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THE RELATIONS BETWEEN 
 
 THOSE CABLED 
 
 The Beebe and the Clark Old-School Baptists 
 
 Krom the "Gospel, Messenger" 
 for november, 1897. 
 
MY RECENT VISIT TO THE KETOCKTON AND 
 EBENEZER ASSOCIATIONS IN VIRGINIA— THE 
 RELATIONS BETWEEN THOSE CALLED THE 
 CLARK AND THE BEEBE BAPTISTS. 
 
 Last August I paid a third visit to the sound and excel- 
 lent Baptists of the above Associations — the Ketockton's 
 131st and the Ebenezer's 69th Annual Session. The Ke- 
 hukee Association, which is only one year older than the 
 Ketockton, corresponded by Minutes with the Ketockton 
 as early as 1798. and, after many years' intermission, re- 
 sumed that correspondence in 1895, and at the same time 
 opened correspondence with the Ebenezer, after both of 
 these Associations had adopted resolutions of brotherly 
 regard for the North-Eastern x\ssociations ; with which they 
 had suspended correspondence in 1852 and 1853, and with 
 some of which the Kehukee had corresponded since 1853. 
 My father, Elder C. B. Hassell, in his part of the Church 
 History, put down the Ketockton and Ebenezer among the 
 sound and orderly Primitive Baptist Associations in Vir- 
 ginia (page 925); the soundness and orderliness of the old 
 Ketockton, from its start, may be seen in four of the most 
 interesting pages in the Church History (916-920). 
 
 Elder M. T. Lawrence, of Hamilton, N. C, and Elder A. 
 J. Moore, of Whitakers, N. C. , and I left our homes August 
 1 2th to visit the Ketockton and Ebenezer Associations, and 
 returned on the 24th of August. We were cordially re- 
 ceived by the members of these two Associations, and were 
 rejoiced to find them contending earnestly for the faith once 
 for all delivered to the saints — the faith maintained for 132 
 years by the churches of the Kehukee Association and by 
 all sound and orderly Primitive Baptists everywhere. In 
 contending for this sound and ancient faith they have, espe- 
 cially in their firm encounters, during the last seven years, 
 with the pretentious and plausible New School theory (of 
 means in regeneration) revamped by Elder E. H. Burnham, 
 passed through hotter fires of persecution, for the truth's 
 sake, than any other Primitive Baptists, not similarly sit- 
 uated, in America; and their uncompromising faithfulness 
 in this sore conflict ought to be joyfully recognized by all 
 their brethren in this country. 
 
Elder John Clark, of Front Royal, Va., in his "Expos- 
 ure of Heresies " published in 1873, sa Y s n Chapter 
 Fourth, pages 24-32) that at the session of the Ketockton 
 iVssociation, held with Water Lick Church in 1850, Elder 
 R. C. Leachman, of the Corresponding Meeting of Vir- 
 ginia, declared from the stand that Christ would not come 
 again to this earth ; that He came once, and then had 
 something to do, but having finished that work, He would 
 not come again. The Ketockton Association, held with 
 Zion Church in 1852, condemned as heretical this denial of 
 the second coming of Christ to the world, and also the 
 affirmations that "the life-giving Spirit of God is a created 
 existence"; that "the Son of God, as the Head of the 
 Church, is a creature " ; and that "when Christ died and 
 lay in the grave three days and three nights, there was not 
 a living saint in heaven or upon earth." Elder Clark says 
 that, at this session in 1852, three preachers, Elders Trott, 
 Leachman, and Klipstine (of the Corresponding Meeting 
 of Virginia) and four churches withdrew from the Ketock- 
 ton Association on account of the above declaration, assert- 
 ing that they were cut off thereby, and that they called a 
 meeting at Ebenezer Meeting House, and affirmed that they 
 did not hold the doctrines condemned by the Ketockton 
 Association, and yet passed resolutions of non-fellowship 
 for that Association ! At its session in 1853, the Ketock- 
 ton Association (understanding that the Warwick Associa- 
 tion, of New York, in its Circular Letter of 1852, affirmed 
 that Christ, as Mediator, was neither God nor man, and 
 dropped from its Minutes the Hardiston Church for con- 
 demning such a sentiment), discontinued correspondence 
 with the Warwick Association, and suspended correspond- 
 ence with the Baltimore, Delaware, Delaware River, Che- 
 mung, and Lexington Associations, not charging the last 
 five Associations with holding the sentiments and approv- 
 ing the conduct of the Warwick Association and of the 
 four non-fellowshipping churches mentioned above, but 
 suspending such correspondence because the Ketockton 
 Association could not consistently hold fellowship and cor- 
 respondence with those who held in their fellowship and 
 correspondence the Warwick Association and the Pastors 
 (Elders Trott, Leachman, and Klipstine) of the churches 
 referred to, who were believed to have been the instruments 
 
