[The footnotes are changed to endnotes and the numbers are changed to consecutive numbers.]
Early History of the Baptists in the State -- The first company, in 1727 -- Second company, in 1742 -- Third company, in 1756 -- The early movements of the New England New -- Lights, or Separates -- Sandy Creek Church -- Do. Association. THE increase of our denomination in the North State by periods, was as follows: about the middle of the 18th century, there were sixteen churches of General Baptists; the amount of membership is not named; these original institutions, as we shall see, in process of time, either became extinct or were moulded to the Particular plan. In 1790, according to Asplund's Register, the number of churches was 94; the preachers, ord[ained], 77; lic[entiates], 45; and members, a little over 7000.
ln 1812, according to my tables, the churches amounted to about two hundred and the membership to thirteen thousand. At that time, there were eleven Associations: the number of these bodies at present is a little over thirty, and the churches of both the missionary and anti-missionary parties are about six hundred. The Associations I shall describe in my usual manner, after I have given an account of the early movement of our denomination in this State.
FIRST COMPANY IN THE LOW COUNTRY. According to Morgan Edwards' account, there were some individual baptists in this State as early as 1695 ; but it appears that the first church which ever existed within its bounds was gathered by one Paul Palmer, about the year 1727, at a place called Perquimans, on Chowan river, towards the north-east corner of the State. Mr. Palmer is said to have been a native of Maryland, was baptized at Welsh Tract, in Delaware, by Owen Thomas, the pastor of the church in that place; was ordained in Connecticut, but was some time in New Jersey, and then in Maryland; he at last moved to North Carolina, where he gathered the church above mentioned, with which he continued, not, however, without some difficulties, until his, death. He appears to have been the instrument of doing some good, but was not so happy as to leave a good character behind him. Mr. John Comer, of Newport, R. I., maintained a correspondence with him for a number of years, and frequently makes mention of him in his Ms. Journal, in respectful terms.1 Not long after Palmer settled in North Carolina, one Joseph Parker,2 who was probably one of his disciples, began to preach in the same region, and though Palmer died before, yet Parker lived and continued on his old plan till after the formation, and also the renovation of the Kehukee Association, which will soon be described.
SECOND COMPANY, IN 1742, AT KEHUKEE. About the year 1742, one William Sojourner, who is said to have been a most excellent man and useful minister, removed, with many of his brethren, from Berkley, in Virginia, and settled on Kehukee Creek, in the county of Halifax, about one hundred and twenty miles north-west of Newbern, and the same year planted a church in that place, which continues to the present day. This church has seen prosperous days, and has been a mother to many others, the number and names of which I am not able to give. Most of the baptists in North Carolina are said to have emigrated from the church of Burley, in Virginia; but by the labors of Palmer, Parker, and Sojourner, and some other preachers who were raised up in the parts, so many were brought to embrace their sentiments, that they, by about the year 1752, had increased to sixteen churches. These churches had an annual interview, or yearly meeting, in which they inspected or regulated the general concerns of their community. These people were all General Baptists, and those of them who emigrated from England, came out from that community there.
