History of the Illinois Baptist Association
The Illinois Association was organized on June 19, 1807, at the home of James Downing of Richland Church, on Ridge Prairie in the northern part of St. Clair County, Illinois; this was the first association in Illinois. A preliminary meeting to arrange for the constitution had been held January 9 and 10, 1807, at the home of Anthony Badgley, at which time a Summary of Bible Doctrine was adopted as presented by Elder William Jones. Five churches were united in this new association, viz., New Design, Mississippi Bottom, Silver Creek, Richland and Wood River. One of these, New Design, was the first Baptist church organized in the state. During the next fifty years, over fifty churches held membership in this body, and it was the mother of some seven other associations. The record book of the Association is held in the Illinois State Historical Library, Old State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois; The Primitive Baptist Library of Carthage, Illinois, had a microfilm made of the records, and a copy of the film may be seen there. Their Summary of Doctrine is presented here because it is one of the oldest adopted in the state:SUMMARY OF BIBLE DOCTRINE
1. There is only one true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. The Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.
3. By nature we are fallen and depraved creatures.
4. Salvation, regeneration, and sanctification are by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
5. The saints will finally preserve through grace to glory.
6. Believer's baptism by immersion is necessary to the receiving of the Lord's Supper.
7. The salvation of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked are eternal.
8. No minister ought to administer the ordinances until he has come under the imposition of hands.
9. It is our duty to be tender and affectionate to each other, and to study the happiness of the children of God, in general, and by engaging singly, to promote the glory of God.
10. We believe in election by grace.
11. It is our duty to commune with orderly Baptists.
12. Each church may keep its own government as it seems best.
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The damage wrought on the Illinois Association by the modern mission system was much greater than it would have otherwise been, as a result of the split over the slavery issue in 1809, and the fact that the Friends to Humanity faction which refused to fellowship slavery or slave-holders, were later influenced to adopt the modern mission system, and amalgamated with the missionaries.
The Efforts and Eventual Failure of John Mason Peck to Introduce the Modern Mission System
The first mention of the modern mission system in the minutes of the Illinois Association appeared more than eleven years after the Association was organized, in October 1818. On the second day of the 1818 session, held at Ogle's Creek Church in St. Clair County, Item 14 reads, "Bro. J. M. Peck, a Missionary from the Baptist Board of foreign missions arrived and invited to a seat with us." Item 18 reads, "By the request of Looking Glass Prairie Church this Association recommend to the Churches to meet on the first Monday of each month to pray for a revival of Religion and the blessing of God on missionary exertions in the spread of the gospel." Item 19, "Bro. Peck presented a circular from the Baptist board of foreign missions which was read, whereupon Bro. Peck gave a relation of the great exertions making to spread the gospel and translate the scriptures into heathen languages and the astonishing success which follows the labours of the missionaries in heathen lands, together with a brief statement of the great revivals of religion in many parts of our country and the world - all of which was highly interesting - therefore, Resolved that Rev. David Badgley of Ogle's Creek, St. Clair County, be our Secretary to correspond with the board of missions." Item 20, "Bro. Peck presented a plan of a society to employ Missionaries and promote common schools amongst the Whites and the Indians, which we desire to see carried into effect and which we recommend to the Churches." On the Lord's Day, October 11th, 1818, "A respectable concourse of people having met, Br. Peck preached a Missionary Sermon from Exodus 33, 15. If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up thence. A collection for the Indian Fund of the Western Baptist Mission society of $11.25 was received by Bro. Peck. Bro. Jones preached from Hebrews 4th, 3d. Bro. Musick from Isa. 53: 1. Bro. Peck closed by giving some interesting accounts of religious revivals in the northern states and elsewhere.
On Friday, October 8, 1819, when the Association met at Looking Glass Prairie meeting house, in St. Clair County, Br. J. M. Peck preached the introductory sermon from Romans 5th, 8th. On Saturday, October 9, Item 12, "Heard a corresponding letter from the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions containing interesting intelligence of the prosperity of the redeemer's kingdom." Item 13, "The Queries from Wood River considered, 1st, Is it right to correspond with the Baptist Board of foreign missions? Answer, yes. 2nd, Is there any use of the United Society for the Spread of the Gospel and if so, wherein does its usefulness consist? Answer, yes, and its use is to supply destitute places with preaching." On the Lord's Day, October 10th, Elder Lewis Williams preached first, followed by Elder James E. Welch, and finally, by Elder J. M. Peck, from Isa. 9:7. A collection was then taken of $4.75, which had been agreed the preceding day, Item 24, "Resolved that a public collection be taken on tomorrow, one half appropriated to the expense of printing the minutes and the other half to the traveling expenses of the delegates sent abroad."
