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Landmarkism Under Fire 

A Study of Landmark Baptist Polity on Church Constitution

by Elder J.C. Settlemoir 

 

Appendix V. – “Dyersburg, Tennessee To Jerusalem”

Just as Roman Catholics say they have a list of popes all the way back to Peter, some EMDA[598] advocates, publish a list which attempts to show a link by link connection of churches all they way back to Jesus on the mount. This is frequently called the Dyer to Jerusalem list because Bro Roy Mason’s copy gave the first link as Dyer, Tennessee. I give here a copy of this list taken from Bro. Mason’s book.

Baptist Succession Back To Christ

Link One.            The Baptist church at Dyer, Tennessee, was organized by J.W. Jetter, who came from the Philadelphia Association.

Link Two.           Hillcliff church, Wales, England. H. Roller came to the Philadelphia Association from the Hillcliff church. See minutes of Philadelphia Association, book 3, item 1.

Link Three.          Hillcliff church was organized by Aaron Arlington, A. D. 987. See Alex Munston’s Israel of the Alps, p. 39.

Link Four.           Lima Piedmont church ordained Aaron Arlington in 940. See Jones’ Church History, p 324.

Link Five.            Lima Piedmont church was organized by Balcolao, A. D. 812. See Neander’s Church History, vol. 2 p. 320.

Link Six.              Balcolao came from the church at Timto, Asia Minor.

Link Seven.         Timto church was organized by Archer Flavin, A. D. 738. See Mosheim’s History, vol. 1, p. 394

Link Eight.           Archer Flavin came from the Darethea church, organized by Adromicus, A. D. 671, in Asia Minor. See Lambert’s Church History, p. 47.

Link Nine.           Andromicus came from Pontifossi. At the foot of the Alps in France. See Lambert’s Church History, p. 47.

Link Ten.             Pontifossi church was organized by Tellestman from Turan, Italy, A. D. 398. See Nowlin’s Church History, vol. 2, pa. 318.

Link Eleven.        Turan church was organized by Tertullan from Bing Joy, Africa, A. D. 237. See Armitage’s Church History, p. 182.

Link Twelve.       Tertullan was a member of the Partus church at the foot of the Tiber, that was organized by Polycarp, A. D. 150. See Cyrus’ Commentary of Antiquity, p. 924.

Link Thirteen.      Polycarp was baptized by John the Beloved or Revelator on the twenty-fifth of December, A. D. 95. See Neander’s Church History, p. 285.

Link Fourteen.     John was with Jesus on the Mount. Mark 3:13-14; Luke 6:12-13.[599]

In October, 2004 while I was with Bro Royce Smith in a Bible Conference in Choctaw, Oklahoma, he took me to the Southern Baptist Convention Headquarters in Oklahoma City. They have the bound volumes of The Baptist Messenger in their library and they allowed me to examine them. I found this original article in the April issue of The Baptist Messenger of 1922. The only biographical information given in the original article does not identify the author.[600]

There are some differences between Bro Mason’s copy and that in The Baptist Messenger. Two of the more significant differences pertains to the place and the person of the first link. Bro Mason’s copy in link one reads “The Baptist church at Dyer, Tennessee, was organized by J.W. Jetter...” whereas the original reads: “The church at Dyersburg, Tennessee was organized by J.B. Jetter...” Also in Link nine this clause was in the original but not in Bro Mason’s copy: “which church was organized in A.D. 584.” Bro Mason also corrected some spelling errors and wrote out the numbers instead of using the symbols. He divided up Link 13 and thus the number was increased to 14.

This Dyersburg to Jerusalem list has been adopted, edited, amended, and adapted by several different churches and church groups[601] since it first appeared in 1922 and was made famous by Bro Roy Mason’s book.[602] He says it also appeared in other papers about this time. Some competent men, believe this list is a fraud. Bro. Davis Huckabee said:

Subsequent to obtaining this supposed succession there came into this writer’s possession most of the historical references supposedly proving this succession, and these were all checked for authenticity. Yet, in not a single instance excepting the first and last ones has this been possible. In all of the historical references, not one of them, nor any of the numerous other historical references possessed referred to a single one of the churches, places, or persons mentioned.....

