvious. In the iirst place, there will be fine 
 tales to write to tlie great board; and secondly, 
 every church thus set up by themselves will be 
 under their own immediate control." Again, 
 scoring- Judson, on page 17, "In Rang-oon, the 
 pupils have correspondence with the greatest 
 men in the natirn, the king not excepted; so 
 that in future, should some wrong^-headed, con- 
 science - bound fellow ruin the missionary 
 affairs in Burmah, Mr. Judson may fill some 
 high office in the king-dom, and be a favorite in 
 the king"'s palace." "Money and power is the 
 watchword of the whole scheme; aiming- at 
 Lordship over God's heritage." .... "The 
 tenor of the several associations ag-reeing- to 
 correspond with each other g-ives them a free 
 hold all over the United States where Baptists 
 are found; and that it is not unreasonable to 
 ask their vassals for money wherever they find 
 them." 
 
 The missionaries are accused of presumption 
 verg-ing- on blasphemy in gfiving- God a new 
 
 * Thoughts, etc., pp. 9, 10. 
 
AMERICAN ANTl-MISSIONISM. 107 
 
 name or epithet, that is, '"'The God of Mis- 
 sw?is/^* The apostles also they style mission- 
 aries, "which favorite terms of theirs (mis- 
 sionary) is borrowed from Old Mother Rome. 
 And as they are beholden to the Mother of Har- 
 lots for this handsome phrase, it is to be hoped 
 that our missionaries will acknowledg-e their own 
 old mother, and the Jesuits of the same race 
 as their brethren." Another char^x on this 
 line is that by their money basis of representa- 
 tion the unconverted migiit gain control of the 
 Boards. Other objections, such as opposition 
 to the Board on account of its connection with 
 theological education, will be noticed later. 
 
 Sucn fears of a Baptist Papacy or extra- 
 ecclesiastical form of g^overnment seem almost 
 childish to us, althoug-h they are still urg-ed in 
 some quarters; but persecution of Baptists had 
 only ceased in Massachusetts the year previous, 
 and was still endured in Connecticut. These 
 alarms came from a man who had himself been 
 mobbed and driven from his preaching- places 
 by persecution, who had crossed the Alleg'ha- 
 nies into a virg-in wildtrness to escape from the 
 persecutions in the coast States. They were 
 addressed to the people who had seen and heard 
 Baptist preachers preach from jail windows in 
 Virg-inia. Their fears and their ignorance 
 formed a fertile soil for prejudices which were 
 thus skillfully excited. Such argfuments, such 
 seed in such a soil, could not fail to bear an 
 abundant harvest. 
 
 Thoughts, etc., p. 29. 
 
108 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 CHAPXEIR V. 
 
 outline: of DANIEL PARKER'S AT- 
 TACK ON THE MISSIONARY 
 SYSTEM. 
 
 In his introduction he speaks as follows: "It 
 is evident that great talents have been en- 
 gag-ed and much time and money spent to vindi- 
 cate the mission plan, and as yet but little said 
 or done ag-ainst it. It makes me shudder when 
 I think I am the first one (that I have any 
 knowledg-e of,) among- the thousands of zealous 
 relig-ions * of America that have ventured to 
 draw the sword ag-ainst the error, or to shoot 
 at it and spare no arrows ; and more particu- 
 larly when I know that I lack that qualification 
 that is pleasing- to the Spirit of the world, for 
 I have no education but to read, and have no 
 knowledg-e of the Eng-lish g-rammar only as ni7 
 Bible has taug-ht me ; but all the apology I 
 shall make for my grammatical errors are, that 
 God has chosen the foolish thing-s of this world 
 to confound the wise — therefore I will ven- 
 ture." 
 
 * He doubtless means "religionists." 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 109 
 
 In laying" the foundation for this attack, 
 Parker says : "I have observed four things that 
 cannot be denied: — 
 
 "1. The errors which have flowed from the 
 misled zeal, and from under the cloak of reli- 
 gion, are almost innumerable. 
 
 "2. These errors have nearly all originated 
 amongst the wise and learned. 
 
 "3. They are more generally supported by 
 arguments drawn from the wisdom of the 
 world, than the authority of the Bible. 
 
 "4. That when the Scriptures are introduced 
 as evidence, they are sure to be drawn in more to 
 answer the plan of man's invention, than give 
 the true meaning of God's word. ... I make 
 these remarks to le.id our minds to the subject 
 in hand which is 'the principles and practice of 
 the Baptist Board of Foreig-n Missions." 
 
 "** " In order to be well understood, I shall 
 undertake the subject in the following manner: 
 
 "1. To remove the prejudices that has arose 
 against us who oppose the mission S3'stem. 
 
 "2. To show what we stand opposed to, and 
 what we are willing to do. 
 
 "3. To understand what the Baptist Board 
 intends to do, from the face of their constitu- 
 tion, and prove it by their doctrine and prac- 
 tice. 
 
 "4. Examine the principle evidences they in- 
 troduce for its support. 
 
 "5. Try the principle and practice of the 
 Board in sending out preachers, by the princi- 
 ple and practice of Christ and his apostles. 
 
 "6. Point out some of the particular evils 
 that I view in the mission plan. 
 
110 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 "7. And lastly, take a small view of the 
 whole." 
 
 In his discussion of proposition 1, Parker 
 claims that prejudice has been exhibited and 
 excited against the opposers of the mission sys- 
 tem by "the following" accusations: — 
 
 (1) That we are opposed to the spread of 
 the g"ospel among the heathen. To this I an- 
 swer, we are pleased with the spread and 
 growth of Immanuel's kingdom throughout 
 the world. But we wish it under his direction 
 and government, and crown him with the glory 
 which we believe is not the case in the mission 
 plan. * * * 
 
 (2) We are charged with opposing the 
 translation of the Scriptures and the education 
 of the heathen. To this I answer the charge 
 is incorrect, for we oppose neither ; but will 
 help it with heart and hand if it could be taken 
 in a proper manner, and take the evils from it. 
 
 (3) We are charged withholding a tyrannical 
 principle, inasmuch as we are not reconciled 
 to our brethren in their giving their money to 
 the mission system, and the argument is that 
 they have a right to do what they please with 
 their own . . . etc. To this I answer . . bestow- 
 ing money to the needy is a good work etc., 
 but as to a professor being at liberty to do what 
 he pleases with his own in all cases, without be- 
 ing accountable to the church, is a very absurd 
 idea. I ask would you be willing that your 
 brethren should gamble on his money, ... or 
 give it to a priest to forgive his sins, or to the 
 worship of idols. . . ; just so if the mission sys- 
 tem be an evil, and God has never required it at 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. HI 
 
 your hands to g-ive the blessing-s he has bestowed 
 on you to support an unscriptural plan, that 
 is repug-nant to his gospel g-overnment. Then 
 we are no tyrants, but have a right to deal with 
 you as violators of the g-overnment of Christ." 
 In a fourth division under this clause he de- 
 fends some action of the Wabash Association 
 of Illinois, to which he belong-ed, made on above 
 lines in opposition to the Board previous to the 
 date at which he writes (1820). An account of 
 this action I was not able to obtain, but a pro- 
 test by the church at Ivamott, Crawford County, 
 Illinois, evidently written by Parker and others 
 to the same Association in 1823, would indicate 
 a change of sentiment in favor of missions even 
 in that Association. 
 
 It is not the purpose of the writer of this 
 sketch to attempt to answer the various argu- 
 ments presented. All he desires to do is to 
 faithfullv and fairly represent them. Eighty 
 years of Baptist history constitute their answer. 
 it is well to note, however, that neither here nor 
 elsewhere is an avozved and undisg-uised attack 
 made on missions ^er 5^. This will be further 
 shown by taking up the second point in his 
 proposition, which is in his lang-uage, "to show 
 what part of the mission object we oppose, and 
 what part we are willing to support." 
 
 "We stand opposed to the mission plan in 
 every point and part where it interferes with 
 or is connected with the ministry, either in de- 
 pending on the church to give them a call, or 
 seminaries of learning to qualify them to preach, 
 or an established fund for the preacher to look 
 
112 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 back upon as a support, and when the Board 
 assumes authority to appoint the fields of their 
 labor, we believe they sin in attempting* a work 
 
 that alone belongs to the Divine Being" 
 
 the object of the missionary societies in respect 
 to the ministry we are opposed to in every 
 point." 
 
 Just here in this deeply-seated objection to 
 seminaries etc., we find two thing's: first, the 
 real root of the anti-mission spirit; and second, 
 the reason for the terrible power and blig^hting" 
 effect of this spirit in the frontier and southern 
 States as contrasted-with its abortive efforts and 
 speedy death in the New Eng-land States. 
 
 Parker here briefly shows ivhat they arg luil- 
 ling- to do, as follows: — "As to the extrava- 
 g"ant plan of translating- the Bible and civilizing* 
 the Indians, we could bear with it, if it zuas not 
 under the sacred name of relig'ion; but we be- 
 lieve as paper, types, and the labor of man all 
 cost money, and belong* to the things of nature, 
 that it should be conducted under the direction of 
 moral g'overnment and not at the expense of re- 
 ligion. And as to educating* the heathen we 
 think it very improper, for to establish mission- 
 ary families securing the rights of flocks and 
 herds, farms and inc mes, all under the color of 
 relig*ion. It seems like making- the sacred char- 
 acter of relig*ion no g^reater than the merchan- 
 dise of this world, and putting* it in a long* line 
 of trade and traffic, xuhen the colonization of the 
 heathens ought to be conducted under the direc- 
 tion of our civil government, or a societv formed 
 for that express purpose, not under the char- 
 acter of any societ}' of relig*ion whatever. But 
 
AMb:KICAN ANTI-MISSIOXISM. 113 
 
 we rejoice in all gfood that is done in translating 
 the Bible, or educatino- the heathens and are 
 willing- to give our aid in counsel or money, pro- 
 vided it can be done and not dishonor the cause 
 of reliofion." 
 
 This is truly a curious plan to come from a 
 Baptist hater of civil interference with things 
 ecclesiastical, whose whole mind is dominated 
 by a fear lest the Baptist Board should destroy 
 the democracy of church government, as is 
 shown by his third proposition, which is to de- 
 duce the plans of the Baptist Board from their 
 constitution, doctrine and practice. His charge 
 is, that the Board purposes to govern the min- 
 istry. He admits they expressly disclaim and 
 deny this, but proposes to prove it by the fol- 
 lowing considerations: 
 
 (1) "The exalted title they are pleased to be 
 known by, which is the Baptist Board of For- 
 eig'u Missioyisfor the United States of Ajuerica. 
 
 (a) This evidently proves they claim the 
 government of the ministry and consequently 
 arrests the government and authority Christ 
 gave his church. 
 
 (b) This he claims to be an unauthorized use 
 of the Baptist name and authority. 
 
 (c) The Board presumes to further qualify 
 their missionaries, 
 
 (d) And to fix the field of their labor and 
 the amount of their compensation. 
 
 "I ask who has the right to appoint the fields 
 of the labors of the preacher? Certainly the 
 authorit}^ that has employed him. Well, then, 
 the Board acts consistent with their principle, 
 for the}' have employed preachers and sent them 
 
114 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 out, and pay them for their labors, and to the 
 Rev. Luther Rice as hig-h as $8.00 a week, be- 
 sides his traveling- expenses."* 
 
 The Board holds education essential to the 
 g^ospel ministry; "they have resolved to divide 
 America into three sections, and two men in 
 each district appointed to receive contributions 
 and to attend the business under the control of 
 the Board * - - the Baptist Board has urg-ed 
 us to form auxiliary societies. What is this 
 g^reat exertion for? It is to g'ive pious young" 
 men education to qualify them to preach. This 
 pointedly proves their principle is not only to 
 educate preachers, but hold the g;overnnient of 
 the ministry in their own hands. 
 
 "They prove to us by their writings that it 
 is the business of the churches to impress on 
 the minds of their pious young' men to preach 
 the g"ospel or call them to the work; althoug"h 
 they say in one ^lace it is the Holy Ghost that 
 makes ns able members of the Nezv Testamenty^ 
 He quotes a number of passag"es from the 
 "Latter Day Luminary," supposed to prove his 
 charg-e that missionaries deem it the business 
 of the church to call or send forth preachers, 
 which Parker considers an usurpation of a work 
 God has " reserved to himself . . . and will ful- 
 fill it in his own time and way." 
 
 *Think of it, ye " Retrenchers," this blood-sucker got 
 $8 00 a week. Think of it, ye timorous brethren, who are 
 disposed to listen to the " Retrenchers " cry, Lnther Rice 
 was condemned for receiving- a salary of $33.00 a month, 
 the hig-hest salary htat was paid. 
 
 fitalics ours. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 115 
 
 In his discussion of the fourth point, which 
 is an examination of the most common evidences 
 introduced to support the mission plan. Par- 
 ker says there are three points to be observed: 
 
 1. The Scripture they introduce to justify 
 them in qualifying, sending out and supporting- 
 the missionaries." 
 
 The case of Jonah; "This is the first account 
 of an Hebrew teacher being sent to the Gen- 
 tiles; this text is intended to justify the mission- 
 ary society in sending- out preachers . . . We 
 find this was a special act of God in send- 
 ing- Jonah to Nineveh, and that not by or 
 through a missionary society, and stands a very 
 pointed evidence in my favor, and against them- 
 selves, unless the mission society will say they 
 are acting as God, in sending out preachers, 
 and I hope this they wall not say. Notice Jonah 
 was not sent to a seminary of learning to pre- 
 pare him to preach to these Gentiles; but was 
 under the tuition and special order of his God, 
 and was in no case under the order or direction 
 of any body of men whatever; neither did he 
 look back to a society formed to raise money 
 for his support." 
 
 The other passages of Scripture Parker dis- 
 cusses are, God's promise to Abraham that in 
 his seed all the nations of the earth should be 
 blessed; the great commission; the command of 
 the Holy Spirit from the thirteenth Acts, "Sep- 
 arate rne Barnabas and Saul," etc., in all of 
 w^hich he only reiterates his plea that they can- 
 not apply to a society or seminary of learning. 
 
 He then takes up the question w^hether the 
 twenty-second chapter of II. Kings and the 
 
116 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 twenty-fourth and thirty-fourth chapters of II. 
 Chronicles justify the collectinjj" of money for 
 missionary purposes. The substance of his ar- 
 g"ument is, "Those collections of money were 
 for the express purpose of repairing the tem- 
 ple, and could not tolerate us further than pub- 
 lic collections for building" meeting houses." 
 After a brief objection to the title of President 
 and the effort to justify it by the Book of Daniel, 
 he passes to his fifth arraignment, "which is to 
 try the principle and practice of the Board in 
 sending out preachers, by the principle and 
 practice of Christ and his apostles." Here he 
 reaches the bed rock of Simon-pure, original 
 Hardshellism. "My object is to show that 
 the principle and practice of the mission system 
 is according to the spirit of this world, and not 
 according to the spirit of the gospel, . . . The 
 mission advocates say their principle is good, 
 because it is to send the gospel to the heathens, 
 and by that means have heirs of glory begot- 
 ten : just so I might say, my neighbor or friend 
 is very wealthy and wants an heir very bad, 
 and I viewing his wealth, and how happy his 
 heir would be, join with his anxiety to divide 
 his happiness with his heir. Would it not be 
 a good principle to wish he had an heir? Yes ; 
 but a most horrid act for me to attempt to be- 
 come the father. Just so we all agree the object 
 is good, and we can trulv sav, " Oh, that the 
 heathen were all saints." But for us to step 
 in the place of God to send means to accom- 
 plish the birth of these heirs must be horrid 
 and wicked. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. Il7 
 
 "I have thouo-ht their zeal like old Sarah's 
 was when the Lord had promised the birth of 
 an heir. She became so restless and was so 
 anxious, that she could not wait for the Lord to 
 bring- it about agreeable to his own purpose, 
 but must g-ive her handmaid to her husband. 
 But still, notwithstanding- all it was an Ish- 
 maelite, and was not the heir as God designed. 
 Just so," etc. 
 
 He also refers to Uzza's reaching forth the 
 arm of flesh to steady the ark of the Lord, and 
 to Nadab's and Abihu's offering strange fire on 
 the altar of the Lord, etc. "Notice the mis- 
 sion society do not require a call to the work, 
 only gifts and graces, and what sort them are we 
 must guess at. But Christ, when he was about 
 to send out preachers, he called them, whether 
 they had learning- or not, and gives us no 
 account that a Seminary of learning was essen- 
 tial to the ministry : and old Paul tells us when 
 it pleased God to call him, he conferred not 
 with flesh and blood and that he never sought 
 it of man, . . . and the Bible tells us if any 
 man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. And 
 Paul brings to view our calling, by telling us, 
 we see our calling, brethren, that not many 
 wise, not many noble after the flesh are called. 
 Let me observe here, I have thought the mis- 
 sion system is about to give old Paul the dodge 
 here, for it seems that if they are not wise and 
 noble when they are called, they intend to 
 make them wise and noble before they send 
 them out. . . . 
 
 "Preachers have no right to look back where 
 thev came from, for there is no account that 
 
118 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 the g*ospel ministers are supported from be- 
 hind, — for Paul calls it robbery, and confesses 
 himself g"uilty of robbing other churches and 
 taking- wages from them to do service to the 
 Corinthian Church, and asks forg-iveness for 
 that wrong-. We must say that wherever a 
 preacher labors is the place for him to claim his 
 support, and he has no scriptural authority to 
 look anywhere else. . . The poor is relieved 
 as an act of charity and the preachers support- 
 ed as their just due." 
 
 Parker remarks on missionary zeal as follows: 
 "If g-reat and warm zeal is to justify the prin- 
 ciple, then surely the worshippers of Jug-g-er- 
 not will claim the preference, while the Mo- 
 hammedans ma}^ lay in their plea, and the per- 
 secutors of the church of Christ have much to 
 hope, .... I wish the mission friends to 
 know that all their zeal, their prayers, their 
 answers to their prayers, and their foregfoing- 
 all the conflicts of life, even if they g-ive them- 
 selves a sacrifice to the mission system, it will 
 never justify the principle or practice unless 
 they have thus saith the word of the Lord for 
 it. For, we are commanded not to be wise 
 above that which is written. We have to ac- 
 knowledge that the gospel has been conducted, 
 directed and supported for neail}' 1800 years 
 without such a plan as the board has pre- 
 scribed." 
 
 Rig'ht here by the use of a striking illustra- 
 tion Parker gives the one intimation of his own 
 idea as to how the gospel should be spread 
 abroad. "I keep thinking of a little anecdote 
 that I once heard. A very homely lad}- under- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 119 
 
 took to dress herself before the grlass and make 
 herself look handsome ; but let her turn herself 
 or her dress as she would, the glass was true 
 and would show her ugly features until she 
 was very much enra.ged and to vent her spite 
 struck a fatal blow at the innocent glass and 
 broke it in pieces and scattered it over the 
 whole house, which made the matter still worse, 
 for then go where she would in the house th(^re 
 was some piece of glass which would still show 
 her ugly features. This, I have thought, most 
 beautifully brings to my view the situation of 
 the saints after the day of Pentecost, when 
 they were embodied together and as a glass 
 all the devil could do in his dissimulations and 
 coming near the gospel light and beauty, by his 
 dressing error as finely as he could. Yet the 
 saints as the glass through which the gospel 
 light did shine and disclose the ugly features 
 of error. The devil got mad, struck the fatal 
 blow through the Pagan persecution, scattered 
 the disciples of Christ through a great many 
 parts of the then known world, and the same 
 may be said by every persecution ever since; but 
 blessed be God there is in a great man}' parts 
 of the world, and even in what we may call the 
 wilderness and frontiers of America, parts of 
 that true glass that will show Satan's ugly 
 features, let him come in whatever shape he 
 pleases, and even if it is among the Baptists, 
 the true church of Christ. And I would as 
 soon think that somehow like this the gospel 
 will get to all nations as anyhow else, as God 
 general!}^ breaks the devil's head with his own 
 weapon." 
 
120 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Under the sixth head or particular objections 
 to the principles and practice of the Board, he 
 says: "My object on this point is to show the 
 moral evil that I see in the mission system, and 
 where it causes our brethren to sin, which is the 
 reason we can have no fellowship with them in 
 the mission spirit, and lays us under the heart- 
 rending- necessity of denying- fellowship with 
 them, while eng-ag^ed in it." 
 
 1st Objection. "It has neither precept nor 
 example to justif3Mt within the two lids of the 
 Bible." 
 
 2nd Objection. The "board have re- 
 belled ag-ainst the king- of Zion, violated the gov- 
 ernment of the g-ospel church and forfeited their 
 rig-ht to the union and broug-ht distress on the 
 church of Christ." 
 
 "(1) They have rebelled ag-ainst the king- of 
 Zion, inasmuch as they have assumed an author- 
 ity that Christ has reserved alone to himself. 
 
 "(2) They have violated the rig-ht of g-overn- 
 ment of the church of Christ in forming- them- 
 selves into a body and acting- without the 
 authority of the union. 
 
 "(3) They have forfeited their right to the 
 union b}^ departing- from the g-ospel plan and 
 the common, constant and constitutional faith 
 and practice of the Baptist Church."* Well, 
 if the authority of gfovernment is in the Church, 
 and the mission society act without it, then 
 they are evidently in disorder and consequently 
 
 * It is worthy of note that Parker in common with others 
 of these early writers gives no intimation that the histori- 
 cal continuity of the Baptists is doubted among them. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 121 
 
 their work is in disorder. The preachers they 
 send, the members they baptize and the 
 churches they constitute, are all in a state of 
 disorder. . . . The}' have violated our govern- 
 ment and thereby forfeited their rig-ht to the 
 Baptist union. . . . Our brethren have left us, 
 we have not left them, therefore we claim the 
 constitutional (grounds, and in such cases the 
 minority can exclude the majority. ' ' 
 
 3rd Objection. ''The mission society applies 
 under the character of religion to the enemies 
 of Christ for help, and therefore casts contempt 
 on his dig-nity. . . Members of these (auxiliary) 
 societies obtain their seats and authority here 
 by paying- their money; and wicked men here 
 have as g-reat a rig-ht as any other by paying- 
 their money, and when my money g-ives me a 
 seat in a religious council, then I say money is 
 the cause of my fellowship." 
 
 4th Objection. "The mission spirit does not 
 appear from my view like the spirit of Christ. 
 It looks like that abomination spoken of by 
 Daniel the Prophet standing- in the holy place; 
 this holy place spoken of or where it oug-ht not 
 to be is evidently the church of Christ. . Alas ! 
 alas ! has the time come when the spirit that 
 moved in the council at the rise of the Popish 
 dominion, that gfave education a seat in relig-ion, 
 and made it-essential to the ministry, has it now 
 g-ot possession of the hearts of some of our dear 
 Baptist brethren — will it prevail ? O, no ! for 
 I verily believe it is one of the flood-gates of 
 hell, and our blessed Lord has said it shall not 
 prevail ag-ainst his church." 
 
122 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 This is practically the conclusion of his ar- 
 gument, although he animadverts with great 
 vehemence ag^ainst those "would-be philanthro- 
 pists" who, while holding Negroes under their 
 own "despotic yoke," send the "products of 
 their labor" to be "lavishly squandered in sup- 
 port of missionaries sent to foreig-n countries 
 seeking opportunities of converting foreign bar- 
 barians." In short, he works the heathen-at- 
 home plea for all it is worth. 
 
