rians. The Episcopalians, although much dejected by
the loss of the establishment, had, nevertheless, continued
their publick worship, and were attended by respectable
congregations. But after this revival, their society fell
fast into dissolution. This revival among the Baptists
did not produce so many young preachers, as might
have been expected. Mr. Leland, in his Virginia Chron-
icle, from which many of the foregoing remarks have
been taken, makes the following observation :
" In the late great additions that have been made to
the churches, there are but few, who have engaged in
the ministry. Whether it is because the old preachers
stand in their way ; or, whether it is because the people
do not pray the Lord of the harvest to thrust out la-
bourers ; or, whether it is not rather a judgment of God
upon the people, for neglecting those who are already in
the work, not communicating to them in all good tiling^
I cannot say."
92 Preachers more popular and less fervent.
From this revival, great changes took place among the
Baptists, some for the better, and others for the worse.
Their preachers were become much more correct in their
manner of preaching. A great many odd tones, disgust-
ing whoops, and awkward gestures were disused. In
their matter also, they had more of sound sense and
strong reasoning. Their zeal was less mixed with en-
thusiastn, and their piety became more rational. They
were much more numerous, and of course, in the eyes
of the world more respectable. Besides, they were join-
ed by persons of much greater weight in civil society.
Their congregations became more numerous than those
of any other Christian sect ; and in short, they might be
considered, from this period, as taking the lead in mat-
ters of religion, in many places of the State. This could
not but influence their manners and spirit more or less.
Accordingly, a great deal of that simplicity and plainness,
that rigid scrupulosity about little matters, which so hap-
pily tends to keep us at a distance from greater follies,
was laid aside. Their mode of preaching also was some-
what changed. At their first entrance into the State,
though not very scrupulous as to their method and lan-
guage, yet they were quite correct in their views upon
all subjects of primary importance. No preachers ever
dealt out to their hearers the nature of experimental re-
ligion more clearly and warmly. But after they had ac-
quired a degree of respectability in the view of the world,
they departed too much from this most profitable mode
of preaching, and began to harp on opinions and disputa-
ble points. To dive deep into mysterious subjects, and.
to make conjectures respecting unrevealed points, looked
more wise, and excited more applause, than to travel on
in the old track. And this tampering with matters be-
yond their reach, to the neglect of plain and edify-
ing subjects, is too common at present, with many of
our preachers in this region, as well as elsewhere.
About this time, some of the Virginia preachers were
unhappily inclined to the Arminian scheme, and great
disputation followed, and many, in opposing their er-
rors, were driven to the borders, if not within the lines,
of Antinomianism. And in the midst of these doctrinal
contentions, as might be expected, practical piety was,
Neglect of Churches in their Maintenance. U3
in many places, too little urged ; and this evil was fol-
lowed by a relaxation in the discipline of the churches.
But the savour of the revival still pervaded the churches,
and prevented the general prevalence of the evils which
have been mentioned.
Since the close of this extraordinary revival to the
present time, which is about 20 years, there has been an
increase of about ten thousand Baptist communicants in
Virginia ; and during that period, it is supposed, that
from five to seven thousand of the community have emi-
grated to Kentucky, and other parts of the western
country.
Although many of the churches in this State are very
large, wealthy, and flourishing, yet but few of them af-
ford their pastors a competent support, and but few of
their pastors confine their labours statedly to one con-
gregation. It is not uncommon for a preacher here to
have the pastoral care of two, three, and sometimes four
churches, at the same time ; to which he preaches and
administers the Lord's Supper once in four weeks ; and
we are sorry to have it to say, that this minister, besides
travelling an extensive circuit, to administer to so many
flocks, is obliged frequently, and indeed more generally,
to procure a considerable part of his living by his own
exertions and care ; so negligent are the Virginia Baptists
in the business of supporting their preachers.
But if a preacher here does not exercise the pastoral
care of but one church, instead of preaching every Lord's
day in one place, he is at liberty to travel abroad, to
visit other churches ; and if he preaches and administers
the communion statedly to his flock once a month, that
is all he or the people of his charge consider him bound
to do. Some, however, do preach every Lord's day to
the same congregation ; but the cases, I believe, are not
frequent. The reader must not suppose that the preach-
ers are idle the intervening sabbaths, for they are a la-
borious set of men, travel much, and preach abundantly j
and such is the situation of their churches, that this ar-
rangement is not so objectionable here, as it would be in
many places elsewhere. It is said, that this economical
method of supplying many churches with a few minis-
ters, and of having such long or monthly weeks, if we may
94- Bapi'nt Church in the City of Richmond.
so call them, originated with the rise of the Baptists in
the country, when there were many churches suddenly
raised up, and but a few ministers to supply them. This
same custom prevails in most of the churches throughout
the back parts of the Carolinas and Georgia, and also in
Kentucky and the western country. It will, therefore,
be more particularly noticed, and the advantages and dis-
advantages of it stated, in the chapter of general obser-
vations.