Thus, it appears that this supposed church succession is a fraudulent one without basis in fact.[603]

Is the Dyersburg to Jerusalem list a fact or a fiction? Is it verifiable? I too believe this list is counterfeit. There are several things about this list which indicate it is fraudulent but what most impels me to this conclusion is the internal evidence of the document itself.

For example. There is a reference in Link 12 to Tertullian. For the source it gives Armitage’s History of the Baptists, p. 181. This reference is there and on the right page (the only reference in this list that I have been able to locate) but the things attributed to Tertullian are actually referring to Hippolytus![604] The unknown author transposes the information about Hyppolytus to Tertullian![605] Note that Armitage says it is the church at Pontus not Partus,[606] at the mouth of the Tiber, not the foot, as this list has it. The Tiber is a river not a mountain, as the compiler of this list seemed to think. No river has a foot so far as I know. The Tiber is in Italy, not in Africa, which was Tertullian’s field of labor.[607] There may be questions about Tertullian living in Rome, but I have never seen any information that would put him in Turan (Turin), which is in the north of Italy. The compiler garbled the information given by Armitage concerning these two men thereby sending a clear signal that he was not a safe guide.

Yet, in spite of this significant error which cannot be reconciled with the facts, preachers and churches continue to publish this list![608] I believe some men have recognized the problems in this list and have tried to fix them as there are several versions of it. Some have changed the names. Some have changed the references. Some the dates–but no matter what they do they cannot find the quotes referred to in these various books! Some have edited and adapted it to try to make it more acceptable.[609] Why were these changes made? Did those who made these changes have sources to verify these changes?

J.B. Jetter is said to have organized the church in Dyersburg, Tennessee.[610] Who was Jetter? Or was it Jeter? Some have changed Jetter to Jeter.[611] J.B. Jeter was a well known Baptist. His field of labor was Virginia and briefly in St. Louis, not Tennessee. Yet, it is claimed by some, who have altered this list, that Jeter came from the Philadelphia Association and organized the church in Dyersburg, Tennessee in 1812.[612] J.B. Jeter was born in 1810 so it seems unlikely that he could have founded a church in Tennessee in 1812![613] Where does Jetter appear? He is not mentioned in the published minutes of the Philadelphia Association,[614] from which he is said to have come, Link 1. Where is this man mentioned other than in this list? Was there ever such a man in Tennessee? Of course the claim that J.R. Graves, J.N. Hall and J .A. Scarboro were associated with the church at Dyersburg, Tennessee and that Jetter (or Jeter) organized this church is all made irrelevant when it is remembered,[615] that the ministry of Graves, Hall and Scarboro, did not begin until long after this church was said to be constituted.[616] Who made these changes? On what authority?

Another error in this list is reporting that the Hillcliff church is in Wales.[617] Actually the Hillcliff church was in England. The reference to the church at Hill Cliff being in Wales is certainly incorrect as Kenworthy informs us. The Hill Cliff church was near Warrington, which is just a few miles east of Liverpool[618] One edition of this list claims the Welsh Tract church was organized from the Welsh Baptist churches and the Hillcliff church, and gives Davis’ History of Welsh Baptists, p. 7 and Benedict’s History of the Baptists, p. 343, 1848 edition as references.[619] I have examined both of these references and find nothing in either source to support this contention. But at any rate, it is an easy thing to locate Hillcliffe on a map and it is not in Wales.

The quotes made in the Dyersburg to Jerusalem list also indicate this list is a hoax. Take the quote from Jones History. [620] Why is no volume number given to Jones History, which is usually a two volume set? Why can’t this reference be found? Does Jones ever mention Aaron Arlington? The reference in Jones remains as illusive as Atlantis. Bro Moore says: “That statement does not appear on page 324, or anywhere else in Jones’ History.”[621] He also says:

Of the histories I have been able to check, not one them has the entry that is cited. That fact leads me to this conclusion: that someone has fabricated this pedigree and it is as phony as a three dollar bill.[622]

I am aware of the argument that there are different editions of Jones and this is the reason the quotes appear to be incorrect. It is Bro Moore’s testimony that not one of these quotes for links 1, 2, 3, 4, and 11 are valid![623]

