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

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

that is commonly referred to as "anti-mission" Baptists. This sub-group includes the Duck River and Kindred Baptists,

Old Regular Baptist The Old Regular Baptist Religious denomination, denomination is one of the oldest in Appalachia with roots in both the Regular Baptists, Regular and Separate Baptists of the American Colonies and the Particular Baptist of Great Britain. This group ...

s, some

Regular Baptist Regular Baptists are "a moderately Calvinistic Baptist sect that is found chiefly in the southern U.S., represents the original English Baptists before the division into Particular and General Baptists, and observes closed communion and foot washi ...

s and some

United Baptist United Baptist is name of several diverse Baptist groups of Christianity in the United States and Canada. History The name "United Baptist" appears to have arisen from two separate unions of Baptist groups: (1) the union of Regular Baptists and ...

s. Only a minuscule minority of

Primitive Baptist Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th c ...

s 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

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

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

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

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

Great Awakening Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival 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 ...

s, and the union of the disparate Regular and

Separate Baptist The Separate Baptists were an 18th-century group of Baptists in the United States, primarily in the South, that grew out of the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was a religious revival and revitalization of piety among the Christian churc ...

s, 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 (; el, σωτηρία ' "salvation" from σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special significance in many religio ...

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 the ...

. 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 Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

, 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 Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

(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 Elkhart is a town the U.S. state of Texas, in Anderson County. Named for a friendly Native American who assisted the early settlers of the area, Elkhart's population was 1,287 at the 2020 U.S. census. History The history of Elkhart starts with ...

, 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, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

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, i.e., only evangelize to those who can be discerned as being members of the elect. This group is an extremely conservative lot. 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, Léo Quievreux * Immersion (album), ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian gro ...

. The only other

ordinance Ordinance may refer to: Law * Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission * Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet * ...

this group practices is the

Lord's Supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

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, if one knows what to listen for. 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,

Valdosta State University Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia. It is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System of Georgia. , VSU had over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. VSU ...

announced that Dr. John G. Crowley, an assistant professor of history there, is 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 H. L. Mencken's book about the English language as spoken in the United States. Origins and concept Mencken was inspired by ...

'',

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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

refers to the

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group. Although the term was originally a classification for religious separated groups, it can now refer to any organization that b ...

in his early

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

'' God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'' (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 Calvinism Calvinist denominations established in the 19th century 19th-century controversies 19th-century Protestantism Baptist Christianity in Alabama Baptist Christianity in Arkansas Baptist Christianity in Florida Baptist Christianity in Georgia (U.S. state) Baptist Christianity in Tennessee Baptist Christianity in Texas 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 19th century History of Baptists Reformed Baptists Religious organizations established in 1826 Protestantism-related controversies Religion in the Southern United States Schisms in Christianity