The Baptists in this State seem to have had but little
ambition in the erection of their houses for worship, as
they are generally of a very inferior kind ; and it is cer-
tainly better for a church of Christ, to worship in a small
and homely house, which they can call their own, than
to have a costly edifice, built mostly on credit, and no-
body knows when or how it is to be paid for ; or even
in one, the expenses of which have been mostly defrayed
by people of the world, and which is generally, for that
reason, under their management and control. The Bap-
tists here, it is true, are many of them poor ; but some
are rich ; and one would think by their appearance at
home, that there are enough in every church of suffi-
cient ability to erect for themselves more decent and
commodious houses of worship, than those small, unsight-
ly, and inconvenient things in which they now assemble.
While their brethren to the north and south of them,
have the largest and most flourishing churches in many
of the largest cities and towns, the Virginia Baptists seem,
for the most part, to have cautiously avoided all popu-
lous places ; and although there are a few churches in
some of the principal towns, yet they do not generally
appear to have much prosperity or reputation ; and one
reason for this may be, that the preachers in these
churches are, instead of being men of popular and com-
manding talents, with very few exceptions, of a directly
opposite character.
The city of Richmond is remarkable for containing a
respectable church, of between 5 and 60O members, most
of whom are blacks ; for having a neat and commodious
brick meeting-house ; and also lor being statedly supplied
by the labours of their worthy pastor, Rev. J. Courtney,
ro whom they grant a moderate support. Besides Mr.
Observations on the Baptist Preachers in Virginia. 95
Courtney, there are, in the city of Richmond, a number of
Baptist ministers, who preach occasionally in the city and
in the country around, among whom is the Rev. Jacob
Griggs, a native of England, who was educated in the
Baptist Academy at Bristol, and was one of the Mission-
aries sent out by the Baptist Missionary Society in En-
gland, to the colony of Sierra Leone in Africa.
There has been a Baptist church in the town of Nor-
folk about eight years, and Baptist members much
longer. But they have been cursed with an almost reg-
ular succession of impostors for a number of years ; some
of whom have had the pastoral care of the church, and
others have only had a transient residence amongst them ;
and amongst the race of impostors, by whom they have
been harassed and degraded, we find that notorious vag-
abond and deceiver, Andrew Harpending, who has com-
mitted in most of the United States, in a most shameless
manner, many shameful acts of deception, intemperance,
and uncleanness.
The Virginia Baptists have, from their rise, been bless-
ed with a very respectable number of distinguished
preachers ; men of strong natural powers, and deep ac-
quaintance with divine things ; but very few of them,
however, have been distinguished for literary acquire-
ments. They have been a set of bold, incessant, and suc-
cessful itinerants, rather than students and scholars. The
circumstances of their churches and brethren, throughout
their extensive State, have always been such, that they
have doubtless been much more abundantly useful in this
mode of life, than they could have been in the retirement
and labour of the closet. Rev. Jeremiah More, who is
esteemed one of their greatest divines, in 17*^5, when he
was 49 years old, had travelled for the purpose of preach-
ing, and that mostly in his own State, distances suffi-
cient to reach twice round the earth 1
Though there are but a few of their preachers who
can make much pretensions to learning, yet a desire for
it seems to be prevailing ; and it is hoped that they will
soon adopt some more efficient measures for its pro-
motion than they have hitherto done.
The Episcopalians, who once governed with such un-
limited and irresistible sway, in the ecclesiastical affairs
Beginning of the Baptists hi North-Carolina. 96
of Virginia, have become reduced to a comparatively few
congregations. The Presbyterians are considerably nu-
merous in many parts of the State. The Methodists
have, within a few years past, gained much ground here,
and, in some places, have increased at the expense of the
Baptists, and, perhaps, in none more than in those places
where they have taken the greatest pains to prevent them.
This is peculiarly the case in a number of the churches
in the Ketockton Association, many of whose ministers
value themselves in defending the deep and mysterious
points of Calvinism, and in satirizing and exploding the
errors of Wesley and his disciples. But notwithstanding
all their exertions, the Methodists still prevail, and the
unseasonableness and dogmatical manner in which they
oppose their sentiments, and defend their own, seems to
hasten the flight of those who are inclined towards them.