What about the quote from the Minutes of the Philadelphia Association? What is book three? [624] It is interesting that one of the lists given in Scriptural Church Organization[625] has the year H. Roller came to the Philadelphia Association as 1809, which is just two years after the close of the published minutes. There is no reference to H. Roller, J.B. Jetter or J.B. Jeter in the published minutes of this Association. Nor does my edition refer to either book or item numbers.[626]

Another link which does not fit the evidence is Link 10. “The Pontifossi[627] Church was organized by Tellestman from Turan, Italy, A.D. 398. See Nowlin’s Church History, Vol.2, p.318.” I can only assume the author refers to the Baptist William Dudley Nowlin, 1864-1950. Nowlin wrote several books but his only history was the Kentucky Baptist History.[628] It was written in 1922 and was only a brief treatment of 196 pages. The compiler refers to volume two, another indicator that the person who compiled this list was not reliable.

In Link five we have this statement: “Lima Piedmont Church was organized by Balcolao, A.D. 812. See Neander’s Church History, Vol.2, p.320.”[629] Those who have consulted Neander’s Church History (not to be confused with his Planting and Training of the Christian Church) know that he treats church history in epochs. In the four volume set the first volume covers from the beginning of the Christian era to AD 312. Volume two covers from AD 312 to AD 590. Thus one can see that volume two would not refer to AD 812, which is the period to which Link 5 refers. Is there an edition in which volume 2 refers to A D 800? This is possible. But I do not believe Neander refers to this name, Balcolao, nor to Lima Piedmont Church anywhere! Let him who can give the reference.

Link 13 gives a reference to Neander’s Church History, p. 285 and says that “John the Beloved or Revelator baptized Polycarp on Christmas day, A.D. 95.” Neander gives no such information as far as I can find. He does not say that John baptized Polycarp at all, much less specifying the day[630] with such a modern title[631]!

Thus no confidence can be placed in such a list and every reference in the list must be rejected until verified because where one is so ignorant or so careless as in this case with Tertullian, everything is suspect. Thus in spite of this pretended historical array of quotes, the whole thing crumbles when examined. Most of the quotes cannot be found at all! The quotes in this list are simply not there! Bro Huckabee does not put it too strongly when he says:

And it is a stretching of possibility beyond reason to think that every one of these references involved a miscopied page number, or a differing page number because a different edition was used, etc. In some of the sources, not even the remotest reference was made to the supposed church or person, though the whole section which covered that time and place in history was read.[632]

Some of the men and places mentioned in this book are found no where else![633] In spite of the misinformation and bogus references in this list many men have published this as a viable historical list of their own church history!

This raises the issue: was the list prepared as a mimic or merely by someone who was ignorant? Let that be as it may, we know from these facts, herein submitted, which any reader may satisfy himself about, the compiler has made false quotes. The list is a fraud, and those who use it perpetrate error. No church should publish this list until they can verify these quotes. But suppose, for sake of discussion, we accept every link and every reference, then the question becomes, does this list support EMDA?

The first thing to note is there is nothingBnot one word–in this list about EMDA! Take for example Link 2. H. Roller came to the Philadelphia Association from the Hillcliff church. Did the church at Hillcliff give H. Roller authority? How much authority? Did they only give him authority to baptize? Or were they more generous? Did they give him authority to constitute churches? Who said so? Where is this record found? Did they give him authority to give authority to this Association? Did H. Roller ever appear in the Philadelphia Association in any year or at any time? Who said so? Where is the evidence? But even if we allow that Hillcliff did give Roller authority, the maximum authority a church can give a man (according to EMDA), and he did go to the Philadelphia Association with this authority, how was this authority transferred? How can a church or a man transfer authority to an Association? Did this authority apply retroactively to the churches already in existence in the Philadelphia Association? What about the churches constituted without EMDA[634] for over a hundred years before H. Roller got there? Did this transferred authority put in the hands of a man and sent half around the world flow out not only horizontally to these some forty churches[635] already in existence, but also retroactively to all the churches of this Association constituted long before? Of course that is impossible and the advocates of EMDA know it! This clearly demonstrates that even if this list were viable, it cannot help the EMDA argument.

