NOLYNN ASSOCIATION OF SEPARATE BAPTISTS (KY) NOT CALVINIST

 The Nolynn Association of Separate Baptists was organized by churches from the South Kentucky (Separate) Baptist Association in 1819, and still exists under the same name. The Nolynn Association was Arminian in doctrine. This shows that Arminians were definitely part of the Separate Baptists, even though some historians tend to ignore this fact. In the minutes of the Nolynn Association of 1823, we see a rather comical approach by the Nolynn Assn. written by one of their churches, in denouncing their Calvinist detractors. this can be found here on pages 17-19 from the collection of minutes of the Nolynn Separate Baptists.

" The Church of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, being assembled together in the
realm of Kentucky and province of Hardin, near Nolin because there is much water there,
it being in the region of John, whose surname is Adair, and in the ninth month of the year
1823, with one accord sendeth greeting to the disciples who are scattered abroad in the
realm of Tennessee, and as they are to assemble themselves together at the temple in the
province of Robertson, on the second seventh day of the ninth month, eighteen hundred
and twenty three after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As it is not convenient for us to see the disciples face to face, we write them a
short epistle and send it by two of the old disciples, Walter, whose surname is Williams,
and Thomas, whose surname is Chilton, whom we hope will comfort the disciples when
met together. We have no strange thing to write unto the brethren.
Our hearts were filled with exceeding joy, when we heard the joyful sound of
salvation proclaimed by our beloved Brother Heaton, who visited us the last year from
the realm of Tennessee. At that time much people were assembled together, and the Lord
opened the hearts of the disciples called Free Willers, in so much that they said, “Surely
‘tis right that all the disciples of Jesus should have union and Communion together.”
And it came to pass, when the disciples had met at a little synagogue in the
province of Hardin, that they took council together, and sat themselves down. And there
came three men in grave clothing, who appeared to be of the Sect called Calvinists, and
the Free Willers in Council gave them audience. Then each man spake in turn, and said,
"Lo, for many years, there has been no union between thee and our Sect. Now, we are
come and offer terms upon which we will be one people with you," and they handed to
the scribe a little book called,Terms of Union, and said to the Free Will disciples, “If
you will agree to obey and conform to all the doctrine contained in this little book, we
will be one people with you.”
And all the people looked one upon another, and the elders said unto the scribe,
“Read the book in the hearing of all the people.” And when he had thus done, the
disciples and elders said, “This is not the book of the law, nor of the prophets; therefore
we can have nothing to do with this little book.”
Moreover, the elders said to those three men, “We are willing to become one
people with you, if you will agree to obey and conform to the doctrine contained in a
book called the Old and New Testament.”
But the three men said, “Nay, the high priest and elders of our sect have not told
us to do this thing.”
And it came to pass in the evening of the same day, that the three men departed
from the synagogue; and it came to pass that the elders and disciples said unto Michael
and Walter, and Thomas and Thomas the younger, “ See that ye fail not to go and visit
the disciples called Calvinists, when met at a little city called Cicilsburgh, in the
province of Cumberland.”
And it came to pass, after they had travailed nearly three days journey, they
arrived at the little city. And behold there were much people assembled there.
And when John, whose surname is Chandler, being high priest that year, had
ministered to the people in word and doctrine for the space of one whole hour, each man
got himself to his seat and sat himself down, and one said to another, “We will that John
rule over us this time,” and he sat himself down on his Judgement Seat, and said to the
disciples and elders of that sect, “If any one among you hath a word to speak, let him say
on, and the rest may not speak until he is done.”
But fearing they would not hearken to what he had said, he with an audible voice
read to them the law, not the law by Moses nor of Christ, but a law bearing the title , of
”Rules of Decorum.”
And it came to pass on the third day, that Thomas, one of the four sent from the
province of Hardin, stood in the midst of the people, and having obtained leave, opened
his mouth and spake to all the people present. This Thomas is said to have been (by
Calvinists) a ring leader of the sect called Separate Baptists, and of old was an enemy
to Creeds and Decorums, set up among the disciples as a test rule of faith and practice.
He therefore exhorted the sect called Calvinists to unite with all the disciples of Jesus
Christ, upon the Holy Scriptures as the great and perfect rule of government, and on
charity as the great bond of union.
And the disciples of John looked one upon another, and said, “Shall we do this
thing?”
And some said, “We will,” and others, “Nay, we will not,” and there was division
among them and in the evening of the same day the multitude departed from the city and
every man went to his own home.
These things we thought good to make known unto you. We rejoice together with
you in the bonds of the Gospel, as one said of old, “How good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity.”
Done by order of the church,
W. Williams Clerk