NORTH LIBERTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (MO) NOT CALVINIST
The North Liberty Baptist Association in Missouri was founded in 1844 at New Hope Baptist Church. One of the founding elders was Robert Sallee James, the father of the infamous Jesse James and Frank James. The elder James died from cholera when the boys were very small, in California, where he had gone to preach to the gold miners. Robert James founded and pastored New Hope Church, where the North Liberty Association was formed. He was also one of the founders of William Jewell College, a Baptist school in Missouri.
No articles of faith are found printed in any of the minutes, but the minutes do state that their articles of faith are "the same as those recorded in the Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge page 191" which is the New Hampshire Confession of faith. When churches and associations began to adopt that confession, it was too lengthy and costly to have it printed every year. Most ordained elders would have had a copy of the encyclopedia.
Given that many Calvinists say the New Hampshire Confession is a Calvinist document, while other Calvinists say it is not Calvinist at all, we must look at other historical facts and details to determine the theology of this association. In the Circular Letter of 1848, we find the anti mission controversy had reared its head within the association. The letter, while printed in the minutes, only have the initials "rsd" at the end, no signature. Of course those within the association would have known who the writer was. One clue as to the theology of the association comes from this letter. The writer say the following in the Circular Letter;
" We found our missions upon apostolic example. Our Lord's commission, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach,' &c., was certainly understood by the apostles, and their acts are a standing commentary upon it. How did they obey it? Let us see. At the first, the 'mystery,' 'that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel' (Ephesians 3;4, 6), was hidden from the eyes of the apostles, hence for some time they 'preached the gospel to the Jews only' (Acts 11:19). Peter finally arrives at Joppa, where in the vision, he is taught to call no man 'common,' but to regard all men as interested in the 'common salvation.' He was here taught that 'God is no respecter of persons' (Acts 10;34, 35)." (From Robert S. Duncan, A History of the Baptists in Missouri, 1882; reprint, 1981, pp. 522-524) Acts 10:34-35 states that "God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him". This passage from Peter's speech to Cornelius' household signifies a pivotal moment in early Christianity, as it reveals that salvation through Jesus is open to all people.
This seems to be a hint at how the association interpreted the atonement, requiring that it regard "all men" as having interest in the "common salvation", which I interpret as being a salvation that was given "in common" or to all. The missions controversy caused anti mission churches to withdraw from north Liberty. North Liberty was founded as a United Baptist association, and almost all United Baptist associations formed after 1840, were "liberal" meaning they held to general atonement. This would mean that those anti mission churches may have also been general atonement adherents, as shown in some of my other artciles, such as the Eastern District Association of Primitive Baptists, the Hiwassee Primitive Baptist Association, the Original Tennessee Primitive Baptist Association and others. But there is one last clue. When doctrinal sermon was given in 1848 at the association meeting, the title was "Who Would Have All Men to be Saved". (Minutes of the North Liberty United Baptist Association, 1848)
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