It is a sham to put forth this list as a valid history of Baptist churches and I believe it greatly detracts from the real perpetuity of the Lord’s churches.

Footnotes

[598] EMDA, i.e., Essential mother daughter authority.

[599] Roy Mason. The Church That Jesus Built, p. 110-111. Bro Mason’s book is on line at:

http://gracebaptistchurch1.homestead.com/files/X__Statements_of_Historians1.htm.

[600] The Editor’s note says: “Dr. Putnam of Tuttle [OK–JC] gave this to Rev. J.E. Akins, who sends it to the Messenger. The Baptist Messenger. C.P. Stealey, Editor, Oklahoma City, April 26, 1922. Vol. X. No. 27. P. 3.

[601] A wide variety of churches and denominations use this list for their own purposes. I have seen the following different churches use this list: Sovereign Grace Baptist Churches, ABA Baptist Churches, Middle Tennessee Baptist Churches, Primitive Baptist Churches, and Bible Churches. Surprisingly, even a Pentecostal Church also uses it! One of these Pentecostal churches says this: “The Turtletown church is organized in Tennessee, a direct descendant of the Philadelphia Association. The Holiness church of Camp Creek in North Carolina is organized by R.G. Spurling from the Turtletown church. The Lebanon Church of God of prophecy is organized by Virdell Stafford, a direct descendant of the holiness church, January 1, 1952.”

[602] Roy Mason. The Church That Jesus Built.

[603] Cf. Davis Huckabee. Studies in Church Truth, p. 660; Douglas Moore, Old Landmarkism vs. The Pedigree Pushers, p.10-12.

[604] Cf. Link 2 . In some editions of this list this reference is in Link 11. This difference is the result of starting at opposite ends. Bro Mason’s copy started from Dyer, Tennessee. Bro Huckabee’s copy starts from Jerusalem. Cf. Also Milburn Cockrell. SCO, pp. 95-98.

[605] Armitage. History of the Baptists. p. 182 . “The four men who figured most largely in this century were Tertullian, who labored for the purity of the Churches; Origen, who blended philosophy with revelation; Cyprian, who struggled for Episcopal authority; and Hippolytus, who as stoutly resisted clerical wickedness. We may speak more fully of the last. Hippolytus, A.D. 198-239, was Bishop, probably of the Church at Portus, at the mouth of the Tiber, and spent the most of his life in and about Rome.”

[606] Huckabee’s copy has Partos. Davis W. Huckabee. Studies in Church Truth, Links iv & v, p. 659.

[607] Coxe, however, quotes some who think Tertullian was not only educated in, but was also a member of a church in Rome. Ante-Nicene Fathers, III, p. 5,6.

[608] At a recent Bible Conference, this list came up in discussion with a brother. He told me he asked a man (whom he did not identify) as to whether it was reliable. He asked if the man had checked the references. He had not but said he would. This un-named man then wrote him a letter and stated in that letter, that these quotes were not there. A year or two later, this same man published this list as a history of his church!

[609] For example: Bing Joy becomes Bing. Timto becomes Tima. Partus has been amended to read Pontus; Balcolao is Balcoloas; Roller in some lists has become Holler. J.W. Jetter has become J.B. Jeter. Cf. The list as given in Huckabee, Studies on Church Truth, vol. II, p. 659, links xii and xiii, with the list in Mason, Church That Jesus Built, p.110-111, as well as the two lists given in SCO, pp. 95-98.

[610] Roy Mason. Church That Jesus Built, p. 110. Link # 1. The original list (Oaklahoma Messenger, 1922) had J.B. Jetter and Dyersburg.

[611] I am convinced the original author of this list meant J.B. Jeter instead of J.B. Jetter. This would be natural due to J.B. Jeter’s fame as an author and editor. Cf. Cathcart. The Baptist Encyclopedia. But I wonder if those who made this change verified it from the original? Did they just assume the compiler meant J.B. Jeter? It is possible someone may have found Jeter’s name in church records of Dyersburg and so have made this change. See next footnote.