 The seventh point is merely a recapitulation 
 of the arguments previously made. He places 
 (after the manner of old men) the golden age of 
 Baptists about "thirty or forty years ago," and 
 laments that it is now scarcely possible, to dis- 
 tinguish preachers from lawyers, when you 
 meet them at the court house. He says, in 
 conclusion, "My mind is yet fruitful, but I must 
 close. . . Remember we are told the love of 
 money is the root of all evil, and to charge them 
 that are rich in this world not to be high- 
 minded; and I hope you will take particular no- 
 tice and don't forget that when Christ found in 
 the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and 
 doves, and them that attended to the table of 
 money changing, that he made a scourge of 
 small chords, and drove them out, and overthrew 
 the table, and charged them of making his 
 father's house a house of merchandise, or a den 
 of thieves. And we have no account that Christ 
 has ever authorized the table of money chang- 
 ing to be set up in his spiritual temple, and we 
 think he will not, as he overthrew it himself; 
 and I hope you will not think hard if Christ 
 should with his scourge of small chords, that 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 123 
 
 he has still left in his temple, drive out all 
 such characters, and overthrow the table. 
 So I hope you will trade no more on sheep and 
 oxen, but consider what I say, and may the 
 Lord gfive thee understanding- in all thing's." 
 Clark County, Illinois, 1820. 
 
124 THE GENESIS OP* 
 
 CHAPTEIR VI. 
 
 ale:xander campbell's attack 
 on missions. 
 
 I. PLAN OF ATTACK. 
 
 1. Like his predecessors in opposing* mis- 
 sions, Campbell does not attack missions per se, 
 but only the mission plan or method. 
 
 (a) ". . as some objects are manifestly g^ood, 
 and the means attempted for their accomplish- 
 ment manifestly evil, speaking" against the 
 means employed, we may be sometimes under- 
 stood as opposing- the object abstractly, espe- 
 cially by those who do not wish to understand, 
 but rather to misrepresent. For instance, that 
 the conversion of the heathen to the Christian 
 relig-ion is an object manifestly g"ood, all Chris- 
 tian will acknowledg-e; yet every one acquainted 
 with the history of the means employed, and of 
 the success attendant on the means, must know 
 that these means have not been blessed; and 
 every intellig^ent Christian must know that 
 many of the means employed have been mani- 
 festly evil. Besides to convert the heathen to 
 the popular Christianity of these times would 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 125 
 
 be an object of no ^reat consequence, as the 
 popular Christians themselves, for the most part 
 require to be converted to the Christianity ot 
 the New Testament."* 
 
 (b) " . . as to the missionary plans, i am 
 constrained to differ from many whom I love 
 and esteem . . . at the same time I am very 
 sorry to think that any man should suppose 
 that I am either regardless of the deplorable 
 condition of the heathen world, or opposed to 
 any means authorized by the New 1 estament 
 for either the civilization or salvation ot those 
 infatuated pagans. But, my dear sir, how can 
 I with the New Testament before my lace, ap- 
 prove the Catholic, the Episcopalian, the Pres- 
 byterian, etc., missionary schemes. Are they 
 not evidently mere sectarian speculations, tor 
 enlarging their sects, and finding appointment 
 for their supernumerary clergy ? Look again 
 at the sums of money squandered at home and 
 abroad under the pretext of converting the 
 world; and again wherein is the heathen world 
 benefited by such conversion ? Is the hand ot 
 the Lord in this business ? Does he work at it 
 . as in days of yore ? Look at our own country— 
 our Indian neighbors and our African bondmen. 
 Are not these, equally, as the Japanese or Bur- 
 mans, objects worthy of our sympathy and re- 
 gard? I do not oppose, intentionally, at least, 
 the scriptural plan of converting the world. 
 My opponents ... do rank me as opposing the 
 means of converting the world, not wishing to 
 
 ♦Christian Baptist, Vol.1 (2nd edition), Preface, pages 
 ix and x. 
 
126 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 discriminate in my case, at least, between per- 
 sons opposing- the abuses of a g^ood cause, and 
 the cause itself. I did contribute my mite and 
 my efforts to the popular missionary cause, until 
 my conscience forbade me from an acquaintance 
 with the abuses of the principle." * 
 
 (c) After quoting- from Buck's Theolog-ical 
 Dictionary, Vol. 1, p. 147, an account of the 
 zeal, earnestness, methods and successes of the 
 Roman Catholics, especially the Jesuits, Camp- 
 bell says: "We all, who call ourselves Protest- 
 ants, hesitate not to say, that these mission- 
 aries, notwithstanding- their zeal, their priva- 
 tions, and their suft'ering-s in the missionary 
 cause, left the heathen no better than they 
 found them; nay, in some instances, they left 
 them much worse. . It may be worthy of the se- 
 rious consideration of many of the zealous advo- 
 cates of the various sectarian missions in our 
 day, whether in a few years, the same thing-s 
 may not be said of their favorite projects 
 which they themselves affirm of the Catholic 
 missions and missionaries. They should also 
 remember that it was once as unpopular and as 
 impious to speak ag-ainst the missionary under- 
 takings of the 'Mother Church' as it can possi- 
 bly be now to even call in question the schemes 
 of any of her daug-hters. It mig-ht not be amiss 
 also to consider, that a Dominican on Jesuit did 
 appeal to the privations and suffering-s of their 
 missionaries as a proof of their sincerity and 
 
 * Christian Baptist, Vol. 1 (2nd edition), p. 208. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 127 
 
 piety, and to their great success, as a proof 
 that the Lord of Hosts was with them." * 
 
 2. These attacks on methods include attacks 
 on Associations, Conventions, Auxiliary Socie- 
 ties and every form of org-anized work. 
 
 (a) Campbell sometimes makes a half-hearted 
 defense of Associations, e. §■., "Christian Bap- 
 tist," Vol. 5, p. 180. In this he seems to al- 
 most hold the Baptist view. 
 
 (b) He strongiy commends the Boone Creek 
 Association of Kentucky for abolishing its con- 
 stitution in 1828. Its powers were to be lim- 
 ited to a voluntary meeting- for the worship of 
 God and the voluntary communication of "the 
 state of religion amongst us by letter and mes- 
 senger." § 
 
 (c) He prints an attack on Baptist Associa- 
 tions by one subscribing himself "A Lover of 
 Truth," whosays,"itis well known thatBaptist 
 Associations exist. The plain, simple question 
 is, are they authorized in the Bible?" After 
 discussing passages of Scripture quoted in favor 
 of Associations, he asks, "in all this where do 
 we find the least feature of a Baptist Associa- 
 tion ? Truly there is no resemblance." He 
 claims that a proper idea of the church leaves 
 no place for an Association. To Campbell he 
 concludes: "You have not put forth one argu- 
 ment in this field of controversy (strictures 
 against Presbyteries, Synods, etc.) which will 
 not apply in all their pointed denunciations 
 against Baptist Associations." 
 
 * Christian Baptist, Vol. 1 (2iid edition), p. 38. 
 + Christian Baptist, Vol. 6, p. 120. 
 
128 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 (d) As to his views on Conventions, the fol- 
 lowing- editorial on "A Circular Letter" will 
 g"ive it with sufficient definiteness: 
 
 A CIRCULAR LETTER 
 
 Appeared in the "Columbian Star" of June 19th, ad- 
 dressed to every Baptist Church in Massachusetts, and 
 signed by Thomas Baldwin, Lucius Boles, N. W. Williams, 
 Jonathan Going-, F. Wayland, jun. recommending as "a 
 good work" the formation of a state convention, to be en- 
 titled, "The Baptist Convention of the State of Massachu- 
 setts." As an inducement to the Churches in Massachu- 
 setts to form such a convention, they are told that similar 
 conventions "are formed and forming" in Connecticut, Ver- 
 mont, Maine, New Hampshire, and New York, besides in 
 several of the southern states. 
 
 Provided three associations concur in the constitution 
 recommended and in the measure as a whole, the first meet- 
 ing is to take place in Boston the last Wednesday in Oc- 
 tober next. It is also proposed under the 10th article of 
 this constitution, that "whenever a general convention 
 formed from state conventions throughout the United 
 States shall be formed or designed, it shall be in the power 
 of this convention to send delegates to such conventions 
 and to instruct them to enter into any arrangements to 
 promote the interests of religion," etc. 
 
 The Baptist churches send three or four delegates or rep- 
 resentatives to the associations. The associations are, ac- 
 cording to this constitution, to send one delegate for every 
 five churches to the state convention, and the state con- 
 vention is to send delegates on some ratio to the general 
 assembly or convention. 
 
 And so we Baptists are to march forth in solid phalanx, 
 "terrible as an army with banners." I would propose an 
 amendment to this plan. I dislike tautology and monot- 
 ony, and would, instead of so many kinds of conventions, 
 move that the names of those highly useful meetings be 
 changed as follows : 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 12*> 
 
 Those councils that are sometimes called churches, let 
 them be cdiUed church sessions. Let the associations be called 
 presbyteries; the state conventions, sytiods; the general con- 
 Tcntion, let it be called the general assembly of the Daptist 
 Church of the United States. Let there be a fund attached 
 to this establishment called the delegate's fund; and let it 
 be en joined at the first meeting of the general convention 
 or the general assembly, that every minister shall dedicate 
 to the Lord every male and female child, born of baptized 
 parents, at any convenient time within forty days after its 
 birth; and let this rife be called spiritual baptism adapted 
 to infants; provided always that the parents are willing to 
 bring their infants to the church to the parson to bless 
 them; and that the parson's hand which shall be laid upon 
 their head shall be duly dry at the time of the imposition. 
 
 Under this arrangement and modification, I think we 
 shall be the most popular and powerful party in the 
 Union; and as for being orthodox, there can be no doubt 
 upon that subject, seeing we shall have the concurrence of 
 the Presbyterian and Congregational brethren, who will 
 assuredly send us annually a few delegates, indicative of 
 their threat good will and high approbation of our charity, 
 liberality and soundness in the faith. I hope we Baptists 
 in the western states will have no conscientious scruples on 
 thepropriety of this" W(?/io«" nor even call into question the 
 '^scripturality" of such a scheme, seeing the New England 
 states and those in the south have said, "Go forward! Keep 
 not back!''' And especially as Jethro in the wilderness ad- 
 vised Moses to appoint captains over tens, captains over 
 fifties, captains over hundreds, and captains over thou- 
 sands. All of which is respectfully submitted to our breth- 
 ren in the East and West by 
 
 The PvDitok. * 
 
 (e) All the vials of his scorn are poured out 
 on some of the devices used to collect missionary 
 
 * Christian Baptist, Vol. 1 (2nd edition.) pp. 229, 230. 
 9 
 
130 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 money, such as missionary wheels, stalls, and 
 boxes, rao- societies, cent societies, etc. 
 
 SURELY there can be no human employment in which so 
 much ing-enuity and fertility of invention are displayed, as 
 the business of spong'ing- the public of their money for mis- 
 sionary purposes. The pittance earned by the sweat of the 
 brow is wrenched from the poor, the harmless rattle, 
 snatched from the hand of the infant — the food arrested on 
 its passage to the mouth of the hungry, the sick are de- 
 prived of their restoratives; and the little enjo3'ments that 
 would serve to eke out the remnant of existence in toler- 
 able ease, are taken from those who are borne down by the 
 weight of years. But this is not enough: it is not sufficient 
 that all classes in society, from the highest to the lowest, 
 should contribute to support the missionary in his luxury, 
 and to dress out the missionary's wife in her extravagance; 
 but the very birds of the air are to be rendered subservient 
 to these worse than useless purposes. The few berries pro- 
 vided for their support by Him, without whose knowledge 
 not a sparrow falleth to the ground, are to be added to the 
 mass of plunder accumulated for the ostensible purpose of 
 "educating the heathen child" but which is r^aZ/jv applied to 
 disseminate the most unreasonable and unnatural sectarian 
 opinions, and to support many a w^orthless person who 
 might be better employed in trailing a wheelbarrow through 
 our streets, or in sweeping our chimneys. A Missionary 
 Stall ! Some old woman to be employed to retail split open 
 melons, and plums and cherries which the birds carry off! 
 Contemptible artifices! is it possible that the Omnipotent 
 Ruler of the Universe, who rides upon the storm and the 
 whirlwind, and holds the mighty waters in the hollow^ of 
 his hand, can have condescended to stake the eternal happi- 
 ness or misery of his creatures upon such paltry contriv- 
 ances: the very thought is sacreligious. 
 
 Reformer* 
 
 * Christian Baptist, Vol. 1 (2nd ed.) pp. 61, 62. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 131 
 
 3. He affects to see in all these missionary 
 efforts dangers to the New Testament form 
 of church g-overnment and tendencies to priestly 
 power and corruption. 
 
 (a) His comparison of methods of the Prot- 
 estant missionary societies with those of 
 Catholic missions (Compare 1, [c,] supra) 
 shows this. 
 
 (b) "We have long considered," says he, 
 "the various societies called Missionary, 
 Bible, Sunday-School and Tract Societies, as 
 great religious engines, fitted and designed for 
 the predominance of the leading sectaries 
 who set themselves agoing, and ultimately 
 tending to a national creed and a religious es- 
 tablishment." 
 
 (c) These attacks on the mission system are 
 combined with his attacks on "the clergy," 
 "the priesthood," including in these terms all 
 ministers except such as have adopted his ideas, 
 "textuaries," etc. His work abounds in slurs 
 representing the missionaries as grasping at 
 money and power. 
 
 (d) His comments on "A Circular Letter" 
 (given under 2, [d] supra) show how he shakes 
 the Romish scarecrow. 
 
 II. POINTS OF ATTACK. 
 
 Alexander Campbell attacks foreign missions 
 by attacking those interests w^hich he sees to 
 be inseparably connected with that cause. 
 
 1. Ministerial Education. Although Camp- 
 bell himself lectured in a Bible College in the 
 
132 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 closing- years of his life,* and althoug-h his pa- 
 per is devoted to giving theological instruction 
 In his own credal ideas, he also raises the hue 
 and cry against Seminaries and Ministerial 
 Education. 
 
 (a) TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-NINE YOUNG 
 CLERGYMEN ON THE WHEEE ! 
 
 The Pittsburg Recorder of November 6th, informs us 
 that fiftj'-four Presbyteries of the General Assembly, re- 
 ported at their last meeting One Hundred and Thirty-two 
 Beneficiaries; that is, poor, pious youth of talents, educat- 
 ed or assisted in obtaining an education by alms of the 
 munificent devotees of the church. It also informs us that 
 the Philadelphia Education Society which holds its annual 
 meeting in the city of New York, existing for five years, 
 is the most powerful institution of the kind in the United 
 States, excepting the American Education Society. Now 
 the Euminary of July last informs us, that at the fifth an- 
 niversary of this Society, one hundred and three young 
 men were reported on its list of beneficiaries. The aggre- 
 gate of the poor pious Presbyterian beneficiaries is TWO 
 HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-NINE. 
 
 What a blessed prosp'^ct opens to this Zion ! Thanks 
 to Mammon for his pious aid to the cause of Heaven! He 
 has come up to the help of the Lord against the Mighty! O, 
 ye mines of silver ! Ye are the streams that make glad the 
 city of our King ! Flow on, ye fountains of pure metal ! 
 Ye veins of grace ! Ye mines of salvation ! Still continue 
 to gladden the hearts of the poor ! Ye can raise them from 
 the dung-hill and set them among princes, even the Priests 
 of Pharaoh! Hail.Zion! thy millennial glory dawns! Blow 
 ye the trumpet, blow! Say unto Zion, TWO HUNDRED 
 AND SEVENTY-NINE YOUNG PRIESTS COME ! Yes, 
 
 *One of my church members used to attend these lec- 
 tures. 
 
AMERICAN AJ^TI-MISSIONISM. 133 
 
 they come, meek and lowly, riding upon the alms of the 
 people, the colt of the asses of Judah. Yes, and TWO 
 HUNDRED MORE MIGHTY MEN, riding- in chariots, 
 come to thine aid ! O Zion ! thy Mammon is thy glory ! ! ! 
 
 EDITOR.* 
 
 (b) The following- is taken from his "Review 
 of a Sermon," preached by the Rev. Gideon 
 Blackburn, D. D.: 
 
 His sermon is intended to proclaim that it is the duty 
 of the church to prepare in her bosom pious youths for 
 the g-ospel ministry. Xow this is really a new message 
 from the skies, for there is aot one word from Genesis to 
 John, which saith that it is the duty of a church to prepare 
 pious youth for the gospel ministry. This point could not 
 be proven from the words of any previous embassador and 
 it is unnecessary for an embassador to prove his own com- 
 munications to be true. But now this reverend embassador 
 informs the world that it is the duty of the church to train 
 young men for the gospel ministry, and of these young 
 men to make presbyters or elders. 
 
 His text, to have been pertinent to his purpose, ought 
 to have read, "When Jesus was ascended to his throne, he 
 gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 
 supernaturally qualified for the work, and in a moment 
 prepared to discharge the duties of their calling — and then 
 gave orders to the churches to train up young men artifi- 
 cially and mechanically, to be their successors in the man- 
 ner hereinafter specified." This text would have suited his 
 subject . . . . f 
 
 (c) The following- query and answer is also 
 in point : 
 
 DID God ever call a man to any work for which he was 
 not fully qualified, and in the performance of which he 
 was not successful ? 
 
 *Christian Baptist, second edition, vol. 1, pp. 98. 
 fChristian Baptist, second edition, Vol. 2, pp. 328, 329. 
 
134 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Ans. — No, if we except the modern preachers at home, 
 and those called missionaries abroad. They say they are 
 specially called, but neither their qualifications nor their 
 success warrant the belief of these professions. With an 
 open Bible in my hand, I must say that God never called a 
 man to any work for which he was not fully qualified and 
 in the performance of which he was not successful.* 
 
 (d) After reciting- facts given by the Ameri- 
 can Education Society to show the necessity of 
 education, he says : 
 
 How very different the course recommerfded by the Re- 
 corder to enlighten the world, and that recommended by 
 the Saviour and his apostles. The scheme of a learned 
 priesthood chiefly composed of beneficiaries, has long 
 since proved itself to be a grand device to keep men in ig- 
 norance and bondage ; a scheme by means of which the 
 people have been shrewdly taught to put out their own 
 eyes, to fetter their own feet, and to bind the yoke upon 
 their own necks. From this iniquitous scheme, a knowl- 
 edge of the New Testament is the only means that can set 
 these people FREE.f 
 
 (e) When the Bishop rests from his labors, the church, 
 of which he had the oversight, by his labors, and by the 
 opportunity afforded all the members of exercising their 
 faculties of communication and inquiry in the public as- 
 sembly, finds within itself others educated and qualified 
 to be appointed to the same good work. The church of 
 the living God is thus independent of theological schools 
 and colleges for its existence, enlargement, comfort, and 
 perfection; for it is itself put in possession of all the means 
 of education and accomplishments, if these means be 
 widely used.:]: 
 
 (f) The Church Missionary Society are about to estab- 
 lish a Seminary for the education of missionaries. The cost 
 
 *Christian Baptist, second edition. Vol. 1, p. 154. 
 fChristian Baptist, Vol. 1, pp. 46, 47. 
 ^Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, p. 206. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 135 
 
 of the premises, buildings, furniture, etc., is expected to 
 amount to nearly ^10,000, or/or/y-ybwr thousand four hun- 
 dred arid forty-four dollars.'"* 
 
 Mr. Campbell evidently considers this a case 
 of wilful waste. 
 
 (g) The present age is an age of new invention, and of 
 rapid growth. D. Ds spring up as by a magic rod, and 
 more especially in this warm climate, where gourds, camp- 
 meetings, theological schools and pumpkins flourish with 
 uncommon rapidity. f 
 
 2. Home JMissions, as well as foreio^n, are 
 attacked. 
 
 (a) Like all anti-missionaries, he seeks to 
 make the needs of the home fields a club with 
 w^hich to destroy foreign missions : 
 
 It is to be hoped that all Christians will turn their at- 
 tention more to good works and to the conversion of those 
 around them, and to the union of all disciples on piimitive 
 grounds, in order that the whole world may be brought 
 under the dominion of th; Root and Offspring of David. 
 The religious communities of this country have long 
 enough indulged in the idea of converting other nations, 
 and have squandered many thousands already, as well as 
 sacrificed many useful lives in the chimerical project of 
 coQverting foreign idolaters, while millions at home de- 
 mand more energies than all now employed to ameliorate 
 their condition, and to accelerate the march of truth on 
 its own high road throughout the earth. "Holy Father, 
 may all that believe on thee through the testimony of the 
 apostles, be one — that the whole world may be converted 
 and persuaded that thou didst send me to be the Saviour 
 of the world!" So spake the Lord Jesus. And who will 
 not say. Amen ! Editor. :|: 
 
 *Christian Baptist, Vol. 2, p. 156. 
 fChristian Baptist, Vol. 2, p. 292. 
 :J;Christian Baptist, Vol. 5, p. 71. 
 
136 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 (b) But he also bitterly attacks the efforts 
 in the home field. 
 
 (1) Thechurches in the East had much better bestow their 
 charities in the support of widows, than send missionaries 
 to the West. Through the help of God we can take care of 
 ourselves. Indeed, the people have little or no confidence 
 in these graduated missionaries, who receive a salary 
 of $400 per annum— ride about the country, and do little or 
 no good to the souls or bodies of their fellow creatures. 
 We care not how many ministers, men who have the fear 
 of God in their hearts, remove to the West. Such we shall 
 g'ive a hearty welcome as fellow laborers in the King- 
 dom.* 
 
 (2) Commenting* on a circular letter sent out 
 by the Cong-regfational Domestic Missionary So- 
 ciety from New Haven, September 16, 1823, 
 and signed by Samuel Merwin, Nathaniel Tay- 
 lor and Timothy Dwig-ht, Mr. Campbell makes 
 the following- criticism : 
 
 You have for your object, 1st, the spread of the gospel 
 only — or 2nd, the accumulation of funds — or 3d, it is a 
 mere policy, and that policy the increase of our sect, and 
 your own ascendency over other sects, and the people. The 
 first you allege is your only motive ; but it is very much 
 doubted. The second you deny but many believe it. But 
 that the third comes in for a principal share in your mo- 
 tive is not only too evident to deny, but is now proved by 
 confessions in the foregoing circular.! 
 
 The full discussion covers pag*es 150-153 in- 
 clusive. 
 
 Other passag-es migfht be cited, some of them 
 containing" his keenest shafts of wit and ridi- 
 cule, but these will doubtless suffice. 
 
 ♦Christian Baptist, Vol. 7, pp. 88, 89. 
 fChristian Baptist, Vol. 1, 152. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 137 
 
 (3) Bible Societies come iu for their share of 
 abuse and criticism at his hands. 
 
 With regard to Bible Societies, they are the most spe- 
 cious and plausible of all the institutions of this age. No 
 man who loves the Bible can refrain from rejoicing at its 
 increasing circulation, but every Christian who under- 
 stands the nature and design, the excellence and glory of 
 the institution called the Church of Jesus Christ, will lament 
 to see its glory transferred to a human corporation. The 
 church is robbed of its character by every institution, 
 merely human, that would ape its excellence and subs' i- 
 tute itself in its place * 
 
 III. METHODS OF ATTACK. 
 
 These have necessarily been shown to some 
 extent in the citations above. It is worthy of 
 note, however, that one of his favorite methods 
 is to harp on the — 
 
 1. Expense of missionary operations as con- 
 trasted with the results accomplished. 
 
 This has been ever a favorite theme with the 
 opponents of missions, but Campbell was en- 
 abled to use it with greater power than any of 
 his successors, because missions were then in 
 their infancy. It was pre-eminently a time of 
 clearino- and breaking ground, of sowing- seed 
 and laying foundation, of planting and water- 
 ing and w^aiting for Ood to give the increase. 
 And during the long years of waiting for even 
 the first convert, when difficulties towered 
 mountain high, and the future was brightened 
 only bv the promist-s of God, how cruelly the 
 enemies at home pressed the question of expense! 
 
 'Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, p. 97. 
 
