Two Seed Baptist Ideology (XXXIII)

Elder Lemuel Potter

1841 - 1897

I have two chapters on "Eternal Vital Union" and one on "Hollow Log Doctrine" from my writings titled "The Hardshell Baptist Cult" (which has its own blog with 128 chapters, which I began writing back in 2008; See here). Those chapters can be read in that blog (here, and here and here) or in my blog that has all my Two Seed Baptist writings and chapters (See here). In those chapters I cited much from Lemuel Potter and some from others, such as Grigg Thompson, J. H. Oliphant, William Conrad, S. F. and C. H. Cayce, etc. So, some of what I will be writing in the next several chapters may be but a repeat of what I wrote therein. In the past two chapters we have looked at what two of the leading elders of the "Primitive Baptist" or "Old School" Baptists wrote in opposition to Two Seedism, namely Elder Joshua Lawrence and Elder Grigg Thompson. Beginning with this chapter we will focus on what Elder Lemuel Potter of Illinois wrote against Two Seedism, beginning around 1880. In the first link of the three in parentheses I focus on what Elder Potter wrote. In the second link I focus on what Elder William Conrad (1797-1882) of Kentucky wrote against Two Seedism in his book "Life And Travels Of William Conrad." He was a contemporary of T. P. Dudley, one of the leaders of the Two Seeders from whom we cited much in previous chapters. In the third link I cite again from Potter, Grigg Thompson, S.F. Cayce, C.H. Cayce, and a few others.

Elder Potter says that when he first began to preach among the "Primitive," or "Regular" Baptists, that he favored the Two Seed doctrine. I wrote on this in a posting titled "The Church Advocate" Periodical" (See here) and cited from Potter's book "Life and Travels of a Poor Sinner." In that post I wrote:

"The Church Advocate" periodical was first begun by Elder Daniel Parker in 1829 to promote his "two seed" views. What is interesting is the fact that Elder Lemuel Potter, about fifty years or so later, an opponent of "Two Seedism," started a paper and named it "Church Advocate."

"Elder Lemuel Potter resumed publication of his paper, the "Church Advocate" in 1892, to oppose the "means" doctrine. The first issue of the paper in 1892 aggressively opposed those who were introducing these departures. Elder Potter stated that the "Means" party claimed that they had about 100 churches with about 5,000 members." (From Primitive Baptist Library - here)

I have not been able to ascertain when he first began this paper. I do know that he used it to fight two major theological views; Two Seedism and Means. If one reads Potter's book "Life And Travels Of A Poor Sinner" (here) he will find Potter saying this:

"When I first joined the church and began to preach, there was a great deal said about the Two Seed doctrine, and the most of our preachers of southern Illinois believed it. It was nothing uncommon to hear a minister speak out in favor of that doctrine in his sermons. It seemed that in our immediate connection, it had the ascendency (sic). Some of the Associations in our correspondence passed resolutions that the belief or disbelief of that doctrine should not be a bar to fellowship. For several years after I commenced preaching, I rather favored it, enough to accept it at least, and without any investigation of the matter, I did not know but what it was the doctrine of our people generally. I finally began to study the matter for myself, and I soon became satisfied that if it was the Baptist doctrine I did not believe it. After trying to discourage the agitation of it for a few years, I studied the matter so much that I finally concluded to write on that subject, which I did, and put out a small work, giving my objections to it, in the year 1880." (pg. 262) 

I find it strange and ironic that Potter would name his periodical the same as Daniel Parker named his periodical, seeing that Potter was at that date strongly opposing Two Seedism. I also find it strange that he says that he started that periodical to fight against the doctrine that God uses the means of his word or gospel in regeneration and eternal salvation and yet Daniel Parker believed in means, as we have seen. Later Two Seeders did lead the way in teaching that means were not used in God's saving of sinners. We have Elder John Watson's testimony to that fact. We also have Elder Hosea Preslar's testimony of that fact. We could also mention Elder William Conrad who testified the same in his book "Life and Travels of Elder William Conrad." In the previous chapter I cited from the testimony of several other first generation leaders of the newly formed "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptist sect that also said that the no means view originated among the Two Seed Primitive Baptists who followed Parker. 