These are notorious and much to be lamented facts, and
it is hoped that those preachers who are implicated in
these remarks, will profit by them for the future.
CHAP. X.
NORTH-CAROLINA.
ACCORDING to Morgan Edwards's 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 Perqui-
mans, on Chowan-river, towards the northeast corner
* Mr. Edwards introduces his history of the Baptists in this State (then
Province) in die following familiar and humourous manner : " Next to Virginia
southward is North-Carolina, a poor and unhappy Province, where superiors
make complaints of the people, and the people ot their superiors ; which com-
Elaints, if just, show the body politic to be like that of Israel in the time of
>aiah, " from the sole of the toot to the crown of the head without any soundness,
but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores." These complaints rose to hos-
tilities at Ahnance-creek, May 16, 1771, where about 6000 appeared in arms
and fought each other, 4000 Regulators killing three Tryonians, and 2000 Try-
onians killing twelve Regulators, besides lodging in the trees an incredible num-
ber of balls, which the hunters have since picked out, and therewith have kill-
ed more deer and turkies, than they killed of their atagonists. In this wretch -
ed P ->vince have been some Baptists since the settlement in 1695, but no socie-
ty of them till about the year," &c.
William Sojourner collects a Church. 97
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 j
was ordained in Connecticut ; was some time in New-
Jersey, and then in Maryland ; he at last removed 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, Rhode-Island,
maintained a correspondence with him for a number of
years, and frequently makes mention of him in his MS.
journal, in respectful terms.*
Not long after Palmer settled in North-Carolina, one
Joseph Parker,! who was probably one of his disciples,
began to preach in the same region ; and though Palm-
er died before, yet Parker lived and continued his min-
istry on the old plan, till after the formation and also
the renovation of the Kehukee Association, which will
soon be described.
About the year i 742, one William Sojourner, who is
said to have been a most excellent man and useful minis-
ter, removed with many of his brethren from Burley, in
Virginia, and settled on Kehukee creek, in the county of
Halifax, about one hundred and twenty miles northwest
of Newbern, and the same year planted the 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 first Baptists in North-Carolina are said
to have emigrated from the church of Burley, in Virgin-
ia ; but by the labours of Palmer, Parker, and Sojourner,
* I found one of Mr. Palmer's letters to Mr. Comer, dated 1 729, among
Mr. Backus's papers, which, with Mr. Comer's journal, have helped me to a
numtier of dates and articles, which I could not find elsewhere.
f I find in Mr. Comer's journal, mention made of one of Mr. Palmer's let-
ters, which was dated 1729 ; which stated, that the church which was gath-
ered theiti two years before, at that ti-.ne consisted of thirty-two members.
This letter was sighed by twelve brethren, by the names of Parr ers, Cope-
lands, Brinkleys, Parke, Darker, Welch, Evans, and Jordan. Here were
three Parkers, two by the name of John, and one of Joseph, who was probably
the man above referred to.
VOL. 2. 13
98 Churches careless in receiving Members.
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 16
churches. These churches had an annual interview, or
yearly meeting, in which they inspected and regulated
the general concerns of their community. These people
were all General Baptists, and those of them who emigra-
ted from England, came out from that community there.
And although some of their ministers were evangelical
and pure, and the members regular and devout ; yet,
on the whole, it appears to have been the most negligent
and the least spiritual community of Baptists, which has
arisen on the American continent. For so careless and
indefinite were they in their requisitions, that many of
their communicants were baptized and admitted into
their churches ; and even some of their ministers were
introduced into their sacred functions, without an expe-
rimental acquaintance with the gospel, or without being
required to possess it. It does not appear that they ex-
tended the bounds of their communion to any but those
of their own order ; but so loose and indefinite were their
terms in other respects, that all, who professed a general
belief in the truths of the gospel, submitted to baptism,
and religiously demeaned themselves, were admitted to it.
In this situation, this cluster of churches continued,
until more orthodox principles were introduced, and a
spirit of reformation began to prevail, w^hich finally leav-
ened nearly the whole body, and transformed it into an
Association of Calvinistick, or as they were then called.
Regular Baptists.
The faults and errors of this people were probably ex-
aggerated by some of their zealous reformers ; but view-
ing matters in their most favourable light, and admit i ing
as many of their preachers and brethren as we can, to have
been worthy of their functions and professions ; yet they,
as a body, were deeply involved in error, and needed
much the renovation which we are about to de-cribe.
