burne, Henry Lester, with some others. The gospel was first carried to these places much in the same way as it was into Culpepper and Spottsylvania, viz. in con sequence of a special message to the preachers from some of the inhabitants. They constituted the first church in 1769, with about forty members, which was called Nottoway. Jeremiah Walker soon moved and took the pastoral care of it: he had been preaching some time before this, in North-Carolina, his native State; but now moving to Virginia, he for several years acted a conspicuous part in the concerns of the Virginia Baptists.

In the year 1758, three years after Stearns and his company settled at Sandy-creek, a few churches having been constituted, and these having a number of branches which were fast maturing for churches, Stearns conceived that an Association composed of delegates from them all, would have a tendency to forward the great object of their exertions. For this purpose he visited each church and congregation, and explaining to them his contemplated plan, induced them all to send delegates to his meeting-house in January, 1758, when an Association was formed, which was called Sandy-creek, and which continues to the present time; but it has experienced many vicissitudes of prosperity and adversity; and at one time, on account of exercising too much power over the churches, it became much embarrassed in its movements, and very near to extinction.

For twelve years, all the Separate Baptists in Virginia and the two Carolinas, continued in connexion with this Association, which was generally held at no great distance from the place where it originated. All who could, travelled from its remote extremities, to attend its yearly sessions, which were conducted with great harmony, and afforded sufficient edification to induce them to undertake with cheerfulness these long and laborious journies. By the means of these meetings, the gospel was carried into many new places, where the fame of the Baptists had previously spread; for great crowds attending from distant parts, mostly through curiosity, many became enamoured with these extraordinary people, and petitioned the Association to send preachers into their neighbourhoods. These petitions

were readily granted, and the preachers as readily com. plied with the appointments. These people were so inuch engaged in their evangelical pursuits, that they had no time to spend in theological debates, nor were they very scrupulous about the mode of conducting their meetings. When assembled, their chief employment was preaching, exhortation, singing, and conversing about their various exertions in the Redeemer's service, the success which had attended them, and the new and prosperous scenes which were opening before them. These things so inflamed the hearts of the ministers, that they would leave the Association with a zeal and courage, which no common obstacles could impede.

"At our first Association, (says the MS. of James Read, who was present) we continued together three or four days. Great crowds of people attended, mostly through curiosity. The great power of God was among us. The preaching every day, seemed to be attended with God's blessing. We carried on our Association with sweet decorum and fellowship to the end. Then we took leave of one another, with many solemn charges from our reverend old father Shubael Stearns, to stand fast unto the end."

At their next Association they were visited by Rev. John Gano, who at that time resided in North-Carolina, at a place called the Jersey settlements. Mr. Gano was received by Stearns with great affection; but as there was at that time an unhappy shyness and jealousy between the Regulars and Separates, by the others he was treated with coldness and suspicion; and they even refused to invite him into their Association. But Mr. Gano had too much knowledge of mankind, humility and good nature, to be offended at this treatment. He continued a while as a spectator of their proceedings, and then retired with a view of returning home. Stearns was much hurt and mortified with the shyness and incivility of his brethren, and, in the absence of Mr. Gano, expostulated with them on the matter, and made a proposition to invite him to preach with them. were forward to invite him to preach, although they could not invite him to a seat in their Assembly. With their invitation he cheerfully complied, and his preach.

All

ing, though not with the New-Light tones and gestures, was in demonstration of the Spirit and with power. He continued with them to the close of their session, and preached frequently, much to their astonishment, as well as edification. Their hearts were soon opened towards him, and their cold indifference and languid charity were, before he left them, enlarged into a warm attachment and cordial affection. And so superior did his preaching talents appear to them, that the young and illiterate preachers said they felt as if they could never attempt to preach again.