In a post titled "Powell's Valley Originally Espoused Gospel Means" I cited from a book titled "The History of the Baptists of Tennessee" by Lawrence Edwards (August, 1940) and from chapter five titled "THE TWO-SEED HERESY AND ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION," where he wrote (See here):

"The Two-Seed doctrine, which was beginning to occupy the attention of the churches in the early 1870's, continued to plague the Primitive Baptists, especially those of the Powell Valley association, until 1889, when a split occurred in the association. The Nolachucky association, too, felt the impact of this conflict, but no complete rift, such as the Powell Valley experienced, occurred in any of the other East Tennessee associations.

At the 1879 meeting of the Powell Valley association the tenth item of business said: Committee appointed to draft advice to the churches in regard to the Two-Seed doctrine, who reported as follows:

We as an association advise our sister churches to have no fellowship with what is generally known as the two-Seed Heresy or those who teach the doctrine of an Eternally damned or Eternally Justified outside of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God and teach that the unbeliever is no subject of gospel address. We believe that God makes use of the Gospel as a means of calling his Elect and this means is the work of the Spirit in the church."

Here we see where Edwards also shows how the "eternal justification" and "no means" views were identified as part of Two Seedism. Many of today's "Primitive Baptists" accept the "eternal justification" view, men such as David Pyles, pastor of Grace Primitive Baptist church of Pearl, Mississippi, and nearly all of them accept the "no means" view. So, though they may say that they are not Two Seeders, that is not totally true.

I also am astounded by the fact that some of the first "Primitive," "Old School," or "Hardshell" Baptists who did not believe in Two Seedism nevertheless did not declare non-fellowship for Two Seeders. We have seen in the previous chapters where Elder Grigg Thompson published his book "The Measuring Rod" wherein he said that such churches and ministers who believed in Two Seedism were not true churches and ministers, and that he doubted they were even saved. At that time there were churches and associations who were beginning to declare non-fellowship for Two Seed churches, but prior to that time, and even in the time of Thompson, many tolerated Two Seedism, not seeing it as a heresy, as Potter says. How could such people declare non-fellowship for Missionary Baptists because they supported mission work and religious education and yet tolerate Two Seedism? Hosea Preslar and John Watson both said they believed that Two Seedism was far worse than the errors of Missionary Baptists from whom they had declared non-fellowship. In the previous chapter I cited the words of Elder John Watson from his book "The Old Baptist Test" where he said: "It also soon became evident that we would have to tolerate the heresy or separate from the Churches which entertained it." So, which choice did the new denomination choose at the first? 

The ones who rejected Two Seedism tolerated it for the most part and it took decades for the new denomination to declare Two Seedism a heresy and rid themselves of it, although, as I have stated, remnants of it still remain to this day among the "Primitive" or "Hardshell" Baptists. We have given evidence of that fact in previous chapters. In my post titled "Hassell On PB Two Seed Ancestry" (See here) I cite Hassell's testimony from "The Gospel Messenger" (March, 1894) where he wrote, speaking of Two Seedism: "the blighting Satanic delusions with which their churches have been cursed for nearly sixty years." Sixty years would take in the time period between 1834-1894. He also said: "It would be impossible to tell how many changes and forms, each one inconsistent with itself, with the others, and with the Scriptures, Two-Seedism has assumed during that period." 

As stated in the first paragraph of this chapter, I have already written much on what Elder Lemuel Potter wrote against Two Seedism. So, a lot of this will repetition of what I wrote in those chapters from my writings in "The Hardshell Baptist Cult." I will perhaps put some of those citations in this series as it will put it all together. I do have those chapters in my blog devoted to all my writings on Two Seedism. 

Elder James H. Oliphant (1846-1925), a well known leader of the "Primitive Baptists" and who was the chosen moderator of the "Fulton Convention" (1900), in his book "Principles And Practices Of The Regular Baptists" (See here) writes (1883): 

"We think that the doctrine of the two seeds, as taught by Parker, and also the doctrine of eternal vital union, as held by others, are opposed to the doctrine of election as taught by the bible, and that they are equally as objectionable as the doctrine of election as taught by Wesley. Each of these views finds the reasons of one's election in himself. Wesley ascribes our election to our obedience, which is at war with grace. Parker and others find a difference in the origin of men that accounts for the election of some and the reprobation of others, while the bible puts it upon the sovereignty of God. Eld. Lemuel Potter has recently published a pamphlet in which this subject is fully investigated, in which he has shown that all these views are open to the same objections."

In the next chapter we will continue to look at what Elder Potter wrote on Two Seedism.