Evening star., 1898-05-06
THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
Annual Convention of Church Representatives
in Norfolk, Va.
Seven Hundred Delegates In Attend.
Whitsitt's Position ON Baptism.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
| NORFOLK, Va, May 6.-The proceed
| ings Of the annual convention Of the South
| ern Baptist Church, which has just con-
| yened at the Free Mason Street Baptist
Church, this city. Rev. DIR. M. B. Wharton,
| pastor, promises to be more interesting
| than those Of any convention which has
| preceded 1t.
The body is composed of representative
men from every part OF the Union south OF
Maryland, including that state and the
District of Columbia. and also from some
of the southwestern states. Among the
delegates from Washington churches are
Rev. DIR. B. l.. Whitman. president of the
Columbian University; Rev. DR.. c. A.
! Stakely, pastor OF the First Baptist
| Church; Rev. DR.. ]. J. Muir, Rev. DR.. d. ii.
| Greene, Mr.. s. M Yeatman and others
Other delegates are Chief Justice Jonathan
| HaralSon Of Alabama, for many years
president of the convention: former Gov.
| w. ]. Northen of Georgia: Joshua Lever
ing of Maryland, at one time candidate for
| the vice presidency of the United states on
| the prohibition ticket; Rev. Dr. J. l.. Bur-
| rows of Augusta, Ga, and Rev. Dr. y. F.
| Gregory Of Baltimore. There are altogether
100 members. many of whom are equally as
prominent in their respective states as
those named.
While the convention is more of an ad-
| visory than a legislative body, its sugges-
tions carry great weight with the member
| ship generally. and its wishes are univer-
| sally respected and acceded to-
DR.. Whitsftt's Views nm Issue.
| There are under the care of the conven-
| ton a number Of educational Institutions.
| principal among which is the Southern
| Baptist Seminary at Louisville, KY. and
| its affairs are expected in some quarters
| to occupy a considerable share OF atten-
| tion This presumed action grows out OF
the conduct OF DIR. Whitsitt. president of
the institution, who some time ago pub
| lished series Ct articles and also a book
| on the subject of baptism which were in
! terpreted to mean that he did not agree
| with most of the Baptist authorities on
| this cardinal principle of the denomina-
| ton. Repeated efforts have been made at
one two annual conventions to remove
| DIR. Whitstt from his position. but thus
| far the attempts have failed. 1t is stated
| that the matter will again be brought for
ward during the present convention. and
| if this should prove true there will be one
of the most spirited debates in the annals
| of American church history.
| The WhitSitt controversy, as it Is termed,
and it now stands. is stated by a friend
of DR.. Whitstt to be as follows:
| Twenty years ago DIR. Whitsftt wrote
| chapter on the Baptists Of England for
Johnson's encyclopedia. Five years later
| he wrote for religious paper four ar
ticles reiterating substantially the views
| expressed in the encyclopedia.
"The assertion in DR.. Whitsitt's articles
which gave offense to what is known as
| the Landmark wing Of the Southern Bap-
lists was that the people now called Bap-
| fists did not bear that name until after 1641,
| and that for the period embracing 100 years
| the people known as Anabaptists in England
did not practice immersion as baptism
| These Anabaptists were in many respects
! like the Baptists of the present day, DIR.
| Whitsitt said.
Anabapti.t Faith.
| "'They rejected infant baptism they be-
lieved in a converted church membership.
and they repudiated every phase Of sacra-
mentalism, and had a democratic form Of
church government; but owing to the Sc
we're prosecutions to which they were sub
tect and to other causes, they practiced
| sprinkling and pouring in place of immer-
sion' That is substantially, DR.. Whitsitt' 8
position, and it Is that which has given Of
Tense to the Landmark Baptists OF the
| south.
.'The great majority of the intelligent
men of the denomination believe that DR..
| Whitsitt's position in reference to the prac-
| tice of the Anabaptists, during the period
referred to, is correct. and in this position
he is sustained by almost every historian
| Of any repute.
| "Dr. Whitsitt's friends agree with him
! that the admission of the fact that the
Anabaptists in England did practice sprink-
| ling for a while does not affect the question
| as to whether immersion is the true form
| of baptism. DR.. Whitsitt says that INNER
sion began with John the Baptist and was
| taught and practiced by Jesus Christ and
His apostles. and has continued to the pres
ent day with many perversions
He believes that immersion Is absolutely
necessary to baptism. and in this he is sus-
tained by all Baptists. DR.. Whitsitt be-
longs to that element of the Baptist denom-
ination who do not base the validity Of I'M
mersion upon church succession. but en-
| the teaching of the sacred
Scriptures. Their motto has ever been The
Bible and the Bible alone, a sufhcient rule
OF faith and practice
Not "a Test of Orthodoxy.
| "Dr. Whitsitt and his friends contend
| that no historical question should be made
| a test Of Baptist orthodoxy and Fellowship.
His opponents do make 1t a test, and v1r-
| tually declare that any man who believes
that the Anabaptists Of England did prac-
tice sprinkling during period Of 100 years
| Is a hereto and unworthy of a place in the
Baptist denomination.
| sfThere is no man in the denomination
whose character has been more unsuilied
and exemplary than that Of DR.. Whitsitt.
He is regards as one of the most guileless
and sanity men of this generation, and 1t
| is believed that If the question Of his ortho-
doXy is brought up IN the convention ne
will be sustained.
| The convention will remain in session un-
| til some day next week
The Auxiliary Bodies.
Meetings of several Of the auxiliaries OF
the convention were held at various
churches yesterday. A conference of work
ers under the auspices of the Young Peo-
pies Baptist Union took place at the First
| Baptist Church. Rev. DR.. c. s. Blackwell
of Birmingham. Ala. corresponding secre-
| tary of the organization, made a report. m
which he stated that during the last eight
months there had been q great increase or
interest in the educational work, and that
| the union has about 200 branches. with
| a membership of $1,000 Addresses were
made by Rev. Drs. E. E. Chierns of Chi
cago j. L. NJ. Curry of Washington,
George E. Truett of Dallas Tex, Carter
Helm Jones of Louisville. KY, and A. J.
Diax of the City of Mexico.
The American Baptist Educational So
ciety convened in annual session at the
Park Avenue Baptist Church. Rev. DR..
| Morehouse of New York CORRESPONDING sec