Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists are part of a larger sub-group of

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

that is commonly referred to as "anti-mission" Baptists. This sub-group includes the Duck River and Kindred Baptists, Old Regular Baptists, some Regular Baptists and some United Baptists. Only a minuscule minority of Primitive Baptists adhere to the Two-Seed doctrine. The primary centers of Two-Seedism were in Northern Alabama, Arkansas, Eastern Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas. As of 2002, five churches or congregations of this faith and order still existed in Alabama, Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas.

Origins

Baptists first appeared in

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in the early 17th century.Newport Notables
Through the influence of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Baptist Association (org. 1707), the influx of members to the churches from the

Great Awakening The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late 20th cent ...

s, and the union of the disparate Regular and Separate Baptists, by the early 19th century Baptists would become an important American denomination. This growth was not without its pangs, and by 1820 these Baptists were embroiled in an intense and sometimes bitter "missions" controversy. Much of the controversy centered around the newly formed Baptist Board of Foreign Missions. Elder Daniel Parker (1781–1844) was one of the earlier ministers to speak out against the "missions" movement. In 1820, he released a booklet entitled "''A Public Address to the Baptist Society, and Friends of Religion in General, on the Principle and Practice of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions for the United States of America''." The Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, organized at

in 1814, is best known as the ''Triennial Convention'', but its official name was the "General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States." Objections by Baptists to the Convention were based on both

soteriology Soteriology (; ' "salvation" from wikt:σωτήρ, σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and wikt:λόγος, λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of Doctrine, religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special sign ...

and

ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership. In its early history, one of th ...

. Parker was a strict predestinarian, but his chief objections in the booklet are based on ecclesiology - for example, "They have violated the right or government of the Church of Christ in forming themselves into a body and acting without of the union." Several important preachers on the east coast led in the "anti-missions" movement, but Elder Parker was the leader on the frontier, and probably spoke best to the common man. It appears that during this time, Parker was also formulating views on God and man that he would first release in his ''Views on the Two Seeds'' (1826). Parker taught that all persons are either of the "good seed" of God or of the "bad seed" of Satan (the children of the good seed are roughly equivalent to the "elect" of

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

, and those of the bad seed similar to the "non-elect"), and were predestined that way from the beginning. Therefore mission activity was not only unbiblical, but as a practical matter useless, since the "decision" was already made prior to birth. It seems that Parker spread his "two seeds" far and wide, and a goodly number of the "anti-missions" movement accepted his doctrine, though it never achieved anything near majority status. In 1834, Daniel Parker and others migrated to the Texas frontier. Texas was still part of

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and the government would not allow organization of

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(non-Catholic) churches in the region. Elder Parker determined to organize a church before he arrived in Texas. The ''Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church'' was constituted July 26, 1833 in Illinois. It still exists today, near Elkhart, Texas, though as "Primitive" rather than "Two-Seed." Daniel Parker's name is almost synonymous with "anti-missions", but he was one of the important frontier preachers in Texas, leading in the organization of about nine churches in the eastern part of the state. After the "missionary" and "anti-missionary" controversy brought division among Baptists, the "anti-missionaries" were called by names such as Old School, Old Regular, Predestinarian, and Primitive (as well as the pejorative "hardshells"). The Two-Seed churches were often connected with the Primitive Baptists and seem to have been so until late in the 19th century. By that time, most Primitive Baptists had excluded the "Two-Seeders" for holding

heretical Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...

doctrines. However, in southern Georgia, at least, according to historian John G. Crowley, one may still find Two-Seed doctrines expounded by Primitive Baptists "if one knows where to go and what to listen for." Though they hold much in common with Primitive Baptists and often are so identified by outsiders, the Two-Seed churches do not consider themselves Primitive Baptists.

Following Parker's death

The Two-Seed theological stance is known in some circles as

Hyper-Calvinism Hyper-Calvinism is a branch of Protestant theology that places a strong emphasis on God's sovereignty at the expense of human responsibility. It is at times regarded as a variation of Calvinism, but critics emphasize its differences from traditio ...

, i.e., only evangelize to those who can be discerned as being members of the elect. This group is extremely conservative. As one observer noted, "'Innovations' have never touched these people." In 1845, shortly after Parker's death, this group experienced its first major schism. Central Kentucky's Elder Thomas P. Dudley, a member of a church of the Licking Creek Association, produced a work on "Two Souls" to supplement Parker's on the two seeds. Baptism is by

immersion Immersion may refer to: The arts * "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard * ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux * ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian group Pendulum * ''Immersion'' (film), a 2021 ...

. The only other ordinance this group practices is the Lord's Supper with foot washing. One commentator stated that this group was "so Calvinistic that they would exclude John Calvin himself." The 1906 Census of Religious Bodies, there were nineteen churches in Tennessee, ten in Arkansas, nine in Kentucky, five in Georgia, four in Indiana, three in Florida, two each in Alabama and Texas, and one in Missouri with a total membership of 781. The Bear Creek, Bethlehem, Caney Fork, Drakes Creek, Elm Fork, Lookout Mountain, Pilgrims Rest, Richland Creek, and Suwannee River associations were affiliated with this movement. The New Hope Predestinarian Baptist Association of Illinois existed in 1877, but, was evidently extinct by 1906. In 1936, this body reported two churches in urban settings and fourteen in rural areas. The membership stood at 201. One of the urban churches (in Alabama) had 57 members and was certainly the largest single congregation. Local churches existed in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Previously churches existed in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Missouri. Three associations were also enumerated: Caney Fork, Drakes Creek, and Richland Creek. In 1916, there had been nine associations. For some reason, the congregations in Texas and Indiana are not included in the 1936 report (they were still in existence) although they had been listed in 1906 and 1916. Likewise, the Eel River Association, which folded in 1941, is omitted. Therefore, the figure of 201 adherents in 1936 is lower than it should have been.

