Civil War Articles by Julian WilliamsWilson Conner Sees Baptist Split Getting Bigger
This article was compiled by Julian Williams.
It just looked to Rev. Wilson Conner like there was no way to stop the splitting Baptists from splitting more. As the churches multiplied, so did the opinions amongst the brethren. The opinions might have started out as just that but before you could tell where they came from they were church doctrine. And you don't argue with church doctrine. Because it was based on Scripture or at least seemed so to the ones coming up with it. I suppose the reason there were different doctrines was you had different people using different Scriptures (and different interpretations). But to a particular group "their doctrine" was the right one. You stayed in or got out. Some did one and some did the other.
In 1830, just after the Georgia Baptist Convention in Milledgeville the year before, Wilson and others in the faith met at Bethesda in Greene County for the year's convention. No sooner had he and his horse drawn respective deep breaths of rest from the long trip did Brother C. (thought to be Cyrus) White get in hot water because he had published a pamphlet on the Atonement. Now publishing something on the Atonement could get you in trouble. That was one of those church issues in Wilson Conner's time that was in the "no-win" category.
Some Baptists believed in "limited Atonement." This is the way one Primitive church put it: "Primitive Baptists believe in the limited atonement of the blood of Christ. That is, that Christ died only for that portion of mankind that was given Him by the Father before the world began." But understand, that is the statement of one church. Some Primitive Baptists seem to believe like the New School Baptists. There seems to be some great amount of "cross-over" in the various Baptist churches.
On the other hand, you had some of the Baptists, such as Wilson Conner, who believed in "full Atonement" - that The Sacrifice was sufficient for all sinners and that all sinners, on their free will, could come to possess Salvation, through the Grace of God, through Christ. And, by the same token, by their free will, they could refuse such a gift.
These views of the Atonement caused people in the churches great distress if others did not choose their version. But one thing is for sure. Isn't it great that God loves us and has put the world in order and has put us in the world? It is also great that He has prepared a place for the hereafter. By His Grace some will probably make it to a positive destination and some, without it, will probably wind up elsewhere. If one theory is "irresistible Grace" then another might be "resistible Grace." I don't profess to know all the mechanics of all that but I do believe that we have a chance if we will take it. Old Wilson Conner seemed to believe that too. If he didn't he sure rode that horse a many a mile for nothing. But others have other beliefs - their beliefs. I certainly respect that freedom. That's what it seems to be about - free will. Choose and live with the consequences. But you have to choose. And if you don't choose, that is still a choice!
And another thing Rev. Conner was having trouble with was the inhospitable preachers along the way who would not "announce" his coming. They did not like "missions" and they did not care for "missionaries." In his own words (creative spelling and all) we find:
"This church and preachers, for there is two ordaind preachers in it, had refusd to publish my appointment, because I was a Missionary man. I had however a small congregation to whom I endeavoured to preach Christ crusified. This seems to me to be pirfect Morral waste, notwithstanding a baptist church and two ordaind Ministers is resident among the people."
This open hostility was not too subtle in substance. It seems it caused Rev. Conner some amount of inconvenience. Obviously, it also put more miles on his horse. We find these words in his diary as he was traveling in Bullock (Bulloch County):
"June 10, 1830:
Rode mile to Bro Joseph Hagins. This day my appointment stood a (at) Nevils creek. But knowing the opposition of Bro Donaldson to Missionary men and knowing to that he livd near this meeting house, I concluded to turn my course another way."
Rev. Conner could sense that tensions were building amongst the brethren. A sad thing was happening to the people. We can tell by the following statement of the old Baptist preacher:
"June 19th, 1830
Rode 3 mile and preachd on satirday and Sunday at Powell meeting house. Times here are not so pleasant as they have been years ago."
And Bro. Conner was still trying to do away with The Forbidden Cup, that cup from whence strong drink came. From John Crowley's book, "Primitive Baptists Of The Wiregrass South," we find these words:
"Over-drinking vexed nearly all those concerned with church discipline in antebellum America, but especially in the South. Although very strict in holding worshipers to accounts for inappropriate behavior, including fighting and verbal abuse, the Primitive Baptists of south Georgia and Florida, for instance, seldom expelled members for such offenses if they were repented-over and over. Recalling the frontier past, a minister in Georgia described how "almost everybody was in the habit of drinking; young and old, rich and poor, saint and sinner, all would drink, and many of them get drunk into the bargain." Sometimes the "Hardshells" were called "Whiskey Baptists" or "Forty Gallon Baptists.'" One of their ministers ran a tavern. Often bearing the brunt of their husbands' binges, women occasionally acted independently. When a notorious lush asked once again for forgiveness from his fellow church people, all the men stood to signify their mercy. The women remained seated. When the numbers were counted, the women had the majority and expelled the sinner forthwith."
But Primitive Baptists were not the only Baptists who would drink the forbidden juice. Addie Garrison Briggs, an effective Telfair storyteller, tells a story of how Methodist Alex Boney, at his country store, was making fun of the new Baptist preacher in the community. John Roberson was in the store at the time and reported all that was said to Moses Peterson Williams, my great grandfather. Now Mose Williams thought a lot of his preacher and did not appreciate anyone running him down. When Alex Boney saw Mose and John Roberson approaching the store in a buggy the next day he knew that John had told all and that Mose was probably coming to do more than just talk about it.
But Alex thought fast and felt down in a barrel of peas and came up with a bottle of Jack Daniel's. He presented Mose with a glass of the enticing drink and his would-be assailant graciously received it. He told Mose it was free of charge but "don't let John Roberson have a d----- drop!"
I tell that story not boasting of my great-grandfather's weakness for alcohol but to remind us all, like Crowley did above, that drinking seemed to be a rather ingrained practice amongst many people in Georgia at the time. And Jacksonville, Dead River, and even Bulloch County were not exceptions to the general rule.
Preacher Conner knew he had his hands full but he was making progress. Strong drink was being rebuffed in at least some of the churches and he was rightly proud of this progress (just as he recorded it):
"June 24th, 1830
Preachd at Little Canuchee to a good congregation. After sirmon proceeded to organise the temperance society I had formd here in Feby last. This society consits of 33 members. I know of no place in Georgia where intemperence has receivd a more deadly blow than in this place."
Things were looking up. But he still had a long ways to go - both physically and spiritually. He was thinking of drinking some himself. But what he dreamed of was not whiskey, but the cold cold Willcox water of Spring Lake up the road from Jacksonville, Georgia.
Credits:
Albert Sidney Johnson for "Longpondium";
Peg Conner Corliss for notes on Wilson Conner;
Fussell Chalker for "Pioneer Days Along The Ocmulgee";
Gene Barber for "The Way It Was";
John G. Crowley for "Primitive Baptists Of The Wiregrass South: 1815 To The Present";
Addie Garrison Briggs for "They Don't Make People Like They Used To"
