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TKi
Contributed
oMfiioi i/MUKUM MISIOKY AS EXHIBITED
IN THEIR RECENT
WRITINGS.
V.
In closing this review of Baptist church
history it is but proper to notice the debt
of the Baptists to the Presbyterian
Church, and in doing this by way of
summary a bare statement from Dr.
Newman may not be amiss: "As regards
the * * doctrines * *. The medieval
evangelical sects were all apparently
anti-Augustinian, and the Baptist parties
of the sixteenth century followed in the
footsteps of their medieval spiritual ancestors
in this and other important particulars.
Those Baptist parties of modern
times whose historical relations with
the medieval evangelical parties and the
anti-Pedobaptist parties of the sixteenth
OOtlHirv oro loH m n
wuvui j m v uiuoi luuuiaic uavc icjcticu
the Calvinistic system; while those that
owe their origin to English Puritanism
* ? * ? have been noted for their
stanch adherence to Calvinistic principles.*
. Calvinistic and Arminian
Baptists have both had periods
of extreme development, the former .
sometimes scarcely escaping fatalism
and anti-nomianism, the latter sometimes
falling into Socinian denial of the deity
vi vui'isi uuu reiugniii aemai 01 original
sin. The great majority of the Baptists
of to-day hold to what may be called
moderate Calvinism." (Hist., pp. 5, 6.)
That the Baptists were much influenced,
especially in their advocacy of
Arminianism in the United States and
the temporary adoption of episcopacy, by
the Methodists, Dr. Newman freely acknowledges.
But it should be noticed
that Arminianism prevailed among the
Baptists before Wesleyanism arose. The
Presbyterian Church has consistently,
throughout all it3 modern career from
the days of Calvin, been zealous advocates
of Calvinism, of missions and of an
educated ministry. Of the earliest Calvinistie
creed of the anti-Pedobaptists
in England v 1644) Dr. Newman attributes
the origin of this to the conversion of
some Puritans to anti-Pedobaptism. Of
the next creed adopted by them he
wiites. in "1677:" 'A confession of faith,
that cf the Westminster Assembly, with
necessary modifications, was adopted and
formally promulgated." "In 1689
representatives of about a hundred
churches assembled for the * * reaffirming
of the confession of 1677."
<New SchofT-Herzog, Vol. 1, p. 464.) Of
Andrew Fuller he writes that he influenced
John Foster, and Robert Hall,
Will am Carey and others, and was a
leader to diffuse "the missionary spirit,"
and yet this man was converted to "evangel'cal
views chiefly through the reading
of a -pamphlet by Jonathan Edwards."
(Iden, p. 465.) He attributes much of
the strength of the Baptists in England,
Scotland and Ireland to Alexander Carson,
who was a "Presbyterian." Of the
Baptists in the United States he says
"'more than a hundred churches united"
*
r r
I Kft^r'TERIAN CF THE SOUT
"in 16S9" ' in adopting a Baptist recension
of the Westminster Confession,
which has proved the most important
and influential confession ever put forth
by Baptists. In a slightly modified form
it has been widely accepted by American
Baptists as 'the Philadelphia Confession.'"
(Hist., p. 55.)
Many of those who were the most influential
workers of the church in the
East and New England during the latter
half nf tho oi o-hfonnt >* nonturtf
..V... w?. VUV vi0It?.WIiVU WilLUl J ?CIC CUU*
cated at Princeton, where they fell under
the influence of the leaders of the
Presbyterian Church. (See Hist., pp.
277, 301, ?j22, etc.)
In their struggle for religious liberty,
for which the Baptists claim so much,
and much credit for which is due them,
Dr. Newman attributes much to the
leadership of "Patrick Henry, the noted
Presbyterian lawyer and statesman,"
under whose "advice" many Baptists
acted. He continues: "Baptists and
Presbyterians co-operated heartily for
the overthrow of the established religion."
(Pp. 366, 367.)
