The Baptist Pillar © Brandon Bible Baptist Church 1992-Present www.baptistpillar.com
"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
The Trail of Blood
Dr. J. M. Carroll
1931
LECTURE FIVE--RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES
1. Through the Spanish and others of the Latin races, the Catholics as religionists,
came to be the first representatives of the Christian religion in South and Central
America. But in North America,except Mexico, they have never strongly predominated.
In the territory of what is now the United States except in those sections which
were once parts of Mexico they have never been strong enough, even during the Colonial
period to have their religious views established by law.
2. Beginning with the Colonial
period, in the early part of the seventeenth century, the first settlements were
established in Virginia, and a little later in that territory now known as the New
England States. Religious, or more properly speaking -- irreligious persecutions,
in England, and on the continent, were, at least, among the prime causes which led
to the first settlement of the first United States Colonies. In some of the groups
of immigrants which first came, not including the Jamestown group (1607) and those
known as the "Pilgrims" (1620), were two groups, one, at least, called "Puritans"
-- these were "Congregationalists." Governor Endicott was in control of their colony.
The other group were Presbyterians. Among these two groups, however, were a number
of Christians with other views than theirs, also seeking relief from persecution.
"THE
TRAIL OF BLOOD IN AMERICA"
3. These refugeeing Congregationalists and Presbyterians
established different Colonies and immediately within their respective territories
established by law their own peculiar religious views. In other words, "Congregationalism"
and "Presbyterianism" were made the legal religious views of their colonies. This
to the absolute exclusion of all other religious views. Themselves fleeing the mother
country, with the bloody marks of persecution still upon them and seeking a home
of freedom and liberty for themselves, immediately upon being established in their
own colonies, in the new land and having the authority, they deny religious liberty
to others, and practice upon them the same cruel methods of persecution. Especially
did they, so treat the Baptists.
4. The Southern colonies in Virginia, North and South
Carolina were settled mainly by the adherents of the Church of England. The peculiar
views of the Church were made the established religion of these colonies. Thus in
the new land of America, where many other Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians
have come seeking the privilege of worshipping God according to the dictates of their
own consciences, there were soon set up three established churches. No religious
liberty for any except for those who held governmental authority. The Children of
Rome are following in the bloody footsteps of their mother. Their own reformation
is yet far from complete.
5. With the immigrants to America came many scattering Baptists
(by some still called "Ana-Baptists"). There were probably some in every American-bound
vessel. They came, however, in comparatively small groups, never in large colonies.
They would not have been permitted to come in that way. But they kept coming. Before
the colonies are thoroughly established the Baptists are numerous and almost everywhere.
But they soon began to feel the heavy hands of the three State churches. For the
terrible offenses of "preaching the Gospel" and "refusing to have their children
baptized," "opposing infant baptism," and other like conscientious acts on their
part, they were arrested, imprisoned, fined, whipped, banished, and their property
confiscated, etc. All that here in America. From many sources, I give but a few illustrations.
6.
Before the Massachusetts Bay Colony is twenty years old, with the Congregational
as the State Church, they passed laws against the Baptists and others. The following
is a sample of the laws: "It is ordered and agreed, that if any person or persons,
within this jurisdiction, shall either openly condemn or oppose the baptizing of
infants, or go about secretly to seduce others from the approbation or use thereof,
or shall purposely depart the congregation at the ministration of the ordinance .
. . after due time and means of conviction -- every such person or persons shall
be sentenced to banishment." This law was enacted especially against the Baptists.
7.
By the Authorities in this colony, Roger Williams and others were banished. Banishment
in America in those days was something desperately serious. It meant to go and live
among the Indians. In this case Williams was received kindly and for quite a while
lived among the Indians, and in after days proved a great blessing to the colony
which had banished him. He saved the colony from destruction by this same tribe of
Indians, by his earnest entreaties in their behalf. In this way he returned good
for evil.
8. Roger Williams, later, together with others, some of whom, at least,
had also been banished from that and other of the colonies among whom was John Clarke,
a Baptist preacher, decided to organize a colony of their own. As yet they had no
legal authority from England to do such a thing, but they thought this step wiser
under existing conditions than to attempt to live in existing colonies with the awful
religious restrictions then upon them. So finding a small section of land as yet
unclaimed by any existing colony they proceeded to establish themselves on that section
of land now known as Rhode Island. That was in the year 1638, ten years later than
the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but it was about 25 years later (1663) before they
were able to secure a legal charter.