Although this people maintained a strict adherence to baptist principles, so far as baptism was concerned, yet in process of time they fell into a loose and neglectful manner as to their rules of church discipline, and so continued until more Orthodox opinions and a more rigid economy in their ecclesiastical affairs were introduced among them, which took place about the year 1751, and was caused partly by the preaching of Robert Williams, of Welsh Neck, S. C., and partly by the conversation and efforts of a layman, commonly called the sley-maker, whose name was William Wallis, but chiefly by the labors of Rev. John Gano, who visited them in the summer 1754, and of Benjamin Miller, and Peter P. Vanhorn, who went amongst them some time in the year after. Mr. Gano was sent out by the Philadelphia Association, with general and indefinite instructions to travel in the southern States, &c. He, on his return, represented the melancholy condition of this people to the Association, who appointed Messrs. Miller and Vanhorn for the purpose of instructing and reforming them. Mr. Gano appears to have shaken the old foundation, and began the preparation of the material, which Messrs. Miller and Vanhorn organized into regular churches. This visit is thus described by Mr. Edwards: "Mr. Gano, on his arrival, sent to the ministers, requesting an interview with them, which they declined, and appointed a meeting among themselves to consult what to do. Mr. Gano hearing of it, went to their meeting, and addressed them in words to this effect: 'I have desired a visit from you, which, as a brother and a stranger, I had a right to expect, but as we have refused, I give up my claim and am come to pay you a visit.' With that, he ascended into the pulpit and read for his text the following words: 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?' This text he managed in such a manner as to make some afraid of him, and others ashamed of their shyness. Many were convinced of errors touching faith and conversion, and submitted to examination. One minister hearing this (who stood well with himself) ), went to be examined, and intimated to his people, he should return triumphant. Mr. Gano heard him out, and then turning to his companion, said, 'I profess, brother, this will not do: this man has the one thing needful to seek.' Upon which, the person examined hastened home, and upon being asked how he came off? replied, 'The Lord have mercy upon you, for this northern minister has put a mene tekel upon me!'" By the labors of Mr. Gano, and also of Messrs. Miller and Vanhorn, a great work was effected among this people, which consisted not merely in the important business of reforming their creed and purifying their churches, but also in reviving the power of godliness amongst the erroneous and lukewarm professors, and in the conviction and conversion of many others. And what was left unfinished by them, was undertaken and carried on with a laudable zeal by the ministers among themselves, some of whom were converted by their means, and most of whom caught, in a good degree, their spirit, and imitated their examples: insomuch, that before the year 1765, all the ministers (and they were considerably numerous), except the two Parkers, Joseph and William, and a Mr. Winfield, and all the churches, excepting those under their care, which were not more than two or three, had embraced the principles of the reformation.
THIRD COMPANY OF SEPARATES FROM NEW ENGLAND. In the account of the Virginia baptists, all incidental reference is had to Stearns and his company passing through the State on their way to the south. It may be proper here to observe, that most of the Separates had strong faith in the immediate teachings of the spirit in special instructions as to the path of duty. "Steans, listening to some of these instructions from heaven, as he esteemed then, conceived himself called upon to move far to the westward, to execute a great and extensive work. Such were the impressions under which this distinguished man tell his New England home for the long and laborious journey which resulted in such abundant usefulness." Mr. Stearns was a native of Boston, Mass., but was baptized after he joined the New Lights, in 1751, by Wait Palmer, and soon after was ordained by Palmer and Joshua Morse, in Tolland, Conn. In 1754, he and a few of his members commenced the important mission. He haulted first at Opeckon, in Berkley Co., in the upper part of Virginia, where he found a baptist church under the care of Rev. John Garrard, who received him kindly. Here also he met his brother-in-law, Rev. Daniel Marshall, who was also a Separate, but as yet in the pedobaptist connection, and of whom much will be said in the history of the southern baptists, just returned from his mission among the Indians, and who, after his arrival at this place, had become a baptist. They joined companies, and settled for a while on Cacapon, in Hampshire Co., about thirty miles from Winchester. Here, Stearns not meeting with his expected success, felt restless. Some of his friends had moved to North Carolina; he received letters from these, informing him that preaching was greatly desired by the people of that country; that in some instances they had rode 40 miles to hear one sermon. He and his party once more got under way, and traveling about 200 miles, came to Sandy Creek, in Guilford county, North Carolina. Here he took up his permanent residence. The number of families in Stearns' company were eight, and the number of communicants 16, viz.: Shubeal Stearns and wife, Peter Stearns and wife, Ebenezer Stearns and wife, Shubeal Stearns, Jun., and wife, Daniel Marshall and wife, Joseph Breed and wife, Enos Stimson and wife, Jonathan Polk and wife.3 As soon as they arrived, they built them a little meeting-house, and these 16 persons formed themselves into a church, and chose Shubeal Stearns for their pastor, who had, for his assistants at that time, Daniel Marshall and Joseph Breed, neither of whom were ordained.