138 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 (a) A number of the citations given refer to 
 this point as well as to the one under which 
 they were quoted. 
 
 (b) On pag-e 45, volume 1, he quoted from the 
 "Boston Recorder" a list of the educational 
 and missionary societies in Great Britian and 
 America, with the amount of their income. 
 This he follows by scathing" comment and crit- 
 icism on pag'e 45. 
 
 (c) Surely there can be no human employment in which 
 so much ingenuity and fertility of invention are displayed, 
 as the business of sponging- the public out of their money 
 for missionary purposes, etc. (This has been quoted in 
 full under "e" on page 130 supra). 
 
 (d; I have thoug^ht it worth while to copy a^ 
 part of his comment on the expense list of amis- 
 sion station, taken from the sixth annual report 
 of the United Foreig'n Missionary Society, held 
 in New York May 7, 1823 : 
 
 In looking over the expenses of the various stations, we 
 find that the Seneca Mission is indeed, as the "managers" 
 say, "interesting," if expenses can make it so. There are, 
 we believe, seven persons belonging to this mission fami- 
 ly, including the interpreter, (who is a white man in cos- 
 tume of a native), and including the children, nineteen in 
 number The following is a copy of the amount paid to 
 this establishment in one year, ending March 1822, as stat- 
 ed in the secretary's account of moneys paid : 
 
 1821. 
 June 12, By Cash paid Rev. Mr. Harris' draft 
 
 No. 9 $ 776.79 
 
 Do. Thos. Armstrong's draft No. 10. . 45.00 
 Oct. 4, Do. Rev. T. S. Harris and J. Young's 
 
 draft No. 22 648.09 
 
 Do. Thos. Armstrong's draft No. 23.. 45.00 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 139 
 
 Dec. 2, Do. Messrs. Harris and Young's draft 
 
 No. 32 $ 688.12 
 
 Do. Thos. Armstrong-'s draft No. 33. 4500 
 
 1822. 
 
 Feb. 24, Do. Harris and Young's draft No. 43 758.07 
 
 March 1, Do. Thos. Armstrong's draft No. 44 45.00 
 
 $3,051.07 
 
 These several sums were drawn for quarterly by Messrs. 
 Harris and Young, the missionaries at the Seneca Station, 
 and Thomas Armstrong, the interpreter, and amount, as 
 the footing shows, to $3,051.07 for one year's expenses. 
 The same book from which we copy this, states, that the 
 Seneca Mission was commenced in 1811, (of course it has 
 been in operation twelve years), and during the last year a 
 church has been formed, consisting oi four Indian mem- 
 bers. What the expense of this mission was during the 
 first eleven years of its existence, we know not ; but put- 
 ting that out of the account, and taking the expense of the 
 twelfth year only, which is $3,051.07, dividing it by four, 
 the number of Indians who have 'joined the church,' and 
 we have a fraction over $762.76 to each Indian 'brought in.' 
 This, reader, is the account, as it stands in the missionary 
 report, which, of course, must be taken and received as au- 
 thentic. Whether the four who have joined the church are 
 better than before, we are not told — of course we must infer 
 thev are not -for these people always brag of all they 
 have.* 
 
 (e) The sermon on o-oat's milk is too rich and 
 humorous, and too well illustrates Campbell's 
 power of drying- up the fountains of benevolence 
 not to be g-iven in full. This, though first quo- 
 ted here, w^as really his first missile. 
 
 A. SERMON UPON GOATS. 
 
 BY THE REV. MR. M' D, D. D., F. R. S. 
 
 "And thou shall have ^oat' s tnilk enough for thy food, for 
 the food of thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maid- 
 ens."— Prov. xxvii:27. 
 
 ^Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, (2d edition,) p. 79. 
 
140 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 From the days of Origen, in the second century, to the 
 present, it has been fashionable to spiritualize the scrip- 
 tures, and to teach men that they have a meaning- besides 
 what is expressed. Many to this da\ think the scrip- 
 tures have a double sense — what is said and what is meant. 
 A man who could find a spiritual meaning- to Sampson's 
 bee-hive, jaw-bone, and the tails of his three hundred foxes 
 connected with firebrands, could doubtless find a spiritual 
 meaning to our text. What could it be? We will sup- 
 pose it to be this : 
 
 1st. The person addressed tnust mean a minister of 
 modern times, to whom it is said, "And thou shalt have 
 goat's milk enough," &c. 
 
 2d. His household and maidens must signify in the 
 spiritual sense, his family and domestics. 
 
 3d. The goats must mean the non-elect, who are in the 
 end to be eternally miserable, after feeding the minister 
 and his family for life; according to Matthew xxv, &c. 
 
 4th. The goat's milk, in the spiritual sense of the text, 
 which is represented as abundant, must mean the generous 
 and constant support which these ministers, their chil- 
 dren and servants have received from the non-elect, or such 
 as are declared to be of that number, who do so well for 
 their owners here, and who are to be treated so cruelly 
 hereafter. 
 
 We will allow that the first three propositions are so 
 plain that thev need no illustration, and proceed to prove 
 the truth of the fourth particular — " Thou shalt have goafs 
 milk enough.''^ It is a fact beyond all dispute, that those 
 who are considered the unconverted or non elect are gen- 
 erally depended on for the support of such as have for 
 years been considered ministers of the gospel. The meet- 
 ing houses are chieflv^ built with the money which belongs to 
 such as are denominated goats; and were it not for this 
 part of the people, what a poor condition the sheep would 
 be in! It is a curiosity the manner in which the goat's milk 
 is obtained. Money is wanted to make the parson a life- 
 member of the Bible Society. The goats must be milked — 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 141 
 
 and soon the ladies produce the money. A pious young man 
 presents himself asone called to the ministry, but is not able 
 to obtain an honorable education at Princeton, Providence ox 
 Cambridge. Milk the goats is the next step. Men, women 
 and children are called, and the help is stripped from them, 
 and the pious young men have ''■goats milk enough." 
 
 Missionaries are needed among the heathen in Vermont, 
 Maine and Rhode Island. The goats are milked again and 
 the missionaries spread their fame in all directions. A broth- 
 er clergyman is dismissed "because no man hath hired him;" 
 the goats are milked, and he is on a mission at twenty or 
 fifty dollars per month. A mission is agreed on to Asia, 
 and the goats are resorted to support the friends for 
 twenty-four years. At last this fails, and what next? Mr. 
 Ward appears, and tells the owners of the goats that noth- 
 ing can be done unless a college is built in Asia, and some 
 of the natives made ministers. The goats are called up and 
 ten thousand dollars are collected. The goats are left to 
 feed on the high hills until another milking time returns, 
 when their empty pails are again presented, to be replen- 
 ished from the same source. 
 
 These milking vessels are placed wherever the goats 
 are likely to resort — as in the bureau, on the merchant's 
 counter, in the museum— ior the purpose of milking out the 
 abundance of these milch kine. They have drawn from 
 the goats money, hats, shoes, stockings, shirts and gowns; 
 sweetmeats and other luxuries ; with missionary fields, 
 corn, potatoes, cabbages, pumpkins, &c. 
 
 All these things have been done, in addition to strip- 
 ping for watch seals and the estates of old bachelors and 
 maids when death shall put an end to their wants. Accord- 
 ing to the modern pulpit doctrine, these poor goats are 
 to be rewarded for all their milk, (no good for the elect.) 
 with a portion with the devils and damned souls in eternal 
 misery, where they shall see the ''very elccf,''^ who are fed 
 upon their milk, and by it nourished and prepared for 
 glory everlasting.* 
 
 ♦Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, (2nd edition,) pp. 18-20. 
 
142 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Not only, however, were the missionaries 
 charg-ed with extra vag-ance, but with 
 
 2. Corruption, embezzlement, dishonesty, 
 speculation and stealing. 
 
 (a) In an open letter addressed to "Mr. Rob- 
 ert Cautious," he says :" 
 
 Oar o'ojectioas to the tnissionary plan originated from 
 the conviction that it is unauthorized in the New Testa- 
 ment and that, in many instances, it is a system of iniqui- 
 tous peculation and speculation. I feel perfectly able to 
 maintain both the one and the other of these positions. 
 
 He then adduces as proof the instance of a 
 missionary who received forty dollars for four 
 sermons preached in Pittsburg. 
 
 (b) He relates the pleasing incident of a missionary sent 
 from Connecticut to Ohio, who made a successful specu- 
 lation and who, on being asked a few years later by a 
 magistrate "which was the most pleasant employment, to 
 preach the gospel as a missionary, or to engage in land 
 speculations?'''' replied, "D— n the preaching &o long as I can 
 make more money by speculation. " 
 
 Campbell seems to be ashamed of publishing- 
 this and warns his readers that : "'To deduce a 
 g"eneral conclusion from particular occurrences 
 is very bad log^ic." Still his publication of the 
 incident, which he claims to be of undoubted 
 authenticity, could have no other object or ef- 
 fect than to arouse prejudice against missions. 
 But he makes a far more serious charg-e against 
 the Serampore missionaries. I append the ar- 
 ticle in full and the editor's apology for letting" 
 it appear : 
 
 (c) SERAMPORE MISSIONARIES.— The Baptist Mis- 
 sionary Society in England has at leneth broke silence on 
 
 *Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, (2nd edition,) p. 149. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 143 
 
 the subject of the missionaries at Serainpore, and in their 
 Magazine for July last undisguisedly express their sur- 
 prise, concern and dissatisfaction at the proceedings at 
 that place. The Baptist Missionary Society in England 
 who sent out these very inissionaries, are, in fact, as we 
 stated some years ago, cut off" from all participation in the 
 property and in the management of the concerns at Seram- 
 pore. The immense property at that place is wholly in the 
 possession and under the control r>f the Serarapore mis- 
 sionaries; and this event was brought about, or rather this 
 seizure of the property was made at the very time when 
 the Baptist Missionary Society in England had no other idea 
 but that these missionaries were acting merely as trustees 
 forthe society in England. These great men must now be 
 wealthy enough. The ten thousand dollars obtained in this 
 country a few years ago must add something to their funds, 
 and might serve to show, we should suppose, the folly of 
 giving money to missionary beggars under the pretence of 
 converting the heathen. How many other "pious" and 
 "renowned" missionaries will play as successful a game as 
 those at Serampore, time must show. We hope the editor 
 of the New York Commercial Advertiser, on seeing the 
 statement made by the Baptist Missionary Society in Eng- 
 land, will recall some of his abusive epithets against us 
 for publishing only the truth, and that of such a kind as 
 the public were entitled to know. 
 
 It seems from the statement g ven, that since the seizure 
 of the property at Serampore, the London Baptist Mission- 
 ary Society has used every effort to obtain some participa- 
 tion in the property or in the management of the concerns 
 at Serampore. But while the Serampore missionaries 
 hare all along been calling on the society in England for 
 money, and have actually obtained considerable sums, 
 they have been exceedingly vigilant and careful not to al- 
 low the society in England the least right, title or author- 
 ity with respect to anything at Serampore. Such a state 
 of things could not long be endured. During Dr. Marsh- 
 man's last visit to England, it was proposed as a last re- 
 
144 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 sort by the London Society, for"Doctors" Carey and Marsh- 
 man to have the whole management of things at Seram- 
 pore daring their lives, reserving to the society only the 
 nO)nination of their successors. "The consideration of this 
 proposal," say the committee of the London Society, "and 
 the general subject, occupied several days of most anxious 
 deliberation, and repeated efforts were made to prevent 
 the painful issue to which the discussions were apparently 
 tending. But as every proposal made by the committee 
 was declined by Mr. Marshman, they were constrained to 
 yield to a separation, which their present communications 
 with Dr. Marshman convinced them had actually been 
 made, and which it was manifestly determined to main- 
 tain. The committee were fully aware of the unfavorable 
 impression which might be produced, and deeply sympa- 
 thized in the painful feelings which the event might occa- 
 sion ; but they also felt that they could not consistentlj 
 continue to vote the funds with w^hich they were entrusted 
 to a body asserting entire indt-pendence." 
 
 It is not likely that the Serampore missionaries will 
 be able to get any more money from the Baptists in Eng- 
 land. They are rich enough without it, and live more in 
 the style of princes than humble missionaries of Christ. 
 If such has been the termination of those who first engaged 
 in modern missionary enterprises, and whose praises have 
 been sounded over the four quarters of the globe, what can 
 be expected of those who have succeeded them since mis- 
 sionary undertakings have become more popular, and 
 whose motives consequently for engaging in them are 
 more questionable. 
 
 REFORMER. 
 
 (I never was opposed, in principle or practice, to any 
 scriptural means of converting the heathen. I expressed 
 many doubts in the first volume of this work on the pro- 
 priety and utility of modern missionary schemes. I have 
 said little on this subject for the last three years, hut I 
 have thought a good deal upon the subject. I yet cannot 
 flatter myself into any sanguine expectations from all 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 145 
 
 these devices. I take no pleasure in recording such disas- 
 ters as the above ; but I could not do justice to the signs 
 of the times unless I gave the above extract. I make not 
 such incidentals, however, a test of truth, nor do I op- 
 pose the modern devices because of such mismanage- 
 
 "^""^•^ Ed. C. B. 
 
 But the greatest weapon of Mr. Campbell's 
 attack was his 
 
 (3) Terrific Power of Ridicule. 
 
 (a) Compare his accounts of means of raising 
 money and his sermon on goat's milk already- 
 quoted. 
 
 (b) His interlarded comments on an article 
 copied by The Reformer from The Watchman 
 on "Madagascar" are rich with humor and 
 bristling with satire. It is too long to quote 
 here. 
 
 (c) His burlesque of the ordination of the 
 "Missionaries toBurmah" is too excruciatingly 
 funny and was too effective not to be repub- 
 lished. 
 
 From the Latter Day Luminary, July, 1823. 
 
 MISSIONARIES TO BURMAH. 
 On Wednesday, the llth of June, at Utica, New York, 
 the Rev. Jonathan Wade and his consort were set apart as 
 missionaries to the Burman Empire, by a Committee of 
 the Board of Managers of the Baptist General Convention. 
 An interesting sermon was delivered on the occasion by the 
 Rev. Nathaniel Kendrick from II Timothy 2 :10— " Therefore 
 I endure all things for the elects' sake, that they also may at- 
 tain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." 
 Rev. Alfred Bennett led in offering up the consecrating 
 prayer. Rev. Daniel Hascall gave Mr. Wade an appropri- 
 ate charge, and the Rev. Joel W. Clark gave him the right 
 hand of fellowship, "/Aa/ he should go to the heathen.'' Rev. 
 10 
 
146 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 John Peck addressed Mrs. Wade, and Rev. Elon Gahisha 
 gave her the right hand of fellowship. Rev. Elijah F. Wil- 
 ley offered the concluding prayer. The services were per- 
 fornxed in Rev. Mr. Atkin's meeting house. The day was 
 fine, and the assemblage was very large, and proved by 
 their fixed and silent attention to the services, how much 
 they felt for the world that lieth in wickedness ; and by a 
 collection of $86.23 taken on the spot, they showed a wil- 
 lingness to share in the pleasure and expense of spreading 
 the gospel in all the earth. 
 
 Mr. Wade is a young man, and a native of the State of 
 New York. He received his classical and theological edu- 
 cation in the theological seminary at Hamilton. He ap- 
 peared before the committee a man of good sense, of ar- 
 dent piety, and understandingly led by the Spirit of God to 
 the work in which he has now engaged. Mrs. Wade is from 
 a respectable family in Hamilton, Madison county--daugh- 
 ter of Deacon Lapham. Her early piety and active zeal in 
 the cause of her Redeemer, has encouraged the hope that 
 she will be eminently useful in the cause of missions with 
 her husband. 
 
 Note by the Editor : — How accordant is the language 
 and spirit of the above to the following passage from the 
 13th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles : "On Wednesday 
 the 11th of June, A. D., '44, the Rev. Saulus PaulHsa.r\di the 
 Kev. Joses Barnabas were set apart as missionaries to the 
 Gentiles dispersed throughout the world, by a committee 
 of the Board of Managers of the Baptist General Conven- 
 tion, met in the city of Antioch. An interesting sermon 
 was delivered on the occasion by the Rev. Simon Niger, 
 from Isaiah 42:4 — '■'The isles shall wait for his law." The 
 Rev. Lucius of Cyrene, led in offering up the consecrating 
 prayer. Rev. Manaen gave Mr. Paulus and his compan- 
 ion (Mr. Barnabas) an appropriate charge, and the Rev. 
 John Mark gave them ihe right hand of fellowship, "'that 
 they should go to the heathen." The Rev. Lucius of Cy- 
 rene offered up the concluding prayer. The services were 
 performed ia the Rev. Mr. Simon Niger's meeting house. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 147 
 
 The day was fine, and the assemblage was very large, and 
 proved bv their fixed and silent attention to the services, 
 how much they felt for the world that lieth in wickedness; 
 and by a collection of S86.25, they showed a willingness to 
 aid the Rev. Mr. Paul and the Rex. Mr. Barnabas in carry- 
 ing the gospel to the heathen. 
 
 Mr. Paulus is a young man, and a native of the city of 
 Tarsus ; he received his classical and theological education 
 in the theological seminary in Jerusalem. He appeared be- 
 fore the committee a man of good sense, of ardent piety, and 
 understandingly led by the Spirit of God to the work in 
 
 which he has now engaged. 
 
 It is thenplain that the above notification is just in the 
 
 spirit and style of this passage from the 13th chapter of 
 the Acts. But in the common translation the original loses 
 much of its aptitude and beauty, for lo ! it reads thus: 
 "Now there was in the Church that was at Antioch certain 
 prophets and teachers ; as Barnabas, and Simon that was 
 called Niger, and Lucius of Gyrene, and Manaen which had 
 been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As 
 they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost 
 said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where- 
 unto I have called them. And when they had fasted and 
 prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them 
 
 away. 
 
 It is much to be desired that the Baptists in the West- 
 ern country will not imitate these precedents of pompous 
 vanity, so consecrated in the east ; and that they will rath- 
 er cherish the spirit and copy the style of that nnu h de- 
 spised little volume ca led the New Testament. Then we 
 know thev will remember that it is spoken by our Lord,''B^ 
 not called Rabbi r or Reverend. Then they will confess 
 that many things of high reputation in this age are an 
 abomination in the sight ol God.* 
 
 Ridicule is the hardest thing- in the world to 
 answer. Witness the popularity of Voltaire, 
 
 •Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, pp. 43-4-5. 
 
148 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Ing-ersoU and other infidels. Alexander Camp- 
 bell found it a weapon no less effective ag-ainst 
 the truth than did Voltaire, or than Ing-ersoU 
 has since that time. It is a weapon mig^hty to 
 the pulling- down of strong-holds, but as Eli 
 Perkins justly claims in his "Philosophy of 
 Wit and Humor," it is a weapon only used 
 ag'ainst truth. 
 
 IV. 
 
 It will have been noticed by the most casual 
 reader that Campbell always claims to be in 
 favor of what he considered New Testament 
 missions. Let us now see what he considers 
 necessary to a missionary movement on New 
 Testament plans: 
 
 1. Christian Unity is made a condition pre- 
 cedent to missionary endeavor. 
 
 (a) In the preface to Vol. I, pag-e 10 of 
 "Christian Baptist," he says : "To convert 
 the heathen to the popular Christianity of 
 these times would be an object of no great con- 
 sequence, as the popular Christians themselves, 
 for the most part, require to be converted to 
 the Christianity of the New Testament." 
 
 (b) Ag-ain, on page 70 of Vol. II, "Christian 
 Baptist," he states this position with such un- 
 equivocal clearness that it is impossible to be 
 misunderstood. 
 
 But the conversion of the world is planned and ordered 
 by the will of heaven to be dependent on the unity of the 
 disciples, as well as this unity dependent upon the apostles' 
 testimcny. An attempt to convert pagans and Mohame- 
 tans to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and the sentoi 
 the Father, until Christians are united, is also an attempt 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 149 
 
 to frustrate the power of the Messiah, to subvert his throne 
 and government. There are unalterable laws in the moral 
 world as in the natural. There are also unalterable laws 
 in the government of the moral and religious world, as in 
 the government of the natural. Those laws cannot, by hu- 
 man interference, be set aside or frustrated — we might as 
 reasonably expect that Indian corn will grow in the open 
 fields in the midst of the frost and snows of winter, as that 
 pagan nations can be converted to Jesus Christ till Christ- 
 ians are united through the belief of the apostles' testimony 
 We may force corn to grow by artificial means in the depth 
 of winter, but it is not like the corn of August. So may a 
 few disciples be made in pagan lands by such means in the 
 moral empire as those by which corn is made to grow in 
 winter in the natural empire, but they are not like the disci- 
 ples of primitive times before sectarian creeds came into 
 being. It is enough to say, on this topic, that the Saviour 
 made the unify of the disciples essential to the conviction 
 of the world; and he that attempts it independent of this 
 essential, sets himself against the wisdom and plans of 
 heaven, and aims at overruling the dominion and govern- 
 ment of the Great King." 
 
 2. He maintains that the missionaries must 
 be endowed with power to work miracles. This 
 view he fully sets forth in an article in the first 
 volume of the "Christian Baptist," entitled 
 "The Capital Mistake of Modern Missionary 
 Schemes." This article is too long- to quote in 
 full, but the following- copious extracts are 
 g"iven: 
 
 In order that this (i. e. the capital mistake of modern 
 missionary schemes,) may appear as plain as possible, we 
 shall take a brief view of the two grand missions insti- 
 tuted by God. The first was that of Moses and Joshua. 
 Moses was the great apostle from God to the Israelites in 
 Egypt.. . .Vfter forty years (in Midian) the Lord appeared 
 to him and commissioned him as his missionary to Egypt. 
 
150 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Moses from his own experience on a former occasion, dis- 
 covered that something- more was necessary to his success 
 than good professions and good speeches; he, therefore, an- 
 swered and said, "But behold they will not believe in me, 
 nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, the Lord hath 
 not appeared anto thee." The LK)rd immediately authorized 
 and empowered him to work miracles. He now^ goes forth, 
 in conjunction with his brother Aaron, clothed with proper 
 authority, confirming his testimony with signs and won- 
 ders, and effects the deliverance of the Israelites from ig- 
 norance and bondage. . . He brought them out, after he had 
 shewn wonders and sigtis in, the land of Egyptjand in the 
 Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. . . . Signs and 
 wonders accompanied the ministry of Joshua until he placed 
 the tribes of Israel in their own land and divided it to them 
 by lot. . . Without pausing on the mission of John the Bap- 
 tist to introduce the Christian era, which was also authen- 
 ticated by signs and wonders attendant on his conception 
 and birth, and which were noised abroad throughout all 
 Judea, whereby his testimony was confirmed unto the peo- 
 ple; we proceed to the second in order of time, but in fact 
 the first grand mission to which all others were subservi- 
 ent; we mean the Father sending his own Son into the 
 world as his great apostle or missionary and the Son's 
 sending his missionaries to perfect this grand mission. 
 We need not stop here to show that signs and wonders ac- 
 companied his preaching, as every Christian, on the evi- 
 dence of these signs and wonders, receives him as God's 
 Messiah, the Saviour of the world. But how did he send 
 forth his missionaries ? . . . "Jesus called unto him his 
 twelve disciples, and gave them power against unclean 
 spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness 
 and disease." These he commanded to go to the lost sheep 
 of the house of Israel, and to preach the approaching reign 
 of heaven, and to confirm it by miracles, "heal the sick, 
 cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely 
 ye have received, freely give." The seventy disciples who 
 were sent out by the Messiah to go before his face. . were 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. I5l 
 
 sent in the same manner, empowered to confirm their tes- 
 timony by signs and wonders. See Luke 10. The apostles 
 in the last commission, were sent to all the -world; but were 
 prohibited, in the accompanying^ instructions, from com- 
 mencing their operations, until they should be endued with 
 a power from on high. Thus all the missionaries sent from 
 heaven, were authorized and empowered to confirm their 
 doctrines with signs and wonders sufficient to awe opposi- 
 tion, to subdue the deepest rooted prejudices, and to sat- 
 isfy the most inquisitive of the origin of their doctrine. 
 After Pentecost their powers were enlarged and new signs 
 added. . . Those spiritual gifts continued until the gospel 
 was preached to all the world, Jews and Gentiles, and until 
 churches were planted in all nations. Then they ceased. 
 Why ? Doubtless, because in the eyes of Omniscience, thev 
 were no longer necessary. The missionary work was done. 
 The gospel had been preached unto all nations before the 
 end of the apostolic age. The Bible, then, gives us no idea 
 of a missionary without the power of working miracles. 
 Miracles and missionaries are inseparably connected in the 
 New Testament. . . From these plain and obvious factsand 
 considerations, it is evident that it is a capital mistake to 
 suppose that missionaries in heathen lands, without the 
 power of working miracles, can succeed in establishing the 
 Christian religion. If it was necessary for the first mis- 
 sionaries to possess them, it is as necessary for those of our 
 time who go to pagan lands to possess them. . . Is then, the 
 attempt to convert the heathen by means of modern mis- 
 sionaries, an unauthorized and a hopeless one ? It seems 
 to be unauthorized, and, if so, then it is a hopeless one. 
 
