By 1812 American Baptists numbered about 172, 972, of whom 32.272 were in New England, 26,155 in the Middle States and the rest in the South. Rhode Island College (Brown University) was still the only Baptist institution of higher learn ing. Most of the numerical increase had been secured through the labors of illiterate evangelists, and the Baptist population in the South and West, apart from a few churches in Virginia, the Charleston Association, some churches in the neighborhood of Savannah. and the Georgia Asso ciation, was strongly prejudiced against an edu cated ministry and against missionary work of any kind conducted by boards and supported by contributions from the churches.
Since the beginning of the century Baptists in Boston and vicinity, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston and a few other places had taken a practical interest in the missionary work of Carey and his associates in India. The conversion to Baptist views of Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice, who had gone to India to open up a mission for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, in 1812, thrust upon the de nomination the obligation to enter upon organized, independent work in the foreign field. Local mission societies were formed in many of the more irtelligent communities, largely through the efforts of Rice, who had returned for the pur pose of providing a basis of support for a Baptist mission, and in 18i4 representatives of such socie ties met in Philadelphia and formed the Triennial Convention. This meeting brought together the leading Baptist ministers from all parts of the country. Within a few years there grew up in connection with this national organization for foreign missions, home-mission, publication and educational societies.
The more intelligent portions of the denomina tion were greatly stimulated by the foreign mis sion movement. State conventions were formed in nearly all the states (1821 onward) for the promotion of missionary and evangelical work. Denominational colleges and theological semi naries sprang up with wonderful rapidity. Baptist newspapers arose and multiplied. Sunday school work was carried forward with vigor. The intro duction of so many innovations alarmed the ignorant and unprogressive elements of the de nomination, and a large proportion of the Baptists of the South and Southwest zealously antagonized the missionary movement, with all its accessories. Yet the party of progress triumphed.
(3) Relation to Other Christian Denomina tions. At the beginning of their modern history as a denomination, Baptists stood practically alone in their advocacy of uncompromising adherence to Scripture precept and example in respect to doctrines and ordinances; in insisting upon abso lute liberty of conscience and denying the right of the civil power to interfere in matters of re ligious belief or worship; and in contending for churches made up exclusively of those baptized on a personal profession of saving faith. It is highly
gratifying to Baptists that some of the principles that were originally distinctive have become the common possession of evangelical Christendom. Most evangelical denominations now profess to make the Scriptures the norm of faith and prac tice, yet, on grounds that seem to Baptists in adequate, they refuse to follow the leadings of the best evangelical scholarship of the age as re gards the subjects and mode of apostolic bap tism.
Baptists have always been divided on the set of doctrines that distinguish Arminianism from Calvinism. Every shade of view on these ques tions could, no doubt, be found at present in Baptist churches; but the great majority of Bap tists hold to what may be called moderate Cal vinism.
Baptists have been among the staunchest de fenders of congregational church government ; but they have latterly made the fullest use of do operative methods in missionary work, etc. As sociations, state conventions, missionary societies, etc., are important features of Baptist polity.
The attitude of Baptists towards Christian union is often misconceived and adversely judged by their brethren of other denominations. The fact is that they most earnestly desire to enter into.the closest allowable fellowship with all true Chris tians, and would make any amount of personal sacrifice to this end ; but they consider that loyalty to Christ makes it incumbent upon them to pro test against erroneous doctrine and practice to the extent of refusing to enter into church fel lowship with those that, in their opinion. are walking disorderly. They maintain that efforts for Christian union, to be permanently efficacious, must be along the line of a better understanding of the Word of God and more complete loyalty thereto, rather than along the line of compromise. They are ready at any time, through accredited representatives, to confer with representatives of other evangelical denominations as to ti,e mean ing of Scripture in relation to doctrine and prac tice, and they profess to be willing to abandon at once any position that is made to appear out of harmony with apostolic precept and example.