This Association continued to progress with great great harmony and prosperity, without any special occurrence, until 1769, when the Ketockton Association of Regular Baptists, desirous of effecting an union with them, (which had before been unsuccessfully attempted) by compromising those little matters of difference, which had unhappily prevented their communion with each other, sent, as messengers for the purpose, the Rev. Messrs. Garret, Major, and Saunders, with a letter of which the following is an extract :—

"Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ,

"The bearers of this letter can acquaint you with the design of writing it. Their errand is peace, and their business is a reconciliation between us, if there is any dif ference subsisting. If we are all Christians, all Baptists, all New-Lights, why are we divided? Must the little appellative names, Regular and Separate, break the golden. band of charity, and set the sons and daughters of Zion at variance? "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity," but how bad and how bitter it is for them to live asunder in discord! To indulge ourselves in prejudice, is soon a disorder; and to quarrel about nothing, is irregularity with a witness. Ó, our dear brethren, endeavour to prevent this calamity for the future."

This excellent letter was presented to the Association, and after a lengthy debate, the proposal for an union was rejected by a small majority.

Their answer to the Regulars was, "Excuse us in love; for we are acquainted with our own order, but

not so well with yours; and if there is a difference, we might ignorantly jump into that which will make us rue it, &c."

At the meeting of this body, in 1770, their harmony was interrupted and their assembly assumed a new and unpleasant appearance, and the division of the Associaation, which convenience would have dictated, was now effected from painful necessity. It had been usual with them to do nothing in Associations, but by unanimity. If in any measure proposed, there was a single dissentient, they laboured first by arguments to come to unanimous agreement; when arguments failed, they resorted to frequent prayer, in which all joined. When both these failed, they sometimes appointed the next day for fasting and prayer, and to strive to bring all to be of one mind. At this session they split in their first business; nothing could be done on the first day. They appointed the next for fasting and prayer. They met and laboured the whole day, and could do nothing, not even appoint a Moderator. The third day was appointed for the same purpose, and to be observed in the same way. They met early, and continued together until three o'clock in the afternoon, without having accomplished any thing. A proposal was then made, that the Association should be divided into three districts, that is, one in each State. To this there was an unanimous

consent at once.

"The cause of this division, (says Mr. Edwards) was partly convenience, but it was chiefly owing to a mistake which this Association fell into, relative to their power and jurisdiction. They had carried matters so high as to leave hardly any power in particular churches, unfellowshipping ordinations, ministers, and churches that acted independent of them; and pleading, "that though "complete power be in every church, yet every church CC can transfer it to an Association;" which is as much as to say, that a man may take out his eyes, ears, &c. and give them to another, to see, hear, &c. for him; for if power be fixed by Christ in a particular church, they cannot transfer it; nay, should they formally give it away, yet is it not gone away."

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The good old Mr. Stearns, who was not wholly divested of those maxims which he had imbibed from the traditions of his fathers, is said to have been the principal promoter of this improper stretch of associational power, which, however, was soon abandoned by those, who, for a time, tampered with it, to their embarrassment and injury.

How many communicants were comprehended in this Association, at the time of its division, I have not been able to ascertain; but they must have been considerably numerous. The division was made in the following manner. The churches in South-Carolina formed an Association by the name of Congaree; those in NorthCarolina were still known by the name of Sandy-creek; while those in Virginia formed an Association which was at first called Rapid-ann, but was more commonly distinguished by the name of the General Association of Separate Baptists.

We are now prepared to treat wholly of the Separates in Virginia, as the history of those in the other States will be related under their respective heads.

The Association which originated in the manner above described, embraced all the Separate Baptists in Virginia, except a very few churches, which were dismissed from it in 1776, to form the Strawberry Association, for the space of twelve years, viz. until the year 1783, when it was by mutual consent divided. From this Association, as from a fruitful mother, have originated most of the present Associations in Virginia. And although there was one temporary division by mutual consent, and another occasioned by the discussion of an important subject, which will soon be mentioned; yet, generally speaking, it continued a united, prosperous, and even powerful body, through all the calamitous scenes of the revo lutionary war; and to them, the more afflictive scenes of persecution, which for a number of years were carried to a high degree in Virginia, to which the Separates, more than the Regulars, were exposed.

A brief account of the proceedings of the General Association during the twelve years of its existing as such, will now be given.