9. In the year 1651 (?) Roger Williams and John
Clarke were sent by. the colony to England to secure, if possible legal permission
to establish their colony. When they reached England, Oliver Cromwell was in charge
of the government, but for some reason he failed to grant their request. Roger Williams
returned home to America. John Clarke remained in England to continue to press his
plea. Year after year went by. Clarke continued to remain. Finally Cromwell lost
his position and Charles II sat upon the throne of England. While Charles is regarded
in history as one of the bitterest of persecutors of Christians, he finally, in 1663,
granted that charter. So Clarke, after 12 long years of waiting returned home with
that charter. So in 1663, the Rhode Island colony became a real legal institution,
and the Baptists could write their own constitution.
10. That Constitution was written.
It attracted the attention of the whole wide world. In that Constitution was the
world's first declaration of "Religious Liberty." The battle for absolute religious
liberty even in America alone is a great history within itself. For a long time the
Baptists seem to have fought that battle entirely alone, but they did not fight it
for themselves alone, but for all peoples of every religious faith. Rhode Island,
the first Baptist colony, established by a small group of Baptists after 12 years
of earnest pleading for permission was the first spot on earth where religious liberty
was made the law of the land. The settlement was made in 1638; the colony legally
established in 1663.
11. In this colony two Baptist churches were organized even prior
to the legal establishment of the colony. As to the exact date of the organization
of at least one of these two churches, even the Baptists, according to history, are
at disagreement. All seem tn be agreed as to the date of the organization of the
one at Providence, by Roger Williams, in 1639. As to the date of the one organized
at Newport by John Clarke, all the later testimony seems to give the date at 1638.
All the earlier seems to give it later, some years later. The one organized by Roger
Williams at Providence seems to have lived but a few months. The other by John Clarke
at Newport, is still living. My own opinion as to the date of organization of Newport
church, based on all available data, is that 1638 is the correct date. Personally,
I am sure this date is correct.
12. As to the persecutions in some of the American
colonies, we give a few samples. It is recorded that on one occasion one of John
Clarke's members was sick. The family lived just across the Massachusetts Bay Colony
line and just inside that colony. John Clarke, himself, and a visiting preacher by
the name of Crandall and a layman by the name of Obediah Holmes -- all three went
to visit that sick family. While they were holding some kind of a prayer service
with that sick family, some officer or officers of the colony came upon them and
arrested them and later carried them before the court for trial. It is also stated,
that in order to get a more definite charge against them, they were carried into
a religious meeting of their church (Congregationalist), their hands being tied (so
the record states).
The charge against them was "for not taking off their hats in a religious service." They were all tried and convicted. Gov. Endicott was present. In a rage he said to Clarke, while the trial was going on, "You have denied infants baptism" (this was not the charge against them). "You deserve death. I will not have such trash brought into my jurisdiction." The penalty for all was a fine, or be well-whipped. Crandall's fine (a visitor) was five pounds ($25.00), Clarke's fine (the pastor) was twenty pounds ($100.00). Holmes' fine (the records say he had been a Congregationalist and had joined the Baptists) so his fine was thirty pounds ($150.00). Clark's and Crandall's fines were paid by friends.
Holmes refused to allow his fine paid, saying he had done no wrong, so was well whipped.
The record states that he was "stripped to the waist" and then whipped (with some
kind of a special whip) until the blood ran down his body and then his legs until
his shoes overflowed. The record goes on to state that his body was so badly gashed
and cut that for two weeks he could not lie down, so his body could touch the bed.
His sleeping had to be done on his hands or elbows and knees. Of this whipping and
other things connected with it I read all records, even Holmes' statement. A thing
could hardly have been more brutal. And here in America!
13. Painter, another man,
"refused to have his child baptized," and gave as his opinion "that infant baptism
was an anti-Christian ordinance." For these offenses he was tied up and whipped.
Governor Winthrop tells us that Painter was whipped "for reproaching the Lord's ordinance."
14.
In the colony where Presbyterianism was the established religion, dissenters (Baptist
and others) seemed to fare no better than in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where Congregationalism
was the established religion. In this colony was a settlement of Baptists. In the
whole settlement were only five other families. The Baptists recognized the laws
they were under and were, according to the records, obedient to them. This incident
occurred:
It was decided by authorities of the colony to build a Presbyterian meeting
house in that Baptist settlement. The only way to do it seemed by taxation. The Baptists
recognized the authority of the Presbyterians to levy this new and extra tax, but
they made this plea against the tax at this time – "We have just started our settlement.
