An Account of the Stand Against Sunday
Schools
Taken by the Baptists at Crawfordsville, Indiana, in
1833
As the Primitive Baptists built the first house of worship in
Indiana while it was yet a territory, so did they erect the first
in Crawfordsville, in 1823, the same year the town plat was made. A
dozen families constituted the town at that time, and the meeting
house was the only one within a radius of forty counties.
The following quotation is from the "Editorials of the Signs of the Times."
QUOTE:
New Vernon, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1833.
We copy the following article from the New York Baptist Repository:
ANTI-CHRISTIAN. - At a meeting of a religious representative body in Crawfordsville, Indiana, a few weeks since, a vote was passed, seven to two, disapproving of Temperance, Missionary, Bible, and Tract Societies and Sabbath Schools, and it was determined that the patronage of any of these institutions ought to subject the offenders to ecclesiastical discipline. The argument that carried this point was used in opposition to the introduction of a new vegetable into Scotland not many centuries ago - 'Potatoes are not mentioned in the Bible.' - Sunday School Journal."
END QUOTE.
Defending the brethren at Crawfordsville, Elder Beebe concludes his remarks with these words:
"Such is the description of anti-christ given by the infallible word of God. Candid reader, where do you find these characteristics? Can you discover them in the conduct of those brethren who refuse to recognize those institutions which are unauthorized by the King's book, and are brought in by the merchants of Tyre? Or are they to be found in those societies which teach for doctrines the commandments of men? Have the brethren complained of in Indiana, denied that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, either by refusing to do what he has commanded, or by consenting to do what he has not commanded? Are they of the world? Does the world hear them? Or are they for the world, coveting other men's gold and silver? Or are they denounced for refusing to do this? Ah! here lies the offence of the cross. With such arguments as would prohibit the introduction of potatoes where they could not be introduced scripturally! they have passed a vote disapproving of Temperance, Missionary, Bible and Tract Societies, and Sabbath Schools. Nay; more, they have concluded that such departures from the law of King Jesus 'ought to subject the offenders to the discipline of the church.' We truly rejoice to learn that God has reserved to himself a remnant, according to the election of grace in the State of Indiana, who have not bowed to the image of Baal."
Copyright c. 2003. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