Current

Remnants of Two-Seed doctrine can still be heard among a few Primitive Baptists. In 2003, there appeared to be four remaining churches of the ''Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists (''two in Texas, and one each in Indiana and Tennessee) with approximately 80 members. Two of the churches participate together in the ''Trinity River Association'', and two are independent. Baptist historian Albert W. Wardin Jr. reported the following statistics in an article published in the June 22, 2002, issue of ''Baptist History and Heritage'': In 2011,

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announced that Dr. John G. Crowley, an assistant professor of history there, was writing the first comprehensive history of the Two-Seed movement

Cultural references

In his 1945 supplement to ''

The American Language ''The American Language; An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States'', first published in 1919, is a book written by H. L. Mencken about the English language as spoken in the United States. Origins and concept Mencken was ...

'',

H. L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

singled out the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptist Church as an example of the proliferation of "dissenting" Christian denominations in the United States., p. 501. American

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. refers to the

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

in his early

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine'', Kurt Vonnegut's fifth novel, was published on April5, 1965, by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. A piece of Postmodern literature, postmodern satire, it gave context to Vonnegut's following nov ...

'' (1965), when the title character claims that he is a member.

References

Sources cited

* Carroll, Ref. H. K., D.D. "Greetings." in ''The Baptist World Alliance Second Congress Philadelphia, June 19–25, 1911. Record of Proceedings Published under the Auspices of the Philadelphia Committee.'' Philadelphia, PA: Harper and Brothers Company, 1911, p. 185-188. * Clark, Elmer Talmadge. ''The Small Sects in America''. Nashville, TN: Cokesbury Press, 1937. * Crowley, John G. ''Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South: 1815 to the Present''. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1999. Hardcover Paperback * Evans, M. G. "Immersionists and Church Union" in ''Twenty-ninth Annual Session of the Baptist Congress Held in the First Baptist Church, At Atlantic City, N. J.—November 14, 15, and 16, 1911''. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, pp. 137–141. *
"Crowley Studies Rare Religion". Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
* Miller, Terry E. "Voices from the Past: The Singing and Preaching at Otter Creek Church." ''The Journal of American Folklore'', Vol. 88, No. 349 (July-Sept. 1975), pp. 266–282. * Sparks, Elder John. ''The Roots of Appalachian Christianity: The Life and Legacy of Elder Shubal Stearns''. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2001. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce and Labor. Bureau of the Census. E. Dana Durand, Director. ''Special Report—Religious Bodies, 1906: Part II Separate Denominations: History, Description, and Statistics''. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1910, Vol. 2, pp. 155–157. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Dr. T. H. Murphy, Supervisor. ''Religious Bodies, 1936: Volume II Part 1 Denominations A to J: Statistics, History, Doctrine Organization and Work''. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1941, Vol. 2, Part 1 pp. 234–236. * Wardin, Albert W., Jr. ″Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists: a Small Baptist Body.″ ''Baptist History and Heritage''. June 22, 200

Denominational overviews

* Clark, Elmer Talmadge. ''The Small Sects in America''. Nashville, TN: Cokesbury Press, 1937, pp. 248–249. * ———. "Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists" in ''The Small Sects in America''. Revised edition. New York, NY: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1949, pp. 203–204. * May, Lynn E., Jr. "Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists." in ''Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists''. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1958, Vol. 2, p. 1433. * Mayer, Frederick Emanuel. "Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists." in ''The Religious Bodies of America''. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1954, p. 271, col. 1. * Mead, Frank S., rev. by Samuel S. Hill. ''Handbook of Denominations in the United States''. 8th ed. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1985, p. 57. *
"The Old Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce and Labor. Bureau of the Census. ''The Census Bulletin''. Issue No. No. 375, May 12, 1893: Statistics of Churches. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1893, pp. 38–41. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce and Labor. Bureau of the Census. E. Dana Durand, Director. ''Special Report—Religious Bodies, 1906: Part II Separate Denominations: History, Description, and Statistics''. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1910, Vol. 2, pp. 155–157. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Rogers, Sam. L., Director. ''Religious Bodies, 1916: Part II Separate Denominations: History, Description, and Statistics''. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1919, pp. 150–152. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Murphy, Dr. T. H., Supervisor. ''Religious Bodies, 1936: Volume II Part 1 Denominations A to J: Statistics, History, Doctrine Organization and Work''. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1941, Vol. 2, Part 1 pp. 234–238. *
"Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists"
in Watson, E. O., ed. ''Year Book of the Churches 1921-22''. Washington, DC: Hayworth Publishing Company, 1922, pp. 40–41.

External links

*
Online Collection of Daniel Parker's major writings
available either in PDF or HTML. *
A Public Address to the Baptist Society, and Friends of Religion in General, on the Principle and Practice of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions for the United States of America
' by Elder Daniel Parker (1820) *
Old Caney Fork Two Seed Baptist Association
*
Elder Daniel Parker
*
Old Pilgrim Church
*
Old Fort Parker
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Two-Seed-In-The-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists 1826 establishments in the United States 19th-century Reformed Christianity Calvinist denominations established in the 19th century 19th-century controversies 19th-century Protestantism Baptist denominations established in the 19th century Baptist organizations established in the 19th century Baptist denominations in the United States Bible-related controversies Christian denominations founded in the United States Christian groups with universalist beliefs Christian missions Christian organizations established in the 1820s History of Baptists Reformed Baptist movement Religious organizations established in 1826 Protestantism-related controversies Religion in the Southern United States Schisms in Christianity