 V. Campbell's missionary scheme. 
 
 This is presented in lang-uag-e of exquisite 
 beauty, althougfh he makes no attempt to carry 
 out his own sug-g-estion or to put in operation 
 forces that will carry it out. His plan is to 
 transport an entire church to some heathen land, 
 
152 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 where purely by the force of their example they 
 would convert the surrounding heathen to 
 Christ. 
 
 The New Testament. . . teaches us that the association 
 called the church of Jesus Christ, is in propria forma, the 
 only institution of God left on earth to illuminate and re- 
 form the world. . . When spiritual men, i. e. men having 
 spiritual gifts, or as now termed, miraculous gifts, were 
 withdrawn, this institution was left on earth, as the grand 
 scheme of heaven, to enlighten and reform the world. . . . 
 The church of the living God is therefore styled the pillar 
 and support of the truth. The Christian religion is a social 
 religion, and can be exhibited to the full conviction of the 
 world, only when it appears in this social character. 
 
 He then shows how the apostles formed the 
 church and left it by its doctrine and example 
 to Christianize the world. But men's ignorance 
 and ambition have been such that they have 
 perverted the New Testament simplicity so 
 that Campbell can say to them: 
 
 The Christian name has been through your crimes blas- 
 phemed among the heathen. . . .Yes, indeed, so blasphemed 
 so disgraced, so vilified, that amongst those pagans that 
 have heard of it, the term Christian denotes everything 
 that is hateful and impious. Consequently there can be no 
 hope for the conversion of the pagan nations until the 
 Christians return to the ancient model delineated in the 
 New Testament; and until they keep the ordinances as de- 
 livered to them by the apostles. . . Then suppose a Christian 
 church were to be placed on the confines of a heathen land, 
 as some of them must inevitably be, the darkness of pa- 
 ganism will serve, as a shade in a picture, to exhibit the 
 lustre of Christianity. . . If in the present day and among, 
 those who talk so much of a missionary spirit, there could 
 be found such a society, though it were composed of but 
 twenty willing to emigrate to some heathen land, where 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 153 
 
 they would support themselves like the natives, wear the 
 same garb, adopt the countr3' as their own, and profess 
 nothing- like the missionary project; should such a society 
 sit down and hold forth in word and deed the saving truth, 
 not deriding the gods nor the religion of the natives, but 
 allowing their own works and example to speak for their 
 religion, and practicing as aboTe hinted; we are persuaded 
 that, in process of time, a more solid foundation for the 
 conversion ot the natives would be laid, and more actual 
 success resulting, than from all the missionaries employed 
 for twenty-five years. ... * 
 
 (1) It is seen that this plan assumes — 
 
 (a) That the g-ospel was preached to all the 
 world in the first century. 
 
 (b) That this exhausts the great Commission, 
 as is proved'by the cessation of miraculous gifts. 
 This is the fundamental hardshell position. 
 
 (c) That now, oiily the church and not the 
 individual can eng^ag-e in missionary activity and 
 the church can engage in it only by example. 
 
 (2) This position ignores — 
 
 (a) The obligation to successive genera- 
 tions. 
 
 (b) The fact that "John (the Baptist) did no 
 miracle." 
 
 (c) The influence of the Bible as a mission- 
 ary agent. 
 
 (d) The command to Tinioth}-, "to do the 
 work of an evangelist." 
 
 In short, while claiming the necessity of fol- 
 lowing the New Testament, it demands a dif- 
 ferent method of procedure now for converting 
 the world than was used then. That was ad- 
 
 ♦Christian Baptist, Vol. 1, (2nd edition) pp. 41-43. 
 
154 THB GENESIS OF 
 
 mittedly done by individuals as well as churches. 
 But it is demanded that this be done by 
 churches only. 
 
 The effect of such an evasion of duty and of 
 such attacks as he made on those who were 
 attempting- something for Christ and the lost 
 world, can be briefly, but clearly, shown by 
 extracts from a letter of remonstrance ad- 
 dressed to Campbell and published by him in 
 the "Christian Baptist." The sig^nature is 
 not printed. 
 
 "... I regret exceedingly the opposition yoi» have made 
 to the missionary and Bible Society cause. It has greatly 
 injured your usefulness and put into the hands of your Pai- 
 do-Bxptist opposers a weapon to break the heads of the 
 Baptists. . . My dear sir, you have be^un wrong if your ob- 
 ject is reformation. Never attack the principle which multi- 
 plies the number of Bibles, or which promotes the preaching 
 of the gospel or the support of it, if you desire Christian- 
 ity to prevail. As I informed you when here, I repeat it 
 again, your opposition to a preached gospel, to the preach" 
 ers and Bible societies, secure to you the concurrence of the 
 covetous, the ignorant, the prayerless and Christless Chris- 
 tians. Should they have had any religion, they cease to 
 enjov it as soon as they embrace your views; at the same 
 time you wound the hearts of the zealous and devout 
 Christians. These are not the expressions of one who has 
 an interest in defending the "Kingdom of the clergy," or 
 the hireling system, but of one who, like yourself, has been 
 providentially thrown into the possession of a competenc}' 
 of the good things of this world. I am as much as you 
 can be for the correction of all errors, but in making the 
 correction, or in aiming at it — spare, I beseech you, the 
 grand means that God has employed and is still using for 
 extending Christ's kingdom — I mean a preached gospel. 
 I agree with you in the use and operation of every other 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 155 
 
 mean in its proper place ; but I must insist on is, that the 
 preaching- of the gospel is a most powerful one. . . 
 
 I am yours etc., * 
 
 All the quotations g-iven from Mr. Campbell 
 have been taken from his writings while he still 
 claimed to be a Baptist and f^fave his paper that 
 name. 
 
 ♦Christian Baptist, Vol. 50, (2nd edition), pp. 204, 205. 
 
156 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 CHAPTEIR VII 
 
 PROGRESS AND SPIRIT OF OPPOSI- 
 TION TO MISSIONS. 
 
 The stream of anti-mission sentiment can be 
 traced back to the source already mentioned, 
 i. e., the writing-s and influence of Daniel Par- 
 ker and Alexander Campbell. Daniel Parker's 
 influence has been ofreat in southern Illinois, 
 Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, especially 
 in the last named State. He sometimes made 
 lono" journeys at his own expense to figfht in 
 church and association the mission cause. In 
 reference to the efi^ects of Mr. Campbell's 
 teachin(>-, I can «-ive no better idea than to 
 quote Dr. Spencer, who alone among- Baptist 
 historians has recoo-nized the tremendous part 
 played b}' Mr. Campbell in this arena. * 
 
 The effects of these teachings were felt as far as the 
 ^'Christian Baptist" was circulated, and nowhere more than 
 among- Baptists of Kentucky. The preachers who had hith- 
 erto received but a small pittance from their charges, were 
 further reduced in their resources of living. The friends 
 of education were discouraged in their endeavors to erect 
 a coUe^-e. The Baptisfe Missionary societies, that started 
 
 * Dr. Spencer is my chief authority for all matters relating 
 to Kentucky. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. l57 
 
 under such auspicious circumstances, were dwarfed, and 
 ultimately perished. The ministers were brought into dis- 
 repute among^ those who most needed the restraints of 
 their teaching, and practical benevolence was well nigh de- 
 stroyed in the churches, at least, so far as any effort to 
 spread a knowledge of the gospel was concerned. It re- 
 quired the labors of thirty years to bring the Baptist 
 churches of Kentucky up to the standard of Christian be- 
 ncTolence, to which they had attained in 1816, and a con- 
 siderable fraction of them continued their downward 
 course, in this respect, thirty years longer.* 
 
 Prior to 1830, the Licking- Association of 
 Kentucky adopted the policy of Mr. Campbell 
 in regard to missions, benevolent societies and 
 theolog-ical education, 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 
 newdenomination. In Kentuck3% 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 regard to missionary operations, Bible 
 distribution and theological education from join- 
 ing his "Disciples." These were left among 
 the Baptists to cause yet further division. The 
 anti-missionaries thus left behind w^ere not 
 agreed among themselves. The larger element, 
 
 *Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists, Vol. 1, pp. 593» 
 594. 
 
158 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 represented by Licking-, Red River and other 
 Associations, was decidedly antinomian in its 
 doctrine. This antinomian faction was itself di- 
 vided on the Two-Seeds doctrine of Parker and 
 afterward on thq resurrection. The other divi- 
 sion of the anti-missionaries followed Dr. Andrew 
 Fuller's interpretation of the doctrines of grace, 
 but "opposed all human societies" for carrying 
 the gospel. The number of these anti-mission- 
 aries 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 1831 
 efforts were revived to have a "General Meet- 
 ing." Dr. Noel was the chief mover in this enter- 
 prise. It was, of course, bitterly opposed by the 
 anti-missionaries; but on December 11, 1831, a so- 
 ciety of 153 members was formed at Frankfort, 
 Kentucky, styled "The Frankfort Association, 
 auxiliary' to the Kentucky Baptist Convention 
 (expected to be instituted)." This resulted in 
 the organization of the Kentucky Baptist State 
 Convention at Bardstown, March 29th, 1832. 
 The attempt of this body to defend a theory of 
 subordination in the ministry, or episcopacy, 
 enabled the anti-missionaries to destroy it. 
 Their success in this matter encouraged them 
 in their intolerance so that the friends of benev- 
 olent societies soon came to regard themselves 
 as fortunate if they could effect a compromise 
 in the churches and associations of Kentucky 
 on the ground that giving, or not giving, shall 
 be no bar to fellowship. This statement is 
 still found in many old church and associational 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 159 
 
 records. For the next ten years, i. e., until 1840, 
 the anti-missionaries flourished as theg^reen bay- 
 tree and succeeded in having- a number of breth- 
 ren and preachers excluded from their churches 
 for g"iving" to or advocating" the claims of mis- 
 sions. The org"anization of the Baptist General 
 Association brought the matter to a crisis. 
 This body v^'as organized in 1837. The enemies 
 of the General Association in both churches and 
 district associations forced the matter to a vote 
 and either excluded the missionaries, if they had 
 a majority, or, if not, went off and set up house- 
 keeping- for themselves, under the designations 
 of ''Old," "Old School," "Primitive," "Pre- 
 destinarian," "Original," "Particular," "Reg- 
 ular," and in one small association, "Anti- 
 Missionary." To all of these terms the}^ affixed 
 the word "Baptist." These all continued the 
 same attack in the same spirit, renewing the 
 onslaught with fearful bitterness during the 
 financial panic of 1842. The division was com- 
 plete by the year 1850. The anti-missionary 
 faction had all along opposed protracted meet- 
 ings and all other efforts to bring sinners to 
 Christ, and hence, have never since the time 
 of their separation, enjoyed a revival of any 
 considerable extent. Spencer gives these sta- 
 tistics for the year 1850: 
 
 The anti-missionaries had g-athered themselves into 
 twenty-five small associations, embracing 266 churches 
 and 9,476 members. Of these, about three-fourths did not 
 differ from the Missionary Baptists, except in the single 
 item of forming and contributing to benevolent societies. 
 The other fourth were pretty evenly divided into Two- 
 Seeders, Hyper-Calvinists, and Anti-Resurrectionists. The 
 
160 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 main body of the denomination comprised forty three 
 associations, 757 churches, and 65,489 members. There were 
 at this period in Kentucky, altogether, 68 Baptist associa- 
 tions, comprising 1,023 churches and 74,965 members. * 
 
 I have not been able to secure a complete His- 
 tory of this period among the Baptists of North 
 Carolina, although the anti-missionary spirit 
 was quite strong there, and seems to have 
 spread into that State from Tennessee and 
 Kentucky. It is certain that Mr. Campbell's 
 anti-missionary followers early organized 
 themselves there. The following letter or rather 
 extract from a letter was printed in "The 
 Christian Baptist" of December 4th, 1826 : 
 
 I have before me a letter received from a Baptist preach- 
 er in Wake county, North Carolina, staling that nine 
 churches of the Raleigh Baptist Association, have rent 
 themselves from that association in consequence of the an- 
 noyance they have met with from missionary schemes and 
 missionary beggars. They call themselves the "Reformed 
 Baptist Churches." I also saw a few day s since a respect- 
 able Baptist preacher from the Neuse Baptist Association, 
 who stated that he thought there were as many as fifteen 
 churches in that association, ready to separate from the 
 association for the same reasons. He also stated that one 
 church in the Kehukee Association had pointedly declared 
 against the missionary and money-begging system. t 
 
 As a general rule, however, the hyper-Cal- 
 vinism of the anti-missionaries in North Caro- 
 lina was enough stronger than their hatred of 
 human organizations for spreading the gospel, 
 to hold them in the Baptist ranks until some 
 
 *Spencer : History of Kentucky Baptists, pp. 694, 695. 
 f Requoted from Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists, 
 p. 609. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 161 
 
 years after the Campbellite split. The same 
 Ltoleratice was displayed there as m l^^J^^^^^Y^ 
 necessitating finally the same division, a though 
 the missionaries bore long and patiently with 
 the violence and unfairness of their anti-mis- 
 sionary brethren. The formation of the^oith 
 Carolina State Convention was effected by a 
 comparatively small number of the missionary 
 brethren, but eventually captured the State for 
 the missionary cause. 
 
 In Alabama the story is much the same. 
 The following quotation from Hosea Ho combe, 
 warning the Alabama Baptists from following 
 the example of the North Carolina anti-mis- 
 sionary brethren, is a sufficient indication that 
 Campbells' influence against missions was telt 
 in Alabama also: 
 
 Is it for Baptists then to oppose missions, to decry the 
 Bible and tract societies, to proscribe colleges and theolog- 
 ical seminaries ? Baptists of all men in the world onght to 
 be foremost in these enterprises. Everything -^ich con- 
 tributes to spread li^ht among mankind will hasten the tri- 
 umph of our principles. It is a source of surprise and sor- 
 Tw that there are men who call themselves Baptists, and 
 who are nevertheless opposed to all these exertions. Let 
 th^n come forth as they are now doing like the "Kehukee 
 Association" ^nd the -/Reformed Churc/,esr the sooner they 
 disclose their true character the better. Let the line be 
 drawn distinctly between the friends and the enemies of 
 missions. * 
 
 At the beginning of the mission controversy 
 Alabama was very sparsely settled. >^ tact, 
 it only received the name of Alabama m 1»1/. 
 There was some difference of sentiment among 
 
 * Holcombe's History of Baptists of Alabama, p. 88 
 11 
 
162 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 the early settlers. Some of them held that the 
 command of our Lord as g-iven in the Great 
 Commission must be obeyed by the churches 
 by sending" men to preach the gospel to the des- 
 titute ; others greatly objected to this as being 
 an attempt to thwart the will of God by secur- 
 ing the salvation of those whom he had decreed 
 to be damned from before the foundation of the 
 world. In time these differences became more 
 marked and the work of disintegration early be- 
 g"an. The inconsistency of some of the mis- 
 sionary Baptists, and the firm dog"matic convic- 
 tions of the anti-missionaries helped the divi- 
 sion along. As usual, the attempt to organize a 
 State Convention brought the matter to a head, 
 and the anti-missionaries took the field against 
 their missionary brethren. 
 
 There come periods in the histories of all causes which af- 
 ford an opportunity for petty Itadership. More ambitious 
 than rig-hteous, acertain class of malcontents hampered 
 by their own pride and flattered by their vanity, placed 
 themselves in the lead of such discordant elements as they 
 could rally, in order to oppose the work projected by the 
 Coavention. For a long- period the forces which at last broke 
 forth in open revolt against missionary effort, had been 
 slowly g-athering-. The occasion had not before arisen 
 when they could be so pronounced, and being so, excite so 
 much attention and work such great damage. The advanced 
 position taken by the Convention in the appointment 
 of missionaries was the signal for the would-be leaders to 
 sally forth in opposition. The neglect previously exer- 
 cised by the pastors or preachers in the State, with re- 
 spect to the development of the members of the churches, 
 furnished these opposers with a club with which to cudgel 
 the head of a missionary convention. This indifference 
 to development was now bearing- fruit, and it was bitter 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 163 
 
 fruit to the pioneer missionary; for everywhere he went 
 he encountered more or less obstruction. This opposition 
 was, perhaps, more pronounced in the northern aad cen- 
 tral portions of the State than elsewhere In the first men- 
 tioned region it sliowed itself, first of all, by a marked in- 
 difiference ; but this soon took on the form of active oppo- 
 sition. In the Alabama Association, under the lead- 
 ership of such men as Rev. Wm. Jones, the opposition was 
 
 severe At the time about which we write he v/as a 
 
 turbulent element among the churclies in the central and 
 southern portions of the State. It was at his instig"ation 
 that there was submitted to the Alabama Association in 
 1825 this declaration from the Breastwork Church, Butler 
 county. The following- extract from the record shows the 
 spirit of the author and of those in sympathy with him : 
 
 "Breastwork Church petitioned in her letter that this 
 Association take into consideration the propriety', or im- 
 propriety, and make decision thereon of a declaration 
 made by that church, declaring an uncommunion fellow- 
 ship with the Baptist State Conventions, theological 
 schools, Bible societies, tract societies, and all churches 
 that hold members of such societies in fellowship with 
 them." The scheme happily failed of its purpose. The As- 
 sociation refused to consider the petition, and wisely dis- 
 posed of it by laying it upon the table. But it was the 
 gage of battle. It became the slogan of certain officious 
 preachers w^ho zealously fomented trouble as they found 
 opportunity. * 
 
 The churches and associations gave up their 
 time to trivial discussions on foot-washingf, tem- 
 perance and kindred topics, enlivening- their 
 meetings by diatribes ag'ainst their missionary 
 brethren. The missionaries made the usual 
 mistake of tr^-ing to remain in harmony with 
 their anti-missionary brethren, and pleaded in 
 
 *Riley's History of the Baptists of Alabama, pp. 43-45. 
 
164 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 vain for a spirit of toleration. Riley says that 
 "every step of progress was resisted by a people 
 who glorified in their ignorance, and regarded 
 with complacent satisfaction their indispo- 
 sition to activity in church life." The follow- 
 ing quotations taken from the speeches of two 
 of the prominent opponents of missions will 
 show the gentle Christian spirit and chaste 
 language with which the Hardshells endeavored 
 to dissuade their missionary brethren : 
 
 Mr. J. W. Richards of Chambers County : — I have 
 known some preachers who at first thoug-ht all benevolent 
 institutions were wrong but the Foreign Missions ; and 
 after a while they would receive another trait of the beast 
 as right, and so on, until they would receive all but the 
 tail, ( Temperance Societies ;) and /Afl/ they would oppose 
 with all their might for a while, but finding it was conr-ect- 
 ed with the body, they would swallow that. I will tell you, 
 tny brother, what it makes me think of : it is just like a 
 snake trying to swallow a squirrel. It will begin at its 
 head and swallow that first, and so on until it comes to the 
 tail. Then it tries every stratagem to get rid of swallow- 
 ing the tail ; but finding it is connected with the body, it 
 must either vomit all back or take down the tail, although 
 averse to it ; for if they vomit np the bodj' and head, they 
 will be laughed at for saying and contending that these 
 things are right. 
 
 Mr. A. Keaton, of Green County : — Do not forget the 
 enemy, (missionaries) bear them in mind ; the howling de- 
 structive wolves, the ravenous dogs, and the filthy and 
 their numerous whelps. By a minute observation and the 
 consultation of the sacred, never failing descriptive chart, 
 even their physiogomy in dress, mein and carriage, and 
 many other indented, indelible, descriptive marks, too te- 
 dious at present to write. The wolfish smell is enough to 
 alar:n. to create suspicion, and to ascertain ; the dog's 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 16d 
 
 teeth are noted, and the wolves for their peculiar and 
 distinct howl, etc., etc.-See Primitive Baptist * ^ 
 
 Mr. Holcombe ^ives the following viyid de- 
 scription of a scene at one of the associations m 
 which the controversy was in progress : 
 
 To undertake to describe a scene which we witnessed 
 in the Flint River Association, would be the most painful ; 
 in truth, it beggars description. There were some of the 
 most pious, humble, respectable and intelligent brethren, 
 who most affectionately and earnestly besought their anti- 
 brethren to suffer them to do as they felt bound in con- 
 science to do. as they would with their own, and not let 
 those things be a bar to Christian fellowship. They en- 
 treated, they pled by the mercies of God- by the love of 
 the Saviour, and by the joys of heaven ; they wept-tears 
 flowed ; they cried to heaven-heaven smiled ! But the 
 adamantine hearts of the anti-brethren were not touched; 
 they were apparentlv as hard as the nether millstone. Not- 
 withstanding all this, the missionary party still clave to 
 them, hoping to win them over to the truth ; yet it wasev- 
 ident they had no well-grounded hope, for the antis were 
 determined and inflexible. Elder William Crutcher stood 
 at their head, who appeared to be really sincere. Tw-o 
 years after this, the separating line was drawn, and the 
 associations divided. f 
 
 Mr. Holcombe has the following- footnote on 
 the above : 
 
 We have oeen credibly informed by a worthy brother that 
 a Baptist minister in the State of Georgia sai.\ that 'if an 
 angel was to come down from heaven, and declare the 
 missionary cause was of God, he would not believe itl'-he 
 immediately lost his speech, and remained in that deplora- 
 ble situation until he died. 
 
 * Holcombe-s Historv of Baptists in Alabama, pp. 90, 91. 
 The quotation from the Primitive Baptist is an exact re- 
 production, both as to the grammar and the punctuation. 
 t Holcombe's History of the Baptists in Alabama, p. 93. 
 
166 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 I g-ive this footnote for what it is worth. It 
 was hearsay evidence with Mr. Holcombe, and 
 is no less so with me. 
 