The inhabitants about this little colony of baptist, although brought up in the Christian religion, were grossly ignorant of it, essential principles. Having the form of godliness, they knew nothing of its power. Stearns and his party of course brought strange things to their ears. The doctrine of the new birth, as insisted on by these zealous advocates for evangelical religion, they could not comprehend. Having always supposed that religion consisted in nothing more than the practice of its outward duties, they could not comprehend how it should be necessary to feel conviction and conversion; and to be able to ascertain the time and place of one's conversion, was, in their estimation, wonderful indeed. These points were all strenuously contended for by the new preachers. But their manner of preaching was, if possible, much more novel than their doctrines. The Separates in New England had acquired a very warm and pathetic address, accompanied by strong gestures and a singular tone of voice. Being often deeply affected themselves when preaching, corresponding affections were felt by their pious hearers, which was frequently expressed by tears, trembling, screams, and exclamations of grief and joy. All these they brought with them into their new habitation, at which the people were greatly astonished, having never seen anything on this wise before. Many mocked, but the power of God attending them, marry also trembled. In process of time, some of the inhabitants became converts, and bowed obedience to the Redeemer's sceptre. These uniting their labors with the others, a powerful and extensive work commenced, and Sandy Creek church soon swelled from 16 to 606 members.
Daniel Marshall, though not possessed of great talents, was indefatigable in his labors. He sallied out into the adjacent neighborhoods, and planted the Redeemer's standard in many of the strongholds of Satan. At Abbott's Creek, about thirty miles from Sandy Creek, the gospel prospered so largely, that they petitioned the mother church for a constitution, and for the ordination of Mr. Marshall as their pastor. The church was constituted; Mr. Marshall accepted the call, and went to live among them. His ordination, however, was a matter of some difficulty. It required, upon their principle, a plurality of elders to constitute a presbytery. Mr. Stearns was the only ordained minister among them. In this dilemma, they were informed that there were some Regular baptist preachers living on Pedee river, (S. C.) To one4 of these Mr. Stearns applied, and requested him to assist him in the ordination of Mr. Marshall. This request he sternly refused, declaring that he held no fellowship with Stearns' party; that he believed them to be a disorderly set, suffering women to pray in public, and permitting every ignorant man to preach that chose; and that they encouraged noise and confusion in their meetings. Application was then made to Mr. Leadbetter, who was then pastor of the church on Lynch's Creek, Craven county, South Carolina, and who was a brother-in-law of Mr. Marshall. He and Mr. Stearns ordained Mr. Marshall to the care of this new church. The work of grace continued to spread, and several preachers were raised in North Carolina. Among others was James Read, who was afterwards very successful in Virginia. When he first began to preach he was very illiterate, not knowing how to read or write. His wife became his instructor, and he soon acquired learning sufficient to enable him to read the Scriptures.
While Marshall and Harris bent their courses, one to the north and the other to the south, Stearns maintained his station at Sandy Creek, where, his labors were greatly blessed; he, however, often traveled a considerable distance in the country around, to assist in organizing and regulating the churches which he and his associates were instrumental in raising up. Thus the Separate Baptists were headed by three most distinguished men: distinguished not for human acquirements, but for purity of life, and godly simplicity, which they, amidst the shipwrecks of many, maintained to the end; and for a pious ardor and invincible boldness and perseverance in their Master's service. Other preachers were soon raised up under their ministry, whose zealous and abundant labors were crowned with great success; so that the Separates in a few years became truly a great people, and their churches were scattered over a country whose whole extent from north to south was about 500 miles; and Sandy Creek Church, the mother of them all, was not far from the centre of the two extremes. "Very remarkable things (said Morgan Edwards in 1775) may be said of this church, worthy a place in Gillis' book, and inferior to no instance he gives of the modern success of the gospel in different parts of the world. It began with 16 souls, and in a short time increased to 606, spreading its branches to Deep River and Abbott's Creek, which branches are gone to other provinces, and most of the members of this church have followed them; insomuch that in 17 years, it is reduced from 606 to 14 souls. "The cause of this dispersion was the civil commotions with which the State was affected at that time." The church at Little River was no less remarkable than the one already mentioned; for this was constituted in 1760, five years after the Sandy Creek, and its three years it increased from 5 to 500, and built five meeting-houses; but this church was also reduced by the provincial troubles and consequent dispersion of the inhabitants mentioned above. "But to return, -- Sandy Creek church is the mother of all the Separate Baptists. From this Zion went forth the word, and great was the company of those who published it. This church, in seventeen years, had spread her branches southward as far as Georgia; eastward, to the sea and Chesapeake bay; and northward, to the waters of the Potomac. It, in seventeen years, became mother, grand-mother, and great-grandmother to 42 churches, from which sprung 125 ministers, many of which are ordained, and support the sacred character well as any set of clergy in America; and if some have turned out bad, where is there a set of clergy that can throw the first stone, and say, "we are all good."5 This statement was made by a very accurate historian, almost 80 years ago.