Our little cabins have just been built, and little gardens and patches just been
opened. Our fields not cleared. We have just been taxed to the limit to build a fort
for protection against the Indians. We cannot possibly pay another tax now."
This is only the substance of their plea. The tax was levied. It could not possibly
be paid at that time. An auction was called. Sales were made. Their cabins and gardens
and patches, and even their graveyards, were sold -- not their unopened fields. Property
valued at 363 pounds and 5 shillings sold for 35 pounds and 10 shillings. Some of
it, at least, was said to have been bought by the preacher who was to preach there.
The settlement was said to have been left ruined.
A large book could be filled with
oppressive laws. Terrifically burdensome acts of taxation, hard dealing of many sorts,
directed mainly against the Baptists. But these lectures cannot enter into these
details.
15. In the southern colonies, throughout the Carolinas and especially Virginia,
where the Church of England held sway, persecution of Baptists was serious and continuous.
Many times their preachers were fined and imprisoned. From the beginning of the colonial
period to the opening of the Revolutionary War, more than 100 years, these persecutions
of Baptists were persisted in.
16. We give some examples of the hardships of the Baptists
in Virginia, and yet strange as it may now seem Virginia was the next place on earth
after Rhode Island to adopt religious liberty. But that was more than a century away.
But the hardships -- as many as 30 preachers at different times, were put in jail
with the only charge against them -- "for preaching the Gospel of the Son of God."
James Ireland is a case in point. He was imprisoned.
After imprisonment, his enemies tried to blow him up with gunpowder. That having
failed, they next tried to smother him to death by burning sulphur under his windows
at the jail. Failing also in this, they tried to arrange with a doctor to poison
him. All this failed. He continued to preach to his people from the windows. A wall
was then built around his jail so the people could not see in nor he see out, but
even that difficulty was overcome. The people gathered, a handkerchief was tied to
a long stick, and that stuck up above the walls so Ireland could see when they were
ready. The preaching continued.
17. Three Baptist preachers (Lewis and Joseph Craig
and Aaron Bledsoe) were later arrested on the same charge. One of them, at least,
was a blood relative of R. E. B. Baylor, and possibly of one or more other Texas
Baptist preachers. These preachers were arraigned for trial. Patrick Henry, hearing
of it and though living many miles away and though a Church of England man himself,
rode those miles horseback to the trial and volunteered his services in their defense.
Great was his defense. I cannot enter into a description of it here. It swept the
court. The preachers were freed.
18. Elsewhere than Rhode Island, religious liberty
came slowly and by degrees. For example: In Virginia a law was passed permitting
one, but only one, Baptist preacher to a county. He was permitted to preach but once
in two months. Later this law was modified, permitting him to preach once in each
month. But even then, in only one definite place in the county, and only one sermon
on that day, and never to preach at night. Laws were passed not only in Virginia
but in colonies elsewhere positively forbidding any mission work. This was why Judson
was the first foreign missionary -- law forbade. It took a long time and many hard
battles, in the Virginia House of Burgesses, to greatly modify these laws.
19. Evidently,
one of the greatest obstructions to religious liberty in America, and probably all
over the world as to that, was the conviction which had grown into the people throughout
the preceding centuries that religion could not possibly live without governmental
support. That no denomination could prosper solely on voluntary offerings by its
adherents. And this was the hard argument to meet when the battle was raging for
the disestablishment of the Church of England in Virginia, and also later in Congress
when the question of religious liberty was being discussed there. For a long time
the Baptists fought the battle almost alone,
20. Rhode Island began her colony in
1638, but it was not legally chartered until 1663. There was the first spot where
Religious Liberty was granted. The second place was Virginia in 1786. Congress declared
the first amendment to the Constitution to be in force December 15, 1791, which granted
religious liberty to all citizens, Baptists are credited with being the leaders in
bringing this blessing to the nation.
21. We venture to give one early Congressional
incident. The question of whether the United States should have an established church
or several established churches, or religious liberty, was being discussed. Several
different bills had been offered, one recommending the Church of England as the established
church; and another the Congregationalist Church, and yet another the Presbyterian.