 Dr. Riley so well describes the conditions 
 preparatory to and during- the final division 
 that I can do no better than to quote at leng-th 
 his words : 
 
 The aiiti-rnissionarj' elements had become more turbu- 
 lent and had never ceased to harass and menace as oppor- 
 tunity offered. The spirit of persecution waxed fiercer still 
 as the months moved on. Repeated overtures from the 
 conservative Baptists were spurned. The anti-mission- 
 ary elements demanded that the matter of missions be 
 wiped out entirely from the churches. They insisted upon 
 the retention of an uneducated ministry. They demanded 
 compliance with perverted notions of doctrine. They 
 proudly boasted of their ignorance. They g-loried in that 
 which others disdained. The consciences of others counted 
 for naug'ht if their own notions, springing from ignor- 
 ance, were only respected. The conservative branch of the 
 Baptist family had foreborne, because they felt that they 
 could afford to do so. They could afford to make conces- 
 sions as long as principle was not involved. But the pa- 
 tience and forbearance of the conservative Baptists only 
 made more aggressive and bolder the extremists. Their 
 demands became more intolerant still. That which they 
 meted out to the Missionary Baptists was insult, and only 
 insult continually. The time for revolution had come. The 
 denomination was ripe for it. The household was divided 
 against itself. It could not stand. Throughout the State 
 disorders broke out afresh. They showed themselves in 
 the northern, eastern and southern parts of the State al- 
 most simultaneoush^ In north Alabama there had been a 
 continual struggle since the founding of the first churches 
 in that territory. In the counties of Chambers and Ran- 
 dolph desperate and unlawful measures were sometimes 
 adopted to eject the missionary elements from the churches. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 167 
 
 In Randolph the chief leaders were James Roquemore and 
 John Blackman. These men gave industrious circula- 
 tion to a sheet of anti-missionary views published in New 
 York by one Beebe, who was said to have b^en a member 
 of no church at all. The malicious falsehoods of ibis pub- 
 lication were to the effect that the money collected by pas- 
 tors, missionaries and others was never applied to that for 
 which it was claimed to be raised, but was used for pur- 
 poses of speculation in the North . These men were heroic- 
 ally met and resisted. Rev. Jefferson Falkner, tVien a 
 young- minister in Randolph county, did valiant service in 
 this connection. He had removed from Georgia in 1832, 
 and at the time about which we write, was clerk of the 
 County Court of Randolph county. Mr. Falkner withstood 
 these defamers to their faces, and vindicated the Mission- 
 ary Baptists from their aspersions. 
 
 While these disorders reigned along the eastern border 
 of the State, the county of Montgomery and those adja- 
 cent were suffering from similar troubles. While to the 
 more thoughtful and considerate among the Baptists, this 
 revolutionary spirit, precipitated by their opponents, was 
 regarded disruptive, they were only the throes which pre- 
 ceded final deliverance. The separation had to come. With 
 out it peace was impossible. Without it there could be 
 no prosperity. To be thus severed from the anti-missiona- 
 ries was, to the progressive Baptists the riddance of an in- 
 cubus. No real, steady progress came until there was dis- 
 solution, utter and final. 
 
 The scenes attendant upon disseverance were, in many 
 instances, most exciting. The movement involved a sep- 
 aration of parents and children, brothers and sisters in 
 their church relations. In every part of the State in which 
 these colliding elements in the Baptist ranks existed, there 
 came this final division. It is known throughout the State 
 today proverbially as the "big split." * 
 
 Riley ; History of Alabama Baptists, pp. 108, 110. 
 
168 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 The Pilo-rim's Rest, the Beulah, and the Eb- 
 enezer Associations were the three principal 
 anti-missionary bodies. The last two named 
 were organized in 1838. The E^benezer Asso- 
 ciation, the largest of these, was composed 
 of eighteen churches. Seventeen of these 
 churches seceded from the Alabama Associa- 
 tion at the session held in Breastwork Church 
 in October, 1838. The following significant 
 prophecy is made by Rev. Hosea Holcombe in 
 regard to the future of the opposers of mis- 
 sions. It was written prior to 1840, but he lived 
 to see its partial fulfillment, and every year 
 that fulfillment becomes more complete : 
 
 The time is coming- when the opposers of missions, 
 whether professors of religion or not, will appear in a far 
 different lig"ht from that in which they are now frequentU' 
 regarded ; they will be associated with infidels, and athe- 
 ists, and all the open and deadly enemies of the cross. 
 The time is coming when, to be lukewarm in the cause of 
 missions ■will be regarded but little better than high trea- 
 son against the King of heaven. The time may be expected 
 sooner or later to arrive when God will manifest his dis- 
 pleasure against anti-missionary churches by the most 
 signal and alarming punishments. The times of ignorance 
 he compassionately winks at — in this respect we should 
 imitate the example of our heavenly and merciful Father, 
 and exercise a tender charity towards those mistaken breth- 
 ren, whose errors can be palliated by their ignorance. But 
 these times of darkness are fast passing away. The re- 
 quirements of the gospel, and the miseries of a perishing 
 world, have for a few years past, been presented to view 
 in such a flood of light and demonstration, that if the 
 churches upon which the light is beaming continue to close 
 their eyes against it and slumber on in their leaden apathy, 
 God will probably close up the avenues of his mercy, send 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 169 
 
 leanness into their souls and mildew upon their heritage ; 
 and finally leave them to be totally devoured by the rust 
 and rottenness of antinomian lethargy. Alas I have we 
 not already witnessed the beginning of these calamities in 
 many of the churches in Alabama, which have set them- 
 selves in array against the missionary cause. * 
 
 Remember that this prophecy was written 
 before 1840; how much before that time we do 
 not know. But certainly previous to that, for 
 his entire history was printed in that year. 
 How well he read the future may be seen by 
 quoting from another history of the Baptists of 
 Alabama, by Dr. Riley, published in 1895 : 
 
 Only a few churches of the anti-missionary Baptistsre- 
 main in Alabama, and they are in the most retired dis- 
 tricts. They never thrive in the light of intelligence and 
 amid the pulsations of church energy. Their associa- 
 tions were the largest when first organized. But as intel- 
 ligence advanced and evangelization progressed, these as- 
 sociations have diminished, and in the majority of instances 
 have vanished. They have decreased as intelligence has 
 increased. Many of their people were honest, loyal citizens; 
 but their prejudice was as boundless as their illiteiacy.f 
 
 In the Middle States, /. t'., Pennsylvania, 
 Marj'land, etc., the opposition to missions, 
 w^hile severe in some instances, was not so bit- 
 ter as in the Western and Southern States. 
 The Chemung- Association, composed of eig"ht 
 churches in Pennsylvania and New York, passed 
 the following- resolution in September, 1835 : 
 
 Whereas, A number of the Associations with whom we 
 have held correspondence have departed from the simplic- 
 ity of the doctrine and practice of the gospel of Christ, 
 and have followed cunningly devised fables (the inventions 
 
 *Holcombe's History of the Baptists of Alabama, p. 102. 
 fRilej's History of the Baptists of Alabama, p. 123. 
 
170 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 of men) uniting themselves with the world, in what are 
 falsely called benevolent societies founded upon a moiieyed 
 base, with a profession to spread the gospel, which is an- 
 other gospel differing for (sic, but evidently a misprint for 
 "from") the gospel of Christ ; 
 
 Resolved, Therefore, that we discontinue our correspond- 
 ence with the Phila., Bridgewater, Franklin, Madison, 
 Steuben, and all other associations which are supporting 
 the popular institutions of the day, and most affectionate- 
 ly invite all thoie Churches or members of Churches among 
 them who cannot fellowship them, to come out from among 
 them and leave them.* 
 
 The Baltimore Association passes a resolu- 
 tion of the same tenor May, 1836, after which 
 the separation between the two parties was 
 rapidly accomplished. The anti-missionaries 
 excluded the missionaries from their associa- 
 tions and fellowship for belonging- to mission- 
 ary enterprises or contributing; to their support. 
 The missionaries were glad enough to be sepa- 
 rated and the division did not cause a great deal 
 of friction, in spite of the violent denunciations 
 made by the Hardshells according to their usual 
 custom. At the present time there are only 
 five anti-missionary associations in the Middle 
 States. The Warwick and Lexington in New 
 York; the Chemung and Delaware River in 
 Pennsylvania (the Delaware River Association 
 includes some churches in New Jersey), and the 
 Delaware constitute the number. All of them 
 were at first supporters of Sunday schools, mis- 
 sions, education, etc., but cunning leaders 
 aroused their prejudices and eventually carried 
 them into the Hardshell ranks. They have suf- 
 
 *Vedder's History of the Baptists in Middle States, p. 204. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 171 
 
 fered the same marked and deadly decrease 
 there as elsewhere since the time of the separa- 
 tion. According- to the last census their streng-th 
 in the Middle States is as follows: New York, 
 31 churches, 1,019 members ; New Jersey, 4 
 churches, 258 members ; Pennsylvania, 15 
 churches, 314 members ; Delaware, '6 churches, 
 183 members. Total, 56 churches, 1,774 mem- 
 bers. * 
 
 The first non-Roman Catholic white residents 
 of what is now known as Missouri seem to have 
 been Baptists. They arrived in 1796 and were 
 joined in 1799 by an agfed Baptist minister from 
 Georg-ia — a former missionary among- the Cher- 
 okee Indians, by the name of Thomas Johnson. 
 These all settled in or near the town of Jack- 
 son in what is now known as Cape Girardeau 
 County. Here the first Baptist Church in 
 Missouri was constituted in 1806. A gavel 
 made from one of the original logs of their first 
 house of worship is now used in the meeting's of 
 the General Association of Missouri. The 
 pioneer Baptists of that State came largrely 
 from North Carolina, South Carolina and Ken- 
 tucky. Missouri had been orig-inally a part of 
 the Louisiana Purchase ratified by the United 
 States Senate in 1804. In 1812 it became a ter- 
 ritory of a hig^her g^rade and was gfiven the 
 name of Missouri. The name is that of a pecu- 
 liarly shaped Indian canoe. During- the terri- 
 torial period Missouri was visited by missiona- 
 ries, especially John M. Peck and James E. 
 
 * Vedder's History of the Baptists in the Middle Slates, 
 pp. 204-106. 
 
172 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 V/elch. The labors of these men, tog-ether with 
 those of Jonathan Going-, brought about the or- 
 ganization of the Home Mission Board, and Mis- 
 souri became the great field of that Board. 
 The district associations were first organized 
 by the non and even anti-missionary churches. 
 The first of these were Bethel Association in 
 Southeast Missouri, Missouri (now St. Louis) 
 Association, and Mount Pleasant Association. 
 Missouri became a State in 1821. Thirteen 
 years later came the beginnings of the Gen- 
 eral Association. The population of Missouri 
 at that time was about 250,000. French infi- 
 delity in St. Louis had made a bitter fight 
 against the Sabbath's crossing the Mississippi 
 River. Thieving, warring and vagrant In- 
 dians, the Mormons and the Mormon War, and 
 fiinally the terrible cholera scourge of 1832, all 
 acted as obstacles to prevent early organization 
 for mission work. In August, 1834, there was 
 organized at Providence what is now the Gen- 
 eral Association, although it was known as the 
 Central Society until 1839. The attempt to 
 organize brought forcible opposition. Two of 
 the earliest and most prominent of the opposers 
 were Theoderick Boulware and T. Peyton Ste- 
 phens. These men were invited to assist in- 
 forming the organization. The following quo- 
 tation from Boulware's autobiography, page 11, 
 will show in what spirit they received the invi- 
 tation : 
 
 I received a letter from Eld. Ebenezer Rogers and oth- 
 ers inviting- me to attend a minister's meeting^ at Provi- 
 dence on a certain day, to adopt missionaryism — a plan for 
 the better support of the ministry and to sustain the now 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. I/O 
 
 tottering cause of the Baptists. I. Elder T. Peyton Ste- 
 phens and others met Elders Rog-ers, Hurley, Longan, Sug-- 
 gett, Vardemar and others. We advised and entreated 
 these brethren to disperse and not establish this cockatrice 
 den among us, from which will emanate a serpentine brood 
 marring the peace of God's children and bringing much 
 scandal on the cause of Christ, for we are assured you 
 have in view more than the happiness of the church and 
 the salvation of men. We fear you are somewhat decep 
 tive. They formed, adjourned and met again and estab- 
 lished their Central Society, from which have resulted all 
 the consequences I anticipatfd and worse. 
 
 This was written nine years after the Provi- 
 dence meeting-. I will let Dr. Yeaman describe 
 their crusade. It is the same old familiar story. 
 
 It is true, however, that under the leadership of Boul- 
 Kvare and Stephens the anti-missionary Baptists began a 
 bitter warfare against the missionary Baptists. They de- 
 nounced the organizers of the "Central Society" as "mer- 
 cenaries,"' as "hirelings." "money-made preachers." They 
 made tours of the churches and by ridicule, threats and 
 intimidation sought to array them against this missionary 
 movement. The churches that aligned themselves with 
 the anti-missionaries forbade the members makin/i contri- 
 butions to missions. Persons favorable to missions were 
 denied membership in such churches. The spirit of perse- 
 cution was rite and rabid in the anti-missionaries. The 
 cockatrices and serpent broods were set agoing by those 
 who prophecied them. They were those who marred the 
 happiness of the churches. Pseudo and mal-prophets will 
 ever bring about a fulfilln ent of their evil predictions if 
 possible. * 
 
 * Yeaman's History of the Missouri Baptist General 
 Association, p. 49. Dr. Yeaman's most able and interest- 
 ing work is the best authority on Baptist affairs in Mis- 
 souri. It would be well if all the States had their history 
 so well written. 
 
174 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 As late as 1836 there was as yet no Board 
 and no agent or corresponding- secretary to su- 
 pervise and direct the work of the Association. 
 After a few years an executive board was ap- 
 pointed and in one year there was an increase 
 in mission contributions from $69.25 to $313.25. 
 The same year this report was made, 1837, 
 Rev. Kemp Scott was appointed General Ag-ent. 
 Dr. Yeaman says : 
 
 up to this time and for several subsequent years, there 
 seemed a hesitancy on the part of the Association to en- 
 g'age an agent at a stipulated compensation. It is almost 
 equally certain that this hesitancy was not so much there- 
 suit of deliberate opposition to a paid ag-ency as it was 
 the effect of intimidation growing out of the persist 
 ent and violent adverse criticism of the anti-mission Bap- 
 tists. While the Missionary Baptists desired to carry for- 
 ward the work upon which they had entered, and their 
 purpose was to do so, they at the same time wished to avoid 
 all occasion for disturbing agitations and alienations. 
 They had hoped to do their work without a paid financial 
 agent, but each year experiences made it more manifest 
 that such method could not be fruitful of satisfactory re- 
 sults. * 
 
 Violent opposition rendered the work of the 
 ag-ent hardest at first and the results propor- 
 tionately stnall; but each year the success of the 
 movemt nt became more apparent, the work 
 easier and the results greater, both in conver- 
 sions and in contributions. The desire of the 
 missionaries to g-o to any length in meekly 
 bearing- the frowns and contumel}^ of their op- 
 ponents, asking- only for liberty to follow their 
 
 * Yeaman's History of the Missouri Baptist General As- 
 sociation, pp. 63, 64. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 175 
 
 own conscience, while worthy of praise as 
 showino- the spirit of Christ in their attitude 
 toward the brethren, proved futile to concili- 
 ate their opposers. The year 1835 was the year 
 in which the greatest part of the division oc- 
 curred. During" a meeting" of the Mount Pleas- 
 ant Association the preceding- 3'ear the query 
 was introduced : "What shall be done with the 
 missionary system which has made its appear- 
 ance among* us ?" Some one mildly sugg^ested 
 that "liberty of conscience shall be g-ranted." 
 But this soft answer did not turn aw^ay wrath; 
 it rather had the effect that would be produced 
 by flaunting- a red rag- in the face of a herd of 
 ang-ry bulls. Long- and heated discussion en- 
 sued and the proposition to grant liberty of 
 conscience was neg-atived. James H. Birch, a 
 politician who was present, then submitted this 
 answer to the vexatious question : "That Ihe 
 subject of missions is one upon which Chris- 
 tians raig-ht conscientiously differ, but we advise 
 the churches to keep it out of their bodies." 
 The antis, believing- him to be on their side, as- 
 sented to this, but went back on it the next year 
 and refused to be comforted by anything- less 
 than the head of the General Association sev- 
 ered from the Baptist body and broug-ht 
 them on a charg-er. By thus refu^^ing- to be g-ov- 
 erned by the principles of the Baptists of the 
 United States and their own action of the pre- 
 ceding- year, they rendered the division inevit- 
 able. (The sooner Missionar}^ Baptists learn 
 that compromise is impossible with the mission- 
 ary opponents, and that a flag- of truce will 
 only be reg-arded as an evidence of weakness. 
 
176 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 the sooner will they make progress in their 
 missionary efforts.) I cannot refrain from quot- 
 ing- Dr. Yeaman's tribute to the missionary ef- 
 forts of Fielding- Wilhite, Thomas Fristoe and 
 Ebenezer Rog-ers : 
 
 They were not slumbering on the plains where Achilles 
 fought and Hector fell, with the towering mountains of 
 Samothrace standing awful and gloomy sentinel; no night 
 vision of one in distress, cried to them, "Come over and 
 help us." But the spirit of the same ONE that appeared to 
 the persecutor while on his way to Damascus and trans- 
 formed him into an apostle, found these two humble men 
 in their rural homes, and filling their hearts with a thirst 
 for souls and a desire to glorify God, led them out into the 
 destitute regions of a wild but prophetic country to seek 
 out and save the scattered souls that peopled in sparse set- 
 tlements, a land destined to blossom as the rose and yield 
 its fruits for the upbuilding our empire State. Forthgoing 
 in obedience to the heavenly impulse, they, with hearts 
 knit together by a holy fellowship, traversed prairies and 
 penetrated forests hunting congregations and places to 
 preach. They know not when mounting their trusty 
 horses in the early morn where their resting place would 
 be at night. But confident that the "Lord will provide," 
 they counted not their lives dear to them, and at their 
 own charges they went forth weeping, sowing seed. * 
 
 The following- careful statistics eloquently 
 tell the results of the division : 
 
 '•In 1836, one year from the completion of the organiza- 
 tion of the General Society, there were in Missouri 8,723 
 Baptists, all told. Of these there were 5,367 Missionary 
 Baptists, having 150 churches and 77 ministers: of anti- 
 missionary Baijiists there were 3,366 members, having 80 
 churches and 49 ministers. In 1846 the Missionary Bap- 
 
 * Yeaman : History of Missouri Baptist General Associ- 
 ation, pp. 109, 110. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 177 
 
 tists had grown to 15,331, having 2^>2 churches and 144 
 ministers, and the anti-missionaries had 4,336 members, 
 118 churches and 57 ministers. In that decade the Mission- 
 ary Baptists had increased in numbers 9,964. The anti- 
 missionaries had increased 970. The reader will see that 
 the parcentag^e of increase for the Missionary Baptists is 
 almost marvelous]y beyond that of the anti-missionaries 
 for the ten years mentioned. It is almost useless to speak 
 of the difference between the two wings of the denomina- 
 tion at tnis 1^1898) date. The Missionary Baptists have ap- 
 proximately 150,000 members, 1,000 preachers and 1,700 
 churches in the State, while the antis are not as numerous 
 as they were in 1846. * . 
 
 It may be added that in order to exist at all 
 the antis in Missouri have had to modify their 
 views. Many of them now favor Sabbath 
 schools and protracted meetings, while they are 
 all less pug-nacious and more inclined to effort 
 than their predecessors. 
 
 Most of the early Baptists in Louisiana came 
 from Mississippi. The State itself was, of 
 course, part of the famous Louisiana Purchase 
 of 1803, althoug"h apart of it, known as West 
 Florida, did not come definitely into possession 
 of this country until the Treaty of 1819, which 
 ceded to the United States, East and West 
 Florida in consideration of $5,000,000 and the 
 relinquishment on the part of the United States 
 of all claims to Texas. This was a very foolish 
 trade and one which cost a war and many mil- 
 lions of dollars to rectify. But that has noth- 
 ing- to do with our story now. Having once 
 been in the possession of Spain, the Roman 
 
 * Yeaman's History of the Missouri Baptist General As- 
 sociation, p. 98. 
 12 
 
178 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 Catholic influence, there has always been and 
 is now quite strong-. The Mississippi Society 
 for Baptist Missions, Domestic and Foreign, 
 org-anized in 1816, sent missionaries to Ivouisi- 
 ana, Avhere the number of preachers and 
 churches multiplied as soon as they were freed 
 from fear of Roman Catholic interference which 
 was not, of course, until 1819, when the last 
 claim of Spanish sovereig-nty was relinquished. 
 But other troubles were to come. Dr. Paxton 
 says: 
 
 In 1830, and for some years after, the church began to 
 be troubled with the leaven of Campbellism, and somewith 
 Parkerism or Two-Seedism. The distractions growing out 
 of these questions fell like a blight upon the cause of re- 
 ligion. In 1833 it was reported to the Association the Na 
 talbany Church had imbibed the Two-seed doctrine; and 
 upon investigation it was found to be true, and the fellow- 
 ship of the Association was withdrawn. * 
 
 In 1832 a society was org-anized auxiliary to 
 the Home Mission Society of New York, called 
 the Domestic Missionary Society of Louisiana. 
 This does not seem to have accomplished any 
 great results. In 1846 the Ouchita Association 
 had passed a resolution requesting" the churches 
 to send up contributions to support a minister 
 in destitute parts of the Association. This 
 aroused the anti-missionary feeling" and in 1847 
 at the session of the Association with Aimwell 
 Church, Catahoula Parish, afteronly one year's 
 trial, a resolution was passed declaring that in 
 order to preserve peace and union among" the 
 
 * Paxton's History of the Baptists of Louisiana, p. 40. 
 Paxton is my chief authority for Baptist History in Louis- 
 ana. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 179 
 
 churches, the request could not be complied 
 with. But the missionary spirit would not 
 down and the next year, 1848, when the Asso- 
 ciation met with the Hebron Church, Catahoula 
 Parish, this resolution was introduced for the 
 double purpose of allaying- the opposition to 
 missions, while at the same time those desiring- 
 to do missionary work or to contribute that it 
 should be done might be allowed to do so. 
 
 It shall be the alienable right of each convocation of the 
 Association, of each church composing her bod3', and every 
 member of the same, to contribute for benevolent pur- 
 poses, or withhold, according to their several views, and 
 this right shall never bechallenged in the Association. Any 
 motion to the contrary shall be ruled out of order by the 
 moderator as being unconstitutional. * 
 
 But this only settled the matter for tw^o 
 years; for in 1850, at Catahoula Church, Cata- 
 houla Parish, with 17 churches represented, 
 the split took place. 
 
 The anti-missionary spirit which had been brewing 
 culminated at this session. The Mount Pleasant Church 
 asked for a letter of dismission, and after some objections 
 and much debate the application was laid upon the table 
 until next meeting, whereupon Elder T. Meredith an- 
 nounced to the Association in behalf ot that church that 
 she was no longer a member of Ouachita Association. A 
 Committee was appointed to labor with the church and, 
 if possible, bring about a reconciliation, but nothing was 
 accomplished. Under the lead of Elder Thomas Meredith 
 a Convention met at Pilgrim's Rest, an unassociated 
 church, September 11, 1851, for the purpose of forming an 
 association of the anti-missionary order. Ten churches 
 met in convention: Hephzibah, Zion Hill, Mount Pleasant, 
 
 * Paxton, p. 285. 
 
180 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Xew Bethel, Pilgrim's Rest, Hopewell, d'Ai bonne, New- 
 Providence, Mt. Olive and Bethel, of which only Zion Hill 
 and Mt. Pleasant appear to have been from the Ouachita 
 Association. The rest were no doubt of this order. * 
 
 Not a single minister followed Mr. Meredith 
 from the Ouachita Association, althoug-h he was 
 g-reatly beloved. He was joined by a few anti- 
 missionary preachers, and the new association 
 adopted articles of faith much similar to those 
 of the Missionary Baptists, except their article 
 on feet-washing- and the usual article disclaim- 
 ino- connection with any missionary society or 
 body. The usual prog^ress for the missionaries 
 and shrinkag-e for the anti-missionaries then 
 commenced. 
 
 In Tennessee there was a decided reaction 
 ag'ainst missions. One quotation from Dr. Riley 
 succinctly sums up the story. 
 