[612] Link 13. Elder J.B. Jeter, from the Philadelphia Association organized the Baptist Church at Dyersburg, Tennessee in 1812. “Minutes of Tennessee Baptist Annual in 1812. This Church still exists. The Abstract of the First Baptist Church Dyersburg, Tennessee.” Mid-West Baptist Press 7801 E. Lincoln, Wichita, Kansas 67207. I do not believe J.B. Jeter ever was in the Philadelphia Association. The date of Jeter’s birth (July 18, 1802) indicates this reference is in error.–JC. Cf. Hatcher. Life of J.B. Jeter, p. 18.

[613] William Cathcart. The Baptist Encyclopedia, Art. Jeter, p. 600-601.

[614] The published minutes of Philadelphia Association are from 1707 to 1807.

[615] Cf. Huckabee. Church Truth, p. 659, Link xiii. “J.R. Graves, J.N. Hall, J.A. Scarboro, were all affiliated with the First Baptist Church of Dyersburg, Tennessee. Church Minutes, First Baptist Church, Dyersburg, Tennessee.” Church Truth, pp. 659-660.

[616] J.R. Graves began to edit the Tennessee Baptist in 1846. Baptist Encyclopedia, p. 467; J.N. Hall was born in 1849. I do not know the date of J.A. Scarboro’s birth, but he was active when the General Association was formed in 1905. Cf. Bogard’s Life & Works, vol. II, p. 346.

[617] Milburn Cockrell. Scriptural Church Organization, p. 95, Link five; Roy Mason. Church That Jesus Built, Link two, p.110.

[618] James Kenworthy. History of the Baptist Church at Hill Cliff, p. 5, 13, 41, 46. Ch. Hist. Research & Archives reprint, 1987. Gallatin, TN .

[619] Milburn Cockrell. SCO, p. 95, Link 5.

[620] Roy Mason. Church That Jesus Built, Link 4. “Lima Piedmont church ordained Aaron Arlington in 940. See Jones’ History, p. 324.”

[621] Douglas A. Moore. Old Landmarkism vs. The Pedigree Pushers, p. 12: Link four.

[622] Ibid.

[623] Ibid.

[624] A.D. Gillette. Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1707 to 1807 . The reference in the list is: Book 3, item 1! Cf. Link xi, Huckabee , Church Truth, p. 659; Mason. Church That Jesus Built, p. 110, Link 2; Cockrell, Scriptural Church Organization, p. 96, Link 6. How is it that so many quote this without ever checking it?

[625] Milburn Cockrell. SCO, p.95- 96, Link 6.

[626] A.D.Gillette. Minutes of the Philadelphia Association from 1707 to 1807, American Baptist Pub . Society, 1851. Baptist Book Trust Reprint, 1976. There are in the records of each year numbers referring to the order of business. Cf. pp. 173, 217, 254, et. al.

[627] The original list spells this name two different ways: Pontafossi and Pontiffossi, links 9 & 10.

[628] Cf. Edward C. Starr. A Baptist Bibliography, vol. 17.

[629] Roy Mason. The Church That Jesus Built, p. 110.

[630] Neander does mention Polycarp a few times in volume one. He says on p. 109 that Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John. Again on p. 299 he says: “Polycarp alleged that he himself had observed a passover with the Apostle John, whose disciple he was.” He mentions him in two other places, pp. 465, 651. In the other three volumes, Polycarp is not mentioned at all. I cannot find the quote from this list anywhere.

[631]Cf. Schaff. History of the Christian Church, vol. II, pp. 664-670.

[632]Davis W. Huckabee. Studies on Church Truth, vol. II, p. 660.

[633] I have found no reference to the following men and places except in this list: J .B. Jetter; H. Roller; Aaron Arlington; Balcolao; Archer Flavin; Adromicus; Tellestman; Lima Piedmont; Timto, Asia Minor; Darethea church; Pontafossi in France; Bing Joy, Africa.

[634] Self constitution as opposed to EMDA was the method used by this Association. Cf. Chapter 10, and Gillette’s Minutes of the Philadelphia Association, pp 18, 23. Also Griffith’s Treatise , quoted in Dever’s Polity, p. 95.

[635] A.D. Gillette. Minutes of the Philadelphia Association from 1707 to 1807, American Baptist Pub. Society, 1851. Baptist Book Trust Reprint, 1976. p. 447-449.