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Copyright © 2005 Robert Arthur Snyder All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. WILLIAM T. BRANTLY (1787-1845): A SOUTHERN UNIONIST AND THE BREAKUP OF THE TRIENNIAL CONVENTION A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Robert Arthur Snyder May 2005 UMI Number: 3181605 Copyright 2005 by Snyder, Robert Arthur All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3181605 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, M148106-1346 APPROVAL SHEET WILLIAM T. BRANTLY (1787-1845): A SOUTHERN UNIONIST AND THE BREAKUP OF THE TRIENNIAL CONVENTION Robert Arthur Snyder Read and Approved by: THESES Ph.D .. Sn92bw 0199701939662 To Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and to His servants, my Dad and Mom, who encouraged me to pursue this project to God's glory. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Vll PREFACE V111 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 Thesis. 1 Historiography .. 4 Methodology. 17 Overview. 21 A Memorial. 23 2. THE SHAPERS OF A PERSONAL MISSION...................... 26 George Pope and the Great Revival. 26 Jonathan Maxcy and Formal Education. 31 Anna Brantly and the Definition of Usefulness . 37 Conclusion . 44 3. FIRSTFRUITS NEAR THE SAVANNAH RIVER.................. 45 Richard Furman and the Triennial Convention . 46 Regional Contribution to United Effort . 51 Theological Justification for United Effort. 64 A Final Meeting in Augusta. 75 Conclusion. 76 IV Chapter Page 4. A PEACEMAKER IN PHILADELPHIA . 77 Unity within First Baptist Church .............................. 78 Unity among Philadelphia Baptists. 83 The Central Union Association ................................ 95 Conclusion . 109 5. EVANGELISTIC CALVINISM................................. 111 The Evangelistic Preaching of Total Depravity. 116 The Baptist Crisis over Limited Atonement. 127 Conclusion . 148 6. THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. 150 The Final Authority of Scripture. 152 The Sufficient Authority of Scripture. 164 Conclusion . 185 7. REVIVAL AND NEW MEASURES ............................. 187 The Kingdom of God . 188 Revival Measures. 194 Conclusion . 217 8. BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 219 Brantly and Benevolent Societies. 221 Ministerial Education . 225 The Temperance Movement. 229 Conclusion . 244 9. BRANTLY AS A BAPTIST.................................... 245 Denominational Leadership . 246 Denominational Apologist. 270 Conclusion . 282 v Chapter Page 10. BRANTLY AS AN EVANGELICAL. 283 Doctrinal Boundary. 283 Active Benevolence. 300 Conclusion . 311 11. SECTIONALISM AND SLAVERY. 313 Initial Sectionalism. 314 Stamping Out the Abolitionist Fire. 326 Brantly and Abolitionism. 336 Conclusion . 343 12. THE BEGINNING OF THE BIBLE CONTROVERSY. 344 External Tension with the American Bible Society. 347 Internal Tension among Baptists. 358 Conclusion . 373 13. EVANGELICAL AND BAPTIST DISUNITY. 374 The Bible Convention and Evangelical Disunity. 374 Cone, Brantly, and Baptist Disunity. 391 Conclusion. 413 14. CONCLUSION. 415 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 419 VI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABM The American Baptist Magazine ABQ American Baptist Quarterly AFBCP The Archives of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, American Baptist Historical Society, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania BHH Baptist History and Heritage BR The Biblical Recorder CI The Christian Index CIBM The Christian Index, and Baptist Miscellany CR Christian Review CS The Columbian Star CSCI The Columbian Star, and Christian Index JSCBHS Journal ofthe South Carolina Baptist Historical Society MFP Manly Family Papers, William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama SWGI The Southern Watchman, and General Intelligencer Vll PREFACE The Scriptures reveal that grace extends beyond salvation into vocation, for every saint is "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand" (Eph 2: 10). To grace, I am completely indebted for this project on William T. Brantly. First, God chose this project for me. My first contact with Brantly came through a seminar on Baptist identity that I initially wanted to avoid. The seminar's professor, Dr. Thomas J. Nettles, introduced us to several old Baptist newspapers. Providentially, the first article I read was