The introduction of Calvinistick sentiments amongst
them, which had the happy effect of purifying the church-
es, took place about the year 1751, and was caused part-
ly by the preaching of Robert Williams of the Welch-
neck, in South-Carolina ; partly by the conversation of a
Gano, Miller and Vanhorn 'visit them. 99
layman,* commonly called the Sley-maker, whose name
was William Wallis ; but chiefly by the labours of John
Gano, who visited them in the summer of 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, ivith gene-
ral and indefinite instructions, to travel in the southern
States, &c. He, on his return, represented the melan-
cholly condition of this people to the Association, who
appointed Messrs. Miller and Vanhorn tor the special
purpose of instructing and reforming them. Mr. Gano
appears to have shaken the old foundation, and begun the
preparation of the materials which Messrs. Miller and
Vanhorn organized into regular churches. His visit is
thus described by Mr. Edwards : " On his arrival, he 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 ye have refused, I give up my claim, and am come
to pay you a visit." With that, he ascended into the pul-
pit, 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 turned to his com-
panion and said, " I profess, brother, this will not do :
this man has yet the 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 put a mene tekel upon me \"
By the labours of Mr. Gano, and also of Messrs. Miller
and Vanhorn, a great work was effected among this peo-
* I find the term layman used by Messrs. Edwards and Sernple, and havo
therefore inserted it ; but must confess, I have no fellowship with fr, when cspd
in its okJ discriminating sense.
10O Kehukee Association formed.
pie, 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 very 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 be-
fore the year 1 765, all the ministers, (and they were now
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. The reformed churches having thus pre-
pared the way, in the year 1765, by a previous appoint-
ment, convened at Kehukee, and organized themselves
into an associated body, to which they gave the name of
the Kehukee Association ; which, as soon as it was form-
ed, was admitted to the fellowship and correspondence of
the Charleston Association, with which some of the con-
stituent churches had united after their renovation.
Jonathan Thomas, John Thomas, John Moore, John Bur-
gess, William Burgess, Charles Daniel, William Walker,
John Meglamre, James Abbington, Thomas Pope, and
Henry .-ibbot, were the principal, if not all the ministers
belonging to this Association at the time of its consti-
tution.
v/
About this time, the Separate Baptists had become
very numerous, and were rapidly increasing in the up-
per regions of North- Carolina, and the adjoining parts
of Virginia, where they had established a flourishing
Association, which was called Sand-creek. The min-
isters of both these bodies, in their evangelical excur-
sion^, were brought to frequent interviews with each
other ; and, although they differed in some little matters,
yet they united their zealous labours in the common
cause of their Master, and an increasing fellowship for
each other produced an increasing desire to be more
closely united. The Kehukee Association made the first
advances towards the union, and, in 1772, sent two of
Difficulties between the Separate and Regular Baptists. 101
their elders, viz. Meglamre and Thomas, as deputies to
the Separate Association, for the purpose of making
overtures to effect it. The deputies were kindly receiv-
ed ; they delivered their message, the object of which
was briefly discussed. The Separate Association, in re-
turn, deputed two of their ministers, viz, Elijah Craig
and David Thompson, to wait on the Kehukee Associ-
ation, respecting the union which they had proposed.
The embarrassments attending the union seem to have
lain mostly with the Separates, who stated the following
objections against their brethren of the Regular order :
1st. That they were not sufficiently strict in receiving
church members. 2d. That they were too superflu-
ous in dress. And, 3d. That their principles and prac-
tices were at variance ; for although they believed that
faith in Christ Jesus was essential to baptism, yet they
retained many members in their churches, who, although
they had then experienced converting grace, yet ac-
knowledged themselves to have been baptized in a state
of unbelief, by the careless Arminian preachers.
This last objection was declared to be the main bar to
a complete union ; and it was the more effectual, as it
had been a matter of considerable embarrassment to a
great number of the Kehukee ministers, who had many
thoughts of attempting a reformation. This occurrence
furnished them with a more favourable plea to make
a beginning, which was accordingly done in the year
1774-. At which time the Bertie church, under the pas-
toral care of Rev. Lemuel Burkitt, held a conference on
the subject, in which they publickly proclaimed, that they
would commune with none, who confessed they were bap-
tized before conversion ; alleging, that adult persons had
no better claim to baptism, while they were in a state of
impenitence and unbelief, than infants had. JVIr. Burkitt's
church was followed by several others. But when the
next Association met, which was in 1775, the Reformers
met with severe opposition. The correctness of their
proceedings was much questioned, and much dissension
arose. One party was blamed for doing too much ; and
the other for not doing enough. As they could not
agree, both parties claimed the right of being called the