 It seems that Ivuther Rice, during his tours of the South 
 had succeeded in arousing much zeal in missions among 
 the churches of Tennessee. But about 1820 the current of 
 sentiment changed and the reaction assumed a most malig- 
 nant form. Indeed, so serious did the opposition become 
 that it is said, "not a man ventured to open his mouth in 
 favor of any benevolent enterprise or action." The result 
 was that the work of organization effected by Rice went to 
 pieces, a deplorably chaotic condition of the churches fol- 
 lowed, the friends of the opposition rallied, and the cause 
 of missions was for a long time paraU'zed. The influence 
 of this reaction spread into adjoining regions. Largely in 
 consequence of this the churches of North Alabama almost 
 vpithout exception became anti-missionary, t 
 
 * Paxton's History of the Baptists of Louisiana, p. 286. 
 t Riley's History of the Baptists in the Southern States 
 Bast of the Mississippi, pp. 171, 172. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 181 
 
 As early as 1743 Baptist missionaries from 
 Maryland penetrated into the northern part of 
 Virg-inia. Some work was also done here by 
 missionaries from the Philadelphia Association 
 and she may be counted as a missionary State 
 from that time until the present day. About 
 1823 Alexander Campbell became a disturber 
 of the saints. His attacks against s^alaried 
 ministers and org-anized missionary efforts have 
 been fully treated heretofore. While he suc- 
 ceeded in urgfing- some to the adoption of his 
 views and in alienating and rendering- fruitless 
 yet others, such mm as Taylor, Jeter, Witt and 
 Seniple stood like strong- bulwarks again<.t both 
 his anti-mi-sionary and his doctrinal heresies, 
 so that the bulk of the denomination was kept 
 in sympathy with the g^eneral work of the Bap- 
 tists in the entire country. And the zeal aroused 
 by Ivuther Rice was not allow^ed to die out. 
 
 Karly among- the States of the South, Mary- 
 land had constituted the Baltimore Baptist As- 
 sociation and the Baptists there had g-cne on 
 record as a missionary body; but in 1836 the 
 anti-missionary Baptists came into control of 
 this Association and by a vote of 1 6 to 9, adopted 
 the usual resolutions ag-ainst "worldly socie- 
 ties" andthose who by joining- wnth them had 
 forfeited their fellowship. But this same year 
 was formed the Mar3dand Baptist Union Associ- 
 ation into w^hich were g-athered the missionary 
 hosts and the denominational life, leaving- the 
 Baltimore Baptist Association but an empty 
 shell, without real life or vitality. 
 
 Georg-ia effected org-anization under the able 
 leadershio of Jesse Mercer. The Powelton 
 
182 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Conferences developed into the missionary and 
 educational org^anizations of Georgia: first, the 
 General Committee, composed of members from 
 each district association, which purposed to 
 promote State Missions, itinerant preaching-, 
 and education of the Creek Indians, as the 
 special objects of org-anization; second, the State 
 Convention, and 'third, Mercer University. 
 The mission fig-ht in Georg-ia is epitomized in 
 the fig-ht in the Hephzibah Association. 
 
 In 1832, Elder J. H. T. Kilpatrick, a 30ung- man, and a 
 stranger to the people, visited the Hephzibah Association 
 for the first time. The Hephzibah is the second in age 
 among the Associations in Georgia, and is the first born 
 of your '"•wn venerable association. (The Georgia Baptist 
 Association, organized 1784.) On the occasion above men- 
 tioned, the refined and portly Wm. T Brantly, Sr., then 
 ptstor of the Augusta Baptist Church, was also present 
 bearing a letter from the Foreign Mission Board When 
 the letter was presented, a majority of the delegates voted 
 against allowing it to be read to the body. A motion was 
 then made that the letter be thrown tinder the table. The 
 vote was taken by rising, and the motion prevailed. One 
 delegate, whose weight was about two hundred pounds, 
 gave emphasis to his vote by leaping clear of the floor 
 more than once, and coming down on his feet with such 
 violence as to jar the whole building. The man appointed to 
 throw theletter under the table '■'dashed'''' it to the floor with 
 as much vehemence and venom as if it had been a missive 
 from the lower regions.' Just then, a certain brother, per- 
 haps the same who had leaped from the floor, approached 
 Dr. Brantley where he was sitting, and flourished a large 
 knotted hickory stick above him in a threatening manner, 
 frequently fetching it very near to his head, abused him 
 severely for having sought to entice them into the mis- 
 sionary work, and warned him in extremely di-courteous 
 terms never to repeat the attempt. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 183 
 
 From this day young Kilpatrick was resolved to reclaim 
 the churches from their deplorable condition. At the next 
 session he was present again, this time as a messenger 
 from one of the churches. Year by year he strove, most 
 in private interviews to impart more correct ideas to such 
 as were willing to be enlightened, and spoke publicly 
 wherever he deemed it prudent. At times the case seemed 
 to grow worse. In 1825, in the absence of Kilpatrick, some 
 of the churches petitioned the body to send a committee to 
 he General Association (now the Baptist State Conven- 
 tion) to"view their order" and report conclusions. Not only 
 was the petition refused, but the decorum was immediatelv 
 amended so as to forbid the Association from ever coi- 
 responding with a missionary body in the future, or any 
 messenger from ever making a motion to that effect. Still 
 Kilpatrick refused to accept defeat or to desist from his 
 purpose. In 1836, just fourteen years after this rude re- 
 jection of the letter from the Foreign Mission Board, he 
 witnessed the passage of a resolution by the body to "be- 
 come a component member of the Baptist Convention o 
 the State of Georgia." Today it stands among the fore- 
 most of our Associations for intelligence, liberalitj' and de- 
 votion to all the benevolent enterprises of the denomina- 
 tion, with the eldest son of J. H. T. Kilpatrick. the succes- 
 sor of his father in the moderator's chair * 
 
 The members of the General Committee of 
 Geortjia injured their missionary plans by an 
 attempt at denominational union which failed to 
 meet the approbation of either the Baptists or 
 the members of other denominations. But in 
 spite of this, and of the spirit manifested in 
 some of the associations, such as the one de- 
 scribed, Georg'ia was always prevailingly mis- 
 sonary and stands in the front rank of the Bap- 
 
 * Address of Rev. A. B. Campbell, D. D., in the "Baptist 
 Centennial Volume," pp. 145. 146. 
 
184 THE GENESIS OE 
 
 tist States which have welcomed and defended 
 the foreign mission movement. 
 
 In North Carolina an almost hopeless stupor 
 prevailed until 1830, when the North Carolina 
 State Convention was org-anized. The wisdom 
 and zeal of Rev. Thomas Meredith, after a 
 hard fig-ht with the opposers of missions, made 
 success possible. North Carolina is now third 
 in numerical streng-th among- the States of the 
 Southern Baptist Convention. * 
 
 South Carolina, under Screven, Hart and 
 Furmen, had anticipated Judson and Rice in 
 their zeal for education and missions. Rice 
 nowhere found a warmer reception than there. 
 
 In Mississippi the same difficulties prevailed, 
 but to a smaller extent than in North Carolina 
 and Tennessee. Her mission streng-th was 
 mostly confined to the home field, although the 
 Louisiana work had its foundation here. 
 
 Florida has itself been a mission field for 
 some years after the org"anization of the South- 
 ern Baptist Convention. Texas has just 
 emerg-ed triumphant from her fig"ht with the 
 anti-missionaries, who claim the missionary 
 name, and Arkansas has just achieved her 
 first signal victory over them. As before 
 stated, in the Northern and Northeastern 
 States the anti-missionary spirit never made 
 any real prog-ress nor caused a denominational 
 split. 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 The facts grleaned as to prog-ress and spirit 
 
 * Riley: History of Baptists in Southern States East of 
 Mississippi, p. 187. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 185 
 
 of the opposition to missions have been neces- 
 sarily somewhat confused in order, so that 
 some tautolog-y and periphrastic repetition has 
 been inevitable, but they may be summari/Ad 
 as follow^: 
 
 1. The opposition in every State is traceable 
 directly or by inevitable inference to Parker 
 and Campbell. 
 
 2. This opposition was led by men of small 
 mental calibre but with sharp, acute and suspi- 
 cious minds. As a rule, they lacked education 
 themselves, and were violently opposed to those 
 who had it. But while not educated in books, 
 they had thoroug-hly understood that type of 
 human nature which surrounded them and 
 whose sympathies they desired to enlist for 
 themselves or whose antipathies they wished 
 to arouse agfainst others. 
 
 3. The opposition to missions needed to be 
 incited. The churches of America in 1812, 
 while to a large extent non-missionary, were 
 not by any means totally so, as was shown in 
 Chapter I. But while many were non-mission- 
 ary, none were anti-missionary. I have care- 
 fully investic>-ated Dr. Spencer's claim that 
 previous to 1816 there was not an anti-mission- 
 ary Baptist Church in America, and I believe 
 his claim to be correct. Luther Rice and others 
 were always at first received with enthusiasm; 
 not until the days of Taylor was there any op- 
 position offered. 
 
 4. This opposition was incited and carried 
 on by a skillful appeal to the prejudices, good 
 and bad, of the uninformed people. The good 
 
186 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 prejudices that were appeakd to were: their- 
 love of the Bible as the sole rule of faith and 
 practice; their love of the church as the divinely 
 organized, providentially preserved, and inher- 
 ently sufficient instrument of evangelization and 
 pillar and support of the truth; and their love 
 of religious liberty, which liberty they were led 
 to believe was about to be taken away, by de- 
 stroying the independence and sovereignty of 
 the churches and merging them in a whole 
 which would be equal to the sum of all its rarts 
 and greater than any one of them. We know 
 and history has demonstrated that these fears 
 were not well founded. Neither district asso- 
 ciations, State conventions, nor General con- 
 ventions presumed to set themselves up as 
 extra-ecclesiastical authorities. They do not 
 exercise an atom more of power over the 
 churches of to-day than they did when first or- 
 ganized. Their decisions and their authority 
 can be enforced over no church ; not churches 
 but individuals are their constituent parts. 
 They are merely instruments of co-operation. 
 If it be right to co-operate, it cannot be 
 wrong to use some means of co-operation. 
 When several persons combine their efforts 
 and contributions to have a thing done at a 
 a place where they cannot themselves go, it is 
 necessary to employ an agent. If several indi- 
 viduals or corporations combine to employ a 
 lawyer to do a piece of work, which all of them 
 feel under obligations to have done, and which 
 will benefit each of them, and which they can 
 do most easily and cheaply by paying the law- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 187 
 
 yer to undertake it, their employment of liim 
 does not make him their master but their serv- 
 ant. In engag-ing- him they have lost neither 
 independence nor sovereignty. Baptist Con- 
 ventions or Associations are m no sense ot the 
 word ecclesiastical bodies. They do not claim 
 the rio-ht to interpret or enforce the Scriptures. 
 No ap^peal can be taken to them from any action 
 of a local church. They can only control 
 their own membership. They are co-operative 
 oro-anizations for the cheap and speedy trans- 
 mission of the liberality of churches, mission- 
 ary societies and individuals to worthy objects 
 of benevolent effort, which the aforesaid 
 churches and individuals may use or not, as 
 seems good to them. But while all these 
 things are true, and were urged at the time, 
 the point is that the anti-mission leaders made 
 the people believe that the conventions were 
 synods or general councils, and that their ap- 
 peals and suggestions were intended to have 
 the force of papal bulls. Their agents were 
 painted as tax-gatherers and their ofecers 
 dubbed priests, bishops and popes. Thus by 
 a distorted representation of the missionary 
 work the fountains of liberality were dried up 
 and opposition was encouraged to rear its 
 snaky head and demand, "that they (the mis- 
 sionaries) ought to desist, and dispense with 
 their temperance society— their Sunday school 
 —their reading sermons, and with their prayer 
 meetmg-s ! .' " 
 
 The evil prejudices that were appealed to 
 were : (1) Sectional Animosity: missions were 
 
188 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 denounced as a Yankee institution. (2) Class 
 Hatred: the missionaries were represented as 
 living in luxury and as anxious to secure the 
 hard earned pittance of the poor to enable 
 them to continue their extravag-ance. (3) Social 
 Condition: the missionaries were painted 
 as vain with learning acquired at college 
 and seminary, despisers of the ignorant and 
 endeavoring to outwit them so as to gain 
 their money, and to organize them, as a means 
 of obtaining official superiority and power over 
 them. The anti-missionary leaders success- 
 fully urged all the arts of the demagogue to 
 swing their forces into line. V/hen did such arts 
 ever fail of temporary success, or of final defeat? 
 Certainly not here. 
 
 5. The attack always came from the antis. 
 They forced the fighting and necessitated the 
 division. 
 
 6. The Hardshells were, without exception 
 intolerant, impatient of opposition and accusers 
 of their brethren. The missionaries injured 
 themselves and the cause by too long endeavor- 
 ing to effect a compromise and to retain a union 
 where no affinities existed. 
 
 7. The separation always marked the be- 
 ginning of growth with the missionaries and 
 the beginning of shrinkage and dwindling with 
 the Hardshells. 
 
 8. The opposition was grafted on such wide- 
 ly differing doctrinal roots as Anti-nomianism, 
 Arminianism and Manichasnism. The Mani- 
 chaeans formed a party to themselves. The 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 189 
 
 Campbellites absorbed the Ariiiinian element, 
 and the Antinomian element a few 3'ears later 
 became a sect which has received the expressive 
 sobriquet of "Hardshell;" truly a most fitting- 
 and appropriate name, but one to which they 
 are by no means exclusively entitled, and the 
 word is properly used in these pag-es to desig- 
 nate all opponents of mission methods, what- 
 ever their views as to predestination and elec- 
 tion. 
 
 9. The distinctive principles of the hyper- 
 Calvinistic sect of missionary opposers, popu- 
 larly known as Hardshells are as follo-ws: 
 
 (1) That God is omnipotent, all-powerful 
 and sovereigfn and would himself do all that was 
 necessary to be done to save the elect. 
 
 (2) Any attempt on man's part to bring- 
 about the salvation of their fellow men is an in- 
 fringement of the divine prerogative and an in- 
 sult to the Almighty. In extreme cases they 
 even refused to offer the invitations (»f the Gos- 
 pel to sinners, * 
 
 * I have already explained Mr. Campbell's Arminianism 
 in connection with this point. That Arminianism was 
 the only reason the Hardshells do not bear his name. As 
 a proof that some at first swailowed even his Arminianism 
 for the sake of his opposition to "human institutions," I 
 would point to the fact that a sect have recently separated 
 from the Campbellites or Disciples, who revert to the 
 strictest antinomianism and style themselves the elect 
 They have a church here in Louisville. The sect founded 
 by Mr. Campbell having- adopted missionary methods, no 
 reason remained for a longer affiliation with that body; 
 hence the division. 
 
190 AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 
 
 (3) The church is the only institution of di- 
 vine appointment, and all human organizations 
 for doing good are evil necessarily and f>cr se, 
 whether the}' propose to take the place of the 
 church or not. 
 
 (4) Churches may not co-operate to do their 
 work, although they may associate to ask con- 
 cerning each other's health. 
 
 (5) The world was evangelized during the 
 first century and the Great Commission was 
 then exhausted and has no present force as is 
 proved by the cessation of miracles. 
 
 (6) An educated ministry is "an abomination 
 unto the Lord." 
 
 (7) Theological seminaries, Sunday schools, 
 mission and temperance societies are all devices 
 of the Devil, intended so ensnare and corrupt 
 the church. 
 
 (8) The Hardshells being always and only 
 right, possess constitutional and disciplinary 
 authority over their refractory brethren, the 
 missionaries, and the minority can if necessary 
 exclude the majority. 
 
 Such principles, especially when taken in 
 connection with their methods of expounding 
 and defending them, produced the inevitable 
 separation. Most of the divisions occurred be- 
 tween the years 1826 and 1840. This separa- 
 tion was an unspeakable blessing to the mis- 
 sionary churches. The sooner these churches 
 have another such expurgation of the Hard- 
 shells who have since that time grown up within 
 their pale, the better it will be for the churches 
 and for the world. 
 
CHAPTEIR VIM. 
 
 THE RELATION OF THE FOREIGN 
 MISSION MOVEMENT TO EDUCA- 
 TION. 
 
 The thesis I shall attempt to establish in 
 this chapter is that the Foreio;n Mission move- 
 ment is the parent of Baptist Christian educa- 
 tion as it exists in our denomination to-day. 
 Brown University is the sole exception to this 
 statement; this was the only university owned 
 by the Baptists in the United States at the time 
 of the conversion of Judson and Rice. In fact, 
 Judson obtained part of his education there. 
 Brown University gfrew out of theg^reat revival 
 or awakening-. It was the desire to found a 
 colleg"e which should be under the chief direc- 
 tion of the Baptists and in which education 
 might be promoted, and "superior learning, ob- 
 tained free from any sectarian tests," The 
 treachery of Dr. Ezra Stiles, a Congregational 
 minister, and of Mr. William Cellery, who had 
 been intrusted with the preparation of the char- 
 ter, came near throwing it into Congregational 
 control. But the plan was exposed in time to 
 prevent it; a new charter, giving the Baptists 
 the control, was formed and Brown Univer- 
 sity was established just sixty-four years 
 after Yale College, which was founded just 
 sixty-four years after Harvard. 
 
 (191) 
 
192 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 When Rice returned to this country he found 
 ig-norance to be the g"reatest foe to Missions; so 
 he beg"an to preach an educational crusade also. 
 This stirred up both the friends and enemies of 
 education and the educational question became 
 the most fiercely contested issue in the fiodit. 
 The body organized in Philadelphia, May 14th, 
 1814, and afterwards known as the Triennial 
 Convention, was first desio^ned only for the sup- 
 port of foreig'n missions. But the constitution 
 was subsequently modified in several particu- 
 lars. One of these was to aid in securing- the 
 "training' of the youngf men for the g^ospel minis- 
 try." In other words, the Convention took up 
 the founding- and support of Columbian Colkge. 
 At the second meeting-, in 1817, the Convention 
 empowered the Board, "when funds of a suffi- 
 cient amount should have been contributed for 
 this purpose to institute a classical and theo- 
 log"ical seminary." In 1821 a charter was ob- 
 tained from Cong-ress, which really gave full 
 university powers, although the name g^iven was 
 "The Columbian College in the District of Co- 
 lumbia." In 1825 the theolog'ical department 
 thus established was transferred to Newton 
 Theological Institute. After a few years Lu- 
 ther Rice made the educational feature promi- 
 nent, and finall}" so pre-eminent as to take near- 
 ly all his time and attention. His interest 
 in education was so well known, that in 1815 he 
 was elected President of Transylvania univer- 
 sity, Lexington, Ky., which honor he declined.* 
 
 * Second Annual Report of the Baptist Board of Foreign 
 Missions (1816). p. 67. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 193 
 
 The state of public sentiment in the West in 
 regard to ministerial education and the reasons 
 therefore have been previously told. Those 
 who opposed education at all never constituted 
 the real body of the Baptist denomination, nor 
 did the}' fairly represent its sentiments. At 
 best, they occupied denominational outposts 
 and when the mission cause finally made min- 
 isterial education an issue, the Baptists g-ave 
 forth no uncertain sound. Our opponents have 
 delio'hted to make the views of this fraction 
 seem to be that of the whole denomination and 
 we have not always defended ourselves wisely 
 or well. Mr. Parker, who is an ideal exponent 
 of the Hardshell view, thus caustically states 
 his ideas as to the effect of education: — 
 
 Some may say that I stand opposed to education from 
 the remarks that I have made; but I think education a 
 great common blessing in its place. But when we worship 
 the creature instead of the Creator, we sin and abuse the 
 blessings bestowed upon us. So I oppose the principle of 
 education being an essential qualification to the ministry-. 
 It is evident that education makes a man a more accom- 
 plished deceiver, and he is better enabled to practice fraud 
 on the minds of the people, and it has ever been the case 
 and ever will, unless governed by the power of divine 
 grace: for it is evident that education has made manifest 
 more bad men than it ever has good ones. So I think we 
 had better leave it fer God's work to call men of education 
 when he wants such, than to undertake to make preachers 
 by giving them education. It is true, where grace governs 
 education, both meeting in one man, and that man is called 
 by the effectual working of God's spirit, to the work of 
 the ministry, he is better qualified to express or communi- 
 cate his ideas. But he still labors under serious difficulties 
 
194 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 The pride of his heart calls on him to tickle the ear or 
 please the fancy of the learned part of his congregation 
 and to do that leave the ignorant part without informa- 
 tion. 
 
 But this is like the spirit of the world, and like the old 
 proverb " God help the rich, the poor can beg." Eet the 
 learned part of the world be pleased and informed more 
 and more, but the ignorant stay where they are. So I say 
 if the clergy must have education to understand the gram- 
 matical sense of word, so the hearers ought to have the 
 same understanding, lest a fraud should be practiced on 
 them, for through false zeal and the advantage of educa- 
 tion, the whole of the delusion and false ways are impose,d 
 on the world of mankind, and have caused thousands of 
 God's dear children to seal their testimony of Christ 
 with their own blond, when persecution had prevailed un- 
 der the prejudice of education. Then no wonder when we 
 Baptists dread its appearance under the name of religion 
 and draw the sword against it. 
 
 So I conclude that adopting such plans is aiming to 
 make additions to God's word, and argues that the King of 
 Zion was imperfect and did not know the best plans for 
 qualifying, supporting and sending out preachers. I con- 
 ceive the mission plan cast this contempt on the diginity 
 of Christ, while they rob God of his glory and make mer- 
 chandise of the gospel.* 
 
 That the statements concerning- education 
 made by its opposers were either misunder- 
 standing-s, caricatures or wilful perversions 
 will be evident by a perusal of this extract 
 from an address of the Triennial Convention, 
 at their second meeting- in 1820: — 
 
 We are far from thinking that learning can make a 
 minister of Christ; we are assured that unsanctified lit- 
 
 * A Public Address to the Baptist Society, etc., by Dan- 
 iel Parker, pp. 30-32. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 195 
 
 erature, as well as superior talents, elevated stations, 
 riches, and worldly honors, may prove a great curse; 
 and that it has been often abused to the vilest of purposes. 
 It is still on J of the excelleat attainments of the Christian, 
 he must add, to his faith and virtue, knowledge. It enters 
 into the characterof those able pastors, promised by God, 
 to his church — they are to feed men with knowledg"e. Min- 
 isters, according- to our sentiments, must be g-racious men 
 renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God; they must 
 possess g-if ts from Christ tor their office, and must be called 
 of God to engag-e in it. But these gifts they may either 
 neglect or improve, according to the itimation given in the 
 exhortation of Paul to Timothy: "Neglect not the gift 
 that is in thee;" "Give attention to reading, to exhorta- 
 tion, to doctrine;" 'Study to show thyself approved unto 
 God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly di- 
 viding the word of truth:" "Meditate on these things — give 
 thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to 
 all." Here their duty as well as danger, is described. The 
 word of God declares, that the pastor must not be a novice; 
 that he must be apt to teach, and must speak in a manner 
 easy to be understood — which no man can do, unless he is 
 well acquainted with the subject on which he discourses. 
 
 It is evident that the Missionary Baptists 
 recog"nized whatever truth there mig-ht be in 
 the statements of their anti-brethren as to the 
 dang-ers of education, but did not allow a preju- 
 dice thus eng"endered to close their eyes to its 
 benefits. The Baptist General Association of 
 Kentucky, at its org-anization, declared view^s 
 similar to those just quoted from the address of 
 the Triennial Convention. 
 