SANDY CREEK ASSOCIATION. As this is the oldest Association in the State, and the fourth in the order of time in this country, it maybe proper to go more into detail as to its history than we shall be able to do in the other bodies of this kind in this extensive State. In the year 1758, three years after Stearns and his company settled at Sandy Creek, a few churches having been constituted, and these having a number of branches, which were fast maturing for churches, Stearns conceived that an Association composed of delegates from them all, would have a tendency to forward the great object of their exertions. For this purpose he visited every church and congregation, explained to them his contemplated plan, and induced them all to send delegates to his meeting-house in January, 1758, when an Association was formed, which was called Sandy Creek, and which continues to the present time; but it has experienced many vicissitudes of prosperity and adversity; and at one time, on account of exercising too much power over the churches, it became embarrassed in its movements, and very near to extinction. For twelve years, all the Separate Baptists in Virginia, and the two Carolinas, continued in connection with this Association, which was generally held at no great distance from the place where it originated. All who could, traveled from its rernote extremities, to attend its yearly sessions, which were conducted with great harmony, and afforded sufficient edification to induce them to undertake with cheerfulness these long and laborious journeys. By the means of these meetings, the gospel was carried into many new places, where the fame of title Baptists had previously spread; for great crowds attending from distant parts, mostly through curiosity, many became enamored with these extraordinary people, and petitioned the Association to send preachers into their neighborhoods. These petitions were readily granted, and the preachers into readily complied with the appointments. These people were so much engaged in their evangelical pursuit, that they had no time to spend its theological debates, nor were they very scrupulous about their mode of conducting their meetings. When assembled, their chief employment was preaching, exhortation, singing, and conversation about their various exertions in the Redeemer's service, the success which had attended them, and the new and prosperous scenes which were opening before them. These things so inflamed the hearts of the ministers, that they would leave the Association with a zeal and courage which no common obstacles could impede. "At our first Association" (says the MS. of James Read, who was present), "we continued together three or four days. Great crowds of people attended, mostly through curiosity. The great power of God was among us. The preaching every day, seemed to be attended with God's blessing. We carried on our Association with sweet decorum and fellowship to the end. Then we took leave of one another, with many solemn charges from our reverend old father, Shubeal Stearns, to stand fast unto the end." At their next Association they were visited by Rev. John Gano, who at that time resided in North Carolina, at a place called the Jersey Settlement. Mr. Gano was received by Stearns with great affection, but as there was at that time an unhappy shyness and jealousy between the Regulars and Separates by the others, he was treated with coldness and suspicion; and they even refused to invite him into their Association. But Mr. Gano had too much knowledge of mankind, humility and good nature, to be offended at this treatment. He continued awhile as a spectator of their proceedings, and then retired with a view of returning home. Stearns was much hurt and mortified with the shyness and incivility of his brethren, and, in the absence of Mr. Gano, expostulated with them on the matter, and made a proposition to invite him to preach with them. All were forward to invite him to preach, although they could not invite him to a seat in their Assembly. With their invitation he cheerfully complied, and his preaching, though not with the New Light tones and gestures, was in demonstration of the spirit and with power. He continued with them to the close of their session, and preached frequently much to their astonishment as well as edification. Their hearts were soon opened towards him, and their cold indifference and languid charity were, before he left them, enlarged into a warm attachment and cordial affection; and so superior did his preaching talents appear to them, that the young and illiterate preachers said, they felt as if they could never attempt to preach again. "This Association, in its early movements, held many sentiments of a peculiar nature, and which do not prevail among their brethren even here at the present tune. In their laudable endeavors to carry out, to the letter, all suggestions of the New Testament as to chrisitian duties, they discovered, in their estimation, the nine following rites, viz: baptism -- the Lord's Supper -- love-feasts -- laying-on-of hands -- washing feet -- annointed the sick -- right hand of fellowship -- kiss of charity -- and devoting children. They also retained the offices of ruling elders, elderesses, and deaconesses. And, to close the whole, they held to weekly communion. "The nature and design of all the above enumerated rites and offices will be easily comprehended, except that of devoting children. This rite they founded on the circumstance of parents bringing little children to Christ, &c. It was thus performed: as soon as circumstances would permit, after the birth of the child, the mother carried it to the meeting, when the minister either took it in his arms, or laid his hands on it, and thanked God for his mercy, and invoked a blessing on the child, at which time it received its name. This rite, which was by many satirically called a dry-christening, prevailed, not only in the Sandy Creek Association, but in many parts of Virginia." 