On October 14, 1820, the Association met at the Canteen Creek meeting house in Madison County. On Saturday, Item 7th, "Street, Peck, and Jones to preach tomorrow and that preaching begin at 10 o'clock." On Monday, Item 16 (the last item of business of the day), "The query from the Canteen Creek church, is the principle and practice of the Baptist Board of foreign missions in its present operations justifiable agreeable to gospel order? Answered as follows, Whereas our information respecting the management of the Board of Foreign Missions has as yet been but small, we therefore feel willing to drop the Query respecting them, and also to drop any further correspondence with them."
Nothing appeared in the Association minutes for 1821 or 1822 which indicated any trouble over the mission system. However, in 1823, the Association met at Providence Church, in Greene County, Illinois; and on Saturday, August 23rd, the Association received a letter from the Rock Spring Church, which was referred to the committee or arrangement. Also, a letter of correspondence was received from the Missouri Association by the hand of their messenger, John M. Peck. The minutes state that "the letter [from Missouri Association] referred to the committee of arrangement." On Monday, August 25th, "The Association agrees, with regard to correspondence, to receive the letter, and if aught be made appear against the messenger, if he neglects to give satisfaction, to debar him from a seat with us." The minutes also reveal, in the business session on Monday, that a committee was appointed to meet at Richland Creek Church meeting-house, on the 2nd Saturday in October, to make inquiry into any difficulties that may exist between the Richland [Creek] and Ogle's Creek churches, and also the Rock Spring church, and report to the next association." Ogle's Creek Church had reported 17 exclusions that year (as shown in the statistical table in the association minutes).
The Illinois Association convened at Shoal Creek Church, in Bond County, in August 1824.
On Saturday, August 28th, Item 4th states, "We received a letter, and other documents, from the Rock Spring Church: referred to the committee or arrangement, to make report thereon." On Monday, August 30th, Item 3d, reads, "We, the Committee or Arrangement, after examining all the records, and documents, referred to us, advise the Rock Spring Church, together with the Richland and Ogle's Creek or Clintonhill churches, to agree to the advice of the Committee at Sangamo, to which the distress of said Churches was referred. And we are of opinion, that the members of the Rock Spring and Richland Creek Churches who were formerly members of Ogle's Creek Church, have made sufficient acknowledgement, and also, that Brother David Badgley has made sufficient acknowledgement for the charge against him, and we are further of opinion, that, if either party shall not comply with the above, they should be considered in transgression by us. Signed by the Committee, and approved of by the Association." Item 13th, "Resolved, unanimously, by this association, that we view the general conduct, and proceedings, in this country, of those preachers (and especially that of John M. Peck) patronized by the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, to have been distressing to the brethren, and prejudicial to the cause of Christ, amongst the Baptist churches in this union. Resolved, further, that no preacher who has been, or shall be patronized by the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions shall hereafter have a seat in this Association, unless he shall have withdrawn from their patronage or service."
In August 1827, a distress of Sugar Creek Church with the Clinton Hill (formerly Ogle's Creek) Church was taken up, and laid over; and also the Clinton Hill Church is requested to make such statements as she may think proper to the next Association relative to a certain resolution of said church published in the Edwardsville Spectator.
In 1830, the Illinois Association took up and answered accusations against her, which were probably written by Rev. John M. Peck, as follows: "9. The reference from the Richland Church relative to a certain publication over the signatures of the publishing Committee of the Rock-Spring and Edwardsville Churches, published in the Pioneer of Feb. 6, 1830, directed to the Western Baptists, taken up and answered as follows: Whereas, the Edwardsville and Rock-Spring Churches have accused the Illinois Association of exercising power over Churches and individuals, and have cast a stigma on the Churches and Association in saying they were influenced by a few leading brethren, we think those Churches have been mistaken in their views. The Churches composing the Illinois Association have always considered themselves to be independent and influenced by none; and the general contents of former Minutes were their united voices, through their Messengers; and they never felt a disposition to remonstrate against their former proceedings - firmly believing those pretended liberal institutions of the present day, to spread the gospel, to be without any license from the word of God: and as the love of Money is the root of all evil, we fear they will only tend to sap the foundation of both our civil and religious liberties. We therefore advise our brethren of the different Churches to be aware of their stratagems."
The Minutes of the Illinois Association for 1831 chronicle some of the early history of the Association, including an account of the division over slavery, and the division in the Richland Creek Church, with the people who became known as the Friends to Humanity. This quotation is given in the history of Richland Creek Church, and may be seen by referring to the history of St. Clair County.
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