 There is nothing that more intimately pertains to the 
 prosperity of the Baptists in Kentucky, than the establish- 
 ment of a school or schools for the education of those of 
 our young ministers who may desire it. That age 
 
196 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 of foUy is past,* which denied to a man because he was 
 a preacher of the gospel,' the right to improve his mind. 
 There is neither Scripture nor common sense for saying 
 that a man if he is called to preach, ought to go immedi- 
 ately to work, and use no endeavors and avail himself of 
 no opportunity to obtain an education. There is 
 nothing criminal in being learned — indeed, it is 
 right and proper for every man, minister or laymen, 
 but more especially the former, to cultivate and en- 
 large by every means in his power, those faculties with 
 which he was endowed by his maker, to enlighten and 
 benefit mankind. It cannot be wrong for a minister of 
 Jesus to be taught to read the inspired language of the 
 Scriptures — the language which the Holy Ghost used in re- 
 vealing the glorious truths of the Bible, it cannot be crim- 
 nal for an3' one to read, much less him whose peculiar 
 business it is to expound and enforce it. f 
 
 The missionaries always repudiated, the 
 charge made by their opponents that the 
 ■:hurches were to call men to preach. They did 
 feel the obligation to search out and aid those 
 whom God had called to preach. The history 
 of the attacks made on missions by Taylor, Par- 
 ker and Campbell show how their favorite point 
 of attack was education and especially theolog- 
 ical education. This same attack was continued 
 by their successors, 
 
 (1) In one of the circulars of the Pilgrim's 
 Rest, Ala., Association, written by Rev. Henry 
 Petty, we find the following: 
 
 We view theological schools unwarranted in the Word of 
 God and dangerous to religious liberty. And wherever 
 they have been organized, w^hether Jewish, pagan, heathen, 
 
 *rhe Kentuckv General Association of Baptists was 
 organized in 1837. 
 
 fMinutes of the General Association of Baptists in Ken- 
 tucky, for 1837, page 15. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 197 
 
 Roman Catholic, or Christian, they have been a source of 
 persecution and bloodshed on the Church of Christ. * 
 
 (2) The followino- extract is from the consti- 
 tution of the Kbenezer Association of Alabama: 
 
 We do not hold in union any church that retains in their 
 fellowship members that belong to an3' of the following 
 institutions, to wit: Theological Schools, State Convention, 
 Missionary Society, Tract Society, Sunday School Union, 
 Temperence Society, or any other society that is tributary 
 to the missionary plan, as it now exists in the United 
 States; neither will we knowingly correspond with, nor re- 
 ceive a correspondence from, any association, that con- 
 tinues churches in fellowship who are meirbers, or whose 
 members, belong to any of the above named societies. f 
 
 (3) In the debates in Alabama prior to the 
 forming- of the States Convention, Mr. William 
 Crutcher, known as a New-Tester, thus choice- 
 ly and chasteh' delivered himself: 
 
 Old Simeon was President of the College at Jerusalem, 
 and Gamaliel his successor made it a theological school, 
 and Paul who was brought up at his feet came out a pol- 
 ished persecutor. .. .It seems to me to be enough to stop 
 the mouth of the whole world, with regard to theological 
 schools to make preachers, and it looks more like the bot- 
 tomless pit spoken of in the Revelation to make locusts, 
 than anything else; for a bottomless pit has no foundation 
 in the Scriptures as an institution of God. I am told" 
 that a locust makes a track like a sheep's track only it is 
 larger, etc. t 
 
 (4) Even when the value of education in other 
 calling's and professions was acknowledg-ed, 
 the Hardshells still demanded that it be with- 
 
 *Riley's History of the Baptists of Alabama, page 110. 
 f Riley: History of Alabama Baptists, p. 122. 
 JHolcombe's History of the Baptists in Alabama, p. 90. 
 
198 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 held from the niinistr3\* The Pilgrim's Rest 
 Association, iii a circular of 1838, observed that: 
 
 Here, perhaps, an objection will arise which is, thatby this 
 •way of arguing-, all human learning seems to be utterly 
 condemned. We answer, it follows not because it is not to 
 be allowed in this way, that therefore it is not any use. 
 We do believe it to be a useful thing in its right place, 
 which is for statesmen, physicians, lawyers, and gentlemen, 
 yea, for all men, who can attain to it as men.f . .above all 
 other qualifications, that this world can give, but bring it 
 once to be a help to understand the mind and will of God, 
 in the Holy Scriptures, and in that respect it becomes 
 detestable filth and dross, t 
 
 Not only did the opponents of missions always 
 attack ministerial education but the friends of 
 missions always defended it. The advocates of 
 the one were the advocates of the other. The 
 two interests were intimately and even vitally 
 connected in the mind of both friends and foes. 
 As we have given some references to show that 
 this was true of the foes, so wmU we give some 
 to show that it is likewise true of the friends of 
 missions. 
 
 (1) The same Bowdenheim. Association in 
 Maine which had taken the lead in mission 
 work took the lead also in founding- a theolog"- 
 ical seminary. 
 
 (2) Colby University was the result of such 
 a spirit. 
 
 (3) Note also two sig"nificant facts in reg"ard 
 to Newton Theologfical Seminary. First, 
 
 *Compare the quotation from Parker, on pages 131, 132 
 of this Thesis. 
 
 fNote the fine distinction between gentlemen and 
 preachers, or even between men and preachers. 
 
 :j:Holcombe's History of Alabama Baptists, p. 287. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 199 
 
 Luther Rice was on the committee to take the 
 subject into consideration. Second, the cost, 
 $7,988, was contributed by thirty persons and 
 one missionary society. This Seminary was 
 opened OctobeV 28th, 1825. 
 
 (4) The yarious State Conyentions, w^hen 
 organized, almost without exception, stated mis- 
 sions and education as two of the causes the or- 
 ganization was intended to promote. For exam- 
 ple, when the General Association of Kentucky 
 was organized, of the four objects named, the 
 second is "to foster a more thorough education 
 in the ministry and to encourage education 
 among the people." And the fourth is "the 
 support of foreign missions." 
 
 (5) Georgetown College in Kentucky was 
 organized to secure a better educated ministry 
 to resist Campbellism. 
 
 (6) Of Mercer University it has been elo- 
 quently said : "At first it encountered fierce 
 opposition. Like a 3"oung Hercules, it had 
 to grapple in its cradle the tvyin serpents 
 Anti-mission and Anti-education, and throttle 
 them."* 
 
 And so we might trace the rapidly increas- 
 ing institutions of learning among the Baptistst 
 
 •Address on Mercer University by Rev. J. G. Ryals, 
 D. D., published in Baptist Centennial Volume, p. 123. 
 
 f An article on Higher Education Among American Bap- 
 tists by Prof. A. T. Robertson, D. D., contains a list of the 
 State denominational colleges and the dates of their or- 
 ganizations up to 1845. The names of many established 
 since that time are also given. The article was published 
 in the Baptist Argus of January 24, 1901. 
 
200 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 and we would find that they have been orgfan- 
 ized not only by missionary people but also for 
 missionary reasons. One of the hig-hest ex- 
 emplifications of this fact is the missionary 
 spirit of the Southern Baptist Theological 
 Seminary. This spirit is not only the bright- 
 est jewel in her crown, but its lustre and radi- 
 ance are beginning" to attract the attention of 
 the Christian world. Her "Missionary Day" 
 and her missionary enthusiasm are everywhere 
 causing" comment and compelling imitation. 
 
 To sum up, then, the relation of missions to 
 education in our denomination : 
 
 1. Missions caused its need to be felt. 
 
 2. The foreign missionary organizations 
 brought the educational issue into being. 
 
 3. Missionaries advocated it. 
 
 4. Anti-missionaries opposed it. 
 
 5. The same organizations defended and 
 propagated both missions and education. 
 
 6. They have ever thriven together and 
 languished apart. Though they are now, for 
 the sake of convenience, carried on by different 
 Boards of the same body, yet the accurate his- 
 torian must point his moralizing finger at for- 
 eign missions and say to ministerial education, 
 " Son, behold thy mother ! " 
 
CHAPTEIR IX. 
 
 RELATION OF THE FOREIGN MIS- 
 SION MOVEMENT TO ORGAN- 
 IZATION. 
 
 The district association was already among- 
 us as an institution long- before the foreign 
 mission movement began. There is little need 
 to describe it in those early days, since the 
 chang-es have not been great. There were 
 some who feared it contained the seeds of an 
 hierarchy. History has shown how little this 
 fear has been justified. Still to prevent the 
 facts, it were well to have the fear. The 
 nearest approach to a realization of the fear 
 was in Kentucky, and even there it did not 
 materialize." That fear is not now enter- 
 tained. It is to be regretted that the associa- 
 tional meetings have grown more formal, and 
 that the churches have, to a large extent, 
 ceased to submit to it for fraternal sympathy 
 and advice vexed questions of doctrine and 
 discipline. The prevalence of the denomi- 
 national paper in the land is one cause of this. 
 
 *The appointment of Samuel Harris as an "Apostle" in 
 Virg-inia was much prior to 1812. 
 
 (201) 
 
202 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 The minutes and reports have also become 
 more statistical and less hortatory and didactic, 
 while the circular letter is now generally 
 omitted. These thino-s, and the fact that gen- 
 eral denominational interests are given more 
 time, while the individual churches are given 
 less, constitute the chief changes. 
 
 The district association is not the result of a 
 missionary movement, so much as of the desire 
 of Christians belonging to different churches 
 in the same denomination to get together for 
 counsel, sympathy and advice in regard to the 
 various questions of doctrine and discipline 
 constantl}^ arising. This feeling and need will 
 be found to predominate in all the earlier asso- 
 ciations. It caused the Philadelphia Associa- 
 tion to publish its famous Confession of Faith. 
 It caused the promulgation in the North of the 
 New Hampshire Confession of Faith. It crops 
 out in all the circular letters sent forth by the 
 associations. The first letter of this kind de- 
 voted entirely to missions was the one sent out 
 by the Charleston Association in 1814 on the 
 strength of Rice's visit the preceding year. A 
 German historian quoted by Dr. Geo. B. Eager 
 in the "Baptist Argus "of January 24, 19U1, 
 says of American Baptists, that " their rapid 
 growth is contcmporayicous and coterminous 
 zvith the development of the IDEA OF THE 
 ASSOCIATION OF THEIR CHURCHES." 
 It is the rather true that the growth and 
 development of the churches caused the associ- 
 ational idea. It came in response to a felt 
 need. When it came it of course furthered 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 203 
 
 growth, coming" as at once a result and a cause, 
 and, as was show'n in Chapter I., was to a cer- 
 tain extent missionary. But, notwithstanding" 
 the missionary activity, and its results, of the 
 Philadelphia Association, I maintain that the 
 missionary idea was not fundamental nor pri- 
 mary. When the anti-missionary split came, 
 some of the oldest and strong-est associations 
 unanimously w'ent Hardshell, both North and 
 South. (Cf. the action of the Chemung" and 
 other Northern Associations.) The Kehukee, 
 a daughter of the Charleston and a grand- 
 daughter of the Philadelphia Association, and 
 the Pilgrims' Rest Association are examples 
 in the South. Harl missions been the fun- 
 damental idea in their organization this w^ould, 
 of course, have been impossible. Not only did 
 many of the old associations g"o anti-mission, 
 but in Missouri and other States the fir^t as- 
 sociations formed were formed by Hardshells. 
 The Hardshells have district associations now, 
 and have never made a fig'ht ag"ainst them, 
 which fight they would surely have made if 
 they had even suspected them of an inherent 
 missionary taint. Nor are the Conventions, 
 which are strictly missionary bodies, a develop- 
 ment from the association; nor the General 
 bodies a further evolution of the State Conven- 
 tion. The missionaries, indeed, took advantag"e 
 of the fact that the associations were in existence 
 and used them, and the incidental missionary 
 activitv which had developed in them, as far as 
 possible. But when Luther Rice returned to 
 America he found no instrument perfectly fitted 
 
204 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 for the missionary work; hence, the necessity 
 of organizing" the Triennial Convention. But 
 when that Convention was organized, the 
 Associations lacked adaptability to do even the 
 local work, and so State Conventions and local 
 missionary societies came into being. This is 
 not theory but history, and one of the triumphs 
 of the foreign mission movement has been its 
 success in making Baptist associations so 
 thoroughly missionary, sometimes, and not alto- 
 gether without loss, to the almost total exclu- 
 feion of the original idea in their formation. 
 
 STATE CONVENTIONS. 
 
 (1) In 1802 the Massachusetts Baptist Mis- 
 sionary Society was organized at the First 
 Baptist Church in Boston. This, in the course 
 of time, led to the organization of the Massa- 
 chusetts Baptist State Convention in 1825.* 
 
 (2) But South Carolina was the first to form 
 a State Convention. An address was first sent 
 out "to the different Baptist associations in the 
 State of South Carolina." The reasons for it are 
 a neg-lcct on the part of the churches of a proper 
 zeal in education and missions. The address 
 also complains that "The plan of assisting 
 pious young men in obtaining education for the 
 ministry which used to belong exclusively to 
 the Baptists, has been adopted by these (other) 
 denominations," while among Baptists igno- 
 rant men insensible of the defects in themselves 
 "are bold and confident of their knowledge 
 
 *Compare p. 16 of this Thesis for an accou«nt of the origin 
 of this Society. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSION ISM. 205 
 
 and abilities, and venture upon subjects to 
 which they are unequal, in lang-uag-e which is 
 not proper, and with reasonino- which is not 
 just." Not only that, but "entrance into the 
 ministry is made so easy that every person 
 with warm passions, apparent piety and a lit- 
 tle fluency of speech can readily g-et encourag-e- 
 ment to entei on the min'sterial character and 
 work." The address proposes that a g-eneral 
 meeting of all the Baptist associations in the 
 State be held to consider the two subjects of 
 education of ministers and the sending- the tros- 
 pel to the destitute. " Each of these subjects 
 embraces two important objects : the first of 
 which respects the immediate assistance of 
 pious young- men desig-ned for the g-ospel min- 
 istry, by g-iving- them a knowledg-e of lang-uag-e 
 and general science ; the second, for the es- 
 tablishment of the theolog-ical seminary pro- 
 posed by the General Convention.* For for- 
 eig-n missionary purposes, contributions are 
 proposed — first, for sending- the gospel to the 
 heathen ; secondly, to the destitute of our own 
 country. The whole to be conducted in strict 
 connection with, the General Convention, in 
 which we consider the interests of the Baptists 
 in America, virtually and happily combined." 
 This address was sent out in 1820, and was, as 
 mig-ht have been expected, from the Charleston 
 Association. According-lv on December 4, 
 
 *This was Columbian Colleg-e, but the influences thus 
 set in motion finally resulted in the org-anization of the 
 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, first at Greenville, 
 S. C, and now at Louisville, Ky. 
 
206 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 1821, at Columbia, S. C, was held the meet- 
 ing- proposed. The org-aaization was styled 
 " The State Convention of the Baptist Denom- 
 ination in South Carolina." Its objects were 
 those suo-g-ested and specified by the circular 
 address calling- them tog-elher.* 
 
 (3) In 1822, under the influence of the 
 Georgia and Ocmulgee Associations, and not 
 without opposition, the "General Baptist As- 
 sociation of the State of Georg-ia " was formed 
 " to confer tog-ether on subjects of g-eneral in- 
 terest and plans of public utilit}^; and to devise 
 and recommend schemes for the revival of ex- 
 perimental and practical relig-ion ; for the pro- 
 motion of uniformity in sentiment, practice and 
 discipline ; for the extension of the g-ospel by 
 missions, by Bibles and tracts, and for the ful- 
 filment of that Scriptural injunction, 'provoke 
 one another to good works.' "t 
 
 (4) In New York in 1821 the work of various 
 missionary societies resulted in a State Con- 
 venticn but not until the union of that body 
 with the Hamilton Missionary Society was the 
 State Convention formed on its present basis. | 
 
 (5) The Connecticut State Covention was or- 
 
 *Cf . address of the Charleston Association and first copj 
 of Convention minutes. 
 
 f Constitution of General Baptist Association of Georgia, 
 quoted in History of Georgia Baptists compiled by "Chris- 
 tian Index." 
 
 :}:Compare American Church Hist., Vol. II., Baptists, by 
 Dr. Newman, p. 405, with Vedder's History of Baptists, in 
 Middle States, p. 107; note and Dargan's Ecclesiology, p. 
 108. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 207 
 
 gfanized in 1823 with no opposition. The Vir- 
 ginia State Convention was org-anized the same 
 year ag'ainst a powerful and determined oppo- 
 sition. "Out of the twenty associations in the 
 State, with a membership of about 40,000, 
 only fifteen deleg-ates representing- a few of the 
 associations were present at the meeting" for 
 org^anization."* This opposition was of course 
 by the anti-missi-maries. 
 
 (6) The Maine State Convention was org^an- 
 ized in 1824; no real opposition. 
 
 (7) Vermont Convention org^anized in 1825 
 with comparative ease. The Alabama Conven- 
 tion was orgfanized the same year. The vindic- 
 tive animus of thfe opposition there has been al- 
 ready narrated. 
 
 The spirit of the first Baptist State Convention of Alaba- 
 ma proved to be essentially missionary. After the organ- 
 zation, by the election of Rev. Charles Crow as President 
 and Rev. J. A. Ranaldson as Secretary, the bodv proceeded 
 to business. It numbered about twenty members. Both 
 in the constitution adopted, and in the address prepartd to 
 the Baptists of Alabama, the Convention was pronounced 
 in favor of foreieju and domestic missions, and of render- 
 ing- aid to pious and intellig-ent young men called of God 
 to preach the gospel. f 
 
 (8) The New Hampshire Convention was 
 org"anized in 1826. 
 
 (9) Pennsylvania Convention held its first 
 session in 1827. 
 
 (10) New Jersey and North Carolina were 
 org-anized in 1830. 
 
 *Amer. Ch. Hist., Vol. II., Baptist, by Dr. Newman, p. 
 405. 
 
 fRiley's History of the Baptist of Alabama, p. 39. 
 
208 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 No difficulty was experienced in New Jersey; 
 but the tug'-of-war came in North Carolina. 
 Repeated efforts were made, only to result in 
 failure. Finally a small fraction of the de- 
 nomination effected a successful org-anization in 
 1830, which in the course of 3'ears has drawn to 
 itself the bulk of the Baptists, both in brains 
 and numbers, and the opposition has finally 
 melted away. 
 
 (11) Tennessee, after similar experience, 
 started her State Convention in 1832. 
 
 (12) In Kentucky, "the missionary societies that had so 
 warmly and liberally supported foreig^n and domestic mis- 
 sions before the "Christian Baptist" "stopped" their 
 operations, had been dissolved. The first things to be done 
 in the new interprise, therefore, was to form a constitu- 
 tion for a Convention.* 
 
 This was done by preaching* missions, and in 
 December, 1831, chiefly throug-h the influence 
 of Dr. Noel, who had been influenced by per- 
 sonal conversations with Luther Rice, the 
 Kentucky Baptist State Convention was organ- 
 ized. It did g-ood missionary work, mainly 
 within its own limits for a few years, but 
 g'radually g-rowing* weaker, it perished. The 
 cause of its decline was the theory of its epis- 
 copacy or "subordination" in the ministry. Its 
 g"randest work was that done by Dr. W. C. 
 Buck, especially in regfard to inducing* churches 
 to pay their pastors sufficient salary to relieve 
 them from the stig^ma of being* objects of 
 charity, dependent upon the occasional dona- 
 tions of their members, or of being* oblig*ed to 
 
 *Spencer: History of Kentucky Baptists, Vol. I, p. 649. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 209 
 
 neg-lect g-ivinti- themselves up to prayer and the 
 ministry of the spirit in order to put in their 
 time on the farm or elsewhere to prevent their 
 families from starving-.* Dr. Buck did a great 
 work. The chief marvel about it is that it has 
 been so little known and appreciated. The 
 missionary element among Kentucky Baptists 
 were not cast down by the failure of the Con- 
 vention. The same great men who had 
 planned and worked for the State Convention, 
 abandoned their errors, profited by their mis- 
 takes, and joined in with their brethren more 
 recently aroused to the importance of a State 
 organization. On Friday, October 30, 1837, a 
 gathering, not large but great, met in the 
 Baptist meeting house of Louisville, and after 
 being called to order by Dr. W. C. Buck, or- 
 ganized the "General Association of Baptists 
 in Kentucky" to promote concert and harmony 
 among the churches; to preach the gospel to 
 the destitute; to advance ministerial education, 
 Bible distribution, Bible societies and the sup- 
 port of foreign missions. t The success of this 
 organization broke the backbone of missionary 
 opposition, and the fight for united effort was 
 easier in the states that followed. 
 
 (13) Between the time of the first and 
 second organization in Kentucky, Missouri 
 Baptists had organized in 1834. Dr. Yeaman 
 says of that body : 
 
 *A venerable minister of the Long- Run Association told 
 me that he could remember when Kentucky pastors hardly 
 received $25.00 a year salary. 
 
 + Condensed from the minutes of the first meeting- (1837). 
 14 
 
210 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 Nothing- can be more clearly and certainly attested than 
 that the brethren who conceived the idea of a general 
 organization of Missouri Baptists were possessed of a pro- 
 found and abiding conviction that the gospel itself is a 
 missionary enterprise.* 
 
 Article II. of the Constitution distinctly 
 states that the object of the org-anization is 
 missionary. Here, as in Alabama, Tennessee 
 and Kentucky, the opposition was most bitter, 
 prejudiced and determined, but happily proved 
 unsuccessful. There has ever been in certain 
 portions of the South and among- certain 
 classes, as the inevitable concomitant of ig-no- 
 rance, an opposition to all forms of missionary 
 effort. Sometimes latent, sometimes very ac- 
 tive, but always manifesting- itself in the same 
 ways, using- the same methods of attack, strik- 
 ing- at the same points, and using- the same 
 arg-uments. It w^as never very prominent in the 
 North. Its g-reatest successes and defeats on 
 its chosen battle fields have been fairly set 
 forth, and it would mal-^e this chapter unsuffer- 
 ably tiresome to follow its maneuvers any fur- 
 ther in the various State Conventions. No 
 State in the South has been entirely free from 
 it, but in no State has it ever g-ained a final 
 victory. 
 
 Its end is necessarily destruction, and its 
 destiny the blackness of darkness forever. At 
 its funeral there W'ill be no mourners and over 
 its g-rave this Thesis will in all probability be 
 
 ^Yeaman's History of Missouri Baptist General Associa- 
 tion, p. 43. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 211 
 
 the only monument. Should this record fail of 
 read i no- or preservation, only scattered para- 
 g-raphs in the glorious pag-es of American Bap- 
 tist history will remain to intimate to the 
 curious the erstwhile existence of that peculiar 
 people who vainl}^ attempted to clip the wings 
 of 1 he gfospel and make it g^o the terrapin pace 
 of the "Hardshell." 
 
CHAPTEIR X 
 
 THE RELATION OF MISSIONS TO 
 HOME MISSIONS, BIBLE AND 
 OTHER SOCIETIES, AND THE 
 SOUTHERN BAPTIST CON- 
 VENTION. 
 
 The Home Mission work as now organized 
 and representing- the combined efforts of the 
 entire denomination is not an indirect but a di- 
 rect result of the Foreiofn Mission work. The 
 brief synopsis gfiven here of the events that 
 led to making" it an independent movement, is 
 condensed from Burrag*e and others. 
 
 I. HOWTHB HOME MISSION BOARD STARTED. 
 
 (1) John M. Peck was born at Litchfield, 
 South Farms, Connecticut, Oct. 31, 1789. 
 
 (2) He became interested in mission work 
 under the personal influence of Rev. Luther 
 Rice. Rice in some of his reports to the Trien- 
 nial Convention records having" counselled with 
 Peck on this subject. 
 
 (3) Peck received an appointment from the 
 Triennial Convention in 1817. 
 