6 It must not be understood that all the churches in this body were strenuous, or even uniform, in the observance of this long list of rites, all of which, however, appear to be suggested by the Scriptures, and some of them, as love feasts and deaconesses, were unquestionably maintained among the early christians. Nor did those who maintained the whole of them, refuse communion with their brethren who neglected a part. Mr. Stearns finished his course at Sandy Creek, Nov. 20, in 1771, and was buried near his meeting-house. He was a man of small stature, but good natural parts and sound judgment. His voice was musical and strong, and many stories are told respecting the wonderful and enchanting influence which was exerted on his hearers by his vocal powers, and the glances of his eyes. His character was indisputably good as a man, a christian, and a preacher.7 The Regulars and Separates, all of whom were, in early times, included in the two Associations of Sandy Creek and Kehukee, by a similar, though somewhat longer and more tedious process, in due time, effected a re-union similar to the one in Virginia, which we have already described. A brief account of this transaction will soon be given. This ancient community has now existed 92 years, and has been the nursery of many ministers, churches, and Associations. The, late Dr. Brantley, who, in his day, occupied a number of important stations, and died pastor of the First Church, Charleston, S. C., and Dr. Manly, president of the Alabama University, originated in this body; I believe they were members of the same church. I was in this region in 1810, and visited a number of the pastors of the churches of this old body; among them, was John Culpepper, sometime a member of Congress, who was one of its most efficient ministers, and George Pope, under whose pastoral charge Mr. Brantley commenced iris religious and ministerial course, and from him I received the account of the remarkable revival of religion which prevailed within the bounds of this community, and in all the surrounding country in the commencement of the present century; it is related somewhat in detail in my 2d Vol.; a few items respecting it I will repeat: "Two extensive revivals had been experienced in this Association, after the death of Mr. Stearns, before the mighty movement now under consideration; but, by deaths and removal, this old body, at the close of the 18th century, was in every respect much reduced. "The ministers had become few in number, and the churches small and languid; iniquity greatly abounded in the land, and the love of many had waxen cold. But towards the close of the year 1800, that astonishing work which had been prevailing a short time in Kentucky and other parts, made a sudden and unexpected entrance amongst them, and was attended with most of the new and unusual appearances, which, in many places, it assumed. This work was not confined to the baptists, but prevailed at the same time amongst the methodists and presbyterians, both of which denominations were considerably numerous in the parts. These two last denominations, soon after the commencement of the revival, united their communion and camp-meetings. The baptists were strongly solicited to embark on a general communion scheme; but they, pursuant to their consistent principles, declined a compliance. But they had camp or field-meetings amongst themselves, and many individuals of them united with the methodists and presbyterians in theirs. The baptists established camp-meetings from motives of convenience and necessity, and relinquished them as soon as they were no longer needful. Their meeting-houses are generally small, and surrounded with groves of wood, which they carefully preserve, for the advantage of the cooling shade which they afford in the heat of summer. In these groves the stages were erected, around which the numerous congregations encamped; and when they could be accommodated in the meeting-houses, to them they repaired. A circumstance which led the people to come prepared to encamp on the ground was, that those who lived adjacent to the place of meeting although willing to provide for the refreshment, as far as they were able, of the numerous congregations which assembled; yet, in most cases, they would have found it impracticable; and furthermore, they wished to be at the meeting themselves, what time they must have stayed at home for the purpose. The people, therefore, would be advised by their ministers and others, at the first camp-meetings, to come to the next and all succeeding ones, prepared to accommodate and refresh themselves. In this way, camp-meetings were instituted amongst the baptists. "In nearly the same way, meetings of a similar nature were established by the united body of methodists and presbyterians in these parts; but like many Other things produced on extraordinary occasions, they continued after the call for them has ceased. Their efficacy was by many too highly estimated. They had witnessed at them, besides much confusion and disorder, many evident and remarkable displays of Divine power; and their ardor in promoting them, after the zeal which instituted them had abated, indicated that they considered them the most probable means of effecting a revival.