From these quotations and many others
which have been spared to avoid
repetition it appears (1) that the Baptists
are indebted to the early fathers of
the Presbyterian Church for the influences
that led them to adopt a Calvin
istic theology; (2) that for the form
of their theological creed, which has
proved the most important and influential
confession ever put forth by Baptists,"
they are entirely indebted to the
Presbyterian Westminster Confession of
Faith;" (3) that for the early influence^
leading them to secure and adopt an educated
ministry which only could command
the respect of the modern relig
iuus woriu, niey are maeDiea to rresDyterians;
(4) that for their counselor anil
chief supporters in their struggle for
religious freedom in tbis country they
aie indebted to the Presbyterians.
Apropos of these comments it is a
matter worthy of special interest to
Fresbyterians to read the following from
Dr. A. H. Newman's pen: "Retaining the
veiy effective Presbyterian discipline,
and educating evangelists under strong
Presbyterian influence, the Presbyterians
of Tennent's school showed little susceptibility
to the influence of Baptist
print iples. It is a historical fact, account
for it as we may, that ground once
preoccupied by Presbyterians is relatively
irresponsive to Baptist effort."
(Hist., p. 273.)
8. M. Tenney.
Troupe, Texas, February 10, 1909.
LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT,
The Conference at Crystal Springs,
Miss., was held on July 14, 15, 1909.
There were enrolled twenty-seven ministers
and sixty-eight laymen. The
chairman was Mr. R. F. Kimmons, of
Water Valley. Valuable addresses were
hea:d from Rev. H. M. Edmonds, of
Montgomery, Ala, on ' The Laymen's
Movement;" by Rev. J. O. Reavis, on
"The Call of Personal Sacrifice for thfi
World's Evangelization;" by Rev. J. J.
H. August 4, 1909.
Chieolm, of Natchez, on ' Missionary
Enterprise and a Blessed Hope;" by Mr.
Calvin Wells, Jr., of Jackson, on
"The Motives of Missionary Endeavor,
and by Dr. T. H. Somerville, of Oxford,
on "Missions the Only Enduring Basis
of Civilization." Dr. S. H. Chester spoxt
on "The Outlook for Missions in the
Foreign Field," with special reference to
the work being now done and planned
for the near future by the Southern
Presbyterian Church. Dr. J. B. Huston,
of Jackson, took for his theme "Men for
the Man of Galilee."
The chairman then named the following
Committee on Resolutions. It reported
as follows: Prof. A. L. Bondurant, *
chairman; Dr. W. H. Whitaker, John A.
Stinson, L. T. Carlisle, William McBride,
E. W. Melyin, A. Lotterhos, R. L. Byrnes,
W. R. Evans and J. C. Calhoon.
Adjourned until 2 p. m.
In the afternoon the Committee on
Resolutions made a report through ita
chairman, Prof. A. L. Boncurant, as follows:
"We, men from the Synod of Mississippi,
of the Presbyterian Church in the
United States, assembled at Lake Chautauqua,
Mississippi, in our second Annual
Conference, give our unqualified
sanction to the plan for the evangelization
of the world in a generation, which
has been endorsed by our General Assembly.
urged at the first Laymen's Conference
held at this place one year ago,
and championed by the Laymen's Convention
of the Presbyterian Church in
the United Stales, held in Birmingham,
Ala., February, 1909.
' We are grateful for the substantial
progress which has been made in this
Synod during the padt year, and would
urge ?
"1 hat the plans proposed to accomplish
this great work be presented to
those at home by both laymen and ministers
who are in attendance upon this
Conference; and, to hasten the end so
devoutly desired, be it resolved?
"First?That in private and public
worship?in the church, Sunday-school
;.nd Brotherhood meetings?we urge the
sacreiness and Importance of this cause,
invoking upon it t!he blessing of God, and
instructing our people as to its importance.
"Secondly?That we recommend the
appointment of a Missionary Committee
in each congregation, whose business it
will be to present this cause to the meinteis
of the congregation individually,
with a view to arousing them to a
greater interest in the work.
"Thirdly?We recommend that the
work of instruction along missionary
lines in the various congregations be
systematically done, and that the members
be invited and urged to make
weekly contributions to the cause of
missions. - * "
"Fourthly?We would pledge ourselves
to renewed efforts in Christian work as
the divinely ordered means for quickening
our own hearts and the hearts and
consciences of our bretnren, and we
would urge renewed zeal in the study of