of their withdrawal and declaration of non-fellowship for 
 the Ketockton Association. The Ebenezer Association, at 
 its session in 1853, discontinued correspondence with the 
 Corresponding Meeting of Virginia, the Baltimore, War- 
 wick, Delaware, and Delaware River Associations, not for 
 believing, but for tolerating and fellowshipping those who 
 declared, that " the Eternal life died on Calvary, — was a 
 created or produced existence, — that the Son of God is a 
 creature, — that there is no change wrought in the soul in 
 regeneration, — that the life-giving Spirit of God is a created 
 existence, and many other kindred heresies recently preached 
 and published by professed Old School Baptists." The 
 members of the Corresponding Meeting of Virginia, and 
 of the Warwick, Baltimore, Delaware, and Delaware River 
 Associations said, and still say, that the Ketockton and Ebe- 
 nezer Associations misunderstood and misrepresented their 
 sentiments on the above subjects; that a very few of their min- 
 isters may, at times, have said or written some such things, 
 but that such sentiments were not and are not endorsed 
 or accepted by those Associations or their churches. From 
 my own acquaintance, for thirty years, with the ministers 
 of the North-Eastern Associations and with their writings, 
 I can say that the most of the sentiments above mentioned 
 and condemned were advocated (apparently, obscurely, and 
 confusedly) by only one, two, or three of those ministers, 
 all of whom have long since died, and that the most of 
 those sentiments are not held now by any living person in 
 the Old School Baptist ranks; and that only one of those 
 sentiments, and that in a modified form, is now held by 
 our North-Eastern ministers, and this is that, not in the 
 nature, but only in the condition, of the soul is there a 
 change wrought in regeneration. They admit that there is 
 a wonderful change in the human being who is born again, 
 and that the Holy Spirit is the sole author of this change, 
 and that the change consists in the impartation of a new 
 and heavenly and holy life or nature or principle to the 
 quickened sinner, which principle will continually war 
 with the old evil fleshly principle, until the latter is sub- 
 dued and forever done away with at death and in the resur- 
 rection. Our brethren of the Ketockton and Ebenezer 
 Associations prefer to say that the soul is quickened and 
 made holy in regeneration, as the body will be in the resur- 
 
rection, at the same time admitting that the flesh or sin 
 remains in the body until death. It seems more scriptural 
 and correct to me to say, that regeneration takes place in 
 the soul or spirit, and that sin also remains in the soul or 
 spirit till death. But in all these three different methods 
 of expression, the substantial, fundamental meaning seems 
 to me to be precisely the same, so that either one of these 
 expressions is perfectly allowable to those who may prefer 
 it, without any weakening of the bonds of love and fel- 
 lowship. 
 
 In August, 1895, the Ketockton and Ebenezer Associa- 
 tions unanimously adopted the following resolution : 
 
 "Whereas, The Lord Jesus Christ prays that His people 
 should be one, as He and the Father are one, and, 
 
 Whereas, Discordant and extreme elements (those ad- 
 vocatingeternal-vital-unionism and those advocating means- 
 ism) have been separated from our North-Bastern brethren 
 and ourselves; and, 
 
 Whereas, We have reason to believe that the great body 
 of those brethren are agreed with us in regard to salvation 
 by grace alone, and the divinity and second coming of 
 Christ, and the change in the soul in regeneration, and the 
 resurrection of the body, and the eternal judgment of God, 
 consigning the wicked to everlasting punishment, and wel- 
 coming the righteous to everlasting happiness, and all other 
 cardinal points of the Old School or Primitive Baptist faith; 
 therefore, 
 
 Resolved, That we take pleasure in declaring our hearty 
 gospel fellowship for our North- Eastern brethren and all 
 other Old School or Primitive Baptists who agree with us 
 in regard to these fundamental points of doctrine, and we 
 hereby cordially invite these brethren to visit us and to be- 
 hold our faith and order in the gospel, and their ministers 
 to attend our meetings and preach for us." 
 
 By " eternal vital-unionism " above is meant, the doc- 
 trine of the eternal — vital — union of Christ and His people, in 
 the sense that they are as eternal and uncreated as He, and 
 had an actual existence as eternal children, eternal spirits, 
 before the beginning of the world; this doctrine was appa- 
 rently maintained thirty years ago, both by tongue and 
 pen, by some brethren in the fellowship of the North - 
 Eastern Associations, but not one person in their fellowship 
 
6 
 
 now maintains such a doctrine; they all say that Christ as 
 God is the only eternal, uncreated Being, and that He gives 
 His eternal life to all His elect, and is Himself their Head 
 and Life. 
 
 In August, 1896, the Bbenezer Association unanimously 
 adopted the following resolution: 
 
 "Whereas, We, the Ebenezer Association, have been 
 estranged from our brethren of the Eastern Associations, 
 and it seems to us desirable, and for the good of Zion and 
 the glory of God, that this estrangement should cease, we 
 feel willing to do our part towards a restoration of our 
 former brotherly relations; therefore, 
 
 ^Resolved, That whatever causes of difference may have 
 once existed, we believe that we are now one with our 
 brethren of the Eastern Associations, and with the breth- 
 ren generally in their correspondence; we, therefore, desire 
 and ask for a renewal of our former relations with them. 
 
