Becker Bible Studies LibraryTwo-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists |
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Introduction The Two Seed in the Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church acquires their name from the doctrine of Daniel Parker stating there are two seeds, one spirit that is good and one spirit that is evil. The Evangelical Protestant Church is part of the Baptist denomination in their congregational form of government. The denomination is commonly known as the Anti-Mission Baptists along with the Duck River and Kindred Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Old Regular Baptists, some Regular Baptists and some United Baptists. Daniel Parker migrated to the Texas frontier in 1834. It was a time that Texas was still a part of Mexico. Mexico was mainly Catholic and would not allow any Protestant churches in Mexico. It was on July 26, 1833 in Illinois that The Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church was constituted before Parker left for Texas. Daniel Parker organized around nine churches in the eastern part of Texas. The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church entered South Georgia in 1840 and the movement hit the highest point around 1880. The founder of the Two-Seed in the Spirit Predestinarian Baptists church was the Elder Daniel Parker from Tennessee and Illinois who established the Two-Seed Doctrine. Daniel Parker was a Baptist minister who taught that a part of the offspring of Eve were the seed of God. The Elder Daniel Parker taught that the elect were the seed of God, destined for eternal life, while the other seed was of satan and foreordained to the kingdom of eternal darkness. The Two-Seed in the Spirit Predestinarian Baptists hold to the election theory and the predestination theory of Calvinism. The Two Seed in the Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church are Manichaean in their doctrine concerning sin. The Manichaean doctrine is based on the separation of matter and the spirit and of good and evil. Originating in Persia in the 3rd century, the belief held the opinion that sin was grounded in some self-existent, external principle that was independent of God, rather than the common Christian belief that sin is the product of the free-will of man alone. The Church has been called Old School, Predestinarian, and Primitive Baptist until late in the 19th century. It was then considered by the Primitive Baptists that the Two-Seeders were holding onto heretical doctrines; thus, they became separate. Two Seed Churches do not consider themselves as Primitive Baptists. The surveyed status of the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptist denomination taken in 2003 showed there are four remaining churches; two in Texas, one in Indiana and one in Tennessee. There are approximately eighty members. Two of the churches participate together in the Trinity River Association, and two are independent. History The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church first appeared in the late eighteenth century. It was the elder Daniel Parker (1781-1844) who protested against the mission and opposed the Arminian doctrine of the Methodists. He protested his dislike of their missionary effort toward church schools by establishing his Two-Seed-Doctrine. Daniel Parker held deep conviction that two seeds entered the life stream of humanity in the Garden of Eden. One seed was good, planted by God. The other seed was evil, and was from satan. The two seeds were in conflict in humanity from that day on. He believed that every baby is predestined, born with either one seed or the other. There is nothing that can be done to change the way either one was born. That means missions are useless and undermined the mission of God. Daniel Parker said the seed is in the spirit and not of the flesh. This was the cardinal point of Parker's theology. Daniel Parker was a stringent Predestinarian. He felt there was a violation in the government of the Church of Christ in forming themselves into a body. His leadership spoke best to the common man and his doctrine was comparable to the elect theory of Calvinism through predestinated creation. Daniel Parker felt the mission activity was not Biblical since the seed had already been predestined. Belief The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists believe in the Resurrection of the body of Christ, and that this body is the church. Salvation comes to a believer by God's grace alone. The Church observes the Lord’s Supper and practices foot washing. They usually do not have a Sunday school. Manners and morals are a primary issue if the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church, and are staunchly opposed to dancing, drinking, and smoking. The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptist denomination believes there should be no foreign missions since every baby is predestined, either born with a good seed or a bad seed. They think nothing can be done to change which seed is received; thus they conclude that missions are useless and a waste of time. The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists Church do not pay their ministers. They believe Christ came to save sinners and that He finished His work; ministers should not be paid for that Christ has already finished. |
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MLA Style Citation: About the Author
Joanne B. Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is seeking a second degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology after completing her study of Psychology/Christian and Bible Counseling. She is well-known as a counsleor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. She is a leading authority on the history of development of the Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults. |
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