* * * *
Some accounts follow on the apparent genuineness of the revivals, notwithstanding the unusual manner in which the meetings were conducted. "In the progress of the revival among the baptists, and, especially, at their camp-meetings, there were exhibited scenes of the most solemn and affecting nature; and in many instances there was heard at the same time, throughout the vast congregation, a mingled sound of prayer, exhortation, groans and praise. The fantastic exercise of jerking, dancing, &c., in a religious way, prevailed much with the united body of methodists and presbyterians, toward the close of the revival; but they, were not introduced at all among the baptists in these parts. But falling down under religious impressions was frequent among them. Many were taken with these religions epilepsies, if we may so call them, not only at the great meetings, where those scenes were exhibited which were calculated to move the sympathetic affections; but also about their daily employments, some in the fields, some in their houses, and some when hunting their cattle in the woods. And in some cases people were thus strangely affected when alone; so that if some played the hypocrite, with others the exercise must have been involuntary and unaffected. And besides falling down, there were many other expressions of zeal, which in more moderate people would be considered enthusiastic and wild. "The above relation was given me by Rev. George Pope, the pastor of the church at Abbot's Creek, who is a man of sense and moderation, and who, with many of his brethren, was much tried in his mind and stood aloof from the work at its commencement; but it spread so rapidly and powerfully, that they soon discovered such evident marks of its being a genuine work of grace, notwithstanding its new and unusual appearances, that their doubts subsided, and they cordially and zealously engaged in forwarding and promoting it. Mr. Pope, in the course of the revival, baptized about 500 persons. Large numbers were also baptized by Joint Culpepper, William McGregore, and many others. But as the Minutes of the Association were not printed at this time, the total number cannot now be ascertained, yet it must have been very large." We have seen that, according to Morgan Edwards' account, the Sandy Creek fraternity of New England New Lights, or Separate Baptists, nearly one century ago, spread its branches to the utmost bounds of Virginia on the north, and to South Carolina and Georgia on the south. The Holston Association, which arose in Eastern Tennessee in 1786, in part originated from this spiritual and prolific mother; the institutions which have gone out from it in this State, will of course be noticed in the details of their history. 8 As the account of this ancient community constitutes a part of the old history of North Carolina, as to baptist operations, it, seemed necessary to introduce it in this place. I shall now continue the history of the State, by Associations under two divisions: eastern and western; my line of demarcation will not be very definite. This arrangement I have made for my own convenience. I do not find that the people here are accustomed to any formal divisions of their longitudinal territory, which stretches from the sea-board to far beyond the mountains, to Tennessee, and the upper end of Georgia. The Low Country, the High Lands, the Mountains, and beyond them, as near as I can learn, are all the distinctions commonly employed in their local and geographical descriptions.
Notes 1. I found one of Mr. Palmer's letters to Mr. Comer, dated 1729, among Mr. Backus's papers, which, with Mr. Comer's journal, have helped me to a number of dates and articles, which I could not find elsewhere.
2. I find, in Mr. Comer's journal, mention made of one of Mr. Palmer's letters, which was dated 1729; which stated that the church which was gathered there two years before, at that time, consisted of thirty-two members. This letter was signed by twelve brethren, by the names of Parker, Copeland, Brinkley, Parks, Darker, Welch, Evans, and Jordan. There were three Parkers at this time, two by the name of John, and one of Joseph, who were probably the men above referred to.
3. Semple's History of the Virginia Baptists.
4. This minister was probably Rev. Nicholas Bedgegood, at that time pastor of the church at Welsh Tract.
5. M. Edwards' History of the Baptists in North Carolina.
6. Leland's Virginia Chronicle, p. 42.
7. I visited the grave of this venerable man in 1810.
8. As I have no late Minutes of this body, I cannot give my usual account of its pastors, &c. In the B. Almanac, it is reported to have had, in 1845, twenty churches, and 1760 members. N. Richardson, Cor. Sec'ry.
[Taken from David Benedict, A General History of the Baptist Denomination in America, 1848; reprint, 1977, pp. 681-688. - Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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