 (4) He reached St. Louis by means of a small 
 one-horse wag"on, carrying" himself, his wife 
 and three children, and org-anized a church 
 there in 1818. 
 
 (212) 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 213 
 
 (5) He used this place as a center from 
 which to carry on missionary work in the re- 
 g-ions beyond. 
 
 (6) The Baptist Churches in the Missis- 
 sippi Valley were largely antinomian, antimi.s- 
 sion, anti-Sunday-School, anti-Bible Society, 
 etc. 
 
 (7) A severe struggfle followed, in the course 
 of which he greatly corrected these evils. 
 
 (8) But complaints from these sources 
 caused the Triennial Convention to withdraw 
 its aid in 1820. 
 
 (9) He continued his work under the aus- 
 pices of the Baptist Missionary Society of 
 Massachusetts, from 1822 on, at a salary of 
 S5.00 a week, 
 
 (10) In 1826 he made a forcible presentation 
 in the East of the needs of Western fields. 
 
 (11) In 1831 the Society sent Rev. Jonathan 
 Going* to join him. He was also much aided by 
 James E. Welch. 
 
 (12) Peck and Going- traveled tog^ether over 
 the g-reater part of Illinois, Indiana. Missouri 
 and Kentucky, and at Shelbyvllle ag-reed on the 
 plan of the American Baptist Home Missionary 
 Societ3\ 
 
 (13) On receipt of their report the Massa- 
 chusetts Society sent a committee to confer 
 with the New York Baptist Missionary Con- 
 vention, which was also doing work in the West, 
 with the result, 
 
 (14) That the American Baptist Home Mis- 
 sionary Society was organized in New York in 
 April, 1832, with headquarters at that place. 
 
214 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 The quotations already so numerous abun- 
 dantly show that not only were education and 
 home missions soon incorporated among the 
 objects of the Triennial Convention, but that 
 even when because of their magnitude they were 
 given in charge of separate boards, their inter- 
 ests always waxed and waned and their pros- 
 perity always rose and fell with the fortunes 
 of foreign missions. The measure of the effort 
 abroad has ever been the measure of the suc- 
 cess at home. "There is that which scattereth 
 and yet increaseth." To contract the field is 
 to contract the blessing. Only the water that 
 is constantly running outward toward the 
 ocean can remain fresh and life-giving, while 
 yet in its narrow channels. The Baptists of 
 America take one dollar out of their purse and 
 cast it across the ocean; and lo! they find 
 forty dollars to spend on their denominational 
 needs and interests at home. 
 
 II. BIBLE AND OTHER SOCIETIES. 
 
 It can surprise no one who has read thus far 
 to be told that Bible Societies, Tract Societies, 
 Temperance Societies, Publication Societies and 
 Sunday Schools are also outgrowths of the 
 foreign mission movement. We would know 
 this by the company they keep and by the 
 enemies they have made, if for no other reason. 
 They are not only outgrowths of the foreign 
 mission movement, but logical outgrowths. 
 If you send missionaries, they must have 
 Bibles and tracts. Who can publish them so 
 well as ourselves? If we send missionaries 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 215 
 
 and whiskey barrels on the same vessels, where 
 is our consistency? Even the United States 
 Government knows and acts on the knowl- 
 edg"e, that whisky is not good for Indians, 
 Filipinos and soldiers; hence their recent regu- 
 lations as to the "canteen" and the exporta- 
 tion of intoxicants to their colonies. The Bap- 
 tists saw these inconsistencies long ago, and 
 saw another inconsistency, viz: that of for- 
 bidding liquor to the heathen, while using it at 
 home; hence the temperance societies. It also 
 became manifest that the children as well as the 
 ministers must be educated in the Bible; so the 
 missionary wing of the denomination welcomed 
 Sunday Schools. The other wing, of course, 
 opposed them. In time, Boards for the man- 
 agement of the Sunday School w^ork were 
 especially created, but their interests are still 
 intertwined with those of foreign missions. 
 Many think that only the money given at home 
 can bring any benefit to us, but history has 
 shown that our richest blessings have come 
 from the money and missionaries we have sent 
 abroad. 
 
 The American and Foreign Bible Society was 
 organized in 1837, for the purpose of circulat- 
 ing pure versions of the Bible in all languages. 
 Its executive Board was located in New 
 York City. 
 
 The i^merican Baptist Publication and Sun- 
 day School Society was organized in 1840, for 
 the purpose of publishing and circulating Bap- 
 tist literature. Luther Rice and Dr. Staugh- 
 ton were among- its founders. 
 
216 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 III. THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. 
 
 This mig-hty organization did not come into 
 being because of slavery, but because of foreign 
 missions. There was no bar to fellowship with 
 Northern brethren, in the fact that the Southern 
 members of the Triennial Convention were 
 usually slaveholders. The slavery question 
 was merely the occasion of the division. The 
 cause was that the Southern brethren wanted 
 to do their own foreign missionary work with 
 their own men and by their own methods. 
 The division was peaceable, and when the 
 Southern body was formed it was called "The 
 Southern Baptist Q^owN^r^Wow for Foreign Mis- 
 siojis.''' Home missions, educational work and 
 Sunday School Boards were subsequent devel- 
 opments, just as in the North. The steps in 
 organizing the Southern Baptist Convention 
 were these: 
 
 (1) In 184-3, at Boston, a small association 
 under the title of the American and Foreign 
 Baptist Missionary Society was organized on 
 anti-slavery principles. 
 
 (2) Publications soon began to appear in the 
 religious periodical press which intimated that 
 the acting Board of the Triennial Convention 
 would no longer tolerate slavery. 
 
 (3) At a meeting of the Alabama State Con- 
 vention in 1844, a publication of this kind, sup- 
 posed to have been written by Dr. R. E. Patti- 
 son, then Home Secretary of the Boston Board, 
 was read and what is now known as the "Ala- 
 bama Resolutions" were passed. The second 
 of these is: 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 217 
 
 Resolved^ that our duty at this crisis requires us to de- 
 mand from the proper authorities in all those bodies to 
 whose funds we have contributed, or with whom we ha\e 
 in any wa^' been connected, the distinct, explicit avowal 
 that slaveholders are eligible, and entitled, equally with 
 non-slaveholders, to all the privileg^es and immunities of 
 their several unions; and especially to receive any 
 agency, mission, or other appointment, which may run 
 within the scope of their operations or duties. 
 
 (4) The Board of the Triennial Convention, 
 among- other things, said in their reply, "One 
 thing- is certain, we can never be a party to 
 any arrang-ement which would imply approba- 
 tion of slavery." 
 
 (5) This answer was condemned by the 
 Board of the Foreig-n Missionary Society in Vir- 
 g-inia, and the churches and associations of the 
 Southern States were requested to send mes- 
 seng-ers to meet in Aug-usta, Georg-ia, in May, 
 1845. 
 
 (6) But in April, 1845, the American Baptist 
 Missionary Society in session at Providence, 
 R. I. passed resolutions setting- forth the ex- 
 pediency of separate org-anizations at the 
 South and North "in promoting- the objects 
 which were orig-inally contemplated b}^ the 
 Societ3^" It was advised that a committee be 
 appointed and the separation be a peaceful and 
 fraternal one. 
 
 (7) In response to the call of the Virg-inia 
 Mission Society, there met in Ag-usta, Ga., May 
 8th, 1845, 310 deleg-ates from the following 
 States: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, 
 South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, 
 Kentucky and the District of Columbia, and 
 
218 THE GENESIS OP 
 
 other States were represented by letter. 
 Thus was org-anized the Southern Baptist 
 Convention. Boards of Foreign and Domestic 
 Missions were appointed, located respectively 
 in Richmond, Va., and Marion, Ala. Adoniram 
 Judson's approval of this course on the part 
 of the South was set forth in his address to the 
 Southern Baptist Convention, an account of 
 which is ofiven on page 53 in Chapter II. of this 
 Thesis. 
 
 After the organization of the Southern Bap- 
 tist Convention, we do not purpose to follow 
 the history further in detail. It would be of 
 interest, to the author, at least, to write the 
 history of the great newspaper wars against 
 boards waged by such newspapers as the 
 American Baptist Flag, The Texas Baptist 
 and Herald and other papers of that ilk. The 
 story would read strangely, like that in Vir- 
 ginia and Kentucky when Alexander Campbell 
 and Daniel Parker wielded their caustic pens. 
 Newspaper assaults were made on the mission 
 work in Rhode Island, and even in Maine for a 
 short while in the early days, but the brethren 
 turned in disgust from those who pursued such 
 methods of attack, and the papers died a natu- 
 ral and speedy death. The trouble seems to 
 be that the retrenching and economy-urging 
 brethren soon conclude that it is wrong to 
 waste money on a denominational paper and so, 
 unless the missionary brethren buy it to see 
 what is being said about them, such a paper 
 soon perishes from want of nourishment. Our 
 Northern brethren have been too astute to sup- 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 219 
 
 port newspapers who.-e object was to destroy 
 their work. The Southern brethren, unfortu- 
 nately, have not always been so wise. But 
 never aofain can the iig-ht be so severe as it has 
 been in the past. The archaic weapons of the 
 anti-missionaries, deadly enoug'h in their day, 
 would provoke derision were it not for the 
 malice with which they are still used. There 
 has been and can be no improvement on them; 
 as they were in the days of Parker and Camp- 
 bell, so are they now, but every lessening- of ex- 
 pense, every missionary exploit in foreign 
 fields, every success of org-anization blunts 
 their edg"e. The expense can never ag-ain be as 
 g-reat, nor the outcome of org-anization as prob- 
 lematical. The people can never ag^ain be made 
 to conjure by the power of the imag^ination a 
 Convention into a hierarchy or a missionary 
 board into prelacy. One would almost smile 
 to see the ancient weapons ag-ain unsheathed by 
 the doughty champions of Hardshellism; but as 
 one cannot smile when an American soldier is 
 slain by the archaic bolo or bow and arrow of 
 the naked Tag^log", even thoug^h he knows 
 how utterly futile they must finally be ag-ainst 
 the Krag-Jorg-ensen and the Maxim, so we can- 
 not smile at the tottering- and venerable arg-u- 
 ments of the mission opponents, while they still 
 deceive some of the uninformed and unwary, 
 althougfh we well know what the final result 
 must be. 
 
CHAPXEIR XI 
 
 THE LIGHT SHED BY THE LESSONS 
 
 OF THE PAST ON THE DUTIES 
 
 OF THE PRESENT. 
 
 Behold the foreigfn missionary movement. In 
 1812 the American Baptist denomination was 
 bound like Andromeda by the chains of anti- 
 nomianism on the rock of prejudice, waiting" 
 for the Cretan monster of Ignorance to come 
 and devour her. The foreign missionary move- 
 ment was the Perseus that delivered her. I 
 said the Baptist denomination : up to the time 
 of Judson's conversion there was no Baptist 
 denomination, merely scattered churches here 
 and there connected only by heredity and by 
 the feeble bonds of associational advice. There 
 is a pamphlet in the Seminary Library; it is 
 meant to be a record of the United Baptists, 
 but by a curious transposition of the two mid- 
 dle letters in the first word, it says, instead : 
 " The Untied Baptists." The American Bap- 
 tists in 1812 were Untied Baptists ; now they 
 are United Baptists, and foreign missions has 
 woven the silken cords of fraternal love that 
 binds them together. We cast our seed, 
 weeping, upon Asiatic soil far across the seas, 
 
 (220)' 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 221 
 
 praying" that it might bring- forth a harvest for 
 the Burman idolaters, dreaming of none for 
 ourselves. But the seed g"rew, although the 
 smallest of the seeds of the earth, and became 
 a g-reat tree that filled the whole world. Its 
 wide-reaching" branches stretched across the 
 ocean, and sent down its branches until they 
 took root in our own soil; but unlike the banyan 
 tree, from its beneficent boughs the rich fruit 
 hung" in g-olden clusters ready to fall at our 
 feet. It became to us a tree of life, and we 
 plucked from it its twelve manner of fruits : 
 Foreign Missions, Home Missions, Christian 
 Education, Ministerial Education, Tract Socie- 
 ties, Bible Societies, Publication Societies, 
 State Conventions, Temperance Societies, Dis- 
 trict Missions, Sunday Schools and the South- 
 ern Baptist Convention. Truly its fruit has 
 been sweet and its leaves potent for the heal- 
 ing* of the nations. 
 
 What ligfht does this history shed on our 
 present duty? We saw the issue ; w^e saw the 
 division ; we heard the clash of swords ; what 
 is the result? So far when we look at the 
 bloody battlefields we are constrained to say 
 to the foreig"n mission movement, "No w^eapon 
 that is formed ag^ainst thee shall prosper." 
 The division was even. One hundred thousand 
 went each way. The Hardshells, or as they 
 prefer to call themselves, " The Primitive 
 Baptists," now number 126,000,* but wnth 
 
 *These fig^ures are taken from The American Baptist 
 Year-Book, 1900, which has just been received. The statis- 
 tics relating to the Two-Seed Baptists arc necessarily taken 
 
222 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 fewer associations than at the time of the 
 division. They have but few newspapers; 
 few, if any, benevolent institutions ; no cohe- 
 sion ; no future ; no connection with the lost 
 world. The Parkerites, or Two-Seed Bap- 
 tists, accordintJ- to the census of 1890, as g-iven 
 by H. K. Carroll, LIv. D., had 50 associations, 
 with 473 organizations, 397 church edifices and 
 12,851 communicants. They are most numer- 
 ous in Texas, Tennessee, Kentuck}', ]Missis- 
 sippi and Arkansas. Their Two-Seediem is 
 practically all that disting-uished them from 
 the Primitive Baptists. Baptists of other 
 kinds in the United States, such as Free-Will, 
 German or Dunkard, Seventh-Dav and Sixth- 
 Principle, number 304,034 communicants. They 
 are prevailingiy missionary.* 
 
 The Reg'ular Baptists of the United States 
 have 4,181,686 communicants, 29,473 ministers, 
 43,427 churches. These are all missionary in 
 name at least. They have 7 theolog^ical semi- 
 naries, which teach 1,012 students ; they have 
 104 universities and colleg"es, with a total of 
 26,126 -students, 1,239 of whom are prepar- 
 ing for the mini-try. They have 84 acade- 
 mies, seminaries and institutes, with 10,882 
 pupils, 307 of ^vhom are students for the 
 ministry. There are 36 Baptist charitable 
 institutions. There are 123 Baptist peri- 
 odicals. Such marked growth where missions 
 are held to and such notable stag-nation w'here 
 
 from the census of 1890, inasmuch as the Government 
 Census of 1900 did not include religious statistics. 
 *American Baptist Year-Book, 1900. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 223 
 
 they are neglected or rejected cannot be mis- 
 understood. We have nothing- more to fear 
 from the.Hardshellism without; but we must 
 educate, instruct and enlighten our people in 
 regard to systematic giving, or it will grow 
 within our missionary churches. Our members 
 must be made missionary, and it is the dut}' of 
 the pastors to educate them in systematic lib- 
 erality. The great lesson we must learn is to 
 guard the inside. Truth is not self-propagat- 
 ing; it must be carried. Truth crushed to 
 earth will not rise again unless it be lifted. 
 The gospel will not spread except it be 
 preached, and men cannot preach except they 
 be sent. Another lesson is that there can be 
 no compromises with the anti-missionary spirit. 
 It is as dissimilar from the spirit and com- 
 mands of Christ as darkness from light. It 
 has no inheritance in David and no part in the 
 Son of Jesse. Yet another, and b}' no means 
 the least lesson, is that the Baptists must do 
 an independent mission work. Kvery reason 
 that made it impossible for Rice and Judson to 
 continue in the service of the Congregational 
 Board makes it impossible for us to do our 
 work by any other means than our own mis- 
 sionaries. We must declare the whole council 
 of God. Every reason which made it necessary 
 that at the cost of a fight for existence and the 
 splitting of the denominatiou'in twain we should 
 establish our own societies, boards and con- 
 ventions, makes it imperative that we should 
 avail ourselves of them now that they are 
 ready to our hand. W^e could not do without 
 
224 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 them then; we cannot do without them now. 
 They are the best in the world; by them we 
 g-et greater results at less expense than we 
 could by any other organization in the world. 
 We do our work cheaper and with greater 
 results in proportion to the labor and money 
 expended than any other great denomination. 
 They are big enough; their plans are broad 
 enough; their prospects are bright enough to 
 engage all our energies. They are fitted to 
 us and we to them. They bind together those 
 who are agreed. Why not say. Let us evangel- 
 ize the world in this generation by means of 
 our Baptist Boards and Mission Societies? 
 We do not need to mingle the dialect of Ashdod 
 with the language of Canaan. Let us not only 
 evaug-elize the world in this generation, but 
 wherever our missionaries go let them leave 
 behind them churches, associations, conven- 
 tions, schools, seminaries, Bible and publica- 
 tion societies and the other instruments for 
 co-operative work. Let us not preach merely, 
 but also deliver the gospel once for all delivered 
 to the saints to faithful men who shall come 
 after us that they in turn may deliver it to 
 others. Let us not merely evangelize; that 
 would be to sweep over the land like a prairie 
 fire, and the ashes of our expired efforts would 
 but fertilize the rapidly maturing crop of 
 errors, heresies and idolatries that spring up 
 with each succeeding generation. Let us not 
 only burn but build and leave a self-perpetuat- 
 ing gospel behind us; then our work will need 
 to be done but once. 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 225 
 
 Agfain, let us remember that missionary 
 hiroism may be and has been shown as trul}' 
 in se)i(ii)ig- the yospel as in carrying- the g'ospel. 
 How I would like to call the honor roll of the 
 faithful ones who have stayed at home and 
 "held the rop^^rs." Many of them have earned 
 the martyrs' crown. God bless the unremem- 
 bered men and women who have g^iven and 
 toiled and hoped and prayed. They have held 
 the shield over the missionary in the foreign 
 field and received in their own bodies the ar- 
 rows of the archers. The antinomian scorned 
 and said as Ryland* did to Carey: "When God 
 almighty gets ready to convert the world, 
 He can convert it without your help." The 
 worldling sneered and said, as Sidney Smith, 
 of Carey's plan: ' It is but the dream of a 
 dreamer who dreams that he is dreaming." 
 But these forgotten heroes of faith said to the 
 missionary. You go on; we will pay the expen- 
 ses; we will hold the ropes. They waited a 
 year — two years — five years — and not a conver- 
 sion. They called to the missionary, "Watch- 
 man, what of the night?" He answers. It is 
 dark, utterly dark; no interest; no conversion; 
 no hope; and yet not dark, for we have God's 
 W^ord. O faithful helper, do not turn loose the 
 rope. I am in a pit, delving for immortal souls 
 and at present it is dark; but the future — the 
 future is as "bright as the promises of God." 
 Only after seven years does the news come that 
 
 *Dr. Ryland was not really, or at least permanently, an 
 Antinomian, although he gave utterance to this sentiment. 
 
226 - THE GENESIS OF 
 
 the first heathen has turned to the light. But 
 that faithful watcher had not been discourat^ed. 
 In fifteen 3^ears there is a little church in Bur- 
 mah, a pin-point of light in illimitable dark- 
 ness. The missionaries die and more mission- 
 aries are sent. Then the first fruits began to 
 be gathered. 
 
 "The morning light is breaking, 
 
 The darkness disappears; 
 The sons of God are waking 
 
 To penitential tears/' 
 
 Over among the Karens a nation is born in a 
 day and Pentecost is duplicated. Then the 
 faithful "hopers toward God," as the Psalmist 
 so sweetly puts it, say: We will send mission- 
 aries to yet other fields. V/liile we are reap- 
 ing in India, we will sow in other lands. We 
 will lengthen our cords and strengthen our 
 stakes and enlarge the place of our habitation. 
 We are debtors both to Jew- and Gentile, Greek 
 and barbarian, wise and foolish, bond and free. 
 We will send the gospel to papal as well as 
 heathen fields: Mexico, South America, yes, 
 and Italy, in the shadow of the Vatican. We 
 are "ready to preach the gospel to you that are 
 at Rome also." We speak of a century of mis- 
 sions; we have not had it. For eighty years 
 the faithful few have been trying to get Bap- 
 tists to make the missionary experiment. We 
 have routed the anti-missionaries; our problem 
 now is to vitalize the Omissionaries, and their 
 name is legion. If all the members of Mission- 
 ary Baptist churches were Missionary Bap- 
 tists, we could send the gospel to all the world 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 227 
 
 and have it preached to every creature inside 
 of five years. This is not exag-g-eration, but 
 sober fact; not Quixotic imag-ination, but "plain 
 duty;" not an idle dream, but a "manifest des- 
 tiny." Dr. Broadus says in his address on 
 "Christianity E^^sentially Missionary":* "You 
 remember how Archimedes said when he w^as 
 finding- out the wonderful power of the lever: 
 'Give me a place to stand on, and with a lever 
 I will move the world.' Oh, men and women, 
 foreig'n missions are the place to stand on for 
 Christianity to do its work for the human 
 race." Amen and amen. If we start the 
 stream to the uttermost parts of the earth it 
 will water, fertilize and fructify every other 
 interest on its way. Baptists have the means. 
 We have the men, we have the money, we have 
 the org-ani^ation; the doors are open; we have 
 learned how ; the command of our Ivord is ur- 
 g-ent; let us g"o over then and possess the land, 
 for there remains much land to be possessed. 
 
 (Some will say, Why don't you say some- 
 thing- about somebody else besides the Baptists? 
 One reason is, that I did not start out with 
 that intention. They may even call me "not a 
 a preacher but a propag-andist," a partisan 
 and not an unselfish lover of the g-ospel. Well, 
 I am g"lad that Christ is preached, for what- 
 ever reason and by whomsoever will. I believe 
 that half a g"ospel is better than no Bread of Life 
 at all. I am willing- for all other org-anizations 
 and denominations to do their own work in their 
 
 *Centennary Missionary Addresses, p. 23. 
 
228 THE GENESIS OF 
 
 own way, and in so far as they preach the Truth, 
 wish them God-speed. But when the thorough- 
 bred church of Jesus Christ has all the means 
 at her command to carry '6.zuhole Gospel, why 
 waste time in idle vaporing-s of affected sympa- 
 thy for hybrid organizations that can carry at 
 best but a mutilated message to the lost?) 
 
 We have come to understand that the mis- 
 sionary is not an isolated individual, and that 
 even when he is in foreign landN he is "in ar- 
 terial circulation with the churches." We can- 
 not be indifferent to anything that concerns 
 him. The connection should never be broken. 
 A missionary is not only one who g'oes, but one 
 who is sent. The churches at home must 
 ever pray the Lord to send forth the laborers 
 into the whitening harvest; must ever look 
 to see on whose face shines the token that 
 God has called him to go far hence to the 
 Gentiles, must ever help him to equip himself 
 for the strugg'le; must separate him to the 
 work to which he is called; must support him 
 and svmpathize with him and rejoice with him. 
 He does not live to himself alone, nor for the 
 heathen alone, but for us and for Christ. "How 
 can they go except they be sent?" It is ours 
 to send them. We are the Philippians who 
 must once and again minister to their recessity 
 in order that after awhile we may receive the 
 sw' et message from our missionaries: "I am 
 filled, having received from Epaphroditus the 
 things which came from you, an odor of a sweet 
 smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to 
 God And my God shall supply every need of 
 
AMERICAN ANTI-MISSIONISM. 229 
 
 yours according" to his riches in g'lory in Christ 
 JesiiR. Now unto our God and Father be the 
 trlory for ever and ever. Amen. Salute every 
 Saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are 
 with me salute you. All the saints salute you, 
 especially they that are of Caesar's household. 
 The or-race of the Lord Jesus Christ be with 
 your spirit. " (Phil. 4: 18-23.) 
 
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