CHAPTER XX
The Anti-Mission Period
When the mission spirit began to spread among Baptists it came into collision with the antinomian view of God. The result was anti-missionism; the theory of Do Nothing developed into the determination that no one else should Do Anything. No one place has the undesirable honor of giving it birth. Wherever there was an antinomian root beneath the soil, christian activity irritated it into life. In Illinois it historically began with the coming of Daniel Parker into Crawford county in 1818. It is a remarkable coincidence that the same year in which the missionary Peck entered Illinois on the west, the antimissionary Parker entered from the east. And the year in which Isaac McCoy removed from Wabash District to enter upon his Indian mission, the name of Daniel Parker appears on the records for the first time.
Daniel Parker was from Franklin county, Ga. He removed to the heart of Tennessee, in Dickson county, in 1803, and was ordained there in 1806. In 1817 he took up his journey for the "Wabash country," and the following year settled in Lamotte township, Crawford county; Ill., on the Wabash river. He was a small, keen looking man. On the one hand intensely energetic, ambitious, fluent; on the other hand illiterate, obstinate, nervous, visionary. He could read but could not write, and was obliged to depend on others to do his writing for him. He could not bear a rival. When he came to the Wabash valley he found the influence of Isaac McCoy supreme, and war was on from that moment. John M. Peck, who saw the whole matter rise from the beginning, said: "Parker was not the kind of man who would suffer another to hold a more elevated place in the estimation of Baptists than himself. Hence under the show of great zeal for the cause of Christ it became necessary for him to undermine McCoy's influence and that of his friends. His indefatigable zeal, which would have done honor to a good cause, and the prejudices of the people, enabled him at last to accomplish his object in part. This explains his attack upon the members of Maria Creek church, where McCoy was formerly pastor; his maneuvering in the Association; and the formation of an extensive combination among churches and Associations in Indiana and Illinois." -- From an Address to the Baptists of Illinois, General Union Meeting, Winchester, Oct., 1832.
[p. 69]
The persistence of Parker and his sympathizers kept the Associations in a constant turmoil. From 1820 onward the Query was brought regularly before every Association in the west until they took one side or the other. In the Missouri Association it failed to carry. In 1822 the Wabash Association spent five hours discussing whether one church could properly have a grievance against another for supporting missions. Parker with an inspirational frenzy -- he believed himself inspired when he preached -- led the forces on one side, and William Polke on the other. John M. Peck spoke an hour. It was a mattter of giants! The Association decided that if a church contributed to the cause of missions, it was no other church's business. But the contest was renewed the following year.
In December of the same year Peck and Parker met in Vandalia. Parker was a state senator, and Peck preached in the hall of representatives in behalf of Bible societies, and took a collection. Parker was as hostile as ever, but said little, for it was not so easy to oppose Bible circulation as some other kinds of gospel. work.
When the Sangamon Association was formed, in 1823, "by a preconcerted movement to which few were knowing," the following called the "tenth article,"was adopted by a bare majority of one: "It shall be the duty of the Association to debar from a seat any United Baptist who is a member of any missionary society."It was adopted as a by-law, requiring only a majority. Immediately by the same majority of one it was placed among the Articles of Faith, unchangeable except by a unanimous vote! In 1826 to get rid of the obnoxious article the Association was dissolved and reorganized, but two years afterwards it was again carried against missions. From that time there was a conservative majority; so that in 1831 the Circular Letter warned the six or eight churches to "beware of money hunters, title sellers" supporters of the missionary spirit in any of its forms."
About that time the antimission party began changing their denominational name from United Baptist to Regular Baptist, as a further means of resistance to missionary influences. The Sangamon Association did so in 1836, which led to the formation of the present Springfield Association.
Morgan County Association was formed in 1830, and agreed not to make missions a bar to fellowship; but in 1832, "in obedience to Sangamon, which acted in subserviency to Wabash," it was voted that,
[p. 70]
"The Association say by way of answer to the corresponding letter from Sangamon, that she will have nothing to do directly or indirectly, with the Foreign Board of modern missionaries, or any of its branches, such as Bible societies, Sunday schools auxiliary to the Sunday School Union, Temperance societies, so called, believing them all to be inventions of men in their present operations."During the debate occasioned by the above it was declared that, "The church ought to have control of the money of its members."
In 1830 also the Spoon River Association was organized, and in obedience to the same influence of the Wabash Association expressed through Sangamon, refused correspondence with all "who have anything to do with missions." Most of the brethren doing these things would have done differently under different leadership. This is illustrated by an interesting experience that came to Elder Jacob Bower in those days. He removed from Kentucky to Scott county, Illinois, in 1828. He came as James Lernen did, because he did not like the idea of bringing up a family in a slave state. A few weeks after his arrival the Winchester Baptist church, then called Sandy Creek, was constituted. Two years afterward the Manchester Baptist church, at first called Pleasant Grove, was organized. Of both these churches Elder Bower became pastor. But in 1832 by the accidental discharge of a rifle his foot was so lacerated that he was permanently lame. That summer the Pleasant Grove church organized a Sunday school, and sixteen of the scholars were converted and united with the church. This led to the anti-mission resolution of the Morgan Association to which the churches belonged, and the organization of the Blue River, now the Quincy Association. But though the churches went into the new Association they were still in fear of the old preachers, and of losing Baptist fellowship; and thereon hangs the tale, written by himself long afterwards. ============ [Edward P. Brand, Illinois Baptists -- A History, 1930, pp. 68-70. - jrd]
Go to the next chapter
Return to Illinois Baptist Index Page
Return to American Baptist Histories
Return to Baptist History Homepage