The second Wednesday morning session at the Grace Assembly was a church history session led by Crawford Gribben. He spoke of the unhappy times in Ireland at the beginning of the 18th Century and the beginning again of Particular Baptist work which had fallen into decay after initial success earlier on in connection with Cromwellian troops.
The decline appears to have been caused by worldliness, doctrinal impurity and poor organisation (association meetings were poorly attended). So by the beginning of the 18th century the Baptist work was almost extinct.
In 1796, at the invitation of Presbyterian Benjamin McDowell, Samuel Pearce of Birmingham preached in Dublin among what remained of the Baptists. Pearce was clearly excited at the prospects that he found there, despite everything. He was not unaware of the difficulties and quite realistic. it was Sandemanianism that finally did for it.
By the time Andrew Fuller arrived in Dublin in 1804 things were even worse. In contrast to Pearce's visit this one was no triumph. However, he urged the faithful to come out from the mixed situation and to form a new church. The BMS went on to publish a report from Fuller on his trip[. This was rebutted by the Irish only to be taken to task by Fuller again.
Eventually, the Baptist Irish Society was formed in 1814. One of the first men to go from England was John West in 1811. There were soon many converts and when they approached the BMS for help the society was formed. Not only were churches founded but there were also schools and itinerant Scripture readers. The work went on in both English and Irish. Entrepreunerial in ethos they saw a new church founded every year for the next 40 years. The centre of gravity drifted further and further north. Some churches arose spontaneously rather than as the result of mission efforts. Spurgeon came in 1859 but was eager to preach the gospel not promote the Baptist cause.
Despite this great progress when the famine years of the 1840s came the Baptist churches in the south were decimated by death and emigration. When the 1859 revival came the Baptists as Baptists made no progress. After partition the South was generally forgotten by those in the north and in England.
The good progress in recent years shows that if something had been done before there might well have been similar progress.
Problems remain, eg the lack of an agreed doctrinal basis. Unhappiness continues in some ways but there is reason for hope. Time and time again it has been possible to turn the battle.
Having begun with Isaiah 28 he closed with a quotation from a letter from Andrew Fuller to Benjamin Francis of July 3, 1788 (in the Angus Library)
"What I think what vast numbers are hasting the downward road; how few walk the narrow way; and, comparatively speaking, what little success attends our preaching, and what little ground Christ gets in the world, my heart fails and is discouraged. But it did my heart good last night to read Isaiah xlii, 4, “He shall not fail or be discouraged till he have set judgement in the earth!” I could not but reflect that Christ had infinitely more to discourage him that I can have to discourage me; and yet he persevered! But, methought, judgement is not yet set in the earth, except in a small degree. And what then? May I not take courage for that the promise has not yet spent its force? Christ has much more yet to do in the world; and, numerous as his enemies yet are, and few his friends, his heart does not fail him; nor shall it, till he has spread salvation throughout the earth, and leavened the whole lump."
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