The Baptists, many of them, though probably none of them members of Congress, were earnestly contending for absolute religious liberty. James Madison (afterwards President) seemingly was their main supporter. Patrick Henry arose and offered a substitute bill for them all, "That four churches (or denominations) instead of one be established" -- the Church of England, or Episcopal, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and the Baptist. Finally when each of the others saw that IT could not be made the sole established church, they each agreed to accept Henry's compromise. (This compromise bill stated that each person taxed would have the right to say to which denomination of these four his money should go.)
The Baptists continued to fight against it all; that any combination of Church and
State was against their fundamental principles, that they could not accept it even
if voted. Henry pleaded with them, said he was trying to help them, that they could
not live without it, but they still protested. The vote was taken -- it carried nearly
unanimously. But the measure had to be voted on three times. The Baptists, led by
Madison and possibly others continued to fight. The second vote came. It also carried
almost unanimously, swept by Henry's masterful eloquence. But the third vote had
yet to be taken. Now God seemingly intervened. Henry was made Governor of Virginia
and left Congress. When the third vote came, deprived of Henry's irresistible eloquence,
the vote was lost.
Thus the Baptists came near being an established denomination over
their own most solemn protest. This is not the only opportunity the Baptists ever
had of becoming established by law, but is probably the nearest they ever came to
it.
22. Not long after this, the Church of England was entirely disestablished in
America. No religious denomination was supported by the Central Government (a few
separated State governments still had establishment), Church and state, so far as
the United States was concerned, were entirely separated. These two, Church and State,
elsewhere at least, had for 1,500 years (since 313) been living in unholy wedlock.
Religious Liberty was, at least here in the United States, resurrected to die no
more, and now gradually but in many places slowly, it is spreading throughout the
world.
23. But even in the United States, the Church and State idea died hard. It
lingered on in several of the separate States, long after Religious Liberty had been
put into the Constitution of the United States. Massachusetts, where the Church and
State idea first found a lodging place in America, has, as already stated, finally
given it up. It had lived there over two and one-half centuries. Utah is the last
lingering spot left to disfigure the face of the first and greatest nation on earth
to adopt and cherish "Religious Liberty." Remember there can be no real and absolute
Religious liberty in any nation where the Government gives its support to one special
religious denomination.
24. Some serious questions have many times been asked concerning
the Baptists: Would they, as a denomination, have accepted from any nation or state
an offer of "establishment" if such nation or state had freely made them such an
offer? And, would they, in case they had accepted such an offer, have become persecutors
of others like Catholics or Episcopals, or Lutherans or Presbyterians, or Congregationalists?
Probably a little consideration of such questions now would not be amiss. Have the
Baptists, as a fact, ever had such an opportunity? Is it not recorded in history,
that on one occasion, the King of the Netherlands (the Netherlands at that time embracing
Norway and Sweden, Belgium, Holland, and Denmark) had under serious consideration
the question of having an established religion? Their kingdom at that period was
surrounded on almost all sides by nations or governments with established religions
-- religions supported by the Civil Government.
It is stated that the King of Holland appointed a committee to examine into the claims
of all existing churches or denominations to see which had the best claim to be the
New Testament Church. The committee reported back that the Baptists were the best
representatives of New Testament teachings. Then the King offered to make the Baptist
"the established" church or denomination of his kingdom. The Baptists kindly thanked
him but declined, stating that it was contrary to their fundamental convictions and
principles.
But this was not the only opportunity they ever had of having their denomination
the established religion of a people. They certainly had that opportunity when Rhode
Island Colony was founded. And to have persecuted others -- that would have been
an impossibility if they were to continue being Baptists. They were the original
advocates of "Religious Liberty." That really is one of the fundamental articles
of their religious faith. They believed in the absolute separation of church and
state.
25. So strong has been the Baptist conviction on the question of Church and
State combination, that they have invariably declined all offers of help from the
State. We give here two instances. One in Texas and the other in Mexico. Long years
ago in the days of Baylor University's babyhood, Texas offered to help her. She declined
the help though she was in distressing need. The Texas Methodists had a baby school
in Texas at the same time. They accepted the State help; that school finally fell
into the hands of the State.
The case in Mexico occurred in this wise: W. D. Powell
was our missionary to Mexico. By his missionary work he had made a great impression
for the Baptists upon Governor Madero of the State of Coahuila. Madero offered a
great gift to the Baptists from the State, if the Baptists would establish a good
school in the State of Coahuila, Mexico. The matter was submitted by Powell to the
Foreign Board. The gift was declined because it was to be from the State. Afterwards
Madero gave a good large sum personally. That was accepted and Madero Institute was
built and established.