Brantly's essay, "Objects of Attention," which described his goals as an editor and his vision for church reformation. Both his epistemology and his plea for evangelical unity impressed me, for they resembled neither fundamentalism nor ecumenism. Other articles impressed me with Brantly's terse style, mature thought, and breadth of knowledge. Even deeper, Brantly's preaching and piety have often challenged my own faith and holiness. God certainly gave him much grace to wear many hats well. Even though I do not agree with all that Brantly did or said, the man has by and large fulfilled my desire for a mentor in the dual callings of preaching and teaching. In granting this longterm desire, God be praised! Second, God enabled me to complete this project. Not only did God freely grant both the natural and spiritual abilities to write on a former Christian-even pulling me out of a spell of doubt during my initial years in Louisville-He also lavished His grace upon my family through many generous individuals and churches, thereby reproving me of sinful independence and teaching me the truth of Paul's remark that no member of Christ's body Gan say to another, "I have no need of you" (1 Cor 12:21). In particular, I thank God for the kindness of members at DeHaven Memorial Baptist Church (LaGrange, Kentucky) and at Spring Branch Baptist Church (Vevay, Indiana)- V111 especially Benny and Jean Garland, whose house we rent so affordably. I also thank God for generous scholarships (especially a timely one from the Ransdells), as well as gifts from window washing customers (the Meades, Bowmans, and Hanlons) and friends (the Listers, Moerschels, and Grows). Encouragement has come from Jarrett Burch, my friend and fellow historian of antebellum Baptists, and from my advisor, Dr. Nettles, a true soldier for the truth and advocate of primary sources in research. For skills in research methodology, I gratefully acknowledge my debt to Dr. Craig A. Blaising, whose full-year course on patristics walked me through the process. Finally, I have been greatly blessed through my extended family (Mark and Connie Allen, Lee and Sue Granlund, Reuben Tieszen), my grandparents (Maurice and Evelyn Bomstad, and Art and Betty Snyder), and my parents, Ron and Nancy Snyder, who initially encouraged me to pursue a doctorate at Southern Seminary. To them, under Christ, I dedicate this work, thanking both them and God for the means to discharge my stewardship. May the Lord Jesus reckon the fruits of this project to each and every believing contributor! For as He said, with my paraphrasing slightly, "He who receives a preacher in his status as a preacher will receive a preacher's reward" (see Matt 10:41). Lastly, my wife, Jinna, has been so close to me throughout this project that even now I have caught myself writing this preface in the first person plural. Truly we are more than partners. We are one in both flesh and spirit. Dear sister, I hope your mansion is next to mine in Glory. Thank you so much for your love-"strong as death," unquenchable and priceless (Song of Sol 8:6-7). Robert Arthur Snyder Switzerland County, Indiana May 2005 IX CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The ministry of William T. Brantly (1787-1845) points out several causes behind the breakup of the Triennial Convention. The most commonly identified causes are differences in organizational structure and the controversy over slavery, with Southern historians emphasizing the former and Northern historians emphasizing the latter. Though both ofthese causes were present, Brantly's ministry points out another. As the Triennial Convention progressed, the basis of union shifted from union around general benevolent efforts to union around more specific sectarian and sectional endeavors. In other words, the breakup concerned not only how Baptists were united or how much they were united, but also for what reason they were united. Thesis This dissertation seeks to answer the question, what light does the ministry of William T. Brantly shed for understanding the breakup of the Triennial Convention? Several considerations support the relevance of Brantly's ministry for understanding the breakup of the Triennial Convention. First, Brantly's ministry (1809-1844) was nearly coterminous with the Triennial Convention (1814-1845). Second, Brantly's national leadership spanned the years of growing disunion, from the