CHAPTER XXVII
The Sangamon Association
[p. 90]
Times were flush and money was plenty when Illinois was admitted as a state. Ii was due partly to the speculative spirit, more to the tide of immigration, and still more to the liberal issue of paper money by incorporated banks. By 1820 the reaction came, and times were hard. To alleviate the distress the legislature resorted to more paper inoney. A state bank was created at Vandalia, in 1821, and soon times were rosy again. But again the whirlwind was reaped. By 1823 it required four dollars of state money to buy one dollar of specie. Quotations of prices had to be followed with the kind of money they were com- puted in. The venerable "treasurer~s report" at associations reported so much "state paper," and so much "specie." It was during this financial stress and confusion that the fifth Baptist Association in the state was organized. By 1823 there were in the Illinois Association twenty churches, scattered over nine counties. The territory covered from north to south was a hard two days' journey on horseback. So it was decided to divide. Eight churches in Sangamon, Greene, Montgomery and Morgan counties were set off to meet at Lick Creek church, in the southwestern part of Sangamon county, October 25, 1823, to form a new Association.
The place of meeting was put so far north because "the Sangamon country" was just then filling up more rapidly than any other section of the state. It continued to do so until the inevitable chills and fever brought up the usual bad name upon it. In the spring of 1825 in three weeks 250 emigrant wagons passed through Vandalia, headed north; nearly half of them for the Sangamon country. They were searching for the "better country," having heard reports in their own land. Sangamon soon became the most populous county in the state. In 1830 the family of Abraham Lincoln were wafted in on the tide. The immigration kept so far ahead of the resources of the country that every fall numbers of the spring arrivals were obliged to go down to the older portions of the state for supplies. In the popular phrase they "went down to Egypt to buy corn," which gave the southern counties the name of "Egypt."
The new Baptist Association was organized on the rising tide of antimissionism. On the east was the Wabash Association, with Elder
[p. 91]
Parker's eyes snapping fire. On the south was Muddy River and Illinois Associations; one clean gone over and other ready to follow. The Circular Letter of the Illinois Association in 1823 was written by Thomas Rhea, of the Second Cantine Creek church, and was occupied with "a few short hints by way of caution against the errors which prevail." One mark of the errors referred to was placing "the salvation of the soul in the hands of the creature." It was equally wrong as this brother viewed it to do anything for the salvation of others, or to awaken them to see their own need. "If sinners are led to believe that anything depends on their natural free will, they will build their hopes of heaven on their good intentions." He supposed that his missionary brethren did not believe in "sovereign grace," whereas they believed in it more truly than he did. To him it was a doctrine; to them it was the very basis of the truth on which they trusted that their LABOR was not in vain in the Lord. Through grace they would come into FELLOWSHIP with Jesus Christ.
In the matter of the new Association a committee of five was appointed to meet with the dismissed churches and advise them in completing their organization. The character of the committee was a prophecy of what they probably would advise. They were William Jones, who had opened the antimission campaign there four years before; Alexander Conlee, who in 1820 repeated the "Query" to the Association, using the exact formula employed by Daniel Parker; William Kinney, who became next to Parker the leading antimission and anti-effort champion of the time; Thomas Rhea, the writer of the cautionary Circular Letter which we have just been considering; and our old acquaintance, Joseph Chance, who had returned to the Association three years before; a fairminded man, but he was only one to four.
At the appointed place and time the delegates met, and a stormy season followed. The opposing forces were so evenly balanced that had not the antimissionparty been supported by the advisory committee they would have been beaten. They failed however in getting a constitution to their mind, but succeeded by a majority of one in adopting the following among the "Rules of Decorum:" "It shall be the duty of the Association to debar from a seat any United Baptist who is a member of any missionary society."Then finding they had a majority of one they took it out of the Rules and placed it in the constitution, where it was unrepealable except by a unanimous vote! And so the new body started on its voyage in a
[p. 92]
storm of its own making. The dissatisfaction was so great that in three years the Association dissolved and reorganized with the obnoxious "tenth article" left out. It was then understood that the mission question should not be a bar to fellowship, but unfortunately the understanding was not incorporated in the constitution. The harangues against missions continued, so that there was no peace. This kept some away, and gave others a majority. In 1836 the body changed its name from "United" to "Regular" Baptists; that is, they went over officially to the antimission ranks. The churches that disapproved withdrew, and in 1837 organized the Springfield Association. There were in the old Illinois Association two Morgan county churches -- Indian Creek and Diamond Grove. These united with the new body, and Jonathan Sweet, the pastor of Diamond Grove, was the first moderator. The old Sangamon Association is truly one that has lost its opportunity.
In 1823 also Peter Cartright settled in Sangamon county, a few miles north of the spot where the Sangamon Association was organized; and there was his home until he died in 1872. He was the most famous Methodist that ever lived in Illinois, but liked the Baptists no better than Daniel Parker liked missions. He was strikingly like Parker in size, energy and temperament, but how different his employment! One heeded the call of God; the other refused. ======================== [Edward P. Brand, Illinois Baptists -- A History, 1930, pp. 90-92. -- jrd]
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