 ' ''Resolved, That we send each of these Associations a copy 
 of these resolutions and ask them to receive and consider 
 them in the same spirit of brotherly love that actuates us, 
 as we hope, in sending them. 
 
 ^Resolved, That we solicit a reply from these Associa- 
 tions, and ask as many as can to come to meet and mingle 
 with us, either in visiting our churches or Associations to 
 see whether or not we are really one in faith and practice." 
 
 And in August, 1897, the Ketockton Association unani- 
 mously adopted this resolution: 
 
 "Whereas, The union and fellowship of God's chil- 
 dren are greatly to be desired, not only for our comfort and 
 enlargement in the gospel, but also that we may properly 
 witness to the world our faith in Jesus : Therefore we 
 affectionately invite all ministers of the Primitive Baptist 
 faith, including those of the North-Eastern Associations, 
 to visit and to preach among us, with a view, if we are 
 found to be agreed, to brotherly relations between us." 
 
 I have before me the replies of the Virginia Correspond- 
 ing Meeting, and the Baltimore, Delaware, Delaware River, 
 and Warwick Associations to the above resolution of the 
 Ebenezer Association. The four last Associations (the 
 Baltimore, Delaware, Delaware River, and Warwick) con- 
 sider that the expression of a desire on the part of the Ebe- 
 nezer Association for a renewal of brotherly relations is a 
 
virtual withdrawal of all former acts of non-fellowship, 
 and they cordially respond to the invitation of the Ebene- 
 zer Association to meet with them, as opportunity in Prov- 
 idence may occur, for kindly and candid exchange of 
 views, trusting that it may be found that they are really 
 one in heart and mind, in experience, and in the faith of 
 the gospel. The Delaware River and Warwick Associa- 
 tions say that they are not aware that they have in any wise 
 departed from the faith of their fathers, as held and de- 
 clared by them when they withdrew from those who were 
 carried away by the false doctrine and practice of Andrew 
 Fuller, and that upon those principles they understand that 
 the Bbenezer Association formerly stood, and they are glad 
 to hope and believe that they still stand; and they very 
 properly add : " If individuals among them have said things 
 contrary to those principles of doctrine, we would not there- 
 fore accuse them as a body of unsoundness, and we think 
 that we have a right to ask of them the same kindly judg- 
 ment." 
 
 The Virginia Corresponding Meeting reply to the resolu- 
 tion of the Ebenezer Association as follows: "We have at 
 no time declared non-fellowship for them, nor have we 
 made any point of doctrine held by them, and not by us, 
 a test of fellowship; but as they have so declared against 
 us for doctrine we hold, and for some we do not and never 
 did hold, it is but reasonable that they should rescind all 
 resolutions of non-fellowship on their books against us, 
 and cease charging us with heresies, and making a test of 
 fellowship of certain points of doctrine against us which 
 our correspondents do not do, and strife will be at an end, 
 and peace and fellowship will follow." 
 
 In answer to this declaration of the Virginia Correspond- 
 ing Meeting it may be said, in regard to the latter sugges- 
 tions, that it does indeed seem reasonable that charges of 
 heresy and tests of fellowship unknown among other Prim- 
 itive Baptists, should be abandoned between Associations 
 and churches seeking brotherly relations with each other; 
 but, in regard to the former suggestion, that all resolutions 
 of non-fellowship on their books should be rescinded, it 
 may be said that, as I have shown in this article, the first 
 personal resolutions of non-fellowship, on these matters of 
 difference, were passed by four churches of the Virginia 
 
Corresponding Meeting, which ought, therefore, to be re- 
 scinded first, if other similar resolutions must be rescinded; 
 and, though the Ketockton and Ebenezer Associations dis- 
 continued or suspended correspondence with the North- 
 Bastern Associations, they did not declare non-fellowship 
 for them, but qnly for certain doctrines which they allowed 
 to be preached among them, and, if they should rescind 
 these resolutions, they would seem to declare fellowship for 
 what they still consider erroneous teachings or statements; 
 and, finally (and this, it seems, ought to settle the matter), 
 the Baltimore, Delaware, Delaware River, and Warwick 
 i\ssociations regard the recent resolution of the Ebenezer 
 Association as a virtual withdrawal of the application of 
 the former non-fellowship resolutions to themselves, and 
 they cordially reciprocate the desire of the Ebenezer Asso- 
 ciation for mutual visitation with a view to the restoration 
 of brotherly relations. The resolutions passed in 1895 
 and 1897 by the Ketockton Association requested similar 
 friendly visits from the brethren and ministers of the 
 North -Eastern Associations. 
 
 I am sure that I express the sentiments of the Kehukee 
 Association and of Primitive Baptists in general through- 
 out the United States, when I say, that we earnestly hope 
 that these long-separated brethren will visit each other in 
 humility and love, and find that they are agreed in the 
 fundamental points of doctrine, and will hereafter dwell 
 together in peace and fellowship. Thus will the body of 
 Christ be edified, and God will be glorified. 
 
 Sylvester Hassell. 
 
 {The Gospel Messenger is published monthly, at $1 a year, by 
 Elder Sylvester Hassell, at Williaraston, Martin County, N. C] 
 
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