I do not know the relationship between Primitive Baptists and "Hardshell" Baptists, but my father (born Nov. 1884, Attala County, MS) used to say that, as a boy growing up in rural Mississippi, he used to cut more firewood to build more fires to heat more water to wash the feet of more Hardshell Baptists than any other kid in Mississippi. Texasdog@aol.com wrote: > > Not wanting to get too far in to religious doctrine but to clarify some > points made by Charles..... > > The Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1776) of the Primitive Baptists > is virtually the same as that of the Presbyterian Churches (from the > churches of Scotland) except that the PB practice baptizing (immersion) > whereas Presbyterian perform effusion (sprinkling) which was that from > the Roman Catholic. > Primitive Baptists sometimes known in the past as Regular Baptists > do not have Sunday Schools; with a few exceptions they don't have church > musical instruments; they don't have offering plates; they don't have church > missions. The Missionary Baptists and most Baptist Churches > today sponsor church missions; this doctrinaire split occurred in the > early 1800s. The churches at Pony Creek were not PB churches----there > are instances of churches "switching" from Regular Baptists to Missionary > Baptists as the great awakening of the early 1800s encouraged the idea > of missions. PB do not have universities to educate ministers.....the > preachers do not prepare sermons in advance....spontaneous and of the > spirit. The term Reverend is not accepted.....in this they are like the > Church of Christ....the proper term is Elder and that can be applied to > a deacon as well as a church miinster as a token of respect. (I know > that historical markers refer to Rev. Henry Hurley there today but I am > certain that term was never used by him or his membership in his lifetime). > All Primitive Baptists believe in Predestination....an issue that has resulted > in factions. The Two Seeders as Charles mentioned believed that God > predestined ALL things....and philosophically that would mean that God > is the author of both good and Evil...the two seed doctrine. > One will find some PB church ministers that are very highly educated... > and others that can barely read their Bible. Church ministers do not > accept salaries but are provided for thru church offerings after church > bills are paid. The pastor of the church in Stephenville at this time is > a practicing medical doctor during weekdays....my late brother was a > certified public accountant....one of my PB minister cousins was with > the Dept of Indian Affairs as an administrator for many years....farming > is often the career of PB minsiters over the many years. Unlike the > Missionary Baptists which nominally split into American Baptists (North) > and Southern Baptists (South), there was never any national PB group > to begin with. Churches associated with other churches as they see fit > ...like they do today. I am sure that in border states such as Tennessee > and Virginia, that certain churches did renounce association with other > churches...which they do today. I index national obituaries for two > current PB papers (Roots Web programs) and I get obituaries from Maine > or New York or Washington or Oregon and frequently Massachusetts. > But there is no question that a larger number of PB are in the South. I > have heard it expressed in this manner-----there are more PB churches in > the single state of Georgia than there are in all the states west of the > Mississippi combined. > > Again I apologize to anyone not interested in this church perspective..... > but if one researches early Texas and Erath County history, they should > know a bit of the background of this denomination as I intend it to be > helpful. As an example, knowing that the use of the term Elder as a > title in front of a PB does not mean they were an "ordained minister". > Family historians who did not understand this have made mistakes > in interpreting old church minits more often than not. > > And , yes, as Charles pointed out, washing of each other's feet is a > tradition observed normally at an annual conference or as a tradition > following ordination of new ministers. Someone suggested that they > understood this to be part of weekly services. No. The practice is in > commemorating the humble Lord Jesus who washed the disciples feet. > I don't know of any Missionary churches that hold today with this practice > but there could be some. > > Bill McCarty Odessa, texas > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > -- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved > Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com > Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com